Worlds of Design: All Your Base

Where's your party’s base of operations?

Picture courtesy of Pixabay.​

“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi about Mos Eisley

A party’s base of operations says a lot about the party itself. It can be a place like the Village of Hommlet or (in Spelljammer) the Rock of Braal, a place the adventuring party goes to and lives in when not adventuring, or the aforementioned Mos Eisley cantina from Star Wars.

What Makes a Base?​

Not all places are suitable for a base of operations. It’s easy to underestimate how dangerous being an adventurer can be in the “off cycle” when they’re not adventuring – there’s a reason so many adventurers are orphans. Here’s some considerations:

• How likely is the party to be attacked while resting there? In “peace” time, non-adventuring time, characters need a place where they’re unlikely to be attacked by enemies old or new. Not that even if the place is apparently peaceful and innocuous you can have secretive bad guys, a murder cult or religious crazies or smugglers or something else.
• How safe is it when the party is away? In most campaigns there’s an often-unspoken agreement that characters can leave stuff “somewhere,” rather than carrying everything they own with them, and that this somewhere is “not subject to enemy action.” In fantasy role-playing there’s seldom an (insured) banking industry. Further, real estate is neither insured nor entirely safe from disasters.
• How safe from interference is the party? This isn’t necessarily violence, but can simply include the party being harassed by tax collectors, religious institutions, or other aspects of civilized society that make it difficult to be an adventurer. Conversely, the party might welcome some side distractions and interactions like a business on the side to make some extra money or get specialized information.
• What are the opportunities for adventure within the base itself (including something like a “side business”)? Some locations are particularly suited for adventure (e.g., the Yawning Portal). Being near where the party needs to adventure is convenient and gives them a place to retreat to quickly without the hazards of a long trek home. There may be crypts, towers owned by mysterious persons, underhanded guilds, or other features within the base itself that offer adventures.
• Is it a source of “supplies”, whether legal or not, mundane or magical? A cave may make a secure base, but it’s not a place to resupply. Having available components for casters, ammunition for archers, and the ability to requisition food and equipment are critical when the party returns to base. This often makes town bases more appealing, or at least a traveling merchant who is willing to supply somewhere more remote. This can also include information: sages, libraries, old veterans of wars, retired politicians, and so forth may have unusual information useful to adventurers.
• How can new party members be recruited? Bases can be so secure and secret that nobody can find it. This may seem like a great idea until it’s time for someone new to join the team. Bases that are too secure might be detrimental to recruitment. How do parties of adventurers get together? How do new characters join a party? There needs to be a mechanism for this.

The Base’s Character​

Bases are characters unto themselves, as Mos Eisley demonstrates. It’s worth considering the character of the base, including the base’s alignment (and that of the surrounding environs).

• Like Mos Eisley (wretched hive of scum and villainy). This kind of base rarely provides a resting place, and you might wonder why the adventurers would want to live there. Maybe there’s no other choice (aside from camping in the wild?).
• A “den of thieves,” but rarely lethal. This might attract daring adventurers, especially those who prefer the dark/chaotic side of life. It might be a good place to run a shady “side business”.
• A place neither good nor evil, where most anything can happen (resembling some towns in American westerns). Perhaps the obvious place for treasure-hunting mercenary-type adventurers. Another place for a “side business”, maybe even a legitimate one.
• A mostly peaceful and mostly orderly place. If you can find such a place.
• A stronghold of the Good. The obvious place for “soldiers of god.” Or whatever amounts to the Goodguys in the campaign.

Your Turn: What makes a good home base in your campaign?

 

[talien]

Well in my case they had warning orcs were going to attack in a week, it wasn't exactly ninjas in the bath. PC level was mostly 7-9.

It's unfortunate the players had such a poor reaction. I never considered it a Session Zero topic, but I think there's value in bringing it up ("the more powerful you become, the more enemies you make, the more likely you are to be ambushed so plan accordingly").

 

[Baron Opal II]

I suppose people who spend all day killing monsters might want to get away from it by pretend management of a castle...

There is a significant minority of players that are architects of their dream castle, wizard's tower, &c.
Day to day management, no not really. Deciding where the wizard is going to have their lab vs where the cleric's chapel is? Oh, yes.

 

[Synthil]

But, then you run into all sorts of railroading issues. The party just says, "Nope, not going to have a base because it's too much of a weakness for the DM to exploit". You can't attack our home if we never have one. On the flip side, you're absolutely right that it is perfectly reasonable that the baddies would attack the home.

I have never really been able to thread that needle.

Maybe give the PC's lair actions when fighting in their base, like the ones in Stongholds & Followers? That way they players get to use new toys when they're attacked and might actually look forward to it.

 

[payn]

I love bases in RPGs. Kingmaker was the best fantasy RPG experience for me. I loved the problems coming to the PCs instead of same ol RPG campaign again again.

 

[Hussar]

Maybe give the PC's lair actions when fighting in their base, like the ones in Stongholds & Followers? That way they players get to use new toys when they're attacked and might actually look forward to it.

I am not familiar with this. Color me intrigued. Please tell me more.

 

[Synthil]

I am not familiar with this. Color me intrigued. Please tell me more.

Basically every class gets it's own lair effects and lair actions (called stronghold actions). The Bard, for example, can use one to max out the rolls for their inspiration dice for one round. A ranger can mark enemies within a radius to make them vulnerable to attacks. The fighter can use an action to make theirs and their allies' attack hit automatically for a round. Every class get's 3 different lair actions they can choose from. Usually the powers are usable once per rest.
Every class also gets a power they can use outside of their stronghold. But they have to recharge it by taking a rest in their base before using it again. The wizard can maintain concentration on two spells for example.

The lair effects are more roleplay and fluff. Like all animals can talk common in the druid's demesne, cursing in a sorcerer's stronghold has a chance to trigger a wild magic effect and a paladin is always aware of evil or chaotic aligned creatures in the stronghold.

There are other rules to build strongholds that are independent from class. Building a temple let's you petition the gods, a mage's tower let's you modify spells and an establishment gives you an income.

Integrating the base into the gameplay by giving them shiny toys to use makes players care about it. And being strongest in their stronghold should make them want to fight their enemies there, instead of being afraid of the prospect.

 

[Lanefan]

Basically every class gets it's own lair effects and lair actions (called stronghold actions). The Bard, for example, can use one to max out the rolls for their inspiration dice for one round. A ranger can mark enemies within a radius to make them vulnerable to attacks. The fighter can use an action to make theirs and their allies' attack hit automatically for a round. Every class get's 3 different lair actions they can choose from. Usually the powers are usable once per rest.
Every class also gets a power they can use outside of their stronghold. But they have to recharge it by taking a rest in their base before using it again. The wizard can maintain concentration on two spells for example.

The lair effects are more roleplay and fluff. Like all animals can talk common in the druid's demesne, cursing in a sorcerer's stronghold has a chance to trigger a wild magic effect and a paladin is always aware of evil or chaotic aligned creatures in the stronghold.

There are other rules to build strongholds that are independent from class. Building a temple let's you petition the gods, a mage's tower let's you modify spells and an establishment gives you an income.

Interesting. I'm not sure those are the exact buffs I'd use, but the idea itself is intriguing.

The Paladin idea might be tweaked and expanded such that after having been at the stronghold for 24 hours anyone with a token* becomes aware of the location of any other lifeform in the stronghold - kind of like having a mental Marauders' Map - at will but it has to be activated (thus not "always on").

* - to prevent visitors from gaining this ability just by hanging around. The tokens could be handed out during some sort of ceremony where a new character or permanent trusted staff member gets invested into the company, or something like that.

Integrating the base into the gameplay by giving them shiny toys to use makes players care about it. And being strongest in their stronghold should make them want to fight their enemies there, instead of being afraid of the prospect.

Fine if the stronghold is in a remote location. Not so fine if it's in the middle of a large city.

 

[UmbraCarmen]

Ran a side Barrow a little distance from the Keep on the Borderlands and put an engraved/inlaid Teleportation Circle and Summoning Circle in it. Party took note of this as it was reasonably out of the way and though they couldn't fully use it then it would make for a nice bolt hole as they levelled. Ran the Wrath of the Immortals Campaign through 1st to 20th based in Glantri and party rented and eventually bought a Mansion in Glantri City. Also one of the party members was appointed to Baron of Black Eagle Barony after old one dealt with inheriting Keep and small dungeons underneath. The party had downtime as the campaign progressed which allowed for things like further Teleportation circles and permanent Galder's Tower etc. Having the downtime and setting the campaign across a period of years with increasing access to resources including hiring of spellcasters helped a lot I think.