Steward's Guide
Greyphon Hallow — Steward's Guide
As stewards of Greyphon Hallow, the party can issue orders to the town — commissioning work, recruiting merchants, improving infrastructure, or directing defenses. The town grows and improves over time based on your decisions.
Rules at a glance
The Town
- Town Tier is determined by the number of citizens and specialized individuals or businesses in the town
- The tier of the town determines the income of the town and some specialists will only come to your town once it has reached a certain level of renown
- Merchants and Businesses must be recruited or brought to the town by some other means. They can be met out on adventures and in cities across Caelthys, or maybe they could come to you if your town grows enough!
- Merchants bring in income for the town and provide unique services to our heroes
- To protect against any threats, the town will need Defenses. It can be increased by hiring guards. A town with a strong defense can weather more significant attacks (ranging from wolves to an invading army)
Player Bastions
- Players will also each have their own Bastions - homes that contain facilities that can take actions on behalf of the player.
- See #Special Facilities for the available options of these specialized facilities
- Each player may issue one active order at a time . Upon issuing an order the DM will prescribe a duration and cost (if incurred) required to complete the action
Town Events
- The DM will regularly roll on a "Town Events" table to determine random events that happen in the town. These could be positive, negative, or nothing at all.
- The town tier, defense rating, and presence of the party can influence the outcome of the Town Event
The Town
Town Tiers
Greyphon Hallow grows in tiers based on what the party has accomplished — quests completed, merchants recruited, threats repelled, and improvements made. You don't track resources or pay for upkeep. The town improves because of your stewardship.
| Tier | Name | Character | Unlocked Capability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovering | A town rebuilding. Basic services, modest population, grateful but fragile. | - |
| 2 | Established | A town with roots. Reliable services, growing reputation, better-equipped guard. | 2 active Town Orders, Notice Board |
| 3 | Prospering | A town with a name. Skilled specialists, strong defenses, regional influence. | Merchants seek you out, increased passive income |
| 4 | Renowned | A destination. Exceptional craftspeople, a posted garrison, merchants who seek you out. | 3 active Town Orders, Standing Garrison (defense cannot be less than 3) |
Tier upgrades are announced by the DM when the town has grown enough to warrant them. Each tier unlocks improved versions of existing services and may open new ones.
Merchants & Businesses
Merchants must be recruited — found in the world and convinced to relocate to Greyphon Hallow. Each merchant has their own personality, conditions, and reasons for staying or going.
Once established, merchants:
- Provide their services whenever the party is in town
- Generate passive weekly income for the town (reflected in treasury funds available for upgrades and orders)
- May offer unique items, information, or opportunities not available elsewhere
Current Businesses
| Business | Name | Proprietor | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Store | Milo Coppershine | Common goods, basic supplies, sundries | |
| Tavern & Inn | The Rising Ember | Kal | Lodging, meals, rumors, a warm fire |
Guards & Defense
The town has a Defense Rating from 1–5, representing the strength of its walls, guard, and readiness.
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Barely protected. A determined mob could cause serious damage. |
| 2 | A small standing watch. Can handle minor threats. |
| 3 | Organized guard. Handles most threats without party involvement. |
| 4 | Fortified. Capable of holding against significant assault. |
| 5 | Garrison-level. The town can defend itself from nearly anything short of an army. |
Defense Rating increases when the party invests in walls, recruits guards, repels attacks, or completes relevant quests. It can decrease if the town suffers serious damage and goes unrepaired.
Town Orders
Town orders are issued collectively by the party (not tied to individual players) and focus on growing or protecting Greyphon Hallow. The DM assigns a duration and cost when the order is placed.
Suggested order types:
- Recruit — Send word or a representative to find a specific type of merchant, specialist, or guard
- Construct — Commission a new building, repair walls, or upgrade an existing structure
- Scout — Task someone with mapping nearby roads, tracking a threat, or investigating a rumor
- Fortify — Hire additional guards, reinforce the gate, or stock emergency supplies
- Establish Trade — Open a trade relationship with a nearby settlement or merchant convoy
- Host an Event — Organize a festival, market day, or public gathering to grow the town's reputation
- Anything you could think of - Get creative!
Player Bastions
Each player has their own Bastion — a personal space within or near Greyphon Hallow that grows alongside the town. Bastions contain facilities that can act on a character's behalf.
Rules:
- Each player may issue one active Bastion order at a time
- Orders are issued and resolved the same way as town orders — the DM assigns a duration and cost
- Facilities become available based on character level, not town tier
- Basic facilities (Bedroom, Courtyard, Hall, Storehouse) come free at Bastion creation
Special Facilities
| Facility | Min. Tier | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Study | 1 | Identify magic items; prepare a spell scroll or cast a ritual |
| Armory | 1 | Store and maintain weapons; order mundane arms and armor |
| Barrack | 1 | Recruit and house hirelings; contributes to town Defense Rating |
| Bath House | 1 | Enhanced recovery; additional benefits on long rests taken here |
| Greenhouse | 1 | Grow spell components and alchemical ingredients |
| Laboratory | 1 | Craft potions and poisons |
| Library | 1 | Research lore, creatures, or locations; advantage on relevant checks |
| Meditation Chamber | 1 | Passive bonus to long rests; may allow extra spell slot recovery |
| Pub | 1 | Generates weekly income; surfaces rumors and local intel |
| Sacristy | 1 | Craft holy items; receive blessings before travel |
| Scriptorium | 1 | Copy spell scrolls; produce official documents |
| Smithy | 1 | Craft and upgrade weapons and armor |
| Stable | 2 | House mounts; improve overland travel speed |
| Trophy Room | 2 | Display notable kills/items; morale and reputation benefits |
| Workshop | 2 | Craft mundane and minor magical items |
| Reliquary | 3 | Store and attune to sacred artifacts; divine boon once per long rest |
| Teleportation Circle | 3 | Permanent circle; fast travel to known circles |
| Theater | 3 | Generate income; improve faction reputation and social influence |
| War Room | 3 | Tactical planning bonuses; coordinate large-scale operations |
Greyphon Hallow is yours. What you make of it is up to you.