Strongholds - Base or Campaign Focus?

[GVDammerung]

How do people find strongholds work in their campaigns generally speaking? Do they serve merely as a base of operations for the characters out of which they operate and to which they return only to leave again for the next adventure? Or does the campaign change its focus somewhat once a character or party establishes the stronghold with the stronghold and its immediate surrounding area becoming more of a focus for the adventures and campaign?

 

[kigmatzomat]

Base of operations. More accurate to say "bases" of operations, since they have six regions where they either own, or have some authority over, a fortified position. This excludes the many places that the party has open access to, such as military bases.

You can direct that to some extent by where you give them their first property. IMC, it was in a nice little town with a heavy military presence in the form of the local lord's bodyguard, so it more naturally became a place to safely store stuff rather than the focus of the game. Had I given them the farm properties on the borderlands, the game would have rapidly revolved around that.

Strongholds play some role in my game but is not the focus, despite the quantity of properties own (~30 party wide).

 

[Evilhalfling]

my groups don't often use a designated stronghold.
On the occasions it has happened it is normally just a base of operations, and discussed in the same down time that spells are learned, and magic items purchased or made, ie. "I spend another 1000, on my temple" DM - well thats more than you need for your current shrine in tha back of that noblewomans house, unless you want really expensive furnishings. Its less than a full temple. It could purchase you the land for a larger building and begin on plans." " how bout 2k?" that gets you workers to begin on the foundations - "OK."
The temple in question was eventually abandonded when the party was caught killing a local priest, and had to flee justice in the city.

If the party lives somewhere long enough, and makes enough enemies, eventually someone will attack them there.

I have had one charater establish a new barony, it was mostly disccused over e-mail and run using rules from a dragon magazine- governing trading relationships, road building and other such details.

 

[TerraDave]

Long term base of operations (whatever they are) make great focuses for a campaign: nothing like hitting someone in their backyard.

But it also good for the focus to shift every so often.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

How do people find strongholds work in their campaigns generally speaking? Do they serve merely as a base of operations for the characters out of which they operate and to which they return only to leave again for the next adventure? Or does the campaign change its focus somewhat once a character or party establishes the stronghold with the stronghold and its immediate surrounding area becoming more of a focus for the adventures and campaign?

Both.

 

[czak808]

For myself and those I've played with, the general idea is that if characters establish a base they might as well just burn their gold. Granted, not all DMs destroy bases arbitrarily, but I once had a DM run a tsunami through a city to reduce the party's affluence. No plot, no background, no other reason.
I personally love the idea of bases of operation, and encourage players in my game to establish them. It opens up opportunities beyond the dungeon stomp and princess rescue. Although, it seems few players are willing to broaden their gaming to that point.

Fools are made to suffer, not to be suffered

 

[Aholibamah]

czak makes a good point: it very much depends on the DM.

I like players to feel that there is a place that is generally safe for them to hang out in, especially if they've earned it and put their hard won gold into it. While I might have the place attacked or something I would do it more as a foreshadowing or a warning--unless they really were putting a huge target on it and smearing it with honey, as it were.

 

[Claudius Gaius]

Most of the players seem to like starting with a patch of land and building things up: it's a way to have a major impact on the campaign setting and to do something for the general population. Of course, a lot of them find ways to build other than with gold. That sort of thing has become even more popular since we started using the Mystic Architecture options from Eclipse: The Codex Persona (One player even made an enchantment-architectural specialist) and the rules for Heartstones and Wards Major from The Practical Enchanter.

 

[Bagpuss]

I have had one charater establish a new barony, it was mostly disccused over e-mail and run using rules from a dragon magazine- governing trading relationships, road building and other such details.

Do you remember which issue?

 

[Evilhalfling]

it was #293, back in march 2002
I had to divide all the figures by 10 to make them a more appropriate size.

I have also used the system in the expert rule book, which is probably easier to find.