Hamlets

Hamlets are secondary settlements that can only be built after a hex has been cleared and settled. They are found in the hinterlands of villages, towns and cities. They can be about making more sophisticated use of the local resources or specialist knowledge, of just a way of adding further developments to a hex. Anyone can build a hamlet, so long as they get permission from the landowner before you start building.

• The number of hamlets a settlement can support varies, and is limited to the defence Value of the Primary Settlement. Examples (A watchtower (defence 1) can protect one hamlet. A fort (defence 2) can protect 2 hamlets. A keep (defence 4) can protect up to 4 hamlets. A city might be able to support 10, 12 or even more hamlets in it's hinterland. )
• Hamlets are not strongholds. Consumption Costs are borne by the 'Land Owner', Economy, Loyalty and Stability add to the primary settlements totals and the landowner also benefits from any tax income generated in the hamlet. It is just the same as building in town.

SIZE: Hamlets MUST be smaller than the Primary Settlement in the Hex. Single Site cannot be developed further, while other Hamlets are restricted to three plots (However, unlike a normal village, any defensive building takes up one of those plots.) and size 4.

Development Suggestions

There are five types of hamlet:-

• Single Site - A single site hamlet is a home for a loner. It cannot be developed in the way as other hamlets - however, they can be built in Managed Wilderness Hexes as well as Hinterland Hexes.
• Basic Hamlets - A basic hamlet adds a simple countryside business in the hinterland of a hex that already contains a Village, Town or City. It lets you expand your holding and add more 'flavour' to your settlement. There are a number of different hamlet types that suit different types of terrain.
• Advanced Hamlets - These are generally extensions to the Basic Farm hamlet, where the farm is expanded to cultivate a specific crop (or type of livestock) as well as maintaining its basic farming business.
• Special Hamlets - These are bespoke hamlets, often build by the wealthy as a home or for a non-economic purpose.
• Spontaneous Hamlets - You can't build these. They occur when a group of Smallholders get together and build something using their own resources, for their own benefit.

They may not be developed and stay as Single Sites because their residents do not, generally, want to be near other people. They have the advantage that you can build them in Urban, Rural and some wilderness hexes - but you cannot develop them further. These secondary Developments are for loners, people who want to be alone and don't really want to be a part of the local community. Hermits, mad alchemists, lonely witches and the like ….

The advantage is that Single Site Hamlets can be built in a Managed Wilderness area that is patrolled from an adjacent hex. They cannot be developed further - a wilderness hex can only have one development in it. If a second development is built in the same hex, the hex becomes a rural hex and adds one point of consumption.

In rural and urban hexes these developments maybe home to a Community Druid, an oracle, a Hermit or someone similar - and they are treated the same as any other Hamlet - EXCEPT that they cannot be developed any further.

• Holy Grove - This is a refuge in the wild where a nature priest can enjoy shelter and practice their religion. Holy Groves serve primarily as places of worship, but they also act as a community centre and retreat in times of need. While called a Holy Grove, it could take many forms - a grove of trees, a stone circle, a natural amphitheatre, a pool or a cave. This counts as a ★★ residential property.
• Cost to build: 2bp
• Restrictions: Any hex.
• Benefit: +1 Special, +1 Loyalty, +1 stability

• Great Shrine - This is an exception, and is the only Single Site Hamlet that may be developed, but only into a Holy Grove.
• Cost to build: 1 bp
• Restrictions: Any hex.
• Benefit: +1 Loyalty, +1 Stability. Upgradable.

• Witch Hut – Be it a crazy old hermit, a hag, or just a herbalist who likes to live near the source of her craft, a spellcaster who prefers to dwell far from civilization might call this structure home. This counts as a ★★ residential property.
• Cost to build: 1bp
• Restrictions: Any hex.
• Benefit: +1 Economy

• Tree House Tree houses are particularly popular among small communities living in wildernesses so dangerous that sleeping on the ground is never safe. Such groups craft residences sized for one or two families into the boughs of neighbouring trees, with bridges connecting the individual structures. This counts as a ★★ residential property.
• Cost to build: 0.5bp
• Restrictions: Any hex.
• Benefit: None

• Hermitage - A small, discreet dwelling - well away from prying eyes and neighbours. This counts as a ★★ residential property.
• Cost to build: 0.5bp
• Restrictions: Any hex.
• Benefit: None

They are all well-balanced, cheap to build and are an easy way of expanding the settlement in a hex. They can be built in Rural or Urban Hex that meet the specific requirements stated in the descriptions. Because they are so well-balanced, these are probably the best secondary developments for Rural hexes. You will find smaller versions of these all over the hinterlands where smallholders are trying to improve their lot. Hamlets are restricted to three development plots and size 4 - so plan carefully.

• Farm - A Farm can be built in a Plains or Hill Hex, that has a river or road for access. For the initial investment you get a mixed economy farm, with appropriate outbuildings buildings, vegetable fields (peas, beans, potatoes, root veg), a few head of livestock (milk cows, a few pigs, chickens etc), and accommodation for your staff. A farm will have a few fields of grain (wheat, oats, barley) which will make bread and beer for the community. Once the farm is established, you can develop it as a hamlet to leverage your output.
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Hill or Plains hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy
  • Note: You may upgrade a farm to a Great Farm, Ranch or Specialist Farm.

• Fishery - A Fishery can be built in any River or Coastal Hex. For the initial investment you get a few appropriate outbuildings buildings, fish processing equipment and accommodation for your staff. Once the Fishery is established, you can develop it as a hamlet to leverage your output. Not only do you employ small scale fishermen (Row boats, coracles, shore nets) you provide work for people from the local smallholdings. NOTE (Most Fishery consists of a Public Pier and a Fish Processing workshop. Fish are cleaned, then preserved by smoking, fermentation, pickling, salting or making fish sauce etc. Alternately, a fishery might consist of a commercial Jetty and a community building.)
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Any river or Coastal hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy

• Quarry – A Quarry can only be built in any Hill or Mountain hex, that has a river or road for access. For the initial investment you get a few buildings, huts for the workers and a house for your quarry manager. Once the quarry is established, you can develop it as hamlet to leverage the quarry's output. The output is often stone suitable for buildings and simple monuments, but could produce sand, gravel, slate, clay - or any similar 'earthy' resource.
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Any Mountain or Hill hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy

• Logging Camp - A Logging Camp can be built in any Forested Hex, that has a river or road for access. For the initial investment you get enough infrastructure to maintain a mobile logging camp that moves around the hex. This makes for a sustainable form of logging, which is generally acceptable to the 'green' community. If you add other buildings, it fixes the Logging Camp and starts to develop as a static Hamlet, it stops logging sustainably and start to clear the area - and doesn't sit well with the 'green' community.
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: any Forest Hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy

• Hunting Camp - A Hunting Camp can be built in any hex that contains a village or small town. This is little more than a Tannery (capable of preparing hides, skins, feathers etc) along with a Community Hall. Most residents live in smallholdings (working Forest Gardens) or huts close to the Tannery/hall. Common developments are leather workers, bowyers, woodworkers, etc.
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: any Hex that contains a village, small town or frontier town - but only one per hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy

• Mine – A Mine can only be built in a Resource Hex that contains known deposits of a mineral – a metal ore, gems, coal, salt or something similar - , that has a river or road for access. For the initial investment you get a few mining buildings, huts for the miners and a house for your mine manager. Once the mine is established, you can develop it as hamlet to leverage the mine's output. The output depends on the resource found in the hex.
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Any Minable Resource hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +1 Economy

Realistically, these are all variants of the same development, but with different cash crops. In these examples, grain (flour, bread, beer) and sheep (wool, cheese) are probably most common. However, hemp (rope/sackcloth), flax (Linen and oil), ranches (Horse, cattle) and other specialist produce (hops, wine, etc) are also covered,

• Great Farm - A Great Farm can be built in a Plains Hex. For the initial investment you get a mixed economy farm, as per the description earlier, with more outbuildings and extra fields to grow a cash crop. Once the great farm is established, you can develop it as a hamlet to leverage your output. A great farm in a plains hex will probably grow more cereal crops (flour and beer as exports), or Hemp that can be used to make rope or sackcloth. Ancillary buildings might be Mills, brewery, weavers or rope walk. A Great farm in a hilly hex will probably run flocks of sheep so that they can make sheeps-milk cheese and produce wool for clothing. Ancillary buildings might be a cheese-maker or weavers. A Great farm in a hex that is part hill or plains and part swamp has the option to introduce Flax as a cash crop. Flax can be used to make linen or linseed oil - ancillary building could include weavers and an oil-press (Craft workshop). (ATM this is only Litwins Cove)
  • Cost to build: 3bp
  • Restrictions: Hill or Plains hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +2 Economy

• Ranch – A ranch can be built in a Plains or Hill Hex and deals with livestock and other types of animal husbandry. The ranch has extra outbuildings and worker accommodation as well a range for a flock of sheep, herd of cattle, horses or other suitable animals. Once the ranch is established, you can develop it as a Hamlet to leverage the ranch’s output. You can use this model for farming other herd animals (perhaps Elk or Pigs) or for breeding and training – Horses, dogs, birds etc. NOTE: A Sheep 'ranch' is the standard upgrade for a farm located in a Hill Hex.
  • Cost to build: 3bp
  • Restrictions: Hill or Plains hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +2 Economy

• Specialist Farm - A Specialist Farm can be built in just about any Hex - but needs DM agreement first (For Example, you aren't going to get agreement to grow grapes in the middle of a swamp). As well as the standard Farm Buildings (listed earlier), you get more outbuildings, land suitable for your specialist crop and accommodation for your staff. Once established, you can develop it as a Hamlet to leverage your output. Use this model for Vineyards, Hop-Yards or any other farm specializing in a specific crop.
  • Cost to build: 3bp
  • Restrictions: DM approval for Hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 Loyalty; +2 Economy

There are many other possibilities as well. These examples concentrate on RP and defensive elements of the game, but there are many other possibilities. Like most other hamlets, these can be developed according to the 3 'Plots, Size 4' rule. As I keep saying - ask your GM.
NOTE: The economic and community developments recommended earlier may not be suitable for these developments.

• Bastion - A bastion is a military outpost, often positioned to defend a strategic location - such a mountain pass, bridge, or cave entrance. However, it might also be a way of adding outlying defences to hex in a dangerous area. A Bastion is just a stand-alone watchtower, although it can be upgraded to an Outpost or even a Keep. Like all secondary settlements a bastion can be developed into a hamlet. NOTE: ( In this case the Military building takes up one of the three permitted development plots)
  • Cost to build: 1bp
  • Restrictions: Any Rural or Urban Hex.
  • Benefit: +1 defence;

• Country Estate - A country estate starts out as a Fortified Villa that provides a second home in the country. If all you want is a hunting lodge or a quiet rural life, this is probably enough. If you want a proper country estate, you might want to upgrade to a Fortified Manor and add a chapel and (perhaps) some park lands (see Urban Civic) although you must seek permission from the landowner first. NOTE: (In this case the Villa/Manor building takes up one of the three permitted development plots)
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Any Rural or Urban Hex.
  • Benefit: +1 Stability; +1 defence;

• Monastic - A Monastic Hamlet is the start of a religious community. It starts with a Holy House, but might grow to be a Priory or even an Abbey. Traditionally monasteries have been associated with brewing (Dom Perignon was a monk who invented champagne, Trappist beers, Buckfast Tonic Wine, and many others) so you could legitimately add a brewery or wine press / as part of the development. Other options include a Chantry Church of Pharasma with both a crypt and a graveyard - and I am sure there are other variants. NOTE: (In this case the religious building takes up one of the three permitted development plots)
  • Cost to build: 2bp
  • Restrictions: Any Rural or Urban Hex.
  • Benefit: +1 special; +1 Loyalty; +1 Stability

Sometimes a hamlet comes into being without really being owned by anyone or having any great effect on the overall economy. You find them in areas where there are a lot of smallholdings, thorps or dwellings – and the people club together to make something for overall community benefits. No one owns enough of the building to be classed as the owner, nor does anyone make enough money for it to be classed as an economic benefit, it just makes the lives of the local people a bit easier.

Some RL examples include a Community Hall, a Community Shop or Community Pub (there are examples from the UK at present), a Communal Barn (I am sure I have read about these, historically, in the US) and Communal Brewery (I know of these making wine in Italy). In all cases the developments themselves are owner jointly by locals, there is minimal profit which is used to maintain the building or is shared out between the local ‘owners’ (a model used by early building societies and the Coop). However, each of these Communal Developments takes up as much space as their commercial equivalent, and the same rules apply – no more than three developments and no more than size 4.

You can find a list of Community Developments here.

Example: The Hamlet of Bogside had a communal hall Known as The Eel and a Public Jetty - almost all the locals were fisherfolk or swamp rats - when the party found them. Unfortunately, Bogside was in a location that was attractive to bandits and pirates and was prone to being taken over by them.

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These are examples, if you can come up with something similar, that produces the same sort of benefits - ask your DM :)