Pricing a manor

[Braininthejar2]

So, my character, currently a duke, moved to a new city as part of the campaign, and much as he'd prefer to solve housing issues with magic, needed to buy an extravagant house to look the part.

Since the DM doesn't like too much maths, it was done as "local aristocrats trying to get the king's ear through me, offering a manor cheaply enough that it was covered from the duchy's reserves."

The thing is, my DM really didn't do the research. When asked what the manor looks like, (I wanted to do some redecorating) she sent me a couple of stock photos.

I searched around, trying to get a better idea, and discovered that she accidentally gave me Wayne manor.

https://i2-prod.nottinghampost.com/incoming/article2127052.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/191020_MW_-Wollaton-Hall-JPG.jpg

Does anyone hav a a good idea how big Wollaton Hall is (for map drawing purposes) and how much it should actually cost in D&D? (gardens excluded)

[Seerow]

https://me.me/i/home-of-the-batman-wayne-manor-valued-at-32-1-million-12547990

This article indicates that the manor is 42,500 square feet. That translates into about 106ss if you price it out with the stronghold builders guide it will vary a lot based on what you actually put in, what magic you can bring to bear to craft it, and where it's actually located, but I'd go with a low-ball estimate of 500kgp in value (if not actual cost to create)

[rel]

The SRD has rules for buying buildings. A mansion costs 100,000 GP.
I would add about 50% to the cost since it is a *nice* mansion.

[Braininthejar2]

Heh, managed to find the map of the ground floor

https://georgianera.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/wollaton-hall-plan.jpg?w=640&h=830

[Braininthejar2]

can anyone read the scale at the bottom of that picture?

[ExLibrisMortis]

I think it's ten feet for each bar, but I'm not sure. That'd put the mansion at about 150 feet to the side, which seems to fit the measurements of the great hall, which are "62 + 6" by "30 + 6" (not sure what the "+ 6" stands for).

[Braininthejar2]

That means I have half the rooms I need at twice the sizes, with few options to change them, because of load-bearing walls (especially the great hall, which extends all the way up through the roof)

https://i2-prod.nottinghampost.com/incoming/article2479662.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_IH-TEM-28012019_Wollaton_Hall_-15.jpg

So, it is 6 per 13 squares give or take?

[Elkad]

I think it's ten feet for each bar, but I'm not sure. That'd put the mansion at about 150 feet to the side, which seems to fit the measurements of the great hall, which are "62 + 6" by "30 + 6" (not sure what the "+ 6" stands for).

It's exactly that. 30'6", notated as 30•6

[ExLibrisMortis]

It's exactly that. 30'6", notated as 30•6
O, right. Feet and inches are a thing. Well, thanks for clearing that up :smalltongue:.

[Braininthejar2]

Now something that I could not find in the stronghold builder.

Heating. If I wanted to have the fireplaces replaced with a single big one in the basement, and a system of hot air pipes going through the floors (at least the stone ones on ground floor) how much would it cost me?

[Seerow]

Now something that I could not find in the stronghold builder.

Heating. If I wanted to have the fireplaces replaced with a single big one in the basement, and a system of hot air pipes going through the floors (at least the stone ones on ground floor) how much would it cost me?

Don't think that sort of thing really gets covered anywhere. With SBG the best way to do what you're looking for would be Magic. Wondrous Architecture of Endure Elements. Endure Elements is a 1st level spell with 24 hour duration, so Wondrous Architecture providing it would be (1*1*2000) [base] * .5 [24 hour duration spell * .5 [wondrous architecture] = 500gp per SS.

Going with my estimate above, you'd be looking at around 53,000gp to get magical heating installed for your entire manor.

[Fuzzy McCoy]

Alternately just say it has a hypocaust system. Then instead of wood for heating a permanent wall of fire does fine - the SBG even calls it out specifically for that purpose, under the useful spells section.

[Mr Adventurer]

Yeah, D&D by default isn't at that tech level.

[Braininthejar2]

Alternately just say it has a hypocaust system. Then instead of wood for heating a permanent wall of fire does fine - the SBG even calls it out specifically for that purpose, under the useful spells section.

How would you turn it off off-season? You could just blockthe air flow... but a closed space that endlessly generates heat somehow doesn't feel like a good idea.

[Fuzzy McCoy]

Yeah, D&D by default isn't at that tech level.

Did you mean more advanced? If so, I know Malbork Castle in Poland uses a hypocaust system for its heating, so the idea stuck around for a lot longer than the Roman era.

@Braininthejar2, it depends on where the manor is located. If it’s in a northern clime, it makes sense to run the system all year, since castles in those areas can still be pretty chilly inside when the outside temp is balmy. If we’re talking Middle East climate, a different system might be required.

Alternately planar binding a djinn for free firewood is one of the least broken uses of it and you get an awesome butler out of it.

[denthor]

Now something that I could not find in the stronghold builder.

Heating. If I wanted to have the fireplaces replaced with a single big one in the basement, and a system of hot air pipes going through the floors (at least the stone ones on ground floor) how much would it cost me?


The Romans had this remember the fire and the wood to burn, need to be named with servants.

In D&D you could very well get away with a fire elemental. You still need to negotiate the raw materials.

[atemu1234]

I'd do the heating myself, maybe bind a fire elemental to the furnace to be extra.