Post/Author/DateTime	Post
HaloJunky 08-08-07, 01:18 AM	Last session my group won first place in a tournament, the prize included a castle in the frontier regions of the country. I was going to make the castle myself to save time and energy. One member suggested designing it himself with the collaboration of the rest of the party, and of course everyone leapt at the idea. I don't really have a problem with them designing their own castle, it won't come into play that often and its something they really want to do. I have 2 main questions 1. Is this a good idea to let them do this or is it better to leave the design to me? 2. Is there any rules is source material, on the boards or even your own personal ideas that could be useful
Dragoon 08-08-07, 02:07 AM	Hmm, It's always interesting to build castles and forts. I have a few notations. 1. Is there already a castle in the location, only torn up and in disrepair? If so, you can do something akin to what occurs in Might and Magic 7. The player gets a keep, only it's more or less overrun and in poor quality. The main quest more or less has the player build up his castle then get into politics (somewhat). 2. Allow the players to go to various locations for neat things for their castle. Sidequests for a good moat monster, special wood for the library, or maybe enhancments or guards. Find a small cult and do them a favor and they might agree to send someone by every three days and preform a ritual of some sort. Talk to some border goblins to arrange a base camp for them, in return for helping keep the border secure. 3. Remind the players of using the terrain to their advantage. If they are in a forest area, clear the trees for so far so the enemy can't sneak up and such. Knowing where the beasties are. If they are building it, you might want to have a few advisors from the king advising them in strategy. If they are fixing the place up, have some advisors warning them of trouble spots and possible ideas to improve the defenses. 4. If I recall, there is a Stronghold Builder's Guide. Not sure the exact specifics on it, but it has the basics, cost, and magic enhancements for buildings. 5. As a notation, you might want to have a bit of fun with politics. While the castle itself might be in the background for a great deal, you will want to make sure that the players know that leaving the castle undefended is a foolish idea. For a few quests, they should want to clear out trouble spots and maybe pick out a few of the upstanding soldiers (Read: Criminals and trouble-makers that the army doesn't want) that the king has granted you, in his wisdom and benevolence, to serve in various command stations (Read: Putting the trouble-makers in line and reforming the criminals). 6. Castles typically involve land. Land typically involves farmers and various locals. Living creatures mean tribute (Or taxes, depending on your governing style). Tribute/Taxes pay for your soldiers to keep the taxees alive to tax. Taxes also mean money for the players. A castle can be a source of quests, or a big pain when you have to rush back and forth to defend it. And, being on the frontier can mean small but near constant battles. Small bands of goblins or sommat rushing by or so. Also, things can go awfully wrong when the owners of a castle go missing for a month or two when they go dragon hunting suddenly. Not to mention that, unless the castle itself has a tavern, starting adventures in a tavern is going to go downhill a bit. Most adventurers don't have a castle when they start out, so the mystery guy has to approach them in a tavern. Not out of preference, but because using magic to slam open the door of a tavern with an illusion of a storm behind him and shouting "Behold, I seek the chosen ones!" typically earns someone a bunch of sullen stares and a mug lopside the head.
yellowdingo 08-08-07, 07:05 AM	4. If I recall, there is a Stronghold Builder's Guide. Not sure the exact specifics on it, but it has the basics, cost, and magic enhancements for buildings. Intelligent Magic items can only be created by wizards of 15th level or greater. If your PCs want that stone face on a wall to defend the castle with the magic wand hanging out of its mouth then its going to cost them. Lesser Guardians such as a leather golem can be created by a fifth level caster (requiring craft wonderous/craft weapon armour, leather working DC15, rope trick, mage armor, haste, and a Magic ring -15,000gp- sewn on the inside of the leather to provide an alternative magic source to a limited wish used by greater golems). enchantment cost is near 5,000gp each-ring costs extra. You get a nifty leather golem that attacks with a magic rope- whip that can entangle a target -aka KRULL. 6. Castles typically involve land. Land typically involves farmers and various locals. Living creatures mean tribute (Or taxes, depending on your governing style). Tribute/Taxes pay for your soldiers to keep the taxees alive to tax. Taxes also mean money for the players. Fuel (for those of us who like firewood in our Fantasy campaigns): 1cp/20lb, 20,000lb firewood per acre, recharge rate= 100yrs; 10,000lb/person/year. It may not sound important but a Castle eats firewood for charcoal in the smithys forge, Heating, Cooking in the Kitchen, Boiling Bathwater, etc. Many D&D settings dont take fuel into account. Wars can be fought over Fuel resources. A castle supporting a hundred soldiers, needs somewhere near enougn firewood for five hundred peasants every year. 250 acres of forest per year or 25,000 acres per hundred years. Thats 39 square miles of supporting forest. Even more forest can be exported for vast incomes to other kingdoms. The price is 112cp per ton at the woodlot. Hauling it off to the next kingdom can Quadruple the cost even before the merchants selling it tack on their profit margin. MEASUREMENTS: 640 acres per square mile