The Quintessential Barbarian

The Quintessential Barbarian cover

Author	Robert Schwalb
Series	Quintessential Series
Publisher	Mongoose Publishing
Publish date	2003
Pages	128
ISBN	1-903980-92-5
OGL Section 15	qbbn

The material below is considered Open Game Content

FORTIFICATIONS

At some point in a character’s career, the need for a home or a base of operations will arise. These characters may clear out a section of land and begin work on shelters in lands they have conquered, seized or granted by a local lord. Barbarians are no different from any other character. They too benefit from the use of stronghold, a place to call home, or a place from which raids may originate. Yet, something differentiates the barbarian and members of his civilisation from others. They rarely construct lasting structures of their own. Instead, they fortify their encampments. They seize building and structures built by others and make them their own. In this section are rules defining suitable barbarian fortifications ranging from the simple palisade to temporary strongholds and issues such as labour concerns, time and materials. Also, included in this section is new weaponry for barbarian fortifications.

Territory

The importance of the wilderness and the means with which barbarians can exploit these terrains occupies much attention throughout this book. Nowhere is this truer than in the building of fortifications. Before any stronghold may be constructed, players should consider where it is they would establish their fortification. Each land type affects the planned fortification, such as by providing material discounts, labour shortages or gains, or other impediments associated with the individual terrain. Prior to the construction of the fortification, the player must consider the site of
construction. Whatever is the dominate feature of the intended location apply the following modifiers to the construction costs.

Coastal: Coastal locations are often expensive because if on a sandy shore there is a lack of a suitable material for the foundation. On the other hand, in rocky locales, it quickly becomes difficult to locate the proper materials for construction. All associated costs in these locations have a 10% higher cost for all wood constructions, but normal prices for stone if along a rocky shoreline. In the case of rivers and other waterways, transportation of materials is quicker than if carried over land. In these instances, the time factor for gathering the materials drops by 10%.

Cold: Cold regions are largely unsuitable for much work insofar as gathering labourers. As for stone there should be little problem in its acquisition, although depending on how far the temperature drops it can affect the number of wood available. Importing materials from outside the region can be equally disastrous to any construction goals as travel through frigid wastelands is nearly impossible to those unused to the conditions. Therefore, there is no adjustment to stone costs, but wood, labour and time all suffer an increase of 20%.

Desert: Like cold climates and regions, deserts generally lack the supplies, ease of transportation and have a dearth of labourers available for any protracted work. Considering the hostility of the climate, most individuals dwelling in these regions necessarily assume nomadic cultures and homes. Thus, most settlements and fortifications are mobile such as fences, tents and durable beasts of burden. If the builder intends a more permanent structure, add 20% to all material, labour and time costs.

Forest: These regions are ideal for constructing almost any fortification. The presence of water, game and an abundance of resources make forests an ideal spot for any construction. Reduce all material and labour costs by 20%. However, large forests usually lack an easy method of transportation and much has to be cleared prior to the bringing the materials to the work site. Thus, increase time costs by 10%.

Hills: Hills suffer many of the limitations of forests for their remoteness, but enjoy an acceptable quantity of resources. Unfortunately, labour suffers for not too many workers dwell in these locations and the remoteness of these locations restricts transportation. All resource costs have a 10% discount, but time and labour increase by 20%.

Marsh: Almost wholly unsuitable for any lasting constructions, fortifications in marshland just do not last. Many sink into the bogs after a few months. The sheer numbers of hostile monsters and humanoids make their defence impractical. Despite these shortcomings, many barbarians seek out these lands for their isolation and sinister appearance. Increase all associated costs (materials, time and labour) by 20%.

Mountains: Mountains are the other extremes to the below sea-level regions of the marshland. They are extremely remote, difficult to transport materials and generally impossible to get labours there and back again. Increase all associated costs by 50%.

Plains: Plains can support any temporary structure. Similar to the desert as many inhabitants choose to dwell in nomadic style communities, there are some barbarians who would build a more lasting monument to their skill at arms and their ability in conquest. All resource costs increase by 10% for want of materials. All time and labour costs are unaffected.

Underground: Dwarves, orcs, dark elves and any number of other Underground dwelling denizens regularly construct cities, fortresses, sentry towers and other structures to defend their lands. There is no stone cost in underground communities, but there is a labour and time component that costs 15% more than normal.

Labour and Time

Individual labourers, according to the SRD, cost 1 sp per day, while a craftsman costs 3 sp. For every four unskilled labourers, they can complete
one 10 ft x 10 ft x 10ft section of stone in a week or the same amount of area of stone in 4 days. If skilled craftsmen are used, they can complete the
aforementioned area of stone in four days, or wood in two. So, if a 100 cubic foot structure is to be made of stone in a plains region, constructed by four skilled labourers, it will be finished in 44 days at a cost of 52 gp in labour (this includes the 10% increase imposed by the chosen region).

Other means are available to reduce labour costs. Characters can employ slave labour at the cost of 25-50 gp per slave, but the time component doubles. Overseers can force crews to work double or even triple shifts to reduce the time component although the cost component increases accordingly. If crews are overworked, there is a 50% chance of 1d2 casualties per week. Each death imposes a 5% chance of project desertion, which the Games Master rolls each week. If the project is deserted, all work stops and the character must find a new labour pool. All work times include the acquisition of materials. If the character has another mean to gather the tools and materials (perhaps by magic), the time component drops by 50%.

Materials

Materials are the last key component used in constructing a fortification. There must be a suitable supply of food, water, and construction goods.
Finishing materials such as flooring and paint (if used) is entirely up to the Games Master and player to negotiate. Both should use the dungeon dressing section for the SRD for tips and ideas. Barbarian characters have little need for such niceties. Fortifications serve a utilitarian purpose.

Barbarians use them for defence, to guard property and to horde resources. These characters usually construct quick and dirty walls to stave off the assault of those who would steal from them. In addition, these fortifications may protect to defend shipyards where sea wolves manufacture raiding vessels. Regardless of what lies on the other side of the palisade, they are all relatively similar and easy to construct.

Material costs vary depending on the object to be constructed. A forest of spikes is more expensive to construct than a ditch. Likewise, a stone wall is more expensive than a wooden fence. Consult the following table for details such as material cost, time and standard skilled and unskilled labour costs. Apply terrain modifiers to these items.

Building, stone: A stone building is a simple structure of 1000 cubic feet (10 x 10 x10). For larger structures, divide the total cubic footage by 1000 and multiply the above costs by the result.

Building, wood: A wooden building is a simple structure of 1000 cubic feet. For larger structures, divide the total cubic footage by 1000 and multiply the above costs by the result.

Ditch: A ditch is a trench dug into the ground 100 feet long, 10 feet deep and 20 feet wide.

Palisade:A palisade is a wooden wall constructed of sharpened logs sunk about 3 to 4 feet into the ground. This is the standard mode of defence for most barbarian fortifications. Accompanying this wall is usually a walkway for guards to patrol. The above cost is for a section 100 linear feet long, 10 feet high and 1 foot thick.

Rampart, earth: Ramparts are the foundation upon which labourers construct walls and palisades. Constructed of packed earth and stone, they provide height advantage and an impregnable foundation to stave off attacks at the base. These ramparts are 100 linear feet long, 10 feet high and 10 feet thick at the base. Larger sizes are possible; round up to the next increment of 100 x 10 x 10 for cost.

Watchtower, wood: A wooden watchtower is a square tower 10 feet by 10 feet and 30 feet high. Constructed out of local timber, they usually have an appearance and construction design matching the palisade.

Walls, Stone: A stone wall is a stretch of rocks in which the labourers fill the cracks with sand and mortar. The listed price is for a section of wall 10 feet wide, 10 feet thick by 100 feet long.

Base Construction Costs

Feature	Material Cost	Skilled Labour	Unskilled Labour	Skilled Time	Unskilled Time	Structural Points
Building, stone	500 gp	48 sp	28 sp	4 days	7 days	300
Building, wood	100 gp	24 sp	16 sp	2 days	4 days	150
Ditch	-	96 gp	56 gp	80 days	140 days	Nonapplicable
Palisade	100 gp	24 sp	16 sp	2 days	4 days	150
Ramparts	100 gp	96 gp	56 gp	80 days	140 days	300

Upgrades

Once the structure is basically established, barbarians may wish to upgrade several aspects of the structures. Such upgrades include arrow slits, plinths and walkways. Below is a list of prices and features for these improvements. Upgrades cannot be constructed by unskilled or slave labour.

Arrow slits: These narrow windows provide nineteenths cover, but allow a 180° fire axis. See SRD for details on rules for Cover.

Battlement: This upgrade confers 15 feet of cranellated wall where it protects the defenders from arrows, shot and catapult ammunition. Characters on a battlement have at least one-half cover, but can gain as much as total depending on their positioning. See SRD for details on rules for Cover.

Murderholes: These are grated holes allowing the fortification’s defender the ability to pour oil, boiling water or acid onto the attackers.

Plinth: A plinth, or a splay, is a support mechanism to reinforce towers and walls. Most barbarians do not use these as they do not meet a high enough technology level to support innovations in architecture. However, barbarians of the default level are most certainly able to implement them as they are exceedingly valuable to wall construction. Plinths add 100 structural points per 10 x 10 x 100 foot section of wall.

Windows: Standard windows, they act as points from which defenders can drop objects onto their attackers.

Labour Time (days)

Feature	Material Cost	Labour Skilled	Time Skilled	Structural Points
Arrow slits	5 gp	16 sp	+1 day each	Non-applicable
Battlement	50 gp	32 sp	+1 day for every 15 feet	Non-applicable
Murderholes	10 gp	16 sp	+1 day each	Non-applicable
Plinths	300 gp	10 gp	+3 days each	+100
Windows	10 gp	16 sp	+1 day each	Non-applicable

Weaponry

More often then not, barbarians are the aggressors, taking the fight to the defenders. In these instances, barbarians will employ any number of tactics to take a town or city to raze and plunder it. Beyond the standard armaments defined in the SRD are bores, a lighter and more mobile ballista and further details on siege towers. Accompanying these new devices are several useful tools for scaling walls and protecting infantry until they can approach the walls to scale.

Light Ballista: A smaller version of its usually fixed cousin, engineers designed the light ballista for mobility and ease of use. Similar to an overlarge crossbow, this weapon comes with a folding tripod, which as a standard action, users can open and position for firing. Like any other ballista, this weapon uses a standard d20 roll plus range modifiers for hit determination, without the individual character’s modifiers. This weapon reloads and readies to fire again in two rounds.

Repeating Ballista: An enterprising derro barbarian developed a ballista modelled after the repeating crossbow. Each repeating crossbow has a clip of six javelins designed, of which all six can fire in a single round. Each succeeding shot beyond the first imposes a cumulative -2 penalty for
every shot beyond the first. Like any other ballista, this weapon uses a standard d20 roll plus range modifiers for hit determination, without the individual character’s modifiers. Thus, the first shot fires normally, the second fires at a -2, the third at -4 and so on. Installing another clip requires
5 rounds before it may be fired again. On a roll of a 1, the ballista jams and is useless until repaired (Craft (siege weaponry) DC15).

Bores: A bore is a large screw-like device as a ram head used to drill through cracks in ramparts, walls, gates and through any other impediment. Bores inflict no actual damage to opponents; instead, their function is to destroy objects. The crew can push the bores into place at a speed of 10. Considering its slow speed, most bores have a protective shield covering them to protect their crews. Once in place, the crewmembers
activate the bore by drawing it back and releasing it to send the drill head slamming into the target. Each round, depending on the size of the bore, the weapon inflicts damage to the structure beyond, ignoring half of the objects hardness and inflicting direct structural damage.

Mantlet: This two-man shield allows archers to close with the enemy by firing through a narrow slit through the centre, while from above a second man may fire. Each character behind the shield receives some degree of cover. The attacker firing through the slit receives nine-tenths cover, while the other receives 50% cover.

Belfry: Known more commonly as the siege tower, the belfry is one of the most famous devices used to overcome walls. Essentially, it is a tower on wheels pushed from within by six strong men. Many times, for faster movement (20 speed instead of 5) up to ten more men can push the belfry into place. Most belfries rise to about forty feet and on the main level, it can hold three archers a side for a total of 12 men. These men have nine-tenths cover. Above them is an enclosed deck roughly 10 foot by 10 foot. Here a drawbridge lowers to access enemy walls. Belfry’s, with their drawbridges, have a 10 foot reach and can house a total of 20 men.

Siege Engines

Item	Cost	Damage	Critical Increment	Range	Crew
Light Ballista	375 gp	2d8	19-20	100	1
Repeating Ballista	800 gp	3d6	x3	120	2
Light Bore	750 gp	1d10	-	-	2
Medium Bore	875 gp	1d12	-	-	6
Heavy Bore	1000 gp	1d20	-	-	8
Mantlet	15 gp	-	-	-	2
Belfry	1000 gp	-	-	-	6