Looking for a Pagoda

DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
Hi folks,

Does anyone have, or know were I can find, one or more good pagoda floor plans, preferably a Chinese pagoda, if possible, preferably furnished? I've found some stuff using Google but nothing that I feel I could use as a basis for a map.There was one black and white floor plan that I found that was clean enough to use as a source if I wanted to, but it was basically a bunch of pillars. I didn't get any sense of the building or how the floor was really laid out from that drawing. I'm especially hoping to find something that gives me an idea of what the furnished layout looks like, if possible.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
~Dogtag

Comments

  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    Check the Dundjinni Forum for oriental buildings. There are some credible samples there.
  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    edited May 2014
    I guess it depends very much what type of pagoda you are looking for. Many are just very slim towers, basically just several small square (or round) rooms stacked on top of each other. But how about this one?
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited May 2014
    @Vintyri - Thanks, I didn't find much in the way of layouts but they do have some great symbols I can use once I've laid out the map!

    @JDR - Ha ha ha! That's the "it's all pillars" diagram I was talking about! Ha ha. I think I may have to just go with that and... extrapolate. I was really hoping someone, somewhere, might have something that showed more detail, particularly showing statues, tables, chests, anything. Or at least explaining what the "map" symbols mean -- am I looking at windows, doors, elevated floors...? I suppose I'll just wing it. My players certainly won't know the level of authenticity (none of them are Chinese, let alone ancient Chinese). Plus, the githyanki who took over the place might have done their own interior decorating...

    @Ralph - I found that same cross-section, showing the layers and the symbolic levels, and even though it's for a Japanese pagoda I intend to use it because it fits my needs so nicely (githyanki popped in from the Astral plane -- easy to do when the uppermost level is dedicated to the sky, or void/space/ether as these other diagrams show)!!! The stupa maps are great for the surroundings but I'm really looking for something to tell me what the inside looks like.

    I've found plenty of pagoda pictures but they're mostly modern, and include souvenir shops and vendors.

    Thank you for your help and suggestions, and for the effort you guys put out looking for stuff on your own too. I really appreciate it. I guess now I'll have to post the map when I'm done! image
    ~Dogtag
  • edited May 2014
    Apart from statues and stairs, I didn't see anything inside the pagodas. From what I read, they where used as worship places and watch towers.

    But honest, if it's for Githyanki, who cares about historical/architectural accuracy?

    I would design each level as a regular polygon (probably 6-sided, squares are too common, or perhaps 8-sided if you need to fit a grid.)

    Offset 5' for the outer gallery (with pillars) to place the walls, 1' thick. Offset 2.5' for the stairs coming from the lower level, offset 2.5' for the stair going up. offset 2.5' for inner pillars than design the room as any *dungeon* ;)

    Start again but make the next level 2.5' smaller (in radius).
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited May 2014
    GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY! You probably whipped that out in 15 minutes or something, didn't you? That's about two weeks work on my end! And your sample will probably be nicer than my finished map. Yeesh.

    Funnily enough, though, it looks like I started out very similar to your sample. I'm using a regular polygon for the floors. 8-sided seems to have been fairly common. But that took me... a while. I love how you show the roof around the floor plan. I hope you don't mind if I use that technique.

    As for the githyanki, the pagoda isn't theirs. Long story short, they took over the pagoda as a Prime Material base while they obtained an object they need in the war against the githzerai. There's more but I won't bore anyone in this thread. Once I post the map, then I'll bore people with the scenario.

    Thank you very much for your generous help with this.

    ~Dogtag
  • Posted By: DogtagI hope you don't mind if I use that technique.
    That's the forum's spirit isn't it? The tiles texture was borrowed from Anomiecoalition here with a RGB color matrix (every value set to 0.25 except in the last column where they are set to 0). And the shapes are shaded polygons as we already discussed there.

    Good luck with your project! image
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    When i saw the roof in your sample, I immediately thought of that discussion you had with Anomiecoalition, ha ha!

    Thanks, I'm eager to get to it!

    ~Dogtag
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited May 2014
    Okay, I've started a separate WIP discussion about my map, so this discussion can stay focused on possible pagoda resources.

    ~Dogtag
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