Where would you store things in a working stronghold?

[Senko]

I'm trying to build a stronghold and its got me thinking where do you actually put magical items for the major strongholds of places like Cheliax or Absalom. I'd be interested in seeing what items people would put in what room.

My reasoning is . . .

Vault
A catch all storage place for magical and valuable objects that don't fit into other storage areas. Would contain things like a rod of metal detection, heabands and belts of ability increase, robes that aren't focused on combat, all tools vest etc.

Armory
A place where magical arms and armour are stored (along with non-magical ones obviously). Would also contain stave's, robes, amulets, bracers and other defensive or offensive objects.

Kitchen
Any magical foods or drinks.

Library
Would contain magical tomes, scrolls and other similar magic items.

Laboratory
Would contain any potions, alchemical items and the like.

What do people think what kinds of items would you put in what kinds of rooms?

[Lathiira]

Most magical gear would be in the hands of the defenders, I think. I could see a few items stowed away in people's quarters for emergencies or non-everyday use. Some weaponry and armor in an armory, a few potions in a lab, tomes in a library, and so on. Regular rooms aren't well-defended against incursions of any sort, so putting magic in those rooms invites it going off into the hands of thieves or even the help.

[Coidzor]

How paranoid is the person running the place?

What kind of stronghold is it and what kinds of functions does it have? A feudal noble on the border's castle home is going to be different from a government structure inside of a city that does double duty serving bureaucratic functions administrating the city and acting as a redoubt within the city should the walls be breached.

How much foot traffic goes through and how many servants and minions are in play?

How rich are they and how plentiful are the more quality of life magical items? How much access to spellcasting from a trustworthy source (or themselves) do they have?

[Mysterious Stranger]

A 6th level NPC should have about 3,450 GP of gear. A +1 long sword takes up about 2/3 of that. If they have a +1 long sword, they don’t even have enough to purchase a suit of normal plate mail, much less anything else. For the most part most normal NPCs are not going to have magic items. Even wealthy states with lots of magic are not going to be equipping their ordinary soldier with magic items. Some of the upper ranks may have masterwork items, but other than that not much.

What magic items are in use are probably going to be the personal property of significant NPC’s rather than kingdom owned items. The Lord General may have some magic items, but the ordinary trooper will be lucky to have anything beyond a normal (not a masterwork) weapon or armor. The Lord General will probably keep his magic items with him for the most part and store them in his own quarters when they are not in use.

Most Magic items owned by the kingdom will be kept in a treasure vault like the rest of the valuable items owned by the crown.

Consumable items like potions, scrolls or wands will probably be kept by the makers or distributed out to the people who are going to use them. This is especially true with potions. Likely there is a royal alchemist of something similar and he will keep most of the potions in his work area.

[Senko]

I suppose I'm being influenced by the eagle glasses being talked about being kept for different sentry's to use.

[Mark Hoover 330]

Low level: get a chest, the best lock you can afford, and line the inside with lead. Lock up your item(s) and bury it in the ground. Tatoo the location or a reminder of the location somewhere on yourself that you can see, maybe with a mirror, and don't tell any of your allies.

Mid level: add whatever magic you can afford to conceal/secure the chest. FYI, expeditious construction can fabricate courses of loose stone walls, 3' thick, 3' high and 10' long to add some measure of permanent, physical defense around the chest.

High level: create a demiplane and plane-shift the chest, hiding place, and all other items there. Permanent non-detection spells and Symbol of Death for additional layers of security.

Honestly I never really gave this concept much thought. I personally think, if you're designing this place for an NPC or group of NPCs, the biggest thing to consider would be the utility and access required by the NPCs of the item(s).

For example, an NPC wizard with a set of duplicate spellbooks in case their adventuring one gets torched or stolen might have said books pretty well hidden in a magically or mechanically sealed vault, since the NPC will only need to visit them occasionally and no one else needs access to them.

On the other hand a mercenary group that normally just carries masterwork gear in public but, on special missions grabs their +1 gear will not only need these items often and easily, but also might have them on display to impress would-be contractors, so perhaps sealing the items in barred display cases in the great hall of the stronghold.