There are three different kinds of buildings you can build to provinces in Dominions 3. The Fortresses can be built by all commanders and they take a number of turn to be completed. Mages can build Laboratories where arcane research, rituals and forging takes place. Building one takes 1 turn of time. Priests can build Temples which spread your Dominion. This action takes 1 turn of time.
Only one fortress, one laboratory, and one temple can be present in each province at any one time. If you dislike the existing fortress, you must tear it down before replacing it.
Fortress
In the fortress or army camp you will find all units present in the province. Here you can transfer troops to your commanders and give them battle orders. Commanders can build new fortresses in distant provinces. The fortress has several uses:
- Supply depot - Food is collected from the countryside and transported from the fortress to nearby armies.
- Administration center - Resources and armorers are gathered in the fortress to produce weapons for the garrison. Resources of neighboring provinces under same pretender’s control can be used for producing more troops in the province of the fortress. There is also an increase in commerce in a province with a fortress and tax collectors have an easier time collecting taxes when the threat of the armed might of the nation is near.
- Production center of the nation and allows you to recruit troops types of your own culture in the province.
- Fortress - Inside the safety of the walls the brave will defend the heart of the province. For an opponent to conquer the province, he must capture the fortress. To do this, he must besiege the fortress until the defenses are breached, and then storm it to kill all the defenders. In the meantime, the defenders may starve.
You can only build your national troops in a province with a fortress.
| Fortress Type | Terrain Type | Defense Value | Administration | Supply Storage | Build Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortified City | Farmland | 250 | 50 | 1000 | 5 | 1200 |
| Forest Fortress | Forest | 300 | 15 | 200 | 4 | 1000 |
| Forest Ramparts | Forest | 150 | 10 | 100 | 3 | 800 |
| Motte-and-Bailey | Forest | 200 | 20 | 100 | 3 | 800 |
| Citadel | Plains | 600 | 40 | 100 | 4 | 1000 |
| Swamp Fort | Swamp | 100 | 0 | 100 | 3 | 800 |
| Hill Fort | Mountain | 200 | 5 | 100 | 3 | 800 |
| Hill Fortress | Mountain | 600 | 10 | 150 | 5 | 1200 |
| Mountain Citadel | Mountain | 800 | 20 | 200 | 5 | 1200 |
| Fortress | Waste/Plains | 400 | 25 | 300 | 4 | 1000 |
| Kelp Fortress | Sea | 100 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 800 |
| Cave Castle | ??? | 600 | 30 | 150 | 6 | 1400 |
| Swamp City | ??? | 400 | 50 | 1000 | 5 | 1200 |
| Mountain City | ??? | 700 | 30 | 750 | 6 | 1400 |
| Tel City | ??? | 500 | 40 | 750 | 6 | 1400 |
| Great City | ??? | 200 | 60 | 1250 | 6 | 1400 |
| Dark Citadel | ??? | 600 | 20 | 150 | 5 | 1200 |
Laboratory
Some labs can be found in special sites. Otherwise the lab must be built by a mage. The mage does not actually build the lab but supervises the construction. If a commander enters the lab he can perform magical activities there. All research, spell casting and forging requires an acting commander in the lab.
A laboratory is required in order to recruit mages.
Laboratories, being home to arcane experiments, are somewhat prone to destruction by fire.
Temple
The temples are the centers of your religious authority. In the temples masses and ceremonies are conducted. From the temples your dominion is spread and in the temples priests are trained. Priests and sacred troops can only be recruited in a province with a temple.
Obtaining temples
Each nation's capitol automatically starts with a temple. Temples can be built by priests using the Construct Building order. Temples cannot be captured - they are automatically destroyed when a province containing an enemy temple is conquered. Some random events can also destroy temples.
Effects of temples
Temples automatically spread dominion for most nations. They also increase the effectiveness of preaching. Blood sacrifice can only be performed in temples. Temples allow the recruitment of priests and sacred troops.