Room 6 – Kitchen Room 11 - Solar

GROUND FLOOR This area would be suited for household

staff, and as such, is not decorated. One or
A large, well-lit room outfitted with many
windows to provide the owner and their
Room 1 – Entry/Foyer multiple cook fires and ovens would be in family a space to read, relax, and conduct
This room gives the first impression of the here, along with small tables for preparation private meetings. A room like this would be
home to the visitor, and as such it would areas, and various cooking implements warmly decorated with wood paneled walls
typically have statues, paintings, tapestries, such as cook pots and utensils. and bookshelves. Ample seating and a
and ornamental arms and armor displayed. fireplace gives this room an inviting aura.
The large staircase that dominates the room Room 7 – Kitchen Storage
would be either carved wood or fine stone, Food stuff that doesn't need cooler Room 12 - Master Bedroom
such as marble or granite. temperatures, and commonly used Decorated and outfitted similarly to the other
ingredients would be stored here on larger Bedrooms in the house, this room
Room 2 – Auxiliary Room shelves, boxes, barrels, and sacks. Spices would be where the owner of the house and
A room such as this could be used and may also be stored here for easy access. their spouse/partner would sleep and meet.
converted for a number of different things, The difference to this room are the multiple
depending on the visiting guests or needs of entrances to the servant’s passages to
the household. As such, it could be a guard FIRST FLOOR allow quick and unseen attendance to the
owner and their family.
room, storage area, place for servants to
wait, or a place for visitors to “freshen up” Room 8 - Bedroom
after a long journey. These bedrooms would be available for Room 13 - Servant’s Quarters
house family members or for esteemed A room like this, while large, would be
Room 3 – Parlor visitors. These rooms would be finely simply decorated and stocked with multiple
This is where the owner of the house would decorated and outfitted with beds, desks, beds and sitting/eating areas for the house’s
initially entertain their guests. Offering them sitting areas, and fireplaces. staff. Movable partitions of wood or canvas
a comfortable seat and refreshments. A would be present to afford a level of privacy
large fireplace would be located here as Room 9 - Bedroom/Storeroom to the staff.
well. Decorations similar to those in the These rooms are typically smaller and could
Entry/Foyer would also be present here. have a number of uses. When used as Room 14 - Servant’s Quarters/
bedrooms, they could house lesser guests, Preparation
Room 4 – Drawing Room important staff of visitors, or higher ranking Setup similarly to the other Servant’s
Similar in many ways to the Parlor, this house staff. They would be undecorated, Quarters, this room could also be used for
room is afforded a slight degree of privacy outfitted with a couple of beds and a table if preparation before heading into the “public”
by being separated from the Entry/Foyer. needed. As a storeroom, it could contain manor spaces. The chute in here can be
This room would be decorated much like the linens, furniture, or other household goods. used for dirty linens or trash and drops into
Parlor. One of these rooms could even be a a bin on the floor below.
lavatory.
Room 5 – Great Hall/Dining Room
This large space would be fit not only for Room 10 - Waiting Room/Sitting Room
If the owner of the house is conducting
CELLAR
large feasts, but for hosting dances, balls,
hearings, and other large gatherings. business, they may have their visitors/ Room 15 - Cellar
Depending on the occasion, this room could clients wait here until the Solar is ready, or A stone cellar with vaulted ceilings
contain long tables and chairs, multiple they have finished business with someone supported by columns. This space is used
small sitting areas, or could be nearly else. Not as decorated as a Parlor, this for storage of numerous items: food, wine,
empty. A large decorated fireplace would be room would still hint at the wealth and valuables, and anything else that can be
a focal point, as well as tapestries, flags, power of the house’s owner, as well as kept in a cool, damp space.
coats of arms, painting, and mirrors. providing a place to sit and wait to be seen.
 FIRST FLOOR NOTES AND INFORMATION
THE
The maps and rooms are based on the concept
of what would more commonly be called an
English country house rather than a true manor
ECHOING
house. The idea of a “country house” seems to
come into more common practice in the 16th
and 17th centuries when manor homes in
MANOR
AN ADVENTURING LOCATION FOR OLD-SCHOOL ROLEPLAYING GAMES
England did not need to be fortified to deal with
as many local conflicts. The manor house has BY: BENJAMIN LEVESQUE
its roots in the feudal manorial estates of the
10th to 15th centuries, where the local lord or
landed gentry would live in a large home on
their property as a sign of their power and
wealth.

The areas on the map shaded in gray are

primarily for the use of servants and other
GROUND FLOOR house staff to keep out of view of occupants
and visitors while staffing the needs of the
house. The spiral staircases in these areas lead
from the cellar to the first floor. These secret
passages are somewhat anachronistic, as
these features wouldn’t appear until the late
17th century and continue into the early 20th
century. But secret passages are fun, so I’ve
included them.

Each square is 5 ft.

HOUSE NAME SUFFIX

CELLAR (Location Name + Suffix, or Owner’s Surname + Suffix)
1. House 5. Manor
2. Court 6. Park
3. Abbey 7. Castle
4. Place 8. Hall
Ex. Padua Court, Campagnola Place

This pamphlet released under CC-BY-SA

Cover by Giulio Campagnola (public domain)
Maps created with Gridmapper