Name levels and freeholds

[GRWelsh]

Since my current campaign has a party of player characters all at 5th-6th levels, I have been thinking ahead on how to handle when they get to name levels and are able to establish freeholds and attract followers. Vaguely, what I'm planning ahead for is for them to get the chance to establish strongholds and fiefdoms on the border between civilization and the wilderness, which I think is a very Gygaxian theme, and is probably best for keeping them in the action rather than simply saying they retired to live happily ever after. How have the rest of you handled this when your players get characters reaching name levels? I've DMed this a lot when I was much younger, back in the 80's, and that was wild and fun but doesn't provide much context for how I want to handle it this time around. I want this to integrate with the campaign and not derail it. Perhaps set it up so the name level PC's end up with neighboring freeholds defending a common border?

[geneweigel]

Anything can happen at executive level. For me as DM, the gaining of powerful allies angle becomes 50% hands down. "Mundane" war is never really mundane when you have equalizers blocking your big guns.

[Scott]

With the higher level party that is currently on downtime they have some decisions to make.
They were offered land and titles in Sterich, small western baronies that were ravaged by giant raids.
The storm giantess they rescued in G2 told them about the cloud island where she lived before it was attacked and overrun by cloud giants.
There is a Glaurung inspired adventure with an elven stronghold near the Suss/Welkwood border. The stronghold was overrun by a powerful dragon and its followers and if the party could kill the dragon The party elf would be made Lady of the stronghold.
Clerics only have to pay half for building costs, but the church is picky about where. The want to further enlighten the Wild Coast and have not decided if they think relocating to podunk, Sterich is a good idea. The party has to weigh being beholden to some other entity and paying a lot less, or doing it the hard way and building true freeholds.

[GRWelsh]

In my campaign, Dain (Eric) the cleric and Balul (Ray) the dwarf thief should become the first characters who get enough XP to get to levels where they can establish strongholds and attract followers. Eric's role playing has already laid the groundwork for attracting followers among the poor and working class folk in Hochoch and Gorna, and Balul has interacted with some thieves that he "out-thieved" and some wandering dwarves who could be thieves or multi-classed thieves. Dain is a cleric of Pelor and I'd like to do more role playing with the various religions in the region and tensions or tolerances between them... I've taken a note from EGG that Pholtus has a presence in Geoff with the references to the Fellowship of the Blinding Light in module S3. The way I've presented is it that they are a bit fanatical with some political aspirations, but the Grand Duke keeps them at arms length and welcomes other faiths of good and neutral aligned deities to help maintain the balance. From a political point of view, the Pholtusians would like to become the power behind the throne and the official state religion but the Grand Duke isn't having it, yet he keeps up a working relationship with them due to their influence. Dain (Eric) as a cleric of Pelor and Aeray (Randy) as a paladin of St Cuthbert are thus welcome additions to the mix and I've played up their respective rivalries with the worshippers of Pholtus. Dain has made plans to build what he calls the Pelorium outside the front gate of Gorna where he has already fed the poor and preached with a popular Pelorfest, but by the time he reaches 8th level patriarch there may be a political angle with the Grand Duke offering him land and a bishopric that is more strategically placed, i.e. it could be a border fief to help defend a dangerous frontier. Eric may not like it, but that is how it goes sometimes with high level politics. What this will do, however, is set up Dain is the first landed lord where he can rule a fief without much interference from the Grand Duke since trust has already been established due to past interactions. If the party clears out a small, abandoned dwarf hall nearby, Balul may take take up residence as his hideout and attract his thief followers. Brakazar (Brian) the half-orc fighter would be next to attract followers if he establishes or builds a stronghold, which could also be a neighboring border fief granted by the writ of the sovereign for past services rendered... Or, knowing Brian, he may simply take a "by this axe I rule" approach on a ruins or castle taken from evil forces and monsters if it is beyond the border. Aeray (Randy) the paladin would follow soon after, as a 9th paladin lord, once he swears allegiance to someone he sees a worthy liege and becomes knighted, and Tory (Cindy) the magic-user would come last at becoming a 12th level wizard (good witch in her case) able to build or take up residence in a tower. Thus, the players could end up being neighbors and able to work together to defend a border, interact with other nobles and mountain barons, get involved in politics, and have to lead troops in strategically important and epic battles.