Bastions were introduced in the 2024 version of DnD
Acquisition
- A character can acquire a bastion upon reaching level 7
- A bastion must be either bought or rewarded.
- It cannot be inherited (Unless it is to another character)
- A bastion can be co-owned between characters
Purchase
A bastion can only be sold by a royal overseer
These buildings can vary heavily in price.
- They can be bought in several states of functionality
- The worse a bastion is the cheaper they get
- The better a bastion is the cheaper they are to rebuild
Reward
Royal
A bastion can be rewarded by Royalty
- This typically means it is already semi functional
- It is not guaranteed
Local
A bastion can also be granted by a local head of an area.
- This means the structure is likely heavily falling apart or is near total ruin
Combining Bastions
Bastions cannot be combined with pre-existing bastions In order to co-own bastions as 2 characters the “Combination” goes towards the purchase of more land to then build an extension of what already exists.
Bastion Turns
INFO
Frequency of Bastion Turns
By default, a Bastion turn occurs every 7 days of in-game time. Here are common examples of players taking one or more Bastion turns:
- The characters are on a long journey away from their Bastions. After the characters have been away for 7 days, you might say, “Time for a Bastion turn. Since you’re not there, we’ll assume you issue the Maintain order for your Bastions.” Then roll for events as described in the “Bastion Events” section in this chapter.
- The characters spend 7 days or more in their Bastions between adventures. You might say, “You have six weeks to spend in your Bastions. Go ahead and resolve six Bastion turns.”
- The characters return to their Bastions in the midst of an adventure. You might say, “You have just enough time to take a Bastion turn before you leave again in the morning.”
- The characters are adventuring near their Bastions and resting in their Bastions at night. You might say, “It’s been a week since your last Bastion turn, so you can take one now.”
You can slow the frequency of Bastion turns to better serve the needs of your players and your campaign. For example, if the characters have months between adventures, you can call for a Bastion turn every month instead of every 7 days, so the characters aren’t issuing so many orders or reaping too many benefits at once.
Art by Noor Rahman
A Rogue’s Bastion on the outskirts of town contains a Guildhall, a Pub, and more!
Link to original
NOTE
Orders
On a Bastion turn, a character in their Bastion can issue special orders—called Bastion orders—to one or more of their Bastion’s special facilities. A character needn’t issue orders to all the special facilities in their Bastion on a given Bastion turn.
The Maintain order is unusual; it is issued to the whole Bastion rather than to one or more special facilities. If a character isn’t in their Bastion on a given Bastion turn, the Bastion acts as though it were issued the Maintain order on that turn unless the owner can communicate with the Bastion hirelings using the Sending spell or similar magic.
The orders are as follows:
Craft
Hirelings in the special facility craft an item that can be made in that facility. During the time required to craft an item, the facility can’t be used to craft anything else, even if a special ability allows the facility to carry out two orders at once. The hirelings have proficiencies with Artisan’s Tools as specified in the facility’s description.
Empower
The special facility confers a temporary empowerment to you or someone else.
Harvest
Hirelings gather a resource produced in the special facility. During the time required to harvest a resource, the facility can’t be used to harvest anything else, even if a special ability allows the facility to carry out two orders at once.
Maintain
Art by Noor Rahman
A Bastion grows over time
All the Bastion’s hirelings focus on maintaining the Bastion rather than executing orders in special facilities. Issuing this order prohibits other orders from being issued to the Bastion on the current Bastion turn. Each time the Maintain order is issued, the DM rolls once on the Bastion Events table at the end of this chapter. Bastion events are resolved before the next Bastion turn.
Recruit
Hirelings recruit creatures to the Bastion. These creatures might include one or more Bastion Defenders, whose main purpose is to defend the Bastion if it is attacked (see “Bastion Events” at the end of this chapter). The Bastion generates enough income to provide for the needs of its Bastion Defenders.
Research
Hirelings in the special facility gather information.
Trade
Hirelings buy and sell goods or services stored or produced in this special facility.
Link to original
Layout
It is for the player to draw out the layout of the building after getting specifications from the DM.
INFO
The DM can help in the actual drawing of the map if so desired.
Facilities
General
Facility Space
The amount of space in a basic or special facility determines its maximum area in 5-foot squares, as shown in the Facility Space table. A player can configure the squares of a facility as they please on their Bastion’s map. The squares can be stacked so that a facility’s area is distributed over multiple levels or stories.
Facility Space
Link to original
Space Maximum Area Cramped 4 squares Roomy 16 squares Vast 36 squares
Basic
Adding Basic Facilities
A character can add a basic facility to their Bastion by spending money and time. The cost of adding a basic facility and the time required depend on the facility’s space, as shown on the table below.
Link to original
Facility Space Cost Time Required Cramped 500 GP 20 days Roomy 1,000 GP 45 days Vast 3,000 GP 125 days
Enlarging Basic Facilities
There is no in-game benefit to enlarging a basic facility, but a character might enlarge a facility for cosmetic reasons or to increase the Bastion’s size.
A character can spend money and time to increase the space of a basic facility in their Bastion by one category, as shown on the table below.
Link to original
Space Increase Cost Time Required Cramped to Roomy 500 GP 25 days Roomy to Vast 2,000 GP 80 days
Special
Special Facility Acquisition
Link to original
Level Special Facilities 5 2 9 4 13 5 17 6
INFO
Special Facilities Table
Level Special Facility Prerequisite Order 5 Arcane Study Ability to use an Arcane Focus or a tool as a Spellcasting Focus Craft 5 Armory None Trade 5 Barrack None Recruit 5 Garden None Harvest 5 Library None Research 5 Sanctuary Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus Craft 5 Smithy None Craft 5 Storehouse None Trade 5 Workshop None Craft 9 Gaming Hall None Trade 9 Greenhouse None Harvest 9 Laboratory None* Craft 9 Sacristy Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus Craft 9 Scriptorium None* Craft 9 Stable None Trade 9 Teleportation Circle None Recruit 9 Theater None Empower 9 Training Area None Empower 9 Trophy Room None Research 13 Archive None Research 13 Meditation Chamber None Empower 13 Menagerie None Recruit 13 Observatory Ability to use a Spellcasting Focus Empower 13 Pub None Research 13 Reliquary Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus Harvest 17 Demiplane Ability to use an Arcane Focus or a tool as a Spellcasting Focus Empower 17 Guildhall Expertise in a skill Recruit 17 Sanctum Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus Empower 17 War Room Fighting Style feature or Unarmored Defense feature Recruit *Certain orders that can be issued to these facilities have additional prerequisites. Art by Irina Nordsol
Link to original
States
Fully Functional
The best state a bastion can be in, existing facilities are running at full capacity and hirelings are hard at work.
Criteria
Once the maximum facilities of the last stage has been reached and the land expansion has been paid to the royal overseer (6,000 GP)
Size
There are little limitations once a bastion reaches this state meaning that 6 facilities could be vast and 9 roomy
- Max size: 360 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 9 Basic Facilities
- 6 Special Facilities
Basic Facilities
At this state there’s no limitations on which basic facilities that can be added to the bastion.
Semi Functional
The next best state a bastion can be in, existing facilities are running at half capacity and hirelings are hard at work.
Criteria
Once the maximum facilities of the last stage has been reached and the land expansion has been paid to the royal overseer (4,000 GP)
Size
There’s but a few restrictions for this state. Here it would be equivalent to having 4 Vast-, 4 Roomy- & 3 Cramped- Rooms.
- Max size: 220 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 7 Basic Facilities
- 4 Special Facilities
Basic Facilities
There’s no limitations on which basic facilities that can be added to the bastion.
Barely Functional
The state where a bastion starts to run, existing facilities are running but barely and hirelings are sticking around due to the “free” workspace.
Criteria
Once the maximum facilities of the last stage has been reached and the land expansion has been paid to the royal overseer (3,000 GP)
Size
The restrictions for this state would be equivalent to having 3 Vast-, 2 Roomy- & 2 Cramped- Rooms.
- Max size: 116 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 4 Basic Facilities
- 3 Special Facilities
Basic Facilities
This state of bastion has access to the following basic facilities
- Storage
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Dining Room
Barely standing
The state where a bastion isn’t quite standing right, there are no existing facilities and hirelings only come around once hired.
Criteria
Once the maximum facilities of the last stage has been reached and the land expansion has been paid to the royal overseer (2,000 GP)
Size
The restrictions for this state would be equivalent to having 2 Roomy- & 2 Cramped- Rooms.
- Max size: 40 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 3 Basic Facilities
- 1 Special Facility
Basic Facilities
This state of bastion has access to the following basic facilities
- Storage
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
Falling apart
The state where a bastion is turning to rubble, there are no existing facilities and hirelings will be hard to acquire.
Criteria
Once the maximum facilities of the last stage has been reached and the land expansion has been paid to the royal overseer (1,000 GP)
Size
The restrictions for this state would be equivalent to having 2 Roomy- & 2 Cramped- Rooms.
- Max size: 40 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 3 Basic Facilities
- 1 Special Facility
Basic Facilities
This state of bastion has access to the following basic facilities
- Storage
- Bedroom
Actual Ruin
The state where a bastion is rubble, there are no existing facilities or hirelings.
Criteria
This state of bastion can only be awarded or purchased
Size
The restrictions for this state would be equivalent to having 1 Cramped Room.
- Max size: 4 Squares
Facility limits
At this state the bastion can contain up to the following
- 1 Basic Facilities
- 0 Special Facilities
Basic Facilities
This state of bastion has access to the following basic facilities
- Storage
Events
Bastion Events Table
Link to original
1d100 Event 01–50 All Is Well 51–55 Attack 56–58 Criminal Hireling 59–63 Extraordinary Opportunity 64–72 Friendly Visitors 73–76 Guest 77–79 Lost Hirelings 80–83 Magical Discovery 84–91 Refugees 92–98 Request for Aid 99–00 Treasure
Tracking the Bastion
To track a bastion WotC has provided this handy sheet:
Tracking
Link to original
