Stronghold management (Pillars of Eternity)

When the player comes into possession of the Caed Nua stronghold, it is old and dilapidated, and they will want to work with their steward to upgrade it as soon as they can. These upgrades will, in turn, increase security or prestige of the place, open up new activities and events that can happen, which will make the stronghold a dynamic and fun place to own. You can further influence it by employing hirelings to stay at your stronghold.

You can begin collecting taxes from your populace as soon as you gain the stronghold. The amount of taxes you collect increases with your prestige (because people know of you and like you), but the amount also increases with higher security, since some taxes are lost to banditry. Additionally, security helps reduce the number of "bad" random events, while prestige increases the number of "good" random events. You will want to keep both of those values high.


 * Rating summary:
 * Prestige – increases the taxes collected and quality of "good" random events occurring (rare item offers, prestigious visitors, etc).
 * Security – reduces the taxes you lose to banditry, frequency of "bad" random events occurring (attacks, chances of guests being attacked on the road or guests being kidnapped, etc.).

It is possible to increase Stronghold Prestige and Security from quests: A Return to Court, The Master Below, The Phylactery's Promise, The Forgotten Army, ( Talking to the mad kings might give +8 prestige and security ) and maybe others (please add).

Upgrades
The stronghold and house can be restored and upgraded to increase its aesthetic and practical value. Upgrades are useful in that they can unlock a number of fringe benefits. Most upgrades in some way impact the Prestige or Security of the place. These traits are all-important in determining the success of unexpected events. Other upgrades offer additional buffs to your characters' traits, which are useful in the field. There are five bonuses you will receive for getting and upgrading your stronghold.
 * Resting bonuses: Several of the upgrades to your stronghold will grant temporary bonuses to your attributes or skills when you rest in Brighthollow.
 * Adventures for idle companions: Companions that are recruited but aren't in the party will remain at your stronghold and gain a fractional amount of experience (typically about 75%). While they are idling away at the stronghold, they can take part in their own adventures, earning additional experience for themselves and extra money, items and reputation bonuses for you. If a player uses the stronghold system to manage characters when they aren't in the party, they can have full XP parity if the player wants them to.
 * Merchants: Some of the upgrades provide merchants.
 * Ingredients: Some of the upgrades will generate ingredients used for crafting and enchantment.
 * Special offers: Sometimes visitors to your stronghold will have rare items for sale, or perhaps they will offer you items in return for something else.
 * Security: Most of the upgrades improve the security of the stronghold, protecting your wealth and residents.
 * Wealth: You own all of the surrounding lands near the stronghold and impose a tax on all of the inhabitants, but the tax isn't an endless source of income.

All such upgrades cost both money and in-game time to build but you don't have to wait at the stronghold while they are built. You can continue adventuring, and you will be notified when they are built. Upgrades can also serve as prerequisites for other upgrades. Individual sections of the stronghold get upgraded individually and each section has two states, ruined and restored. Only one upgrade can be conducted at a time.

Hirelings
Once the player has restored the Barracks in the keep, they can hire up to eight hirelings that can add to the stronghold's Security and Prestige. They can also be used to provide aid to supplicants and to help defend the stronghold during an attack. The player always pre-pays for the services of hirelings for a fixed period of time. Some hirelings will automatically leave after their pay-period is up. If the player cannot pay for the services of a hireling, the most expensive hirelings no longer apply their bonuses to the stronghold. The player has to either find the funds or dismiss the hireling to make use of that slot.

Some hirelings of varying classes are constantly available as a standard. Guest hirelings are available as a result of special events and the player's faction reputations. Their availability at the house may only be for a limited time, or their loyalty might be contingent on the player’s continued good graces with a particular faction.

Given the extreme personalities of some guest hirelings, their bonuses tend to be higher than that of the standard. In some cases, however, their positive bonus in one attribute can come with an added penalty to another. Select hirelings with budget and a healthy balance of Prestige and Security in mind.