Your party was just awarded a run-down old castle by the king to do whatever you want with. It's very old, uninhabited for centuries, ruined and might or might not be haunted by a spirit of indeterminate origin. What is the most sensible way you would make use of this place?
>>47828007
Leave it dilapidated to use it as bait for wandering monsters, evil wizards and stuff to set up shop in so we can kill them, take their things and get xp.
>the entire dungeon is a trap for monsters
>>47828007
Well I mean where is it? Is the land fertile? Is it strategically important? Could we rig it up as a tourist trap?
I mean otherwise >>47828081 seems on the right track
>>47828007
I need an old priest, a young priest, a team of engineers and architects, and as many scrolls of Make Whole as they can carry.
>>47828007
Dig ditches and other earthworks. Presumably it's already defensively located. Ruins provide hardpoints to anchor defensive positions.
Disciplined gunnery means that this is probably going to be the best fort for hundreds of miles now.
Build a trade city around it, make money off of protection.
>>47828007
Turn it into the worlds first major airship port and build a trade city around it
>>47828007
Use as base of operations first, renovating as needed, but also hiring on new staff and parcelling it out to people who want to make a living of it in exchange for fealty under the party as lords of the castle and surrounding area. Parcel out land for farming, encourage merchants and trade to come through the area if you're on a high trafficked road, and generally make a working town of it. The surrounding wilderness can be exploited for resources as well, and hunting and gathering licenses can be issued to those who wish to pay for them, the number negotiated by a druid on retainer who can also serve as an extra line of security and someone to hunt illegal poachers.
Basically turn it into a steady cash and resource generator to fund your own small city, hiring enough administrative staff to help keep it running smoothly without you but still able to fund itself so you need not do any heavy lifting like gathering supplies and maintaining your equipment. Though stepping in and correcting it when needed does send a strong message and keeps people in line, though being harsh to the peasantry brings with it dissent. Loyalty can be won from love and fear, but which is better? Well, why not have both?
Step 1) Get our specialist on ghosts to confirm how haunted it is and weather or not we should be worried.
Step 2) Deal with ghost problem if necessary.
Step 3) Search for hidden rooms and traps
Step 4) Tell the party I have bricked up all the secret rooms and traps to prevent security problems while secretly installing my freedom fighter army's new HQ.
Step 5) Fill out new tax paperwork for registering this as our mercenary company's official head office.
>>47828601
> Get our specialist on ghosts
If you want to be a stickler about it, have the king (or his minister of war) remind them that a castle is a machine of war, and the king needs it operating within two years.
>give them a monthly budget
>give them opportunity to clear it out
>give them revealed secrets related to its past
>let them make decisions about what sort of fort it is
>let them deal with locals wanting to live nearby
>let them have whispers of an approaching threat, that the castle needs to be ready for
We already have one, can't the king grant us actual title to that?
I've started repairs on it, and have recruited some surrounding villagers to man it in order to protect themselves while we're away, but I'm afraid of some noble coming and scooping it out from under us.
First thing I would do is try to befriend the spirit. Hopefully we can get a cool ghost bro to hang out with. Only after that would I fix it up into a base of operations.
>>47828007
We won the campaign!
>>47828081
This is pretty much the entire concept of Dungeon Maker.
>>47828007
Get rid of it and forget it ever happend.
Try pushing against all the walls and bricks because you know these places usually have some caverns leading to a cove or a lich in the basement or something
The real estate in these lands is terrible
Just imagine how awesome rebuilding it, pacifying local spirits, taming monsters and discovering secret rooms would be. I would love such a 'plot hook'.
>>47828007
Whatever the castle dlc for oblivion was, I do that.
>>47832112
I like your thinking.
If spirit was the previous owner, bring a suit of full plate it can animate and set it up as the senschal / steward ( but only if the spirit is bro)
>>47828007
Renovate and turn it into a brothel.
>>47834021
>awesome
>rebuilding
Yes, roleplaying all the masonry, securing workers and materials is going to be sooo much fun. And it totally won't be a fetch quest if GM decide to weave a plot out of it.
>pacifying local spirits
Can be done with any spirits
>taming monsters
You mean killing?
>discovering secret rooms
You can do that without owning a ruin yourself. That's entire premise of gameplay in certain systems, you know?
>>47834133
Anon, I will give you a clue.
If a roof collapsed in a castle - you can't rebuild it. You just can't.
Didn't they do this in Pillars of Eternity and it was shit?
>>47834133
That's not a totally bad idea.
Run it as a classy establishment with wine and music and good food as extras.
Cleric knows cure disease so its going to be the cleanest establishment in the kingdom.
Use profits to hire skilled stone masons and craftsmen to renovate the rest of the castle.
If the land is good farm land offer it to any peasants of good reputation in exchange for a small percentage of what they make off of the land.
Always ensure that there is enough room in the fort for the surrounding peasantry to take refuge in should an invading army turn up. If the land is fertile and there was a castle it's probably safe to assume that the land was not abandoned willingly last time around.
Try and determine if ghost is ghost-bro or the ghost of Scumbag Steve. If Ghost Bro offer him a job of night watch man if he wants it or a gentle exorcism if he want to leave.
Give the castle a fresh new coat of paint
>>47834977
>Not a totally bad idea
>Renovate a fucking castle
>Instead of building an inn with more spare rooms
You need to be adult to post on this site. And only kids don't understand how funds are a limit.
Turn it into complete rubble, sell it as ready to use masonry material for locals.
>>47834871
They did this in Baldur's Gate 2 and it was shit.
>>47835262
>Trying to argue economics
>The party has a wizard
>Cool story bro
>>47828007
>sell off stone to local builders
>use some of stone and money to build nice house
>use land to grow grapes
>use dungeon as a barrel room
>>47828081
No No wait I have a better idea
Ok you let monsters move in
so adventurers come
And then you kill the adventurers and take THEIR stuff!
>>47832112
>be Ug, Orc Barbarian
>Ug sack stupid ruined castle ruled by stupid adventurer
>But stupid ghost who lives there also helps the Adventurer!
Ug mad for days let Ug tell you.
>>47834841
>I hate fun: The Post
>Do basic repairs so that major sections of the keep are habitable, exterior walls are mostly solid
>Offer an old friend lodging there in the capacity of a caretaker, or preferably a man who used to live there before it was a ruin
>Return there during winter, waiting until more favourable weather returns, bringing with you the year's loot haul and any cool outcasts who need somewhere to stay
>Call it "The Old Sea Keep"
>>47828081
Rent it out as a first level dungeon for starting adventurers, offer healing, dining and other services. Sell an entire adventure package to bored noblemen looking for thrills?Breed kobolds and goblins in a nearby camp to fill the ranks?
>>47835341
>In every single possible setting magic is all-powerful, everything-is-possible tool that is easy to wield, has no drawback, is widespread and socially accepted, all while being capable of moving mountains when asked
>>47835375
Not him, but he makes a bunch of good points. Especially the part about doing fetch quests.
But sure, I can get it and how this can be fun. After all, there are people who enjoy scatology
Add some electricity and make the whole castle fire proof
Is it near a road? Tourist Trap!
Make one wing into a museum filled with all the weird shit they found on their adventures. Have some rooms for rent so travelers can rest for the night, and a restaurant where they can buy overpriced meals. Hire actors to put on dramatic performances of your exploits in the courtyard, instal a pony ride, and make sure the only exit is through the gift shop.
>>47835984
No setting was specified for this thread.
So the answer is both yes and no until the nature of magic is clarified.
>>47828100
I doubt that land a point of any interest or importance would be abandoned for centuries.
>>47835984
That was not implied, even weakest form of magic can be used for exploiting economical loopholes.
>>47828926
It's a specialist on aliens. You're looking for these guys.Fuck you, Google, for giving me the new film in the results first.
>>47837860
Anything can be used to exploit economic loopholes if you're clever enough.
The opposite is also true.
>>47837860
There is a MASSIVE difference between "exploiting economical loopholes" and "funding reconstruction of a castle". I mean I can play three cards pretty well. That's pretty much what passes as "weakest form of magic". And I'm sure as hell I won't be able to fund anything more than rent for my living place with it.
>>47837890
It only happend because you ever searched for the new film and was part of the shitstorm around it.
Meanwhile, I never did and you know what? Only original film in results.
>>47838959
I know all that, and I don't see how this makes "Fuck Google" less appropriate. Plus I'd searched for original film before that thing was even announced, sa I should get that first.
