26 : Building the Famous Mausoleum

It was about time that my warband ventured forth to the famous mausoleum of the Frozen City.

The Mausoleum is the first scenario in the first Frostgrave rulebook. The same mausoleum “of some ancient necromancer” scenario is now the second scenario in the rules’ second edition. The mausoleum itself has attracted a lot of attention. Making a model for the scenario featured as a magazine article close on the release of the first rulebook. Many gamers have attempted to create a suitable building for the scenario – one that has four doorways as entry points for the necromancer’s animated skeletons to appear. And the mausoleum continues to be a favourite with Frostgrave gamers.

My first design was a 15mm model for my own collection. It had four metal gates and tall pillars at each corner. My next design was more ruinous, having two of the mausoleum’s walls cut away and the pillars removed. It was this design that I decided to upscale to 28mm while at the same time adding some extra features.

I thought the mausoleum would look great raised up on top a supporting model. This is where modular scenery comes into its own! I designed a simple but sturdy wall frame. While this certainly made the building look more imposing, it also provided an actual chamber beneath the mausoleum. Another very similar option would be to use a Half-level Supporting Walls model (28S-SLD-FCR-121). This design has the added advantage of having a floor. However, adding to the range makes modular possibilities even more exciting!

A burial vault or crypt obviously needs a tomb. The altar model (28S-SLD-FCR-143) in the existing range is perfect for this. The Frostgrave scenario doesn’t require the usual (usual for second edition) centrally placed treasure token. However with a creepy cellar centrally located, it was something I was definitely not going to pass on!

Although in a ruinous state, the mausoleum still has the four entrances required for the scenario. These doorways all lead to a main chamber that has a grated trap door in the floor. This leads down to the lower chamber. It makes sense that the skeletons in the scenario come from the tomb, making their way out of the trap door and then out through one of the four doorways – to confront our budding adventurers!

With the mausoleum standing on top of the supporting model, I finished off the build by designing some stairways so that each of the four entrances had steps up to them. These stairways are smaller than the stairways that are already part of the Frozen City range but they have higher risers. I was already noting some sneaky and unexpected cover and places to locate treasure in the spaces between the stairways. The mausoleum’s two upper floors are also perfect places for placing treasure tokens – but also positioning snipers! It’s possible for a character to jump all the way from ground level (with or without the supporting model) to the top floor of the tower in a Frostgrave game by casting a successful Leap Spell.

My warband could now venture forth to the mausoleum of the Frozen City! While designing the building (you may have noticed) I added a hoop amidst the arches of the tower’s upper floor. I designed it so that a bell might hang there, making the mausoleum model a potential bell tower as well – perfect for another Frostgrave scenario, The Summoning Bell. Of course, the hoop is also a sneaky eye to hook on some treasure!