Security Upgrades
These upgrades are only available for Large Homes and Schools, they make your home a bit more secure, rather than turn it into a real stronghold. They are good for deterring thieves and casual raids, but don’t make it properly defensible. They cost a percentage of the original building costs.
Note: You may (generally)only buy these upgrades once per building. The costs vary, according to the size of your property. If you add new buildings, after these upgrades, you will be able to ‘buy’ the upgrades for those buildings later.
- External Security cost 10% - Stronger external doors, locks and shutters. Internal building components remain the same.
- Internal Security cost 10% - You get better locks and stronger internal doors for the main rooms of the building. If you want it applied to servant quarters, kitchen etc, you need to buy this twice.
- External Wall cost 10% - This is only available for The Noble Villa and Schools, and you must have already purchased the External Security upgrade for your buildings. The small walls that denote the boundaries of your property are raised to 15’ high and strengthened to offer more protection for your grounds.
- Small Barracks cost 630gp - This upgrade provides accommodation and equipment for a unit of five house guards. They are L1 warriors, with Leather Armour, Buckler and Long Spear. They stand guard at your doors, patrol your perimeter, and deal with intruders. When employed alongside Footmen or Equerries, they make an effective security force. It is normally added into the roof space of your existing building, has a flat roof, and acts as a watch point. You may only buy this upgrade once per building.
Military Upgrades
You must have purchased External Security and External Walls (Villa and Schools only) before you can add any of these upgrades.
- Compound cost 400gp - The start of the fortification process, this adds an outer wall, that is fifteen feet high, your property. Your existing building is incorporated as part of the walls, and the enclosed area can hold up to 5000gp worth of new buildings. You can add this more than once, to create a series of baileys or extend your existing compound.
The following buildings count towards a Compound’s space allowance. Towers are generally built in corners or alongside the walls.
- Large Barracks cost 4000gp - This comes with an officer and 20x Guards, along with armouries, practice grounds, facilities for feeding the troops, etc.
- Watch Tower cost 870gp - This upgrade provides accommodation and equipment for a unit of five house guards. They are L1 warriors, with Leather Armour, Buckler, Dagger and Long Spear, who stand guard at your doors, patrol your perimeter, and deal with intruders.
- Guard Tower cost 2330gp - Built to a similar plan to the Tower House, but configured as a medium sized barracks. It can accommodate, and arm, ten guards and one officer (Lieutenant or Commander) (10x guards + officer space). NOTE: You must pay for the officer separately (if you need one).
- Large Guard Tower cost 2880gp - In some respects, it is an amalgamation of the other two towers - it provides accommodation for 15x troops and one officer, but can only equip 10 troops from its single armoury. So it comes with 10x Guards, 5x House Guards and room for an officer. NOTE: You must pay for the officer separately (if you need one).
- Blacksmith cost 400gp - REQUIRED, IF YOU WANT TO EMPLOY MORE THAN 20 GUARDS. It is not an economic development and does not provide an income for you, nor does it have MW tools to assist your work. It is staffed by a single commoner-1, who maintains weapons and armour for your garrison.
- Armoury cost 390gp - A stand-alone building that contains just enough equipment to upgrade 10x House Guards to full guards There is no other cost associated with this upgrade. If you have built both a Small Barracks and a Large Guard Tower, it means that you can upgrade your house guards (eventually) to Snr Guards.
Fortifications
The following items require a compound, and are built into the walls, but DO NOT count towards a Compound’s space allowance. They can be applied once per compound.
- Gate House cost 630gp - adds extra security and control to the entrance to your castle/estate. You must have built a compound and have at least five guards before you can add this upgrade. It is often built in conjunction with a Watch Tower. The gatehouse comes with strong wooden doors, but can be upgraded. Iron Door, 500gp; Wooden Portcullis, 500gp; Iron Portcullis, 1000gp.
- Walkable Walls cost varies - You must have built a compound and have at least five guards before you can add this upgrade. Walls have a parapet and walkway means you can mount a wall patrol, and start to turn your house into a castle. It costs 300gp for each 1000gp (or part thereof) value of your walls.
- Moat cost varies - You must have built a compound with Walkable Walls. You get a ditch, ten feet wide, and ten feet deep surrounding your walls. You can choose to have it as a dry ditch, or to have it filled with water. If you have a gatehouse, you get a draw bridge, otherwise it is a small bridge. It costs 300gp for each 1000gp (or part thereof) value of your walls.