Stronghold Builders guide.

[Lentrax]

So, following the rules and costs in the SBG, I have 126000 gp to spend on construction. What kind of stronghold can I build? How big can it be? What can I actually afford?

[Morcleon]

So, following the rules and costs in the SBG, I have 126000 gp to spend on construction. What kind of stronghold can I build? How big can it be? What can I actually afford?

Depends on what you want it for. If you're building a primarily thematic castle-type, you can easily get to about 25 stronghold spaces by spending 5kgp per space. However, if you're looking for something defensible from even somewhat optimized D&D characters/monsters/armies, you'd only realistically be able to do about 1/2 of a stronghold space, less if it's a higher optimization to defend against. You can somewhat bypass this size limitation by placing enveloping pits to expand the interior size.

[ExLibrisMortis]

SBG rules are, at the best of times, wonky. Most things you can get are way, way overpriced, but some things are hilariously profitable (sources of income, most notably).

If you want a castle, I suggest designing something unrelated to the SBG, then assigning stronghold spaces based on how much you have to spend, and involve your DM in that process (which is going to happen sooner or later anyway).

[Fizban]

First thing you learn is that as cool as it is to have rules for building things, you can't build anything without a goal. As mentioned you can get a pretty sizeable amount of mundane real estate, but if you're looking for self-sustaining magical defenses you've got a few rooms at most.

[Lentrax]

Right, well this is supposed to be my own personal keep. I will be receiving funds to expand later, but right now I am wondering if I can build something practical and that will be expandable later on without incurring too much of a cost.

[Ruethgar]

Holes of Hiding are quite practical. Only Transdimentional spells and Wish can breach it, so you only have to defend the 5ft square. They can technically hold an infinite amount of non-person entities. Person is never specifically defined in D&D, but the Person spells give a good indication, and the RL definitions are almost exclusively human. After that, use your imagination.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

SBG rules are, at the best of times, wonky. Most things you can get are way, way overpriced, but some things are hilariously profitable (sources of income, most notably).

If you want a castle, I suggest designing something unrelated to the SBG, then assigning stronghold spaces based on how much you have to spend, and involve your DM in that process (which is going to happen sooner or later anyway).The SBG is for muggles. If you're a wizard, you can get almost everything in the SBG for free, extremely easily.

Spells are awesome like that.

Also, consider taking the Landlord feat for free money, even if you're a spellcaster; there are no limits on just what you can do with your stronghold, so feel free to build a small hut out of stone, enhance it as a psychoactive skin of proteus, and proceed to make a very expensive magic item out of it.

[hoverfrog]

I think you should plan out your finished stronghold and then cut it back to what you can afford now. Building a stronghold has traditionally been a work of years, sometimes even generations. If you envision a stonghold that costs 2 million gold then what will you need to build first? What can you afford to do without while you go about raising the rest of the money?

[khadgar567]

The SBG is for muggles. If you're a wizard, you can get almost everything in the SBG for free, extremely easily.

Spells are awesome like that.

Also, consider taking the Landlord feat for free money, even if you're a spellcaster; there are no limits on just what you can do with your stronghold, so feel free to build a small hut out of stone, enhance it as a psychoactive skin of proteus, and proceed to make a very expensive magic item out of it.
home can turn any monster that's odd

[MaxiDuRaritry]

home can turn any monster that's oddThink of it as a combination Transformer and Gundam.

[khadgar567]

Think of it as a combination Transformer and Gundam.
the only thing i can think of is making this thing my familiar

[MaxiDuRaritry]

the only thing i can think of is making this thing my familiarIt's a psychoactive skin; get yourself a familiar or psicrystal and have it wear the thing. The psicrystal would be especially useful, since you can not only turn it into animated objects and other constructs, but you can also channel your psionic powers through it. Build yourself a the big guy is with me character and while it fights, you're channeling eye lasers through it via Split Psionic Ray'd energy rays and whatnot.

You want Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? You've got it.

[khadgar567]

It's a psychoactive skin; get yourself a familiar or psicrystal and have it wear the thing. The psicrystal would be especially useful, since you can not only turn it into animated objects and other constructs, but you can also channel your psionic powers through it. Build yourself a the big guy is with me character and while it fights, you're channeling eye lasers through it via Split Psionic Ray'd energy rays and whatnot.

You want Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? You've got it.
my idea is more like keep my arse clean while resting while my familiar watches surrounding or easy travel via overland flight the familiar by share spells

[MaxiDuRaritry]

my idea is more like keep my arse clean while resting while my familiar watches surrounding or easy travel via overland flight the familiar by share spellsWell, you can turn it into a far more elaborate setup than the little shack you made out of a few wall of stone spells. The size of someone affected by metamorphosis is only capped for creatures it can turn into (because, y'know, most 7 or 8 HD creatures are not Colossal+ sized), but there's no limit on how big of an object you can make, and if you've got a good Craft modifier, you can make yourself a very nice keep or townhouse or whatever you like by turning your psicrystal into a very large and resplendent building, complete with built-in furniture.