Tiny, Tiny Keep (SketchUp)

[Novarri]

Here's a tiny keep I made in SketchUp, and the logical explanation behind it!

First, I had it in mind to make something tiny, so small it has no outer walls. In any event, the barracks area is large enough to comfortably sit about 6 soldiers and their gear, and then the sheriff has his own room. If the village is attacked, villagers would retreat to this keep's main entryway, and if the doors into it were attacked, they would retreat into the inside of the round tower...and...I dunno, wait around and hope they don't get killed.

The roof over the stairs from 1st to 2nd floors serves two purposes: first, it prevents rain from draining through the gap. Second, it prevents enemy archers from shooting anyone going up the stairs.

In theory, all of the windows could be shuttered and locked from the inside, but I didn't build any shutters into the design.

I might design a small dungeon for it - not a literal dungeon, but a way that any villagers could exit the keep and a) not take up room inside of it that the soldiers could probably use or b) get killed. Also, dungeons are great excuses for adventure! I'm thinking, a secret door in the sheriff's quarters that leads into the otherwise solid rock tower base?

It uses a lot of wood, so it'd be very susceptible to fire...maybe I'll build a small cistern into the "dungeon," so volunteer villagers can get buckets of water and pour them on the keep's standing areas.

Walls extend 3'-6" above the floor in the standing area, with the crenelations carved 1' back down. That way, defenders can hide reasonably well behind the stone, and get a very clear shot at any enemies they want to aim at. Floors are each 10' tall; the tower is 50' diameter, and the square building is a 50' x 50'.

[Gandwarf]

Can't rep unfortunately...
I am a sucker for Sketchup stuff and this is a nice model. I have seen so many enormous castles, it's good to see some smaller stuff again.

I like the layout of the keep and the floor plans to the right.

One thing though: the windows are far too big for a defensive structure like this. I would put in only arrow slits (going all around the building) and maybe only on the second floor. At the moment it's far too easy for attackers to shoot or throw stuff in. Since there is a lot of wood used in the construction, I wouldn't want the enemy to just walk up to a window and throw in a torch

[ravells]

Repped for Ganwarf and for me! Lovely work!

[Gandwarf]

Repped for Ganwarf and for me! Lovely work!

Darn, now I need to write you an IOU

[Redrobes]

Thats a really cool image and I tried to rep too but it seems I must do some more rep whoring again. I wonder what I repped you for recently then... Anyway - superb image there. Does it have a campaign home cos I'd totally steal that if I could ?

[Ascension]

Good stuff, I've always liked barracks instead of huge keeps. Keep up the good work.

[Novarri]

@Gandwarf: the windows...hm. Originally I was going to throw arrow slits into the tower, but now that I think about it, there are only seven soldiers in the entire village...but likely there'd be enough levied hunters to set up some archer posts. Yeah, I'm gonna throw in some arrow slits. The issue is one between allowing light to enter and security - so they'll likely be larger than necessary, but smaller than currently.

@Ravells: Thanks!

@Redrobes: Not a campaign, yet. I have plans to throw it into my tiny, tiny village I'm building (population: 60). I fully intend to throw the village up here when I'm done, but it'll probably be a while (final exams + month in Russia).

@Ascension: I'd probably have tried to make a larger one, but even when I try to make huge buildings I make them small, so I just decided to shoot for a small one. Glad you like it!

[Sigurd]

I think the windows would probably be ok with that size if they had bars.

I'm repping your for Gandwarf - he's much more generous and upstanding than I am. As a matter of fact I'd probably demand you share your whole village (and include a pie stand and market) before I'd part with rep.....

Gandwarf is just much more generous...

Maybe not .

[Gandwarf]

@Gandwarf: the windows...hm. Originally I was going to throw arrow slits into the tower, but now that I think about it, there are only seven soldiers in the entire village...but likely there'd be enough levied hunters to set up some archer posts. Yeah, I'm gonna throw in some arrow slits. The issue is one between allowing light to enter and security - so they'll likely be larger than necessary, but smaller than currently.

It's your keep of course... but windows also used to be a lot smaller as these kind of buildings couldn't be properly heated. Keeps and castles were notoriously dark and drafty in the middle ages.

[Novarri]

@Sigurd: There will be a market. Not so sure about a pie stand...I'll have to ask the villagers about that one.

@Gandwarf: And therein lies my problem. I'm not sure where this village is going to be, just yet. I've been playing around with it being closer to the equator (say, like Corpus Christi, TX; the average temp. in Jan. is ~55 degrees). But I feel like the buildings look more temperate...maybe because of the gray coloring and European-style angled roofs? What d'you think?