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Burning Sands - Strongholds
Burning Sands - Strongholds
Campaign
Creating and managing
a Stronghold
bleybourne@gmail.com
Root Cellar ................................................ 9
Contents
Scriptorium ............................................... 10
Establishing a Stronghold ............................... 3
Shooting Range ......................................... 10
Building from Scratch ................................. 3
Stables ...................................................... 10
Effects of a Stronghold ................................... 3
Tailor Shop ............................................... 10
Functions and Hirelings.................................. 3
Tannery .................................................... 10
Existing Functions ...................................... 3
Training Grounds ...................................... 10
Building Functions ......................................4
Vault ........................................................ 11
More of the same? .......................................4
Walls ........................................................ 11
Reputation ..................................................4
Well ......................................................... 11
Staff ...........................................................4
Worm Farm .............................................. 11
Employing Hirelings ......................................4
Hirelings ...................................................... 12
Work Hours ...............................................4
Baker ........................................................ 12
Paying Salaries ...........................................4
Bowyer...................................................... 12
Food and Water ..........................................4
Butcher ..................................................... 12
Master Builder ............................................4
Carpenter .................................................. 12
Keeping Watch ........................................... 5
Executioner .............................................. 12
Upkeep ....................................................... 5
Farmer...................................................... 12
Functions ...................................................... 6
Guard ....................................................... 12
Bakery ........................................................ 6
Handyman ................................................ 12
Dungeon .................................................... 6
Hunter ...................................................... 12
Field .......................................................... 6
Innkeeper.................................................. 12
Fireplace .................................................... 6
Jailer ........................................................ 12
Forge ......................................................... 6
Lumberjack ............................................... 13
Gallows ...................................................... 7
Master Builder ........................................... 13
Garden ....................................................... 7
Miller ....................................................... 13
Gate ........................................................... 7
Miner ....................................................... 13
Grove ......................................................... 7
Quarry Worker .......................................... 13
Guard Tower .............................................. 8
Smith ........................................................ 13
Inn ............................................................ 8
Stableman ................................................. 13
Library ...................................................... 8
Tanner ..................................................... 13
Marketplace ............................................... 8
Tailor ....................................................... 13
Mill ........................................................... 8
Mine .......................................................... 8
Moat .......................................................... 9
Pasture ....................................................... 9
Pigsty ......................................................... 9
Quarry ....................................................... 9
Adventurers are restless by nature, but even you know how long this takes and which tools and
might one day want to settle down somewhere. raw materials are required.
If you live long enough to gather significant
treasures, you can use your riches to create your Effects of a Stronghold
own stronghold somewhere in the desert wastes
A stronghold has two base effects:
of Athas. In the stronghold, you can rest
between your journeys, repair and build items, ✥ You can Rest and Sleep undisturbed there,
and even acquire hirelings to work for you. Who without risking any mishaps.
knows, one day you might even become rulers of ✥ Each adventurer in your group gains one
a city state of your own? The drawback of Willpower Point when you arrive home to your
having a stronghold is that it can draw stronghold and spend at least one day there.
unwelcome attention, and it’s risky to leave
You can only gain one WP each per session in
your stronghold unattended. this way.
As a general rule, your stronghold can only have As a general rule, a hireling will work for two
one instance of a certain function. There are Quarter Days per day. They can work a third
exceptions to this rule, however – your Quarter Day, if given double pay. These are just
stronghold can have several GUARDS and general guidelines – the GM is free to make her
several FIELDS, for example. This is indicated own assessment, depending on the situation.
in each function where this is the case. The
Paying Salaries
effects of multiple functions of the same kind
are cumulative, but they must also be staffed A salary is generally paid in coins. If you leave
individually. the stronghold to go adventuring, hirelings will
expect to get paid in advance for the time you
Reputation expect to be gone. If you don’t pay a hireling
Several functions will increase your Reputation what you have promised them, it will mean
score once completed. All adventurers’ trouble.
Reputation scores are affected.
Food and Water
Staff You don’t need to provide Food and Water for
Most functions need to be staffed by a PC or an your hirelings – they manage to acquire it on
NPC (usually a hireling) to have any effect. In their own, using their salary. If your stronghold
some cases, the staff is required to have a certain is under siege however, it’s another story…
talent, and sometimes dice need to be rolled.
Master Builder
Only PCs roll dice for functions – NPCs are
assumed to succeed automatically (with one If you have the Master Builder hireling in your
success). stronghold, you can have him build new
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functions instead of doing it yourselves. A
Master Builder automatically succeeds at all
Crafting rolls (with one success), no dice are
rolled. The downside is that Master Builders are
expensive!
Keeping Watch
Upkeep
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Functions Dungeon
Below, the functions you can build in your A dark and damp place where you can lock up
stronghold are listed. miscreants and other displeasing individuals.
Your stronghold can have several dungeons.
Requirement: Talents needed to build the Requirement: –
function or other functions that must already Raw Materials: 50 Stone, 20 Bone (for bars)
exist in the stronghold before this function can Tools: Sledgehammer, Saw, Hammer
be built. Time: One week
Raw Materials: The number of units of raw Reputation: +1
materials that are used up when building the Effect: Holds up to four prisoners securely
function. Note: Where Wood is listed as a locked away. As long as a PC or the Jailer
requirement, Bone can be substituted on a 1:1 hireling watches the prisoners, they have slim
basis, as Wood is often hard to come by in Athas. chances of escape.
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The noise and the smoke from a smithy is a sure Tools: Pickaxe and shovel
sign that your stronghold is ready to defend Time: One month
itself. Effect: You can harvest 10 units of Vegetables
Requirement: Fireplace, the Builder talent or 1 unit of Herbs per week from the Garden, or
Raw Materials: 60 Iron and 400 Stone 6 units of Cotton from a Cotton Garden. A
Tools: Sledgehammer, Hammer farmer is always required for a quarter day per
Time: One week day to tend the garden, thus one farmer can
Reputation: +1 manage two gardens a day.
Effect: Each Quarter Day during which the
Gate
Forge is staffed by a PC or an NPC with the
Smith talent, or the hireling of the same name, A large wooden door (usually banded with Iron
up to five units of Iron Ore can be turned into for strength) is useful for keeping unwelcome
the same number of units of Iron. Also a guests out. It’s also required if there are walls
requirement for a lot of different types of surrounding your stronghold.
crafting. Requirement: Must have Walls or Towers on
either side, Forge, the Builder talent
Gallows
Raw Materials: 50 Wood, 10/20 Iron
Athas is a harsh place, and execution is a (optional)
common punishment for even lesser crimes. Tools: –
Requirement: – Time: One week
Raw Materials: 20 Wood Effect: See the Squad Combat document. A
Tools: Saw, Hammer Gate without the Iron Banding is less strong
Time: One day than a banded gate, and only has 1 Gear die. 10
Reputation: +1 Iron worth of Banding gives a 2 Gear Die bonus,
Effect: A PC or the Executioner hireling can and 20 Iron used for banding provides 3 Gear
execute people at the Gallows. In this case, a Dice.
defenseless person can be killed without
requiring a coup de grace. After a public Grove
execution, the risk of unwelcome visitors to
A copse of trees. Slow-growing, but a good
your stronghold decreases. Your Reputation
source of Wood. Requires very little in the way
score counts as two steps lower for the next roll
of maintenance.
for events at the stronghold.
Requirement: Water Source
Garden Raw Materials: -
Tools: Saw and/or Axe
In a garden, you can grow Vegetables and Herbs
Time: One day
for your own use or to sell. Your stronghold can
Effect: Once per year, you can harvest 200
have several gardens. Cotton can also be grown
units of Wood per Grove. This takes one week,
in a garden, but you cannot mix Vegetable/Herb
and can be performed by a Lumberjack NPC or
and Cotton Gardens.
a PC with a Saw or Axe
Requirement: Water Source
Raw Materials: –
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Guard Tower Effect: Gives Gear Bonus +2 to Lore during a
visit.
An elevated vantage point is useful for spotting
enemies approaching your stronghold. A Tower Marketplace
must be one level higher than the walls
An area with market stands, where peddlers
surrounding it (if it’s attached to walls). Each
from near and far can come and sell their wares.
level provides +1 Gear Die bonus; the range is 2-
Requirement: –
6 (Walls levels are 1-5).
Raw Materials: 60 Wood
Requirement: The Builder talent
Tools: Saw, hammer
Raw Materials: 50 Wood or 100 Stone per level
Time: One week
Tools: Saw and hammer (sledgehammer and
Reputation: +1
pickaxe if built of Stone)
Effect: The traders in your stronghold can
Time: One Week per level
offer all kinds of goods. The Supply is the same
Effect: Gives +2 to Scouting and useful when
as in a normal Village. You don’t need to pay
defending the stronghold (see Squad Combat
any salary to the peddlers.
document).
Mill
Inn
If you want to make your own flour in the
A warm and friendly tavern in your stronghold
stronghold, you’ll need a mill. These can be
can draw guests from near and far.
powered manually, by animals, or by wind.
Requirement: The Builder talent
Your stronghold can have several mills.
Raw Materials: 250 Wood or 500 Stone
Requirement: The Builder talent
Tools: Saw and hammer (sledgehammer and
Raw Materials: 400 Wood, 10 Stone
pickaxe if built of Stone)
Tools: Saw, Hammer
Time: One week
Time: Two weeks
Reputation: +1
Effect: The Mill converts up to five units of
Effect: Each Quarter Day during which the
Grain to Flour each Quarter Day, assuming it’s
Inn is staffed by a PC or the Innkeeper hireling,
staffed by a PC or a Miller.
up to five units of Meat or Vegetables can be
turned into an equal number of units of Food. Mine
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Effect: In the Root Cellar, Grain, Flour, Tailor Shop
Meat, and Vegetables can be stored ten times
In a tailor shop, you can turn cotton and silk
longer without spoiling.
into cloth into cloth, and sew clothes from the
Scriptorium cloth.
Requirement: The Builder talent
Sorcerers and other learned adventurers need a
Raw Materials: 100 Wood
secluded place in the stronghold for
Tools: Saw, hammer
contemplation, study and scribing.
Time: Two days
Requirement: Ink and feather, Builder talent
Effect: Can turn three units of Cotton or Silk
Raw Materials: 100 Wood
into a one unit of Cotton Cloth or Silk Cloth per
Tools: Saw, Hammer
Quarter Day, assuming the Tailor Shop is
Time: One week
staffed by a PC or an NPC with the Tailor talent
Reputation: +1
or the hireling of the same name. Also gives a
Effect: Gives Gear Bonus +2 to a magic user to
Gear Bonus +2 to Crafting clothes and other
write down a spell in a grimoire.
cloth items.
Shooting Range
Tannery
An open area where you can practice your skills
Here, artisans can create leather from skin and
with bows and other ranged weapons.
fur, and use leather to fashion armor and
Requirement: –
clothes. Your stronghold can have several
Raw Materials: 20 Wood
tanneries.
Tools: Saw, Hammer
Requirement: –
Time: One day
Raw Materials: 100 Wood
Effect: If you practice on the Shooting Range
Tools: Saw, Hammer
for a Quarter Day, you gain one extra XP that
Time: Two days
can only be used to increase your Marksmanship
Effect: In each Quarter Day in which the
skill level. Mark this XP next to the
Tannery is staffed by a PC or NPC with the
Marksmanship skill on your character sheet.
Tanner talent, or a hireling of the same name,
You can only gain one such bonus XP between
up to five units of Pelts can be converted into an
each skill level increase.
equal amount of Leather.
Stables
Training Grounds
A place to keep your riding animals safe from
An open field where you can hone your close
wind and predators.
combat skills, practicing against each other or
Requirement: Water Source
against wooden figures.
Raw Materials: 400 Wood
Requirement: –
Tools: Saw, hammer
Raw Materials: 40 Wood
Time: Two days
Tools: Saw, Hammer
Effect: Protects and feeds all riding animals in
Time: Two days
the stronghold.
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Effect: If you practice on the Training stronghold (the alternative is buying and
Grounds for a Quarter Day, you gain one extra storing copious barrels of water).
XP that can only be used to increase your Melee Requirement: Water Source
skill level. Mark this XP next to the Melee skill Raw Materials: 50 Stone
on your character sheet. You can only gain one Tools: Sledgehammer, Shovel
such bonus XP between each skill level increase. Time: Two weeks
Effect: Everyone in the stronghold has free
Vault
access to Water and can fill their waterskins to
Once you have gathered valuable treasures, Resource Die D12 at any time.
you’ll need a place to keep them safe.
Worm Farm
Requirement: The Builder talent
Raw Materials: 200 Stone, 100 Wood, 10 Iron Mulworms like to live in refuse piles, and they
Tools: Sledgehammer, pickaxe, saw, hammer spin silk as a by-product of being well fed and
Time: Two weeks cared for. They do require a lot of water, and
Effect: In the Vault, valuables can be stored boiling and spinning the raw threads into silk is
safely. The ironclad wooden door has Armor a labour intensive process.
Rating 12 and can take 50 points of damage Requirement: Water Source, Mulworms
before giving in. Raw Materials: 50 Stone, 20 Wood
Tools: Shovel
Walls
Time: One Day
Solid stone walls with parapets, crenulations, Effect: Up to three people can staff a Worm
and arrow slits are very useful to keep enemies Farm. Each person can produce one unit of silk
at bay when your stronghold is attacked. Walls per Half Day of work.
are built at different height levels between 1-5,
which grant that many Gear dice (see the Squad
Combat document). When a Wall changes
direction at a corner, a Guard Tower must be
built.
Requirement: The Builder talent
Raw Materials: 100 Stone or 200 Wood per
level per zone.
Tools: –
Time: One month
Reputation: +1
Effect: See the Squad Combat document.
Well
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Hirelings Salary: 1 Half Moon per execution
Supply: Common
Below, a range of different types of hirelings are
listed. Salary indicates how much the hireling is
Farmer
required to be paid each day. Supply indicates Staffs the Pasture, Pigsty, Gardens, Fields, and
how difficult it is to find the hireling in question Worm farm.
in a visit to a Village. Salary: 2 Stars
Supply: Common
Baker
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Supply: Common Stableman
Lumberjack Manages the stables, make sure the animals are
fed and cared for.
Produces two units of Wood per Quarter Day’s
Salary: 2 Stars
work in the Forest, or one Unit of Woof per two
Supply: Common
Quarter Days in Scrub Land.
Salary: 2 Stars Tanner
Supply: Common
Staffs the Tannery. Can also craft leather armor
Master Builder and other leather items. A Tanner’s crafting
rolls succeed automatically, with one success.
The Master Builder can build functions in the
Salary: 2 Stars
stronghold, so you don’t have to do it
Supply: Uncommon
yourselves. The Master Builder has the Builder
talent and access to all of the building tools. Tailor
The Master Builder automatically succeeds at
Staffs the Tailor Shop. Can also sew clothes and
building a function. No dice are rolled.
other items made from cloth. A Tailor’s
Salary: 2 Moons
crafting rolls succeed automatically, with one
Supply: Uncommon
success.
Miller Salary: 2.5 Stars
Supply: Common
Staffs the Mill.
Salary: 2 Stars Wagoneer
Supply: Common
Drives a trade wagon. Can also fight in a pinch
Miner but wants guards with him.
Quarry Worker
Smith
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