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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[Ruin Explorer]

• 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.

The problem here is it also doesn't mention negative side-effects NOT occurring. Given the tradition that they do, more clarity is needed, or we'll get a super-annoying situation where like 50% of DMs think it does have negative side-effects, and 50% don't.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

In fact doesn't 5e already have rules for running a business... i.e. a pub?

Even if it does, that's just another separate, disconnected, and contradictory set of rules for the same thing, which is deeply unhelpful design.

 

[grimmgoose]

I realize that this is just UA, but at first glance...I think I'd be better off retooling the Savage Worlds Stronghold feature into 5E.

The Advantage and Complication features make each Stronghold feel different in good and bad ways; the Form is simpler and easier to manage, and the Upgrades are impactful but also group-oriented. The "Encounters" are fun too, and are looped into the Upgrades - every time you upgrade your stronghold, you roll on the Encounters table!

There's no Bastion Points or getting really specific on how big a room is, or any of that. It's just a simple, fun, evocative system that is easy to throw in and manage.

 

[Scribe]

Blade Ward is now a reaction to grant disadvantage on any one attack, including spell attacks.

 

[Zaukrie]

Even if it does, that's just another separate, disconnected, and contradictory set of rules for the same thing, which is deeply unhelpful design.

agreed. These two sets of rules should be one.

 

[Parmandur]

sure, but why level limit buying a pub as a bastion? Level limit what it can do.....

In practice, thar can be what happens. The text talks about setting up and preparing the Bastion prior Level 5.

 

[Imaro]

agreed. These two sets of rules should be one.

Eh, the rules serve two different purposes.

 

[Horwath]

I do admit listening to the show “bastion points?” And thinking can’t we just use gold?

25GP gives advantage on generating BPs
it's 0,625 bonus for d4
0,94 bonus for d6
1,31 bonus for d8
1,65 bonus for d10

that averages out to 1,131

One BP is worth 28,28GP, so lets make a deal to make it either 25 GP or 30 GP instead of adding another currency to the game without any need except for complicating things.

 

[mamba]

The 3pp necromancer is use in my games is focused on raising a few strong minions rather than a horde of weak ones, and it's definitely much more playable.

which one is that?

 

[Imaro]

agreed. These two sets of rules should be one.

The DMG greatly simplifies running a business. During a player's downtime, they can choose to spend some time running a business that they own. According the the DMG p129, "a character rolls percentile dice and adds the number of days spent on [his/her] downtime activity (maximum 30), then compares the total to the Running a Business table" (see below). The DMG ignores inventory costs, repairs, and other such expenses, as income is believed to offset those costs. The cost of staff is the only real cost that the DMG uses for maintenance (although DMs are free to add other costs, such as taxes from a ruthless ruler). Whether his player has to pay those maintenance costs is dependent on their roll.