Strongholds

It's important (and fun) for powerful characters to have a place all their own. A headquarters, a base, a castle, a magic tower, a keep... It would be even better if your headquarter did something to benefit you in plot-driven ways. See more in Warfare.

What if your base gave you some useful ability, preferably in combat? What if it gave you a reason to hoard money? Delving deep into dark dungeons promises three rewards: experience, magic items, and money. Experience and magic items is a self-evident good, as it makes your character level up and gain power. Money, though? What are we supposed to do with it, besides give ourselves more magic items or work on our skills?

Strongholds and their upgrades give you a good reason to save your money. In this rules page, we will explore some mechanics for adding strongholds to the game.

## Fiefdom Status

### Autrec

Autrec has the Belette Chataeu, a castle with a **Tier 2 keep** and a **Tier 1 temple**. It is rich in wood and soil, but this makes it poor in stone and mineral rights. Its location in Illyria, between several major cities and towns, makes it easy to find laborers and artisans. It is difficult to muster troops in Illyria as a whole.

### Avaron Falls

Avaron Falls has the Labaz, a castle with a **Tier 2 keep** and a **Tier 1 tower**. It has poor soil and is not densely wooded, but stone and valuable minerals are in abundance. It is difficult to acquire talented artisans in the vicinity, though laborers are easy to find. Attracting soldiers in Madelia is quite an easy task.

### Cartabeau's Mill

Cartabeau's Mill has Burke, a castle with a **Tier 1 keep** and a **Tier 2 establishment**. Its soil is fertile, and wood and stone is by no means difficult to come by. Its location in Illyria makes it not a difficult task to find skilled artisans nor laborers. However, as with anywhere in Illyria, troops are difficult to muster.

### Lampstead

Lampstead has Lazoma Gate, a castle with a **Tier 1 keep**, a **Tier 1 temple**, and a **Tier 1 druid's grove**. Its cavalcade of fertile soil, nearby hills and mountains, and dense forests make expansion and building incredibly easy. Its vicinity to two major cities also makes finding artisans and laborers trivial. However, troops can be nearly impossible to muster in this region.

### Tourney

Tourney has Wespendford, a castle with a **Tier 1 keep** and a **Tier 2 temple**. Though it has poor soil, wood and stone are abundant in the region. It is moderately difficult to find skilled laborers and artisans for most tasks, though mustering an army is fairly easy in the lowlands.

## Types of Strongholds

There are four types of basic strongholds, one complex stronghold, and many varieties of each. Any character can build or use any stronghold, although why a non-spellcasting character might build a tower is an exercise left to the reader; attracting allied magicians or threatening your neighbors are just two such ideas.

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.

A **tower** is an arcane stronghold for doing spell research, exploring the Otherworld, and crafting magic items.

A **temple** is a divine stronghold for petitioning your god, honoring your people's history, delivering services to the local people, and currying favor with the Pontifect. A druid’s grove is a popular variation.

An **establishment** is an espionage stronghold for sabotaging your enemies and generating revenue.

A **castle** combines two or more of the above into a larger complex owned and run by a player character and their *followers* (see the Followers rules).

In addition, each class receives a special structure in which they receive mechanical benefits if constructed within their stronghold.

## Acquiring a Stronghold

There are three basic ways for a player character to acquire a stronghold: they are (in order of most expensive to least expensive) build a new one, renovate an old one, or receive one from a local noble.

### Building a Stronghold, Cost and Time

The cost (in gold) and time to build (in days) for the four strongholds are listed under the next subheading. These are only in part determined by historical costs, though fortresses of any kind necessitate that player characters not need to inherit large amounts of family money to construct anything of note, and the several millennia of humans building fortifications give us a lot of leeway to assign costs. What is less historical is the time it takes to build or renovate a stronghold. If it takes 10 years to build your stronghold, no player character would ever do it. Keeps and towers, temples and establishments each have wildly different purposes with different costs and different times to build.

**Keeps** are larger and more fortified for defensive purposes and therefore take longer to build: 150 days. **Temples** and **towers** are less fortified but still usually made of stone and take 120 days to complete. An **establishment** serves no defensive purpose, typically existing within a town or city with its own fortifications. But your establishment is still well-constructed with basements, multiple floors, and probably secret passages for you and your allies to escape out of…or into! They take 90 days to complete.

In addition to this, you have five tiers of strongholds, which require time and money to upgrade from one to the next. It is suggested that you follow the general guideline of your character level corresponding to different tiers: levels 1-4 are Tier 1, levels 5-8 are Tier 2, levels 9-12 are TIer 3, levels 13-16 are Tier 4, and levels 17-20 are Tier 5.

#### Strongholds as Fortifications

Keeps, towers, and temples also count as fortifications for the purposes of Warfare rules (see the Appendix: Warfare). They grant Morale bonuses to the soldiers defending them in battle. They also have a Size representing the die used to track damage done to them, and a Toughness rating representing how hard they are to damage. Because they don’t attack, they have no Attack, Defense, or Power scores.

### Stronghold Costruction

 Tower
 Temple
 Establishment

### Cost to Upgrade (Plat.)

 Tower
 Temple
 Establishment

### Time to Upgrade (Days)

 Tower
 Temple
 Establishment

### Castles: Complex Strongholds

A stronghold belongs to whoever pays for it, and they are its master. If a lord builds a tower, he gets to decide who gains its benefits. He may allow a sorcerer to do spell research there in exchange for an alliance. 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.

> If the Count Alexius, his magus Bandorin, and his priest Cassius decide to pitch in together and buy a castle. It will contain a keep, a tower, and a temple. It will cost 3,380 platinum pieces and take 507 days. That’s 1,000 for the keep and 800 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 a tower can provide. 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* (expanded upon in Extended Rests). The purpose of the design is, on the one hand, to somewhat model the real world where building a movie theater and automotive plant in the same building would (one assumes) take longer than the time to build each separately. For one thing, the different kinds of strongholds have different requirements and therefore it takes more and different kinds of workers to complete them and the more workers you have the harder it is to coordinate them all. But also, one goal of these rules is to give players things to do in their downtime, and this is a period for individual goals and initiative.

Don't presume that just because you as a player think it would be a good idea for “all of us” to build a stronghold together, that everyone else at the table agrees. One or two players may agree, one or two players won’t care, but one or two players actually have their own ideas about what should be done with what they perceive as “their share" of the treasure.” Make sure you’ve polled the electorate and listen to what they say. Folks who disagree often keep their mouths shut just to avoid conflict, and this is a great recipe for breeding unhappy players.

### Worldbuilding Reasons for Costs and Time

Strongholds take more or less time to construct based on the availability of local workers, recent events, character prestige, or if the local area is resource poor. It takes wood and stone to make a stronghold, and not just any wood or stone. You can’t make a proper truss or scaffold with beech wood, nor block or tackle. Stone with lime running through it, a water table that is only a few feet down, or the need to import granite may demand costs be more exorbitant than the rules imply. The reverse is also true.

Circumstances both natural and political may conspire to make your campaign’s costs different from these. Indeed, your surrounding region could be rich in artisans and laborers, while others may have a surplus of iron.

#### Ruins and Repairs

Repairing a ruin saves you half the time and cost of the final stronghold. So repairing a ruined Tier 1 keep would only cost 5,000 gold and take 75 days. Some ruins can be Tier 2 or greater, so keep an eye out for significant ruins. In addition be mindful and pay your upkeep for your stronghold. If you are behind on upkeep for two seasons, your stronghold officially becomes a ruin, and must be repaired or it will provide no benefits.

## Extended Rest

Strongholds grant special abilities, which quickly run out of uses and must be recharged by taking an *extended rest*. An extended rest requires spending a full month of downtime at your stronghold, touching base with your subjects and followers, and attending to your affairs. You gain the benefits of an extended rest by spending downtime at your stronghold or up to six miles from your stronghold.

This rule exists for a couple of reasons. First, it reinforces verisimilitude. It’s unreasonable to expect a stronghold to grant its benefits indefinitely. A fighter who hasn’t visited their keep in years is indistinguishable from a fighter without a stronghold. Second, they give players a good reason to return home and that grants me the opportunity to advance the politics of the campaign. It’s possible, via *sending* or other tools, even mundane messengers on horseback, to advance world politics without visiting your stronghold and, indeed, some of this will be allowed. Yet major events and revelations are better handled in person and, should war break out, a lord cannot command their troops from the bottom of a dungeon.

### Power and Concepts of Balance

Strongholds make player characters extremely powerful if handled strategically. A paladin with a fully upgraded stronghold has access to many more abilities than a paladin without one. This is unbalanced by design. Villains too, and their minions, have their own stronghold abilities

#### Strongholds and Politics

Strongholds also represent a political framework. Because a stronghold is also a symbol of power, it threatens other local lords. Even if players have no martial ambitions, if they attract a few units of light cavalry, suddenly they will start wondering, “Hey what can I do with these?” In addition, a living world will respond to player character actions. Be mindful of what you do with your stronghold!

### Local Powers

There are dozens of major and minor lords and political players—all the different barons and mystics and bishops and guild-masters—but for the most part, you will only need to deal with five types of local powers.

The **enemy lord** serves an obvious purpose. They are a powerful political and military threat by which you can test yourself. They are opposed to your growing power, and usually necessitate finding allies nearby. They are usually bent on conquering you through force.

The **allied lord**, who’s probably not as powerful as you, but older and more experienced, can help you understand the nature of the political world you find yourself in. And should push come to shove, the allied lord can throw in with the players and contribute their army to the cause.

The **rival lord**, who is not an outright military threat, but would love to see your downfall. This is not an extent or openly hostile entity. They are political opponents who you will need to navigate with, and negotiate with, in order to succeed.

The **neutral lord** is someone with power, the power to determine who will win in the coming conflict between you and the enemy lord, but is currently managing their own affairs. It’s going to take some negotiation, roleplaying, and maybe some favors to sway them.

The **superior lord** is who you owe fealty and allegiance to, and by extension, will need to supply with troops, supplies, taxes, and other goods. This is a critical relationship, because their favor will offer opportunities for you grow in power and influence. However, their own responsibilities mean they often don't want to intervene in your affairs, and will make demands of you that you need to assess and negotiate with, lest they drive you into insolvency.

## Keep

The keep sits on a hill, either literally or metaphorically. It may be tall or squat, but it projects power. It protects. It is a symbol. It says “I am here, and this place is mine. These people, this land, is under my protection.”

It doesn't have to be on a hill, however - your keep can be in a valley if you like, or you can hide it in a forest. But notice that the above language makes no moral evaluation. A good ruler, an evil one, might each say the same thing but for different reasons.

### A Keep is Common Knowledge

Let’s imagine you want to build a hidden keep—without using powerful magics. This is ahistorical for a good reason. Imagine how hard it is to build anything of this size and scale without everyone in the local area knowing. It takes hundreds of workers months to build a keep, even if you’re only repairing an existing fortification. Those workers have homes and families, and while they may eventually move onto your land—perhaps because you are a good ruler, or just because it’s convenient to live near where they’re spending months working—those people are going to talk about what they’re building. If, after that, you have a desire to build a hidden keep, how do you plan on keeping it secret?

In general, building any kind of stronghold makes a statement. But a keep is a military fortification. It’s not used for researching the mysteries of the universe, or communing with the powers of creation, or raising money and learning secrets, it’s about raising an army, and giving your army somewhere to live. It is also about protecting your people and enforcing your will abroad. Historically, keeps were built as a defense against armies, in a safe and easily defensible location. But in all instances the keep is related to war in a way the other strongholds are not. So, you build a keep because you want to raise an army and give them a place to stay and train.

### Mustering Units

You can attract a unit by rolling on your class’s followers chart (See "Mustering by Class" on the Followers page). 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 could attract a unit with a good roll. That would be a very interesting army, formed around a personality cult of a reclusive warlock!

Furthermore, you can spend gold to just buy a unit. These are called mercenary bands. But units not only cost money to buy, they also cost money to maintain, called *upkeep*. As you might imagine, mercenaries cost more to upkeep. A keep reduces the cost to buy units by 10% per Tier, and it also reduces the upkeep of units by 10% per Tier. This means a Tier 5 keep reduces both the cost to buy units and their upkeep cost by 50%.

Upon the completion of a keep's construction or upgrade, you can muster a number of units equal to 2 + the Tier of the keep. When you’re building a keep above 1st level, you receive your first unit when you begin construction, another unit halfway through, and the rest when it’s complete. A half-finished keep is still complete enough to house some folks.

Depending on your region, you roll advantage or disadvantage when mustering units upon completing an upgrade to your keep. Use the table below to roll for what units you can muster. Newly raised units start at Size 1d4. If you get the same result twice, increase the unit’s Size to 1d6. If you are hiring mercenaries, then you can simply choose from the table. All units mustered in this way are of the most common ancestry in the region (usually humans).

Once you've rolled and acquired units, go to "Creating Your Own Units" to build your military bands.

### Drilling

A keep means an army, and an army requires drilling! As you drill your soldiers, you practice with your own gear, gaining bonuses based on the weapons or armor that you use. Choose one of the following drilling benefits as your Drilling Benefits. You cannot gain the benefit of drilling from armor, shields, or weapons you are not proficient in. You can change which Drilling Benefit you receive during an extended rest.

*Light Armor Drilling.* You have advantage on Dexterity checks while wearing light armor.

*Medium Armor Drilling*. You can add your full Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class rather than the +2 cap normal to Medium Armor.

*Heavy Armor Drilling.* Ranged attacks have disadvantage against you, as arrows and crossbow bolts strike harmlessly off of your armor.

*Bludgeoning Drilling.* 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.

*Piercing Drilling.* You roll advantage on attacks against creatures wearing heavy armor, and such creatures will always incur a Lingering Injury when you deal a critical hit.

*Slashing Drilling.* You roll advantage on attacks against creatures wearing light, natural, or no armor.

*Finesse Drilling.* 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.

*Reach Drilling.* If you attack a creature with a reach weapon, that creature rolls disadvantage on melee attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn.

*Shield Drilling.* While you are wearing a shield, you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action.

*Versatile Drilling.* While wielding a versatile weapon in two hands, your weapon attacks have Reach.

### Variant Keeps

#### Nomad Camps

A mobile stronghold, such as a traveling army or steppe horde, has a few differences from constructing a stationary fortification.

* A nomad camp still costs gold to construct, but half as much. Temporary wells must be dug, skins for tents must be constantly made and repaired. Weapons and armor still need repairs. Large tents require many wooden stakes. And foraging includes buying food from locals as well as stealing it if need be. When you’re on the move, you basically have to do everything all the time to keep everyone fed and housed.
* Costs of upkeep will always be Tier 1, though otherwise they will be the same.
* It can muster units just like a keep, but using the Mobile Keep Units chart below.
* A mobile stronghold can move a number of provinces (analogous to a Subregion) per season *inversely proportional* to its size. A Tier 1 nomad camp can move 5 provinces per season. A Tier 5 camp, only one. As long as all their units have light equipment, they do not suffer movement penalties for moving in Wilderness. But they do suffer normal movement penalties based on terrain.
* If a nomad camp spends one season in a civilized province, the owner of that province must make an Unrest check, which is 10 + the Tier of your nomad camp. If the Development Level of the Province is greater than the level of the nomad 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.

#### Nomad Camp Units

 4-6
 7-8
 9-10
 11
 12

### Galleons

Another variation of the mobile keep is the galleon. The galleon is a mobile stronghold like the nomad camp. But while the nomad camp gets slower the larger it is, the galleon ship gets faster! Larger sails resist the wind much more efficiently than a larger hull drags through the water. The galleon ship functions as a keep with the following differences:

* A galleon still costs gold to construct, and twice as much. You are essentially building your own warship, which itself requires 2,500 platinum, though at a slight discount for doing it yourself.
* Costs of upkeep are halved. Planks need to be replaced, sails need to be stitched. Weapons and armor still need repairs. And of course, all of the fine details of maintaining a ship require consideration.
* The galleon attracts units just like a keep, but with restrictions to their Size. It cannot carry units larger than Size 1d6. If you are rolling on the Units Raised by Keep chart, and you would raise a unit larger than Size 1d6, roll again.
* The ship can hold a number of units up to its Tier, and can hold units of any type. A fully upgraded ship (Tier 5) could thus carry five units.
* The ship can move 250 miles per day, plus 50 per TIer of the ship.
* If the ship sacks (i.e., wins a battle against) a port settlement, the settlement’s Development Level is downgraded by one. Sacking a settlement generates a number of gold pieces equal to a number of d100s times the Development Level of the port city. This is not the gross, but after your crew has their pickings.
* Spending a week in a port settlement trading as a merchant generates a large sum of gold pieces. Roll a number of d100s equal to your Tier to determine how much you make.

## Tower

Magic is dangerous and unpredictable. But there’s something even more dangerous: magical research. This is why wizards and other arcane spellcasters build towers either far from large civilization, or at least on their own property: so that saying an incantation in the wrong order or pouring *aqua regia* into a cauldron of dragon's blood won't cause a calamity on par with a full-scale world conflict.

Founding a tower unlocks *epistology*, or meta-magic; *entropiscopacy*, or "changing of the observation" magic; *onomancy*, or true name magic; *alchemy*, or substance magic; *astrology*, or celestial magic; and many others schools of magic.

### Schools of Esoteric Study

A player character's religion is the determinant of which School of Esoteric Study they can practice. In all aspects of Esoteric Study, if the character has constructed a tower and has spent at least one extended rest there, they can gain Fate. A point of Fate is gained every extended rest, for a maximum of three Fate.

#### Epistology

Meta-magic is a form of mysticism and an esoteric method of exegesis; that is, interpreting the divine by only receiving what knowledge can be empirically proven, rather than trying to replicate it or supply external explanations. Epistology is focused solely on understanding the divine realm and the soul, as opposed to thinking practically about how magic can be used.

Epistology, therefore, provides a limited range of tangible benefits, while being incredibly useful for lore and worldbuilding knowledge. Such information has practical value nonetheless. Epistology allows for multiple benefits, including but not limited to:

* A character can learn one piece of lore during an extended rest. This lore must be an answer to some type of metaphysical question, like "What is a soul?" or "What is the purpose of life?" The answer may be cryptic or disguised as a riddle. However, it cannot be so cryptic as to be unreasonable or not useful for their own purposes.
* A character can cast a single spell from the Divination school over the period of a long rest without expending a spell slot. They need not know the spell, but it cannot exceed their highest spell slot level. If such a spell would provide a benefit requiring concentration or its duration is not instantaneous, they receive its benefits for 8 hours on a day of their choice.
* A character can use one Fate to succeed on any ability check or saving throw that uses Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, as if they had rolled a 20.

#### Entropiscopacy

The most sibylline and deep of the schools of magic, entropiscopacy is a form of esoteric study that underpins many purely secular arcane schools. That is, it mirrors epistology: entropiscopacy is focused on accounting for uncertainty and the impossibility of understanding the divine and the arcane, and controlling what cannot be purely understood. It is called chaos magic at times, though an entropiscopacist might prefer to classify it as the only form of magic that takes the Third Law of Magic and tries to subdue it. A prominent entropiscopacist once said, "I wrestle the tiger rather than fear it."

Entropiscopacy has an amazingly wide range of applications, most of which deal with the mechanics of a spellcasting class. The benefits of entropiscopacy include but are not limited to:

* A character that takes an extended rest can modify the spellcasting components of one spell of their choice. This becomes their focal spell. A focal spell can be cast with either verbal or somatic components, does not require material components without a specified cost, and can be cast without an arcane symbol. If a spell does have a material component with a cost, they can choose during the extended rest to spend 100 times the amount creating a *charm.* The charm is an object that fits into the palm of the character's hand, and is made of materials identical or similar to the components of the spell. By holding the charm in one hand, the character can cast the associated spell without material components if it is their focal spell.
* A character, during a short rest, can roll a hit die from their spellcasting class to recover a number of spell slots equal to the number indicated on the hit die. If they roll a number exceeding their highest available spell slot, the character divides up the roll into the highest available spell slots. For example, if a character can only cast up to 4th level spells and rolls a 6, they can recover a 4th level spell slot and a 2nd level spell slot, or two 3rd level spell slots (their choice).
* A character can use Fate to cast a spell from their spell list without expending a spell slot.

#### Onomancy

The study of true names allows onomancers to bend others to their will, as they recognize a single, divine truth that allows them to rend and tear at the fabric of consciousness, as well as mend and heal it. Onomancy focuses strictly on this one unshakeable truth, what ties the metaphysical together, and thus have no compunctions with using this knowledge to benefit their own goals.

Onomancy provides a limited scope of benefits, but nonetheless in the right circumstances, these benefits can be devastating to their enemies, and extremely useful to their allies. These include but are not limited to:

* A character, during an extended rest, can learn the true name of one creature of its choice. Given enough time, this is inevitable, but its usefulness is limited by the type of creature and how powerful it is. First, choose a creature that can both understand a language, and has an alignment. Next, determine how powerful it is. You learn the creature's CR after the extended rest has concluded. Now, apply the following modifiers to the CR: x100 if your knowledge is second hand; x50 if you have a copy of its likeness or one of its former possessions; x10 if you have seen the creature firsthand, x2 if you have spent at least 1 hour with the creature, and no modifier if you have a body part, lock of hair, or other physical remnant of the creature. Now divide the number by two if the creature is not an aberration, celestial, dragon, elemental, fey, or fiend. If the creature is a fiend or celestial, multiply the number by two instead. Your final number is the number of weeks it will take to discern the creature's true name.
* A character who knows a creature's true name can, during a long rest, cast *divination* without expending a spell slot and ask a question regarding the creature; the DM offers a truthful reply. The reply might be a short phrase, a cryptic rhyme, or an omen.
* A character can use its Fate to force a creature to make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw if the character knows its true name. The creature rolls with advantage if it is a fiend or celestial, and at disadvantage if it does not know its own true name. If the creature fails, it gains one level of Madness. If it fails by 5 or more, it immediately drops to 0 hit points. If it is native to another plane, it instead is charmed for 24 hours if it fails by 5 or more. While charmed in this way, as an action, the character can banish the creature to its native plane.

#### Alchemy

The study of substance and matter is a branch of natural philosophy called alchemy. To manipulate the natural world in a rigorous, methodical way is to practice alchemy. It is divided into two main schools: deontological (also called *elvish alchemy*) and teleological (also called *dwarvish alchemy*). However, both of the schools deal with the same concern: how a mortal being can change and manipulate the natural world based on their own will.

Alchemists commit themselves to a more mundane, ritualistic form of study that can help transmute objects in ways that defy the natural order. Its list of benefits includes but is not limited to:

* A character, during an extended rest, can practice alchemy 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, to create a magic stone relating to their school of alchemy. Deontological alchemists can create a *polyphant's stone* over the course of an extended rest on a successful DC 20 Intelligence check. Teleological alchemists can create a *philosopher's stone* over the course of an extended rest on a successful DC 30 Intelligence check.
* Over the course of a long rest, a character can spend money to collect raw materials, which weigh 1 pound for every 50 gold pieces spent. Make a DC 15 Intelligence check (alchemist's tools) with advantage if they possess a *polyphant's stone*. This allows the character to create one dose of acid, alchemist's fire, antitoxin, oil, perfume, or soap. Subtract half the value of the created item from the total worth of raw materials you are carrying. Alternatively, a character can make a DC 15 Intelligence check (alchemist's tools) to brew a potion of common rarity, with the DC increasing by 5 when the rarity increases by uncommon, rare, or very rare. This check is made at advantage if the character has a *philosopher's stone*. The character brews five potions of that type if successful.
* The character can spend one Fate to cast one of the *Et Alchymia* spells as a ritual.

## Temple

Those who venerate a deity may not find a tower or a keep practical, but they certainly will get use from a temple. Some are mighty churches, some are underground shrines to their dark god, and some are simple pools of crystal water surrounded by a grove of trees and blessed by rays of sunlight. Though temples come in many forms, they all share the same basic function: they grant the supplicant a direct line to the object of their worship. The supernatural entity they call on grants them rewards in exchange for faithful service, including new abilities and temporary aid of a servitor, depending on the character’s concordance.

### Concordance

The measure of how pleased your deity is with you is called your concordance. If your deity is pleased enough to reward you, then you are “in concordance” with your deity. If they are not pleased, then you are out of concordance. Typically, there is no way to know whether you’re in or out before you petition your deity. Your current concordance is known only to your DM, though you can keep track of your good deeds in case they need to be reminded. It’s typically a number from 1 to 100, but you can go above and below that range, even into the negatives.

Of course, the DM can ask you to keep a running tally. So when your player character petitions their deity, the DM asks, “Okay, what have you done for your god since the last time you called upon them?” Only the DM knows what the gods’ real attitudes are, numbers be damned, and if they find your service favorable. For most of history, gods don't like to intervene in the affairs of mortals, and they certainly don't want their own divine retainer being shared among the mortal realm. However, in strange times, they may be more generous... as is the case in this coming age.

#### Gaining and Losing Concordance

As you adventure, certain actions can make you gain or lose concordance. Mostly, these are known to your character. Some are probably obvious: if you worship a jealous god, expect to be rewarded for annihilating enemy cults. Failing to act when you have the opportunity will also make you lose concordance.

The gods consider it your responsibility to know right from wrong. If you are tricked by an enemy into doing their bidding, your god may not be necessarily as angry, though most Old World gods are not so forgiving. They don’t pay very close attention and don’t have time to evaluate the subtleties of situational ethics. Here are some examples of deeds that would add to or subtract from your current concordance if you were a worshiper of Melakesh.

 Slaying someone for a crime instead of arresting them
 Burning an offering, even to Melakesh
 Breaking any law of the land
 Paying a tax to a government
 Helping to build a guidestone
 Arresting someone when killing would have been more convenient
 Initiating someone into the cult of Melakesh

### Petitioning Your Deity

As an action, you can petition your deity for aid. The DM rolls percentile dice and adds your current concordance and your current level. If you manage and pay for the upkeep of a temple, you gain an extra +30 to your roll. You may receive aid, be ignored, or be punished for your insolence. Regardless of the temperament of your deity, your god will likely have a poor opinion of petitioning them repeatedly. This could be because they find you a pest, because they favor those who help themselves, or simply because your god is a believer in *quid pro quo*.

Unless you are taking your religion incredibly seriously (or have a temple), there’s a good chance you’ll be cursed for begging for help. For the sake of balance, and because a god condescending and lending aid to mortals is probably not a simple or painless process, petitioning your deity gives you a penalty to your concordance no matter the outcome. This penalty will accumulate as you petition again and again. Track your penalty from petitioning separately. Taking an extended rest at your temple, if you have one, clears any penalties you’ve accumulated from petitioning.

#### The Servitors Chart

If your concordance result grants you a servitor, reference the table below to find what type of servitor you've been granted based on an approximation of your deity's domain. The servitor your deity has chosen must be within your character or deity’s purview. No matter how pious your lawful good paladin is, your god will not grant you a demon, devil, or undead. The character who summoned the servitor is informally referred to as the “summoner” or more formally “the concordant.” The latter term is what the servitors usually use, in their native tongue.

#### Using Your Servitor

The summoned creature is referred to as a servitor. It arrives ready to fight and die, perhaps resentfully, for the concordant. Regardless of its attitude, a servitor only remains on the same plane as the concordant for 10 rounds plus 10 rounds per level of your stronghold, returning to their home dimension forthwith. Servitors who are killed in the Mundane World leave their bodies behind, and their essence returns to their home plane to reform there. Servitors often bring word from the power the concordant serves, informing them of unknown dangers or otherwise making cryptic pronouncements. The servitor is abundant with personality, and will interact with the concordant in the short time it is available.

### Druid Groves

A variant temple, the druid’s grove, gives up the bonus to concordance for owning a temple in exchange for installing a powerful spell, including spells you don’t know or which might not be on the druid spell list, into the grove making it permanent.

The druid chooses one spell from the list below and spends a month in meditation. If the powers that grant them their spells are pleased with their work, they permanently install the spell the druid requested, which can be cast once per period listed in the Grove Spells table.

 Heal
 Reincarnate
 Foresight
 Resurrection

The spell belongs to the grove but is cast by the druid. The grove must be continuously tended. Leaving the grove untended for a month causes it to revert to wild nature and the spell dissipates. The druid who founded the grove doesn’t have to be the one to tend it, a lieutenant or follower will do. The druid may still summon servitors using concordance, they just don’t gain a bonus to the roll for owning a temple. The grove uses different rules with different benefits. The installation of a high-level spell grants the druid who tends the grove power and authority.

Other barons and lords may visit hoping the druid will aid them and cast the spell in their benefit. This is a great opportunity for some classic *quid quo pro* plotting, but now it is the player character who holds the power, and pronounces, “I will grant you this boon if you undertake this quest for me,” and the NPC must work on behalf of him!

## Establishment

Not all strongholds are mighty fortresses made of stone, overlooking a valley. Those more inclined toward intrigue a limited use for an army. Power is not in a bespoke spell for these individuals, and owing favors is certainly not power either. A business is much better for this purpose!

Businesses can be small, lucrative, and best of all, give no indication of what really goes on there. A legitimate business that hides a covert operation is called a “front,” but here, we’ll call it an establishment.

An establishment does two things: it makes money and gathers information, often from the same people it’s making money off. Your establishment could be an inn or a general store, both are classic examples. It could be a blacksmith’s shop. Regardless if you're a smith, you can just hire one, who will be very happy to have someplace warm, dry, and well equipped to do their business in.

Meanwhile, you make it a point to listen to all the interesting things the customers unwittingly reveal. You could even stay away from the place completely, having your spies come to you with your part of the profits and whatever juicy tidbits folks were foolish enough to reveal. The better your front, the more likely folks are to speak openly there.

#### Revenue

Each season, your establishment generates a d20 \* 100 gold pieces per establishment level. If your establishment is part of a castle, you can use this money to upgrade your castle easily.

### Rumors

During an adventure, or in the lead-up to one, you can spend some money and collect some rumors about the specifics of a dangerous location, such as a dungeon or ruin. The cost is 100 gold pieces per establishment level. On a successful Gather Intel check (addressed below in "Gathering Intel,") you learn two of the following:

* The types of enemies you might encounter, and in what number they might be found
* The location of a secret door or a hidden entrance or exit
* The location and nature of a trap associated with it
* A description of one riddle or puzzle
* The location and description of one magic item associated with it

### Gathering Intel

A simple investigation allows you to do detective work, learning the whereabouts and activities of individuals, but organizations are larger and more complex. By collecting a little information from everyone who visits, your establishment lets you spy on organizations and people. This is represented by your Gather Intel skill, gained if you own an establishment.

Intel lets you know what your enemies are up to, along with your allies and those organizations—guilds, orders, countries, and such—who claim to be neutral. The intelligence will always be useful, but often it will be highly generalized. For example, if a debut for the king's daughter is to take place, that's great for a narrative, but for an individual character, it offers little.

#### Organizations

An organization is any collection of people who agree to common rules and hierarchy in order to further some agenda, goal, or philosophy. An order of knights, a religious sect, a cult of thieves, a radical supremacist group... you don’t even have to know an organization exists to gather intel on it! In fact, that is a classic use of the Gather Intel skill.

“I think there’s a conspiracy to infiltrate the Knights Invictus, but I don’t know by whom. Can I make a roll?” A DC is set accordingly and player rolls. If they succeed, they learn the name of the organization and possibly something about its makeup and goals.

#### Range

Obviously you can’t use your establishment to deduce the existence of organizations on the other side of the world. Your establishment is only effective against organizations operating within 30 miles times its Tier. So, a Tier 1 establishment could spy on organizations a few hexes around it, but more importantly, by Tier 5, you can gather information hundreds of miles away from your establishment.

#### Making the Check

Gather Intel is a skill granted by your establishment. Whenever you roll a Gather Intel check, add your proficiency bonus, but instead of adding an ability modifier, you can add another bonus by spending gold pieces. For each 100 gold pieces you pay, you gain a +1 bonus to the check. It’s expensive to pay folks to spy on people, and larger establishments with larger bonuses have more people to pay. However, you cannot pay for a bonus greater than your establishment Tier, and you must have to pay for a minimum bonus of +1.

You may make a number of Gather Intel checks per season equal to your establishment Tier, but you cannot make multiple checks against the same organization during the same season.

#### Setting the DC

Some organizations are easier to spy on than others. When you specify the organization you’re spying on, the DM sets the DC based on the criteria in this section, and you only get results for the organization you named, not the smaller organizations it controls nor the organization that controls it. Exactly how these factors determine the DC of the Gather Intel check is up to the DM, just as there are no hard and fast rules for what counts as “difficult” lore for character making an Arcana check.

* Bigger organizations are easier to spy on than smaller ones.
* Covert organizations are very difficult to gather accurate rumors on.
* Protective organizatons do not lend themselves to being spied upon, either.

#### Results

Remember that the benefits of a stronghold are a reward for spending money and time. So the results of a successful Gather Intel check will be useful and actionable, meaning they will give information that helps you make a plan, develop a strategy, or advance the plot.

It will never be as simple as confirming your suspicions, however. In other words, if you say, “I think that a mercenary band is making moves in my territory,” and you roll well, you will not simply hear, "You're right." You are more likely to hear. “Yes, it seems like they are indeed. Your spies overheard a conversation between two mercenaries discussing a path from Highhorn to Lowband.” *That* is actionable, and more in line with the type of information you will receive.

### Favors

The main draw of an establishment is its versatility. That is, you can temporarily gain the benefit of another stronghold. Once per season, you may spend 100 platinum pieces to choose a favor below. To do this, you must know someone with the appropriate stronghold who considers you an ally. Note that this payment can be negotiated higher or lower between player characters.

#### The Keep

You gain 500 points per level of your ally’s keep to spend on units for one battle. These units cost you no gold pieces, have no upkeep, but disband after the battle is over. The units may only come from ancestries appropriate to your ally's keep. You’ll find more about the point values of units in the Warfare section.

#### The Tower

You can gain Fate during an extended rest, up to a number of times equal to your establishment Tier. You can use this Fate to do one of the following: reduce the DC of a Gather Intel check to 10, or roll a d100 instead of a d20 when determining your establishment's seasonal revenue.

#### The Temple

Choose an allied NPC or party member with a temple. You can petition their deity and use their concordance once. If you summon a servitor, it remains for a number of rounds equal to your establishment Tier times 10.

## Strongholds by Class

Regardless of whether you build a keep, a tower, a temple, or an establishment, your stronghold improves your signature class feature, and attracts followers based on your class. The stronghold for each class has a dramatic name—a “bard’s theater,” a “monk’s monastery.” But these names are merely examples chosen for flavor, you are free to imagine and name your stronghold in whatever manner seems best to you. Maybe your bard owns a library for lore. A barbarian may prefer calling it their tavern rather than their camp. It’s entirely up to you. Furthermore, many of the following abilities reference alignment, but that’s purely because in the Old World, a bygone era when paladins fought for good, warlocks were sinister, and fighters weren't just farmers who inherited the family sword.

#### The Ruler and the Land are One

Owning a stronghold, leading people, inspires you and grants you insight. It also allows you to draw power from the land itself. The land you protect serves you just as the workers who built your keep, and you in turn protect the land just as you protect your peasants and serfs.

This mystical connection manifests in actual mechanics and abilities. When a druid takes on the form of a bear and gains fire breath, or a paladin’s sword cuts through the enemy's iron, this is the strength of the land itself coursing through you, and rewarding you for your protection of it. The ruler feels this and knows when the land is ill. The connection between the ruler and their land is real and palpable. The area governed by a stronghold is called a demesne (domain) and grows as the stronghold does. Every Tier of a stronghold increases the radius of the demesne by two miles.

#### Demesne Effects and Stronghold Effects

The power of a stronghold changes the land around it in dramatic and sometimes mechanically interesting ways. As the regent of the land, you’ll gain new abilities that only work within your stronghold, the nexus of your power. These stronghold actions are fairly similar to Lair Effects, and function in sometimes magical ways. That is why they only work inside the stronghold (unless otherwise noted).

Building a stronghold makes a statement. You make allies, but also enemies. Having some of those enemies attack the player in their stronghold, perhaps infiltrating it under cover of night, perhaps gaining entrance under guise of some diplomatic or trade mission, gives a player a chance to feel like an actually talented lord. Whenever a stronghold action or demesne effect prompts a saving throw, its DC is the stronghold owner’s spellcasting DC, unless otherwise noted. Players may be tempted to abuse their stronghold actions, using them to show off in inappropriate circumstances. Should they abuse this privilege, they may find the land they serve and which grants them this power has limited resources and even less patience, because the peasant class that underpins it won't tolerate an ego who rules through fear for long.

#### Class Feature Improvements

Founding a stronghold improves your class’s signature feature as your new demesne grants you power. Typically this improved class feature has a limited number of uses (based on your stronghold level, usually) after which you must take an extended rest to refresh the ability. Multiclass characters choose their initial class as their "primary class." These improvements are only active while in the demesne.

Additionally, finishing the first tier of your class's stronghold enables your character to receive the benefits of the Expanded Class Features featured in the eponymous UA.

#### Different Class, Different Followers

Each class has its own unique follower chart, listed below. These charts make certain assumptions about how the different classes are each perceived by society. Two classes may be equally effective in combat, but that doesn’t say anything about how the local artisans or infantry company feel about them

Some classes have a wider range of results. Paladins can gain more varied followers than sorcerers. This reflects how normal people view the different classes. Paladins, fighters, and clerics tend to be respected, trusted. If they have spells, they often use them to help and heal. But peasants don’t react well to sorcery, even if that sorcerer rules through fear. The follower options for each class reflect this. Martial classes are more likely to get military units, while classes that use sorcery and delve into hidden places or research forgotten lore are more likely to get special allies. These cultural assumptions reflect the low-magic Old World.

Multiclass characters choose their initial class as their "primary class."

#### When to Roll for a Follower

* When construction of a stronghold is completed.
* When a player character improves the Tier of a finished stronghold

### Barbarian's Camp

The barbarian’s camp, a *keep variant*, promises good food and drink as well as contests of strength and spiritual focus, creating one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Alcohol within the barbarian’s demesne is particularly refreshing, bringing good cheer with no hangovers the next day no matter how much is consumed.
* Wildlife within the barbarian’s demesne grows especially large and fierce, migrating as the camp moves.
* Poisons brought into the barbarian’s demesne neutralize within the hour.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the barbarian can take a stronghold action with one of the following effects. You cannot use the same
effect again until after a short or long rest.

* You issue forth a mighty yawp that causes all enemies within 60 feet to become frightened until initiative count 1 on the next round.
* You rage, and your allies gain the benefits of your rage as long as those allies aren’t wearing heavy armor.
* You cast *tenser's transformation*. You may do this even while raging, and this does not end your 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 Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Bard's Theater

The bard’s theater promises drama, entertainment, poetry, and song. It is also a hub for rumor and intrigue, as it is a version of the *establishment*. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Whenever the wind blows through the trees in the bard’s demesne, music plays. Hooves on roads beat out a complex rhythm.
* Folks that live in the demesne for at least one week find themselves accidentally rhyming in their everyday speech.
* A thunderclap rings out whenever someone in the bard’s demesne says something dramatic. Ravens obediently part from nearby branches when it is dramatically expected of them. Wind billows a cloak when traveling.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the bard can take a stronghold action with one of the following effects. The bard cannot use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* Until initiative count 1 on the next round, all inspiration dice produce their maximum result when rolled, followed by the sounding of a two-note chord: one root note and another a fifth higher than the root.
* A three-piece band arrives singing your praises. Until initiative count 20 on the next turn, enemies make saving throws against your magic by rolling three d20s and using the worst of the three. The band has exceptionally good rhythm and world-class lute fingering, and the singer has an unusually high voice.
* You regain all inspiration dice.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Encouraging Inspiration

While an ally has unspent bardic inspiration dice, they roll advantage on ability checks and saving throws in which they are proficient. This applies to a number of inspiration dice equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Cleric's Church

The cleric’s church is a bastion of faith for believers and adherents to their deity’s laws, a *temple* dedicated to their god. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Folks who live in the cleric’s demesne are immune to disease.
* The cleric can hear the prayers of those living in their demesne who are in concordance with the cleric’s deity.
* While the cleric is in concordance, the weather in their demesne is fair. If the cleric has been impious, the weather turns foul.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the cleric can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The cleric can’t use the same effect until after a short or long rest.

* All enemies within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer the effects of the *contagion* spell.
* Shafts of golden light stab down from the sky, penetrating walls and ceilings. The beams target all undead, demons, and devils within 60 feet of you, even those hidden or invisible. Targets must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished to their home plane.
* You and all allies in the stronghold 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 Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Druid's Grove

The druid’s grove is a symbol of nature’s beauty and power, a *temple variant*. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

Demesne Effects

* Local birds and mammals in the druid’s demesne can speak Sylvan. They enjoy talking to new people but will try to find and warn the druid if suspicious strangers enter the demesne.
* Wild nuts, fruits, and vegetables grow naturally in the druid’s demesne grant those who eat them the effect of *goodberry*. If taken outside the demesne, the food loses this effect.
* No roads in the druid’s demesne last more than a day. However, allies and the units of allies can pass through the demesne as though there were roads thanks to intuitive game trails.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the druid can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The druid can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* Grasping vines rise from the ground for 1 minute. Every enemy within 60 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw or be restrained for the duration, taking 3d8 piercing damage at the start of each of their turns from stabbing thorns. At the end of its turn, an affected enemy can make another saving throw to escape.
* You cast *banishment* on an enemy, sending them to their home plane on a failed save.
* You summon 1d8 + 2 *awakened trees* who fights for you for 1 minute.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Savage Shape

When you assume your Wild Shape, you may assume the form of any monstrosity, fey, or dragon, including those with a flying or swimming speed. You may use this ability to transform into a creature with a Challenge Rating up to half your level, rounded up. All other Wild Shape restrictions and benefits apply, including using all of the form’s actions and abilities except lair and legendary actions. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Fighter's Fortress

The fighter’s fortress is a bastion against intruders, and it rewards those who practice their martial training, a *keep* of great pride for its master. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Fortifications in the fighter’s demesne grant units defending them an extra +2 Morale bonus.
* Menhirs appear in the fighter’s demesne, and when one of your subjects is within 60 feet of the standing stone, it gains a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws, and it has resistance to all damage.
* Archers who train in the fighter’s demesne find their arrows go farther and strike more accurately.
* Edged weapons in the fighter’s demesne are keener and do not dull.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the fighter can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The fighter can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* Until initiative count 1 on the next round, any enemy who tries to cast a spell in your demesne experiences searing pain. The enemy can choose another action, but if it chooses to cast the spell, it must make a Constitution saving throw versus 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity (your choice). On a failed save, it takes 1d6 force damage per level of the spell, and the spell has no effect and is wasted.
* Until the end of your next turn, you and all your allies’ weapon attacks hit automatically. Roll anyway, though—you might score a critical!
* You and all your allies in your demesne regain hit points equal to your total hit die.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Fighting Surge

Whenever you attack by using your Action Surge, you score a critical hit on all successful attack rolls. You can do this for a number of surges equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Monk's Monastery

The monk’s monastery is a monument to contemplation and self-reliance, a *temple* high above the land. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

Creatures age more slowly within the confines of the monk’s demesne.

The temperature in the monk’s demesne is always temperate, all year round, all day long.

Violence of any kind in the demesne results in the victim gaining the benefits of *sanctuary*. The monk can reverse these effects at their discretion.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the monk can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The monk can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* Until initiative count 1 on the next round, your skin becomes like adamantine. For the duration, you are immune to all but psychic damage.
* You make eight unarmed attacks against an adjacent enemy.
* You regain ki equal to the number of allies within 60 feet of you.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Focused Ki

Whenever you are attacked while you have unspent ki, you can ignore all of the attack’s effects except its damage. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Paladin's Chapel

The paladin’s chapel broadcasts the power of good and law across the countryside, a *temple* of considerable renown. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Clear blue skies and warm sun dominate year-round. Rain falls only at night, and thunderstorms avoid the area.
* Evil creatures in daylight have disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.
* The paladin is instantly aware of the presence and location in his demesne of any chaotic or evil creature with more than 7 Hit Dice.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the paladin can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The paladin can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* Each chaotic or evil creature (your choice) within 120 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be bound by gold (anti-evil) or silver (anti-chaos) chains, grappling it until it makes a Strength or Dexterity check as an action against your spell DC.
* Flying creatures within 120 feet must succeed on a Constitution check against your spell save DC or immediately land. They cannot take off again for 10 minutes.
* Choose an ally within sight to gain an AC bonus equal to your Charisma modifier, as their armor becomes gold, for 10 minutes.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Righteous Smite

Your Divine Smite burns through enemy resistance. Enemies normally resistant to either radiant damage or your weapon damage lose their resistance. Enemies immune to either type of damage are now resistant to it, and enemies without resistance to either radiant or your weapon damage become vulnerable. You can do this for a number of attacks equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Ranger's Lodge

The ranger’s lodge is a place of good hunting and security, an *establishment* that creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Stags, harts, and other game are always plentiful in the ranger’s demesne, but they are larger and fiercer than normal.
* Enemies of the ranger and the locals must make Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate the ranger’s demesne. On a failure, they are attacked by 2d6 wolves.
* Allies treat the ranger’s demesne as favored terrain when moving their units. Enemy units treat it as difficult terrain.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the ranger can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The ranger can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

Small targets appear on the umber parts of nearby enemies. Until initiative count 1 on the next round, all enemies within 60 feet have vulnerability to your attacks.

You summon a fog cloud in a 60-foot radius that lasts for 1 minute. You and your allies can see through this fog as though it were merely a hazy mist that did not obscure vision.

Until initiative count 1 on the next turn, all of your successful attacks also cause the target to bleed. A bleeding creature takes slashing damage equal to your weapon's damage die at the start of each of its following turns, and can take an action to staunch the wound.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Sworn Enemy

Choose a single creature you can see within 120 feet. This creature is under the effects of *hunter's mark* and you do not to hold concentration to maintain this effect. You can do this to a number of damage rolls equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### The Rogue's Tavern

The rogue’s tavern is a hotbed of intrigue and information, an *establishment* that creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* One ally per Tier of the rogue’s stronghold can hide in the rogue’s demesne, and no mundane means will reveal their location and magical means are made with a -10 penalty. This ability does not work on the owner of the stronghold.
* Creatures trespassing in the rogue’s demesne have the overwhelming sensation they are being spied upon, and the rogue knows of any hostile creature in its domain when Gathering Intel on any subject.
* When a creature hostile to the rogue that the rogue knows is within their demesne finishes a long rest within the rogue’s demesne, roll a d20. On a roll of 5 or less, the creature triggers a trap set by the rogue, taking 3d8 piercing damage.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the rogue can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The rogue can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* All enemies within 60 feet are marked for death. For the next minute, if you hit a marked enemy, you can remove its mark to deal an extra 6d6 slashing damage.
* Enemies within 60 feet are revealed, losing Hidden status and their invisibility.
* You produce a Coin of Fortune. Each time you are hit in combat, you may flip the coin. Heads, the attack misses instead. Tails, the attack hits as normal and you lose the coin.

#### Class Feature Improvement: 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 Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Sorcerer's Sanctum

The sorcerer’s sanctum houses a collection of curiosities and antiquities, a *tower* isolated in a defendable area. It creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* Curses, blessings, and spells with a verbal component pronounced within the sorcerer’s demesne have a 10% chance of causing the speaker to roll on the Wild Magic table.
* Folks who live in the sorcerer’s demesne for a season learn a sorcerer's cantrip of the sorcerer's choice. They lose the ability to cast it if they ever leave.
* Raindrops in the sorcerer’s demesne cast dazzling prismatic reflections during the day.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the sorcerer can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The sorcerer can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* You cast three spells from your list of known spells, using spell slots as normal, on initiative counts 1, 5, and 10.
* For the next minute, all of your spells are heightened, as per the heightened Metamagic effect. You cannot use sorcery points to heighten an already heightened spell.
* You are wreathed by one "investiture" spell of your choice: *investiture of flame, investiture of ice, investiture of wind,* or *investiture of stone*.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Source of Magic

You gain bonus sorcery points equal in number to your stronghold Tier. These bonus points only refresh when you take an extended rest.

### Warlock's Fane

The warlock’s fane is a locus of power committed to a being of alien intelligence, a *tower* that creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* The sun appears as a baleful orb in the sky over the warlock’s demesne.
* In the warlock’s demesne, constellations in the night sky are strange, and stars occasionally fall from the sky.
* The warlock is immediately aware of enemies in their demesne.
* Once per month, the warlock can summon an *earthquake*, as per the spell, targeting any enemies in their demesne.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the warlock can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The warlock can’t use the same effect until after a short or long rest.

* You recover all spell slots as though you completed a short rest.
* You fire an eldritch blast at each enemy you can see within 60 feet.
* You summon a type-VI servitor.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Master Invoker

You gain an extra spell slot. You may replenish this extra spell slot a number of times equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.

### Wizard's Observatory

The wizard’s observatory is a bastion of knowledge and research best hidden from the mundane world. It is a *tower* that creates one or more of the following effects at the DM’s discretion.

#### Demesne Effects

* The library of the wizard’s stronghold has a copy of every nonmagical book anyone brings into the wizard’s demesne.
* By concentrating for 10 minutes, the wizard can scry on any person or location in their demesne as per the scrying spell. The wizard can do this while anywhere, including another plane.
* Once per day, the wizard can control the weather in their demesne. The wizard doesn’t have to be in their demesne to do this. The effect is otherwise the same as the *control weather* spell.

#### Stronghold Actions

On initiative count 1 (losing initiative ties), the wizard can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The wizard can’t use the same effect again until after a short or long rest.

* You cast a spell from your list of prepared spells. This does not use a spell slot.
* You cast *flesh to stone* on all enemies within 60 feet. This does not use a spell slot.
* You gain the benefits of your Arcane Recovery feature.

#### Class Feature Improvement: Spellmaster

You can maintain concentration without needing to make saving throws after taking damage. You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold Tier, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.