How Are You Pricing This?

Probably the first words out of any GM's mouth.

For the most part, I'm using the Dungeons & Dragons Stronghold Builder's Guidebook (for 3rd edition) with some supplements from other sources to try to make some sort of a consistent system. Since D&D isn't economically consistent or realistic (favoring game balance over economic realism), I do the best I can to consolidate things.

There's a short table on page 101 of the 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide that lists a simple house as 1000gp, a grand house as 5000gp, and a mansion as 100,000gp (pretty big jumps, there. 4th edition says 1000gp can buy a 1-3 bedroom single-story house for 1000gp, a two-story wooden 30'x40' house for 1500gp, and a house of the same size made of stone costs 3000gp. Not exactly consistent-- a two-story house with 2,400 square feet costs 50% more than a three-room cottage? Really?

So while I've looked over different building rules for different editions, some things I've thrown out entirely. Others I've changed.

SBG Alterations and Process
The Stronghold Builder's Guidebook is geared toward big, grand projects. Its "simple kitchen" component takes up 400sqft and feeds fifteen at a time, which... doesn't work for cottages. What if I have a 150sqft kitchen in a humble little house, without the big stove?

First, I compensate by size. Let's take 37.5% of the original component price and apply it. This does ignore flat, initial costs (a fireplace or stove costs the same regardless of square feet of the room its in). Is it worth the pain and suffering of making up a base cost percentage, debating it, and applying all that math...? ... Yeah, no. I'm not going to sweat it. I'm going to price based on size, then round up to the nearest 100gp per component.

In case anyone wants to apply different pricing schema, each dwelling will have an itemized price list. Alter for your own game however you see fit.

Now, as for component type for our hypothetical kitchen. You'd think you'd just call it a portion of a basic kitchen component, right? Except what if our cottage doesn't have a big cast-iron oven? What the occupants just cook things over the fireplace? That's a lot more like an alchemical laboratory (basic @ 700gp/400sqft). In contrast, a basic kitchen costs 2000gp/400sqft and assumes you have a cook on staff (with a note that you can prepare meals yourself "in a pinch"). It also states that it has / could have a stove inside.

I would probably make this decision based on the equipment inside, and its quality.  Have a stove? Not as beaten down as a lab? It's a kitchen. 750gp 800gp please. Two tables, a fireplace with a pot, and shelves of ingredients, everything well used? You're an alchemy lab. 300gp for that space.

Calculations written out:

150sqft kitchen = 37.5% SBG "basic kitchen" @ 2000gp =  750gp = 800gp
150sqft "alchemy lab" = 37.5% SBG "basic alchemical laboratory" @700gp = 262.5 = 300gp


Let me know in the comments if I've left any questions unanswered. There's a lot of ambiguity when it comes to small spaces, and I try to adhere to the rulebook and the spirit of the rulebook when I can. Happy gaming!