Fort Doom
by Anarion_ElendiliSo I had a bit of time, so I used Dungeon Scrawl to draw a slightly modified map of the outer yard, 'fixing' some of the things that bugged me a bit. For instance, the size of the stalls and sticking four horses together in them. Now the stables have nice, individual stalls (for 12 horses, not 32; the stall in the bottom right is used for storing saddles, reins, etc.). Also, since I am a sucker for symmetry, I shifted the main gate to the middle. I also made the keep slightly bigger, made its outer walls thicker, and flipped it so that the door was towards the main gate, hence allowing the defenders from the main castle defend the entrance of the (outer) keep, rather than the attackers using the keep as cover as they break down its door. The outer gate towers are now providing flanking fire along the wall, as well as into the people assaulting the gate, rather than being recessed flush with the outer wall.
And yes, I added a couple of rooms.
The 2x3 room next to the orc barracks is now the latrines; the human guards complained, and the orcs won't mind the smell (or the superiors don't care if they do).
The former latrine room is now a slightly different in shape, and will be the kitchens, fixing food to this outer yard garrison.
The Armory is now split into two (and I'd just split the equipment between them), into those two 2x2 rooms near each of the staircase.
There is an extra room now in the Keep's upper floor, too. I'd just have it as storage, maybe containing some alchemical ingredients or something. Although it could double as the wizard's treasury. Or maybe make it into a bedroom, and have the former bedroom act as a sitting/dining room.
I have the map also as a Dungeon Scrawl file, if someone wants to have it.
Version with a smaller keep, making it a bit easier to bring wagon-loads of food and other stuff to the main castle. I think I prefer this one. I did lose one skeleton closet (no big deal, just put all skeletons in the same room), and the storage room (no biggie, this place should have a cellar anyway, stocked with food, drink and other necessaries). I also shifted the door to the left-side armory to be a bit better protected if there was fighting going on at the gates already.
Version with octagonal towers and keep. Yes, I know the keep should be more towards the left bottom corner based on the image, but that would have required me to rearrange the whole outer yard and I just couldn't be bothered to do that.
I nudged the gate towers apart a bit to make space for the skull gatehouse, which is absent here.
The extra space in the keep allowed me to restore the second skeleton closet, but I would still keep the storage room in the basement. I made sure that the interior walls align for stability.
Stables got two more stalls and the stablers got banished into their 10' x 10' room again.
Oh, I also changed the layout of the guard barracks a bit, as it didn't seem reasonable for me that each time they go into the cellar, they need to go through the guards' living quarters. Instead, #35 is now a corridor leading to the stairs. (For some reason this edit doesn't show up in the thumbnail, oh well.)
Here is a version with the keep moved to roughly where it is in the KKoA image, and a 'skull gatehouse'. The lieutenant's office is now squeezed in that corner, while the orcs, the latrines and the (half of the) armory has been moved to the NE corner.
I do like this layout. The main castle has relatively clean lines to the outer gate, which now boasts murder holes on the sides (and roof) and a portculis as well. The towers and the gatehouse probably could do with another 'battlements' level at least, and the keep should get at least a floor more + the top battlement level, to match the image better. But close enough for DDA3, I'd say.
Here is a version with the numbers from DDA.
Differences (apart from the obvious map changes):
Gatehouse:
26: The gate has now murder-hole rooms on both sides and a portcullis. While there is no drawbridge in DDA3, one can add that as well.
28: This gatehouse room now has the winches to raise/lower the portcullis (and the drawbridge, if it is added).
Stables (29):
The floor trapdoor room is used for storage of saddles, bits and bridles, reins, etc. Thus, there is room for the PCs to get out without getting kicked by the horses.
The two stablers are in the room next to the exit marked s.
The other stalls hold one horse each, for a total of 14 horses.
There probably should be a hayloft for the horses on top of the stables, too. A ladder at the back wall leading to a hatch, and a door at the courtyard side would make it easy enough to toss haybales up. This could also be used to store oats and firewood. After all, in a siege, you probably would want those horses deeper in the castle anyway, and you can 'fireproof' the castle a bit better if there is a siege.
Armory (33):
This has been split to two armories, 33a and 33b, on either side of the courtyard. Just split the weapons evenly between them.
Human Barracks:
35 is now the room guarding the dungeon stairs. However, if there has not been an alarm, there are already guards down in the dungeon room 25, and there is no need for more guards to be here. Thus, those off-duty men stay in 34, relaxing, and the party can probably avoid them. If there has been an alarm, it is this room (35, not 34) that gets reinforced. In addition, the other reinforcements are concentrated in room 36, while room 34 is empty.
Keep Tower:
40 and 41 are merged into a single room.
42 is moved to the basement of the keep. 42a is the pantry, relatively fresh food, water, opened casks of beer and wine, etc. 42b is long term storage for barrels of ale and wine and water. 42c is the long-term storage of food, grains, vegetables, etc. 42d is other stuff, firewood, lamp oil, rope, arrows/bolts, etc.
50 is split to 50a (as before) and 50b (magical storage and alchemical ingredients). Up to the GM if 50b has already been opened and included to the loot of 50a, or if there will be more to be looted if they get the (likely Wizard-locked) door open.
New room (55):
This is now the kitchens. It probably ought to have a cellar for storage, mainly short term storage (1-3 days) for foodstuffs, as it is not intended to feed the garrison here through a siege. That is what the actual storerooms in the main castle are for.
