Castle Plans

[Turgenev]

Fixed the rubble glitch.

[Turgenev]

I know that this should probably go into the Dungeon/Subterranean Mapping section but since it is a part of the castle ruins, I'm posting it here to keep everything together. Here's the dungeon level of the castle ruins.

The secret tunnel (Area #11) goes for some distance to a secluded entrance in the nearby countryside. I'll leave it up to the DM/GM to decide just how far this tunnel goes.

[jaerdaph]

Excellent, excellent work, Turgenev! Rep

My only suggestion would be to show the rubble on the ground floor version of the map only, and maybe remove some of the outer walls at higher levels (the rubble had to come from somewhere).

I need to figure out an easy way to duplicate that rubble in CC3/DD3...

[Turgenev]

Excellent, excellent work, Turgenev! Rep

My only suggestion would be to show the rubble on the ground floor version of the map only, and maybe remove some of the outer walls at higher levels (the rubble had to come from somewhere).

I need to figure out an easy way to duplicate that rubble in CC3/DD3...

I was thinking of removing the rubble from the upper maps as well. It's something I've been mulling over. Here is my rubble sample. It is originally from the red book (Mentzer) Basic D&D map symbols. I resample it, tweak it, resize it, subtract/add to it, etc.

[jaerdaph]

I was thinking of removing the rubble from the upper maps as well. It's something I've been mulling over. Here is my rubble sample. It is originally from the red book (Mentzer) Basic D&D map symbols. I resample it, tweak it, resize it, subtract/add to it, etc.

Thanks - that will give me something to play around with.

[The Stoat]

This goes against my experience. Most of the big gun castles over here which have water filled moats have natural sources. Some of these have been modified but usually its from a river with changing water.

Caenarfon
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...06738&t=h&z=18
Conwy
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...06738&t=h&z=18
Chepstow
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...26951&t=k&z=16
Pembroke
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...13475&t=h&z=17
Beaumaris
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...06738&t=h&z=18

Also beau means beautiful and maris means marsh. The castle was built on a swamp - including the curtains !

The 'rules' about castles seem to be broken quite often as you go around them.

Edit -- Googles sattellite seems to be switched off right now for me.

From the evidence you provide I would side with RPMiller. All but one of the castles you show do not have moats. They are built on the shores of rivers. The river is not the castle's defense instead the castle is defending the river. The moat for Beaumaris is in fact stagnant and artificial. Most moats were not intentionally filled with water. They were just a ditch a short distance from the wall that provided one more barier for attacker to overcome. A moat that was actually connected to a river would allow errode the walls over time and allow attacker to approach using large boats. Once cannons came on the scene moat became much less important, water filled ditches did little to stop cannon balls.

[Redrobes]

Naturally the castle defends the river but the river also defends the castle too. Also w.r.t Beaumaris, the moat water might be stagnant now but it was originally connected to the castle and it has in more recent years become land locked. Here is a quote from the site...

The first line of defense was provided by a water-filled moat, some 18ft wide. At the southern end was a tidal dock for shipping, where vessels of 40 tons laden weight could sail right up to the main gate.

These were examples of castles with water around them. There are many which did not have water and had just a ditch whether natural - like Tintagel or artificial (at least on some sides) like Harlech, or Dover.

I cant think of a castle which has water around it which is not connected to the sea or a river and made from an artificial ditch. That was the point I was trying to put forward. There must be some but I think they are more the minority. In order to have standing water with no source you would be on naturally boggy ground which is how Beaumaris continues to keep its water but its not often that a castle is sited on such ground - for a second reason that would imply low lands when castles are usually sited on hills.

Yes, cannons changed everything. Castles changed considerably over the period as experience and technology improved but cannons brought the end of traditional castles. They adapted a bit to the cannon with their soft sloping walls etc but it was short lived.

[ravells]

The only one I can think of is Leeds Castle. Not sure whether the lake around it is man made though.

[Redrobes]

I have been to the entrance of Leeds castle (which is in Kent by the way just to confuse anyone...) It was really expensive to go in so we decided against. This was a very long time ago - probably when I was a student.

This is the best page I can get on it with more history and less about getting married in it etc.

http://www.castles.me.uk/leeds-castle.htm

...and as you can read it was built on natural islands as part of the River Len. I am sure there will be some somewhere but I don't think that its the usual way they built them.