DMGR2 THE CASTLE GUIDE

As you read this book, you will be drawn back through the years to an age when castles dominated the landscape of Europe. Here, amid these mighty stone halls, you will find knights in shining armor and great battles fought by men and women with steel swords and iron nerves.

Welcome to the Age of Chivalry.

What's in this book?

The Castle Guide is an outgrowth of the AD&D(R) 2nd edition game rules. In the DUNGEON MASTER(R) Guide and Player's Handbook a general rules system was established that allows the Dungeon Master to run a variety of fantasy role-playing styles. In this book, however, we will focus in on a specific style of game, one set in a society similar to that of feudal Europe, and give you the background information you need to make it come to life.

The first section of this book begins with an overview of medieval society and the feudal system in general. Here, you will come to understand the forces that drive a feudal government and the relationship between the state and its churches.

Following this, we go on to detail the ways in which player characters can become knights, the stout defenders of the realm. The code of chivalry is examined and the standards by which a knight must live his or her life are addressed. In closing the first section, we offer a guide to medieval tournaments. Here, characters get the chance to show off their skills and try for the hand of the beautiful princess (or handsome prince).

Our second section examines the evolution of castles in medieval Europe and provides an overview of their advantages and disadvantages. Following that, we present a modular system for the design and construction of castles for use by Player Characters and NPCs alike. With this simple system, the DM can determine just how much it will cost a character to build the keep of his dreams and how long the construction will take. Included with this are rules for the use of magical items and monsters in the building process.

For those of you who are fond of the BATTLESYSTEM™ miniatures rules, we have included the third portion of The Castle Guide. Here, we expand upon the BATTLESYSTEM rules and provide rules for resolving long sieges and the defense of castles. Material in this section addresses the elements of a fantasy world that make defending a castle more than just an exercise in historical simulation. In addition, we look at the various types of castles found in the AD&D game, including those of the dwarves and elves.

If you aren't interested in fighting out individual battles with miniatures, we have taken care to include a pair of quick resolution systems. The first of these can be used to resolve individual sieges, while the second can be employed to determine the victor in an individual battle or all-out military campaign.

Lastly, we have included a trio of generic castles for use by the Dungeon Master in setting up his game. If time is tight, any one of these structures can be easily adapted to serve as an NPC's base of operations or as a model of medieval design techniques.

Using The Castle Guide

As you can see, there is a great deal of information in this book. Of course, you can use as much or as little of it as you want in your AD&D game. If you are using the Complete Fighter's Handbook in your campaign, you will find that much of the information in this book works well with the cavalier and swashbuckler kits especially. However, anyone who runs a campaign

that has elements of feudal Europe in it will find something of value to them in this book.

For those who want to set their campaign against the backdrop of a great war, as was done in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

trilogy, the quick resolution systems presented in chapter 8 will allow players to focus on the role-playing aspects of the game, while still being able to change the course of a battle or turn the tide of an entire war.

If you enjoy wargames and want to mesh your AD&D game campaign more fully with your BATTLESYSTEM games, the sections on warfare will also provide you with lots of information for new scenarios. With the addition of the material in this book, role-playing's premier miniatures rules system reaches new heights. Knights, mount your horses. The time for battle is at hand!