D&D (2024) What would you like in the 2024 DMG Instead of the Bastion System?

[RobJN]

That's what I've been getting wrong. They come from the throat, not the brain!

"No, no. 'Auuuuugh'.... back of the throat."

 

[Vaalingrade]

More Bastion stuff for lower levels. Strip out the planes to add more.

 

[Yaarel]

The real estate aspects of the Bastion need to be in the Players Handbook in the Economy chapter. This includes owning a home, running businesses, living on a pirate ship, recruiting soldiers, admitting students, etcetera − all of this is normal economy stuff and starts at level 1 for those who have the gp to afford it.

The "special" stuff beyond economy and gated by tier can be variant rules in the DMs Guide.

 

[Yaarel]

This is a mixed bag for me. I do like decent lore, but I don't see the upper planes being very good locations for "adventure." All these peaceful "heavens" aren't just going to let adventurers go traipsing about, fighting and looting. Like what would comprise a compelling adventure, with fun fights, in deep Elysium, that won't make the goodly heroes unwelcome in said heaven after their life comes to its end?

Now, I understand taking the fight to fiends in lower planes, and making those planes more interesting for adventure. For instance I think Gehenna and Carceri, among other realms, really need more to flesh them out.

I view each alignment plane as comprising a network of Dominions. Some of these Dominions are nested inside an other Dominion, such as is the case with the "layers" of the Abyss. But often the Dominions are autonomous regions floating freely in the Astral Sea and linking together via portals and gates, similar to how the Outlands gates to the alignment planes.

Example. The True Good plane, Elysium, comprises separate Dominions whose planar waterflows interlink them. The Chaotic Good plane, Arborea, includes many unrelated Dominions, such as elven Avandor, plus many disparate nonelven Dominions. These link together because the alignment itself is their common affinity.

The point of separate Dominions is, there can be conflicts. Invaders can often access a Celestial Dominion via the Astral Sea or the Outlands gate, or Sigil. Players might want a Celestial Bastion that is remote from threats. But adventures and combat are available in the Celestial Dominions where there is more exposure.

 

[mamba]

Actual DM advice on how to DM, eg how to run a combat, how to run a session, how to structure an adventure / a campaign, etc.

3e and 4e DMGs had stuff on that, with 5e being the pink slip edition, they focused more on bringing older / experienced players back than onboarding new DMs

I am not sure the Bastion rules even should be in the DMG, they are very optional and belong more in a Tasha’s

 

[bedir than]

More space for fleshing out the default cosmology, they often didn't go into enough detail on the Outer Planes, like some outer plane descriptions don't even mention they have layers to them, like super basic stuff like that. The description are way, way too bare bones. Especially now that Planescape is out and it matters more. They should all be of the quality the nine Hells got or better, like the 9 Hells section was bigger then all the Neutral and Upper Planes combined!!!!

I found the current amount of DMG planar stuff to be waaaay too much.
Most campaigns don't need any of it, let alone having it be one of the largest sections of the DMG.
Get rid of it all and replace with Tasha's puzzles and Xanathar's tools sections - both things that are typical across all tiers that people play

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I found the current amount of DMG planar stuff to be waaaay too much.
Most campaigns don't need any of it, let alone having it be one of the largest sections of the DMG.
Get rid of it all and replace with Tasha's puzzles and Xanathar's tools sections - both things that are typical across all tiers that people play

If they did a manual of the Planes I'd be fine with that, but so far the DMG is all we have as sad as it is. Besides a Cosmology section is confirmed.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Even though a base system for players is something I've wanted for years, seeing the bastion system has killed all my enthusiasm for it. The entire thing feels so arbitrary and gamey, and completely disconnected from the world around it. But then that's been the case more and more for 5e as it's progressed through its lifecycle.

I'd love a mount system in the DMG, where mounts could level to keep pace with the players so they're not killed in round 1 of the first combat of the adventure.

But I suspect I'd hate that too, as it would be just one template where every stat says 'proficiency bonus' and for some reason its melee attacks and AC are calculated through its charisma. And it's actually a 'spirit' which randomly appears at level 5 and can be pocketed and resummoned in any form at will (all identical stats and template).

 

[strawbellebelle]

It is a wholly-unpleasant way to live one's life to look at things from the perspective of "doing [one thing I don't approve of] is Wrong and shouldn't exist at all because it means they didn't do [thing I think they should have done instead because that's what I want]".

 

[GMMichael]

. . . So I put the question to the community, what sort of system would you prefer instead of the Bastion system, or have I misjudged and most actually really like the Bastion system?

I suspect that Bastions could be cool for 2 reasons: Skyrim released an entire DLC for homesteads, and augmented reality would be a perfect pairing for it.

What would I rather see in the DMG? The entire creative commons Modos RPG. I mean, it's only 5 pages, and would add a TON of flexibility to ODD. Plus some confusion. I can see it now:
"Hey, this fully functional DMG chapter doesn't use hit points or AC or even action types!? Are those all optional rules now?"