Let's Build A Bastion! | Nerd Immersion

[@hatihrodvitnisson]

I feel like the Crafter feat could potentially jump up to top tier if a campaign allows bastions. 20% cheaper materials to build your bastion? Yes please.

[@Deathmvp1]

@@hatihrodvitnisson also the fact you may need the 3 tool to craft all you want.

[@AlanBurroughs-g9l]

It is low key OP for players who want to craft magic items and/or play an Artificer. For most players, it won't be worth it over Alert, Lucky or Skilled but I would absolutely take it for any Arcane spellcasters even over Magic Adept.

[@matthewhelmers1426]

I think Bastions could be effectively part of the rewards of an adventure. Think of Tressendar Manor. Perhaps you clear it out and now you have a Bastion with a wizard lab, two bedroom areas, and a parlor. The adventure tells you how many more square feet or which expansions are allowed here, but perhaps you can expand at half price since you liberated it? Maybe you can only add two expansions based on the original square footage of the structure? To my way of thinking this system could almost extend to a turn based strategy game within your D&D campaign.

[@mightytoothpick]

dms can make the governor/king give out a quest of some kind and as a reward each gets their own plot where they can create a keep(bastion) thats what ill likely do in my campaign

[@MrDavidKord]

I've ALWAYS wanted a game with an extreme amount of base building.

[@nickm9102]

It can be. There are similar things already. Troll skull manor for example. This could be the start of the Bastion or you scrape and rebuild at lvl 5.

[@rpghorrorstories]

I think an interesting Bastion idea might be a nomadic or semi-nomadic group that owes you fealty. They might have limitations, but you could have them pick up some exotic plants or animals for you, craft leather/animal hide materials for you, stuff like that. The buildings might be yurts or other easily dismantled dwellings.

[@slaplapdog]

This is a very cool idea!

[@TheTerrainWizard]

I ran Storm King’s Thunder and after the player characters liberated Nanoar’s Hold we set up the village using the UA bastion rules. They enjoyed it.

[@DavidVincent-f5l]

I have played campaigns where we got lands or properties awarded to us by the end of level five. Four mini arc's with in one over all arc. We owned a island by the end of fifteen level. Normally a party has at the very least owns their own over land transportation carriages by level five. A sailing ship by level ten. And finally a airship or Star jammer by level fifteen.

[@ZombieBraintrust]

I think a way to make the make the barracks more interesting is to track when 1's or 6's are rolled. Increase a player clock on a 6 or more. Increase a rival clock on a 1. Clocks start a d4, then increase to d6, d8, d10, d12, d20. Players decide what event happens at the bastion, or fill in details about the rival, when those clocks fill. When recruiting, player can roll 6d6. On a 1 a recruit joins the rivals instead.

[@NerdImmersion]

I think I'd probably go more Axis and Allies rules in some way and have the Defenders roll off against the attackers.

[@slaplapdog]

Can a Bastion be mobile? Like a flying ship? Do they have a Crypt option, something that stores undead for you?

[@Wreckur4203]

When thinking about Bastions the first one to the mind is "THE SWEET DRAGON" tavern of The Unexpectables("in the Lower Crafting District"-Panic the Tiefling bard), it's a tavern/adventurers guild with everything from quest's board to a wizard's tower and a lot of NPCs the players selected from a pool of candidates.

[@EitherProductions]

The Research rooms might seem redundant, but if the themes of the rooms are different, then they could give you different types of information. For instance, one could research Monster information, but another might give you information on NPCs or places or magic items, etc.

[@aaronbourque5494]

I don't see any reason why PCs can't have access to "Basic Facilities," and the "free" structures (closets, corridors, ramps, etc.) and even defensive walls, before 5th level if they've got the gold to afford it. Anything that doesn't provide a mechanical benefit like the special facilities. I'll make that a houserule if I ever run another campaign...

[@douglaspope-gz1eq]

I actually love the concept of the bastion mechanic

[@UltimateMustacheX]

I think the redundant options are actually good. It allows different characters to access similar features, but have them in the style that fits their character. So if you want the research/lore feature, but a library doesn't fit the vibe, then you can pick one of the other ones that give a similar feature. It then cuts down on the number of options, which for some people may be beneficial. They may have too many facilities that could potentially fit them, so cutting out a few that overlap can let them hone in on the other options.

[@pitviper6652]

The idea of bastions sounds fun, but the mechanics just sound like pointless/boring rolling. I can see how playing as a bastion worker could be interesting and fun as a video game; -Running around maintaining and building the facilities -Gathering materials -fending off goblins, evil spirits, or routing out infiltrators but relegating the lives of the hirelings and the crafting of scrolls and potions to just a couple rolls bores me. I'll be making my bastions both as a DM and player far more interactive than what they have given us so far.

[@CrimsonTemplar2]

Two things that I really like about the Bastion concept: 1) It gives the player a way to further flesh out their character. They can build their idealized stronghold/wizard’s tower/monastery/etc. & explore what it means for them to build up their own little power base. 2) It gives the players something to do when sessions get canceled due to scheduling issues.

[@CyFr]

The problem I have with bastions, is that they're individual and not particularly built for the party as a whole. To me it would be crowded if there are 4-6 or more bastions within a city like Neverwinter or even Phandalin... Or if they're all separate than there's travel time between each destination. If bastions were party dependent then everyone would want to gather there and interact with each other there and set off on adventures. Kind of like how taverns are used currently. Then you can give your individual characters workshops or stores or houses, etc.

[@MrCreepday]

Really? There are no rules around party Bastions? That's a real bummer.

[@UltimateMustacheX]

@@MrCreepday There are. You just say they are combined. Each person still runs their own portion, but they can aesthetically be combined. If so, they can share some resources like defenders.

[@williamgordon5443]

I'm wondering if they changed a line from the UA. The UA said that when level up, you can replace a special facility with another special facility that you quality for. This line makes it sound like (once you hit the higher levels) that you can replace a lower-level facility with a higher-level facility. If the line is still the same in the DMG.

[@yuen4817]

Would love to see a ranking of the bastion options

[@psuedonoob6062]

I am about to start running a campaign and I'm definitely gonna give my players this option but I have no idea where they might put them since it's going to be a mostly ocean-based campaign

[@NegatveSpace]

That makes a whole lot of sense. A bastion getting attacked somehow doesn't kill hirelings and repairing the bastion somehow doesn't use money?...

[@MrDavidKord]

Yeah there's a lot of customization I think this could still use. I just love that they're making it an official part of the rules and giving players a lot of control over it. They should have included a ship option though. Or made it more fantastical in general. 3e had CRAZY fortress rules. Not perfect but very in depth and creative, too.

[@andreavannini1798]

I am running a pirate themed campaign, so if my players want to use bastions I will surely suggest to integrate them into their ship, I think that might make for an intresting mechanic where they get stronger and so does their galeon

[@arc4382]

I like the idea of bastions, but I can't help thinking that they don't fit in every campaign. I'd say ones where time does not pass very much, or one that isn't sandbox style might not get much use out of them. Especially if it requires your character to be there sometimes and there isn't a feasible way to get there.

[@CooperAATE]

That's why the system is in the DMG and not the PHB. If the DM thinks they'll fit, they'll include them.

[@leodouskyron5671]

Totally true and they did point that out (I remember) in the UA but sometimes in like a Spelljammer Campaign or High Seas, a bastion may be on a ship or other connivance. The biggest nope I think for many campaigns is the time. Campaigns that last only a few weeks or a month it becomes pretty worthless. But the bonus is that you can use it as a gold sink and to give Players a reason to not wonder. But best of all, a DM can help them get some skills they could use to become DMs later (😂 as if!).

[@Spac3_Duck]

It's not impossible though to get spells or magic items that allow you to give commands to the bastion even on your adventures. At some point it might be possible to commision your bastion to make you the sending stones necessary to issue more orders to the bastion.

[@memeslich]

Nice bastion you got there. Be a shame if some blue slaad moved in on it.

[@TheDragonshunter]

Can't wait for 3rth parties to expand this... Although I could just copy what videogames do, make a food buff system, farming and herblore, etc.

[@emmakane6848]

I think Strongholds and Followers does already have some rules for bases, though it was made before bastions.

[@aidansullivan9593]

4:00?! I took another nap?

[@davidarmstrong1617]

I really don't see myself using Bastions in my campaigns, at least not until tier three or "name level" campaigns. And even then, I'd probably insist that the players share a headquarters instead of each having their own place. This is just such a weird change for the games I'm used to.

[@stephensahl7669]

Does anyone know if there are rules for a mobile bastion? I am currently running a nautical campaign and was wondering if the ship could be a bastion?

[@GoldfishEmpire]

I was thinking the same thing. Unless the new DMG says otherwise, I don't see why not.

[@robmayer9141]

Even if the new dmg does say something, it's up to you. I'll say one of my groups favorite quotes. "I don't know GOD, can it work that way?"

[@CharlieDouglas]

the fit goes crazy

[@the_ant_guy]

Reminds of the game map-making game Delve!

[@Cyotis]

Thank you!

[@talscorner3696]

I wonder if the Bastion systems is meant to be the base of a city building one

[@mofute]

how many times a day can you cast EASY MAC?

[@krado76]

Bastion seem build to be out in the wild. But what if your bastion is within a city limit ? They won't get "attacked" by an army or something similar. Walls don't make a ton of sense in that situation.

[@leonardoraposo5573]

You can still be attacked by bandits and thugs. Not an army, but a gang.

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah ours is inside Neverwinter and we're more than likely to be attacked given the enemies we've made

[@Cyotis]

What channel do you play on ??

[@NerdImmersion]

@@Cyotis Captain Robear's channel! twitch.tv/CaptainRoBear

[@basselstineart]

I think I'll be using bastions for NPC patrons so low-level players have access to some of these facilities.

[@Deathmvp1]

Great vid here. One question for you is on your bastion turn if you are home you give one order or is it one per room? What I mean is would it be craft one scroll or craft a scroll a uncommon arcana and recruit guards as one turn. if it is the first alot of rooms would take a long time for each to do 1 thing.

[@shixter]

I would presume it is one order per special room - otherwise, as you've noted, what's the point. Especially when not all actions take the same amount of time as noted in the vid. Perhaps also one order for the common areas (overall) .

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah it looks like it's one order per special facility. So you can set them all up as needed before you leave

[@Deathmvp1]

@@NerdImmersion thanks

[@ryuzakidestiny]

I like the Bastions but I think that all the bastion turns the automatic hierlings and the products it's a little videogamish. I will do it more narrative.

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah it does have some video game vibes foe sure

[@devincaswell4116]

@@NerdImmersionthat’s because they want to move the game online and sell you all the furnishings and cosmetic skins to style your abode. People will pay to style their character, but then more than likely leave it be. With bastions, you gotta keep coughing up that 💰 💰 💰 💰 💰 💰 💰 💰 💰.

[@shixter]

@@devincaswell4116 With the vision of Project Sigil and the DnD Channel's Video about it - they are definitely moving towards build your own world online. it's an easy jump to switch from a Map or environment and now just load a Bastion Map/Environment. Eventually - not too far in the future, you'll be able to have interconnected Maps - and suddenly you've created your own video game ... for 12.99/month ...each. Festive skin packs 4.99. theme music 2.99. ... yep - it's all coming. I actually think that it could be pretty cool! 10 years from now I can build my own World on computer or console?? not to upset about that.

[@felixrivera895]

Wait. Scriptorium means that the Wizard doesn't have to beg the dm to learn now spells 😮

[@NerdImmersion]

@@felixrivera895 exactly

[@johnathnbrown4986]

What website did you use to create you map?

[@NerdImmersion]

Dungeonfog

[@demetrinight5924]

I was wondering if spells like Wall of Stone could be used to construct defensive walls. And it appears that yes they can. I have allowed home bases in past games. It will be nice to have rules for what happens with them.

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah, I don't see why spells like Wall of Stone or similar wouldn't be able to assist with the construction

[@Boonedale]

Older castle/fort building books for D&D (The "Castle Guide" handbook for 2end edition and the "Stronghold Builders Handbook") all have rules for spells and magic items being used for construction and the systems in both books are pretty system nuteral and can work in 5th edition.

[@demetrinight5924]

@@Boonedale I have the 3rd edition Stronghold Builders Guide but I was hoping for 5e rules so that players that have only experienced 5e had a baseline.

[@Boonedale]

@@demetrinight5924 I'm in the same boat, but I am going to see if I can smash them together and see if I can come up with something with a little more depth to it.

[@damongraham1398]

I still have questions about multiclassing. Also setting. I have a Waterdeep noble. I hope to be able to build a brownstone style bastion for my 11th level Bronze draconic sorcerer Arcane Archer 8/3 worshiper of Eilistraee with the two weapon fighting style. I mainly play Adventurers' League. Curious how will they rule on Bastions?

[@NerdImmersion]

I have no idea how Adventurer's League will handle Bastions, but multiclassing shouldn't effect anything. It's based off character level not class level.

[@damongraham1398]

@@NerdImmersion really!!!!!! you have made my night. I thought the training room would forever be just out of reach.

[@MarsAnonymous]

Is it just me, or is the "vast" facility size tiny? Up to 36 squares means about 81 m² at most, or in other words, you can fit over 5000 maximum-size "vast" facilities into the area of the Malbork Castle - if you ignore the fact that is has more than the ground level. A fully build-up "bastion" of a level 17 character has the size of a small mansion at best.

[@DeadmanwalkingXI]

I mean, Malbork Castle is the largest castle in Europe, by a lot. It's 52 acres when most castles are 1 to 5 acres. Hallways also aren't counted in that number, and each PC can have as many non-special rooms (like bedrooms, parlors, storerooms, and so on) as they like (and can afford). Walls are also not counted, nor would be a courtyard if it's not a facility. Really, I think once you actually start building the kind of Bastion a whole high level party wind up making collectively (so often 30+ rooms) you'll get to small castle size pretty readily.

[@MarsAnonymous]

@@DeadmanwalkingXI That's a whole party though, not a single PC's Bastion. And those are level 17 people - superhumans by normal standards, emperors or heads of whole religions easily in terms of influence. And while Malbork Castle's area includes walls and such, the castle itself also has several layers - levels and cellars and so on. Meanwhile, a level 17's Bastion has a maximum of 486 m² of functional space (6 "vast" special facilities), split over however many floors it has. My garden is larger.

[@DeadmanwalkingXI]

@@MarsAnonymous Uh...ordinary rooms beyond the 6 special ones you get are part of the Bastion rules, you get a couple for free, and they can be made larger for gold alone. Every PC has 6 rooms minimum by 9th level (4 special, 2 generic and not mechanically relevant...but they could have 80 generic rooms if they spent the money), two are just not special in a mechanical sense (all they do is give you things like a bedroom or a storeroom). And everyone can have a lot more than that since, again, normal rooms cost only gold. There's not actually a size cap on Bastions, there's a cap on how much of that size can be mechanically relevant.

[@MarsAnonymous]

@@DeadmanwalkingXI There's a size cap for the special rooms, and that's, as I wrote, tiny. How many horses can you have in those "vast" stables? The answer, if you know anything about horses, is ONE, at best two if you feel like abusing them. Each horse requires about 40 m² by itself, and then you add another bunch of space for the infrastructure they all share. Do you want to have a horse for everyone in your barracks? Well, that's ... about 10 or so vast stables you have to build, somehow. How large is that chapel or temple you want to build? Well, Strahd's has 45 tiles, and Castle Ravenloft isn't exactly roomy. Those special "vast" rooms need to have the ability to be much, much larger.

[@DeadmanwalkingXI]

@@MarsAnonymous I'm pretty sure the listed sizes are minimums, not maximums. I know you can expand rooms with money...dunno if that caps at vast, but even if it does, you can easily ignore that and allow them to be expanded further.

[@mydrynphillippe7530]

I like bastions as an idea but I'm not as happy with the mechanics. Now I've run this though my head and costs which I wish we had in real world, I mean I just spent 10k in dollars on a 4 square space, really 13 squares but roomy doesn't hit until 16 so round down 😁, while in game the same space only costs 500G, sweet. Now because of that low cost it seems that the contractor is likely using DnD universe rules. If I were a contractor here is what I would do is partner with or have a family mender train to be at least 1 wizard or sorcerer and likely have more then 2 each. Have my magic users make 20 or so Simulacrums that can work 24/7 hours, (this trick could also be uses to turn water/ice into a full grown tree giving a very large supply of wood, though if dispelled things would not be good), than build a large facility for constructing buildings instead of making them on sight. Once the rooms or whole building is ready, and for spaces of roomy and above use the spell Enlarge/Reduce to reduce the room to huge size. Next the set up, have 1 magic user cast Demiplane in the work shop and ideally have anther do the same at the job site opening a door on both sides of the store room using the space a portal. Now a 4 square or more will not fit though the Demiplane's door but there is a work around. Have a magic user, preferably a sorcerer who can extend the duration of spells cast Animate Objects on the building, (hence why Reduced was used to shrink it to huge size), and now that the building is a creature then have a magic user cast use Gaseous From on the creature building allowing it to easily pass thought the doors of Demiplane. Pro tip set the workshop door in the floor rather then a wall and have the door at the work site right over the place where the building is going to go so as to have everything lined up. Have the gas creature fly through Demiplane and set down. While its ideal to have some extra time on Animate Objects like an hour this whole action could be done in less than a minute. With the low cost it seems to me to be how a contractor would do it in the DnD world which begs the question as to why so many days to build a room. If done right it should only take less then 8 hours to build a 4 square space with no worries about labor shortages (using Simulacrums and Animate Objects) or shipping and supply.

[@TheLibGamer]

I I counted correctly that was 360 feet of walls, so 3600 days and 18,000 in GP

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah, definitely thankful that for this campaign we're basically given carte blanche with gold for things

[@shixter]

Let's hope no-one attacks in the next 10 years before you get all those walls up...

[@NerdImmersion]

@shixter I mean as a wizard with earth based magic, I can create multiple walls of stone everyday, so that's how I'd RP things

[@shixter]

@@NerdImmersion Thats cool! The hard part, for me, is that any campaign I have ever played.. they occur over a span of Days, not weeks, months or years. We're in the middle of World Day 7 right now, and we're on session 27 (weekly game, lots of Role play). The concept of weekly bastions is foreign and impossible to me. Even if we cut to daily... just doesnt work in this or any of the other 2 campaigns I've played. Tho I Would be intrested in something that could be a many month or year in-game time campaign..

[@Joshua-ql8bz]

Wait you sound like this your bastion but in the DMG will bastion be a party thing or an individual thing?

[@NerdImmersion]

So this is my character's Bastion. Each party member can have their own if they want and they can combine them into one giant facility/keep. I don't think all the players in my game are going to build one or build a full one

[@bamboozledgreatcrowd8982]

This is grooming you when it goes online, very interesting.

[@JCinLapel]

I am thinking of making for my Bastion for a character with an odd backstory He is a Genie Warlock but he was dooped by the ast Genie of the bottle to free them not knowing it is there prision and that they would be bound to the remanander of there sentens. he is now hoping to go to the city of Brass to get an apeal. He has an instant fortress which I want to fold into my bottle

[@Almquist87]

Im here to driver your views!

[@TheDragonshunter]

Chat gpt would be great to run this passively

[@Jimmy-p9n]

Can you have NPCs in your bastion making gear for you? Poisons, potions, scrolls, magical weapons etc.

[@NerdImmersion]

Yes! When you take the craft order, they're typically the ones doing it for you while you're off doing things. The only time you'd need to do it is if it has a requirement or spell that you need to be there for

[@oguzhanozgenc7843]

Why you cannot show the text?

[@NerdImmersion]

@oguzhanozgenc7843 because it's an early access copy and the contract of thst says i can't. It'll be out of early access next week though

[@jayteepodcast]

I am trying to understand what's the big deal of this.

[@dragonmk123]

Home base that can be used better for side play. And to aquire things a lot easier on player sides.

[@MrDavidKord]

Some of us like the idea of actually living in the game lol. I've wanted a badass fortress based (base based?) game since I was a kid.

[@Boonedale]

Having a castle, or base of operations has been a long term, sought after goal for most players/groups in D&D since the original game was published. It's evolved into something that was overlooked in 4th edition and in the 2014 5th edition ruleset in an official capacity. Now that we have non-playtest rules for having a base for our characters we can all have our own castles, but I think lvl 5 is a tad to early for them. In older editions of D&D characters got them at lvl 9 ("Class Name level").

[@legendxx3]

Cant show you but i will show my friends . . . okay dude

[@NerdImmersion]

Did I say I showed them? No. They're watching the other video I put on Bastion changes, just like everyone else