Random Fortress

[main]

1, At first, the PCs will see [Numbertwotwelve] towers. Each has about [Numberonefour]defenders visible. The outer walls are [Threedtwentyptone][Threedtwentypttwo] feet tall and the towers extend [Numberonetwenty] feet above them. If it's a seafront fort, there will be [Numberonefour][Threedtwentypttwo] feet of [Terraintype]
 * main

1,ordinary 1,muddy and slow-going 3 muddy and slippery 4-rocky and slippery.
 * Terraintype

1,two 1,three 1,four 1,five 1,six 1,seven 1,eight 1,nine 1,ten 1,eleven 1,twelve
 * Numberonetwelve

1,one 1,two 1,three 1,four
 * Numberonefour

1, 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5
 * Threedtwentyptone

1,0 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6 1,7 1,8 1,9
 * Threedtwentypttwo

1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6 1,7 1,8 1,9 1,10 1,11 1,12 1,13 1,14 1,15 1,16 1,17 1,18 1,19 1,20
 * Numberonetwenty

-Outer Walls

The walls'll be 3d20 feet tall, and the towers'll be d20 feet above the walls.

For seafront forts: Generally below the walls there's 2d20 feet of sloping ground. This is (roll d4) 1-normal 2-muddy and slow-going 3 muddy and slippery 4-rocky and slippery.

-Ease of climbing depends on the age and tech level of the fortress, roll d10 and subtract 5. A negative number means a corresponding minus to climbing checks, a positive number means a plus. Assume a climb speed of dex divided by two feet without a rope or dex feet per round with one unless you've got another system.

Defense profile (What you have to deal with if you're trying to get in)

-The total population of available defenders = number of defenders visible x d20 d4 will arrive per round in case of alarm

-Outer Defenses

The initial volley from the towers in case of an unexpected attack will be standard bow or crossbow fire. The second volley in case of a siege, an anticipated attack, or a small but persistent raiding party (like a bunch of PCs) will be as follows:

(d4 normally) (d12 for a goblin fortress) 1 More standard bowfire 2 Flaming arrows/bolts 3 Poisoned arrows/bolts 4 Boiling oil (-3 to hit, d6+3 damage) 5 Green slime vats 6 d4 Pig balloon riders 7 d4 Othuagg babboons (per tower) 8 Floating, biting, gas-spore like beings w/hallucinogenic spores 9 Goblin witch 10 Goblin alchemist w/ d4 weird devices 11 Goblin maggot priest 12 d4 Eyes of fate (per tower)

-Gatehouse ("Front door") Defenses

Roll 8 times on this table, rolling the same result twice means that roll's "wasted":

1-Barbican or gatehouse is up a winding staircase 4d20 feet high 2-Moat (d6+4) x 10 feet across (25% w/monster) (25% curving causeway (2d100 feet long) through moat (allowing more arrowfire as foes cross)(25% full of acid)(25% hallucinogenic fumes) 3-Inner portcullises cut off gatehouse at both ends 4-Arrow slits in gatehouse 5-Murder holes in gatehouse 6-Barbican with murder holes and arrow slits in front of gatehouse (50% has roof) (50% has cut-off portcullis) 7-Secondary walls--d20' higher than outer walls, # of inner towers = number of outer towers minus d4 8- Exotic monster let loose in barbican (or gatehouse if there's no barbican) in case of attack

-Lowest windows (in case intruders are trying to grapple and climb in them) will be d20 + 30' up. They can be treated as AC 15 +d4 or AC 5 - d4 for purposes of trying to chuck a grappling hook up there.

Complications (d4 of these)--Roll d30 d4 times per fortress to decide which

1-Secret entrance. Roll a d12, this represents what "o'clock" the secret entrance is at, assuming north is 12 o'clock. 2-Fortress garrison is being attacked by local faction when PCs arrive 3-Fortress garrison is being attacked by a monster when PCs arrive 4-Fortress garrison is dealing werewolf/changeling/The Thing, other "enemy-within" type monster when PCs arrive 5-Fortress garrison is lazy drunken debaucherous irresponsible louts 6-Crazy dangerous beast is being transported to the capital and being housed here in the meantime 7-Mad treasure kept below: d10x100 gp worth 8-Mad crazy treasure kept below: d6 x 1000 gp worth 9-Interesting treasure kept below: d10x100gp worth plus one magic item 10-Internecine warfare within garrison 11-Garrison has horrible disease 12-Important prisoners kept in the dungeon 13-Bizarre architecture. Fortress is built on stilts, struts and pillars 14-Bizarre architecture. Fortress is built of some bizarre semitranslucent stone--shadows move and wells of torchlight flicker within 15-Bizarre architecture. Fortress partially made of colossal animal skeleton 16-Bizarre architecture. (Other.) 17-Poisonous or carnivorous mold, vines, algae covering everything. Garrison protects itself with bizarre filter masks or injections. 18-Crazy wizard's lab experimenting within 19-Important visitors--lords or ladies or something 20-Weird chaos cult or demon worship 21-Recent natural disaster has created a crack in the castle's defenses 22-Garrison's expecting people and think the PCs are them 23-The fortress's garrison is rebelling agains the lords that nominally control it. May attempt to enlist the PCs to their cause 24-A feast or somesuchlike is being celebrated when PCs arrive. Garrison's probably distracted 25-The garrison is cursed. Hollow-eyed and hopeless 26-Princess locked up in tower needs to be rescued. 27-A desolate area. Garrison is low on supplies. May trade or run outta arrows 28-Freaks! The garrison is all mutated in an identical way. What's the score here? 29-Lotta time on their hands. They make cheese or wine or tapestries here. 30-Lotta time on their hands. They gamble on basilisk fights or whatever here.

If the same complication is rolled twice, use one of these (d6) 1-Captain of garrison is cordial and curious about outsiders. Or pretending to be… 2-Captain is insane 3-A member of the garrison falls in love with a party member 4-A member of the garrison owes a party member a favor 5-Captain intends to capture PCs and pump them for information about some intriguing scheme they actually know nothing about 6-Interior architecture is irrational--dead ends, pointlessly sloping passages, etc.