The new handled with campaign-specific rules or homebrew rather than any kind of universal ruleset.

Bastions first appeared in Unearthed Arcana playtesting for DnD's 2024 rules revisions, but unlike class changes that saw multiple iterations over time, Bastions only got one in the process. While the 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. DnD already 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.

DnD's 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide deals 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 the Unearthed Arcana version. Once characters reach Level 9, they can use the Arcane Study to craft Common and Uncommon DnD magic items in 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 for DnD's original Bastion Point concept, and distributing 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.

DnD's 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide also removes the ability to craft Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary magic items with a Bastion, which the Unearthed Arcana rules 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 in Unearthed 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 the Unearthed Arcana process, as the iteration available in the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide feels 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 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is a step in the right direction for the new Dungeons & Dragons feature.