What is a Bastion: A whole chapter of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is dedicated to Bastions, a new system where players can build their own base of operations and run it with the help of hirelings. Whether your player characters are clearing out an ancient fortress so they can move in, renovating an old wizard’s tower, or pitching in to buy a tavern together, they’ll find countless possibilities for customizing their stronghold.
Exploring
Bastions from the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide | Dungeons & Dragons
(dndbeyond.com)
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| Notice the drawbridge for tall mast ships on the far left side. |
Background: Old London Bridge was completed in 1209 AD
and then demolished in 1831 AD. This structure
was a stone bridge that crossed the River Thames. Shops were built on each side of the road
deck, with homes built above the shops and over the road desk. These homes were between 2 and 6 floors above
the road desk. Those structures created
a series of enclosed hallways above the road deck, separated by spaces open to
the outside. A drawbridge in the center
of the bridge allowed ships with tall masts to pass between the two bridge
sections.
Use
as a player Bastion: Imagine
your player character or player characters have constructed a similar
structure. Then, they could charge tolls
on people and vehicles using their bridge.
The PCs would also charge rent for the shops on either side of the road
desk, as well as rent on apartment and hotel rooms above the road deck. Their headquarters, above the shops and road
deck, would have commanding views of the river.
Depending upon the length and width of the bridge,
several player characters should be able to build several individual bastions
above or below the road deck of the bridge.
Care must be taken as a wizard that requires peace and quiet to study;
will not be happy being next to a chapel for a cleric who worships a divine
being who is the personification of wine, festivals, and pleasure. Don’t forget that each individual bastion can
be expanded by building additional floors above the road deck or under the road
deck and/or expanding the bridge structure sideways from the central spans.
On well-travelled road and ship routes,
the player character’s Bastion would be similar to Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Adventure possibilities would pass on the
road, as well as on and under the river of the Party’s Bastion.
One or more druids could cover the massive structure
with flowers, shrubs, and trees similar to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Water for the plants could be taken up to the
top floor by mechanical or magical water pumps.
Bridge
Chapels: “Chapels were
occasionally built on bridges to be available for the spiritual needs of
travelers, who would give thanks for safe arrival in a town after a long and
difficult journey.” On Old London Bridge
one elongated bridge pier was constructed for the “Chapel of St Thomas on the
Bridge”. This bridge chapel was built
near the center of Old London Bridge, extended out from the main deck at a right
angle. Medieval bridge chapels were once
common for European bridges, but are now rare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_chapel
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| The Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge was a bridge chapel near the center of "Old" London Bridge in the City of London and was completed by 1209. |
There are other examples of bridges with two or more floors. This is the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval stone
closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy.
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| The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy. |
Please post a short comment on my blog describing your player characters' bridge bastions.
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