D&D: Five Ways To Build A Base
Making a Bastion for the first time? Here are five things to keep in mind besides just “the rules for special Bastion rooms.”
One of the more exciting things about the new edition of D&D is the fact that you can make your own little corner of the world the way you want with the new Bastion system. Yeah, maybe it’s not the most thought-through system, and it has its own quirks (some people will tell you that you never need to worry about Bastion defenders, because mechanically they don’t do much). But at its core is an idea that is enticing to many: you get to build a little adventuring base to call your own.
People love that kind of thing. That’s why games like Stardew Valley and The Sims are so popular. We love to make our own little dollhouses/dreamhouses and imagine how they would play out. And that absolutely holds true in D&D.
So here are five things to keep in mind when making your own base/Bastion in D&D.
Aesthetics Are Everything
First things first, aesthetics are everything. The way your Bastion looks will speak at a much louder volume than all of the stuff inside it. This is your chance to express your character writ large. Your cool tiefling that is all about fire magic – how does that play into the overall look and feel of your Bastion.
Likewise, the Cleric who is all about Pelor, this is the time to get real weird about it. Write up the frescoes! Describe the weird statues in graphic detail. In the real world, you have to spend time and money on making these things happen – but in D&D you can just handwave it, or at least show it mildly in progress, the same way that the rules system just kind of shrugs at the DM and says “yeah they get a Bastion.”
Conceptual Themes
Second only to aesthetics – and closely related to them, is the concept for your Bastion. This is one that you could run with as an individual, but I find it’s best to talk about them with the whole group. Because that way you can plan your whole little Bastion enclave together and get an idea for what you want them to be like.
Like yes, obviously you have a Wizard tower (if you’re playing a Wizard) but where does it sit in relation to the Warlock’s Heresy Hovel and the Bard’s Performance Art Space/Municipal Facilities Building? At any rate, this is another expression of your character.
Time to think about who they are and what kind of place they would call their own home. Would your Wizard have a tower? Right? Would they rather have a comfy, spread out cottage with some herb gardens and a few quarters for arcane assistants to live in down the grounds a little bit? Whatever answer you pick will say a lot about your character. Whether you lean into the stereotypes or go for the counter-play, there’s a lot of fun creativity to be explored here.
Get Some Graph Paper
Once you have the idea in mind, it’s time to block it out. There are so many sample maps out there in the DMG (or elsewhere on the internet) that can help you build your dream home. And maybe your “graph paper” is an actual legal pad of graph paper – maybe your graph paper is a mapmaking program. Or maybe you do it up in your modded out version of the Sims 4 – whatever the case, the DMG has guidelines for how big your bastion is.
Here’s where you DO have to spend money on getting your Bastion built. But you know, as they often say “flavor is free.” At any rate, you get two free basic facilities (one four squares, and one 16 squares) and then you can add on from there. This is also why I like to talk about Bastions with the party – because this way you can also share rooms and squares and make a bigger single map.
A Base Is More Than Just The Building
Another thing to keep in mind is that your Bastion isn’t just your home. It’s also a place for your adventuring party to have as a base of operations and for helpful NPCs who you love to come and live. Which calls to mind one of my underrated JRPG faves, Breath of Fire II, which lets you build up the town around your base.
And this is also where you start to draw comparisons to Stardew Valley and other related games. Your Bastion – and your party’s presence – can make the place a little safer and prosperous. Consider the part of the world you’re in. Is your Bastion in a town? If not, can you start one there? Who lives in your base,? Time to start making a list of all the weird little guys you’ve been collecting as you adventure, and figure out where they live.
That’ll change your Bastion to a home.
What’s In A Name? Literally Everything
Last but not least, the name. It’s everything. Castle Greyhawk. Candlekeep. Darkhold Castle. The right name can evoke a potent feeling. And just like how one of the most important things about an adventuring party is what you call yourselves, so it goes with Bastions.
Truly, a decision worth spending days on.
Happy adventuring!
