I proposed the idea of building a wizard tower in the mountains so we can store extra stuff, and be able to change our starting point in our DM's sandbox campighn. And i was wondering how much it would cost to build one without anything in it and just the structure itself. The whole party will be helping out which there is four of us and we are all 3rd level,( the party consists of a fighter, a srocerer, and 1wizard/2fighter, and a very good rogue.) And we would be hiring a couple hirelings too.
Based on the Guidelines in the DMG, a "Fortified Tower" costs 15,000 gold to build, taking 100 days to complete construction, requires 10 hirelings to maintain, and costs 25 gold per day in maintenance/fees/etc.
The smallest construction cost (trading post or guild hall) runs 5,000 gold to build and takes 60 days to complete construction. Those run 1-2 gold per day in maintenance costs.
These are guidelines, of course; if your GM is amenable, he might decrease (or increase) that cost. Or just let you find a tower to use. But that's what the books recommend.
Yeah, I think my initial read on that didn't account for the "fortified" part of the Tower. Sounds like what E&T are looking at would only cost about 2/3(?) and only need a steward to maintain until they started developing enemies. As the Wizard gains spells things like Wards, Alarm, and Arcane Lock could reduce the cost of the Tower's security system.
The wording of the last paragraph of Building A Stronghold made me laugh. I know that that they are trying to say that it takes four times as long to build the stronghold without the character overseeing the project but the way it is worded could lead to this.
...Work can continue while the character is away, but each day the character is away adds 3 days to the construction time. (DMG p128)
PC - So my tower will be finished in 100 days?
NPC - Yep, no problem.
PC leaves and then returns 100 days later
PC - Hey, where’s my tower?
NPC - Well you were not here so we’ve had some delays. We think it will be done about 300 days from now.
PC - I’m here now. Can we finish it in 100 days if I’m here?
NPC - Sorry, but even with you here it’s going to take us 200 days just to get back to where we started.
There is a third level spell, <spell>Galder's Tower</spell>, from The Lost Laboratory of Kwalish to do so if you've got more time than money. Cast in the same place for 365 days it becomes permanent. It could also give your DM some guidelines on what a randomly discovered wizard tower might look like.
You might want to sketch up your idea for the tower and then perform a little cost estimating yourself. If I recall correctly, skilled labor is something like 1sp/day. You would need something akin to an architect to run the project at a higher wage and several stone masons and carpenters. With your party helping that may become a big difference. I believe there are some spells that would be useful in building a stone structure and I would leverage that. Likewise, your party may be able to do something to reduce the wages by feeding and housing the workers allowing you to pay them XX/day plus room and board.
I am an engineer so I enjoy playing out the act of building a castle or a city. I understand many other players do not. To each his own. GL
At only third level I would adventure a bit before settling down with stronghold. Unless the DM wants it to be a part of the game. You might continue adventuring and keep on eye on the dungeons you clear as potential spots for a party base. Plenty of current adventures give some good alternatives. In LMoP there is Cragmaw Castle. W:DH has a tavern. Castle Naerytar in HotDQ. etc, etc
Your DM could use any part or all of those modules in a homebrew. Or he, or she, might also come up with their own ideas once the players make it known they desire a home base to work from.
There is a third level spell, <spell>Galder's Tower</spell>, from The Lost Laboratory of Kwalish to do so if you've got more time than money. Cast in the same place for 365 days it becomes permanent. It could also give your DM some guidelines on what a randomly discovered wizard tower might look like.
i suppose you could talk your DM into having you hire an NPC to cast it every day for a year...there's no real component cost, but you'd have to pay a lvl5+ wizard pretty heavily i'd guess to do something every day for a year.
there's also Mighty Fortress which would be more reasonable for a player to cast as it's only once a week and I think you could fairly easily say that its cast between adventures. that one costs you a 500gp diamond every cast (so 26,000 gp in diamonds which i think would be an opportunity for an adventure all on its own). it's an 8th level spell too though so it'll be awhile before that's even an option.
clerics have Temple of the Gods, which is a 7th level spell and only costs 5gp - but every day for a year.
druids have Druid Grove, which is a 6th level spell - materials are insignificant, other than its mistle toe that was harvested with a golden sickle under a full moon...need 365 (so, what, 3 or 4 bushes?) of those as its a daily cast also for a year.
between all those, i'm sure you can dream up something vs. building one the ol' fashion one (or a combo of both).
there's also Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum (4th level), which isn't really a structure, but more a safe area you can put around a structure...daily cast for a year with no significant component, unless chrysolite happens to be rare around you).
...and Wall of Stone which creates real walls out of thin air (5th level).
but what other's said...probably easier to just find something.
You will need to factor in cost of transport of the building supplies as well. An armed presence to guard the build while underway would be a good idea. Also, is there Ana available hire pool to draw upon. You start hiring away laborers you might make an enemy of an npc with means in your general area.
I don't know about the construction cost, but the hireling and maintenance fees are ridiculous.
There was an entire module with the premise that the dungeon was constructed by trying to get orc mercenaries and the PC's to build it to save money on skilled labor.
The Module was set in the ruins where the shoddy constructed tower collapsed, leaving only the underground parts of the dungeon for the adventure.
Ah the good old days in 2e D&D where the complete wizards handbook detailed rules on tower costs, library costs(80k for a library capable of researching 9th level spells i think), magic lab costs etc.
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I proposed the idea of building a wizard tower in the mountains so we can store extra stuff, and be able to change our starting point in our DM's sandbox campighn. And i was wondering how much it would cost to build one without anything in it and just the structure itself. The whole party will be helping out which there is four of us and we are all 3rd level,( the party consists of a fighter, a srocerer, and 1wizard/2fighter, and a very good rogue.) And we would be hiring a couple hirelings too.
Based on the Guidelines in the DMG, a "Fortified Tower" costs 15,000 gold to build, taking 100 days to complete construction, requires 10 hirelings to maintain, and costs 25 gold per day in maintenance/fees/etc.
The smallest construction cost (trading post or guild hall) runs 5,000 gold to build and takes 60 days to complete construction. Those run 1-2 gold per day in maintenance costs.
These are guidelines, of course; if your GM is amenable, he might decrease (or increase) that cost. Or just let you find a tower to use. But that's what the books recommend.
I don't know about the construction cost, but the hireling and maintenance fees are ridiculous.
My guess would be a fortified tower is intended to have 3 shifts of 3 guards along with a steward to manage things.
Yeah, I think my initial read on that didn't account for the "fortified" part of the Tower. Sounds like what E&T are looking at would only cost about 2/3(?) and only need a steward to maintain until they started developing enemies. As the Wizard gains spells things like Wards, Alarm, and Arcane Lock could reduce the cost of the Tower's security system.
The wording of the last paragraph of Building A Stronghold made me laugh. I know that that they are trying to say that it takes four times as long to build the stronghold without the character overseeing the project but the way it is worded could lead to this.
...Work can continue while the character is away, but each day the character is away adds 3 days to the construction time. (DMG p128)
PC - So my tower will be finished in 100 days?
NPC - Yep, no problem.
PC leaves and then returns 100 days later
PC - Hey, where’s my tower?
NPC - Well you were not here so we’ve had some delays. We think it will be done about 300 days from now.
PC - I’m here now. Can we finish it in 100 days if I’m here?
NPC - Sorry, but even with you here it’s going to take us 200 days just to get back to where we started.
You shold really be higher levelmbefore building and maintaning structures
There is a third level spell, <spell>Galder's Tower</spell>, from The Lost Laboratory of Kwalish to do so if you've got more time than money. Cast in the same place for 365 days it becomes permanent. It could also give your DM some guidelines on what a randomly discovered wizard tower might look like.
You might want to sketch up your idea for the tower and then perform a little cost estimating yourself. If I recall correctly, skilled labor is something like 1sp/day. You would need something akin to an architect to run the project at a higher wage and several stone masons and carpenters. With your party helping that may become a big difference. I believe there are some spells that would be useful in building a stone structure and I would leverage that. Likewise, your party may be able to do something to reduce the wages by feeding and housing the workers allowing you to pay them XX/day plus room and board.
I am an engineer so I enjoy playing out the act of building a castle or a city. I understand many other players do not. To each his own. GL
At only third level I would adventure a bit before settling down with stronghold. Unless the DM wants it to be a part of the game. You might continue adventuring and keep on eye on the dungeons you clear as potential spots for a party base. Plenty of current adventures give some good alternatives. In LMoP there is Cragmaw Castle. W:DH has a tavern. Castle Naerytar in HotDQ. etc, etc
Your DM could use any part or all of those modules in a homebrew. Or he, or she, might also come up with their own ideas once the players make it known they desire a home base to work from.
Current Characters I am playing: Dr Konstantin van Wulf | Taegen Willowrun | Mad Magnar
Check out my homebrew: Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Feats
i suppose you could talk your DM into having you hire an NPC to cast it every day for a year...there's no real component cost, but you'd have to pay a lvl5+ wizard pretty heavily i'd guess to do something every day for a year.
there's also Mighty Fortress which would be more reasonable for a player to cast as it's only once a week and I think you could fairly easily say that its cast between adventures. that one costs you a 500gp diamond every cast (so 26,000 gp in diamonds which i think would be an opportunity for an adventure all on its own). it's an 8th level spell too though so it'll be awhile before that's even an option.
clerics have Temple of the Gods, which is a 7th level spell and only costs 5gp - but every day for a year.
druids have Druid Grove, which is a 6th level spell - materials are insignificant, other than its mistle toe that was harvested with a golden sickle under a full moon...need 365 (so, what, 3 or 4 bushes?) of those as its a daily cast also for a year.
between all those, i'm sure you can dream up something vs. building one the ol' fashion one (or a combo of both).
there's also Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum (4th level), which isn't really a structure, but more a safe area you can put around a structure...daily cast for a year with no significant component, unless chrysolite happens to be rare around you).
...and Wall of Stone which creates real walls out of thin air (5th level).
but what other's said...probably easier to just find something.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
18937gp in my current game with a wizard lab.
You will need to factor in cost of transport of the building supplies as well. An armed presence to guard the build while underway would be a good idea. Also, is there Ana available hire pool to draw upon. You start hiring away laborers you might make an enemy of an npc with means in your general area.
I'd just say something like between 25,000 gp to 45,000 gp assuming it is magically protected
I wonder how plummeting hundreds of feet feels
If it is meant to be a Wizard’s tower, then don’t forget all the bards you’ll have to hire to spread the rumor that you built it in a single day.
There was an entire module with the premise that the dungeon was constructed by trying to get orc mercenaries and the PC's to build it to save money on skilled labor.
The Module was set in the ruins where the shoddy constructed tower collapsed, leaving only the underground parts of the dungeon for the adventure.
Check.
Ah the good old days in 2e D&D where the complete wizards handbook detailed rules on tower costs, library costs(80k for a library capable of researching 9th level spells i think), magic lab costs etc.