Stronghold building - Do you do this?

[Vahktang]

“We have some land in a swamp for you, uh, I mean, next to a swamp, right across the river from the lovely Trollmoors, which are particularly fetid at this time of year…”

We decided to all pitch in and build a castle for ourselves and hopefully attract a lot of followers. .

Well, if you had suceeded to build the castle it would have just fallen into the swamps.
The next one would have burnt down.
The one after that would have burnt down then fallen into the swamps.
But the _next_ one...



More later,

Vahktang

 

[NewJeffCT]

Well, if you had suceeded to build the castle it would have just fallen into the swamps.
The next one would have burnt down.
The one after that would have burnt down then fallen into the swamps.
But the _next_ one...



More later,

Vahktang

True, but the 4th one would have been the strongest castle in all of Britain, I mean the Silver Marches, and we would have then been married to a woman with huge...tracts of land.

But, seriously, I think it was on a bit of a high ground and it was *close* to the Trollmoors and not actually in them/on them. I was just feebly trying to be humorous (which d20 noticed...) Our DM at the time was a bit of a p---k on occasion, but I don't think he'd have our castle sink into the swamp.

 

[Tonguez]

I tend to always get my players to either establish a stronghold or at least have to manage one (even if that just means they appoint a Cohort to be Majordomo). Its partly due to the fact that I only allow PCs to gain magic items from NPCs with whom they have a relationship or can otherwise convince to grant them the boon (ie no magic shops) - so having a base means that the relationship with the NPC is already established

I always tend to make the PCs members of some organisation (eg Guards employed by the Merchants guild, Agents of the Holy Church, Performers in the Grand Circus) or at least have them all coming from the same home town. This gives the PCs a base and the ability to rise in power if they so choose.

In the past I've had PCs who were sent to establish a fortress against the invading humanoids, others who were leading a group of settlers to colonise a new land (and build a settlement), a few who decided to build their own Academy of Performing Arts, and one group who lead the survivors from an attack and have established an underground village.