RPG: Build Your Strongholds Stronger – Strongholds and Streaming
Strongholds and Followers get a whole lot of attention in this new book, Kickstarting now!
One of my first memories of D&D was roving through the 2nd Edition revised players handbook and coming to the table where it talks about what kinds of followers you can get when you’re high enough level and build a stronghold. Something about those tables seemed to open up the world in a whole new way. There was something exciting about that idea. This aspirational drive to reach higher levels and to have a fortress or a wizard tower or whatever fueled many a character.
When Baldur’s Gate II came along and you could do exactly that–suffice it to say my mind was blown. There was a whole quest line that involved the Wizard getting an experimental “Planar Sphere” which took you across the planes, and was your base of operations–you could attract some minions that would brew potions. And years later, that moment stands out. It made me feel ownership of the world of the game. It gave me agency in a way I didn’t know I wanted.
So when I heard that Matt Coville was putting up a Kickstarter Campaign for a book dedicated to those kinds of momentas, I got a little giddy. There’s something about that play style that speaks to me–and given that the Kickstarter has raised $850k+ of the requested $50k in the there days it’s been out (at press time, anyway), it seems I’m not the only one hungering for this.
via Matt Coville
A hardcover book (or PDF!) for 5th Edition that gives your character something to spend their money on and extend their influence in the local area. Raise armies! Research spells! Spy on your enemies!
More than just a set of rules and charts, this book also describes a style of play that assumes your character becomes more interested in influencing the world around them. You’ll still adventure and fight monsters, but this supplement gives you tons of fun things to do during your downtime.
Maybe only one or two players in any group are interested in this sort of thing, but it only takes one character building a stronghold to radically change the nature of a campaign and introduce new narrative opportunities for DM and players alike! Huge new story opportunities arise! This book includes tons of examples for DMs to inspire them.
Suffice it to say, this is an incredibly cool Kickstarter. The stretch goals add more to the book, Coville has already raised enough for a new adventure that is sort of a how-to for the book. But then there’s the other big reward.
Five crystalline dragon types–gemstone dragons, representing the neutral grounds not covered by metallic or chromatic affiliation–will be getting miniatures. And these dragons look amazing!
But on top of all that, there’s all the stuff to just play with. Rules for Stronghold Actions (mirroring lair actions, but for PCs), new powers, special allies. It captures that 2nd Edition excitement with 5th Edition flair. Seriously, check this one out gang, it seems like a chapter worth really digging into. And with 26 days left in the Kickstarter, it’s only going to get more amazing. So get in while the getting is good.
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Happy adventuring!
