Failed construction works of your world?

[reason]

...

One would imagine that a poor understanding of great wizardry will produce much the same effects as a poor understanding of engineering or architecture...you can have a hundred souls chant for twenty days to raise a temple from nothing, but not realize that the earth spirits must be kept placated with more than simply ritual offerings once a year.

Oh, and there's always the reliable old "built it in a swamp" excuse. You'd think people would learn...

Reason
Principia Infecta

 

[taliesin15]

now this is a great thread because I think this is a topic rich in possibilities for new module publications

mythusmage mentions the mississippi changing course--NOW THAT is one thing I've incorporated, as soil erosion and rivers changing course is a pretty common phenomenom--in fact, i believe flash floods might be the costliest natural disaster most years around the world (this year there might be an exception to that)--go through the whole list: volcanoes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, avalanches

then there's damage to soils caused by large burrowing creatures such as purple worms--even large beetles and like vermin can noticeably change land-and city-scapes

back to the original post: what about someone trying to build a fortress and it turns out that the source of stone nearby wasn't as extensive as they thought--or like the Mayans/Aztecs, they started building a fortress, but a combination of soil depletion and drought wiped out the civilization to the point where they had to go back to huts

 

[mythusmage]

Then there's damage to soils caused by large burrowing creatures such as purple worms--even large beetles and like vermin can noticeably change land-and city-scapes

Now there's an idea. A mountain town threatened with sinkholes because the local dwarfs or kobolds are being a tad too eager in their hardrock mining.

Or, the party makes first contact with a svirfneblin community when their tavern falls into the deep gnomes' latest excavation.

The presence of such as ankhegs and other giant burrowing animals in an area could impact architecture. Buildings are small and lightly built. Both so they can be replaced easily, and so they can be mounted on sleds, the better to move, and to 'ride out' any burrowing caused 'earth waves'.

Feel free to expand and use in your game.

 

[Tonguez]

I had a coral island collapse back into the sea due to giant worm holes. The PCs were caught in the collapse and had to recover a stolen artifact which was also caught in the collapse (along with the theif and the jungle and its various inhabitants)

 

[Wild Gazebo]

One of my old GMs had a near-future world where the government, of the country we started in, had bankrupted itself by building an orbit elevator. So, throughout this game we could always see this tall streaking monstrosity reaching far into the sky--partially converted into low income housing.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I am amazed that no one has mentioned B. S. (Bloody Stupid) Johnson of Discworld fame, the anti rennaisance man, Music, engineering, art, architecture, there were no beginnings to his talents! The phrase 'But sir, it's a Johnson!' can bring fear into the hearts of the bravest man.

The Auld Grump

 

[S'mon]

I have a 'Great Wall of China' equivalent IMC that was abandoned a few years after it was built when policy changed and the Empire abandoned the area - does that count?

 

[Stone Angel]

It a now non existent homebrew there was a mad cult of builders mostly comprised of dwarfs and gnomes. They were constantly working on something called the Everbridge. A bridge that was to connect a distant continent of their homeland, that no one was really sure if existed. Just veered off into the ocean for miles and miles. "They've always been doing it and always will."


The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Zappo]

Shortly after the beginning of my Planescape campaign, the Xaositects tried to build a massive bridge connecting two opposite sides of Sigil (idea stolen from SIGIS). The whole thing collapsed long before being anywhere close to completion.