So lets say, hypothetically, that you're a bit of a rich epic wizard finally severing yourself 'officially' from the... *ahem* armed (and staved) forces of the nation you've been serving faithfully. Time to pack up some of that dragon sized library, alchemy set, potted plants and faithful kitty and set up shop somewhere outside of that big capital city (no place to build).
Now its a violent world after all, and getting to be an epic wizard doesn't just happen without slaying a few warlords, a king or two, offending entire races, and kicking sand in the eyes of an elder deity. Its uncertain times and we can expect to be besieged by a half dozen armies at some point or another (hopefully or said wizard hasn't been trying hard enough).
Lets also just put out there that there really is no safe haven, no city unasaillable, no political stability to ensure times of peace, etc, so finding a cushy well defended open town to build in is fairly unrealistic, and if anything may serve as a liability. Cities are rampaging horde magnets, towns often finding themselves at odds with roaving bands of brigands, and it just wouldn't do with the commoners pounding away day and night at the poor archmage's door. Archmages need their sleep too! (The living ones anyway or without the appropriate ioun stones/spells/etc).
But this is hardly a dilemma for the veteran interplanar champions here at Enworld. They build fortifications in their dreams and foreboding keeps as they scramble their eggs for breakfast.
But why a tower?
Its the thing to do! Appearences must be kept! I was thinking perhaps (gold, labor, and other disastrous events holding off willing...) to have the tower be a surface outcropping with all the real goodies undergroud but I was reminded of a certain story hour (Piratecat) where an all to clever cleric collapsed a dungeon with a well placed earthquake spell. Lets say the guiding light of this wizard's world is all too familiar with that little ploy as to render it a might untenable as a sound construction idea...
So for the experienced arcane tower builders here, a few questions...
1) Where?
Location location location! Enemies won't be able to just teleport in, but we need to get the builders there to well... build it. And live. Storming towers in forbidding jungles may be fun but one wonders how they get there in the first place!
The major concerns are *NOT* adventurers, but strike forces and militaries. Reputation as an army smasher can only go so far when mob mentality can override the good judgment of otherwise non-sucidal hobgoblins...
And theres only *one* wizard. While she and her companions can probably hold off a small army, she runs out of spells (scrolls, and charges) eventually and while she's nifty with a quarterstaff, she's not Neo.
Ideally then the terrain has to be somewhat difficult for any large force to enter and besiege (and make siege weaponry impractical). What kind of doors could resist a determined effort (long enough at least for the wizard to get notice of it and come back and start turning the peoples into frogs... deterrence?!)
2) Design- Assume all or most of the standard fantasy fare materials are available. For the 'hypothetical' pretend unlimited funds (within reason), and several stories. What should be there? A library and a potion lab are a must, a kitchen, living quarters as well (but how many?) Do they have foyers? What are the comforts your enterprising real estate wizards (pardon the pun) sought in their respective places of residence? This will also be a base of operations for several powerful individuals when they work as a team although they too have their respective responsibilities and places of dominion.
How to structure it for reinforcement? Some of which will by necessity be internal. There will be several portals anchored in the tower to facilitate travel. Additionally there may be a summoning or two, and theres always the possibility of fel attack...
Care and feeding of an apprentice/apprentices. Assumng any number between (and including) 1-5 apprentices, how did you make room for them? And give them workspace? Places to blow things up and summon things accidentally? Not setting fire to the archmages library?
Food and drink is not a concern (for this archmage) but might be for the guests and apprentices. Location is not only important for its protective measures but also people have to get all the stuff there in the first place! But it should also be so out of the way or precariously situated as to discourage military reprisals, although those are likely to happen due to this wizard's particularly colorful history.
And stables? Or does the average self-interested wizards eschew such mundane contrivances, forcing the prospective guests to seek their own methods of caring for their faithful steeds?
Extraplanar is not an option, the planes of this cosmology are extremely forbidding, of indeterminate size, and populated by powerful beings that do not kindly brook interloping. Lets just say that they're extremely hard to get into and even harder to get out of...
3) ANY AND ALL ADDITIONAL IDEAS, INSIGHT, ETC.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this and reply!
Now its a violent world after all, and getting to be an epic wizard doesn't just happen without slaying a few warlords, a king or two, offending entire races, and kicking sand in the eyes of an elder deity. Its uncertain times and we can expect to be besieged by a half dozen armies at some point or another (hopefully or said wizard hasn't been trying hard enough).
Lets also just put out there that there really is no safe haven, no city unasaillable, no political stability to ensure times of peace, etc, so finding a cushy well defended open town to build in is fairly unrealistic, and if anything may serve as a liability. Cities are rampaging horde magnets, towns often finding themselves at odds with roaving bands of brigands, and it just wouldn't do with the commoners pounding away day and night at the poor archmage's door. Archmages need their sleep too! (The living ones anyway or without the appropriate ioun stones/spells/etc).
But this is hardly a dilemma for the veteran interplanar champions here at Enworld. They build fortifications in their dreams and foreboding keeps as they scramble their eggs for breakfast.
But why a tower?
Its the thing to do! Appearences must be kept! I was thinking perhaps (gold, labor, and other disastrous events holding off willing...) to have the tower be a surface outcropping with all the real goodies undergroud but I was reminded of a certain story hour (Piratecat) where an all to clever cleric collapsed a dungeon with a well placed earthquake spell. Lets say the guiding light of this wizard's world is all too familiar with that little ploy as to render it a might untenable as a sound construction idea...
So for the experienced arcane tower builders here, a few questions...
1) Where?
Location location location! Enemies won't be able to just teleport in, but we need to get the builders there to well... build it. And live. Storming towers in forbidding jungles may be fun but one wonders how they get there in the first place!
The major concerns are *NOT* adventurers, but strike forces and militaries. Reputation as an army smasher can only go so far when mob mentality can override the good judgment of otherwise non-sucidal hobgoblins...
And theres only *one* wizard. While she and her companions can probably hold off a small army, she runs out of spells (scrolls, and charges) eventually and while she's nifty with a quarterstaff, she's not Neo.
Ideally then the terrain has to be somewhat difficult for any large force to enter and besiege (and make siege weaponry impractical). What kind of doors could resist a determined effort (long enough at least for the wizard to get notice of it and come back and start turning the peoples into frogs... deterrence?!)
2) Design- Assume all or most of the standard fantasy fare materials are available. For the 'hypothetical' pretend unlimited funds (within reason), and several stories. What should be there? A library and a potion lab are a must, a kitchen, living quarters as well (but how many?) Do they have foyers? What are the comforts your enterprising real estate wizards (pardon the pun) sought in their respective places of residence? This will also be a base of operations for several powerful individuals when they work as a team although they too have their respective responsibilities and places of dominion.
How to structure it for reinforcement? Some of which will by necessity be internal. There will be several portals anchored in the tower to facilitate travel. Additionally there may be a summoning or two, and theres always the possibility of fel attack...
Care and feeding of an apprentice/apprentices. Assumng any number between (and including) 1-5 apprentices, how did you make room for them? And give them workspace? Places to blow things up and summon things accidentally? Not setting fire to the archmages library?
Food and drink is not a concern (for this archmage) but might be for the guests and apprentices. Location is not only important for its protective measures but also people have to get all the stuff there in the first place! But it should also be so out of the way or precariously situated as to discourage military reprisals, although those are likely to happen due to this wizard's particularly colorful history.
And stables? Or does the average self-interested wizards eschew such mundane contrivances, forcing the prospective guests to seek their own methods of caring for their faithful steeds?
Extraplanar is not an option, the planes of this cosmology are extremely forbidding, of indeterminate size, and populated by powerful beings that do not kindly brook interloping. Lets just say that they're extremely hard to get into and even harder to get out of...
3) ANY AND ALL ADDITIONAL IDEAS, INSIGHT, ETC.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this and reply!
