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]

Here's the problem. If characters actually start caring about the defenders, they also might get peeved that the character died to "1 random die roll". Its literally a d6, got a 1 (maybe a d8 if you did invest in the armory).

You might start gettign things like "whoa whoa whoa, why wasn't I there? I didn't hear about any rumors of an attack? What about all of those spies I hired, what about my divinations, etc etc".

Once defenders go from just numbers to "people", you might get the players pretty annoyed at the random way they die.

That's whybthrybwill take measures to help them.

 

[AnotherGuy]

So, Bastions you say.
Lots of potential, but requires some work to tailor it for your specific table.

 

[dave2008]

OK, I have given the bastion rules a look through and I like the concept, but I think it needs some work. A few thoughts off the top of my head:

• I would like it to be more integrated into the mundane building/stronghold/business rules in the DMG.
• Need to work on the names (the "Pub" is not a typical pub).
• I would prefer things to be gated be money and time and not level. Discuss level "suggestions" (not requirements) in a sidebar about using bastions in your campaign and maintaining balance
• Need to work on prerequisites
• Need to work on teamwork/sharing of bastions amongst the PCs
• Need to have real consequences with some events. There needs to be a method to loose the bastion, just like how a PC can loose their life

 

[Zaukrie]

I too would like bastions to be an extension of a normal business. It needs to be one set of rules imo. The powers and abilities are what you buy and build and do rituals for, onto a normal place to make it more.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing so far about Bastions. One nitpick I have is that I wish the turns were either a "work week" or a tenday to more fully align/coincide with the downtime activities in Xanathar's Guide.

I still think they need significantly more Bastion Events on that list. A greater variety of special rooms would also be nice.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I still think they need significantly more Bastion Events on that list. A greater variety of special rooms would also be nice.

I think the poster was referring to their silly default of 7 days???!!!
For a game whose core setting is Faerun that uses the tenday they sure like to ignore it a lot.

 

[Maxperson]

I think the poster was referring to their silly default of 7 days???!!!
For a game whose core setting is Faerun that uses the tenday they sure like to ignore it a lot.

Well, they actually default to "7 days or whatever the DM wants to do." They even offer up one per month AND 6-8 per level as alternatives.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Well, they actually default to "7 days or whatever the DM wants to do." They even offer up one per month AND 6-8 per level as alternatives.

Point being if they were true to the edition's setting they'd have said a tenday or whatever the DM wants to do.
They decided to go with Monday to Sunday or whatever the DM wants to do.

There is a distinction.

 

[Parmandur]

Point being if they were true to the edition's setting they'd have said a tenday or whatever the DM wants to do.
They decided to go with Monday to Sunday or whatever the DM wants to do.

There is a distinction.

Forgotten Realms has never been the "Core Setting" in 5E.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Forgotten Realms has never been the "Core Setting" in 5E.

How do you come by that perspective? Genuinely asking.