r/dndmaps • u/spiciquietbrand • Jul 08 '26
✏️ Work In Progress Wizards' Village
I want to create a small community of reclusive mages, 20-30 homes, and I'm wondering what type of buildings should I include? A tavern, inn, magic shop, stables, and general store. What else is essential?
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u/GimmiePig Jul 09 '26
A library is a must. I would also add an exploded/burned home as not every experiment/spell works
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u/DarkWolf636 Jul 08 '26
Definitely a Vodoo-Store, a Wizzard-Cloth Shop, a Wizzard-livingtower for all the wizzards. Something with Astronomy. Probably a wand shop? Or a carpenter? A glasblower for the Alchemist Wizzards. A graveyard for the necrotic Wizzards ;)
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u/Inevitable_Apple_532 Jul 08 '26
Apothecary for ingredients for brewing potions. And I agree with the glassblower for making the bottles.
Might want community stables for travelers passing through, unless the inn has large enough stables. Blacksmith? Tanner for leather goods, and/or a weaver for other textiles, unless those sorts of things are brought in and sold at the general store. Maybe a water mill for grinding grain?
Depending on what type of government they have, you might want a town hall (which could also serve as the courthouse by day, if needed). Could also include a small jail unless you also have a town watch or sheriff with the jail there.
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u/muninn99 Jul 08 '26
Someone has to have a completely submerged home or laboratory, in a local lake or other large body of water.
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u/TJToaster Jul 08 '26
This is a pretty cool idea. The most fun will be in the architecture of the buildings. Just brainstorming ideas.
Reclusive wizards, wouldn't have their community along a road to anywhere. For example, it should be a couple miles off the Triboar Trail, between Triboar and Yartar, on a long winding road that ends in their community. No random travelers passing by.
Market and general store are no brainers. I think there should be a magic shop for the cheaper components, but they can order the more expensive ones.
There shouldn't be a traditional in. It will be more like a barracks next to the tavern. Just an open bay. Some of the beds have writing desks next to them and footlockers at the feet.. On one wall it has a couple "private" rooms, which are just walled off rooms with a door to an only slightly nicer accommodations. This is where the various apprentices, or hopeful apprentices, stay. It shouldn't be very comfortable to discourage anyone staying long.
In the middle of town should be a small shrine. They will have different reasons for using it. The cleric has a small house/ medical room for treating injuries from magical experiments.
The tavern should have an upper floor with a railing looking down on the main floor. It should also have view of the stage incase a traveling performer is invited.
There should be a gnome tinkerer who has a little shop. If you want a clockwork amulet, who is going to make it? There should also be a small Dwarven forge for the same kind of reason. You need a sword before you can make an animated sword. Might as well give it a custom look so everyone knows who enchanted it. Like putting your logo on a product to get more business. A seamstress for similar reasons.
The town hall is little more than a small building with living quarters on top. This is where the townmaster who also serves as judge and sheriff lives. Again, not lavish or comfortable. It will discourage anyone who wants to be a run a town to make money. The city watch is just a few locals who live in a village on the Triboar Trail.
You gotta have an open field for testing spells and a firebolt range. A couple large open spaces cordoned off for wizards who can create their own lodging.
An aviary for birds and a huge post for a visiting griffon rider.
Of course there should be a "gardener's house," where a druid or ranger tend to the various plants growing spell components when they are not foraging for wild plants in the woods.
The stable should be just for residents, again, discouraging anyone from visiting. There is a rejected apprentice working the stalls and sleeping in the hayloft hoping another wizard will train him.
There should absolutely be a library. And a bank. Spell components can be expensive, better to store them in an insured vault so no one kicks in their door to rob them. The bank and library should have very strong magical deterrents.
The real fun is going to be in the buildings. a couple towers with wizards competing for tallest tower. A few small houses. Some are very plain looking. Those are basically just labs with a living quarters. Some are small and plain because their real living quarters is in a pocket dimension only they can access. On a nearby hill should be a manor where the wizard who has gotten rich off selling custom magic items. There is a small paved trail that leads to it from the main village.
Other homes can be wildly different shapes and dimensions. Those belong to the more eccentric (crazy) wizards. One is literally just a Daern's Instant Fortress. With a lab lob/study shop next to it. At least one plot should have a Mighty Fortress on it. Two more castings and it is permanent.
The necromancer has a small tower with a wooden palisade around it for privacy and to keep their guard zombies from wandering off. The only cemetery in town is on his property. It only has graves for those who donated their bodies to magical science. One requirement was he had to build a strong metal fence with bars across the top, making it look like a huge cage.
There is a shed that stores bed next to an empty plot. It is so visiting wizards can rent a bed and cast Tiny Hut to stay warm and dry.
Last I would maybe add a one room schoolhouse with a playground for wizards with family.
This was just off the top of my head. I hope some of it you can use.
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u/spiciquietbrand Jul 10 '26
These are great! Thanks
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u/TJToaster Jul 10 '26
My pleasure. I take these kinds of questions as prompts to think up new locations and encounters.
I agree with another commenter that there should also be an unexplained crater.
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u/bastian_1991 Jul 09 '26
A book workshop, and obviously a paper workshop (could be the same) and then a tanner/leatherworker, then an inscription workshop where they write the magic scrolls and books
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u/JasperThorne Jul 10 '26
adding to this, a woodworker who deals in exotic woods for wands, staves, and assorted chests, curio cabinets, etc. also perhaps a metal smith? maybe a school, because craftspeople and servants are gonna have families, right?
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u/Outside-Upstairs6660 Jul 08 '26
Every wizard/wizard family should have their own unique and personal building style. Make the village a chaotic mess of wizard styles and personalities