Choose a size for your stronghold. A stronghold’s basic cost is **1 gold piece per square foot for a building, or 500 gold pieces per acre for a rural stronghold**. Strongholds of grade 7 and higher are usually out of the reach of most adventurers. The size is the overall “footprint” or total space occupied by your stronghold. You can choose how much of it is physical structures and how much is external grounds such as gardens and courtyards. ### The Size Matters Because-- - Some [[Stronghold Types]] have minimum size requirements, but otherwise the Type does not dictate the Size - The size of the stronghold (aka "Grade") provides a base Cost (**you should start tracking what you want to add now**) - The size determines if your associated ability score increases, and by how much. See the individual entry for your chosen [[Stronghold Types]] to see the Size requirements for 1 ability point increase, or for 2! - The size contributes to number of staff (which determines the number of free [[00-Balance Of Powers/3-Mechanics/4-Equipment/Followers/Followers|Followers]]) - The size determines the number of garrisons. If you want a Garrison to defend it (including while you're away), the garrison size is 1/2 the staff size (see prior bullet). ### Typical Examples Of course a luxurious house that’s tens of thousands of square feet in size is likely called something else (like a manor, mansion, or palace), larger castles include keeps, fortresses, and citadels, great temples include cathedrals and basilicas, and after acquiring students a library that has expanded from a humble room into a sprawling structure might be called a school. **A stronghold’s size (no matter what it is called) does not change its stronghold type.** ### Buildings These strongholds are primarily structures, although they may include land. You decide how much of the space you’ve paid for is part of the building and how much is external grounds and gardens. When purchasing a building use the Building Area column of Table: Stronghold Size. ### Rural Some strongholds, such as farms, encampments, and groves, are not primarily based upon a structure. These strongholds tend to be larger than those based upon buildings, with expanses of open land. When purchasing a rural stronghold, use the Rural Area column of Table: Stronghold Size. Rural strongholds may include frugal structures such as barns or tents, and a single dwelling such as a farmhouse. These structures do not cost extra and are not considered sub-strongholds. If a stronghold is a rural stronghold, this is noted in its description. ### Stronghold Size Table | Grade | Building Area | Rural Area | Typical Examples | | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | 100–1,000 square feet (about 25 feet × 25 feet) | 1–5 acres | Cave Goblin Lair, City Bolthole, General Store | | 2 | 1,001–5,000 square feet (about 50 feet × 50 feet) | 5–10 acres | Archives of Elucidation, Halfling Shire Home, Horse King’s Meadhall | | 3 | 5,001–10,000 square feet (about 85 feet × 85 feet) | 11–20 acres | Broken Bottle Tavern, Elven Noble’s Refuge, Floating Wonder Isles, Healer’s Temple | | 4 | 10,001–25,000 square feet (about 130 feet × 130 feet) | 21–60 acres | Gray Mage’s Tower, Village Farm | | 5 | 25,001–50,000 square feet (about 195 feet × 195 feet) | 61–120 acres | Monastery of the Two Winds, Thief King’s Guildhouse | | 6 | 50,001–100,000 square feet (about 275 feet × 275 feet) | 121–250 acres | Dwarven Gold Foundry, Wilverley Castle | | 7 | 100,001–250,000 square feet (about 420 feet × 420 feet) | 251–600 acres | Minas Curath | | 8 | 250,001+ square feet (more than 500 feet × 500 feet) | 601+ acres | Forest Queen’s Sanctuary | Once you've determined a target Size for your stronghold, proceed to... ### --> Step 3: Choose Any [[Unusual Features]]