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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DaveW" data-source="post: 5299465" data-attributes="member: 94430">Hi guys, new to the site, relatively new to D&D too. To summarize  what this post is about; I'm a DM and my players own a dilapidated  castle, which I want to work into the plot in a way that binds the  player's characters together. I want to condense 6 months of game time  into a single session, so we can skip ahead to the good stuff (i.e. you  guys have an awesome castle and don't need to take care of daily  business).I'll try and give you all the details as concisely as  possible. As a relatively new DM I'd love input and ideas from your  collective experience, particularly about events during the 6 months. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Quick plot Summary:The  players banded together when they were falsely accused of rescuing a  half-Orc barbarian from the Hangman's noose. The King took it personally  and smacked a HUGE bounty on the players, leaving them no choice but to  band together to clear their names (solving alignment conflicts and  allowing characters to keep their backstory private). The players found  enough evidence to clear their names and claimed the bounty, but were  tricked by a shapeshifter who ran off with the cash, leaving them  penniless. The King, pleased with the players, asked them to locate his  ward, for which the PCs demanded land and titles in return. The quest  completed, they became the owners of a dilapidated castle. Visiting it  for the first time, a lycanthrope was showing them around when everyone  was captured by a monster fighting ring, who thought they'd bagged a  bunch of werewolves. Players break free, kill the werewolf, and start  heading back to the castle. En-route they accidentally burned down a  guy's bar, so he's coming with them to set up shop anew.What is known about the Castle:It's  old and in poor condition. It is the oldest building in several hundred  miles. They have been told that the castle has been built on an even  older series of passages, leading deep into the earth. No-one has ever  explored these passages, as they are filled with deadly traps.Plot Hook:Upon  returning to the castle, a messenger from the King informs them that  they have responsibilities, including gathering taxes from the  surrounding land. The players are charged with getting the area back on  its feet, and have 6 months to do so.Starting Resources:The  barman that they are travelling with has an eye for business, and  handles day-to-day things. They have their initial tax collection, and  any money that they want to put into the pot. They have a small,  untrained militia. They have access to people who can repair and build  parts of the castle. They are popular with their people, having removed a  werewolf that was bothering them. The barman will put his cut of the  taxes towards fixing a tavern and restoring the stables, so the players  don't have to do that.Rewards:Certain castle repairs will  offer permanent stat bonuses. For example, a wizard's tower could offer  +2 to Arcana, fixing the library could offer +2 to History, etc. Players  will also get tax money and gifts depending on their decisions as  leaders.Gameplay:I plan to run this by having 1-2 events per  month. The following month, I'll update the players on events and the  long-term impact of their decisions will become apparent. For example,  if they don't have enough guards, then bandits will plague the land. All  6 months will be played in a single session, so events should be small  enough to get through quickly.Event Examples:1) Thieves try  to cheat a famous horse breeder out of his prize horse with faked  documents. If the breeder's name is cleared, he'll give them fine horses  as thanks.2) The tax wagon is attacked en-route to the King. The  players must deal with the problem by setting an example, otherwise the  attacks will continue.3) A nobleman refuses to pay his taxes.4)  Word has spread about the trapped corridors beneath the castle, and  adventurers are breaking in, never to be heard from again.5) The King requests a report about the land bordering you to the east. The players must decide how to gather the information.Endgame:The  effective endgame is that the castle will become a link to more  interesting adventures. By the end of the session it should be  self-sufficient, so the players only need to check on it if they wish,  or if the plot requires it. The players are free to pursue adventure  without being held back by the castle, which would then serve as a base  of operations for the party.Thanks, looking forward to hearing  your input! Again, I'm looking for general suggestions about the concept  and ideas for what to do at each month interval.-Dave</blockquote>

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