A Base of Operations vs. Glamping

[CelestialMagpie]

Hello forum!

I'm currently running a 3.5 campaign with some new players. It's been a fairly standard D&D campaign, and they're at 4th level now.

The party has decided that it wants a house/manor just outside the large city. They have not done a lot of traveling. There has been a lot to do in the area outside the city (on the fringe of a large dead-land area), though they look longingly at the maps I've given them, and want to travel.

I've read all the guides, so I'm not concerned about cost (not using magic, there are available homes in the city, and a local lord has space to rent), nor logistics. They understand that unless they go find an empty keep in the wilds that they will have to pay taxes because land is not free just outside an established large city (though it is cheaper than trying to rent a space in town). My concern is more about the whether I should discourage this group decision.

At 4th level, and given that they want to travel, is it wise to create a "base of operations?" That is ultimately what they want. I think it's the video games they're familiar with. You buy a house and store your stuff. Because they also want to keep their stuff, rather than sell everything. My gut reaction is to allow it - give them a basic manor, hire some staff to keep it clean, and then remind them that carting riches back home will be dangerous once their haversacks are full, especially if they take a ship somewhere far from their home.

I could use some advice. I'm used to parties constantly moving and sleeping in inns and outside. I've never had a group be so enthused by the idea of visiting the land/leasing building in the government/administrative district...

[VoxRationis]

Well, there's lots of fun adventures that can result from having a base. The primary downside, if any, is that it geographically limits how far your PCs will be inclined to roam. How much of the campaign have you planned, and would your currently-planned adventures take them across a wide area or a small one?

[zlefin]

I'm not really familiar with it; but I'd say let them have it. once they can teleport going back to store gear won't be a problem. the main question is whether their manor will be safe when they aren't there. I'd ask them whether they wnat to worry about that, and if not just dm fiat that it won't get stolen.

it seems rather harmless, and they can always decide to sell it later if they want.

[CelestialMagpie]

I have beginner "hooks" for each part of the world, technically, and I have a story arc for where they are which I've built up as they've stayed (had to do a few plot contrivances, but then again they're new and don't know better lol). They like the characters they've met in the city, and have actually let other, more traditional adventure/travel story hooks walk away in favor of staying where they are for the time being to explore more.

I know they'll push out eventually. I'm sort of on the fence about kicking them out of their safety nest (as it were) or letting them feather it.

Additional info: it's a mid-size port city, not a metropolis. I'm my mind, it maxes out at 6th level characters, as does that portion of the world.

[Blue Duke]

give them a base, see if you can convince them to form an adventurers guild or something out of it, when they hit 6th level have them start picking up aspiring adventurer types, that way when a big quest elsewhere comes along they can know their home is safe in the hands of the budding adventurers (who give them a small cut of their loot in exchange for letting them crash at the house). this also gives you later hooks if they take to the idea.....Team Noob 3 has been kidnapped/gone missing whole exploreing a tomb/abandoned mine/looking for a cult....better go rescue your apprentices !

Edit: it also gives you a plausible explination for where replacements come from if one of their characters should bite it....one of the noobs made it good and joined the main team.

[Strigon]

Hello forum!

I'm currently running a 3.5 campaign with some new players. It's been a fairly standard D&D campaign, and they're at 4th level now.

The party has decided that it wants a house/manor just outside the large city. They have not done a lot of traveling. There has been a lot to do in the area outside the city (on the fringe of a large dead-land area), though they look longingly at the maps I've given them, and want to travel.

I've read all the guides, so I'm not concerned about cost (not using magic, there are available homes in the city, and a local lord has space to rent), nor logistics. They understand that unless they go find an empty keep in the wilds that they will have to pay taxes because land is not free just outside an established large city (though it is cheaper than trying to rent a space in town). My concern is more about the whether I should discourage this group decision.

At 4th level, and given that they want to travel, is it wise to create a "base of operations?" That is ultimately what they want. I think it's the video games they're familiar with. You buy a house and store your stuff. Because they also want to keep their stuff, rather than sell everything. My gut reaction is to allow it - give them a basic manor, hire some staff to keep it clean, and then remind them that carting riches back home will be dangerous once their haversacks are full, especially if they take a ship somewhere far from their home.

I could use some advice. I'm used to parties constantly moving and sleeping in inns and outside. I've never had a group be so enthused by the idea of visiting the land/leasing building in the government/administrative district...

Regarding the bolded, absolutely not. It's your world, but it's the players' choice how to interact with it. Let them have their manor; it's what they want, and there's no reason they couldn't have one.

Whether it's wise or not is irrelevant. That's their problem. Your job is to make it fun and interesting. You not being familiar with a choice the players make is not a good reason to shut down that choice. If you're terribly worried about it, discuss with your players what they expect from having a house.
Just look at it as a new tool, for both you and them. They, obviously, have a place to bunker down if things get too hot, and a place where they have a certain amount of respectability - they're not the random adventurers who wandered into town one day, they're the rich, powerful young group who owns a house just outside town.
You, in return, get a new angle to approach stories from. Maybe their house is under siege, or the local mayor has been replaced by someone who's pressing them for exorbitant taxes, or it becomes haunted, or they find a squatter.

Be creative with it; that's the #1 rule of DMing. Think of how you can use this, because you definitely can. But also be aware of how it may change your players' behaviour, and plan accordingly.