Please help furnish my dungeons

[ericgrau]

I'm trying to get a list going of common things in dungeons. Maybe things that go in shops, houses and taverns too. Then I'm going to hunt them down and add up the price and consider whether or not I want to get them all. But first I need to make sure my lists are complete, so I'm asking for suggestions.

I'd be getting pewter miniatures (b/c they're cheap) and painting each one a single flat color. Utility > looks. So please, please leave out walls, floors, bookshelfs, paintings, etc. EDIT: Please also leave out doors too, and 2D objects in general, sorry for not mentioning that. I'll be handling those at a later time; not now while getting pewter miniatures.

So furnish away!

Stuff so far...
Pewter Stuff (furnishings, etc.):

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(3) bed
(2) shelfs, empty
(4) small tables
(8) chairs
(8) cups]
(4) trunks/chests
(2) hearth
(2) cookware: pot, pan, any misc.
(4) chamber pots
(1) magic or alchemical laboratory (get seperate pieces?)
(1) smithery: (1) anvil, (1) furnace, (2) bucket of water, (2) racks of stock and/or weapons
(1) shrine altar
(4) sarcophagus and/or wall relief for dead body
(4) bench
(2) Pedestal/Dais, empty, tiny (<1'x1' to 2'x2')
(1) Large pedestal/Dais, empty, can be square, 5'x5' or a little less
(3) Ladder
(?) Rope Ladder (or make from string)
(4) Fallen logs: ~3ft. high, like low walls (or get w/ plastic scenery later)
(8) jars & urns
(3) Floor grate: iron or iron bound timbers, hinges optional, 1" thick, 5' x 5'
(2) statues
(3) Padlocks
(2) Door bar (or just use cardstock)
(4) Portcullis (or make from glued wire)
(2) Wells
(3) buckets
(4) barrels

2D / Cardstock Furnishings

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Cardstock
sarcophagus and/or wall relief for dead body
tapestries, including supports for ceiling hanging tapestries
carved reliefs, paintings, misc. art
(print on transparency): ladder rungs to be set into a wall
bookcases
bedroll

Walls (cardstock)

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Masonry (w/ cracks & crevices), 1 ft. thick
Superior Masonry (tighter fitting stones, less cracking), 1 ft. thick
Plaster or Stucco Masonry walls (can have painting, reliefs or decoration), 1 ft. thick
Hewn Stone, 3 ft. thick or more
Reinforced Walls (masonry w/ iron bars on one or both sides or inside), 1 ft. thick
Iron walls (e.g., around vaults), 3in. thick
Paper, paper thin: use bare cardstock or thin paper
Wood, 6" thick
Arrow slits: just cut into masonry, hewn stone or wood with hobby knife

Doors (cardstock)

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Wood; possibly seperate doors for simple and good
Wood bound with iron (strong), w/ iron hinges, typically circular pull ring in center or iron handle
Wood with door bar
Stone, pivotting, carved from a solid block of stone
Stone, hinged
Stone, pivotting, with door bar
Stone, hinged, with door bar
Iron, hinged, rusted, w/ bar if possible

Floors (cardstock)

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Flagstone, fitted stone, similar to masonry
Uneven flagstone, very old, most floors aren't like this, should be really uneven to reflect balance difficulty when running/charging
Hewn Stone, rough and uneven with loose stones, gravel, dirt or other debris. Also hard to run/charge across.
Smooth Stone Floor, white: Pick a polished stone from a fancy flooring website. Check old stuff first.
Smooth Stone Floor, black
Smooth Stone Floor, yellow/brown/gold
Smooth Stone Floor, red or other misc. color not above
Unworked Natural Stone
Clear plastic to represent wet floors (if on top of other floors) or transparent floors
Sanded frosted plastic to represent icy floors
Highlighters of various colors to color above plastic: deep red (not pink), blue, green, +w/e

Other Structural Features (yeup, more cardstock; cheap, ain't I?)

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Gradual Stairs (< 1:1, probably 0.75:1)
Steep Stairs (> 1:1, probably 1:0.75, just re-use gradual & flip)
Spiral Stairs, w/ central support
Stair railing or low walls
Narrow bridge: e.g., a series of planks
City wall crenellations
Watch Towers: w/ crenellated top, arrow slits
diameter = 5 times wall thickness (5' small, 10' large, 15' metropolis => 25, 50, 75)
height = 10 feet higher than wall (20' small, 30' large, 40' metropolis => 30, 40, 50)
ladder connects stories in small towers, stairs in others
heavy wooen doors reinforced w/ iron and good (DC 30) locks on bottom story and city walls
hatch on top
Gatehouse w/ 2 portcullises, w/ murder holes above the space between them
Cobblestone for roads (usually winding, avg. 15'-20' wide, varying from 10'-25' in any one spot)
hard dirt floor for roads
Heavily rutted hard dirt floor for poorly maintained roads
Stone paved flooring sidewalk for major roads, block or paver (5' sidewalk on each side, 25' wide cobblestone road in middle)
Pre-made houses, various; and/or sketches so they can be made on the fly; 2-5 stories high, able to form long rows
business on ground floor, with offices or apartments above
stone or clay brick on lower stories, timbers for upper stories and interiors
roofs = mixture of boards, thatch and slates sealed with pitch (look up)
good wooden doors w/ lock (shut except on public buildings like shops and taverns)
Free-standing inns, other successful usinesses, large warhouses, millers, tanners, etc.; up to 5 stories
construction same-as/similar-to above
small 1 story residence (poor)
small shop
warehouse
storage shed
Sewer grate

Misc Stuff (probably made from craft store):

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pile of stones, more for cave ins
(2) Sliding and/or rolling rocks, 4 feet across
Green slime, e.g. from toy store
Yellow powder or pigment (from craft store?) for yellow mold
Brown powder/etc. for brown mold
Purple phosphorescent paint (craft store?): splatter around to immitate phosphorescent fungus, add (1) black light
(4) Rope Ladder (use light brown string, learn how to knot properly online)
(2) Pulley Elevator (wood + string + optional tiny wheel)
hay for beds (from shredded toothpics or ?)
(10) levers: poke needles through walls

italics = added (thanks)

[Trobby]

One thing I always remember about a dungeon is the style of door. Whether they're made of steel, wood, half-hung off the hinges, or solid stone, doors will set the tone for your dungeon, so you should probably make a list of the types and styles of doors people will encounter. There may be more than one if the dungeon was previously occupied, or there may be none at all if it is a natural dungeon or otherwise.

And if your dungeon is a building, consider the windows *Or lack thereof* with equal consideration. Depending on how many windows you have, your dungeon may be well or poorly lit from floor to floor.

Other than that, how about cups? Does anybody in your dungeon drink or pour things?

Also, consider what your dungeon is supposed to be. Is it a temple? Did it used to be, but now it is run over by an invasive force? Is it a cave complex? Something else entirely? Depending on your dungeon, it will be differently furnished.

[arguskos]

Monsters. Seriously. You'll need some baddies in said dungeons, otherwise, why go?

Anyways, more on topic, I'd suggest that you need some magical doorways. Seriously, doors are pretty important, and magic doors can be badass. Get some cool looking doodads, paint them funny colors, and call them portals/doorways/whatever.

[Asheram]

Tables, chairs, statues, Pillars are nice if it's an old temple. Big stone or marble pillars.
Fireplaces. Cookingfires, cauldrons. Barrels. Always a LOT of barrels in dungeons (Loot at the diablo series. ) Stairs.. . hm..
Beds. Not forgetting beds or bedrolls. Beds made of hay...
Gravel, rocks.

Now for big stuff. Taverns? I've never encountered a tavern in a dungeon.. would be awesome though.

[Glyphic]

Secret doors, secret entrances, WATER, Food source, molds and lichens, darkness, empty rooms, decaying matter, scavengers and decomposers, pits.

[Bassikpoet]

Can't forget those chamber pots for those dungeons occupied by "civilized" denizens.

[ericgrau]

Can't forget those chamber pots for those dungeons occupied by "civilized" denizens.

I shall not forget!

More please.

And if people are so bent on mentioning non-furnishing items, I could break out my other (non-pewter) list and make this a two-fer. Don't want to make people feel so restricted. EDIT: Alright, additional lists are up. Old restrictions crossed out. Suggest away!

Beds made of hay...

Well now that I'm not limiting this to pewter, I added more of your suggestions including this. Any tips on what material I could use to simulate hay? I'm thinking this'll be something I pick up while at the craft store.

[Heliomance]

Bear in mind that anything made of anything remotely valuable - including doors - will be looted by the party.

[ericgrau]

Bear in mind that anything made of anything remotely valuable - including doors - will be looted by the party.

And they are welcome to try. I plan on allowing a lot of freedom in my campaign. However, doors will usually take two hands and the player's back to hold, which should make it interesting. Solid wood doors weigh 130lbs., iron weighs 1200 lbs.

[Mercenary Pen]

And they are welcome to try. I plan on allowing a lot of freedom in my campaign. However, doors will usually take two hands and the player's back to hold, which should make it interesting. Solid wood doors weigh 130lbs., iron weighs 1200 lbs.

Of course, they'll probably find a way of breaking up/melting down the iron doors to get the metal back to town by installments- or rig up part of an iron door on the front of a handcart to provide some extra armour for the party mage... (armoured vehicle anyone)


Question: Are you intending to do anything with vehicles, and would a cart/wagon made from cardstock be appropriate for your players?

Also, are you intending to use any levers, portcullises, buckets or even a well?

[ericgrau]

Hmmm, vehicles, that's a tough one. How common do you think they'll be? I was thinking I might improvise with a box or something or get them later if they're rare. That's one thing were pewter is expensive (and too multi-colored), while cardstock is a pain to assemble. But if I found a cheaper, emptier (so it's not multi-color) pewter cart I might grab it "just in case". Or, again, if it's common enough.

Levers and wells added.

[Mercenary Pen]

As far as I'm aware, carts will be pretty cheap by the time the PC's have reached about 5th Level or so, and if your PC's are going to be carrying everything they can loot, they'll probably insist on one just so they have an overland speed greater than that of a geriatric slug...

However, you probably don't need full functionality out of any wagon you give them as a prop- they probably don't need wheels that turn, and a simple cardboard flatbed should be sufficient.

As for materials, you might need corrugated cardboard for most of the body to provide structural strength, and if you absolutely must make the traces for the horses (or other beasts of burden), a combination of wooden dowel and string for reins may suit- though I'm not certain what to suggest if you have to simulate the leather components of the animals' tack...

[ericgrau]

No, I don't need that much detail. These furnishings are more for utility & tactical game-play so people don't say "what's that X mean again?" or "Oh, oops, I forgot that was there." or "The monsters jump out of what tapestries??" or "Oooh, what a grand dry-erase-marker square we're in. It's like 9 spaces across."

So anything with more than 1 minute assembly is a pain. I was thinking of the difficulty of making 4 sides and having wheels at all, plus I couldn't re-use my generic wood art on the wheels. Most of my cardstock items are going to be single sheets. Heck, usually only things like full-on buildings shall have the glory of 5 or 6 sheets. I've already made some test rooms to make sure the walls would hold up. The panels themselves are full-color printouts. So looks aren't totally out, they're just secondary to ease & simplicity. But alright, if/when the PCs want a cart I'll use a box at first and then build them one by the following session.

[Artanis]

You need Hello Kitty furniture, especially if the dungeon is occupied by some sadistic blood-cult. Seriously, what could be more disturbing than walking into a cathedral with a blood-soaked altar of pure obsidian...and pews with Hello Kitty upholstry?

[Prometheus]

For hay: a pile of toothpicks. If you feel creative and dangerous, shred them up first. Maybe if you then wet them they wouldn't be as sharp and they would kind of come together, but I would test that first.
Church-style Bell/Organ/Piano: miniature bells can be found in toys and decoration. An organ might be able to be made out of penne pasta and maybe a box attached. A piano would be a box painted brown, with white and black strips on one side.
Rope-Netting (for ships mostly) & Webbing (for caves & dungeons): Go with cardstock sooner than break your fingers trying to make this out of knotwork.
Bars & Large Grates (prisons, sewers): Again carstock is probably best. If you really want to make something though, use paperclips.

If you can find a pen that will permanently mark transparencies, you can add claw marks, mysterious shadows, cracks in the wall, lichen, scorch marks, wall-paintings, windows, ominous glows, & the presence of a swarm of insects. While none of these likely to be combat-vital it may be important to mark the relative location of a clue

[ericgrau]

Cool ideas. I think I'll copy them to my notes so I can use them later as needed. But those won't be on my list of things to make ahead of time, b/c that'll all depend on how the campaign turns out.

[Curmudgeon]

Stones and irregular objects are easily carved out of foam packing material. Packaging from one TV set or computer plus a can of gray spray paint (or even spray primer) will give you all the stone materials you want. Pre-assemble your cave-ins and piles of rocks by gluing chunks together on a bit of card stock, then just drop into place.

[AslanCross]

Hmmm, vehicles, that's a tough one. How common do you think they'll be? I was thinking I might improvise with a box or something or get them later if they're rare. That's one thing were pewter is expensive (and too multi-colored), while cardstock is a pain to assemble. But if I found a cheaper, emptier (so it's not multi-color) pewter cart I might grab it "just in case". Or, again, if it's common enough.

Levers and wells added.

Depending on the dungeon, you might have rail tracks with mining carts on them.

Oh yeah, I was reading Dungeonscape last night and saw a really amusing idea for a door: a zombie door.

[Prometheus]

Stones and irregular objects are easily carved out of foam packing material. Packaging from one TV set or computer plus a can of gray spray paint (or even spray primer) will give you all the stone materials you want.

Be wary, some spray paint & styrofoam combination cause the styrofoam to degrade as if eaten away be acid. I can't identify how frequently this occurs, but it happened to me once.

[Asheram]

Be wary, some spray paint & styrofoam combination cause the styrofoam to degrade as if eaten away be acid. I can't identify how frequently this occurs, but it happened to me once.

And that's how you make napalm

[ericgrau]

Got my list. About to add up prices and possibly make a pewter order. Last chance for last minute suggestions.

EDIT:
I couldn't find the following items at my source for stuff:
cooking pan
buckets
altar
pedestals (small & large)
statues

I'm going to take a look around, but any help would be appreciated. There were some other things I couldn't find, but I think I'll just make them.

EDIT #2:
Screw it. I'll just skip those things or make them myself. I think I can use lumps of clay on the fly for the last 3.

If anyone else is interested in the same miniatures, here's the source:
http://stores.ebay.com/MegaMiniature...QQftidZ2QQtZkm