Let's build a Keep - Strongholds and Followers!
Build your stronghold, shape a realm, and rise from adventurer to ruler in a world you help create.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Saturday - 2:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
2 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
2/5
About the adventure
Become a Lord / Lady and command your own realm! This is a long term game designed around building your own stronghold (or keep, or temple, or tower etc.) and using it to expand your demesne and attract followers in a world you'll help me create. We use the Strongholds and Followers book. :) Progression: - We start at level 3 or 5 (depending on the group) and adventure a bit, delving into our chosen (created?) setting, forging bonds and touching upon the broader world and it's conflicts. - We get to around level 7 and grasp the opportunity to build something of our own - a stronghold! :D - We gather the people, funds and favors necessary. As this happens, we engross ourselves in the world, take sides, resolve conflicts, discover secretive plots and forge friendships. - With the stronghold standing we attract followers, go on chosen adventures and spread our influence, eventually tackling every problem and opportunity that comes with ruling your own domain! - ... And we see from there :D 🏰 Types of Strongholds: - Keeps: Raise armies and enhance combat abilities. - Temples: Summon extraplanar allies. - Towers: Research new spells. - Establishments: Collect secrets and generate cash. 🪄 Class Features Enhancement: - Strongholds improve signature class features (e.g., Bardic Inspiration, monk’s Ki). - Draw power from the land to enhance abilities. ⚖️ Demesne and Followers: - The area around a stronghold is called a demesne. - Characters become significant figures within their demesne. - Attract various followers (e.g., mercenaries, artisans, ambassadors, adventurers). 🌍 Large-Scale Actions and Extended Rest - Large-scale actions take months or seasons. - Characters must return to their demesne for an extended rest to regain abilities. ⚔️ New Systems - Warfare Rules: Managing battles between units of soldiers. - Concordance Rules: Pleading with deities for aid. - Magic Item Creation Rules: Crafting new magical items. - Retainers in Combat: Taking followers into combat without complicating gameplay. About the game: ❇️FUN>STORY>RULES❇️ 🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly and a safe space for everyone 🌈 🎆I love player creativity and encourage it every step of the way🎆
Game style
Realm Building
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(20)
3 years on StartPlaying
368 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Teacher
Average response time: 8 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
👋 Hey there! I'm Jacob, a seasoned RPG enthusiast with over 24 years of experience, over half of which I've dedicated to GMing, including 10 years professionally. I've been on this site for over a year, running countless games and earning solid reviews. My adaptability and extensive experience make every session unique and engaging. I thrive on workshopping with my players, ensuring their ideas seamlessly blend into our shared narrative. I teach English through RPGs, co-founded a school to do just that, and run corporate RPG teambuilding sessions. While D&D 5e is a staple, I'm increasingly drawn to narrative-driven systems like Avatar Legends and Ryuutama, with Numenera, Blades in the Dark and countless others holding a special place in my heart. Collaboration is my lifeblood, and I actively encourage player input to enhance our games. I'm adept at handling technical issues and welcoming new players, primarily running games online. I prefer the theatre of the mind but leverage modern tools and macros for a smoother experience. Homebrewing unique rules and options tailored to our evolving story is my specialty, making each campaign distinct. Seeing (hearing?) my players' eyes light up with joy is my ultimate reward. As Uncle Iroh once said (I'm sure): "Sharing adventures with passionate players is one of life’s true delights." :D For questions, feel free to reach out here or on my Discord server: https://discord.gg/ddHFNsJbcF 🌐My website: https://www.widackistorytelling.com/pl🌐
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We make characters before or on session 0. I can help facilitate the process and will answer questions. We decide on the starting level - 3 or 5 (stronghold slower or faster). After the first few sessions we import as much as we can into Foundry (if we want to). It would be best if the characters started with relationships between each other - of any kind, even distant - or with a roughly similar goal in mind. You know, looking in the same direction.
THIS IS AN ONGOING GAME SOME 51 SESSIONS IN Faerûn | Sword Coast | Long-Term Campaign | Political, Strategic, Personal We’re running a long-form D&D 5e campaign (2014 rules with selected 2024 improvements) using Strongholds & Followers, with plans to expand into Kingdoms & Warfare as the story develops. This is not just an adventuring party. This is a faction in the making. The Premise The Sword Coast is reeling. After the fallout of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the events of Descent into Avernus, Amn has decided that the North is unfit to govern its magic. Backed by a mysterious force capable of nullifying arcane power, Amn’s armies have scored decisive victories. The Lords’ Alliance is fractured. The balance of power is shifting. Candlekeep has fallen. And our characters allowed it to happen. The campaign currently centers on salvaging knowledge, influence, and power in the wake of Amn’s advance — rebuilding while the Sword Coast slowly bends under external control. This is a story about change. Shifting borders. Shifting loyalties. Shifting identities. The Party We currently have two long-standing players: A werebear lycanthrope connected to the Silver Marches and the Knights in Silver. A changeling spy (bard/rogue/cleric mix) devoted to information, infiltration, and subtle influence. Both characters operate in gray areas — politically and morally — and both are deeply tied to the theme of transformation. Each character commands 1–4 followers, and together they are building and expanding a stronghold that will shape the region. What We’re Looking For We’re looking for one stable, long-term player who: Wants to build something that lasts. Is excited about strongholds, followers, politics, and regional impact. Enjoys faction play, strategic decisions, and consequences. Is comfortable joining an established narrative and growing into it. You would enter at a pivotal moment — during the fall of Candlekeep — with real opportunities to define your place in the Sword Coast. Style of Play Political and strategic, but still character-driven. Personal stakes matter. Faction consequences are real. Followers and domain play are meaningful. The story evolves around the players’ choices. This is not a drop-in dungeon crawl. It’s a collaborative, long-term campaign where your character’s legacy will matter. If this sounds like the kind of game you want to invest in, let’s talk. We’d love to find someone who wants to build something lasting with us.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Enter my Discord server. After I create the Thread for our team, talk to the people in the party. We will adjust expectations and team composition as much as possible :D Think about your character, their stronghold choices, reasons, motivation, backstory etc. before the session, as much as possible. It will make everything easier. --- --- --- --- --- --- 🥸Cameras add a lot to the game, so please have a camera. Not obligatory, but super useful. 🎙️Decent microphone required - watch out for background noise. ✨Discord (installed) for out of game chatter or in-game communication - join our server: https://discord.gg/rjZnYKMpBX ✨Read the rules, pick a role using reactions and join the group for your story ✨Contact me about session zero and technical details before the game ✨Let the magic happen!
What GM Jacob brings to the table
❇️Worldbuilding, scheming and plotting centered around the PCs, ❇️Characters with quirks, special voices and personality, ❇️Energy, good attitude and experience, ❇️Interesting twists and motivations, ❇️Software licenses and know-how, ❇️Maps, tokens and handouts, ❇️Art and generated art, ❇️Fitting atmosphere, ✴️FUN and good times for all.✴️
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Platforms used
Safety
How GM Jacob creates a safe table
We play D&D5 2014 rules with all the curses and blessings. (with added weapon mastery - maybe) I am completely open to the creative sides of my players and want to help them go through my stories the way THEY want to. 🏺We play using Foundry VTT no installing necessary. Some maps will have advanced lighting when dungeon-delving, while some will be open tables with pictures and drawings, depending on what we need. It should be fairly easy to get into. I'll help with everything. 🏺Importing the characters and abilities into foundry might take some time, especially with all the crazy abilities and options. I have no problem playing from a PDF until we do (or in general). Unless you have one on DDB and I can just import one. ;) ❗On Discord (session 0) we discuss the number of sessions expected, themes, tone, preferences, triggers, as well as world build (choose?) and character build. Anything that doesn't get fleshed out there can be finished later, as we play (withing reason). I can help with everything, supply ideas, workshop rules, make dreams come true :) Quick rules: - Engage with the story and collaborate with others. - Treat other characters and players with respect. - Embrace roleplaying and creativity. - Remember to have fun! 💋I am 18+ content friendly if every player is mature and wants to play that kind of game. Details, expectations and limits must be clearly expressed and established.💋 🔥FUN>STORY>RULES🔥
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