Building size

[knightedchaos]

Ok, I am starting up a game, and trying to map out the starting area but the problem I am facing is how big should my buildings be? maybe I am being a wee bit to obsessive but I find I need something to establish a scale for all my further dungeons and areas

 

[Krensky]

Ok, I am starting up a game, and trying to map out the starting area but the problem I am facing is how big should my buildings be? maybe I am being a wee bit to obsessive but I find I need something to establish a scale for all my further dungeons and areas

Where are the buildings? A medieval village? A renaissance city? A modern metropolis? Climate and culture has effects too.

For most generic western medieval European fantasy, barring "Wow!" places like ancient Dwarven vaults or city castles of hegemons, buildings will be on roughly the same scale as the modern world, although likely with fewer rooms.

 

[frankthedm]

On the most part it is better to make areas larger than real life would call for. Overall realism is going to hinder the battle.

If you want a more realistic scale, treat each 'square' of the grid as one meter or yard rather than 5 feet.

 

[knightedchaos]

Well, its for a pretty standard starting village, I just really have no clue how big medieval village homes were

 

[frankthedm]

Just enough space to live uncomfortably.

 

[Henrix]

That would depend largely on where they were, and who owned them. Were they free farmers owning their own land in Scandinavia, or serfs in southern russia?

Generally pretty small buildings - just a few rooms for living in. Separate sleeping rooms were for the truly rich.

I generally think of indoors environmant as using a different scale than outdoors, perhaps 3' per square, in order to have rooms that one can manoeuver in.

[Edit]
In other words; don't sweat it. Think about how you want the normal house to be, and stick to it so that the world feels consistent.

 

[Betote]

On the most part it is better to make areas larger than real life would call for. Overall realism is going to hinder the battle.

If you want a more realistic scale, treat each 'square' of the grid as one meter or yard rather than 5 feet.

I tried to map my apartment using a 5' grid. It was depressing

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Ok, I am starting up a game, and trying to map out the starting area but the problem I am facing is how big should my buildings be? maybe I am being a wee bit to obsessive but I find I need something to establish a scale for all my further dungeons and areas

What buildings are going to be there?
Which one is going to be the biggest?
Where do people live?
Where do you want the PCs to go? Of these, which do you expect the PCs to have encounters in?

And then...

How many characters in the "group"?

You need to make sure that there is enough room in your buildings for PCs to do things (or not do things if you want the variety). On the whole though, you need to have enough free space to at least give a few options.

As for dungeons, corridors 10ft. wide make the most play-sense to me, with rooms normally at least 15ft. x 20 ft.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[knightedchaos]

actually you guys bring up a lot of great points, makes my life a lot easier lol, thanks guys

 

[Umbran]

Ok, I am starting up a game, and trying to map out the starting area but the problem I am facing is how big should my buildings be?

Well, try this for one way of looking at it:

A modern 2-bedroom apartment might be 1000 square feet. That is a total of 40 squares.