HOUSES & CASTLES Home, sweet home ... houses are a great way to store your worldly possessions. They also provide a safe haven in the harsh UO wilderness. Types of Domicile There are many dwellings available in UO. Some types of houses may be added to the game over time, and some may be removed. Purchasing A House or Castle Houses come in all sizes, from two different styles of tent to a very large castle. The larger homes are extremely expensive, and are more suited as the headquarters for a large guild than as a private residence. You can even buy shops, which come complete with all equipment needed for an operation of the appropriate kind, like forges, spinning wheels or flour mills. Houses may be purchased from an architect. If you’re buying a large house or castle on behalf of a guild or other group, you’ll first want to get the other members to transfer sufficient funds into your bank account to cover the purchase. Because of the large sums involved in real estate purchases, architects can draw funds directly from your bank account. Provisioners are also known to sell houses and ships of the smaller sorts. When you trade with an architect, you’ll see a menu of house types and prices. Once you’ve made and paid for your selection, you’ll receive a deed for a house of that kind. Watch out for bandits and pickpockets – you do not want this deed stolen. Building Your House Once you have your deed, you’ll need to select a site for your new domicile. Land in Britannia is free, outside the cities, as long as the king’s right-of-way is respected. That is, houses may be built in any unoccupied location outside a city, except over roads. Of course, a site must be clear of trees or other large obstacles before it can be occupied (underbrush and other light vegetation is OK). Once you’ve decided where you want your house to be located, stand at the spot you envision as the midpoint of the house’s southern wall (the wall toward the bottom of the screen) and Use the deed. A translucent outline of the building’s walls will appear on screen with a targeting cursor within it. Once you’ve got the outline situated where you want it, click and the house itself will appear. A new house will be locked. The key will appear in your Backpack and a duplicate is placed in your safe deposit box. There will, of course, be no furniture (except for shops, which appear with the furnishing essential to their operation). Furnishings will have to be acquired and transported in separately. If you buy a tent, there will of course be no door to lock. However, all tents do come with a locked chest. Naming Your Abode There will also be a plaque by the front door. Use the key on the plaque, then type “set name” and the name you wish to give the building. You can enter your name (“Yurgi Bloodaxe, esq.”), the name of your guild or organization (“Weird Sisters Guild”), the house’s name (“Gloaming Gables”), or whatever. When you have a name you like, use the key on the plaque again to lock the name in place. Double-clicking on the house sign will bring up a menu that allows you to control aspects of the house. Home Security If you want to give people other than yourself (say, for example, the rest of your guild) access to your house, you’ll need to make duplicate keys. You can buy blank keys and key rings from a locksmith or provisioner. Use your original key on the blank to create a duplicate key. Making duplicate keys is an action based on the Tinkering skill, so it’s advisable to acquire a reasonable familiarity with Tinkering before you plan on making extra keys.