ShadowHold

Dungeons to Domains
LEGAL
Shadowdark RPG License. “Shadowhold: Dungeons to Domains”
is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG
Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library,
LLC. Shadowdark RPG © The Arcane Library, LLC.

Fonts. Old English Text MT by Monotype Type Drawing Office used

under license, Montserrat designed by Julieta Ulanovsky, Sol
Matas, Juan Pablo del Peral, Jacques Le Bailly, used under Open
Font License, Old Newspaper Types by Manfred Klein used under
license.

Layout Template. By Taylor Seely-Wright.

Art. AI generated using [Link]

Credit: Jaeden G.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEGAL ......................................................................... I
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................ II
INTRODUCTION...........................................................1
PRESTIGE LEVELS...................................................... 2
PRESTIGE TITLES ....................................................... 3
STRONGHOLDS ......................................................... 4
HOW TO ACQUIRE & CONSTRUCT ........................... 4
DAMGED STRONGHOLDS .......................................... 5
SETTLEMENTS ............................................................ 5
RETAINERS ................................................................ 6
TAXATION .................................................................. 6
HOW TO UPGRADE STRONGHOLDS.......................... 7
WAR ..........................................................................8
WINNING ...................................................................8
ATTACKING VICTORY ................................................ 9
DEFENDING VICTORY ............................................... 9
REVOLTS .................................................................... 9
CAPTURING STRONGHOLDS .................................... 10
HOW TO PLAY ........................................................... 11

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HELMETS & COWLS ................................................ 18

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INTRODUCTION
“ShadowHold: Dungeons to Domain” expands upon Shadowdark RPG’s
late game by adding; strongholds, retainers, prestige levels,
class-specific prestige titles, new ancestry traits, new
equipment, strongholds, additional game mechanics and so
much more!

This supplement was made referencing various messages The

Arcane Library has posted on Discord referencing possible game
mechanic designs they may incorporate if they were to add the
stronghold mechanic into Shadowdark RPG. I built a system
around my interpretation of those messages and expanded on
certain aspects. I hope this supplement provides your table with
many more hours of additional late game mechanics and
gameplay.

Strongholds were a part of Dungeons and Dragons upon its initial

release in 1974 and continued into the game until the release of
3.5e.

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Prestige

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 PRESTIGE
FIGHTER
PRESTIGE LEVELS CLASS
Upon reaching level 10, characters have access to the prestige
leveling system. Characters can earn prestige XP by obtaining
treasure (as stated in Shadowdark RPG’s rules), War (See War
chapter), and through their stronghold (See Strongholds
chapter). Gaining a prestige level allows access to higher
stronghold Tier Levels as well as 2 class talents every other level.

Level Level Up At… Bonus Talent

Tier I
10 150XP -
Stronghold
Tier II
11 200XP +2
Stronghold
Tier III
12 250XP -
Stronghold
Tier IV
13 300XP +2
Stronghold
Tier V
14 350XP -
Stronghold
Vassalize all
hexes and
lesser Tier
15 N/A strongholds +2
within 24 miles
of your
Stronghold

Vassalizing a lesser Tier Level stronghold provides access to their

resources such as gold, settlements, and retainers. Their
stronghold is still controlled by its original leader, but the leader
swears loyalty to the character. If the leader is hostile, they are
dethroned and supplanted by a loyal leader. Your stronghold will
expand to occupy all hexes within 24 miles of your stronghold.
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 PRESTIGE
FIGHTER
PRESTIGE TITLES CLASS
Level Warrior Priest Thief Wizard
11 Baron Bishop Ringleader Stormcrow
Arcane
12 Count Archbishop Kingpin
Rider
13 Duke Cardinal Gray Fox Mithrandir
Arch
14 King Mastermind Arcanus
Cardinal
15 Emperor Saint Don The White

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 PRESTIGE
FIGHTER CLASS

Strongholds
 STRONGHOLDS
FIGHTER CLASS
STRONGHOLDS
Upon reaching level 10, characters can acquire their first Tier
Level I stronghold. A character can only have one stronghold,
which they can increase in Tier Levels (See Prestige chapter).

When a stronghold increases its Tier Level, the character will

determine what additional hexes the stronghold will occupy. All
stronghold hexes must be adjacent to one another.

Player character (PC) owned strongholds provide bonus XP to

other PCs loyal to the PC who owns the stronghold. A PC can
become loyal by swearing an allegiance to the stronghold owning
PC. The owner of the stronghold also gains bonus XP for each
session a loyal PC plays. This additional XP is added at the end of
each session. (See Characters chapter)

HOW TO ACQUIRE & CONSTRUCT

There are three ways to acquire a stronghold; build a new
stronghold, repair an old stronghold, or be granted a
stronghold via nobility.

When a character wishes to acquire and construct a stronghold,

the following procedure should be used:

Permission: It may be necessary to secure permission to build

from an existing authority over the land. This may not be required
if the land is wilderness.

▪ While rulers may allow characters to build strongholds in

their towns or settlements, it is not guaranteed that they will
grant permission for the construction. Rulers may expect
something in return (i.e., swear fealty, demand taxes, etc.).

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 STRONGHOLDS
FIGHTER CLASS
Clear land: If the construction site is in the wilderness, all monsters
in a 6-mile area (i.e., one hex) must be killed or driven off for a Tier
Level I stronghold. Strongholds require that all hexes they
occupy to be clear land.

Construction: Once the land has been cleared and construction

materials delivered, construction may begin. The time required
depends on the stronghold’s Tier Level.

▪ Repairing a stronghold will be less expensive than

constructing a new stronghold of the same Tier Level. It is the
GM’s judgement to determine how much cheaper the repair
will be based on the current conditions of the stronghold.
Consider factors such as; how damaged is the structure, how
old is the structure, etc.
▪ When building in an existing town or settlement, the
proximity of materials and labor greatly reduce the costs. It is
the GM’s judgement to determine how much those costs
should be reduced. Consider factors such as; the size of the
town, the number of laborers, the resources available, etc.

DAMGED STRONGHOLDS
Strongholds become damaged after losing a War (see War
chapter). Damaged strongholds provide ½ the benefits (gold,
settlements, retainers) they normally would until they are repaired.

SETTLEMENTS

Each settlement represents 100 settlers. This is done to keep the

math simple while keeping the population numbers somewhat
realistic. Settlers are zero-level NPCs. They are normal townsfolk

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 STRONGHOLDS
FIGHTER CLASS
not willing to die for a cause. Each class has access to a unique
type of settler (See Characters chapter).

A stronghold gains 1 settlement per session where the

stronghold owner and/or a loyal PC play. (Refer to the Characters
chapter to see specifics on the maximum settlements per Tier
Level).

(1d4 x Tier Level) settlers have a chance to become a retainer

per session where the stronghold owner and/or a loyal PC play
(determined at the beginning of the session).

RETAINERS

Retainers are class specific units that live at the stronghold and
serve the stronghold owner. Retainers’ titles are specific to their
level and alignment. Their alignment is always the same as the
alignment of the stronghold owner. The more retainers a
stronghold has, the stronger its forces are when attacking and
defending. Retainers are encouraged to be played as PCs to help
loyal PCs in their sessions.

A retainer’s level is 4 + Tier Level

TAXATION

Settlements provide (1d4 x Tier Level x number of settlements)

x 100 gp of taxes per session where the stronghold owner and/or
a loyal PC play (determined at the beginning of the session).

Ex. You have a Tier Level 2 stronghold with 10 settlements. Roll 1d4.
You roll a 2. The math looks like the following; (2 x 2 x 10) x 100 =
4,000gp

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 STRONGHOLDS
HOW TOFIGHTER CLASS
UPGRADE STRONGHOLDS
To upgrade a stronghold, a character must have the following:

▪ The character must have access to the stronghold Tier Level

they are trying to upgrade to. (See Prestige chapter)
▪ The character must have the maximum settlements based
on their prestige level.
▪ Pay the cost of construction (See Characters chapter).
▪ Wait the duration of construction (See Characters chapter).
o Construction time is measured in “sessions.” One
session represents one whole session of play of the
regular time length the table on average plays.

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STRONGHOLDS
FIGHTER CLASS

War

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 WAR
WAR FIGHTER CLASS
A War breaks out when a stronghold is attacked. War is broken
down into 3 phases.

▪ Siege: The attacking army performs a siege outside of the

stronghold.
▪ Breach: The attacking army has breached into the interior of
the stronghold.
▪ Assault: The attacking army assaults the inner chambers of
the stronghold.

Each phase of War consists of 3 rounds. During each round, the

attacking side and defending side will roll:

1d20 + class specific modifier + Retainers x Tier Level

The highest roll wins the round

▪ Natural 20 = automatically win the round

▪ Natural 1 = automatically lose the round
▪ If both sides roll natural 20’s or 1’s, re-roll the round.

When an attacking army wins 2/3 rounds, the War advances to

the next phase.

When a defending army wins 2/3 rounds, the War reverts by

one phase.

WINNING
When an attacking army wins 2/3 rounds in the assault phase,
they win the War.

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 WAR
FIGHTER CLASS
When a defending army wins 2/3 rounds in the Siege phase,
they win the war.

Winning a War, grants the stronghold owner PC 100 XP

ATTACKING VICTORY
If the attacking army wins the War, they roll a % dice to see what
percent of gold they loot from the stronghold. The gold is taken
from the stronghold-owning PC. The attacking side has a 1:6
chance of capturing each enemy Retainer.
The defending side rolls 1d6 to determine how many
settlements were destroyed. Additionally, there is a 1:6 chance
the stronghold owner PC is killed or captured in the War. The
defending side may have a revolt in their stronghold (see
Revolts pg. 9).

DEFENDING VICTORY
The defending side has a 1:6 chance of capturing each enemy
Retainer. Additionally, roll 1d6 x Tier Level to determine how
many extra settlements were gained.

The attacking side rolls 1d6 to determine how many Retainers

were killed. Additionally, there is a 1:6 chance the stronghold
owner PC is killed or captured in the War.

REVOLTS
When a Stronghold loses a War, they have a 2:6 chance of their
stronghold revolting. If a revolt happens, roll 1d6 to determine
how many extra settlements leave and roll 1d6 to determine
how many Retainers leave the service of the stronghold.

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 WAR
FIGHTER
CAPTURING CLASS
STRONGHOLDS
A stronghold becomes captured upon the death of the PC who
owns the stronghold or if they are taken as a prisoner of war.

Captured strongholds remain at their current settlement and

hireling amounts. Any benefits (gold, use of retainers, etc.) can
only be obtained after repairing the stronghold. The stronghold
can continue to grow in Tier Level once it’s vassalized (see Prestige
chapter)

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 WAR
FIGHTER CLASS

How to Play

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 HOW TO PLAY
HOW TOFIGHTER
PLAY CLASS
When generally managing a stronghold, it is recommended to
use a Hex map to determine the stronghold’s placement,
surrounding factions, etc.

When conducting Wars, it is recommended to use the Theater of

the Mind. It is up to the players and the GM to elaborate on the
details of each round of War. The GM will determine how long the
War lasts (days, weeks, months, years, etc.).

The introduction of strongholds allows many new adventure

hooks including but not limited to;

▪ Rival strongholds nearby

▪ What unintended consequences arise from building,
repairing, upgrading, or being granted a stronghold?
▪ What happens to a stronghold when the owner dies?
▪ What additional mechanics can your stronghold allow? (GM
determines if the action is eligible)
o Do you create a new spell in your Wizard’s Tower?
o Do you assassinate a nearby King or Queen with your
Thieves’ Den?
o Do you summon a Deity at your Priest’s Parish?
o Do you open fighting pits for your peasants at your
Fighter’s Barony?

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 HOW TO PLAY
FIGHTER CLASS

Ancestry

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 ANCESTRY
FIGHTER CLASS
Each Ancestry has a unique Prestige Ancestry Trait, which they
unlock at level 10.

Half-
Dwarf Elf Goblin Halfling Human Kobold
Orc
20% cost
reduction +1 to +1
Add
when +1 to all all Settlement Kobold
5% to
building, defensive attack per session +1 max strongholds
Gold
upgrading, rolls in rolls and in Retainers do not
Loot
and War in Defensive revolt
Rolls
repairing War Victory
strongholds

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 ANCESTRY
FIGHTER CLASS

Characters

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 FIGHTER CLASS
FIGHTER CLASS
The Fighter’s settlements are made up of peasants (settlers).
Peasants are loyal to their feudal master. The Fighter’s unique
retainer is the Knight/Slayer/Battlerager (Title and Alignment
dependent on the stronghold owner’s alignment and Tier Level).
The Fighter’s class modifier is their Strength modifier.

Fighter War Abilities:

Mighty Walls. +3 to class stat on defensive rolls in all phases of

War.

Chivalrous Charge. +3 to class stat on attack rolls in the Siege and

Breach phase of a War.

Tier Stronghold Max Construction

Cost
Level Type Retainers Time
I Barony 5 10,000gp 1 Session
II Keep 10 20,000gp 2 Sessions
III Fortress 15 30,000gp 3 Sessions
IV Castle 20 40,000gp 4 Sessions
V Palace 25 50,000gp 5 Sessions

Bonus Bonus XP
Max
Tier Max Hexes XP to to
Loyal
Level Settlements Occupied Loyal Stronghold
PCS
PCs Owner
I 5 1 +5 +25 1
II 10 3 +10 +50 2
III 15 7 +15 +75 3
IV 20 12 +20 +100 4
V 30 20 +25 N/A 5

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 FIGHTER CLASS
1
FIGHTER CLASS

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 PRIEST CLASS
FIGHTER CLASS
The Priest’s settlements are made up of followers (settlers).
Followers are believers of their Priest’s religion. The Priest’s unique
retainer is the Templar/Cultist/Haruspex (Title and Alignment
dependent on the stronghold owner’s alignment and Tier Level).
The Priest’s class modifier is their Wisdom modifier.

Rolling a Natural 1 in War disables the Priest War Abilities until

the stronghold owning PC undertakes penance.

Priest War Abilities:

Zealous. Twice per War, you may re-roll any attack or defensive roll.

Divine Protection. +2 to class stat on defensive rolls in the Siege

phase of a War.

Tier Stronghold Max Construction

Cost
Level Type Retainers Time
I Parish 5 10,000gp 1 Session
II Sanctuary 10 20,000gp 2 Sessions
III Basilica 15 30,000gp 3 Sessions
IV Temple 20 40,000gp 4 Sessions
V Cathedral 25 50,000gp 5 Sessions

Bonus Bonus XP
Max
Tier Max Hexes XP to to
Loyal
Level Settlements Occupied Loyal Stronghold
PCS
PCs Owner
I 5 1 +5 +25 1
II 10 3 +10 +50 2
III 15 7 +15 +75 3
IV 20 12 +20 +100 4
V 30 20 +25 N/A 5

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 PRIEST CLASS
FIGHTER CLASS

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 THIEF CLASS
FIGHTER CLASS
The Thief’s settlements are made up of clients (settlers). Clients
are customers and patrons of the Thief’s establishment. The
Thief’s unique retainer is the Rook/Shadow/Rogue (Title and
Alignment dependent on the stronghold owner’s alignment and
Tier Level). The Thief’s class modifier is their Dexterity modifier.

Thief War Abilities:

Behind Enemy Lines. At the beginning of every round of the

Siege phase, there is a 3:6 chance to automatically win the Siege
phase.

Assassination. 1:6 chance every other round of War to assassinate

enemy Retainer.

Tier Stronghold Max Construction

Cost
Level Type Retainers Time
I Den 5 10,000gp 1 Session
II Establishment 10 20,000gp 2 Sessions
III Guild 15 30,000gp 3 Sessions
IV Company 20 40,000gp 4 Sessions
V Legion 25 50,000gp 5 Sessions

Bonus Bonus XP
Max
Tier Max Hexes XP to to
Loyal
Level Settlements Occupied Loyal Stronghold
PCS
PCs Owner
I 5 1 +5 +25 1
II 10 3 +10 +50 2
III 15 7 +15 +75 3
IV 20 12 +20 +100 4
V 30 20 +25 N/A 5

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8
 WIZARD CLASS
FIGHTER CLASS
The Wizard’s settlements are made up of Scholars (settlers).
Scholars are members of the intellectual class of society who are
interested in the Wizard’s knowledge. The Wizard’s unique
retainer is the Arcanist/Witch or Warlock/Warden (Title and
Alignment dependent on the stronghold owner’s alignment and
Tier Level). The Wizard’s class modifier is their Intelligence
modifier.

Rolling a Natural 1 in War disables the Wizard War Abilities until

the stronghold owning PC completes a rest.

Wizard War Abilities:

Arcane Might. All attack and defensive rolls have Advantage in

War.

You Shall Not Pass. Once per War, Roll 1d20 + Wisdom Modifier
(DC 12) to overwhelm enemy forces. If successful, the next round
reverts to the beginning of the Siege phase.

Tier Stronghold Max Construction

Cost
Level Type Retainers Time
I Tower 5 10,000gp 1 Session
II Spire 10 20,000gp 2 Sessions
III Archspire 15 30,000gp 3 Sessions
IV Monolith 20 40,000gp 4 Sessions
V Obelisk 25 50,000gp 5 Sessions

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 WIZARD CLASS
Tier FIGHTER CLASS
Max Hexes
Bonus Bonus XP
XP to to
Max
Loyal
Level Settlements Occupied Loyal Stronghold
PCS
PCs Owner
I 5 1 +5 +25 1
II 10 3 +10 +50 2
III 15 7 +15 +75 3
IV 20 12 +20 +100 4
V 30 20 +25 N/A 5

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 ARMOR
FIGHTER CLASS

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 ARMOR
FIGHTER CLASS

Helmets &
Cowls

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 ARMOR
FIGHTER
HELMETS & COWLS CLASS
Helmets and Cowls are new armor items. When an attacker rolls a
Natural 20 on a melee or ranged (not spellcasting) attack roll, a
defender equipped with a helmet prevents the critical damage.
The defender is still hit and the attacker rolls their regular weapon
damage dice.

Gear Proficiency
Item Cost AC Properties
Slots Required
Leather Leather
10gp 1 +1 -
Cowl Armor
Prevents
Nasal Crit. Chainmail
60gp 1 +2
Helmet Destroyed Armor
after 1 Crit
Prevents
Crit.
Great Plate mail
130gp 1 +3 Destroyed
Helmet armor
after 2
Crits.

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