D&D (2024) Dungeon Master's Guide Bastion System Lets You Build A Stronghold

The Dungeon Master's Guide's brand new Bastion System has been previewed in a new video from Wizards of the Coast.

Characters can acquire a bastion at 5th-level. Each week, the bastion takes a turn, with actions including crafting, recruiting, research, trade, and more.

A bastion also contains a number of special facilties, starting with two at 5th-level up to 6 at 17th-level. These facilities include things like armories, workshops, laboratories, stables, menageries, and more. In total there are nearly thirty such facilities to choose from.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I've

I've used the Quiet Year quite successfully more than once as part of my session zero. It's a great way to collaboratively make a setting. My current game used it.

Once play began, however, we stopped using it and started playing 5e (Level Up in my case). At that point, the players control their PCs, and the DM controls everyone else.

So its basically that, but it keeps going. I've found if you run long campaigns, getting periodic player input keeps them engaged and take ownership. I try and do that every downtime (which occurs between long rests in my current game).

I've seen other people argue that restrictions on species/class in some games breeds creativity, and I largely agree. I believe a few lines the DM can't color outside does the same.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If they are interested in rules innovation, then they would be unlikely to simply knee jerk reject new optional rules sight unseen, would they? irrespective of their opinions to "yes and?".

You used "yes, and" as shorthand for rules innovation in your post. At least, that is how it comes off. I think that is reductive.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So its basically that, but it keeps going. I've found if you run long campaigns, getting periodic player input keeps them engaged and take ownership. I try and do that every downtime (which occurs between long rests in my current game).

I've seen other people argue that restrictions on species/class in some games breeds creativity, and I largely agree. I believe a few lines the DM can't color outside does the same.

And that sounds fun for your table. For me, that level of collaboration ends when session 1 of actual play begins.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I think it's great to have these rules, and as both a DM and player I think it's fantastic they are being clear about who is in charge of the narrative of the Bastions.

As a DM, I want players to have narrative stakes in the games. I love the idea of players deciding who lives and works at their Bastion, and giving little updates about what's going on there. I also know that if I told a player "Hey a big war is about to be fought in the territory where your Bastion is built, how do you want to play this out?" most of my players would have a bunch of ideas. It would literally be a non-issue. I feel like the kinds of players who would try to take advantage of the Bastion system by, say, killing a king and then hiding in their Bastion are also the types who think a commoner rail gun should work. They're just playing a different game than I'm interested in playing.

As a player, I love the fact that they're telling DMs to keep their hands off of Bastions. I played a character in a 5e game whose whole thing was making museums to share the amazing things he discovered in dungeons. I communicated this very clearly to the DM. The first time I tried to set up a small museum, the DM had all the NPCs react as if I was crazy. "Don't you know how dangerous that is???" Then our discoveries attracted the attention of a powerful dwarf patriarch who sent assassins after us. Then we had to travel halfway across the world and take on disguises.

At one point I finally started a single museum and hired a gnome to run it. Guess who immediately got kidnapped by bandits???

Finally towards the end of the game the DM introduced a secret organization that used my museums as bases. I thought, "What museums???"

And I wouldn't say this was a nightmare DM at all, in fact I'd say she was a very good DM. But having an explicit Bastion system would have helped me have a more fun time playing a character whose whole motive wasn't just killing things.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

You used "yes, and" as shorthand for rules innovation in your post. At least, that is how it comes off. I think that is reductive.

That was not my intention, I referenced "yes and" as an example of common advice over the years, my point was the level of rejection of a set of optional rules, sight unseen and sometimes with outrageous claims. Then a big ding-dong of irreconcilable views.

Many people declare that they like optional rules, but many new rule proposals generate a plethora of instant rejections.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I've found if you run long campaigns, getting periodic player input keeps them engaged and take ownership. I try and do that every downtime (which occurs between long rests in my current game).

There is something to be said about players having some ownership within a setting besides their immediate characters.
Bastion/strongholds provide, whether you follow mechanics or play it loose, that there's a world building element in play that allows players to think and plan between sessions thereby possibly adding in game investment. It is a nice way to have players do some work between sessions as opposed to the DM alone.
Although, it is rather likely that introducing a bastion/stronghold would see an increase in the workload of your traditional DMs.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Which is fine unless grammama happens to live right in the war zone, at which point her safety is by no means guaranteed. But sure, if she lives in a safe town somewhere there's no real reason to mess with that.

even if the warzone WAS all around her... she had plot armor and so did her house... no touchy... unless in game a player did something to bring danger it would be all around her, she would even act scared of it, and the PC could talk about how he feared for her all alone... but out of game nothing bad would happen to her no matter the story.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That plot armor is the exact problem some of us have.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Duplicate post

 

[Imaro]

That plot armor is the exact problem some of us have.

But if the bastion allows a random table to determine whether good, bad or nothing happens to the bastion... it doesnt have plot armor...it has DM whim armor.