All the information on this article are my notes on the book [Strongholds & Followers](https://shop.mcdmproductions.com/collections/strongholds-followers-books), by [[Matt Colville]]. [^mcdm] ## Overview and Intro > keeps help you raise armies and improve your fighting ability, temples help you summon extraplanar allies to aid you in battle, towers let you research new spells, and establishments let you collect secrets and generate cash Strongholds - improve class features, but only for a specified number of times before you return to your stronghold for an extended rest - give special abilities when fighting within your demesne (local area around the stronghold) - help you attract followers, the types of which are specific to your class >A keep is a martial stronghold for characters interested in raising armies and defending the local townsfolk. Barbarian camps and pirate ships are variations on this. - larger and more fortified, more defensive > A tower is an arcane stronghold for doing spell research and learning battle magic. > A temple is a divine stronghold for summoning extraplanar allies and learning battle magic. A druid’s grove is a popular variation. - Towers and temples are less fortified > An establishment is an espionage stronghold for sabotaging your enemies and generating revenue. - No defensive purpose, usually exists within a fortress > A castle combines two or more of the above into a larger complex owned and run by multiple characters, each of whom can gain the mechanical benefits thereof. Three ways to get strongholds: - Build a new one - Renovate an old one - Receive one ![[stronghold summary.png]] > Only one character can gain the benefit of a given stronghold at a time, and each character can only benefit from one stronghold ability at a time. > If multiple characters chip in to pay for a stronghold—or one character just spends a lot of money—it is a castle and provides multiple benefits. Complex tasks take proportionally more time and money than simple ones, so a castle costs 10% more and takes 10% longer for every basic stronghold function it incorporates. > Jess, Anna, and Lars decide to pitch in together and buy a castle. It will contain a keep, a temple, and a tower. It will cost 33,800 gp and take 507 days. That’s 10,000 gp for the keep and 8,000 gp each for the tower and temple, 150 days for the keep and 120 days each for the temple and tower. Then an extra 30% on top (multiply time and cost each by 1.3) to account for the extra work necessary to incorporate many functions in one structure. > ==A castle cannot contain multiple of the same type of stronghold==. If you build a castle with two towers, for instance, only one of them grants the benefits of spell research. Also, a stronghold’s benefit only applies to one character at a time. A character can switch between which stronghold benefits they receive by taking an extended rest (page 15). You can change the costs and times, but use a narrative reason. For example, if the area has a lot of natural resources, they can be used to reduce costs. Keeps can act as defensive strongholds long before it's complete. Repairing a ruin halves costs and building times. > How badly ruined a stronghold is, is purely a judgment call by the GM, but here are some guidelines. If it has multiple levels with any intact rooms, each level saves another 500 gold in cost and 7 days off the total time. If it has any wholly intact levels, each level instead saves you 1,000 gp and 14 days. > If there are several (more than three, including a dungeon level) levels with intact rooms, then this is probably not a 1st-level stronghold. It could be a 2nd-level or 3rd-level stronghold! GMs, remember in your generosity that strongholds cap out at 5th level. Letting players repair a ruin so that they end up with a stronghold of 4th or 5th level gives them immense power and little left to strive for. > they can spend the money, and it will get built, but they don’t gain the benefit of it until they defend it in battle, as described more in Appendix: Warfare (page 233) > Establishments attract less attention, certainly, but even building a new inn or tavern sends a signal, in which case it is the town itself, not the establishment that comes under attack. Better start building some walls! > Strongholds unbalance the game. I think 5E is the best-designed edition of the game, but I also think some players overfocus on “balance” because they feel the game is something to be “solved.” They expect a level of rigor more appropriate to a wargame or a card game. I don’t have those expectations for an RPG. > A paladin with a fully upgraded stronghold has access to many more abilities than a paladin without one. This is by design. It’s fine to let your players get ahead of the power curve; you, the GM, have all the tools you need to challenge them. You have access to all the monsters, and you can make them nastier than usual. To help rebalance things, we give villains and their minions their own stronghold abilities that are less complex—and therefore easier for an already overburdened GM to use—than the stronghold abilities of the PCs (see Villain Strongholds on page 66). Local Powers > The enemy lord serves an obvious purpose. They are a powerful threat by which the players can test themselves. They are opposed to the players’ growing power for whatever reason. > The allied lord, who’s probably not as powerful as the players, but older and more experienced, helps the players understand the nature of the political world they have found themselves in. And should push come to shove, the allied lord can throw in with the players and contribute their meager army to the cause. > The neutral lord is someone with power, the power to determine who will win in the coming conflict between the players and the enemy lord, but is currently on no one’s side. It’s going to take some negotiation, roleplaying, maybe some favors to sway them. This framework of three NPCs gives you everything you need to start a moderately robust political game. These characters do not appear by magic—they are NPCs that need to be introduced and developed like any other. ## Keeps ### Getting units #### Attract units > You can attract a unit by rolling on your class’s followers chart. Some classes are naturally more martial than others—the fighter and paladin attract units more easily than the wizard and sorcerer. But even a fell-countenanced warlock like Graves, the Empty One, from my Shield of Gravesford campaign could attract a unit with a good roll. That would be a very interesting army—come to pledge service to a warlock! #### Buying units You can buy a unit as a mercenary, but they cost money to maintain. > A keep reduces the cost to buy units by 10% per level, and it also reduces the upkeep of units by 10% per level. This means a 5th-level keep reduces both the cost to buy units and their upkeep cost by 50%.Upon finishing a keep, you gain units equal in number to 2 plus the keep level. At the GM’s discretion, if you’re building a keep above 1st level, you could get your first unit when you begin construction, another unit halfway through, and the rest when it’s complete. There could be good, dramatic reasons for this, and also it gives you a unit early that you can go annoy your neighbors with. And it’s perfectly reasonable to presume the half-finished keep is complete enough to house some folks. > Newly raised units start at Size 1d4. If you get the same result twice, just increase the unit’s Size to 1d6. All units raised are of the same ancestry as the owner of the keep. ![[units from keep.jpeg]] | D100 | Unit type | | ------ | ------------------------ | | 01-12 | Green light infantry | | 13-24 | Green medium infantry | | 25-34 | Regular light infantry | | 35-44 | Regular medium infantry | | 45-46 | Seasoned medium infantry | | 47-48 | Seasoned heavy infantry | | 49-57 | Green light archers | | 58-66 | Green medium archers | | 67-72 | Regular light archers | | 73-78 | Regular medium archers | | 79-86 | Regular light cavalry | | 87-95 | Regular medium cavalry | | 96-100 | Seasoned light cavalry | #### Training armies Choose one type of training and reap the benefits. You can only choose weapons or armor training types that you are proficient in. The type of training you receive can be changed during an extended rest. > Light Armor Training: You have advantage on Dexterity checks while wearing light armor. > Medium Armor Training: You gain 5 feet of extra movement while wearing medium armor. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. In other words, you can move one more square, and you can choose any one square in your movement that you can leave without provoking. > Heavy Armor Training: You learn to present your most heavily armored face to your foes. Ranged attacks have disadvantage against you as crossbow bolts bounce and acid arrows splash harmlessly (sometimes) off your armor. > Bludgeoning Training: When you score a critical hit, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks until the start of your next turn. > Finesse Training: When an adjacent enemy damages you with a melee weapon, you may, as a reaction, make a melee attack against them with your wielded finesse weapon. > Piercing Training: You deal an extra 1d6 damage to creatures wearing heavy armor. > Reach Training: If you hit with a reach weapon, you can move the target 5 feet, but they must remain within your reach. > Shield Training: If you succeed in a weapon attack while wielding a shield, you can push your target 5 feet away from you. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. > Slashing Training: You deal an extra 1d6 damage to creatures wearing light, natural, or no armor. > Versatile Training: While wielding a versatile weapon in two hands, you gain +1 AC. ### Barbarian Camp > what counts as a “barbarian” has nothing to do with what’s on your character sheet. You can easily be a fighter or ranger who looks and behaves in a classical barbarian mode. ![[units for keep - barbarian camp.jpeg]] Specific to barbarian camps: - Barbarian camps cost half as much gold. - They raise units like a keep, but using the barbarian units chart - They don't give discounts to upkeep of bought units - The can move a number of provinces per season inversely proportional to its size: 1st level camp can move 5 provinces, and a 5th level one can move one. > If a barbarian camp spends one season in a civilized province, the owner of that province must make an Unrest check against DC 13. If the Development Level of the Province is greater than the level of the barbarian camp, the roll has advantage. If it is less, then the roll has disadvantage. If the province fails its Unrest check, it loses one Development Level. If this reduces it to 0, it reverts to Wilderness and no longer produces resources for its owner. Of course, spending a season there means withstanding the owner’s own armies. We’re basically talking about an invasion. ### Pirate ship - Is a galleon. - Attracts units like a keep, but only up to size 1d6. Roll again if you get a size larger than 1d6 on the Keep Units chart. - Can hold a number of units up to its level, but of any type. - Gets faster as it gets larger: Can move 120 miles a day, plus 24 miles per level - If the ship enters and wins a battle against a port settlement, the development level is decreased by 1. - Earns 100 gp per week in a port settlement. ## Towers Towers let you research an existing spell, or making it do something slightly different for flavor. However, they do come with more risk, as researching a spell can cause unforeseen complications. They don't let you cast spells you didn't already know how to cast, and if you research a cantrip, it will be a 1st level spell. ### Research #### Choose the spell You can only research a spell if: - your class can cast it - you are too low level to cast it-- but you can only cast it when you meet the level requirement - it exists! Creating an entirely new spell is not within the scope of these rules. - you haven't already researched and modified it before. #### Spend the time 1 month + 1 week per level of the spell - 1 week per level of the tower This assumes 8 hours every day, 6 days a week. Arcanists can take breaks a few times a day to do minor things, but most of the time must be spent in research. If their time is interrupted, they need to start again. #### Get an unintended spell effect Player rolls a d8 for an unintended effect, depending on the target of the spell: ![[spell effects 1.png]] ![[spell effects 2.png]] If it does damage: > (Acid) Melting: Objects carried by the target are hit and take damage equal to the spell’s damage. > (Bludgeoning) Sundering: For the spell’s duration, armor worn by the targets degrades by 2. Sundering effects do not stack. > (Cold) Chilling: Affected targets are grappled until the end of their next turn. > (Fire) Incinerating: Affected targets continue to burn, taking an extra 1d6 damage at the start of each round until they spend an action extinguishing the flames. > (Force) Detonating: Affected targets are knocked prone. On their next turn, they must make a Wisdom saving throw to stand up. On their following turn, they may stand up normally without making a save. > (Lightning) Shocking: Affected targets have disadvantage on all saving throws until the end of your next turn. > (Necrotic) Unholy:2 1d4 ghouls rise from the ground, each appears anywhere you choose within 30 feet. They obey your commands for a number of rounds equal to your spellcasting ability modifier, then crumble to dust. > (Piercing) Puncturing: For 10 minutes, weapon attacks against affected targets score critical hits on attack rolls of 15 or higher. > (Poison) Nauseating: Affected targets forego their next turn, spending it vomiting. > (Psychic) Hallucinating: On their next turn, the targets perceive allies as enemies and enemies as allies, and act accordingly. > (Radiant) Dazzling: Each target is blind until the end of its next turn. > (Slashing) Wounding: Each target takes 1d10 damage at the end of its next turn. > (Thunder) Concussive: The targets are pushed 20 feet back. - Spell effects are invalid (roll again) if they duplicate an effect in the original spell (you can't double enlarge an _enlarge_ spell) - You can also just choose to use the last spell modifier if you like what you got. - If the target saves against the spell, the modifier does not apply. - If the spell is a ritual, then the modifier does apply. But it doesn't change the duration of the ritual. - You can only cast the spell a number of times equal to your spellcasting ability modifier per extended rest. #### Choose a name You get to name your spell after yourself! Ex: _Reginam's omniscient eye_, a modification of the _arcane eye_ spell. It is one level above the level of the original spell. ## Temples I'm skipping this because nobody seems interested in this right now. ## Establishments Establishments make money and gather intelligence. Revenue: 1,000 gp per level each season (or every three months). ### Rumors or intel #### Decide what you want to learn - the name of one kind of creature you'll be fighting (goblins, bandits, dragons) - roughly how many creatures you'll be fighting (few, dozen, hundreds) And during the adventure, those creatures that you gathered information about will be vulnerable to damage from your first X attacks, where X is the establishment level. In addition, the GM can reveal: - the location of a secret door or hidden entrance/exit - the location and nature of a trap - a description of a riddle or puzzle - the location and description of one powerful magical item Other intel: - What enemies, allies, and neutral parties to you are up to (what exactly you learn is up to the DM) - What organizations exist, or what certain organizations are doing What you can't learn - Things, people, and organizations outside your range: 24x - up to 24 miles for a 1st level - up to 48 miles for a 2nd level, etc. #### Make the check and spend the gold Make a Gather Intel check: 1d20 + proficiency bonus + gold bonus: - Pay 100 gp for every +1 bonus. You can't pay to get a gold bonus higher than your establishment level, and you can't pay 0. Number of Gather Intel checks per season = x BUT you can't make multiple checks against the same organization or dungeon per season. DC is set by the DM according to: - how big the organization is (bigger is easier) - how public the organization is (more public is easier) - how protective the organization is (less protective is easier) > Remember that the benefits of a stronghold are a reward for spending money and time. So the results of a successful Gather Intel check should be useful, “actionable,” meaning they should give information that helps the players make a plan, or develop a strat- egy, or advance the plot. > Avoid confirming suspicions. In other words, if a player says, “I think the Order of Five Stars is secretly in league with the baron,” and they roll well, do not merely say, “Yes that’s true.” That is deeply unsatisfy- ing, since the player already suspected that. > Instead, give them something to act on. “Yes, it seems like they are in league. Your people overheard a conversation that only makes sense if the wizard Luris is selling information to the baron.” To make things easier, players can't drill down into the specifics of where the information came from-- they can't chase up the informant or find out more information. If they ask, the DM can just tell them that someone who worked for them in the establishment heard it some time ago, but can't remember from whom. ## Favors You can spend 1,000 gp once per season to help an ally out and get a favor in return: - Keep: Gain 500x points to spend on units for one battle. Units cost nothing and require no upkeep, but disband after the battle. The units can only come from ancestries you and your ally have an access to. - Tower: Choose a modified spell that was researched by an NPC ally or other party member and you can cast it x times (where x is YOUR establishment level) before you forget it. - Temple: Petition their deity and use their concordance once. If you summon a servitor, it stays for x rounds The 1,000 gp goes to the ally. Players can negotiate the costs. ## Strongholds by class - The class of the stronghold's owner affects the benefits that the owner gets. - The demesne of a stronghold = 24x miles where x is the level of the stronghold. - When the stronghold or de - mesne effects prompt a saving throw, the DC is the owner's spellcasting DC. - Multiclass characters can choose the effects of one of their classes, and they can change the effect after an extended rest. - Every class has a different follower chart to roll on. Multiclass characters can roll on the chart of any of the classes they've chosen. When players roll for followers is up to the DM, but here are some suggested times: - When a player begins construction on the stronghold - When the construction of the stronghold finishes - When the player levels up - When the stronghold levels up Rule of thumb: once per chapter in a major adventure ### Barbarian's Camp #### Demesne effects ==- One ally per level of the stronghold may recover from a terminal illness during a one-month stay at the barbarian stronghold. This does not apply to the stronghold owner.== - Ale is particularly refreshing and doesn't cause hangovers the next day regardless of how much of it has been consumed - Wildlife in the demesne is particularly large and fierce, and it migrates as the camp moves. - Poisons brought into the demesne are neutralized within an hour. #### Stronghold actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - You can cause all enemies within 60 feet to become frightened until initiative count 20 on the next round. - When you rage, all your allies get the benefits of your rage. - You can cast chain lightning with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your CON modifier. This can be cast while you're raging, and it does not break rage. #### Class Feature Improvement: Chieftain's Rage > Whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, you can choose to make an additional weapon attack or move up to your speed. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability. #### Barbarian Followers ![[followers-barbarian.png]] - martial - savage - have light equipment - at home with nature - savage - chaotic - the ambassadors are from nearby humanoid tribes that don't automatically stereotype barbarians. ### Bard's Theater #### Demesne Effects ==- One ally per stronghold level may train here for a month to gain advantage on all Charisma-based checks regarding one goal. This does not apply to the stronghold's owner.== - Music plays everywhere, and even horse hooves beat in rhythm. - Staying in the demesne for a week causes inhabitants to end conversations with rhymes. - Thunder is queued to roll whenever someone says something dramatic. Ravens alight from nearby branches ominously on command. #### Stronghold Actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - Until initiative 20 on the next round, all inspiration dice produce maximum result. - A three-piece band arrives singing praise. Until initiative 20 next round, enemies make saving throws against your magic by rolling 3 d20s and using the worst of the three. - You regain all inspiration dice. #### Class Feature Improvement: Encouraging Inspiration > While an ally has an unspent bardic inspiration, their proficiency bonus increases by 1. This only applies x times (your stronghold level), and then you have to do an extended rest to recover it. I modified this to: > As a bonus action, you can roll an unspent bardic inspiration die to give all creatures you choose within 60 feet of you a bonus to all attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws equal to the result. #### Bard Followers ![[followers-bard.png]] ### Cleric's Church #### Demesne Effects - Residents are immune to disease - The owner can hear the prayers of residents in concordance with the owner's deity. - Weather is fair while the owner is healthy, and foul when the owner is sick or wounded. This occurs as long as the owner is on the same plane as the demesne. #### Stronghold Actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - All enemies within 30 feet must succeed on a CON saving throw or suffer the effects of the spell _contagion_. - Shafts of golden light cause all undead, demons, and devils within 60 feet of the owner (even those that are invisible) to do a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they are annihilated. - Owner and all allies recover all hit dice and gain 30 temporary hit points. #### Class Feature Improvement: Manifest Divinity > When you use your Channel Divinity class feature, all allies within 30 feet regain 3d8 hit points. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability. #### Cleric Followers ![[followers-cleric.png]] ### Druid's Grove ### Fighter's Fortress #### Demesne Effects ==- One ally per level of the stronghold may train here to analyze the habits and fighting style of one person they have been able to watch for one week and get an understanding of their weaknesses. This does not apply to the owner of the stronghold.== - Fortifications in the stronghold grant defending units +2 Morale. - Menhirs appear in the demesne and follow anyone hostile to residents, putting themselves between residents and intruders. - Archers trained in the demesne have arrows that go farther and strike more accurately. - Edged weapons are keener and do not dull. #### Stronghold actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - Until initiative 20 next round, any enemy who tries to cast a spell experiences searing pain. If they decide to cast anyway, they must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a fail, they take 1d6 force damage per level of the spell, the spell has no effect, and it is wasted. - Until the end of your next turn, you and allies' weapon attacks hit automatically. (But roll anyway in case you get a crit.) - You and all allies are restored to full HP. #### Class Feature Improvement: Fighting Surge > Whenever you attack by using your Action Surge, you automatically score a critical hit on successful attack rolls. You can do this for a number of surges equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability. #### Fighter Followers ![[followers-fighter.png]] ### Monk's Monastery ### Paladin's Chapel ### Ranger's Lodge ### Rogue's Tavern #### Demesne Effects - One ally per level of the stronghold can hide in the stronghold without being found by mundane or magical means. It doesn't work for the owner of the stronghold. - Trespassers have the overwhelming urge they're being spied on. - When a hostile creature takes a long rest in the rogue's demesne and is aware of the rogue's existence, roll a d20. On a 10 or less, they trigger a hidden trap and trigger 3d8 piercing damage. #### Stronghold Actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - All enemies within 60 feet are marked, and for the next minute, you can remove a mark and do extra 6d6 slashing damage. - Enemies within 60 feet are revealed, losing stealth and invisibility. - You gain a Coin of Fate, which you can throw every time you're hit in combat. On heads, the attack misses; on tails, the attack hits and you lose the coin. #### Class Feature Improvements: Vanishing Strike > After you hit with a Sneak Attack, you may become invisible. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on your person. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability. #### Rogue Followers ![[followers-rogue.png]] ### Sorcerer's Sanctum ### Warlock's Fane ### Wizard's Library #### Demesne Effects - The library contains every nonmagical book anyone brings into the demesne. - The wizard can scry on any person or location in the demesne, even if the wizard is on a different plane. (10 mins, concentration) - Once per day, the wizard can cast _control weather_ to change the weather. #### Stronghold Actions On initiative 20. Owner can't use the same effect until after a short or long rest. - Cast a prepared spell without using up a spell slot. - Cast _flesh to stone_ on all enemies within 60 feet without using up a spell slot. - Recover all spent spell slots like you've just finished a long rest. #### Class Feature Improvement: Spellmaster > You can maintain two spells with concentration at once. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability. #### Wizard Followers ![[followers-wizard.png]] ## Followers ### When do you get a follower? (as suggested by the book) - When you begin construction on a stronghold - When you finish construction on a stronghold - When you level up - When you upgrade your stronghold ### Units - military purposes only: for defending or for attacking _en masse_ - always the same ancestry as their leader - "raised" (acquired naturally) as a result of owning a keep, but keeps also allow players to buy units. ### Retainers - Adventurers that can join you on your travels, helping you according to their skills. - They have limited skills and attacks, and a simplified health system - They are not as powerful as you #### Health - 1 health level per character level - They make a Constitution saving throw with DC of the average damage of the attack. On a fail, they lose one health level. On a success, they take no damage. - Healing them gives them back 1 health level per die of healing used - Short rest lets them regain 1 health level - Long rest lets them regain full health #### Initiative Retainers act on their leader's initiative #### AC - Light: AC 13 - Medium: AC 15 - Heavy: AC 18 #### Abilities and skills - Primary ability: +4 - Other abilities: +0 - Primary skills: +5 #### Saving throws +3, but +6 for special saving throws - On success: lose health levels equal to half the spell level - On failure: lose health levels equal to spell level #### Actions - 1 Signature attack OR special action per round - They get 2 at 7th level. If you hit, they hit. If you miss, they miss. +6 to hit with attacks. #### Spell DC - 3rd level: DC 13 - 5th level: DC 14 - 7th level: DC 15 #### Leveling up Retainers level up once every two PC levels, with a max of 7th level. #### Magical items They wear everything you would expect them to wear, and can be given magical items that would also increase their stats. ### Artisans - skilled craftspeople who grant the leader something or improve the stronghold in some way #### Shop Artisans come with a free shop, but the shop can be upgraded by the leader: ![[artisan shop improvement.png]] It takes gold and 1 month to upgrade a shop. #### Alchemy "Alchemy" in this book is really the process of turning dead monster parts into some sort of magical item. #### Harvest organs _Within minutes_ of a monster dying, make two checks: 1. Intelligence (Arcana) - to see if you know where the organs are and how to harvest them effectively; DC 8 + CR of the monster 2. Wisdom (Medicine) - to perform surgery and extract it successfully; DC depends on the organ and CR of the creature: ![[alchemy dcs.png]] | Organ | Magic Item | Crafted by | Medicine DC | | ------ | ---------------------------------- | ---------- | ----------- | | Eyes | Potion of invisibility to monsters | Alchemist | 15 | | Blood | Arrows of monster slaying | Blacksmith | 10 + CR | | Blood | Sword of monster slaying | Blacksmith | 10 + CR | | Brains | Potion of monster control | Alchemist | 12 + CR | | Heart | Scroll of protection from monsters | Scribe | 12 | #### Alchemist ##### Shop: Laboratory - Allows alchemist to craft potions 10% cheaper and faster than normal per level of the laboratory ##### Items created - Eyes: Potion of invisibility to monsters (uncommon) - grants invisibility to exactly the kind of monster the organs were harvested from - Brain: Potion of monster control (very rare) #### Blacksmith ##### Shop: Smithy - Craft magic weapons and armor 10% cheaper and faster than normal per level of the smithy ##### Items created - Blood: Arrows of slaying | Monster CR | # Arrows | | ---------- | -------- | | 1-5 | 1d6 | | 6-9 | 1d4 | | 10-14 | 2 | | 15+ | 1 | - Blood: Slaying weapon - A weapon with _slashing_ damage that is smeared with the blood of a monster produces a _slaying_ blade with an extra bonus to damage against that type of monster - Crafting this requires the services of a 3rd level spellcaster #### Captain - Can also serve as a lieutenant - Experienced with fighting and great at commanding ##### Shop: Barracks - The first thing a captain does is supervise the building of barracks - Barracks temporarily upgrades experience level of some number of units by 1: green units become regular, regular become seasoned. - Can upgrade a number of units equal to its level. - Units affected are chosen at the start of the battle and cannot be changed until the next battle. #### Carpenter ##### Shop: Carpenter's Shop - Lower the cost to build and upkeep siege engines by 10% - Let you upgrade your stronghold 10% faster per level of the shop #### Farmer - Everything begins as a farmer's market to sell off their excess produce ##### Shop: Market - Produces 100 gp per three months - Could become a tavern after a while #### Mason ##### Shop: Quarry - You pay nothing to repair your stronghold after a siege - Mason makes free repairs worth 250 gp per quarry level per week - Time required to improve your stronghold is reduced by 10% per quarry level #### Miner Can survey terrain and tell you: - what kind of rock you're on - what kind of ore can be found underneath - how long it would take to extract - how much it would cost to extract ##### Shop: Mine - Produces 500 gp per season - Improves equipment of a number of units equal to the mine level: - light unit becomes medium - medium becomes heavy #### Sage ##### Shop: Library If you tell your sage the type of monster you're going to be up against: - You have advantage on next X attack roll against the creature where X is the level of the library - You negate one resistance on your next attack roll against such a creature - The creature has disadvantage on its next saving throw against your spells or abilities - Your sage knows the location of the next _codex_. #### Scribe - act as aides for diplomatic communication - conversant in many languages and can translate at least between Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, sometimes Draconic ##### Shop: Tannery - Scribe cures animal hide into parchment - Can craft a magic scroll at 10% reduced time and cost per level of the tannery ##### Items created - Heart: Scrolls of protection against monster (uncommon) #### Spy ##### Shop: Network - Increases the DC of agents spying on you by 3 plus 1 per level of the network #### Tailor #### Shop: Tailor's Shop - As a reaction, you can replace the result of any Charisma check with a 12 (before adding bonuses)-- a number of times equal to level of tailor's shop, refreshed on extended rest ### Ambassador - Liaison to nearby creatures and cultures - Allow you to purchase units from their ancestry as though they were friendly - Allow you to attract followers of their ancestry - Representative of another government ### Allies - Special allies chart - Allies don't work _for_ players, but they work _with_ players. [^mcdm]: Colville, M. (2018). _Strongholds & followers_. MCDM Productions.