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.

 

[Horwath]

As for the comments "Off-limits for DMs" and "Can't be used as a knife against players by design": the playtest doesn't have language this strong, but it does say

bastions should be "safe" havens, as much as local area provides.

If you build your bastion next to the area that orcs frequently raid and pillage, you might see your bastion defenses put to the test always.

also PCs should not feel immune to everything while inside.

I.E: they assassinate the king and then say that the kingdom army cannot raze entire site to the ground and see them hanged amid ruins.

 

[Clint_L]

Beyond the reasons others have mentioned, presumably because the PHB was running out of space and the DMG had more room.

I am super thankful it is not in the PHB because it seems like a half-assed concept and I’m probably just going to ignore its existence.

 

[plecostomus]

Bastion Turns take place every 7 days or so in game, although this is flexible

I can see my DM doing "milestone" Bastion turns. We just spent 4 IRL months on a quest, and the in-game time for the quest was 2 days.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Having missed the UA, what were the main complaints people were having with the system? From this preview, it definitely looks like an interesting and fun thing for players to customize their little part of the world.

I can't speak to the main complaints. My complaint about Bastions was something which didn't seem to bother too many other posters, probably because it was a problem I had with the narrative, not the mechanics:

The Bastion system uses game mechanics which, to me, seem disassociated from the names the designers have assigned to them. For example, the word "Pub" is now codified to mean a particular special facility with very specific, narrowly-defined rules. Those rules reflect the designers' narrative about the role pubs play in the world, but they provide almost no flexibility.

The new background rules do the same thing when they attach a limited selection of ability scores to each background. The word "Farmer" now means someone who farms and also gains one of a few specific, narrowly-defined ability score increases as a result of farming. Those rules reflect the designers' narrative about the farming lifestyle, and they provide little room for other narratives.

I understand that some amount of this has to be grandfathered in, since, for example, the word "Fighter" has always referred to a narrowly-defined package of class features. But modern classes tend to be at least somewhat flexible; each of them supports multiple character narratives (through subclasses, for example). To me, Bastions and the new backgrounds feel inflexible, by comparison.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I can't speak to the main complaints. My complaint about Bastions was something which didn't seem to bother too many other posters, probably because it was a problem I had with the narrative, not the mechanics:

The Bastion system uses game mechanics which, to me, seem disassociated from the names the designers have assigned to them. For example, the word "Pub" is now codified to mean a particular special facility with very specific, narrowly-defined rules. Those rules reflect the designers' narrative about the role pubs play in the world, but they provide almost no flexibility.

The new background rules do the same thing when they attach a limited selection of ability scores to each background. The word "Farmer" now means someone who farms and also gains one of a few specific, narrowly-defined ability score increases as a result of farming. Those rules reflect the designers' narrative about the farming lifestyle, and they provide little room for other narratives.

I understand that some amount of this has to be grandfathered in, since, for example, the word "Fighter" has always referred to a narrowly-defined package of class features. But modern classes tend to be at least somewhat flexible; each of them supports multiple character narratives (through subclasses, for example). To me, Bastions and the new backgrounds feel inflexible, by comparison.

If it makes you feel any better, I share your discomfort with the narrative choices WotC seems to be making here, although there's certainly no reason they have to do what I want.

 

[aco175]

It also makes for a separate "character" that a player controls and can equip with magic furnishings. The party could always adventure for magic items to equip on their persons, but now there's a reason to for adventuring for magical tapestries, mystic wardrobes, animated statues, etc. It opens the door for a whole other category of treasure that is worth going on an adventure for.

I made some of this for my current campaign. I made items such as an altar or totem pole that granted something to the PC if they had a bastion/stronghold and at least one henchman. I think the cleric can get the altar that grants one more use of channel divinity per day. It is hundreds of pound to move, so the PCs might need to be clever or clear out the dungeon and leave the henchmen to move it over the next week or so.

I can see several supplements on DMsGuild to make better bastions and encounters to happen there. I already had some ideas for one-shot adventures involving the henchmen and uncovering forgotten crypts and such when leveling up the bastion. No Game of Thrones- Red Wedding scenes but more filler for when a player is absent and the others can play.

 

[Stormonu]

Yeah, the UA presented Bastions in a way that was a bit too gamey and the names for several of the buildings didn't match well to expectations - especially with certain things locked away behind a level requirement (I think one being the "pub", which you couldn't have until around 9th level?).

I'm hoping that all the buildings are available at the start, but the benefits that they generate are keyed to level (so you can have your pub at 5th, but it can't be used to make magical brews until, say 9th). I will, however, be allowing bastions at 3rd level, if not from 1st (for certain campaigns - this system would have been great for when the players cleared out and wanted to use the Haunted Mansion in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, or a certain ship...).

Also, I see the "DM's hands off" as how the DM should treat it like another character under the PCs control, allowing the players to make decisions for it and such and mostly being in the background. However, if something in the game comes up where it might directly involve the bastion (player have been using it to muster an army for the upcoming final confrontation with a BBEG, housing refugees from the enemy marauding army or holding the Macguffin the BBEG's been looking for), it's not going to be immune from getting drawn into the story at hand, and any possible consequences from that. But, were it to get damaged, invaded or flattened, the player can always repair, rebuild and/or relocate in the background - much like the various classes can resummon/recall pets, companions and the like - unless the player wants to abandon the Bastion completely.

 

[Arilyn]

Bastions should be personal things with lots of flexibility. The UA bastions gave a choice of rooms which had very specific outcomes and requirements, including the number of meeples, and what exactly they were working on. It felt very abstract.

The table for bastion events was really small, so over time players might start wondering why they ended up with so many criminal meeples working for them, as an example of a bastion roll event. The chance of a bastion getting attacked was the same, whether you had a small theatre in Waterdeep or a fort in the wilds of dangerous territory.

The whole system felt more like a poorly developed Euro game than something integrated into a rpg. I'd prefer an overview of example costs for building or refurbishing, hiring staff, maintaining an armoury, and ideas for special things like menageries, labs, gardens, etc. that are not so narrowly proscribed.

Bastion events need a really large table and should be able to occur during downtime, so players are at home for some of those random events, and make them cool, interesting or just frustrating, like visiting nobility who settle in all winter, depleting stores.

I feel the Bastion system is a tedious mini-game that is too concerned with balance to be much fun. It feels like the designers are giving us this new toy but want to tell us how to use it, rather than giving us guidines and trusting that we won't wreck things with it.

Here's hoping it's been masively improved. Unfortunately, I have my doubts.

 

[Horwath]

Yeah, the UA presented Bastions in a way that was a bit too gamey and the names for several of the buildings didn't match well to expectations - especially with certain things locked away behind a level requirement (I think one being the "pub", which you couldn't have until around 9th level?).

I'm hoping that all the buildings are available at the start, but the benefits that they generate are keyed to level (so you can have your pub at 5th, but it can't be used to make magical brews until, say 9th). I will, however, be allowing bastions at 3rd level, if not from 1st (for certain campaigns - this system would have been great for when the players cleared out and wanted to use the Haunted Mansion in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, or a certain ship...).

Also, I see the "DM's hands off" as how the DM should treat it like another character under the PCs control, allowing the players to make decisions for it and such and mostly being in the background. However, if something in the game comes up where it might directly involve the bastion (player have been using it to muster an army for the upcoming final confrontation with a BBEG, housing refugees from the enemy marauding army or holding the Macguffin the BBEG's been looking for), it's not going to be immune from getting drawn into the story at hand, and any possible consequences from that. But, were it to get damaged, invaded or flattened, the player can always repair, rebuild and/or relocate in the background - much like the various classes can resummon/recall pets, companions and the like - unless the player wants to abandon the Bastion completely.

1st level: 1 facility
3rd level: 2 facilities
5th level: 3 facilities
9th+: as normal

all facilities should have 5 tiers, but some can only start at high tier.
Bar should be 1st level facility. even if it's a runty 2by2 meter kiosk with cheap ale and watered down wine.

 

[MarkB]

I can see my DM doing "milestone" Bastion turns. We just spent 4 IRL months on a quest, and the in-game time for the quest was 2 days.

Yeah, there's a bit of a tension to the system - bastions are not well suited to campaigns in which the party spends all their time far afield, and yet in many campaigns it's mostly travel times that will significantly drive the calendar forward.