THE DWARVEN REDOUBT
Like the cheap keep, the dwarven redoubt relies not on magic but hard labor to work. It is a living space for not only its owner but dozens of other dwarves who work the mine that makes the money that allows the place to survive.
Stronghold Size: 141 stronghold spaces
Total Stronghold Cost: 600,000 gp
Room Descriptions
Modify the descriptions given below as appropriate for your campaign.
Guard Post
Two sharp-eyed dwarf lookouts staff this Guard Post 24 hours a day (four 6-hour shifts). If one spots something, the other runs down the hall to raise the alarm.
Guard Post
This area is identical to area 1.
The Main Gate
A Barbican sits atop this gate, complete with arrow slits pointing both out and straight down so that the pair of guards herein can pepper in intruders with crossbow bolts. Six dwarves keep round-the-clock vigil here (four 6-hour shifts).
A guard in the barbican greets visitors through a sliding viewport in the floor. If the guard deems the visitors friendly and welcome in the redoubt, two of the guards descend from the barbican to escort them to area 5.
The front door is made of iron and can be barred from within. It also has an amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock. Each active guard carries a key.
Anyone breaking through the front door finds himself in a space beneath the barbican, facing a dropped iron portcullis. The guards above pepper invaders with crossbow bolts through the murder holes in the floor of the barbican as they raise the alarm, bringing dozens of other dwarves out to help.
Stables
Dwarves aren’t much for riding, but even they see the occasional need for a proper mount. This basic stable holds six riding horses, tended by a young dwarf who aspires to become a great warrior for the redoubt when he comes of age
Entry Hall
The chief steward (also known as the butler) greets visitors in this double-sized fancy common area. Those with legitimate business within are escorted to their destination. Some visitors never get any deeper into the redoubt than this chamber.
The doors can be barred from within.
Soldiers’ Barracks
These Barracks house the one hundred dwarven warriors charged with the protection of the redoubt. Ten warriors can stay comfortably in each barracks. In case of an overflow—due to hosting a visiting army, taking on draftees from elsewhere, or whatever—the dwarves haul mattresses out of the Guards’ Storage (area 13) and the extra soldiers either cram in here or use available floor space in the Drill Yard (area 7).
Drill Yard
The warriors of the redoubt train in this huge Combat Training Area (sixteen stronghold spaces) on a regular basis. They specialize in mountain or tunnel warfare, but they also practice using formations for fighting on the open plains. Two bright luminaries light the place so the dwarves can practice fighting in the light as well as the dark.
Armory
This massive fancy armory (six stronghold spaces) is where the dwarves store their arms and armor when not used. The smithy (area 35) produces the weapons and armor (all masterwork) used in the redoubt.
Captain’s Office
This basic office belongs to the captain of the guard, though he rarely uses it for anything more than to draw up the week’s guard schedule. However, it contains several maps of the area, both above and under the ground, and in time of war, this room would become the hub of the operation. It has an amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock on the door.
Captain’s Quarters
This fancy bedroom suite is where the captain of the guard hangs his helmet. He keeps his valuables and magic items locked in a trunk.
Chief Steward’s Office
The chief steward organizes all domestic work in the redoubt from of this fancy office. The chief steward also manages all transactions with visiting merchants and the like and keeps all such records here. Stacks of papers and files line the walls. The door has an amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock.
Chief Steward’s Quarters
The chief steward sleeps in this fancy bedroom suite. He spends little time here, usually patrolling the rest of the redoubt, making sure that everything is in working order.
Guards’ Storage
The dwarf soldiers use this large fancy storage space (four stronghold spaces) to store extra bedding, mattresses for visiting warriors, various tools and gear for blockading tunnels, and so on.
Guest Rooms
Each of these fancy bedroom units contains two bedrooms, giving the dwarves enough room to keep up to ten guests in comfort. An everburning torch lights each bedroom, as the dwarves realize that not everyone visiting has darkvision. The guests are welcome to carry these valuable torches around the place as they need, but they are not permitted to take the torches out of the redoubt without good reason (and the say-so of the chief steward, the captain of the guard, or the owner). For their convenience, they can leave the torches with the guards as they leave.
Owner’s Office
The owner works or studies in this luxury office whenever in the area. It has an improved arcane lock on the door that only the owner, the chief steward, and the captain of the guard can open. It also has an Amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock on the door.
Owner’s Quarters
The owner lives in this luxury bedroom suite. This well-appointed place is decorated suitably to fit one of his eminent status.
Privy
The residential staff empties this privy several times a day. They cart the waste down to the mines and toss it down an abandoned shaft. Mushrooms are sometimes harvested from the older dumps.
Fancy Privy
This fancy privy—for the higher-ups and guests—is emptied out on a regular schedule by the residential staff, like area 17.
Big Bathroom
Most dwarves in the redoubt utilize this double-sized basic bathroom for their bathing needs. An everful basin provides all the water needed.
Fancy Bathroom
Much like area 19, an everful basin provides the water for this chamber (utilized by important staff and guests).
Dining Hall
The entire population of the fortress gathers in this fancy dining hall for meals. The dwarves here are like a large family, and they share most of their meals together. The owner, the chief steward, and the captain of the guard share a table at the southern end of the hall, and guests are often given the privilege of dining with them. Up to 300 people can eat here at once.
Kitchen
This triple-sized luxury kitchen can feed up to 300 people at once. Eighteen dwarves work on staff here to keep their compatriots well fed. An everful basin provides water.
Servants’ Quarters
Up to six servants live in each of these areas. They have a bit more room than the soldiers in the barracks (area 6), but not much.
Vault
This quadruple-sized fancy storage area holds the treasures of the dwarven redoubt, along with many of the magic items owned by the residents (when not in active use). It has an improved arcane lock on the door that only the owner, the chief steward, and the captain of the guard can open. It also has an amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock on the door.
The walls, floor, and ceiling are ethereal solids (see the augment object spell).
Tavern
This large (six stronghold spaces) basic tavern may not be much to look at, but it holds up to 120 dwarves at a time, and the place is usually packed. The dwarves brew the ale served here in the back room (area 26). A dozen servants wait on customers at all times.
Brewery
The beer served in the tavern (area 25) is brewed here in this double-sized fancy workplace. It’s not the finest stuff in the dwarven kingdoms, but it a far sight better than just about anything you can get in the human cities.
Chapel
This large (four stronghold spaces) fancy chapel is dedicated to Moradin, deity of the dwarves. A dwarf cleric and four acolytes watch over the flock here. Up to 120 people can worship in here at once. For truly special occasions, the cleric commandeers the dining hall (21) and holds a full service there instead.
Cleric’s Quarters
This fancy bedroom suite is where the cleric hangs his robes. He keeps his valuables and magic items locked in a trunk when not in use.
Cleric’s Office
The cleric works out of this fancy office. Religious icons decorate the walls, all dedicated to the dwarven faith. It has an amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock on all three doors.
Dungeon
The dwarves use this quadruple-sized Prison Cell component to hold any intruders they capture. Those who have had too much to drink in the tavern often end up sleeping it off in here instead of being hauled all the way to their beds. Four guards stand on watch here at all times.
Ore Storage
The dwarves store the ore dug out of the mines in this large (nine stronghold spaces) basic storage room. It usually only waits here a short time before being hauled somewhere else, either out the front door (area 5) or through the subterranean gate (area 37).
At least four guards stand watch here at all times.
Tool Storage
The dwarves store their mining tools in this large (nine stronghold spaces) basic storage room. The chamber also holds any equipment needed to repair such tools, as well as consumable mining supplies.
Library
This double-sized fancy library holds book lots covering the topics of Architecture and Engineering, History, Local Affairs, Religion, and two other topics of your choice. Alternatively, you can make one of the existing book lots into a comprehensive book lot (see the Books sidebar).
Trophy Hall
The dwarves of the redoubt store their souvenirs and trophies in this double-sized fancy trophy hall. It celebrates both their underground home and their greatest heroes.
Smithy
Two smiths labor in this double-sized fancy smithy, turning ore mined from the earth into masterwork weapons, armor, tools, and other valuable items. In times of need, the chief steward conscripts extra smiths to assist the work.
Miners’ Quarters
The miners live here in these Servants’ Quarters when not in the underbelly of the mountain.
Subterranean Gate
This basic common area is fronted by a double-barred iron door fitted with an Amazing (Open Lock DC 40) lock. A guard greets visitors through a sliding viewport. If he deems them worthy of entry, he escorts them to their destination.
Four guards stand here at all times. Should they need to retreat, they drop an iron portcullis to block the inner door
Mine Entrance
This area resembles the Subterranean Gate (area 37) in most ways. However, those coming from the mines must give a password (which changes daily) before being allowed in.
the right side
the left side
The Basics
The dwarven redoubt consists of several major spaces: the front gate, the owner’s residence (complete with space for his servants), the work area, the workers’ residences, storage areas for ore taken from the mines (as well as for mining equipment), the chapel, and so on. The spaces are all hewn from the stone of the mountain, and cut tunnels connect all the spaces.
In most areas, the doors have iron grates fitted above them. This allows the air in the place to circulate freely, keeping stuffiness and mildew to a minimum.
The dwarven redoubt has no permanent lighting, as the dwarves all have darkvision and don’t need illumination. Since darkvision allows only black-and-white vision, many dwarves choose to live and work with illumination. They prefer lanterns with continual flame cast upon them, but they’re happy to use torches in a pinch, despite the fact that the smoke can linger for quite a while, especially in the deepest parts of the redoubt.
Note that while the tunnels may angle gently up or down throughout the place, the map is drawn as if the entire place is on one level.
Getting In
Three ways into the dwarven redoubt exist. The most obvious one is to walk in through the front gate (area 3). Almost all (nondwarf ) visitor traffic—mostly merchants—comes into the place through this portal.
Most friendly dwarves, on the other hand, get into the place through the subterranean gate (area 37). Beyond the gate is the main underground road that leads to the Underdark and provides access to the other dwarven settlements in the area, as well as those of other races that make their homes under the ground, such as gnomes and unfortunately even the drow.
Some unwelcome visitors enter via the mines. This method is least likely to be used by a visitor with good intentions and most likely to be employed by a monster that wanders into the area. For this reason, dwarves who work in the mines always keep battleaxes close next to their picks, and during times of unusual activity, armed and armored guards are assigned to keep the miners safe.
Defenses
For the most part, the defenses are nonmagical. The dwarves have been living underground for millennia, and they’re fairly confident in their own ability to keep themselves and their families safe.
The freestanding wall of hewn stone guarding the front gate is 10 feet tall and 6 feet thick.
Dwarf guards keep round-the-clock watches at the two guard posts (areas 1 and 2) out front and at the front gate (area 3). They are also on constant duty at the subterranean gate (area 37) and at the entrance to the mines (area 38).
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