Home Security Systems?

[Tyger]

My character (a bard with a taste for the finer things in life) in an ongoing game has just purchased a house (sunk about 10K into a nice one, along with a staff of untrained and trained servants) and is looking forward to having a place to call "home" after months of just traipsing through hell's half acre (including the Tomb of Horrors, whew!).

My DM, when he approved the purchase, casually asked what magical defences it would have. I explained that there were none at this time, but that I anticipated, if we kept going the way we are, that I would build upon the house over time.

Which got me thinking... if you aren't a crafter, so no homunculi for you, and don't want huge lumbering (and darned expensive!) golems scattered about the house, what do you do to protect / enhance an otherwise mundane home? Our campaign is fairly high magic, and we're in a major metropolis at the moment (which will be the location of the house) and we're level 13 at the moment. The expectation is that the campaign will continue until Epic levels eventually (its been going on for 2 years RL now).

So, TL;DR version, how do you permanently beef up the defences of a house?

[Johel]

My character (a bard with a taste for the finer things in life) in an ongoing game has just purchased a house (sunk about 10K into a nice one, along with a staff of untrained and trained servants) and is looking forward to having a place to call "home" after months of just traipsing through hell's half acre (including the Tomb of Horrors, whew!).

My DM, when he approved the purchase, casually asked what magical defences it would have. I explained that there were none at this time, but that I anticipated, if we kept going the way we are, that I would build upon the house over time.

Which got me thinking... if you aren't a crafter, so no homunculi for you, and don't want huge lumbering (and darned expensive!) golems scattered about the house, what do you do to protect / enhance an otherwise mundane home? Our campaign is fairly high magic, and we're in a major metropolis at the moment (which will be the location of the house) and we're level 13 at the moment. The expectation is that the campaign will continue until Epic levels eventually (its been going on for 2 years RL now).

So, TL;DR version, how do you permanently beef up the defences of a house?

http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/traps.htm
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/traps.htm#magicDeviceTrapCost
If it is indeed a high magic setting, you shouldn't have too much problem to find a wizard to do the job.
If your party has a wizard, he should gladly accept in exchange for something else.

Put an autoreset trap of Summon Monster VII that summons 1 Avoral every round.
Your house should be safe.

[Etrivar]

Create a genus loci.

[Tyger]

Yeah, magic traps are a good place to start, and I think that certain areas of the house will include something like that.

I am thinking that an epic ooze, creation and control issues aside, might get the city rulers just a tad upset, so that's an interesting, but rather unhelpful, suggestion. :smallbiggrin:

And constructs or other guards that would work well? Animated skeletons are possibilities, but they're a touch too "icky" for my socially climbing (though evil) bard to have hanging around his nice home.

[IthroZada]

Breed Shocker Lizards, and let them live in your yard. At least six of them. One of the books actually mentions them as being a known security system. Plus, they make awesome pets.

[Jack_Simth]

Yeah, magic traps are a good place to start, and I think that certain areas of the house will include something like that.

I am thinking that an epic ooze, creation and control issues aside, might get the city rulers just a tad upset, so that's an interesting, but rather unhelpful, suggestion. :smallbiggrin:

And constructs or other guards that would work well? Animated skeletons are possibilities, but they're a touch too "icky" for my socially climbing (though evil) bard to have hanging around his nice home.
Animate Objects (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateObjects.htm) is on the Bard list, and Permanency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm) can be gotten via UMD and scrolls.

Scrolls of Simulacrum (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/simulacrum.htm) can do some funky stuff, too.

[Johel]

Charm Monster (3rd level spell for Bards)
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend


You can be away for 26 days and still have the monster under your influence.
For the next step, go for Dominate Person (4th level spell for Bards).

[Quietus]

Charm Monster (3rd level spell for Bards)
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend


You can be away for 26 days and still have the monster under your influence.
For the next step, go for Dominate Person (4th level spell for Bards).

Dominate Person has the added benefit of being able to receive sensory input from them, as their minds interpret it. If you're Lawful, hire people and make it explicitly clear that they will be placed under a Dominate spell, but only for that one purpose. If you're not, then just Dominate some hobos and clean them up before putting them to work. It's not perfect, as you don't see through their eyes for example, but it's an interesting application of the spell, and I could see an Evil person being willing to do such a thing.

[crazyhedgewizrd]

wasnt there hedge creatures in one of monster manuals.

[aquaticrna]

you're thinking of topiary guardians MM 2 or 3... can't remember

[Jack_Simth]

Dominate Person has the added benefit of being able to receive sensory input from them, as their minds interpret it. If you're Lawful, hire people and make it explicitly clear that they will be placed under a Dominate spell, but only for that one purpose. If you're not, then just Dominate some hobos and clean them up before putting them to work. It's not perfect, as you don't see through their eyes for example, but it's an interesting application of the spell, and I could see an Evil person being willing to do such a thing.Do note that bards are be definition nonlawful if they continue to advance as bards....

[Gamer Girl]

Mundane:All the normal things such as walls, hills, ditches, plant life. Lead blocks plenty of spells, so you could line at least important places with it. Putting several locks on each door and putting several doors in each location. Making the house out of multiple materials and layered. Having walls of brick and wood, for example. Having windows too small to climb through. Place gravel around the house as it makes more noise to walk on it then dirt does. Keep the lay out of the house as secret as possible. Also change the lay out of the rooms, to foil teleports.

Dogs alone make good guards, keep some in the yard at all times. Plus you can get your hands on any other number and type of creatures. Plenty can be trained to be guards. Others can just be captured and let to roam free as needed. And don't forget plants. You can spice up the yard with all types of plants, plus have them inside the house.

Check with your DM about substances that can be used for protection.

Magical:Dozens of spells can be cast. Just on the bard list alone:Alarm, magic mouth, hallucinatory terrain, mirage arcana, permanent image, animate objects, programed image. plus all the standard abjurations and protections.

Plus magical items, of course. And magical monsters. And plant monsters. There are plenty of cheap constructs too.

You might look into covering the whole house with an anti magic field.

[IthroZada]

And just a thought, the Stronghold Builder's Guide might just possibly have a few bits on protecting your home from invasion.

[Yora]

Create a genus loci.

So that there's always someone under your bed and in your bathroom? Always watching you? :smallbiggrin:

[Saintheart]

Un/hallow + Dispel Magic over the doorways?

[Tyger]

There are plenty of cheap constructs too.

Which ones? My search-fu seems weak, or I'm not looking in the right books. :smallsmile:


For the next step, go for Dominate Person (4th level spell for Bards).


Dominate Person has the added benefit of being able to receive sensory input from them, as their minds interpret it. If you're Lawful, hire people and make it explicitly clear that they will be placed under a Dominate spell, but only for that one purpose. If you're not, then just Dominate some hobos and clean them up before putting them to work. It's not perfect, as you don't see through their eyes for example, but it's an interesting application of the spell, and I could see an Evil person being willing to do such a thing.

Damned fine idea, and one which I'll be using immediately.

[Gamer Girl]

Which ones? My search-fu seems weak, or I'm not looking in the right books. :smallsmile:


Iron Cobra(FF)
Necrophidius(FF)
Clockroach(MM IV)
Clockwork Steed(MM IV)
Shardsoul Slayer(MM V)
Elder Eidolon(LoM)
Crawling Claws(Lost Empires of Faerun)
Helmed Horror(Lost Empires of Faerun)

The Cloth Golem found here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41857

Miniature Golems http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118537