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.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

This has nothing to do with AI. Stop trying to scaremonger people into that.

Hasbro ceo made it clear they want to implement ai, the ai dms was promised (more like threatened) to be implemente on dndbeyond and wotc said they hate the fact majority of their buyers are dms and not regular players. Writing is on the wall here.

 

[Sulicius]

Hasbro ceo made it clear they want to implement ai, the ai dms was promised (more like threatened) to be implemente on dndbeyond and wotc said they hate the fact majority of their buyers are dms and not regular players. Writing is on the wall here.

Where did they promise AI DM’s? I know the articles where they talked about AI, and there was nothing of the sort.

 

[Hussar]

Hasbro ceo made it clear they want to implement ai, the ai dms was promised (more like threatened) to be implemente on dndbeyond and wotc said they hate the fact majority of their buyers are dms and not regular players. Writing is on the wall here.

No. They really, really didn't. The amount of corkscrewing you have to do to bend the words said to mean this is staggering.

Additionally, can you outline EXACTLY how this is easier to implement with an AI DM than a live DM? In what way would this be easier to implement on a Virtual Tabletop? Please, if you could, be specific. After all, you appear to have given this a lot of thought, so, you must have some idea as to how putting Bastions in the hands of the players makes it easier to implement an AI DM through a Virtual Tabletop.

I'd absolutely love to see how you arrived at this conclusion.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If this is literally the only thing to ever be called out as outside of the DMs control, including things like a PCs hair color and gender, then... no I don't think it should cause concern, because it clearly is not going to be what you are imagining it to be.

You just quoted that I excluded the PC itself, which includes things like hair color and gender. Did you read what I write, or just respond?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well.. your option for one since you won't be playing the game, or running the game, and so have no invest in this mechanic beyond "I don't like that WotC did something I don't like in the game I don't like and refuse to play"

Not an issue personally, as I've mentioned before. Am I only allowed to talk about things that affect me personally?

 

[Not a Decepticon]

No. They really, really didn't. The amount of corkscrewing you have to do to bend the words said to mean this is staggering.

Additionally, can you outline EXACTLY how this is easier to implement with an AI DM than a live DM? In what way would this be easier to implement on a Virtual Tabletop? Please, if you could, be specific. After all, you appear to have given this a lot of thought, so, you must have some idea as to how putting Bastions in the hands of the players makes it easier to implement an AI DM through a Virtual Tabletop.

I'd absolutely love to see how you arrived at this conclusion.

Just like the new npc interaction system, it's supposed to relegate things that were once handled by the DM into an area of strictly defined rules of what can or cannot be allowed and under which circumstances, which will be easier for algorithm to handle. DM is not allowed anylonger to actually creatively decide how a creature will react to a big charisma roll, but is now forced to use strict chart that reduces DM roleplay to mindless automatons. DM is no longer allowed to interact with a bastion outside of strict mechanical bonuses it gives the players. Hell, throw in a new Warlock that completely eliminates the patron as an active NPC you have to roleplay and turns it into powerless set of bonuses not allwoed to directly interact with the PC. Because anything more is too much for an algorithm to handle and could also overshadow the new fancy AI toy they want people to go subscribe to D&D Beyond for. And it will all make easier to then argue DMs are obsolete and should be replaced by AI, all to make more people subscribe to D&D Beyond and turn the game into a naughty word MMO.

 

[Yaarel]

DM is not allowed any longer to actually creatively decide how a creature will react to a big charisma roll, but is now forced to use strict chart that reduces DM roleplay to mindless automatons. DM is no longer allowed to interact with a bastion outside of strict mechanical bonuses it gives the players.

The utility of proficiency checks (skills, tools) depends on the DM style.

I rely on "narrative adjudication". Players interact narratively with the scene. If they do something or say something that would obviously work, then they automatically succeed. If something implausible, then they automatically fail. Only if an effort really might or might not work, do dice rolls ever happen. Dice are only for the "maybes", and the check refers to a specific effort in a specific context.

Thus the DM has total say.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

The utility of proficiency checks (skills, tools) depends on the DM style.

I rely on "narrative adjudication". Players interact with the scene. If they do something or say something that would obviously work, then they automatically succeed. If something implausible, then they automatically fail. Only if an effort really might or might not work, do dice rolls ever happen. Dice are only for the "maybes".

Thus the DM has total say.

And by the new DMG this is wrong, you are supposed to do it the way it says to do it or you're not playing d&d correctly.

 

[Yaarel]

And by the new DMG this is wrong, you are supposed to do it the way it says to do it or you're not playing d&d correctly.

The narrative adjudication style, sometimes called the "yes no maybe" style is well known, is still around, and I am sure will be mentioned in the 2024 DMs Guide.

Note the 2024 Players Handbook says:

"
SKILL PROFICIENCIES
The DM has the ultimate say on whether a skill is relevant in a situation.
If a character tries to climb a cliff, the DM might ask for a Strength (Athletics) check.

"

This is all yes-no-maybe style in the 2024 Players Handbook.

 

[Sulicius]

And by the new DMG this is wrong, you are supposed to do it the way it says to do it or you're not playing d&d correctly.

No-one has the new DMG yet, so where are you getting this from?

An additional section from the new PHB:

Difficulty Class (page 11)​

The Difficulty Class of an ability check represents the task’s difficulty. The more difficult the task, the higher its DC. The rules provide DCs for certain checks, but the DM ultimately sets them. The Typical Difficulty Classes table presents a range of possible DCs for ability checks.

The DM decides.

Now before you make more claims, come with clear proof.