Real Castles, Ruins and Caves for Fantasy Tables

Castle walls and towers

A castle piece is mostly wall, so the wall has to be convincing. Look at how the stones vary in size, how mortar lines wander and how the base of a wall widens where it meets the rock.

• Castle Ruins and Bridge: 74 photos of a small ruined castle in Scotland with a bridge leading to it, shot at 7174 × 4788.
• 14th Century Ukrainian Castle: 115 photos of a large medieval stronghold, with ruins, towers and walls.
• Island Medieval Fort Mamula: 64 photos of a small island fort in Montenegro, $4.99. It is a ready-made idea for a coastal or sea-themed scenario.

Ruins with a long history

Some ruins have been rebuilt and broken many times over the centuries. That layered look is hard to invent:

• Spanish Medieval Ruined Fortress: 83 photos of the fortress at Sagunto near Valencia. Its first walls date back to the Bronze Age.
• Cave City Chufut-Kale: 94 photos of a medieval city-fortress in Crimea, with rooms cut into the rock. It is a strong model for a dwarf hold or a cliff city.
• Abandoned Medieval Ruins Malta: 155 photos of old walls around fields, piled bricks and fortress restoration in progress.

For temples overgrown by jungle, such as the 13th-century Khmer temple in Overgrown Entrance Khmer Temple, see jungle temple ruins.

Caves and dungeons

Underground boards are popular for skirmish and roleplaying games, and real caves give you shapes that are hard to sculpt from imagination:

• Cave Dungeon: 149 photos of a limestone cave with stalactites, stalagmites and rock textures.
• Cave Tree Roots: 200 photos of a cave where tree roots grow through the ceiling in a damp, glistening web.
• Limestone Castle Rock Formation: 216 photos of a castle-shaped limestone formation with sharp rock and plants between the cliffs. Its interior is in a separate pack, Green Algae Covered Open Cave Domes.

More caves are on the cave reference page.

Strange forests

The Druids Forest pack has 162 photos of an unusual forest in the Vercors in France. It is a good starting point for an enchanted wood that does not look like every other forest on the table. For basing those trees, see basing and groundwork reference.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn a castle photo into a terrain piece?

Pick one section, such as a gate or a tower, and build only that. Measure a doorway in the photo: about 2 meters tall becomes about 36 mm at 28 mm scale. Then count the stone courses up to the top of the wall and scale the height to match.

Is there reference for painting knights and fantasy figures?

Yes. The Medieval Knight Armour pack has 108 photos of helmets, breastplates, chain mail, gauntlets, horse armor and engraved patterns.

Which packs suit a dungeon or underground board?

Start with the Cave Dungeon pack for stalactites, stalagmites and rock textures. Add Cave Tree Roots for a more unusual chamber, and Chufut-Kale for rooms cut into the rock. Together they cover natural caves and built ones.

Do you have more medieval towns and castles?

Yes. See castles and fortresses for walls and keeps, and medieval fantasy reference for towns and streets.