Another solid article - Strongholds

[Nemesis Destiny]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Strongholds)

It's a little light on crunch, as we've come to expect lately, and I think it might have been better off in Dungeon, perhaps, but as someone who owned the 2e Castle Guide, I like it.

Of course it has way less painstaking detail than that arcane tome I mentioned, but that's probably for the best. It offers a good quick guide to including PC-owned strongholds in your campaign, and has several flavourful suggestions and rooms that grant bonuses, such as a library or a magical laboratory.

 

[JoeGKushner]

that's good news. I loved that old blue book. DMR series for the win.

 

[Obergnom]

Wow, I love this articel! A stronghold system that is actually usable without too much hassle. And I would not consider it 'crunch-light'. It is more or less what a chapter in an AV would provide about a new Item type. There are plenty of rooms you can buy and upgrade. I do not see what is missing.

... and I love the Bigbys Construction Crew Ritual

 

[NexH]

While I found strange that the DCs of certain things (such as the climb DC of outer walls) were based on the level of the creature trying to overcome them, overall I found this article very good.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Wow, I love this articel! A stronghold system that is actually usable without too much hassle. And I would not consider it 'crunch-light'. It is more or less what a chapter in an AV would provide about a new Item type. There are plenty of rooms you can buy and upgrade. I do not see what is missing.

... and I love the Bigbys Construction Crew Ritual

The ritual is nice, but I would have prefered a "Lyre of Building".
That's what we used (among others) to build or stronghold in a Forgotten Realms campaign.

 

[Blue]

I really liked the article. Good for characters, covered new ground, interesting.

Though I think that the crunch bonuses are too limited. Items you can afford at first level like a Climber's Kit or a Crowbar can give you a +2 to a skill for a specific usage, so +1 to a skill and only in that room felt light for the costs. I'd personally bump up the bonuses inside the stronghold, and also have some things to buy that work outside the stronghold, say in a 100 mile radius. Build a mysterious wizard's tower or a fighting arena, pick up "Fierce Reputation" for +1 to intimidate, and for the ducal palace or a thieves' guild, "Spy Network" for +1 to streetwise.

 

[Obergnom]

I agree, the mechanics seem a little 'tame'. As a group well love spending gold for stuff like this and we would use it anyway, I guess they decided not to intoduce Strongholds into the Optimization Game... though the 'Arcana Unearthed' category should prevent that anyways.

 

[UnknownAtThisTime]

I'll have to remember to read this one when I download the and compilations for some weekend reading at end of month .

 

[Bold or Stupid]

Good article, I'll probably make the skill bonuses bigger and make them a "location" bonus to represent the fact that they contain usful texts etc. Or treat them as an item bonus even when you are away from them. So an expensive slotless option.

 

[catastrophic]

The bonus values aer a bit weak. I don't see why they could not play around with some more interesting options. For instance, you could have rooms that you could spend a healing surge in, in return for a skill bonus you could discharge at any time until your next extended rest. This could represent everything from rigorous training to hours of study in a library.