The Forbidden Lands box set was a welcome Christmas gift this past year. I skimmed it and put it up.
Then I stumbled across this video from Hexed Press, and now I want to put it into practice and work through the Stronghold building rules - anything to procrastinate from #Dungeon23 progress.
So here goes.
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First off is determining just who is constructing this Stronghold. We'll start with a trio of successful adventurers and their retainers.
Syr Alayna (Human Fighter), Brand (Human Fighter), Arianna Starchaser (Half-Elf Sorcerer) are the PCs and stars of this show.
Their retainers consist of two Human Fighters (squires to Syr Alayna), a Human Hunter, a Human Minstrel, a Human Rogue, and a Human Peddler.
Local allies include a pair of Druids, Elf and Half-Elf, and a Dwarf Fighter.
These are the principal builders and suppliers of resources and skills.
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While our heroes could repurpose a discovered/cleared/conquered stronghold and make it their own, we'll save that for later and instead build one from scratch. Because sometimes I like making my life difficult.
If you want to build your stronghold from scratch, you must first build a wooden house, a stone house, or a castle. The list on page 194 indicates how long this takes and which tools and raw materials are required.
So basically, Minecraft on paper. Something I am totally down for. Note that the rulebook states that you can draw a map of your stronghold if you'd like, but it's not required in the rules. Crazy stuff.
Having found a hill that has ready access to fresh water, a commanding view of avenues of approach, and only a week's ride from the nearest civilized location, Team Example has opted to build a Stone House, a Tower, and a Fort enclosing them.
So 30 gold + 20 gold + 250 gold, as well as 600 stone + 400 stone + 200 stone and 1000 wood. It takes one month + two weeks + two months, so about four months, to build once resources are on site.
Between them, the tools required are sledgehammer, pickaxe, saw, and hammer. Did I mention Minecraft?
All 1200 stone requires a nearby Quarry (controlled by the ally Dwarf Fighter) and costs 2 copper apiece, or 2400 copper. The 1000 wood requires a Forest or Dark Forest (the Druid allies) and costs 3 copper a piece, or 3000 copper.
So 5400 copper for resources. And time.
Resources gathered, Team Example begins construction (and to be fair, I might be misinterpreting things, and stacking the three building types is wrong, and the fort would automatically add the other two buildings, but my gut says no. That gut is filled with cheap red wine, though, so keep that in mind).
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In addition to generic buildings that serve as start points, there are specific areas with specific functions that can be added to the Stronghold. Some of which are prerequisites for other areas.
The trio sit down and plan out necessities for themselves and their followers, and decide upon a Bakery, a Fireplace, a Forge, a Garden, an Inn, a Library, a Portcullis, Ramparts, a Root Cellar, a Scriptorium, a Shooting Range, a Shrine, Stables, Training Grounds, a Vault, and a Well.
After looking at the list, the fighters add the following defenses: two Guard Towers, a Portcullis, Ramparts. A Moat is discussed, but decided against.
So in addition to the 1200 Stone and 1000 Wood, they will need 2550 Stone and 1050 Wood and 170 Iron, so 3750 Stone, 2050 Wood, and 170 Iron as a whole. Note that Iron is 1 silver each.
In the end, it looks like 7500 Copper for Stone, 3150 Copper for Wood, and 170 Silver for Iron.
Presuming my math is right - I am doing heavy mental math and mixing it with wine.
Note that these various improvements bring more than just costs. Some boost reputation, some provide defensive bonuses, some provide XP bonuses, or a variety of other things.
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While it takes nearly 4 months to build the basics, the specific extras require an additional six days, sixteen weeks, and two months. Figuring four weeks to a month, that is a bit more than six additional months.
This puts us at a year of building, more or less.
Once built, money must be spent to cover salaries (especially of guards) and upkeep of the buildings.
Salaries imply hirelings beyond the main retainers. While there may be numerous extras among the NPCs in the stronghold, a few are necessary, require salaries, and as such, are important people to keep pleased... or at least paid.
Our heroes know that they need a baker, a smith, a farmer, an innkeeper, a handyman, a pair of hunters, and several guards. This means a daily salary of 38 copper, and 1 silver for all but the guards. A half-dozen guards would be 6 silver per day, so 38 copper and 7 silver daily total.
If cash reserves run low, a Master Builder can be hired to supervise construction while the adventurers galivant across the land, seeking out new sources of income. His rate is 2 silver each day.
As the various hirelings automatically make their assorted skill checks (that is what they are paid for), it may be wise to start construction with a Master Builder instead of risking it on a die roll.
Failing to meet salary means trouble and potentially rebellion.
Or worse.
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That's it - a Stronghold according to Forbidden Lands. All told, its fairly quick, as long as resources and cash are available. The book includes a helpful worksheet for tracking all the bits, which is free to download from the Fria Ligan site.
Having yet to actually play Forbidden Lands, I have no idea how difficult it may be to acquire said resources. Looking at the treasure tables and the included adventures, coins are few and far between. Affording the resources and the daily salaries is going to require a substantial down payment or serious favors owed.
So it seems the trio of adventurers were quite successful before deciding to build. Even so, a wiser course of action might be to space the construction out over years, rather than at one time. Just like in real life. Neat.
What this exercise has done is makes me really want to play some Forbidden Lands.
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