…

To squeeze through or into a space less than half your space’s width, you must use the Escape Artist skill. You can’t attack while using Escape Artist to squeeze through or into a narrow space, you take a -4 penalty to AC, and you lose any Dexterity bonus to AC.

Telas’ solution above is certainly in the spirit of these rules.

If at least 2/3 of the square is open (GM’s opinion), it’s a square.

If 1/3 to 2/3 is open, it’s squeezing. 2x movement costs, -4 to both AC and attack rolls.

If less than 1/3 is open, it can only be occupied by a stationary figure. As above, but also considered Flat Footed.

Yes I am just making this up. Why do you ask?

You bring up an interesting point as referring to partial squares. Can you occupy a partial square? Or don’t those partial squares count? I’m curious, how do you handle those in your game? It’s certainly worth looking up in the rulebooks, which I think I’ll do right now.

Tallarn: I agree. An unpainted mini looks just fine on the tabletop.

The sapping issue you mentioned is MUCH more pertinent to castles / towers than to the single tower you see on its own in pretty much any D&D game. Most singular round towers are found in Ireland and Scotland, and the biggest reason a lot of them are still standing is because the round shape provides the best resistance to the winds that they experience as they get up there in height.

The square peg – round hole issue is definitely a problem though, assuming that a single person fully occupies 25 square feet of space is definitely frustrating at times.

But then, I am the person that used to declare that plain metal Games Workshop tanks looked “perfectly fine” on the tabletop…

Immolate: You’re absolutely right about “eating” cannon balls. What an absolutely great description for that.

Telas: Did not mean to make you feel sad. I acknowledged that you got the answer partly right. I say that everyone who took part in this round towers discussion gets a pepperoncini from the crock pot for playing! Pepperoncinis for everyone!

Hmmmmm, tasty!

Also, I would like the license for Greyhawk.

But I missed it on the basis of “unclear answer”.

Curved walls also give every man on the top a good field of fire.

If you want to know what works against cannon-balls, however, look to the Spanish forts in Florida with their sharp angles and massive walls made from stone quarried from compressed shells. It may not be a renewable resource, but it eats cannon-balls nicely. The castillo in St. Augustine, Florida is a perfect example and well-preserved. Admittedly, it’s damned hard to undermind a castle built on sand.

But rarely is that an issue in a typical D&D adventure. Digging tunnels for months (even in game time) is not most folks idea of fun. So, square towers work out fine in most instances.