Enchanted Castles!

Well Shark, I have to say my friend, you put me to shame for not thinking like you do! :) Course if I did, I'd BE you! (mock) :eek: Not a pleasant thought as I value my individuality! :D Anyway, if you EVER get bored with doing your own thing, let me know. I'd love to bounce my ideas off you.
 

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A lot of this discussion seems to revolve around the demographics of magic in a particular campaign. Most of the stuff presented in regards to the Enchanted Castle and its variants seems to me to definitely be set in a very high-magic setting. What I consider when working with the probable efects of magic in any social-cultural setting, is the effect of counter-magic, and the whole game that then revolves around magic/counter-magic.

All good major fantasy stories and mythological texts have elements that limit the proliferation of power of a single entity, or group thereof, by the ability of said entity/group thereof's knowledge of how to counter and twist the intents of magic. There seem to be a lot of assumptions that floating castles can simply be created and exist supreme. Floating castle butresses by all kinds of cool magic? How about becoming a Dragon Mage, able to unleash various dragons in assault waves to counter the masses of wizards, magicks, and such? All I can imagine afterwards is a big mess.

The point is, the whole thing can, without proper balances, spiral out of control, and you get a Gormenghast ad infinitum...

For every point, there is a counter point. Same with magic, same with castles, same with enchanted castles.
 

Falcon said:
A lot of this discussion seems to revolve around the demographics of magic in a particular campaign. Most of the stuff presented in regards to the Enchanted Castle and its variants seems to me to definitely be set in a very high-magic setting.

I think that most discussion here assumes what is presented in the DMG, taken to a logical conclusion.
 

DMaple said:
If you build a fortress based on magic, then one successful "dispel magic" or "antimagic shell" and the whole thing could come down like a pack of cards.

Items of Counterspelling.

Items of Spell Reflection.

Items of Absorption.

And that's just from a cursory glance at the DMG. Far more countermeasures could be invented if you go through Tome & Blood, Magic of Faerun, Defenders of the Faith, Relics & Rituals, the two Books of Eldritch Magic, etc.

As for antimagic fields, all sorts of entertaining traps can be set for them, like walls of force that, when suppressed, free vicious monsters, release poison gas, or drop a spike-studded stone block on the poor fool's head. :D
 

I was posting my commentary, nothing more. How often do weird things (Smeagol/Gollum, the pride of the young sorcerer Sparrowhawk/Ged, an earthquake, or a volcano), a really powerful, foul-tempered Red Dragon with gas) get in the way of logical extensions/conclusions? Point is, IMHO, the reason taht there are not so many ultra-enchanted castles is that a lot of things happen to mitigate their development. (The moniker "Enchanted Castles" meant to include the sociological/ecological/magical millieux.)
 

I am the Supreme Mind!

Greetings!

Thanks Nightfall! You can feel free to e-mail me anytime. I'm currently working on a submission to Necromancer Games. Hopefully, you may see some of my ideas in broad daylight, so to speak!:) I'd be honored to discuss your ideas about whatever Nightfall. Thanks very much!:)

I sometimes think, well, with *Dispel Magic* in existence, why wouldn't someone develop spells or materials to make *Dispel Magic* ineffective, especially with large structures and so on? I mean, in my example, there is strange metals that have been worked into the foundations that provide it with immunity to *Dispel Magic* so that no wizard, regardless of level, can simply hit the flying crystal castle with a *Dispel Magic* and watch the castle fall from the sky. I don't think so.

Having said that, though, the castle can be damaged by fireballs, Lightning Bolts, and mundane things like battering rams or Iron Golems for example. It's a major thing, you know, and a simple spell just isn't going to effect it.

Still, I like the ideas of magic having some broad effects upon society. Just think what permanent light globes would do to the whole society. True, let's say that the kingdom couldn't afford to put them everywhere, in every little village and so on. But let's assume that the kingdom would see to it that major sections of every large city has plenty of light globes.

Imagine then that in these cities, you could have extended work hours, and extended night life. You could have additional work completed that doesn't depend on the hours of daylight. The economy in these cities would be significantly different from what is typically portrayed. Imagine the societal impact of permanently illuminated cities throughout the kingdom. That alone would have a significant effect on society.

Now imagine the potential impact on attitudes of work, family expectations, and social life. Imagine the impact on businesses, and so on. The possibilities are limitless.

Ask yourself what effects might there be if a group of people got together, let's say a group of wizards, a few bards, and a few clerics to start with. Let's say they got together, and formed a "Guild of Enlightened Knowledge." This guild would build a complex in every major city.

Within these complexes, there would be artists who work on animated tapestries that show whatever situation happening. These artists are given descriptions and information based on knowledge gained in the area by spies and bards, wizards, and so on. The knowledge doesn't really matter what it's on, as long as it is interesting and important. Imagine these tapestries being made with full sound effects and so on. Then imagine whenever something happens, like a sex scandal in the the northern city of A. The news of such, along with an artistic animated tapestry, can be teleported to a city in the far south by the end of the day. By the next morning, you have bards telling stories and spreading news about this scandal, and distributing or selling!--these animated tapestries that further detail the news item.

The actual mechanics of how different information transmission is done can vary--but imagine a group of people getting together to found this guild, and now imagine the effects this would have on the society. Imagine how the effects of knowledge being transferred, often in a more interesting way than just by word of mouth many months later, could have on society.

The military of course, could also make use of magic in this way to transmit special teams of officers with detailed animated tapestries to different headquarters throughout the kingdom, bringing urgent news faster, or simply bringing detailed reports in more interesting ways, and in a more timely fashion. You would still have word of mouth, or verbal reports, as well as written reports, but it would be faster, and with an added visual/audio component. Then imagine the king selling royal licenses to several guild groups like this, all competing to get the information out faster, better, and more accurate, than each other.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
 

Coolness Shark. :) I'll be sure to email you sometime soon then. Have a few ideas that a Necromancer fan like your self might have. *btw it's only three more weeks to Tomb of Abysthor comes out! I'm stoked! :) *
 

IMC walled towns (or larger settlements) & fortresses are typically protected by wards that create a "bubble" of spell resistance around the walls.

You can cast spells inside the wards, or outside the wards normally, but a spell effect (or creature travelling magically/teleporting/ethereal etc) trying to enter the warded area must penetrate the ward's spell resistance which varies according to the spell casters that co-operated to create the ward.

I haven't worked out the specific spell description yet (my players haven't got to the point where they want to duplicate or penetrate such wards) but it seems to me the simplest way to defend against hostile magic (& teleporting invaders: how much havoc could one demon cause teleporting around an average city?) without inhibiting your own spell casting (meaning your clerics can still Create Food during sieges).

Thats my 2c contribution.
 

Re: I am the Supreme Mind!

SHARK said:
I sometimes think, well, with *Dispel Magic* in existence, why wouldn't someone develop spells or materials to make *Dispel Magic* ineffective, especially with large structures and so on? I mean, in my example, there is strange metals that have been worked into the foundations that provide it with immunity to *Dispel Magic* so that no wizard, regardless of level, can simply hit the flying crystal castle with a *Dispel Magic* and watch the castle fall from the sky. I don't think so.

SHARK

Defenses are more often than not one step behind the best offense available. You develop plate armour, we develop crossbows. You develop kevlar body armour we develop Armour piercing rounds.

You develop Dispel Magic resistant spells, a month later we develop Improved Dispel Magic. So you develop Resistant Spells Mark II we develop Improved Dispel Magic II.

Another thing not covered is the mutually assured destruction. You don't see nukes thrown around in conflicts since no one wants to up the stakes to that level.

Also recently released documents has show that the British SOE planned an asssassination campaign against the Nazi's but it was never approved for fear of a responce in kind.

Just because you have the ability doesn't mean you can always use it.
 

The Cloud Castle...

My party, hired by a dragon and using a map provided by her were able to track down and find the Castle in The Sky.

A misty, wisp-like construct, it was made entirely of cloud. A cloud Giant Archmagi, ancient and powerful had carved the castle out of liviing cloud material and used his skills to hide it from detection.

However, one evil necromancer was able to discover the castle and defeated him in a bid to control it. However, despite grueling torture, the Cloud Giant would not reveal the secrets of how to move and use the castle.

The necromancer then kidnapped a Cloud Dragon and was holding him ransom for the secrets of how to use the castle...knowing that he had helped the cloud giant in it's construction.

We were able to find the Castle in the Sky with the map, defeat the necromancer and with the Cloud Dragon's help decipher the spells necessary to move and use the Castle.

The castle was armed with a number of traps and magical protections, which we were more then happy to add too.

This may sound a bit fanciful, but actually it was taken almost wholesale from an old Dungeon Magazine.

Cedric of Boccob
Master of True Iron
 

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