Using the SBG for some construction projects.

[Kizara]

So, my current character is a baron who is looking to do some domestic construction. Following this, I have worked out a bunch of things with the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook (3.X DnD) and would invite critique by others.

Also, people are welcome to share their own creations using the book and I have a couple questions of the gallery.

Watch Tower:

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{table]Component |Amount|Size in SS|Total Cost
Barracks |1|1|400
Guard Post|1|0.5|300
Servants Quarters|1|1|400
Kitchen, Basic|1|1|2,000
Total Component Cost|-|3.5|3,100[/table]


Material:

Exterior (80%): Superior Masonry
Interior (20%): Wood
Cost per SS: 2,500
Total SS: 3.5
Total Cost for material: 8,750

Extras:

Surcharge for Guard Post 30ft high: 400
Iron Door with Good lock: 380
Good Wooden Door with Average lock: 60
Iron Bars Window: 60
Arrow Slit x8: 240
Crenellation of top of tower: Free
Total Extra Costs: 1,140

Total Unmodified Cost: 12,990

Situational Modifiers:

Hill Terrain: -5%
Large Town 17-48 Miles away: +2%
Natural Feature that Impedes Normal Movement: +2%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -11%

Total Modified Cost: 11,561.10

Port:

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Basic Docks|5|5|2,500
Extended Docks|1| 2|3,000
Barracks|1|1|400
Guard Tower Cluster|2|1|800
Basic Storage|10|10|2,500
Fancy Storage|2|2|2,000
Basic Office|1|0.5|400
Basic Tavern|1|1|900
Total Component Cost|-|22.5|12,500 [/table]


Material:

Exterior (50%): Masonry
Interior (50%): Wood
Cost per SS: 1,500
Total SS: 22.5
Total Cost for material: 33,750

Extras:

Strong Wooden Door with Good lockx3: 360
(office, x2 fancy storage)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x8: 480
(x5 basic storage, x2 guard towers, barracks)
Iron Bars Window x8: 480
(x7 storage and fancy storage, office)
Arrow Slit x2: 60
(x2 guard tower)
Crenellation of top of tower: Free
Total Extras Cost: 1,380

Total Unmodified Cost: 47,630

Situational Modifiers:

Plains Terrain: -5%
Large Town 1-16 miles away: +0%
Natural Feature that Impedes Normal Movement: +2%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -13%

Total Modified Cost: 41.438.10

Hill Keep, Garrison, Exterior Wall and Mining Town Infrastructure:

Garrison

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Army Base Cluster|1|29|24,000
Calvary Base Cluster|1|45|40,000
Guard Post (60ft tall tower)|1|0.5|400
Basic Smithy|1|1|500
Basic Workplace (fletcher)|1|1|500
Basic Chapel|4|4|4,000
Basic Office|1|0.5|400
Basic Tavern|1|1|900
Total Component Cost|-|82|70,700 [/table]


Material:

Exterior (40%): Masonry
Interior (60%): Wood
Cost per SS: 1,300
Total SS: 82
Total Material Cost: 106,600

Extras:

Surcharge for Guard Post 60ft high: 6,500
Strong Wooden Door with Good lock: 120
(watch tower)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x3: 180
(office, smithy, fletcher)
Total Extras Cost: 6,800

Total Unmodified Cost: 184,100

Mining Town Infrastructure

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Guard Tower Cluster|10|5|4,000
Basic Storage|10|10|2,500
Basic Office|3|1.5|1,200
Fancy Courtyard (town square)|2|2|12,000
Fancy Chapel (abbey)|3|6|18,000
Total Component Cost|-|24.5|37,700 [/table]


Material:

Exterior (50%): Masonry
Interior (50%): Wood
Cost per SS: 1,500
Total SS: 24.5
Total Material Cost: 36,750

Extras:

Strong Wooden Door with Good lock x2: 240
(abbey, office)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x15: 900
(guard towers x10, storage x5)
Iron Bars Window x7: 420
(storage x5, office x2)
Arrow Slit x10: 300
(guard towers x10)
Stained Glass, Fancy x5: 3000
(abbey x5)
Good shutters x5: 75
(abbey x5)
Crenellation of top of guard towers: Free
Total Extras Cost: 4,935

Total Unmodified Cost: 79,385

Keep

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Cheap Keep Premade|1|28|70,000*
Basic Throne Room|1|1|2,000
Basic Common Area|3|3|1,500
Basic Chapel|1|1|1,000
Storage|5|5|1,250
Total Component Cost|-|38|5,750+70,000 [/table]

*Includes materials and extras costs.


Materials:

Exterior (50%): Masonry
Interior (50%): Wood
Cost per SS: 1,500
Total SS: 10
Total Additional Material Cost: 15,000

Total Unmodified Cost: 90,750

Situational Modifiers:

Hill Terrain: -5%
Large Town 49-112 miles away: +4%
Natural Feature that Impedes Normal Movement: +2%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -9%

Total Modified Costs:
Garrison: 167,531
Minning Town Infrastructure: 66,666.60
Exterior Wall:
Keep: 90,750

Note: We decided that wood should cost half price aboveground instead of being free, since its hardly a free resource. This is reflected in the materials cost.
Also, we decided to treat the situational modifiers somewhat differently, since I already own the land and circumstances like being near a potential mine doesn't magically make things more expensive to build (I will have to build the mine infrastructure as well, afterall) or being near monsters magically cheaper (if anything it should be more expensive from additional security or loses from said monsters).


Now, I reiterate that people are welcome to post their own creations. Also, I have the following questions:

1) The only reference to bridges in the entire book is a single line saying "a typical bridge costs 5,000gp to build" and a referance to drawbridges. Now, for the bridge I am making 5k is actually about right (its a pretty small stone bridge), but I am annoyed at the lack of rules for bridge work, as 5k wouldn't even start to cover a larger project or one made out of more exotic materials. Has anyone made up some or can give some insight into what bridge-building rules might look like?

2) Anyone have any idea about the costs of paving a road medieval-style? How about if there already is an established dirt road?

3) Anyone have any idea about how big (length not height) the wall should be in the big town project I have here? It needs to include a large town very comfortably, the keep, and the 2 army base garrison. I intend to make it 20ft tall and out of superior masonry (its already on a tall plateau, so it doesn't need a huge wall).

[Kizara]

No takers eh? Noone else has done anything with the SBG or wants to comment on my work?

[Hairb]

According to a much loved childhood book of mine, Romans built paved roads like this:

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So you'd need to quarry three or four different kinds of material, dig trenchs and cut paving stones. I would try pricing it as 20% of very long, thin wall, with discounts for nearby quarries of various sorts and/or access to earth spells.

Apparently, Roman ruins got torn down for paving stones in Victorian times. If you have ruins, dungeons etc. nearby, they could be a very cheap source of pre-cut stone. Practically free, in fact.

Hope this helps. SBG is a fun book, in my opinion.

Edit: 20% of a long thin wall is perhaps a little more reasonable.

[Kizara]

According to a much loved childhood book of mine, Romans built paved roads like this:

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So you'd need to quarry three or four different kinds of material, dig trenchs and cut paving stones. I would try pricing it as 20% of very long, thin wall, with discounts for nearby quarries of various sorts and/or access to earth spells.

Apparently, Roman ruins got torn down for paving stones in Victorian times. If you have ruins, dungeons etc. nearby, they could be a very cheap source of pre-cut stone. Practically free, in fact.

Hope this helps. SBG is a fun book, in my opinion.

Edit: 20% of a long thin wall is perhaps a little more reasonable.

Thank you so much for the input!

No ruins that I know of, but I am developing some quarries for all my projects.

Really appreciate the insight into the road paving. Got any similar ideas for bridge work? How about domestic water systems, canals or aqueducts?

[Hairb]

Thank you so much for the input!

No ruins that I know of, but I am developing some quarries for all my projects.

Really appreciate the insight into the road paving. Got any similar ideas for bridge work? How about domestic water systems, canals or aqueducts?

A bridge might cost 3x what a road of that length and material would cost, or 4x if it is a drawbridge, turntable or similar. Modifiers include: calmness, depth and tidal variation of river being crossed; existence of prior fording points, danger level of region (nobody wants to be the sucker driving piles into a lizardman infested bayou, for instance, fending of stirges and dire crocodiles at every turn.)

An aqueduct would most likely cost as much as a wall of commensurate length, due to the necessity for feats of architectural daring-do. The Beloved Childhood Book (The Ancient World by PJ Larkin, published in 1971 and purchased at the Book Exchange for $2 many, many years later) suggests a fall of 6" per 100' and notes that Roman aqueducts could carry water 30 to 60 miles, including through hills and over steep valleys. Amazing, huh? I would apply all the usual modifiers for proximity of materials and so on, plus price increases for building over rugged terrain.

[Kizara]

Ok, I've come up with something partly based on and mainly inspired by your input.

Here we are:

Alternate Construction Rules


Bridges:

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1) Calculate as if the cost of a freestanding wall of the appropriate type of materials.

2) Add in a surcharge if the bridge is more than XX(suggestions?) feet long.

3) Add in a surcharge for every section of the bridge more then 6ft deep, as shown below.

4) Add in modifiers.

Note: This assumes you are making a bridge slightly above the level of the water. For bridges that span gorges or are otherwise very high, use an alternate system.


{table]Depth|Surcharge
7-10ft|50
11-20ft|200
21-30ft|500
31-40ft|2,000
Per additional +10ft|Add +2,000 to Adjustment [/table]




{table]Situation|Modifier
River is relatively calm and slow moving.|+0%
River is moderately choppy or swift moving.|+2%
River is quite choppy, posses many undercurrents and is swift moving.|+4%
River is a raging white rapids strewn with debris.|+6-8%
Pre-existing Ford|-5% [/table]

Roads:

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1) Calculate the cost of the road as 20% of a freestanding wall of that material.

2) Add in modifiers.


{table]Situation|Modifier
Hilly Terrain|+5%
Mountainous Terrain (mountain pass present)|+10%
Mountainous Terrain (no pass present)|+50%
Swampy or otherwise overly wet terrain.|+15%
Desert Terrain|+15%
Forest Terrain|+5%
Underground (tunnel, note that charges for building below 10ft still apply)|+10%
Exotic Terrain|+20-50%
Paving existing Dirt roads|-10%
Plains, Grasslands or otherwise very flat terrain|-5% [/table]

[TheThan]

For land close to monsters, it would be cheaper to buy the land (which said monsters might take offense to) since nobody wants to live by monsters. However the cost of maintaining the land would be what increases. So the initial cost would be cheaper but the long-term cost would be more costly. This is assuming fair property taxes (if you have that sort of thing).

[Hairb]

For land close to monsters, it would be cheaper to buy the land (which said monsters might take offense to) since nobody wants to live by monsters. However the cost of maintaining the land would be what increases. So the initial cost would be cheaper but the long-term cost would be more costly. This is assuming fair property taxes (if you have that sort of thing).

But if you already own the land, as in this example, then while it would be low value, it would cost more to develop.

[Kizara]

But if you already own the land, as in this example, then while it would be low value, it would cost more to develop.

Unless you go out and kill all the monsters, which is of course the only sensible solution. :)

What do you think of my expanded rules that you helped inspire?

[Kizara]

Some new stuff I've cooked up/am working on:

Home Keep Additions:

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Fancy Bedroom Suite|1|1|5,400
Fancy Study|2|2|5,800
Fancy Library|1|1|3,400
Fancy Baths|1|1|2,400
Fancy Stables|1|1|3,000
Basic Trophy Hall|1|1|1,000
Basic Storage|8|8|2,000
Fancy Storage|1|1|1,400
Prison Cell|2|1|1,000
Total Component Cost|-|17|25,400 [/table]



Materials:

Exterior (60%): Masonry
Interior (40%): Masonry
Cost per SS: 500
Total SS: 17
Total Material Cost: 8,500


Extras:

Strong Wooden Door with Good lock x8: 960
(study x2, fancy storage, trophy hall, bedroom suite, prison cell x2, stables)
Good Shutters x5: 75
(study x2, library, baths, stables)
Basic Book Lot x2: 2,000
(History, General Knowledge)
Strong Shutters x1: 50
(fancy bedroom suite)
Crenellation of top of keep: Free
Total Extras Cost: 3,085

Total Unmodified Cost: 36,985

Situational Modifiers:

Plains Terrain: -5%
Small Town <1 Mile away: +0%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -15%

Total Modified Cost: 31,467.25

Quarry Town Infrastructure

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Guard Tower Cluster|4|2|3,200
Barracks|8|8|3,200
Basic Armory|1|1|500
Inn Cluster|1|16|13,050
Dinning Hall|1|2|2,000
Total Component Cost|-|29|19,950[/table]


Materials:

Exterior (50%): Masonry
Interior (50%): Masonry
Cost per SS: 250
Total SS: 29
Total Material Cost: 7,250


Extras:

Strong Wooden Door with Good lock x1: 120
(Inn front door)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x2: 80
(army barracks, armory)
Good Shutters x11: 165
(Inn rooms, tavern)
Crenellation of top of all buildings: Free
Total Extras Cost: 365

Total Unmodified Cost: 27,565
Total Unmodified Cost (sans Inn): 10,515

Situational Modifiers:

Hills Terrain: -5%
Natural Feature that Impedes Normal Movement: +2%
Large Town 49-112 miles away: +4%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -9%

Total Modified Cost: 25,084.15
Total Modified Cost (sans Inn): 9,568.65

Grand Market:

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Basic Shops|20|20|8,000
Fancy Shops|10|10|40,000
Luxury Shops|2|2|32,000
Fancy Office|1|1|2,000
Basic Tavern|4|4|3,600
Fancy Tavern|3|3|12,000
Luxury Tavern|1|1|20,000
Basic Kitchen|4|4|4,000
Fancy Kitchen|3|3|36,000
Luxury Kitchen|1|2|50,000
Fancy Storage|5|5|5,000
Basic Storage|10|10|2,500
Fancy Workplace|4|4|8,000
Fancy Smithy|2|2|4,000
Fancy Courtyard|10|10|60,000
Barracks|7|7|2,400
Fancy Chapel (abbey)|3|6|18,000
Guard Tower Cluster|6|6|4,800
Prison Cells|2|1|1,000
Total Component Cost|-|101|313,300[/table]



Materials:

Exterior (40%): Superior Masonry
Interior (60%): Masonry
Cost per SS: 540
Total SS: 101
Total Material Cost: 54.540


Extras:

Stone Door with Amazing Lock x2: 900
(luxury shops x2)
Strong Wooden Door with Good lock x30: 3,600
(fancy shops x10, fancy office, fancy tavern x3, luxury tavern, fancy storage x5, fancy workplace x4, fancy smithy x2, barracks x2, abbey, prison cells)
Total Extras Cost:

Total Unmodified Cost:

Situational Modifiers:
Plains Terrain: -5%
Small City <1 Mile away: +3%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -12%

Total Modified Cost:

Grand Cathedral:

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Luxury Chapel|9|27|225,000
Luxury Study|1|1.5|15,000
Luxury Library|2|4|30,000
Luxury Storage|1|1|3,000
Fancy Museum|1|1|6,000
Servants Quarters|5|5|2,000
Fancy Bedrooms|4|4|20,000
Barracks|4|4|1,600
Fancy Baths|1|1|2,000
Total Component Cost|-|45.5|304,200[/table]



Materials:

Exterior (40%): Reinforced Masonry
Interior (60%): Superior Masonry
Cost per SS: 720
Total SS: 48.5
Total Material Cost: 34,920

Extras:

Strong Wooden Door with Amazing Lock x2: 380
(Entrance double doors)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x2: 120
(servant quarters, barracks)
Good Shutters x15: 225
Master Book Lot x1: 20,000
(Religion)
Comprehensive Book Lot x2: 10,000
(Nobility, the Planes)
Deluxe Stained Glass Windows x4: 12,000
Total Extras Cost: 42,725

Total Unmodified Cost: 381,845

Situational Modifiers:
Plains Terrain: -5%
Large City 1-16 Miles away: +3%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -12%

Total Modified Cost: 336,023.60

Academy:

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Fancy Alchemical Lab|2|2|6,000
Basic Storage|40|40|4,000
Rogue Training Area|1|1|2,000
Basic Study|10|10|2,000
Fancy Study|1|1|2,500
Basic Bedrooms|15|15|10,500
Basic Bedroom Suite|1|1|800
Basic Library|10|10|5,000
Basic Common Area|4|4|1.600
Basic Dinning Hall|1|1|2,000
Basic Kitchen|8|8|2,000
Basic Workplace|20|20|1,400
Fancy Workplace|2|2|4,000
Total Component Cost|-|115|43,800[/table]


Materials:
Exterior (40%): Masonry
Interior (60%): Masonry
Cost per SS: 500
Total SS: 115
Total Material Cost: 57,500

Exterior Wall:



Extras:


Total Extras Cost:

Total Unmodified Cost:

Situational Modifiers:
Plains Terrain: -5%
Large Town 1-16 Miles away: +0%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -15%

Total Modified Cost:

Grand Amphitheatre

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{table]Component|Amount|SSes|Total Cost
Luxury Auditorium|10|10|100,000
Fancy Storage|2|2|2,000
Fancy Dinning Hall|5|5|60,000
Fancy Kitchen|7|7|84,000
Luxury Tavern|2|2|40,000
Total Component Cost|-|26|286,000[/table]


Materials:

Exterior (50%): Superior Masonry
Interior (50%): Superior Masonry
Cost per SS: 600
Total SS: 26
Total Material Cost: 15,600


Extras:

Stone Doorx2 with Amazing Lock: 250
(Auditorium main double doors)
Strong Wooden Door with Good lock x3: 360
(dinning hall, tavern x2)
Good Wooden Door with Average lock x4: 240
(kitchens)
Good Shutters x20: 300
Deluxe Stained Glass Windows x6: 18,000
Total Extras Cost: 19,150

Total Unmodified Cost: 320,750

Situational Modifiers:

Plains Terrain: -5%
Large City 17-48 miles away: +1%
Free Land: -10%
Modifier total: -14%

Total Modified Cost: 275,845