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]

At this point I've given up on Rangers entirely. WotC just have no idea what they're doing, and no concept for the class at all. It's just a messy bundle of ill-conceived but technically-balanced mechanics.

It's weird because most classes they do have a good concept, and Sorcerers they even sharpened up the concept for.

Also I just need to burn D&D's designer a little - well, a lot - for the absolutely ultra-gamist idea that you can put a level minimum on owning a pub or a trophy room, but it's too outrageous to have a guy who can heal HP without a magic spell. I mean, come the hell on. This is pure World of Warcraft stuff with these level minimums, and you're still trying to make Rangers into pure-magic guys?

The cantrips are indeed mostly well-improved, though the idea that Shocking Grasp was OP is the funniest damn thing I've ever read. Not once in the 9 years 5E has been out, have I seen a single DM or player complain that Shocking Grasp was overpowered. Not once. This is again WotC proving themselves out of touch, and their priorities are not sensible priorities. They're rebalancing stuff no-asked, nor would ask, be rebalanced, as a priority.

Just to build on my own comment here, if they think UK D&D players are going to find it acceptable that they have to wait to level 13 (!!!!!!!!!!!) to own a pub, WotC are going to be VERY surprised lol. That is 100% the first thing most players will want to build.

 

[darjr]

Frankly, I don't see why they Cando both: let players pick any Monster stat block that meets the parameters, but if that is intimidating here are three flexible star blocks you can reflavor however you want. No special rules for the templates, just have them printed in the Druid section with explicit permission to reflavor. Let any player use whichever they want.

I think you may have predicted the next swag at it.

 

[Reynard]

This playtest material is not perfect. I am incensed!

 

[Zaukrie]

At this point I've given up on Rangers entirely. WotC just have no idea what they're doing, and no concept for the class at all. It's just a messy bundle of ill-conceived but technically-balanced mechanics.

It's weird because most classes they do have a good concept, and Sorcerers they even sharpened up the concept for.

Also I just need to burn D&D's designer a little - well, a lot - for the absolutely ultra-gamist idea that you can put a level minimum on owning a pub or a trophy room, but it's too outrageous to have a guy who can heal HP without a magic spell. I mean, come the hell on. This is pure World of Warcraft stuff with these level minimums, and you're still trying to make Rangers into pure-magic guys?

The cantrips are indeed mostly well-improved, though the idea that Shocking Grasp was OP is the funniest damn thing I've ever read. Not once in the 9 years 5E has been out, have I seen a single DM or player complain that Shocking Grasp was overpowered. Not once. This is again WotC proving themselves out of touch, and their priorities are not sensible priorities. They're rebalancing stuff no-asked, nor would ask, be rebalanced, as a priority.

They appear to be moving legendary actions to reactions, so this change was needed for shocking grasp.....at least that's my theory.

 

[Imaro]

But that's perverse, because they're getting the gold anyway, it's even baked into WotC's official adventures, so why not use up that gold which mostly right now sits in the pockets of PCs? Why add a weird, totally meta, anti-roleplaying system, and a bunch of level requirements to a building? It would literally be better to constrain all this with gold.

Haven't looked over the UA yet but what would be the problem with the DM assigning a gold value to a bastion point?

 

[Zaukrie]

some good comments here, also some serious cynicism and negativity not specific at all ......the bastion rules need a ton of work, imo, but they are at least a start. I'm not sure I need them, but the idea is good to add to the game. As for the cost, I get that official costs matter, but the DM is in total control over how much treasure PCs get, and how much stuff costs. So I can't recall the last time I even paid attention to what WotC says about it.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

At this point I've given up on Rangers entirely. WotC just have no idea what they're doing, and no concept for the class at all. It's just a messy bundle of ill-conceived but technically-balanced mechanics.

I guess it's there as the 'extra attack + expertise' bundle, but so is the Bard, and a Fighter5/Rogue1 multiclass is not a big hurdle anyway.

a level minimum on owning a pub or a trophy room

I missed that. Surely this could be reflected in the gold cost if they want to make it unlikely for early levels for... reasons.

the idea that Shocking Grasp was OP is the funniest damn thing I've ever read.

They nerfed it? omg they actually did, just removed the advantage. It was one of the few flavorful attack cantrips, and has had an interplay against metal armor/surfaces from its early editions, and advantage against such was the perfect tool to represent that.

Somehow, this is because Eldritch Knights can cantrip better now.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Haven't looked over the UA yet but what would be the problem with the DM assigning a gold value to a bastion point?

None. None whatsoever. It's just weird that it's not an official option, so it's up to each GM to try to figure out how much one is worth by themselves, which is definitely not obvious.

Oh yeah, having 100 Bastion Points in the bank resurrects you if you die.

 

[Reynard]

some good comments here, also some serious cynicism and negativity not specific at all ......the bastion rules need a ton of work, imo, but they are at least a start. I'm not sure I need them, but the idea is good to add to the game. As for the cost, I get that official costs matter, but the DM is in total control over how much treasure PCs get, and how much stuff costs. So I can't recall the last time I even paid attention to what WotC says about it.

We are using the MCDM Strongholds rules for our Rappan Athuk game and they are more extensive but not really any better on first glance than this. If the Bastion rules get the attention they deserve, it should be an interesting and playable take on the idea.

 

[Zaukrie]

I never worry about prices, I just take however much gold I feel like taking.....or they players can just sit on it.....I get that other DMs care, but I don't get why.