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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 4163346" data-attributes="member: 25619">Well, once I was talking online with a Floridian who said they lived "in the shadow of the castle".  I asked if they meant the Spanish castle (I now forget the name) whose ruins really do still exist in Florida.  They didn't know what I was talking about.   <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> I'm American.  My very first introduction to D&D was by a DM (Indian-American) who had visited his cousins in Scotland and was quite impressed by Edinburgh Castle.  He described the gate, the portcullis, and the murder holes above and arrow slits to the sides as we were asked our names and our business at the Keep on the Borderlands.  I loved it, so I've always tried to have a similar scene for new players.Also, as a child I read a picture book on how castles (specifically Edward I's castles in Wales) were built.And later on I became a history major and lived in England for 3 years, visiting at least a half dozen castles.  My favorites are Edinburgh and Caernarvon (Edward I's largest Welsh castle).So, when I DM it, I do go into detail, and they are quasi-real medieval.  I've had "castles" towers ranging from a dirt wall and a wooden tower (more of a burh), to a stone tower and stone wall, up to concentric ring castles.  I don't care about the "but that wouldn't work against stuff that can fly" rationale of castle design, because my campaigns are relatively low-level.  The typical threat is a Warrior 1, either human or orcish, so walls and murderholes are fairly effective.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  And my absolutely favorite DMing was running an assault on the Keep on the Borderlands by many of the Caves of Chaos' denizens, against the PCs and the Keep troops!But I suspect your criticism of typical Americans may be right!I actually know what you mean on this one (I've heard of Karl May).  I generally keep it pretty stereotypical Plains Indian, but I like to throw in some elements of East Coast Indians too.  My "Indian" civilization also has Irish elements thrown in, just because I feel like it.I couldn't agree more.  Real history and mythology are fascinating in their own right, and even more fun when plundered for D&D.</blockquote>

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