Castles and Keeps

[Lord of Shadows]

What ideas/suggestions/etc are there for ways that a Cleric can protect their castle/keep/temple in a Pathfinder campaign? Things that come to mind right away are traps of various kinds along with spells like Hallow, Dimensional Lock, Glyph of Warding and the various Symbols.

In particular, what are some good ways to protect the doors, windows, chimneys and other "portals"?

As an alternative, are there ways to use current spells, like Create Demiplane, to artificially create a secure place?

Thanks and apologies if this is already in another thread.

[Divide by Zero]

Lots and lots of mindless undead. That's how I protected mine.

[Silva Stormrage]

Ya undead is always good, see if he allows landlord from Stronghold Builder's guide for extra funds for your keep.

One useful tactic is to use the spell earthfast if you can find a druid that can spam it. Earthfast doubles the HP of stone walls. Cast that a few hundred times and your walls can't be destroyed really.

Use spells like commune to see if anyone is actively plotting your demise as well.

What kind of minions do you have? Undead? Regular fodder troops? Dragons? That will help decide how to help defend.

[Jack_Simth]

What ideas/suggestions/etc are there for ways that a Cleric can protect their castle/keep/temple in a Pathfinder campaign? Things that come to mind right away are traps of various kinds along with spells like Hallow, Dimensional Lock, Glyph of Warding and the various Symbols.

In particular, what are some good ways to protect the doors, windows, chimneys and other "portals"?

As an alternative, are there ways to use current spells, like Create Demiplane, to artificially create a secure place?

Thanks and apologies if this is already in another thread.
Depends on your budget.

Forbiddance (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/forbiddance) is a favorite, as is the Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/glyph-of-warding) (and it's greater counterpart) are handy, as is the Symbol line of spells (Death (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-death), Fear (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-fear), Healing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-healing) (for your living minions, and in case of undead invasion), Insanity (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-insanity), Pain (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-pain), Persuasion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-persuasion), Revelation (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-revelation), Scrying (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-scrying) (bonus: Not considered a trap!), Sealing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-sealing), Sleep (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-sleep), Slowing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-slowing), Strife (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-strife), Stunning (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-stunning), Vulnerability (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-vulnerability), and Weakness (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/symbol-of-weakness)). You'll want to use Permanency on the Symbol spells, of course, and several of them are only really useful if you've also got minions patrolling / watching the area.

Yes, making a Demiplane is a step up in security, but still requires most of the other stuff.

[Anderlith]

Flesh to stone a big Hill giant or something even tougher, use it as a throne so that the cleric can lounge about. When enemies come duck out an escape tunnel underneath the statue/throne stone to fleshing it to life before you go.

Have all base floor entrances dead end, the only real way in is for a drawbridge/ ramp to be lowered from the second story.

Build a really evil looking dominating tower structure with an everburning torch at the top. The players will see the torch & think it is the clerics lair. They will climb the tower all the way to the tippy top. When they open the door to the highest room of the tallest tower.... a trap springs & the base of the tower is destroyed through a spell or dynamite or whatever, they will all fall & perish.

I have more thoughts on keep defense if you want more.

[Jack_Simth]

Flesh to stone a big Hill giant or something even tougher, use it as a throne so that the cleric can lounge about. When enemies come duck out an escape tunnel underneath the statue/throne stone to fleshing it to life before you go.

This would be a scorched earth method. Useful for when you want to retreat, but that doesn't do the job of actually protecting you. Oh yes, and if you can stone it so easily, anything that's a threat for you sufficient that you'll need to run away from it is going to consider the beast a speedbump.


Have all base floor entrances dead end, the only real way in is for a drawbridge/ ramp to be lowered from the second story.

Note: Given a few things the OP had in mind at the original post, any opponent worth their salt is probably going to have flight available.

Additionally, assuming this keep is in use at all, a few day's observation will foil this quite readily, as it'll need to be used for everyone.


Build a really evil looking dominating tower structure with an everburning torch at the top. The players will see the torch & think it is the clerics lair. They will climb the tower all the way to the tippy top. When they open the door to the highest room of the tallest tower.... a trap springs & the base of the tower is destroyed through a spell or dynamite or whatever, they will all fall & perish.

That is a very expensive one-shot trap. And useless, if the invaders happen to fly up there, rather than going in through the "expected" route.


I have more thoughts on keep defense if you want more.

[EnnPeeCee]

If you can find a wizard, the Guards and Wards (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/guardsAndWards.htm) spell is really fun. Granted, I don't know if that spell is in Pathfinder or not.

[MesiDoomstalker]

A series of tubes filled with Perment Gust of Winds that shoot those inide outside the keep. Have a trap door that either A) drops the intruders down into the tube system or B) unblocks a vertical one that then forces the intruder(s) into the tube system. If the size restrictions are an issue, talk to your DM about making Impreved, Greater, and Supreme versions that increase what effects it has on various sized creatures.

[Anderlith]

Note: Given a few things the OP had in mind at the original post, any opponent worth their salt is probably going to have flight available.

Additionally, assuming this keep is in use at all, a few day's observation will foil this quite readily, as it'll need to be used for everyone.

That is a very expensive one-shot trap. And useless, if the invaders happen to fly up there, rather than going in through the "expected" route.

The OP never specified level or intent of the protection needed, I was just giving him options from mundane to magical.

A beholder behind a wall with a hole that still allows him to suppress magic with his eye, on the other side is a room with a Tendriculous, a hydra or a gang of hill giants or other creature that does not rely on magic. The players would have to find a way into the secret chamber to get at the beholder.

Undead Archers, DR5 is awesome when you can pepper them with arrows & they can't. For best effect put them in murder holes & fortifications that are hard to reach.

It's stupid but a room with tiles on the floor, walls & ceiling. All the tiles are mimics.

You could probably homebrew a castle that teleports between the planes every so often. Having to prepare for changing planer conditions will slow the party down a lot.

I got more

[Silva Stormrage]

You could probably homebrew a castle that teleports between the planes every so often. Having to prepare for changing planer conditions will slow the party down a lot.

I got more

There actually is a planeshifting castle in Stronghold Builder's guide. It is ridiculously expensive though.

[Lord of Shadows]

Thanks for all the ideas, this is helping alot. Both mundane and magical protections are needed. Evil creatures and spells with the 'evil' descriptor are probably not an option.

To be a little more specific, I have an 18th level (soon to be 19th) Cleric of good alignment, so Miracle is available, and I have a small keep to fortify. In fact, the map is available online from an RPG blog: B9 Castle Caldwell (http://warlockshomebrew.blogspot.com/2009/12/b9-castle-caldwell.html) (I am using the modified version shown here).

I do have access to some arcane magic, but as with all security issues it is best to keep those with inside knowledge to a very few.

[Anderlith]

You have miracle, ask your god to only allow those of true faith to see or enter your castle. Or for those that you mark with an Arcane Mark (specific to your character) to be able to pass

[Lord of Shadows]

One useful tactic is to use the spell earthfast if you can find a druid that can spam it. Earthfast doubles the HP of stone walls. Cast that a few hundred times and your walls can't be destroyed really.

I don't see Earthfast listed as a Pathfinder spell... could it be under another name?


What kind of minions do you have? Undead? Regular fodder troops? Dragons? That will help decide how to help defend.

Pretty much regular fodder troops. And the fellow PC's. Dragons had left this world and we just recently "brought one back", presumably with more to follow. That might be an option.

[The Random NPC]

It is probably a 3.5 spell. I would check Spell Compendium

[Lord of Shadows]

It is probably a 3.5 spell. I would check Spell Compendium

Yea, I found it. It's in Spell Compendium, which does me no good in a 'core-rules plus cupplements' Pathfinder campaign. <sigh>

[Gamer Girl]

1.Symbols of (Anything) work great and they last until they are used. And you can walk right by the symbol as can others you set it too. You should cast one a day some where in your castle.

2.dimensional lock, blocks teleport and such and will last 18/19 days. Granted you will need to recast it once a month, and it will only cover so much of an area.

3.Glyph of Warding and greater Glyph of Warding are perfect. Simply fill the castle with glyphs.

4.Forbiddance has lots of uses.

5.Animate Objects made permanent. This is great for something like a door or even a trap. Any object can be animated, from something as simple as a rope or rug, right up to a wagon. You can even go the step of modifying a wagon to make a 'hallway sweeper of doom' by adding armor and spikes and such.

6.Wall of stone is good for custom construction.

7.Hallow is obvious

8.Alarm is nice and easy to get, plus it's easy to make permanent

9.Any number of creatures can be summoned, such as with planual ally and be asked to be guards.

10.Miracle does a lot. You can get all sorts of non standard effects(if the dm lets you). Even 'just' by the rules you can make guardian monsters with Simulacrum or cast Guards and Wards or permanency.

[The Random NPC]

Yea, I found it. It's in Spell Compendium, which does me no good in a 'core-rules plus cupplements' Pathfinder campaign. <sigh>

Which supplements are you allowed, that will help us suggest things that would be legal in your game.

[Lord of Shadows]

Which supplements are you allowed, that will help us suggest things that would be legal in your game.

Basically it's all Pathfinder 'official' material: core rulebooks, campaign setting, the player's companion books, and the adventure path players guides. We are not using PF modules (it's a homebrew campaign setting), so those are iffy. If there is something in one of them that would be useful I could make an argument for it.

During play I make alot of use of the D20 PFSRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/home) site.