The Bastion
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Charged die | Immovable fortress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Immovable fortress | - | 2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting style, Charged abilities | d6 | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Bastion order | d6 | 3 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | d6 | 3 |
| 5th | +3 | Rampant charge | d6 | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Bastion order feature | d6 | 4 |
| 7th | +3 | Iron constitution | d6 | 4 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | d6 | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | Bastion order feature | d8 | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | Will of the unwavering | d8 | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | Defensive stance | d8 | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 5 |
| 13th | +5 | Bastion order feature | d8 | 5 |
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 5 |
| 15th | +5 | - | d10 | 5 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | d10 | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | Earth tremor | d10 | 6 |
| 18th | +6 | - | d10 | 6 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | d10 | 6 |
| 20th | +6 | Bastion order feature | d10 | unlimited |
Bastion
Heavily armored on top of a pile of a thousand goblins stands a old human, his silver hair covered in the blood of his foes but he smiles knowing that the people are safe, knowing that he kept his promise. A young half-orc rests on the blood stained dirt next to a tree, tired from the battle, her armor's damaged, her blade now dull but her spirit unwavering and ready to fight again.
These are Bastions the first and last line of defense for villages and towns alike, mighty warriors trained to fend off the evils that would otherwise attack villages, town cities and merchants. While a lot of Bastions will tend to join organized groups such as armies and city guards in order to provide the most effective defense for towns, villages and cities alike some choose to be adventurers whether that be for some greater calling or because they believe the wondering life style to be a more effective way to deal with threats.
The Strength Of Titans
A bastion's pride is their strength, whether that be physical or mental prowess. Within the order they're tought that in the wild only the only the strong survive and that for that precise reason it's the strong's duty and mission to protect and shelter those who can't make it on their own.
Because of this the training these warriors go through to become fully fletched bastions is excruciatingly tough and leaves a good third of the people who join with broken bones and broken spirits, so much so that very few amongst those who try to become bastions actually succeed, some quit, some get injured and some even die. Some orders go as far as to forbid the use of magic during training to their trainees as it is seen as a cheap way of overcoming difficulties.
Stubbornness
Because of the their training and the values that are drilled into their heads all throughout it most bastions will be prone to fighting threats head on instead of running away from them or
Creating a Bastion
When creating a bastion there are few things that are as important as choosing the reason why your character joined an order in the first place. Was it determination? Maybe admiration? Or were you left with no choice? You may also wanna consider why your character doesn't use magic (if you chose to go down that path) did they try and fail? or do they have a personal grudge against it?. It's also important to consider what your character is fighting for: is it peace? do they just wish to protect people?
Quick Build
You can make a bastion quickly by following these suggestions. First constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by strength. Second choose the soldier background.
Class Features
As a bastion, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d12 per bastion level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per bastion level after 1st
Proficiencies
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Armor: medium armour, heavy armour, shields
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Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
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Tools: none
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Saving Throws: strength, constitution
-
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion, Survival.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a chain mail (b) a scale mail
- (a) a martial weapon and 5 javelins or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) an explorer's pack (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- a shield
Immovable Fortress
Your immense training shows in your incredible resilience.
Starting at 1st level as a bonus action you may enter a state of full concentration for 1 minute or until you reach fall unconscious, during this time you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier at the beginning of every round, this number is increased to twice your constitution modifier at level 9 and to three times your constitution modifier at level 15 in this class.
If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while using this ability. You may end this ability voluntarily by using a bonus action, once this ability ends all of the temporary hit points generated by it are removed.
You may use this ability twice per long rest. The number of uses changes as detailed in the class table.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Interception
When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
Charged Abilities
Starting at 2nd level you can channel your strength into different abilities that are fueled by special dice called charged dice.
Charged Dice
You have a number of charged dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, some of your abilities expend your charged dice as specified in each ability's description, you can't use an ability if it requires you to use a die when your die are not enough or fully expended. You regain all of your expended dice at the end of a long rest. In addition you may use a bonus action to regain three expended die, you can use this feature once per short or long rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class the size of your charged dice increases: at 9th level (d8), at 15th level (d10).
Some abilities require the target creature to make a saving throw to resist their effects, the saving throw's DC is calculated as follows:
Abilities Save DC
Art by Esiin357
Charged Attack
Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack you may expend one of your charged, this results in a charged attack, add the result of your die roll to your weapon's damage.
If you're using this feature while Immovable fortress is active apply one of the following effect to the creature you hit with your charged attack.
- Shove the creature 10ft in a direction of your choosing.
- The next attack roll on the creature is done with advantage.
Bastion Order
At 3rd level, you choose the order that you belong to and from which you emulate your combat style and techniques. The order you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, 13th, and 20th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Rampant Charge
You dash through the battlefield with might, as a bonus action, starting at 5th level you may expend one of your charged die to dash 15ft in a singular direction, when dashing with this ability you ignore difficult terrain, at the end of your dash you may make a single melee weapon attack on a creature within range, add the result of your charged die to the damage of your weapon.
Your charge is interrupted if you hit a creature of the same size as you or larger or if you run into a structure, when this happens, if you still have movement left, you crash into the obstacle dealing 1 charged die of bludgeoning damage (structures take double damage from this ability). Furthermore when crashing into an obstacle you can't make the melee weapon attack that would normally come at the end of a charge.
During immovable fortress all attack against you while you charge have disadvantage.
Iron Constitution
Starting at 7th level you add your constitution modifier to all of your strength, dexterity and constitution saving throws while using Immovable fortress.
Will Of The Unwavering
Starting at 10th level whenever you make a check or saving throw against being feared or charmed while using immovable fortress you gain advantage.
Defensive Stance
When focusing your defenses are impenetrable, starting at 11th level you may use a bonus action to stop moving and receive a +2 bonus to your AC until the beginning of your next turn or until you move again.
During immovable fortress when this ability is active you may use your reaction and a charged die to reduce incoming
damage by an amount equal to the result rolled on your charged die.
If you have less than 10ft of movement left you can't use this feature.
Earth Tremor
Starting at 17th level your might can make the ground quake, as an action on your turn you may use a number of charged dice of your choice to generate a seismic wave in a cone in front of you with range equal to five times the amount of expended dice in ft. All creatures in that area must make a strength saving throw, on a failed save a creature is prone and takes bludgeoning damage equal to the result of the roll of the charged dice you expended while on a successful one the creatures takes half of the damage and manages to keep its footing.
Bastion orders
Becoming a bastion involves joining an order and following their ways. Each order does things differently and specializes in different areas of combat.
Order Of The Primordials
Primordials specialize in dealing with monsters that use elemental magic such as dragons or behirs, they usually work in groups as working with other less prepared people might turn out to be fatal for everyone involved. They put a lot of trust in teamwork as it is what keeps them alive most of the times .
Elemental Manipulation
When choosing this order at 3rd level choose one of the following elements which will determine the damage type of your abilities: acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder.
- All of the damage cause by your charged dice is now of the same type as the element you chose.
Elemental Fortress
Your immovable fortress ability becomes enhanced by the power of the element, while using it you gain the following benefits:
- Every time an hostile creature begins its turn within 10ft of you they take 3 damage of your chosen elemental type, this becomes 5 damage at level 9 and 7 damage at level 15 in this class.
- You gain resistance to your chosen damage type.
Elemental Charge
Starting at 6th level your Rampant charged is imbued with elemental power, whenever you use your rampant charge ability each creature within 5ft of while charging takes 1 charged die damage of your chosen elemental type.
Wrath Of The Elements
You mark creature so that they meet their elemental demise, at 9th level you may use your action and expend 2 charged dice to mark a creature withing 30ft of you, all damage of your chosen elemental type ignores that creature's resistances for 1 minute, until that creature drops to 0HP or until you drop to 0HP.
Elemental Bulwark
Starting at 13th level you share your elemental endurance with those close to you, when using immovable fortress all your allies within 20ft of you gain resistance to your elemental damage type.
Ire Of The Elements
Once you reach 20th level the elemental power that dwells inside you grows too fierce to contain, when using Immovable Fortress you gain the following benefits:
- Whenever you activate your Immovable Fortress Ability a number of creatures of your choosing up to 6 that are within 10ft of you take 3 charged dice damage of your selected elemental type.
- Whenever a creature that is within 5ft of you makes a melee weapon attack that targets you that creature takes damage equal to your constitution modifier of your chosen elemental type.
- All damage dealt by this ability ignores resistances.
Order Of The Psionics
Bastions that belong to this order use their psionic powers to protect themselves and their allies, they specialize in the creation and usage of barriers and magical shields.
Psionic Fortress
When you chose this order at 3rd level you gain the following benefits when using Immovable Fortress:
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- When activating the ability a number of allies equal at most to your proficiency bonus within 20ft of you receives temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier. This number grows to twice your constitution modifier at level 9 and to three times as much at level 15 in this class.
- Once per turn when a creature within 20ft of you takes damage you can use your reaction to take that damage instead.
Protective Barrier
Starting at 6th level your psionic powers can manifest in physical form, as an action you can spend 2 charged dice to create a barrier within 30ft of you.
This barrier is transparent for you and your allies and opaque for your enemies, nothing can pass through the barrier and it provides total cover for anyone behind it.
The barrier has an AC of 15 and hit points equal to 5 + five times your Bastion level, it is considered a structure for all intents and purposes and is immune to psychic damage.
The barrier is 25ft wide, 10ft tall and as thin as a sheet of paper, it stays active for 1 minute, until you deactivate it as an action or until it is destroyed.
Force Shield
At 9th level when an enemy attack you or a creature within 20ft of you you may use your reaction and expend a charged die to gain a bonus to your AC equal to your constitution modifier until the beginning of your next turn
Enhanced Psionic Fortress
Once you hit 13th level all allies within 20ft of you (you excluded) are safeguarded by your presence and gain a +1 bonus to their AC while using immovable fortress.
Psionic Bulwark
Once you hit 20th level you may further enhance your Immovable Fortress, once per short rest you may gain the following benefits upon using the ability:
- All of your allies' temporary hit points are doubled on your first turn when Immovable fortress is active.
- All allies within 20ft receive temporary hit points equal to twice your constitution modifier every time you gain temporary hit points from your Immovable Fortress feature.
All temporary hit points generated by this ability disappear once the effect of Immovable fortress end.
Art by 000Fesbra000
Order Of The Gravitons
Bastions that follow the Order of the Gravitons are often disciples to graviturgy wizards, they mix together the manipulation of gravity and the more traditional combat style of the Bastions resulting in a scary combo to fight against. Gravitons slow and immobilize their opponents with the power of gravity and then strike them with all their might.
Gravitational Fortress
Being close to you makes others heavy while making you more nimble, at 3rd gravity manipulation grants you the following benefits when using immovable fortress:
- Hostile creatures within 10ft of you are slowed, each foot of movement they make costs them an extra 2 feet. The range of this ability increases to 20ft at level 9 and to 30ft at level 15 in this class.
- Your movement speed is increased by 10ft.
Gravitational Pull
At 6th level you can better manifest your powers, as an action you may spend 2 charged dice, choose a number of creatures equal to or smaller than your proficiency bonus that are within 30ft of you and choose one of the following effects:
- Push the creature 10ft towards you, the creature also has movement speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.
- Pull the creature 10ft towards you, the creature also has movement speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.
Each one of the creatures must make a strength saving throw against your ability save DC, on a failed save apply the chosen effect, on a successful one every creature's speed is halved until the beginning of your next turn.
Weight Alteration
At 9th level you can manipulate an object's weight to your advantage. Whenever a creature is within 30ft of you and makes an attack roll you may as a reaction spend one charged die and subtract the result of the die's roll from the creature's attack roll.
Gravity Well
Starting at 13th level your presence warps the space around you, when using Immovable fortress all projectiles aimed at you or at a friendly creature within 20ft of you target you and have disadvantage on their attack roll.
Black Hole
Starting at 20th level your control of gravity shatters reality around you, whenever you activate Immovable fortress you gain the following benefits:
- every hostile creature within 30ft of you must make a strength saving throw against your ability save DC. On a failed save a creature takes 3 charged die force damage, their movement speed is also reduced to 0 until the beginning of your next turn. On a successful save the creature takes half as much damage and maintains it's footing, their movement speed is still reduced to 10ft until their start of your next turn.
- Creature within 5ft of you have disadvantage on all attack rolls.
Order of the Spire
The Order of the Spire was the first bastion order to ever be created and has remained known throughout the years for its traditionalist methods of rigorous and often deadly training. The order of the Spire was created as a last line of defense and as such they are warriors of pure will and might for they know that if they fall nothing can be done.
Imposing Spire
Starting at 3rd level when you chose this order your Immovable Fortress gains the following trait:
- When you use your immovable fortress feature every creature within 10ft of you must make a charisma saving throw against your ability save DC, on a failed save the creature is enthralled by you for 1 minute. As long as it's effected the creature has disadvantage on its attack rolls against any target other than yourself. The creature may repeat the saving throw every turn as an action.
This feature's range increases to 20ft at level 9 and to 30 at level 15 in this class.
Living Castle
You're always ready to take a hit, starting at 6th level when you take damage you can use your reaction and expend 2 charged dice to gain resistance to all damage except psychic damage until the beginning of your next turn.
Demolisher
The ground trembles when you charge, starting at 9th level when you crash into an object or a creature during Rampant Charge you deal extra damage equal to 2 charged dice.
Impenetrable walls
Once you hit 13th level you gain a bonus of +2 to your AC while using Immovable fortress, this goes up to a +3 once you reach 15th level.
The Might Of Titans
After reaching 20th level whenever you use Immovable Fortress you can choose a creature that you can see within 60ft that creature must make a charisma saving throw against your ability save DC or be enthralled by you for one minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw with disadvantage once every round as an action.
While effected the creature is under the following effects:
- If it can cast spells the creature can't cast spells or hold concentration on them while enthralled by you in this way.
- The creature can only attack you until it's enthralled by you in this way.
- It's immune to the effects of your Imposing spire ability.
Art by: Kenneth Camaro
Spires and Pinnacles
Bastions were created with the intent to protect cities, towns and villages from hordes of monsters, as such over time most of the orders have become specialized in a particular style of combat to take down a specific type of monster in the most efficient way possible. On the other hand the a part of the order of the spires has become specialized in the hunting down and the killing of humanoids, these are known as Pinnacles. Pinnacles are brutally efficient man hunters known for their incredible tracking skills. Some of them hunt criminals but a few are known to be mercenaries for hire, unlike assassins tho Pinnacles aren't exactly stealthy in their methods.
Multiclassing
To qualify for this class the character requires a score of 13 or higher in both strength and constitution.
When gaining levels into this class you receive the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons
Practice
Safe
Homebrewing
Making this whole class was a very long process that started 2 years ago, I am very glad i embarked on this journey as it helped me learn quite a few things both about creating content for the game and the amount of play-testing and trial and error necessary and about the creative process of making something from scratch in general.
Hope you will enjoy this class and have fun with it, best of luck in your journeys adventurer
Back art by: Andreas Rocha
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More Credits
Massive thank you goes out to my D&D buddies that helped me make this class possible and to a couple users that helped two years ago when making the very first iteration of this, in particular u/KBeazy_30.
Thank you for taking time to read my work