The new Dungeons and Dragons The Bastion system is a major selling point of 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidebut there are many reasonable concerns about the concept. As a specific structure for players to build and maintain bases, Bastions give the party something to be proud of at home, even when they’re out adventuring. While not an entirely new concept, anything similar to a Bastion previously had to be handled with campaign or homebrew-specific rules rather than any kind of universal ruleset.
Bastions first appeared in Unearthed Arcana game test for DnDof the 2024 rules revisions, but unlike class changes that have had multiple iterations over time, Bastions only got one pass through the process. While the concept seemed promising – and already fully formed in some respects – a common concern came from the potential for Bastions to feel like micromanagement. Even though some players enjoy crunching numbers between chopping off monster heads, many don’t, and dealing with any finicky elements of Bastions can slow down the pace and excitement of a campaign.
D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master Guide Cuts Bastion Points
More focus and fewer numbers
The biggest culprit of community concern was found at Bastion Pointsa unique resource obtained through Bastions that could be spent mainly on creating magical items. In theory, Bastion Points could be a simple way to invest a group in the idea of ​​Bastions, as choosing and creating magical items could strengthen the group while avoiding a lot of problems. DnD already asks players to control resources like gold and experience points, however, and adding another unique system exclusively to Bastions could easily become tiresome.
DnDIt’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide deals with the Bastion Points problem in the most direct way possible – eliminating the concept of the game. Bastions are largely made up of Special Installations that can receive Orders, which previously generated Bastion Points along with fulfilling specific purposes. Instead of simplifying how Bastion Points are handled or having Orders generate a resource like gold, Special Facilities are now only used for individual benefitseliminating the need to track any additional numbers in the process.
Completely removing magic item motivation could eliminate a large incentive to use Bastions, so this idea was integrated differently. Certain facilities can now create magic items directlya feature that was not available in Unearthed Arcana version. Once characters reach level 9, they can use Arcane Study to create Commons and Uncommons DnD magic items in the Arcana category, the Sacristy for Common and Uncommon Relics, the Forge for Common and Uncommon Armaments, and the Workshop for Common and Uncommon Implements.
2024 bastion changes come with valuable compromises
An imperfect solution still helps
The new solution is not a perfect replacement for DnDoriginal concept of Bastion Point, and distributing the resource among a few select special facilities strongly encourages the choice of these recipients. An Arcane Study might not normally be an initial choice for a party member who isn’t especially interested in those particular arts, but being able to generate Arcane magic items is a huge bonus, and many other facilities haven’t benefited from equivalent spawns.
DnDIt’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide also removes the ability to create Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary magic items with a Bastionthat the Unearthed Arcana rules made accessible through Bastion Point purchases at levels nine, 13, and 17, respectively. This may be disappointing for players looking to make the most of Bastions at higher levels, but considering the intense Bastion Point requirements set for each of them Unearthed ArcanaIt would have been a lot of work anyway.
In most cases, there’s no reason why players interested in acquiring a powerful magical item as a long-term project still can’t work something out with their dungeon master, even without bringing the Bastion rules into the mix.
It’s a shame Bastions didn’t spend more time in the Unearthed Arcana process, as per the iteration available in 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide It feels like a hastily corrected version in some ways. Regardless, getting rid of Bastion Points seems like the right decision, opening up the concept of Bastions to tables that otherwise wouldn’t be excited about doing even more math than usual. Bastion Points had the potential to prevent Bastions from being fun for everyone, and 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is a step in the right direction for the new Dungeons and Dragons resource.