Construction Tips

How to Build a Castle or Crypt in Ten Minutes or Less

Okay, so few Amtgard Parks have actual underground facilities like caves or bunkers. So, how does one go about recreating those environments without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars in building materials or hay bales? Well, the answer is: use what’s available. Failing that, go to Home Depot and buy a case of “flagging tape” and some garden staples.

What’s Available

Wooded Trails

By far the simplest method of dungeon construction is to use your imagination. If your park has clearly defined trails, it’s just a matter of saying “the trails are dungeon halls, the clearing at the end is a large room.” Have any Reeves keep an eye on the players to keep them “within the boundaries” of the encounter. While this does save a lot of preparation time, it also makes for a greater chance of argument about who stepped “out of bounds.”

Sparse Forest

Second in ease is to run flagging tape between some trees at roughly chest-level. While it takes a little while to properly plan out, this option provides are far more stability and predictability in game sessions - just by virtue of the fact that everyone can see the boundaries. Use different colored ribbon to denote different encounter areas, doors, traps and so forth. Also, be sure to clean up after yourself by removing the tape and placing it in a trash receptacle.

Open Fields

Yeah, I know, this option totally sucks compared to the other two, but what can you do? If you don’t have a forest, you don’t have one. This option requires a lot of imagination, mostly because all the encounters will be visible (if not reachable) from the very start (Pay no attention to the Mummy behind the curtain). Mark off the halls and rooms with flagging tape nailed to the ground. Use all the rules for imaginary walls presented following and be sure to hold all players to them. This option really works best for Maze Battles, but less so for true tomb-raider- style Questing.

Castles

The simplest type of structure to build is the Castle, mostly because all you really need are the outside walls. Castle walls should always be marked with bright flagging tape, either stretched between trees or nailed to the ground. If the Castle is also to serve as a Team Base, be sure to make it larger than 20' and/or equip it with a door to help slow an invading teams progress. Castles should use the Indoor Rules (unless constructed with a Courtyard in mind), but not the rules for Darkness. This is the one type of game where hay bales are awesome. If you can afford it, have the place for it and don’t mind having to clean up the mess, hay bale Castles are a great way to spend the afternoon fighting.

Dungeons, Crypts, Caves and Tombs

Either using a little flagging tape or a lot of imagination, these types of environs make for a wide array of battlegame types. Role-playing scenario, grand Quest, obstacle course or hardcore Militia battle alike can be held in a well-designed crypt. These tombs should be clearly marked with tape or well-defined trails. Encounter areas, assuming your game is more than simple Mutual Annihilation, are generally set apart from one another to keep the action moving, but not confusing. An abundance of Reeves is essential in running such games, unless run “linear style” with one Reeve walking different teams through each encounter area separately.

Mazes & Labyrinths

Best done in open fields, the Maze is marked out on the ground. Be sure to use plenty of nails to hold the ribbon in place. Remember, a lot of feet are going to be moving around it, and nothing sucks more than having to stop and rebuild a messed up wall. Since one wall often serves to divide multiple areas, be sure to clarify in advance exactly how much combat can take place “through” the walls. (i.e.: melee attacks pass through, but not projectiles; all attacks pass through but players may not move through the walls; only magic passes though, etc.) Encounter areas often run into one another, as space constraints make maneuvering more difficult.