Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook

Contents
Introduction ...............................................................4
What’s Inside..........................................................4
How to Use This Book ...........................................4
Chapter 1: Building a Stronghold..............................4
Step 1: Select a Site................................................5
Climate/Terrain Type...........................................5
Primary Settlement .............................................6
Nearby Features..................................................6
Behind the Curtain: Nearby Features
in the Campaign..............................................6
Site Example: Brightstone Keep.........................7
Step 2: Choose a Size ............................................8
Size Estimates.....................................................8
Size Example: Brightstone Keep ........................8
Step 3: Purchase Components and Walls .............8
A Stronghold Builder’s Glossary........................8
Component Example: Brightstone Keep............8
Do-It-Yourself Spellcasting .................................9
Wall Example: Brightstone Keep ........................9
Step 4: Purchase Extras and
Wondrous Architecture.......................................9
Step 5: Determine Final Price................................9
Site Modifiers......................................................9
Build Time...........................................................9
Extras Example: Brightstone Keep ...................10
Free and Unusual Labor ...................................10
Staff Costs .........................................................10
Landlord ............................................................10
Step 6: Map Your Stronghold ..............................11
Mapping Techniques ........................................11
Organizational Tips ..........................................11
Step 7: Get Approval ............................................13
Final Cost Example: Brightstone Keep ............13
Behind the Curtain: Build Times and
Medieval Realism..............................................13
Chapter 2: Stronghold Components .......................14
Component Descriptions.....................................14
List of Components ..........................................14
Books.................................................................25
Torture ...............................................................32
Building Up and Down.....................................33
Clusters .............................................................33
Walls .......................................................................34
Material Descriptions .......................................34
Freestanding Walls............................................36
Layered Walls ....................................................37
Lead-Lined Walls...............................................37
Wall Augmentations .........................................38
Augment Object.................................................41
Doors, Windows, and Locks ................................41
Windows............................................................42
Locks .................................................................42
Staff ...................................................................42
Extras ....................................................................43
Magic Items ......................................................43
Cursed Magic Items .........................................44
Artifacts .............................................................45
Moats and Trenches .........................................47
Mobile Strongholds ..........................................47
Portals ...............................................................49
Create Portal......................................................50
Spells .................................................................50
Permanency or Magic Item? ............................50
Improved Arcane Lock........................................51
Traps..................................................................61
Other Ways to Beat a Trap................................64
Repairing and Resetting Mechanical Traps .....67
Weapons............................................................67
Wondrous Architecture ........................................69
Creating Wondrous Architecture......................70
Disabling Wondrous Architecture....................70
Wondrous Architecture Descriptions ..............70
Chapter 3: Strongholds in Your Campaign .............87
Building a Stronghold ..........................................87
Location, Location, Location............................87
Lining Up Workers............................................88
Running a Stronghold ..........................................89
Delegate ............................................................89
Making It Pay ....................................................90
The Ties that Bind ............................................91
Protecting a Stronghold .......................................91
For the Dungeon Master ..................................91
Let Others Do Your Work for You ....................92
You Don’t Live in a Vacuum.............................92
Keep a Low Profile ............................................92
Use It or Lose It ................................................92
Hire Those You Can Trust ................................93
Outposts ...........................................................93
Keeping Watch ..................................................93
Assaulting a Stronghold.......................................94
Strike Team .......................................................94
Laying Siege ......................................................96
Smoking Them Out ..........................................96
Attacking the Structure.....................................97
Begin with the End in Mind ...........................100
Commandeering a Stronghold ..........................101
Welcome Home ..............................................101
Disarming a Stronghold .................................101
Containment or Abandonment ......................101
Rearming a Stronghold ..................................101
Retrofitting a Stronghold................................102
Retaining Staff.................................................102
Destroying a Stronghold ....................................102
Neutralizing It.................................................102
Looting ............................................................103
Bringing It Down ............................................103
Sealing It Away................................................103CONTENTS
Chapter 4: Example Strongholds...........................104
The Cheap Keep .................................................105
The Basics .......................................................105
Getting In ........................................................105
The Interior .....................................................105
The Second Floor............................................107
The Coral Castle .................................................107
The Basics .......................................................107
Getting In ........................................................108
Defense ...........................................................108
Room Descriptions.........................................108
The Dwarven Redoubt........................................110
The Basics .......................................................110
Getting In ........................................................110
Defenses..........................................................111
Room Descriptions.........................................111
The Floating Tower.............................................116
The Basics .......................................................116
Getting In ........................................................116
Defenses..........................................................116
Room Descriptions.........................................116
The Citadel of the Planes ...................................120
The Basics .......................................................120
Getting Around ...............................................120
Plane of Shadow Rooms ................................122
Elysium Rooms ...............................................123
Arborea Rooms ...............................................124
Plane of Fire Rooms .......................................124
Ysgard Rooms .................................................125
Hell Rooms .....................................................126
Abyss Rooms ..................................................127
Astral Rooms ..................................................127
Plane of Water Rooms ....................................128
Carceri Rooms.................................................128
List of Tables
Table 1–1: Climate/Terrain Modifiers to
Stronghold Price.....................................................6
Table 1–2: Primary Settlement Modifiers to
Stronghold Price.....................................................6
Table 1–3: Nearby Feature Modifiers to
Stronghold Price.....................................................7
Table 1–4: Stronghold Sizes ......................................8
Table 1–5: Construction Discounts from
Spellcasting ............................................................9
Table 1–6: Landlord Funds ......................................11
Table 2–1: Stronghold Components .......................15
Table 2–2: Height and Depth Adjustments
to Cost...................................................................33
Table 2–3: Sample Clusters .....................................33
Table 2–4: Interior and Exterior Walls .....................34
Table 2–5: Wall Materials.........................................35
Table 2–6: Freestanding Walls .................................37
Table 2–7: Wall Augmentations...............................38
Table 2–8: Doors ......................................................41
Table 2–9: Windows .................................................41
Table 2–10: Locks.....................................................42
Table 2–11: Typical Staff Members..........................42
Table 2–12: Stronghold Locomotion.......................47
Table 2–13: Stronghold Mobility .............................48
Table 2–14: Stronghold Planar Mobility..................48
Table 2–15: NPC Binding Costs ...............................51
Table 2–16: Base Cost and CR Modifiers for
Mechanical Traps .................................................62
Table 2–17: Raw Materials Cost and CR Modifiers
for Magic Device Traps ........................................64
Table 2–18: CR Modifiers by Poison Type...............65
Table 2–19: Craft (Trapmaking) DCs .......................66
Table 2–20: Siege Weapons .....................................68
Table 2–21: Special Ammunition ............................68
Table 2–22: Wondrous Architecture ........................72
Table 3–1: Elevation Bonus on Spot Checks ..........94