Abandoned Castle Dungeons

[WhirlwindMonk]

This is the battlemap I'll be using for my next session in about a week's time. It's the abandoned dungeons of a castle that has long since turned to scattered rubble. It's for a level 1 party, so it'll just have some dire rats and giant spiders and the like, but it's actually got a chunk of history that goes back thousands of years, and will likely come into play again once they're around 10th level. It's a pretty simple affair right now, but the 10th-ish level version will include the rebuilt castle with the back dungeon "throne room" of this map acting as the final encounter area.

Like I said, I've got a week before this will be run, so any suggestion on how to make it look better or more interesting are welcome!

Lich's Castle Dungeon.jpg

[Bogie]

You have a good base to start from.

First, I doubt that the Throne Room and treasure/summoning room would have the same floor tiles as the prison cells. I would put in a richer looking tile. I would put something in the throne room to decorate it like a couple statues, or big candle sconces. In the torture room I would put a small table with some nasty tools. Unless you need all those cells, I would convert some of them into larger rooms for use as guard rooms, waiting rooms, storage rooms, etc.

[Korash]

.... Unless you need all those cells, I would convert some of them into larger rooms for use as guard rooms, waiting rooms, storage rooms, etc.

Esp. those in the corridor leading straight up to the throne room....Unless the ruler was some sort of cruel despot/tyrant who really wanted to put "guests" in to the right "frame of mind". In which case those other rooms should be off the halls to the left and right. The torture room and the storage room (?) would be okay in either case. Bogie is right about the room decorations unless it has already been looted (which I doubt with the skeletons being still in the places that they are) and maybe add a few more unfortunates in the cells. Maybe make the cell area a bit darker, as it is a psych ploy to increase the prisoners fear of what is to come...

[WhirlwindMonk]

First, I doubt that the Throne Room and treasure/summoning room would have the same floor tiles as the prison cells. I would put in a richer looking tile. I would put something in the throne room to decorate it like a couple statues, or big candle sconces.

Good call. I've been planning on decorating it some more but didn't even think about changing the floor up. Thanks!

Esp. those in the corridor leading straight up to the throne room....Unless the ruler was some sort of cruel despot/tyrant who really wanted to put "guests" in to the right "frame of mind".

That's roughly accurate. The "throne room" of sorts was not actually part of the original dungeon. It was added in by an evil necromancer who took over the castle and used the cells to hold victims for his experiments. I'll let my players make a knowledge check to notice this, though it'll probably be a tough one since we're talking a couple hundred years difference in a multi-thousand year old building. I'll definitely look into adding some more rooms to the sides, though.

Bogie is right about the room decorations unless it has already been looted (which I doubt with the skeletons being still in the places that they are) and maybe add a few more unfortunates in the cells.

It has been looted before, and those skeletons are from failed looters. But no reason there couldn't still be some more difficult to move things left, like a few stone statues. You're right that their locations suggest "former prisoners" more than "dead adventurers", so I'll probably move them.

Maybe make the cell area a bit darker, as it is a psych ploy to increase the prisoners fear of what is to come...

I like that, thanks for the idea! Not entirely sure what the best way to do that is, but I'll experiment and see what I can come up with.