This will be the thread where all discussions and decisions reguarding upgrades, purchases and the like concerning your base of operations will go.

I'll post in the q/a first after we've moved on to an official in game point where these new options will come into play.

(This post will make more sense to you if you happen to have the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook).

I had some thoughts about how to organize the keep after chatting to Kaelyn, and after noticing that the Keep does have up to 6000gp in starting funds (5k of which would be a loan).

According to Chris, the Keep currently is pretty much a shell, with all that we have being servant's quarters (somewhere for them to sleep), barracks (somewhere for the guards to sleep), some basic bedrooms, a basic kitchen, a basic dining hall and some stables. We also may have a basic throne room (not sure about that).

That doesn't give us much. So I think it might be worth trying to fit some remaining rooms for some other essentials. What I think we'd need immediately are:
- a 'basic courtyard' or a bailey, for the open circular area of the keep
- a basic armoury
- a basic smithy
- a basic workplace
and a basic training area (combat), for the other open area in the southern portion of the keep.

Buying those units would set us back 3500 gp, and we could use the rest to buy a basic magic laboratory (for Brianna), a basic library and 2 storage rooms (costing an extra 2500 gp).

That would extend the finances of the Keep to the limit but would provide us with a decent start to build on as more money rolls in.

Thoughts?

I agree the keep as it stands is very rudimentary and sripped down to the basic. THose additions area within the keep or the bailey of the keep are desirable.

Stables , smithy will be outside the keep in the bailey, area between walls of keep and keep itself. I need to look at the picture of the layout again. I have lost of book os ancient castles and such. Another possibility for the lord to to make the current bailey the inner bailey and build another wall around that so there is an inner and outer bailey Greater protection and more room to bring in locals in case of attack. But that is for the future.

Those suggestion sound dgood I will do some research in my boods for any other ideas and submit them here.

We have some 3 main buildings in the keep (each with 2 floors) and 2 smaller buildings, so we can easily put the smithy and the workshop in the smaller ones.

We also have space under the Keep that can be worked and fitted into a livable area (after all there are certain members of the party who are quite used to living underground )

When we have more money, building an outer wall is a good idea.

and I came up with a picture of what we could have. Ignore where the guards are placed, as we have decided it would be best to have two guards at each entrance. What do you guys think?

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i126/Grunt90/?action=view¤t=Thestronghold.jpg

The other thing we were chatting about is to delegate certain duties to those who are capable (in character) to achieve them.

I'm not sure what everyone wants to take responsibility for, but maybe we could list some proposed duties? It's a way to get everyone involved and divide up the labour.

So currently we have:

Xaris - security munchkin
Aelistae - working on building a shrine to Eilistraee and will think about how to develop the underground cavern

Major building is the Lord's job. Especially when more settlers come in, farmers and craftspeople and such. and need a place where they can come during raids and attacks.

That's true but we are working for Bart. And it's far more likely that Aelistae (who was born in the Underdark and has spent a large portion of her years in the Promenade beneath Waterdeep) has an understanding of how to work an underground cavern than Bart.

On another note, perhaps Dylan could take it on himself to drum up some settlers? (being a pretty bard etc.)

I've submitted some updated maps of the keep with interior walls in place, and individual rooms detailed (on both the ground and upper floors). Kaelyn hasn't put them up on this thread yet, but hopefully he will sense.

(The rest of this will make more sense if you have or can consult the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook and if you consult the new maps when they're up

All bedrooms, barracks, servant quarters, bathrooms, stables and storage areas have already been paid for or installed without us as a favour by the Crown, so we don't have to worry about that. That also covers most of the interior walls.

I suggest that we use up the 1000 gold reserve the keep has and the 5000k loan available immediately to kit out the keep with some essentials.

2 things we do have to pay for are the costs of working the cavern beneath the keep and of creating a wooden structure to act as servant quarters. That'll cost 2500 gp.

Which leave 3500 gp for outfitting the rest of the Keep and attracting some more soldiers to guard it. The way I'd suggest spending is on a courtyard (basically refitting the bailey), an armoury, a smithy and a basic training area for the training of troops. That'll cost 3000 gp.

Which leaves 500 gp which, according to Kaelyn, we could use to pay for 25 Tethyrian regulars to be stationed at the Keep. (level 4 warriors).

It'll give us a spartan existence and enough of a military presence to hold the keep should it be attacked. We'd have the space to furnish more rooms as and when the keep starts making money (things such as libraries, magical labs, workplaces, reception areas, studies, prison cells, etc. etc.)

Thoughts?

Once we get around to building the underground section of the keep, Stone Shape might cut down on some of the cost and eliminate the danger of collapse.

How much do we want to develop the lower levels?

The lower levels are quite cheap to develop (100 gp per stronghold space, and there are 15 stronghold spaces there).

If we don't develop it at all we won't have enough space to give each PC their own room or enough space for a smithy.

Why are we limited to 15 spaces?

Umm, only because I drew up 15.

I suppose we could add more. Anyone can give me a poke after seeing the updated maps and I'll add/remove stuff as appropriate.

You were right about Stone Shape. We can get a 5% discount on constructing the walls in each underground space (so 95 gp rather than 100).

The new maps are up so here's a quick explanation of how I planned things. (if the consensus is to change things I'm happy to do that).

In the surface part of the Keep, area 1 is the garden/bailey. Area 2 is, on the ground floor, a reception/throne area for Bart, a study and a vault. On the upper floor it's Bart's personal chamber and 2 guest rooms/rooms for PCs. Area 3 contains 4 rooms for PCs and 2 bathrooms. Area 4 contains the kitchen and pantry and then a dining room with a storage area on the upper level. Areas 5 and 6 are barracks and one stronghold space is an armoury. Area 7 is a training area. Finally area 8 is servants' quarters with the upper floor being some rooms for a slightly better off employees.

There are stairs at the south west of area 1 that lead down to the basement.

In the basement, each circular room is divided into 2 with a bathroom or storage area to the rear. My thoughts are that the western portion can be bedrooms and the eastern areas can include a library, magic lab, a smithy and a workshop. Rooms 5 and 6 can be a prison and a storage area.

We won't have the funds to furnish each room into its specific role, but we should have plenty to to create the space for that room to be furnished. Until that time it could be used as impromptu sleeping quarters or something.

Sounds good.