Aldarc
Legend
One thing that I have been noticing in a fair number of TTRPGs over the past decade has been an increased attention to giving PCs a base, stronghold, or community that, in some respects, acts as a shared point of interest for the party. In many cases, these bases/strongholds/communities can be upgraded as part of play. So there are incentives for sticking around, forming attachments with the community or area, and investing character play into a region. I'm a massive fan of this style of play, and it shows up in a lot of games that I like. While strongholds and the like were part of TSR D&D play and are nothing new in the grand scheme of things, strongholds and the like were often (a) considered part of the "late game" for these older editions, but also (b) largely abandoned as a core part of play in WotC era D&D. So there does seem to be a growing revival in using bases, settlements, and strongholds as core parts of TTRPG play that offer both a means of PC party progression that also serves as a focal point of play in the fiction.
* Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures (2013): a B/X OSR game where the players and GM build and populate the village as part of character creation.
* Blades in the Dark (2017): The PCs choose a playbook for their crew based on what sort of operations they want to expand their lair, turf, or ability to conduct crime.
* Stonetop (2022): the iron-age village of Stonetop gets its own playbook. The village can be upgraded through time and the efforts of the PCs.
* Vaesen (2020): the characters are members of a once defunct supernatural investigation Society who are handed the keys to the society's headquarters.
* Numenera Destiny (2018): as part of "Numenera 2," the game was updated with rules about upgrading communities and settlements through the various numenera players can find and build.
I am sure there are plenty of more and I certainly welcome hearing about them. But what might have triggered this renewed interest in having bases, communities, and strongholds be a part of play?
* Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures (2013): a B/X OSR game where the players and GM build and populate the village as part of character creation.
* Blades in the Dark (2017): The PCs choose a playbook for their crew based on what sort of operations they want to expand their lair, turf, or ability to conduct crime.
* Stonetop (2022): the iron-age village of Stonetop gets its own playbook. The village can be upgraded through time and the efforts of the PCs.
* Vaesen (2020): the characters are members of a once defunct supernatural investigation Society who are handed the keys to the society's headquarters.
* Numenera Destiny (2018): as part of "Numenera 2," the game was updated with rules about upgrading communities and settlements through the various numenera players can find and build.
I am sure there are plenty of more and I certainly welcome hearing about them. But what might have triggered this renewed interest in having bases, communities, and strongholds be a part of play?
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