The newDungeons & DragonsBastion system is a major selling point of the 2024Dungeon Master’s Guide, but there are a lot of reasonable concerns to have about the concept. As a specific framework for players to build and maintain bases, Bastions give the party something to be proud of at home even when they’re off adventuring. Although it’s not a totally new concept, anything similar to a Bastion previously had to behandled with campaign-specific rulesor homebrew rather than any kind of universal ruleset.
Bastions first appeared inUnearthed Arcanaplaytesting forDnD’s 2024 rules revisions, but unlike class changes that saw multiple iterations over time, Bastions only got one pass in the process. Whilethe concept seemed promising— and already fully-formed in some regards — a common concern came from the potential for Bastions to feel like micromanagement. Even if some players love to crunch numbers in between chopping off the heads of monsters, many don’t, and dealing with any finicky elements of Bastions could slow down the pace and excitement of a campaign.
D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide Cuts Bastion Points
More Focus & Fewer Numbers
The biggest culprit of community concern was found in Bastion Points, a unique resource earned through Bastions that could primarily be expended on magic item creation. In theory, Bastion Points could be a simple way to invest a party in the idea of Bastions, as getting to choose and craft magic items could power up the party while saving a lot of hassle.DnDalready asks players to keep track of resources like gold and experience points, however, and throwing in another unique system exclusively for Bastions could easily become fatiguing.
D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide Makes The Best Magic Item Even Better
A fan favorite magic item is better than before in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, but it’s also facing stiffer competition this time around.
DnD’s 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidedeals with the problem of Bastion Points in the most straightforward way possible — cutting the concept from the game. Bastions are largely made up of Special Facilities that can be given Orders, which previously generated Bastion Points along with fulfilling specific purposes. Rather than streamlining the way that Bastion Points are handled or having Orders generate a resource like gold instead,Special Facilities are now only used for their individual benefits, removing the need to keep track of any additional numbers in the process.
Removing the magic item motivation altogether could get rid of a big incentive for the use of Bastions, however, so that idea has been integrated differently.Certain Facilities can now directly craft magic items, a feature that wasn’t available in theUnearthed Arcanaversion. Once characters reach Level 9, they can use the Arcane Study to craft Common andUncommonDnDmagic itemsin the Arcana category, the Sacristy for Common and Uncommon Relics, the Smithy for Common and Uncommon Armaments, and the Workshop for Common and Uncommon Implements.
The 2024 Bastion Changes Come With Worthwhile Compromises
An Imperfect Solution Still Helps
The new solution isn’t a perfect replacement forDnD’s original Bastion Point concept, anddistributing the feature among a few select Special Facilities heavily incentivizes choosing those recipients. An Arcane Study might not normally be a first draft pick for a party member that isn’t especially interested in those particular arts, but being able to generate Arcana magic items is a huge buff, and plenty of other facilities didn’t benefit from equivalent come-ups.
One Fan-Favorite Baldur’s Gate Character Is Officially In D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide
Dungeons & Dragons squeezed one icon of the Baldur’s Gate series into the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, and he’s long been a popular companion.
DnD’s 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidealso removes the ability to craft Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary magic items with a Bastion, which theUnearthed Arcanarules made accessible through Bastion Point purchases at level nine, 13 and 17 respectively. This could be disappointing for players who intended to get the most out of Bastions at higher levels, but considering the intense Bastion Point requirements set for each inUnearthed Arcana, it would have taken a lot of work regardless.
In most cases, there’s no reason why players interested in acquiring a powerful magic item as a long-term project can’t still work something out with their dungeon master, even without bringing Bastion rules into the mix.
It’s unfortunate that Bastions didn’t get to spend more time in theUnearthed Arcanaprocess, as the iteration available in the 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidefeels like a hastily patched version in some regards. Regardless, getting rid of Bastion Points seems like the right move, opening up the concept of Bastions to tables that might not have otherwise been enthused about doing even more math than usual. Bastion Points had the potential to prevent Bastions from being fun for everyone, and the 2024Dungeon Master’s Guideis a step in the right direction for the newDungeons & Dragonsfeature.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
