Why the Castle Base trope is popular again

Why Castles Are Making a Comeback in TTRPG Campaigns

Castles are having a moment again in tabletop roleplaying games.

Across fantasy systems from classic D&D to modern indie RPGs Dungeon Masters are increasingly centering campaigns around castles, keeps, strongholds, and fortified sanctuaries. These aren’t just backdrops anymore. They’re headquarters, political centers, emotional anchors, and narrative engines. Players inherit them, defend them, rebuild them, lose them, and sometimes rule from them.

At first glance, this might feel like a new trend driven by updated rule systems, stronghold supplements, or a renewed love for hex crawls and domain play. But the truth is simpler and older: castles never really left. What we’re seeing now is a return to fantasy’s roots filtered through modern play-styles and storytelling priorities.

To understand why castles are once again becoming a base of operations in TTRPGs, we need to look at why they’ve always mattered.

A Trope Older Than RPGs

The idea of a fortified home base long predates tabletop gaming. Castles, hidden valleys, and great halls are foundational to fantasy literature itself. J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t invent the trope, but he crystallized it for modern fantasy in a way that still shapes how we imagine heroic worlds.

If you’ve read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you already know where this is going.

Rivendell.

While Rivendell isn’t a castle in the traditional stone-and-battlements sense, it functions exactly like one in narrative terms. It’s a protected refuge hidden in the wilderness. It’s politically significant, culturally rich, and nearly impossible for enemies to assault directly. Most importantly, it’s a place of rest, counsel, and transformation.

The Fellowship doesn’t just pass through Rivendell to heal wounds. They regroup. They learn. They make decisions that shape the fate of the world.

That same pattern appears again and again in fantasy:

* Minas Tirith as the last great bastion of men

* Helm’s Deep as a desperate defensive stand

* Erebor as a lost home reclaimed

* Camelot as a symbol of unity and legitimacy

These places aren’t just locations. They’re statements. They tell us who holds power, what’s at stake, and what might be lost.

Tabletop RPGs inherited this tradition wholesale.

Why Castles Work So Well at the Table

From a practical standpoint, castles solve a lot of problems for DMs.

A castle provides a clear, stable base of operations. Players know where they belong in the world. They have a place to return to between adventures, a location that grounds the campaign and gives it continuity.

Unlike an abstract tavern or a nameless town, a castle grows with the party.

* New NPCs arrive

* Wings are rebuilt or expanded

* Political alliances form in its halls

* Enemies learn its weaknesses

It becomes a living thing.

For DMs, this is gold. A single stronghold can support dozens of story hooks:

* Sieges and defenses

* Espionage and infiltration

* Court intrigue and diplomacy

* Resource management and logistics

* Moral choices about rulership and responsibility

All of that emerges naturally from the setting itself.

Player Agency and Ownership

One of the biggest reasons castles are resurging is the modern emphasis on player agency.

Today’s players don’t just want to explore the world they want to shape it.

A castle gives players something concrete to care about. When the party owns or governs a stronghold, their decisions matter in visible, lasting ways. Gold spent on fortifications changes future battles. Alliances forged in the throne room affect regional politics. Failure has consequences that persist.

This taps into a powerful fantasy:

What if this place depended on us?

Defending a nameless village is heroic. Defending your castle where your banners fly, your allies live, and your victories are remembered hits differently.

Castles as Narrative Anchors

In long-running campaigns, momentum can be hard to maintain. Characters travel, threats escalate, and stakes can become abstract.

A castle fixes that.

It anchors the narrative geographically and emotionally. When the world is in danger, players know exactly what’s at risk. When enemies advance, there’s a clear line they must not cross. When victory comes, there’s a place to celebrate it.

This is especially effective in sandbox or open-world campaigns. No matter how far players roam, the castle remains a constant reference point a reminder of who they are and what they’re fighting for.

Nostalgia Meets Modern Design

There’s also an element of nostalgia at play.

Many DMs grew up on fantasy novels, classic RPG modules, and video games where castles were central hubs. As tabletop design cycles back toward exploration, faction play, and long-term consequences, castles feel like a natural fit again.

Modern systems and supplements have also made them easier to run. Rules for strongholds, followers, downtime, and mass combat allow castles to function mechanically not just narratively.

The result is a perfect storm: old-school fantasy imagery paired with modern, player-driven storytelling.

Why We Keep Coming Back to the Castle

At their core, castles represent something deeply human.

They are symbols of safety in a dangerous world. Of order against chaos. Of home earned rather than given.

In fantasy—and in TTRPGs especially—a castle is more than stone walls and towers. It’s the answer to a question every adventuring party eventually asks:

What are we building toward?

Whether it’s a towering keep on a mountain peak, a hidden woodland fortress like Rivendell, or a half-ruined stronghold reclaimed from monsters, castles give that question a tangible answer.

And that’s why, no matter how trends shift, DMs keep returning to them.

Because every great adventure deserves a place worth defending.

-The Team at Pencil Sword & Dice