D&D (2024) Bonus Unearthed Arcana Reveals The Bastion System

A 'bonus' Unearthed Arcana playtest document has appeared, and it shows off D&D's upcoming Bastion System.

This October, we’re bringing you a special treat. While we’re continuing to develop and revise public playtesting material for the 2024 Player’s Handbook, we’d thought you’d enjoy an early look at what we’re cooking up for the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide.

The coming Dungeon Master’s Guide will be the biggest of its kind in decades and contain an assortment of new tools for DMs and their tables. In Bastions and Cantrips, we’re showcasing one of these tools, the Bastions subsystem. Dungeon Masters and their parties can use this subsystem to build a home, base of operations, or other significant structure for their characters.

And if you’re raring to test out more character options, we’re also including revisions for 10 cantrips in this playtest packet.

Claim Unearthed Arcana now! - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

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[Parmandur]

So just to clarify, owning a magical pub gives you your own version of BG3's Withers and we're all just cool with that?

Dollars to donuts the BG3 team and WotC talked about the Bastion system. The coat is pretty high, so it isnwaybpess robust than that, anyways.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yes, but the argument is "WotC should provide more guidance and guidelines as to how treasure is acquired and spent in the core rules".

Saying "You can do that yourself!" doesn't refute that argument.

If you're saying "Guidance is pointless, because you SHOULD do it yourself", that's a much stronger position, but will certainly invite more pushback.

that's fair. I don't have an issue with guidance all. Do we think most DMs use that guidance all the closely, when it comes ot money / treasure? I can't recall that in any game I've been in or DMd in a very long time, but that could be because I play with long time players....

 

[Emberashh]

Bastions are just weirdly executed. Gamey in a bad way and incoherent at that. (Level 13 pub with no apparent benefits and this odd metacurrency that doesn'teven try to be diagetic)

And the decision to have these run concurrently with the rest of the game is not terribly wise when they aren't integrating it properly. These are usually reserved for high level play for a reason.

 

[Zaukrie]

No, it's that nothing should be level-gated unless it's magic and it's important to gate it. Pub is just the funniest and most obvious example, both because huge numbers of parties will immediately leap to open a pub (especially in the UK/Europe/Australia), and because it's ludicrously gated to level 13.

Like I literally know, that the first thing I would be asked by not just my main group, but literally any British or Aussie group I've DM'd for, would be, when they got to level 5 and looked at the Bastion rules "Why the hell can't we open a pub until level 13 mate?!".

The level thing is silly....100%. But it's guidance, just like prices. Bad guidance for sure.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I would now use every single one of those cantrips. I'm relieved that they got it right, IMO.

• Acid Splash as an actual cantrip AoE? Thank you.
• Blade Ward is now a reaction to grant disadvantage on any one (*melee) attack, including melee spell attacks (like Chill Touch, Shocking Grasp and Thorn Whip). It's effectively "dodge" against one melee attack, but you don't have to use your Action. You can blast with an attack spell, and still be able to defend as a reaction. Between Blade Ward (for attacks) and Resistance (for save effects), wizards have their basic defensive tools for spell battles, baby!
• Chill Touch doing more damage is much better for a melee attack. The Undead rider wasn't important. Lots of undead don't resist Necrotic damage. I would prefer updating the name to "Bonechill Touch". It makes the Necromancy effect more apparent, like the BG3 "Bone Chill" name change does, and it would still live in the same alphabetical order on any list.
• Friends is a simple short-term Charm that doesn't mention negative hate-side effects. But it has to be Humanoid, and you can't really be in a fight at all, or have already cast Friends on it within 24 hours. Perfectly acceptable non-combat cantrip.
• Poison Spray now being a crittable Necromancy attack at 30ft, for d12 poison damage? It's now worth considering.
• Produce Flame has a cleaner design, IMO. Bonus action to start, and the light extends to a 20ft. radius. Much better spelunking tool available to the Druid. You still don't need to have an empty hand, so you can still interact with your flaming hand without causing damage until you decide to throw it. Though I still would like it to be able to be used as a melee attack as well.
• Shillelagh is for Druids only (will Rangers use Druid list, or their own?). Sure, the damage die upgrades now and is better, but I'm still comparing it to other Druid cantrips. A 17th level druid with 20 Wisdom will do 2d6+5 (7-17) Force damage in melee using their Shillelagh, or 4d6 (4-24) Piercing damage with Thorn Whip at 30ft. range. However, if they updated the Shillelagh damage per strike even more (adding dice instead of increasing die-size), other characters who get Shillelagh easily, alongside multiple weapon attacks, could cause a balance concern.
• Shocking Grasp's Opportunity Attack change should be an acceptable update, however the damage for this touch attack should be 1d10, like Chill Touch.
• Spare the Dying is good with an increasing range, and I'm curious what the impact is for removing the Undead and Construct limitations. Do those monster types have built in rules to no longer count as "alive"? Or can they be helped with this spell?
• True Strike is a good change that empowers weapon-wielding arcane casters, including warlocks that didn't choose the Pact of the Blade. Radiant is a good, illuminating damage for this Divination attack cantrip. Solid. Diviner Wizards who want to focus on their school would pretty much be weapon users if this was their only Divination attack cantrip.

I like that Blade Ward, Resistance (each Reactions) and True Strike (Action attack) all work with each other well, providing the baseline effectiveness for a weapon-using Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, or Eldritch Knight. And you still have a Bonus Action for other shenanigans.

(* Edited to clarify melee attacks and melee spell attacks for Blade Ward)

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Yes? I know how it works, I awkward my way around as a Beastmaster Ranger who could use another bonus action every turn. The new Shillelagh is fine, as it's just a straight Ranger buff.

Well will a ranger normally have a higher Wis than Dex Bonus. Cause one of the main features is turning the weapon into one that uses spell casting to hit and damage.

 

[Aldarc]

Agreed. The modern version of the horde necromancer is a pet class primarily, and needs to be balanced very differently than the blaster/utility chassis of a wizard.

I'm not even sure if the horde necromancer is viable for PC necromancers. Even video games try to keep the number of PC summons down due to how that adversely affects frame rates, and likewise in TTRPGs, summons tend to slow down the game. So having a necromancer who manages a massive horde of undead may sound great on paper but be a nightmare in practice, especially if turns the player from a master of undeath into more of a book-keeping accountant of summons.

There are probably better ways to translate the contemporary archetype - e.g., more temporary spell effect summons - but I'm not sure how willing WotC is to explore those options on account of maintaining "tradition" and "iconic" spells.

 

[TwoSix]

What is the issue? it isn't like the game has been "grounded" in any way since 3E. They are aiming for playability and embracing elements that are going to appeal to players much younger than you or I.

It doesn't bother me, specifically, I'm just kinda surprised not to see a bit more "Oh, hell no" responses. I mean, we've had decades of "I don't like the worldbuilding implications of raise dead" threads, doesn't the magical resurrecting house at least require a small layer of narrative gloss?

 

[Imaro]

Nevermind

 

[Ruin Explorer]

No you weren't clear... you stated you had an issue with level gating these facilities in general and I pointed out one that did something powerful.

Well we're all on the same page now eh?