Advanced Dungeons & Dragons	Magic Items		Dragon	Dragon 39
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Few things in the realm of Fantasy can inspire wonder like a castle
nestled among the clouds, serene and peaceful (perhaps) and commanding
a view of the country below such as few people will ever know.
Such castles are usually inhabited by high-level Clerics or Magic-Users,
Cloud or Storm Giants, Titans, Silver or Gold Dragons, and other highly
powerful beings. They are very rare, and are created by a long and
complicated process.

A high-level Magic-User is usually required to construct a cloud
castle, and he or she should have a large backing of men and monsters
to complete the task. First, a cloud must be found that meets the wizard’s
requirements for size, shape, and altitude; non-raining stratus or cumulus
clouds are prefered. Altitudes higher than one mile should be
avoided due to lack of breathable air. For the following steps, a flying
carpet, broom or spell must be used to give the wizard the stable place to
cast spells from.

Next, the wizard must Summon an air elemental (16 HD) and
command it to shape the cloud into a form as the wizard desires. The
elemental will not be hostile to the mage when informed of the purpose
of the summoning, and will cooperate with the mage with no problem.
Shaping the cloud will involve flattening a space for the castle, adding
any decorations (of somewhat vague form) to the cloud as the mage
sees fit, and preventing precipitation. Within one turn after the air
elemental is dismissed the mage must cast a Wish and a Control
Weather on the cloud mass to maintain its form and stability permanently.
A second Wish may be used to anchor the cloud over a particular
place so it doesn’t drift off during construction.

When this is done, the mage casts a Wish and a Reverse Gravity and
another Permanency spell upon the cloud mass, so that now it will
support any weight placed upon it, even the weight of vast amounts of
masonry and stone. This step may only be circumvented if the mage or
the creature the castle is being built for (a Cloud or Storm Giant or a true
Titan) is a worshipper of Crius, Titan of Density and Gravity. A great
sacrifice made to Crius (DM’s option) may induce him to work on the
cloud castle base for one hour, after which it will support nearly any
weight, without falling or tipping.

At this point, the lucky mage may start construction of the abode
with whatever material he/she deems necessary. If large blocks of
quarried stone are to be carried to the site, then a retinue of Cloud and
Storm Giants is helpful (perhaps payment will be co-ownership of the
castle). Otherwise, variations of Tenser’s Floating Disc at high level may
suffice, or a Teleport or Wish. Once the castle is built, a final Wish is used
to absolutely lock the castle to the cloud, and the deed is done. If
allowed then to drift, it will do so in a random direction, at a speed never
exceeding 1”.

For a few final notes, remember that unless a water tower or garden
is included, the inhabitants may well have to hunt frequently or starve,
as the dragons and giants must do. High-level Clerics may provide food,
but this isn’t recommended over long periods of time. The walls of force
will be transparent, so if a see-through floor is desired, allow for the
cloud to be cleared away underneath in that area. Otherwise, cover the
floor to prevent vertigo. Glassteel and similar spells may provide windows
to enhance the view, and remember that if the castle drifts freely it
will also rotate slowly.

Note, too, that if a cloud castle descends to within 100’ of the
ground, there is a 5% cumulative chance per round that, regardless of
the spells used to protect it, the cloud castle spells on the base will dispel
bringing the whole to the earth as precipitation. If the cloud strikes a
mountaintop, this won’t dispel the base, but may cause severe structural
damage to the castle, as an Earthquake spell.