Toydarian Architecture

[MesiDoomstalker]

I'm running a Star Wars game and I feel like I've written myself into an odd situation (and in the first session to boot). The party was visiting Toydaria, talking to the king. Mid-talking a sith assassin jumps into the throne room and attempted to assassinate the king, as assassins are wont to do. The assassin failed because the PC's intervened and the session ended. Now I had made a point of pointing out that the palace was designed with Toydarian fligth in mind, mainly that there was only floor on the bottom level or to place furniture that couldn't be affixed to the wall or ceiling. The PC's have informed me they plan to smuggle the king out of the palace (it is currently under siege by the assassin's allies) by way of their ship docked in the hangar attached to the palace. The problem is, the King has other plans. He is going to take the party (if willing) through his secret escape tunnel to his private yacht to escape (since the yacht is stowed in a secret hangar, is presumably not crawling with invaders).

My problem is, the initial plan was that the secret tunnel would be difficult for the PC's to navigate since they aren't Toydarian and thus can't fly. The problem is, when the assassin got his token one shot at the King, he landed a crit and broke the King's right wing, effectively grounding him. So the problem is the King can't navigate the secret tunnel because he's not the adventurous sort the PC's are. But thinking it over, would a Toydarian secret escape tunnel necessarily be hard to impossible to navigate for non-Toydarians? The only way I can think of to make it difficult would to have long drops, but thats a lot open space. And if you have lots of open space in your design, its not a very secretive tunnel. And if you just let it drop down into the sea below (the palace is on a mountain), then what stops Toydarian-assassins or non-Toydarian assassin's with friggin' jetpacks from jumping you in the secret 'tunnel'.

So, would a Toydarian secret tunnel to get the king from his throne to his secretly docked yacht be like a 'traditional' secret tunnel and thus easily navigable by my non-Toydarian PCs? I'm struggling to determine this. Help?

[Keltest]

Toydarians do walk and stand/sit occasionally, and they do entertain non-flying guests such as diplomats. Its not out of the question that an escape route would have walkways or platforms for exactly such a situation as this one. It might be harder to navigate, but not impossible.

Also, don't Toydarians fly mostly using gas to float and their wings for navigation?

[TheThan]

First off. I’d never put stairs in… they don’t need them.

I’d imagine there would be a lot of vertical shafts. Since Toydarians can fly, no reason not to have 3D terrain. You can have booby traps like flame vents that shoot out of the walls, things of that nature. You could have vertical combat, make the pcs fight on small platforms with their back against the wall, while they deal with flying blaster wielding foes.

Toydarians could also use up drafts to lift escapees to new sections faster. Toydarians are supposed to be very light, their bodies are supposed to be filled with pockets of lighter than air gasses. So it makes sense that a moderately powerful updraft would lift them up quickly.
A wind tunnel would be fun. something like this

[Strigon]

It's an escape tunnel. It's meant to get everyone out of the vicinity as quickly as possible.
As you are probably aware, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This means that the best way to build a tunnel meant to evacuate VIPs is to build it straight, and hide it well. Maybe put in a constant, but slight turn, preventing someone at the beginning of the tunnel from shooting all the way to the end, but there's no practical reason it should be full of twists and turns you need to be able to fly to navigate.

This toydarian is now effectively disabled. Would you expect a human to need to climb stairs the whole way along one of our escape tunnels? Of course not; that would be ridiculously inefficient and tiring. Likewise, once you're in the actual tunnel, it should be a very smooth run to its exit, just by virtue of being an escape tunnel.

[kraftcheese]

I suppose even if Toydarians are a species that can fly doesn't mean they only factor in flying as a way of getting around if that makes sense? What if they needed to transport something with the escaping king? What if, like in this situation, someone in the party was injured and couldn't fly, or the king was elderly and couldn't fly for long? I feel like they'd want some kind of vehicle in an escape tunnel in a technologically advanced galaxy like the Star Wars one.

Perhaps there's an old train/monorail type thing built by a pre-spaceflight Toydarian dynasty in the escape tunnel (if you've played Fallout 3, think the presidential metro), maybe there's an elevator (could move diagonally to cover distance)?

And you could always say "the elevator is sabotaged and breaks down, we have to climb down the emergency ladders/stairs/etc" or "part of the tunnel has been collapsed and we have to get off the monorail and go by foot the rest of the way"; and I suppose there could always be creatures, or more assassins lurking in the tunnels...

[MesiDoomstalker]

Also, don't Toydarians fly mostly using gas to float and their wings for navigation?

This is my understanding as well. However, with only one wing, he'd simply spin in place, or fly lopsided favoring rightward (since his left wing beats air away from his right side).

Now, a slightly curving tunnel (to prevent clear line of fire for pursuers) would be perfect. The next problem I'm having is that his yacht will have left already (due to his consort fleeing when she presumed him dead). Now, assuming this is a secret hangar where else in the palace would one expect to be able to reach it from? Obviously the throne room, the King's bedchambers. Any other place I'm missing? Random parts of the palace just to duck the king out no matter where he is?

[Kami2awa]

As it's a sci fi setting, why not put some kind of fast vehicle (like a small underground train) in the escape tunnel? Then after the king has escaped, the tunnel is harder to navigate because he's taken the only train. There could also be hazards like electric rails (or whatever is appropriate to the setting). Indeed, there might be traps set to zap anyone who isn't the king along the way. Maybe he made sure it goes through his pet Rancor menagerie :)

As to the tunnel being windy rather than straight, maybe it has to skirt around other structures in the palace, or maybe it is deliberately made to not come out in an obvious place so the enemy can't simply run round to intercept the king on the way out.

As to architecture, the Toydarians probably don't have stairs but they would probably need some means for elderly/disabled Toydarians to get about, such as elevators, or perhaps shafts with zero gravity, which would be challenging for anyone not used to them. Of course, these are not necessarily anywhere convenient for anyone.

[Yora]

First off. I’d never put stairs in… they don’t need them.

Except when they are injured. Which wouldn't be unlikely in a situation where the king is forced to use a secret escape tunnel.

[Madeiner]

I'd use the underground train idea, but have more than one vehicle. Possibly 5 or 6 small trains or vehicles on rails.

Then have enemy forces follow the PCs and as they take the train, they'll jump on a few more vehicles and give chase while trying to shoot the PC's or their vehicle.

At the end of the tunnel, not only is the yatch gone, the hangar has been damaged and now there's just a very long drop to the bottom, on top of a running train, possibly in flames if the enemies did their job right.
If, in turn, the PCs did their job right, also the chasing trains are inflames and will explode right as the PCs fly out the tunnel, sealing it off and maybe causing a collapse of the entire palace

[MesiDoomstalker]

I'd use the underground train idea, but have more than one vehicle. Possibly 5 or 6 small trains or vehicles on rails.

Then have enemy forces follow the PCs and as they take the train, they'll jump on a few more vehicles and give chase while trying to shoot the PC's or their vehicle.

At the end of the tunnel, not only is the yatch gone, the hangar has been damaged and now there's just a very long drop to the bottom, on top of a running train, possibly in flames if the enemies did their job right.
If, in turn, the PCs did their job right, also the chasing trains are inflames and will explode right as the PCs fly out the tunnel, sealing it off and maybe causing a collapse of the entire palace

You had me till this part. How does one presume for the PCs/King to survive a palace crashing down on them as they fall off a mountain? Dues Ex Machina their ship to save them? I like this idea, but bringing the palace down at the last minute is a bit excessive.

[Madeiner]

You had me till this part. How does one presume for the PCs/King to survive a palace crashing down on them as they fall off a mountain? Dues Ex Machina their ship to save them? I like this idea, but bringing the palace down at the last minute is a bit excessive.

Yeah, probably a little excessive ;)

[nedz]

Is making the palace, or at least part of it, fly too much ?

[MesiDoomstalker]

Is making the palace, or at least part of it, fly too much ?

I'm... not sure what your asking? Is it a pun?

[TheThan]

Except when they are injured. Which wouldn't be unlikely in a situation where the king is forced to use a secret escape tunnel.

he's a king, he should have a bunch of body guards around to help him escape down his super secret bolt hole; even if injured. Unless they all get killed in the ruckus. should have spent more money on better guards.

[MesiDoomstalker]

he's a king, he should have a bunch of body guards around to help him escape down his super secret bolt hole; even if injured. Unless they all get killed in the ruckus. should have spent more money on better guards.

Royal guards are only so effective against Force-Sensitive Rage-Monster Assassin's. The approach to the throne room has been redecorated in the last 10 minutes for that edgy, grisly look.