D&D 5E How do you do Bastions?

[Andras]

Speaking of bastions, has anyone used Tiny Glade or Townscaper to 'map' their bastions?

Here's a quicky I did with the demo for Townscaper (no affiliation, I was just shown this today by a friend)

 

[jayoungr]

I've looked, but I'm missing that rule.

"DM is not allowed to attack or destroy the bastion" is how the people who object are describing it.

 

[MNblockhead]

"DM is not allowed to attack or destroy the bastion" is how the people who object are describing it.

I finally read over the Bastian rules. The only way I can see folks coming to this conclusion is that it doesn't specifically state that the DM can do this, so, therefore, I guess they interpret this to me the DM can't?

I think it may come from the event list. The second event (on a roll of 51-55 is "Attack", which reads:

Attack​

A hostile force attacks your Bastion but is defeated.

Roll 6d6; for each die that rolls a 1, one Bastion Defender dies. Remove these Bastion Defenders from your Bastion’s roster. If the Bastion has zero Bastion Defenders, one of the Bastion’s special facilities (determined randomly) is damaged and forced to shut down.

A special facility that shuts down can’t be used on your next Bastion turn, after which it is repaired and made operational again at no cost to you.

I think the "but is defeated" may be the source of some of the consternation.

I don't find the bastion rules as overly constraining the DM. First, they are in the DM's guide. Not a core player facing rule. Further:

As DM, you decide whether Bastions are available in a campaign.

Be as permissive as you can with the stories players tell in their Bastions, but players should know their control might be limited by the campaign’s larger story, which you strive to make fun for everyone.

If you allow Bastions in your campaign, characters acquire their Bastions when they reach level 5.

(emphasis mine)

Perhaps some people would like to see some rules for players defending a siege on their bastion. I don't think I would want DMG pages used for that. That would be better for separate rules for running mass combat, sieges, and other light war game rules.

Overall, I like the bastion rules. I'm not sure if I would run them as written. I'm not sure I like bastions and their improvements being tied to level. I still quite like MCDMs Strongholds & Followers rules, but there are some good ideas in the DMG's bastions rules. I could see kitbashing something out of the two.

 

[GrimCo]

I usually don't. If players want base of operation, they usually do it by joining some in game faction. My players usually don't have desires for playing house management.

 

[Horwath]

one way to do bastions and keep adventure going is to make some kind of magic item that can hold your bastion like a miniature.

you get a small magical token that looks like a castle or something that you can enlarge to size of your bastion over 8hrs ritual.

you would need required free space for your bastion to appear and any building added must be constructed normally in your bastion before they can be miniaturized.

if multiple players perform ritual at the same time they can combine their bastions as normal.

while bastions are miniaturized this way, they are all in stasis, with the entire staff. bastion do not take turns, neither spend or generate resources.

any sentient being can decline to go into stasis or can exit the stasis at any point in time or after preset time.

 

[GrimCo]

Something like Daern's instant fortress you mean? That one saw some uses over the years. Pair it with couple unseen servants and you have instant base of operations where pc-s have full hotel service (food, lodging, someone to wash and mend their clothes).

Or you can create custom spell that's between Tiny hut and Magnificent mansion. Say lv5 ritual spell. You can even turn it into a magic item.

 

[Distracted DM]

Heu

I've looked, but I'm missing that rule.



I'm not going to set out to kick over a player's sandcastle, but if their Bastion is located in a city that's sacked by invaders, well, that's the campaign and their Bastion is going to be sacked unless they're able to prevent that somehow.

"DM is not allowed to attack or destroy the bastion" is how the people who object are describing it.

I finally read over the Bastian rules. The only way I can see folks coming to this conclusion is that it doesn't specifically state that the DM can do this, so, therefore, I guess they interpret this to me the DM can't?

I think it may come from the event list. The second event (on a roll of 51-55 is "Attack", which reads:



I think the "but is defeated" may be the source of some of the consternation.

I don't find the bastion rules as overly constraining the DM. First, they are in the DM's guide. Not a core player facing rule. Further:




(emphasis mine)

Perhaps some people would like to see some rules for players defending a siege on their bastion. I don't think I would want DMG pages used for that. That would be better for separate rules for running mass combat, sieges, and other light war game rules.

Overall, I like the bastion rules. I'm not sure if I would run them as written. I'm not sure I like bastions and their improvements being tied to level. I still quite like MCDMs Strongholds & Followers rules, but there are some good ideas in the DMG's bastions rules. I could see kitbashing something out of the two.

Hey, just FYI the rules that say players can't lose their Bastions is found under "Fall of a Bastion" at the end of the section. Within the rules, players can only lose their Bastions from:

Divestiture: Voluntarily giving it up.
Neglect: Not issuing orders to it for a number of turns equal to their level (if the character is dead or otherwise out of commission).
Ruination: Pulling the Ruin card from the Deck of Many Things.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Heu





Hey, just FYI the rules that say players can't lose their Bastions is found under "Fall of a Bastion" at the end of the section. Within the rules, players can only lose their Bastions from:

Divestiture: Voluntarily giving it up.
Neglect: Not issuing orders to it for a number of turns equal to their level (if the character is dead or otherwise out of commission).
Ruination: Pulling the Ruin card from the Deck of Many Things.

Nothing there to say the bastion can’t be levelled to the ground. As with the attack event, the NPCs can all be killed and the facilities all destroyed. The player hasn’t “lost” the bastion, they are still the proud owner of a smoking hole in the ground.

 

[Horwath]

Something like Daern's instant fortress you mean? That one saw some uses over the years. Pair it with couple unseen servants and you have instant base of operations where pc-s have full hotel service (food, lodging, someone to wash and mend their clothes).

Or you can create custom spell that's between Tiny hut and Magnificent mansion. Say lv5 ritual spell. You can even turn it into a magic item.

Similar,
but that is one design item,
same as Galder's tower from 5E, but that spell can be upcasted and somewhat customizable.

 

[Micah Sweet]

one way to do bastions and keep adventure going is to make some kind of magic item that can hold your bastion like a miniature.

you get a small magical token that looks like a castle or something that you can enlarge to size of your bastion over 8hrs ritual.

you would need required free space for your bastion to appear and any building added must be constructed normally in your bastion before they can be miniaturized.

if multiple players perform ritual at the same time they can combine their bastions as normal.

while bastions are miniaturized this way, they are all in stasis, with the entire staff. bastion do not take turns, neither spend or generate resources.

any sentient being can decline to go into stasis or can exit the stasis at any point in time or after preset time.

I can see how that would ease some issues, but it would do so by increasing the bastion's distance from the setting, which unfortunately is precisely the part of the rules I don't like.