Castle Characteristics

[DaimosofRedstone]

I had a little idea while riding my bicycle.
At the moment all Castles (what you bureaucrats know as 'Defense Holdings') are the same from a pure mechanics persepctive. Winterfell is Harrenhall is The Eyrie is Storm's End is Dragonstone, while they are vastly different in all other things.
I have toyed with giving the castles of House a bit more character for a while (up to an idea of making them something like almost PCs) and one small step in this direction are the Castle Characteristics.
The way i figured, you get one 'minor' characteristic for every ten points of Defense and 1 for every three (rounded up) age levels (Ancient, very old, old, etc.).
From Castle onwards on of these is changed into a major characteristic.
The Difference between minor and major CC (Castle Characteristics) is that minor CCs give minor mechanical boni, something like a +1b on some, mostly social, situations, while a major CC might influence the value of Ressources a House Fortune influences, a defense boni or something else.

Some sample CCs:

Minor

A place at the table for every guest
Your house lives by the notion that a stranger is a friend you have not met yet. Everybody who shows up at your castles gates can expect a warm meal and a place to sleep, every noble gets a place of honour. This practice has given your House a positive reputation with both the traveling folk (Mummers, Bards, Ministrels, etc.) and the occasional Hedge Knight. You get +1bonus dice when interacting social with those in these groups who know your reputation (even they have not necessarily profited from it themselves).

A Maze as big as a castle (small castle or bigger)
Your Holding was not build in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. Often the way that seems to be shortest leads to a dead end or goes somewhere else completly. Every member of your house gains +2 dice to sneak when trying to hiding or evading in your own castle.

Dread Reputation
Your castle was once the home to a famous or rather infamous ancestor. Somebody collecting heads, somebody skinning people, you get the drift. And people have not forgotten.
You get +1B to intimidation rolls with people who know about that Reputation (e.g. it would not work if your PCs is incognito).

[Cataphract]

I had a little idea while riding my bicycle.
At the moment all Castles (what you bureaucrats know as 'Defense Holdings') are the same from a pure mechanics persepctive. Winterfell is Harrenhall is The Eyrie is Storm's End is Dragonstone, while they are vastly different in all other things.
I have toyed with giving the castles of House a bit more character for a while (up to an idea of making them something like almost PCs) and one small step in this direction are the Castle Characteristics.
The way i figured, you get one 'minor' characteristic for every ten points of Defense and 1 for every three (rounded up) age levels (Ancient, very old, old, etc.).
From Castle onwards on of these is changed into a major characteristic.
The Difference between minor and major CC (Castle Characteristics) is that minor CCs give minor mechanical boni, something like a +1b on some, mostly social, situations, while a major CC might influence the value of Ressources a House Fortune influences, a defense boni or something else.

Some sample CCs:

Minor

A place at the table for every guest
Your house lives by the notion that a stranger is a friend you have not met yet. Everybody who shows up at your castles gates can expect a warm meal and a place to sleep, every noble gets a place of honour. This practice has given your House a positive reputation with both the traveling folk (Mummers, Bards, Ministrels, etc.) and the occasional Hedge Knight. You get +1bonus dice when interacting social with those in these groups who know your reputation (even they have not necessarily profited from it themselves).

A Maze as big as a castle (small castle or bigger)
Your Holding was not build in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. Often the way that seems to be shortest leads to a dead end or goes somewhere else completly. Every member of your house gains +2 dice to sneak when trying to hiding or evading in your own castle.

Dread Reputation
Your castle was once the home to a famous or rather infamous ancestor. Somebody collecting heads, somebody skinning people, you get the drift. And people have not forgotten.
You get +1B to intimidation rolls with people who know about that Reputation (e.g. it would not work if your PCs is incognito).

Hmm, that's really interesting! Takes out the blandness from castles. I'll be thinking up a few meself!

[DaimosofRedstone]

That would be very welcome, as well as comments on balancing. I think so far they balanced quite well (only 1b for Westeros-wide or even further, while +2d, a substantial bonus that would double the dice of an untrained character but only in the castle itself).

As for Major CCs i want something that makes a difference on the strategic level

Examples:

Im-PREG-nable
Your Castle lies in extremly difficult terrain. Whether it is mountains, or wetlands, a marsh or eternal snow or an island that is almost impossible to reach without losing half a fleet to cliffs, waves and your arrows.
I am stumped about the bonus though. I could either see an increase in the Defense stat or a bonus to Marksmanship attacks made against the slowly advancing enemy.

Representative
Whether your doing or an inheritance you castles interior is splendid. Tapestries, Myrish carpets, mementos from glorious moments of your houses' past, it is play to everyone that your house is to be taken seriously and destined for great honours.
I am torn between a bonus to Influence increases due to House Fortunes (though those get dull), a partly immunity to loses from House Fortunes (a die or a specific number gets substracted from the malus) or a hefty bonus to complex intrigues.

[trueform]

This sounds great.
Ars Magica has a similar idea in the covenants book, and it works pretty well. I can easily see this helping out on the setting/feeling part of SIFRP.

[DaimosofRedstone]

This sounds great.
Ars Magica has a similar idea in the covenants book, and it works pretty well. I can easily see this helping out on the setting/feeling part of SIFRP.

Can you give examples?

[trueform]

Here are some examples(loosley translated) from the Ars Magica Covenants book:
Minor Site hook: Road: The Castle is on an important mundane road, river og sea route, so that people often turn up at the castle bringing og causing stories.
Major Site boon: Natural Fortress: The castle is all but unassailable because of peculiar geography that limits attackers to a single line of advance.
Minor resident boon: Famous resident: A famous person is living in the castle causing travellers to seek him out for advice or entertainment.
Minor residents hook: Dumping ground: Many minor nobles have their older relatives retire to the castles fields, in exchange for political favors and payment. This may be due to tradition or healthy environment.

Note that the Ars magica and SIFRP are both oriented on high middle ages with some supernatural elements added. But the stories beeing told in ars and in Sifrp are very different and as such this supplement is not very usefull for SIFRP execept for inspiration.

[Iron Legs]

great idea,

Here are some contribution.

ROMANTIC GARDEN.

A paradisiac place full of exotic flowers and elegant fountains. Seduction rolls have a +3 here.

CRIPTS.

For generations, the House Lords have been buried under the castle. People respects their deep rots. +3 to Status rolls in the castle (only if the family is ancient).

TORTURE ROOM.

A place where truth flourishes, like to Bolton's skinning room. +1B to Intimidate atempts.

HIDDEN PASSAGE.

A way to leave the castle discretly.

OBSERVATORY.

Your maester is interested in astronomy (or astrology) and keeps Myrish lens and precise notes.

[Paedrig]

The ideas sound great. A good opportunity to give a little bit of unique feeling for every castle.
But of course their might be also 'negative' qualities of castles - places who give you bad dreams, are perhaps not very good built etc...

And there is the question how you get one of these benefits (or drawbacks for the matter). I would tend to the idea of deciding it by dice. Or, if you actually want a specific benefit perhaps you must also take some little drawback...

[DaimosofRedstone]

I thought about either making up a standard package, where characteristics are divided into magor and minor, one major counting for two minor and every castle starts with one of each.
You could then buy more by accepting negative characteristics.

Or one could introduce a system of 'House Destiny points', you could be used to by characteristics, could be increased through house frailties and spend to keep harm from the house.

[Paedrig]

But there should be a limit how much benefits you can by. I think most times two benefits should be enough - especially while most player castles might be real small.

A tower with more than one benefit...
And even a keep or a small castle is still very small and should therefore (at least in my opinion) not be "overcrowded" by benefits and drawbacks.

Castles like Winterfell, Riverrun and especially Harrenhal are of course a complete different thing...


If you have your list of benefits complete, please be free to share it. Even if a group do not use the system it would be a good source for narratory elements...

[Carriker]

Love this idea. I feel that one of the strengths of the SIFRPG is its use of qualities in a variety of ways. Environments have Qualities, characters have Qualities, weapons have Qualities, and they go a long way towards differentiating those things which are fairly similar - two characters may have very similar stats, but if one has the Anointed and Pious quality, and another has the Brother of the Night's Watch and Axe Fighting 1 qualities, they are VERY different characters all of a sudden.

Thus, I love the idea of using these Qualities to differentiate things. I can see a set of Qualities that cost Defense + another resource (Wealth most often, probably, but Power for military benefits, Population for benefits for the people or that require lots of people, possibly even Land if you want something like a super-defensible terrain that your castle is built into, like Casterly Rock).

Cool idea, guys.

[DaimosofRedstone]

Thank you.
Though i would probably keep the Qualities rules light.
There is already a lot you can spend or waste your points on and if you have to pay good ... stuff to get a characteristic it is unlikely to be a well received feature.
I also fear that 'useful', meaning characteristics with pronounced positive gameplay effects, will be extremly hard to balance.

[Pytorb]

Thanks DaimosofRedstone for these, brilliant stuff. Here's my work in progress in taking some of your ideas (hope you dont mind me using your text for Maze repeatedly it just seemed so apt) and running with them as well as a few more of my own.

Butressing
Requirement: any
Investment: 10
Time: 2D6+12 Months
Your Holding has had its walls strengthened and butressed against siege weapons, +4 to any Defence bonus against siege weapons.


Concealed Entrance/Exit
Requirement: Small Castle or larger
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+12 Months
Your Holding has a secret entrance/exit known to only a few people in the household, such as the members of the Noble House's family, the Castellan/Master-at-Arms and the House's Maester. This entrance/exit many be directly connected to any secret passages, though this would make your castle open to secret infiltration.

Extensive Secret Passages
Requirement: Castle or larger
Investment: 15
Time: 2D6+96 Months
Your Holding was not built in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. This often creates void spaces between walls and buildings that a cunning builder can use to create secret passages. Alternatively they can be designed in when the Holding was build, renovated or extended. For whatever reason your castle is riddled with them. So much so that they pass by virtually every chamber, with concealed spyholes into them, and have concealed entrances and exits all over the castle and in the in the most interesting and unusual of places. These passages are likely known to only a few people in the household, such as the members of the Noble House's family and the House's Maester. Every member of your house that knows of them gains +1D to Stealth when moving around in your own castle and +1D Awareness when trying to secretly observe others in the castle. On a successful CHALLENGING (9)Cunning (Memory) roll you will be able to remember an entrance within a minute's walk of your current position within the castle should you need one urgently.

Fortified
Requirement: any
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+12 Months
Your Holding has had its walls heightened, crenellated or otherwise improved, firing positions for bows and crossbows added and reinforced in the walls, a barbican added, etc. +2 to any Defence bonus.

Maze
Requirement: Small Castle or larger
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+48 Months
Your Holding was not built in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. Often the way that seems to be shortest leads to a dead end or goes somewhere else completely. Every member of your house, including soldiers and servants, gains +1B to Stealth when trying to hiding or evading in your own castle.

Ramshackle
Requirement: any
Investment: -10
Time: 2D6+12 Months to repair
Your Holding is in a near ruinous state of repair, -4 to any Defence bonus until repaired at a cost of 15. This will be the default state of a Holding just taken by siege.

Run Down
Requirement: any
Investment: -5
Time: 2D6+6 Months to repair
Your Holding is in a poor state of repair, -2 to any Defence bonus until repaired at a cost of 5.

Secret Chamber
Requirement: Small Castle or larger
Investment: 5 per chamber
Time: 2D6+48 Months
Your Holding was not built in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. This often creates void spaces between walls, ceilings and buildings that a cunning builder can use to create a secret chamber. Alternatively they can be designed in when the Holding was build, renovated or extended. The secret chamber will have a concealed entrance/exit and could be used as a vault, to hide an illicit lover, torture chamber, or indeed anything the noble house requires of it. It can either be independent or connected to any secret passages in the Castle.

Secret Passages
Requirement: Small Castle or larger
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+48 Months
Your Holding was not built in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation. This often creates void spaces between walls and buildings that a cunning builder can use to create secret passages. Alternatively they can be designed in when the Holding was build, renovated or extended. There are concealed entrances and exits in strategic places throughout the castle. These passages are likely known to only a few people in the household, such as the members of the Noble House's family and the House's Maester. Every member of your house that knows of them gains +1D to Stealth when moving around in your own castle.

Sprawling
Requirement: Small Castle or larger
Investment: -10
Time: 2D6+48 Months
Your Holding was not built in one day, nor was it build in one piece. It is an accumulation of years and years of construction and renovation covering a large area for little additional defensive benefit. As such it requires more men to defend it than other similar castles. As a result the base Power Cost of any Garrison unit is doubled. Any unit defending the castle without paying this cost automatically counts as being disorganised.

[Pytorb]

Oh and a few more (with thanks to DaoimosofRedstone again and to IronLegs)...

Deep Storerooms
Requirement: Small Castle or larger, OR Small Town or larger population centre
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+12 Months
Your Holding has sufficient supplies of food, drink, arms and armour, etc. to withstand a siege. On a successful Status (Stewardship) roll units under siege will not take a supply penalty that month. The difficulty of the first roll is ROUTINE (3) and then increases by one step every month. Once two rolls have been failed in succession the storerooms are empty and can not be used again until the siege is lifted.

If the Lord's castle is not connected to their town (when applicable), a separate storeroom will be needed for each one.

Inaccessible
Requirement: Any
Investment: 5 from Defence, 5 from Land
Time: 2D6+48 Months
Your Holding is perfectly situated to gain the maximum benefit from the terrain it is situated in, for example it is inside a cave, halfway up a mountainside, on an island surrounded by rocks and shoals, deep in impenetrable woods, etc. As a result your Holding can only be besieged or attacked by a maximum of two units at anyone time.

Ominous
Requirement: Holding or larger
Investment: 5
Time: 2D6+24 Months
Whether your doing or an inheritance your Holding's interior invokes a sense of fear and foreboding in all who visit. Dark corridors, gruesome gargoyles, an imposing lord's seat, mementos from gristly moments of your houses' past, it is plain to everyone that your house is to be taken seriously. You gain +1B to all Persuasion (Convince) or (Intimidate) rolls and Deception (Bluff) rolls to do the same thing and -1D to Persuasion (Charm) or (Seduce) rolls when in your Holding.

Place of Learning
Requirement: Holding or larger
Investment: 5 from Defence, 5 from Wealth
Time: 2D6+24 Months
Whether your doing or an inheritance you Holding is well equipped with everything a Maester could find useful. You have an observatory with an orrery and Myrish Lens, an extensive library, a herb garden, etc. You gain +1B to any Knowledge (Research) roll when in your Holding. In addition the cost of a Maester is reduced by 5 Wealth Resource.

Sumptuous
Requirement: Holding or larger
Investment: 5 from Defence, 5 from Wealth
Time: 2D6+24 Months
Whether your doing or an inheritance your Holding's interior is splendid. Tapestries, Myrish carpets, mementos from glorious moments of your houses' past, it is plain to everyone that your house is to be taken seriously and destined for great honours. You gain +1B to all Status rolls and +1B to Persuasion (Charm), (Convince) or (Seduce) rolls when in your Holding. You gain -1D on any Deception rolls where you are trying to plead poverty when in your Holding.