Stronghold Builder's Guidebook (3e)
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Defenses Wrought of Mortar and Magic Heroes need impregnable fortresses to assault¸ wondrous towers to explore¸ and majestic castles to protect. This book is stocked with everything needed to design any fortified structure imaginable¸ including: Over 150 new magic items. More than two dozen magical augmentations for stronghold walls. Rules for magic portals¸ mobile strongholds¸ and trap creation. Five complete strongholds¸ including maps¸ ready for immediate use. Players and Dungeon Masters who want to create customized strongholds will find all the construction materials they need within these pages. To use this accessory¸ a player or Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook. Product History Stronghold Builder's Guidebook (2002)¸ by Matt Forbeck and David Noonan¸ is a sourcebook for D&D 3e. It was published in May 2002. Continuing the 3e Line. In the earliest days of D&D 3e (2000-2003)¸ Wizards of the Coast began publishing a series of brown-colored guidebooks¸ handbooks¸ and splatbooks intended for players - most of them trade paperbacks. Hero Builder's Guidebook (2000) was the first¸ but it was followed by many others¸ most of them in a series of paired class splatbooks (2001-2002). Stronghold Builder's Guidebook was the last of these softcover player's books - though it was followed by the hardcover Epic Level Handbook (2002) and Savage Species (2003) before 3e came to a close. A History of Strongholds. Strongholds had a long history in D&D¸ in large part due to the game's origins in miniatures wargaming. The first system for constructing strongholding appeared way back in OD&D (1974)¸ which included beautiful diagrams for building the major parts of a castle. Top-level fighters (9th level Lords) could become barons and collect 10 gold per inhabitant of their barony¸ while clerics got to build castles for half the cost thanks to help from the gods and earned double the income. Generally¸ the purpose of strongholds in OD&D was obvious: more loot! AD&D 1e (1977-1979) provided even more detailed rules for castle building¸ listing the individual cost of everything from arrow slits (3 gp) to stone gatehouses (2¸000 gp). More importantly¸ this new core rules revealed the two core purposes for strongholds in the AD&D game. First¸ they were a source of adventure¸ as players were required to clear the nearby wilderness to build a stronghold. Second¸ they were a source of NPCs¸ as they were required for ninth-level fighters (and certain other classes) to gather armies of followers - another element that was more important in the game's early days¸ nearer its miniature dawn. Shortly afterward¸ the second and third editions of Basic D&D (1981¸ 1983) provided their own interpretations of player strongholds. David Cook's Expert Set (1981) offered strongholds at ninth level¸ as usual; then Frank Mentzer's D&D Companion Rules (1984) took things to the next level by letting players rule over entire dominions - an idea that would later be repeated in AD&D's Birthright line (1995). In AD&D 2e (1989)¸ castle construction rules disappeared¸ but there was still plenty of needs for strongholds¸ as they were still required for bards¸ clerics¸ and fighters to attract followers. Though the rules for strongholds were scant in the core rules¸ DMGR2: The Castle Guide (1990) gave more details than ever. Much of the book focused on adapting the medieval milieu to D&D¸ but it also included a castle creation system and a section on unusual castles. Castle Sites (1995) then featured floorplans for seven more castles - making the 2e era (1989-2000) a great time for fans of strongholds. In D&D 3e (2000) strongholds were mostly gone¸ appearing only in a very short section on "other rewards". The Stronghold Builder'
Heroes need impregnable fortresses to assault¸ wondrous towers to explore¸ and majestic castles to protect. This book is stocked with everything needed to design any fortified structure imaginable.