The Bastion v0.8

by Bamstacks

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The Bastion

A bastion's mantle is a mentality and duty that a bastion takes on. It is a way of being that grants unique powers to use to defend one's allies in unique ways, and also engenders unique ways of looking at the world and appreciation why those who live within deserve defending.

Other Changes

This class is intended to go along with the other changes, like class proficiency bonuses, detailed here.

The Bastion v0.8

A goliath travels with its newly-befriended weasel companion, trudging through the forest, looking for signs of his old friends who he'd gotten separated from. Suddenly, a kobold mage jumps out from a tree and weaves a fireball from nothing. The goliath reacts quickly, defending the defenseless weasel from the entirety of the blast, suffering burns on his back. He shrugs the burns off, facing off against the kobold; how could he go down when there are innocents to protect?

A blue-skinned tiefling takes on a defensive posture, readying herself to protect the injured halfling wizard next to her. Seeing a group of cultists coming from a second direction from the other side of the narrow hallway, threatening to surround them, she forms a barrier from her mind's eye and places it, forming it from her mastery of psionics and blocking off one side entirely.

The old tortle protects the injured warrior from the war god disciple's flurries of conjured blades, and the injured warrior sees the strange markings on the tortle's skin glow a bright, warm light as they feel their wounds closing with a revitalizing light. As soon as the flurry is over, the warrior emerges, ready to fight again, besides the tortle that helped keep him alive.

Bastions, true to their namesake, are those who have focused on a style of fighting that prioritizes protecting their allies over all else. Those who stay within or retreat into a bastion's reach are truly safe from any harm. Bastions do not shy away from violence however, incorporating traditional fighting techniques into their inpenetrable defenses.

Selfless Fighters

For whatever reason is unique to any given bastion, most have decided to focus their prowess on protecting their allies, and in doing so, have developed a uniquely powerful resilience that comes from an inexorable drive to preserve the lives of those standing next to them. While others might taunt and draw creatures away, your protection is the truest possible; while you stand next to them, nothing will hurt them.

The reasons why any given Bastion have adopted this style of prowess are infinitely varied, but many can organize themselves by how they think of their duty. Some might appreciate the preservation of the mind and its experiences, others experienced this drive alongside divine revelation. Others may have experienced evil and intend to thwart it, others see themselves as in a competition with their enemies; I win if they can't even touch my friends.

Closely Bonded

All bastions inevitably form close bonds with those they protect. Even more inevitably, they more closely bond with one creature in particular, as people are wont to do. This appreciation and bond tends to flow both ways, as the bastion will justify their own drive to protect their charge, while the charge is consistently reminded of the protection they receive.

Creating a Bastion

When creating a Bastion character, consider their justification for wanting to prioritize protection. Was their an event in the character's life that made them realize that saving lives and redirecting harm to yourself was the route they wanted to take? Was there a person they have lost? A person they are still trying to protect? A strict ideal to uphold, forged from life experience?

Consider their history of battles. Were they saved from harm once? Were they a ruthless killer who realized there was a better way to do things? What has been the arc of their story so far, and how did they end up where they are, taking up this role in a new group of adventurers?

Quick Build

You can make a Bastion quickly by following these suggestions: First, put your highest ability score in Constitution, your next highest in Strength. If you intend to take the Ardent Mantle, place your third highest ability score in Intelligence, and if you intend to take the Martyr or Watchman Mantle, place your third highest ability score in Wisdom. Take Defense as your Fighting Style.

The Bastion
Level Proficiency Bonus Features
1st +2 Burden of the Strong, Defend, Fighting Style
2nd +2 Bastion's Charge, Endurance
3rd +2 Defender's Mantle
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 Extra Attack, Residual Protection
6th +3 Mantle Feature
7th +3 Unbreakable Mind, Steadfast Presence
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 Body of Iron, Reactive
10th +4 Defensive Movements, Mettle
11th +4 Mantle Feature
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement
13th +5 Tireless, Residual Protection improvement
14th +5 Hyperaware
15th +5 Mantle Feature
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 Vital Shield, Reactive improvement
18th +6 Mantle Feature
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 Defensive Movements improvement, Nothing Hurts Me

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


  • Armor: All armor, shields
  • Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
  • Tools: None
  • Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
  • Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

  • shield and any martial weapon
  • (a) chain shirt, (b) leather armor and a spear, or (c) chain mail
  • (a) two light hammers and a handaxe or (b) any two simple melee weapons
  • (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Alternatively, you can roll 6d4 x 10 gp and buy your starting equipment.

Bastion Multiclassing

Bastions follow all the normal rules for multiclassing. The following tables function as additions to the normal multiclassing rules.

Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least a Strength and Constitution score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a bastion.

Proficiencies Gained. If bastion isn’t your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as a bastion: Simple weapons, martial weapons, light armor, medium armor

Bastion Proficiency Bonus. When multiclassed, any bastion class feature that refers to your bastion proficiency bonus refers to what your proficiency bonus would be if only taking your bastion levels into account.

If not multiclassed, this value will equal your regular proficiency bonus. Refer to the Bastion Class Table in the Proficiency Bonus column for your bastion level for what your bastion proficiency bonus is.

Burden of the Strong

1st level Bastion feature

Your strength of will forces you to shoulder a new reality. You are strong, and that strength means that you should... no, you must use that strength to protect your allies. With that realization comes the strength of will necessary to give yourself to others. You gain proficiency in Athletics, and when you finish a Long Rest, or at the end of a 10 minute ritual you spend in focus, meditation, or appreciation of those around you, you can grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your bastion level + your Constitution modifier.

In addition, you can make a Shove attack or a grapple check as a Bonus Action, or when you make an opportunity attack. Creatures that are Prone within your reach or grappled by you have Disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you. You count as one size larger (minimum Large) when making Strength-based ability checks and saving throws, and you have Advantage on Strength checks you make against creatures your size or smaller.

Defend

1st level Bastion feature

You are a protector and you shoulder that responsibility by taking your stand. When you take the Defend Action, you gain the following benefits instead of the normal benefits:

  • You immediately gain temporary hit points equal to two times your bastion level plus your Constitution modifier that last until the start of your next turn.
  • You have Advantage on Strength and Constitution ability checks and saving throws until the start of your next turn.
  • Attack rolls against you are made with Advantage until the start of your next turn.
  • You can choose to force ranged attack rolls whose lines of fire would pass through your space to attack you instead.
  • You gain an additional Reaction you can use before the start of your next turn. When a creature within your reach is targeted with an attack or harmful effect that you can see, such as a weapon attack or spell cast with verbal or somatic components, you can use your Reaction to protect that creature and any other creatures within its space. Any attacks, spells, or effects that would target the creature, including the triggering effect, are forced to target you instead. If the effect is a harmful area, the protected creature becomes immune to the area's effects as long as it stays within your reach, but you have Disadvantage on saving throws you make against the area's effects.
DM Note: Reach Weapons

The Reach property states "This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you Attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for Opportunity Attacks with it." Wielding a reach weapon therefore does not add to your reach for the purposes of a bastion's class features, many of which use your reach.

Fighting Style

1st level Bastion feature

You adopt a particular way of defending your allies into your martial training. 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. When you gain a level in this class, you can switch the fighting style you choose with another from this list.

Cover Specialist

While you wield a shield, all creatures within 5 feet of you gain the benefits of half cover.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon, as well as a +2 bonus to Dexterity saving throws.

Keepaway

When you successfully shove a creature, you can choose to push it up to 10 feet away from you instead of 5. In addition, when a creature enters your reach, you can use your Reaction to make a shove attack against the creature.

Keepdown

When a prone creature within your reach attempts to stand, you may attempt to grapple that creature as a Reaction.

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 1d6 + 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. The damage reduction increases by 1d6 at 5th level (2d6+prof), 11th level (3d6+prof), and 17th level (4d6+prof).

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 and any additional attacks it makes against that target before the start of your next turn. You must be wielding a shield.

Shield Warrior

You can use a shield as a martial melee weapon. On hit, you deal 2d4 Bludgeoning damage. If you are wielding a shield and no other weapons, you gain a +1 bonus to both your damage rolls with shield attacks, and to your Armor Class. You can also use your shield to make shove attacks.

Bastion's Charge

2nd level Bastion feature

Most bastions find someone they have a strong attachment with, and that attachment grows into a fundamental determination to protect that person against all odds. Choose one creature you know and have seen within the past 24 hours, and you may designate that person as your charge.

When your charge is targeted with an attack or harmful effect and you can see your charge, you can use your reaction to immediately move up to your speed. If you end your movement and your charge is within your reach, you may immediately take the Defend action as part of your reaction. The benefits of your Defend apply as if you had done so before the attack or harmful effect that triggered it occurred, though you do not gain the temporary hit points you would normally from taking the Defend action.

In addition, your speed is not halved when grappling or carrying your charge.

If your charge leaves for more than 24 hours or dies, you may designate a new charge by spending 4 hours together with a friendly creature.

Endurance

2nd level Bastion feature

You will not fall. You have too many people depending on you to die here. You gain a number of Endurance Dice, which are d6s, equal to half your Bastion level, rounded up, that you can use to accomplish impossible feats of strength and will. You regain all expended Endurance Dice when you finish a Long Rest. You can use Endurance Dice in the following ways:

Not Yet

When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can expend an Endurance Die and roll it to drop to a number of hit points equal to the result of the roll instead. If your charge is within your reach, the result of the roll is doubled.

Stand Strong

As a Bonus Action on your turn, you can expend an Endurance Die to regain lost hit points. Roll a number of d6s equal to your Bastion Proficiency Bonus, and regain that many lost hit points up to your maximum. Any excess hit points become temporary hit points.

After you do so, and before the start of your next turn, if an effect attempts to move you or your charge while your charge is within your reach, the attempt fails if that movement would result in your charge being outside of your reach.

Willpower

When you make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you can expend an Endurance Die and roll it, adding the result to the saving throw. You can do so after you roll, but before the result is announced.

You Cannot Hold Me

At the start of your turn, if your speed is reduced to zero and you are not Unconscious, you can expend an Endurance Die to temporarily end any and all conditions or effects reducing your speed until the end of your turn, after which the condition returns if applicable.

If your charge takes damage, you can also use this ability using your Reaction, even if it would normally be unavailable, as long as you are not Unconscious.

Bastion's Mantle

3rd level Bastion feature

Your training and purpose have culminated and evolved into a cohesive method and ideology of protection, called your Mantle. This mantle guides your decisions and thinking, and its details greatly inform how you relate to those you are charged to protect.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

4th level Bastion feature

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, or you can take a feat. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

5th level Bastion feature

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack Action on your turn. Moreover, you can take the Defend Action in place of one of those attacks. When you take the Defend Action in this way, you do not gain the temporary hit points you would normally from taking the Defend action.

Residual Protection

5th level Bastion feature

When you take the Defend action, up to your Bastion level in temporary hit points remain if they are not depleted by the start of your next turn. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute.

Starting at 13th level, you add your Constitution modifier to the amount that remains.

Steadfast Presence

7th level Bastion feature

The sheer size of your presence and the calm you exert provides immense confidence and determination to those near you. All friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws they make for every 5 temporary hit points you have.

In addition, whenever you protect a creature through the Defend Action or a Reaction from taking damage, that protected creature may immediately use its Reaction to expend a hit die and roll it, regaining hit points equal to the result plus their Constitution modifier.

Body of Iron

9th level Bastion feature

Your body has been tested over and over again, and you have grown resilient to attacks. You reduce all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage you take by your Constitution modifier (minimum 1).

Reactive

9th level Bastion feature

You are used to reacting on the fly to protecting your allies, and your experience has granted you near supernatural capacity to react. You gain an additional Reaction that can only be used for Bastion class features or opportunity attacks. You regain the use of this extra Reaction at the start of each of your turns. You gain a third Reaction with the same qualifiers as your second starting at 17th level.

Defensive Movements

10th level Bastion feature

Your deftness in protecting your allies allows you a greater range of defensive motion. Your reach increases to 10 feet, if it were smaller. Your reach increases again to 15 feet when you reach 20th level in this class.

Mettle

10th level Bastion feature

Your determination allows you to shrug off effects that would debilitate you. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

In addition, you regain half your maximum amount of Endurance Dice, up to your maximum, when you finish a Short Rest.

Unbreakable Mind

13th level Bastion feature

Your will has learned to overpower effects that prevent you from protecting your allies. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency in a different saving throw of your choice.

Hyperaware

14th level Bastion feature

You are hyper aware of your surroundings. You have Advantage on initiative rolls, you can't be surprised, and no effect can make you lose your Reaction unless you are Unconscious.

Vital Shield

17th level Bastion feature

Through experience you know how best to protect yourself and your friends from hurt. Whenever you take damage, you can use a Reaction to gain resistance to the damage. This damage resistance applies after the damage reduction from Body of Iron.

Nothing Hurts Me

20th level Bastion feature

You are nigh unkillable, with the capability of withstanding the most devastating events known to the universe. Your Constitution ability score increases by 6, and your maximum for that score becomes 26.

Ardent

Sometimes bastions, through their will to protect and save, will develop through a mixture of meditation, training, and study, psionic powers. They are often intellectuals who have decided that the works of life and the minds that can comprehend them are worthy of protection. Ardents are experts at extruding barriers and subtle manipulations.

Psionics

3rd level Ardent feature

Your intelligence manifests through a connection to an inner reserve of mental energy, represented by two psion points. You regain all expended psion points when you finish a Short or Long Rest. You gain an additional psion point at 6th (3), 11th (4), 15th (5), and 20th (6) level in this class. Your psionic power is fueled through your study and grasp of the mind, so you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Ardent ability you use. The area of influence in which you can exert psionic power is represented by your Psionic Range.

Psionic Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Psionic Range = 5 times one third your Bastion level

You can use your psion points to fuel the following abilities:

Barrier. As a Bonus Action, you can expend a psion point to manifest a 10-foot wide barrier of magical force, as long as both ends of the barrier are within your Psionic Range when you create it. The barrier has AC equal to your Psionic Save DC, hit points equal to five times your bastion level, is immune to poison and psychic damage, being moved, all conditions, and has a +0 bonus to any saving throw it makes. You Concentrate on this barrier. The barrier lasts for 1 minute or until your Concentration ends.

Deflect. As a Reaction to a creature within your Psionic Range being hit with an attack you can see, you can expend a psion point to attempt to deflect the attack. Roll 1d8, and the result is added to the defender's armor class, potentially causing it to miss.

Push/Pull. As a Bonus Action, you can attempt to push or pull a creature with your mind. Choose a creature within your Psionic Range. That creature must make a Strength saving throw, which it can choose to fail, or else be pushed or pulled (your choice when you use it) up to 10 feet directly towards or away from you. Alternatively, after you successfully attack or shove a target, you can choose to expend a psion point to push it an additional 10 feet away from you, no action required.

Mentalic Zone

6th level Ardent feature

You have learned to extrude zones of mental defense using your psionics. When you take the Defend Action, you also extrude a Mentalic Zone in a cone originating from you with size equal to your Psionic Range. You gain Blindsight to see everything within the cone, and all attacks against creatures of your choice in the cone have Disadvantage. These benefits last until the start of your next turn.

Cerebrum Field

11th level Ardent feature

Your mind has expanded in its potential, and it analyzes the battlefield every moment, passively optimizing outcomes through minor but effective pushes and pulls. All creatures of your choice except you within your Psionic Range or within a Mentalic Zone add 2 to any damage they inflict and subtract 2 from any damage they take. This reduction occurs before any other damage reduction.

Mind's Alignment

15th level Ardent feature

You have learned to focus your energies on controlling and moving those around you. As an action, you can choose to target up to 1 + your Intelligence modifier creatures of your choice within your Psionic Range. Each affected creature can be targeted as if by your Push/Pull Psionics ability. You do not need to expend Psion Points when you do so.

Superposition

18th level Ardent feature

You have learned to impose your powerful psionic presence in multiple locations at once. At the start of each of your turns, you can superimpose yourself in a position within your Psionic Range. You count as being in that position for the purposes of your Bastion class features until the start of your next turn, although your Psionic Range only extends from your real body, not the superimposition.

Juggernaut

Violence is an inevitable fact of life, and in the pursuit of defending your allies, you have perfected the art of pummeling your enemies into the ground. A dead enemy won't hurt anyone anymore. Impossible to ignore or avoid, a juggernaut is a terrifying presence on the battlefield.

Steamroll

3rd level Juggernaut feature

You have learned to charge forward as a behemoth of destruction. When you take the Attack Action, you can take the Dash Action in place of one of your attacks.

When you take the Dash Action, and you move at least 10 feet in a straight line during your movement, that part of your movement becomes a Steamroll. While in a Steamroll, you gain resistance to the damage from opportunity attacks you provoke, and each creature whose space you try to enter must make a Dexterity saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or else be knocked Prone or pushed forward in front of you for the rest of your movement (your choice). You can only push one creature at a time this way, though you can drop a creature you are pushing to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you at any point during your Steamroll. If a creature succeeds on its saving throw or you push a creature with it into a structure, your Steamroll is halted. If you push a creature into a structure, the creature and the structure take 2d6 + your Strength modifier in Bludgeoning damage. If a structure is destroyed after taking this damage, you may continue your movement as if you had not been stopped.

In addition, any attacks you make against Prone creatures deal an extra 1d6 damage of the weapon's type.

Raging Defense

6th level Juggernaut feature

You become intensely aware of anyone that would even try to hurt your friends. When you protect a creature from a weapon attack with a Reaction provided by the Defend Action, you can make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature if they are within your reach as part of that Reaction.

Alternatively, even if you do not take the Defend Action, you may use your Reaction to make a melee weapon attack against a creature within your reach that attacks a creature other than you also within your reach.

Abomidable Strength

11th level Juggernaut feature

You gain terrifying strength from your composure in the face of impossible odds. Whenever you make a melee weapon attack as part of your Action with weapons that lack the light property, you add one third of your current temporary hit points to the damage of the attack.

Dashing Cavalcade

15th level Juggernaut feature

You can take the Dash Action as a Bonus Action a number of times equal to your Bastion Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Destroyer

18th level Juggernaut feature

You have Advantage on all attack rolls you make against creatures that have one of your allies within their reach.

In addition, the extra damage you deal to Prone creatures increases to 1d10, and the damage a creature takes from being pushed into a structure increases to 2d10 + your Strength modifier.

Kindling

Your desire to protect your allies transforms into a terrifying fire that scorches all who would attempt to come near you and your allies. Bastions who adopt the Mantle of Kindling often gain their powers through relationships with or the endearment of elementals. Some even are trained for the purpose by druids of the Circle of Wildfire for protection.

Weapons of Fire

3rd level Kindling feature

You no longer need physical weapons, as you can forge weapons you can use from the fire that burns in your heart. As a bonus action, you can form a melee weapon made from fire. The weapon has all of its normal properties, except it deals fire damage instead of its normal damage on a hit. The weapon disappears if it leaves your hands or you will it to disappear. Weapons made this way also emit bright light for a distance of 10 feet and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

You may also conjure fire in your hands. The fire becomes a ranged, thrown weapon with the light property that deals 1d6 fire damage on a hit. The hand you hold this fire in also counts as a free hand for the purposes of grappling.

Ignition

3rd level Kindling feature

As a creature attuned to fire, you emit it a sphere of air ready to ignite. When a creature of your choice you can see starts its turn within 10 feet of you or enters that radius for the first time on a turn, it takes Fire damage equal to one third your bastion level.

In addition, you gain resistance to Fire damage. When you take Fire damage, you can use your Reaction to gain immunity to that damage. When you do so, you may also expend a hit die and regain hit points equal to the result plus your Constitution modifier.

Furthermore, you know the Create Bonfire cantrip and can cast Burning Hands at a level equal to your Bastion Proficiency Bonus once, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Short or Long Rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all spells you gain through your Kindling Mantle class features, and you can ignore any of their material components. Furthermore, whenever you deal Fire damage in an area with a spell or bastion class feature, you can choose for any creatures of your choice within the area to become immune to the effect.

Bonfire

6th level Kindling feature

When you take the Defend or Magic Action, you can also create a bonfire in a space within 30 feet of you. The bonfire emits bright light in a 20 foot radius and dim light to an additional 20 feet. All ranged attack rolls against creatures of your choice within 5 feet of the bonfire have Disadvantage. A hostile creature that starts its turn in the bonfire or enters its space for the first time on a turn takes 1d8 Fire damage. A friendly creature that regains hit points while in the bonfire's space or within 5 feet of it regains an additional 1d8 hit points. The bonfire disappears at the start of your next turn.

Starting at 15th level, the Fire damage dealt by the bonfire and the additional healing increase to 2d8.

Phoenix Flames

11th level Kindling feature

All Fire damage you deal is increased by 1d4, and your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 Fire damage on a hit. Additionally, Fire damage you deal ignores resistance to Fire damage and treats immunity to Fire damage as resistance.

In addition, as long as your body is not disintegrated, you reincarnate in your body's space 24 hours after your death as your new body rises from the burning ashes of your old body.

Furthermore, you can cast Fireball once per Short or Long Rest without expending a spell slot. When you do so, a creature that fails its saving throw against it is also pushed 10 feet away from you.

Master of Fire

15th level Kindling feature

As a master of the most destructive of elements, you can now access its most powerful forms. You know the Scorching Ray, Revivify, Fire Shield, and Flame Strike spells, and can cast each of these spells once per Long Rest at a level equal to your bastion proficiency bonus without expending a spell slot. When you cast Revivify in this way, you ignore its material components.

Revival

18th level Kindling feature

When you deal Fire damage to an area of ground, you can use a Bonus Action to cause any parts of the area of your choice to become charred and disfigured. The area becomes difficult terrain for creatures other than those of your choice until 10 minutes is spent per 5 foot area clearing it, 1 day passes, or you end it as a Bonus Action, whichever is sooner. When it is cleared, reviving energy coming forth from the affected ground. Creatures of your choice in the area regain hit points equal to your bastion level. Once you end the char as a Bonus Action, you cannot do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Martyr

Your conviction to defend takes on a divine aspiration, as one or many gods above have deemed your righteous duty of selflessness worthy of holy sanction. You gain abilities to extend your martyrdom.

Teachings

3rd level Martyr feature

You are infused with the teachings helpful to understand your mission. You gain proficiency in Religion, and you learn the Thaumaturgy and Give Life cantrips. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for all spells you learn and can cast through your Martyr features. When you take the Attack Action on your turn, you can also cast Give Life in place of one of those attacks.

Blessings

3rd level Martyr feature

You have been proffered a gift of divine power, intended to infuse you with the blessings required to protect and heal. You gain the following abilities, each of which you can use once, regaining the ability to use each ability again when you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Mending Connection. When you take the Defend Action and protect a creature, you can immediately cause the creature to regain additional hit points equal to a number of d6s equal to half your bastion level, rounded up.

Venerated Sacrifice. When a creature you can see takes damage within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to choose to take the damage instead. In addition, the creature is defended by a figure of light resembling you as if you had protected it with your Defend action. The figure counts as you and can be targeted as if you were in the protected creature's space. The figure of light and the protection last until the start of your next turn or until it is dispelled via Dispel Magic or similar effect.

Sanctuary. You can cast Sanctuary. When you cast the spell using this ability, the protection does not end if the protected creature makes an attack, cast a spell, or deals damage.

Baskings

6th level Martyr feature

When you take the Defend Action, you are washed in divine light that suffuses through you. You are instantly cured of all poisons and the Poisoned condition, and can immediately make a saving throw against an effect causing you to be Charmed or Frightened. In addition, you can choose for the next creature you successfully grapple, shove, or hit with an attack before the start of your next turn to take an additional 1d6 Radiant damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at 11th level, and 3d6 at 18th level.

Gratitude

11th level Martyr feature

You have become so grateful for the ability to protect and defend, and those grateful emotions becomes divine, washing over you and your allies. The benefits of your Steadfast Presence extend out 30 feet, instead of 10; however, the saving throw boost they obtain if further than 10 feet away from you and within 30 feet is halved.

Sacraments

15th level Martyr feature

You have learned to perform an act that conveys your spiritual grace, and are rewarded for it with divine magic. You learn five spells from the cleric spell list: one spell of each level from 1st to 5th level. You can expend hit dice equal to the level of one spell you know this way to cast a spell gained through this feature. When you finish a Long Rest, you can switch all spells you know this way with other spells of their level from the cleric spell list.

Sacrificial Transubstantiation

18th level Martyr feature

You have become an aspect of your god, and can accept their direct help in exchange for a great sacrifice. At the start of your turn, you can call upon a miracle, restoring all hit points to and ending all harmful conditions on any creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you. You also gain immunity to all damage and the Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Exhausted, Frightened, Incapacitated, Poisoned, Restrained, and Unconscious conditions for 1 minute. When the minute is up, you die.

Mountain

As bold and steadfast as their namesakes, Bastions who take up the Mantle of the Mountain are nigh immovable, harnessing strength from the rock below them.

Unwilling Stone

3rd level Mountain feature

You impart your desire to keep your enemies from getting to your allies into the rock beneath you. All ground within 10 feet of you becomes difficult terrain for creatures of your choice.

Rock Fist

3rd level Mountain feature

You can make any of your hands into rocky appendages as a Bonus Action for 10 minutes or until you end the effect as a Bonus Action. These rocky appendages count as melee weapons for you, and they deal 1d8 Bludgeoning damage on a hit. You can use a rocky appendage to form a rock that you can use as a thrown weapon with a range of 20/60 feet that also deals 1d6 Bludgeoning damage on a hit. While you have these rocky appendages, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You add one damage die to the damage of your rocky appendages at 11th level (2d8/2d6) and 17th level (3d8/3d6).

Pillar Defense

6th level Mountain feature

When you take the Defend Action, you can also erupt pillars from the ground as a bonus action. Choose two spaces within 20 feet of you. Stone pillars appear in those spaces rising from the ground to 10 feet high into the air. A creature in the space of a pillar when it appears can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier), which it can choose to fail. On a failure, the creature is lifted up with the pillar and knocked Prone. On a success a creature moves to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the pillar. A creature within 5 feet horizontally of a pillar gains half cover against ranged attacks.

Earthen Orbiters

11th level Mountain feature

You so regularly manifest the might of the earth that your presence has its own gravity. As a Bonus Action, you can magically pull a chunk of rock out of the ground to orbit around you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is on the ground for 1 minute. You can have up to three rocks orbiting at a time; if you pull up a rock when you already have 3 up, one of your previous rocks of your choice falls apart harmlessly into dirt and stone.

As a Reaction to a creature who has one of these rocks orbiting it making an attack against or being attacked by a creature within 10 feet of it, you can make an attack with one of these rocks against either creature, or you can cause the rock to absorb some of the attack's damage. If you make an attack with the rock, you add your Constitution modifier to its attack and damage rolls. These rocks have the same damage dice as your Rock Fist's ranged damage dice. If you choose to use the rock to absorb some of the attack's damage, you absorb damage equivalent to the damage dice of your melee Rock Fist plus your Constitution modifier. Whether you use a rock to attack or absorb, it collapses afterwards.

Become Ground

15th level Mountain feature

As a Magic Action, you can subsume yourself into the ground beneath you. You gain a burrow speed equal to your walking speed and resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. All ground within 30 feet of you becomes deep mud. For the purposes of bastion class features, your reach extends out to the extend of the mud created by this feature. Each creature of your choice that moves within this mud must expend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves.

Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Petrifying Protection

18th level Mountain feature

You and the earth share the same goal now. As a Magic Action, you can resonate with the earth and stomp, causing all earth and metal within 60 feet of you to become a petrifying protector. Any creature that you designate as protected is protected by this area for 1 minute. Whenever a creature in contact with the ground moves at least 15 feet towards a protected a creature through this area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or else be Restrained as rocky formations start forming along their limbs. If they fail this saving throw twice, they are incapacitated. Three times, and they are Petrified. Once a creature succeeds on three saving throws against this effect, it becomes immune to it.

Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Watchman

Your desire to defend has evolved alongside a near supernatural awareness of your surroundings. Nothing escapes your notice. It is precisely those that try to hide that you intend on preventing from accomplishing their vile deeds.

Tools of the Guardsman

3rd level Watchman feature

As a true experienced guardsman, you are trained in the use of tools used to perceive. You can use 25 gp worth of glass or similar material to create a pair of lenses you can attach to a headpiece you wear. While using these lenses, you can see through heavy obscurement and have advantage on Perception checks.

Eyes of the Night

3rd level Watchman feature

You gain proficiency in Perception and Investigation. Pick one of those skills, and can add double your proficiency bonus to the check. If you already have proficiency in one or both of these skills, you can gain proficiency in another skill of your choice from those available to Rogues for every skill with which you already have proficiency.

In addition, you gain darkvision out to 60 feet, or increase your darkvision by 30 feet if you already have darkvision. You also gain Blindsight within your reach, and you no longer need to see an effect to protect a creature from its effects. For example, if a creature were to cast Banishment enhanced with Subtle Spell, which would normally be undiscernable to other Bastions, you may still protect a creature from its effects, forcing the spell to target you instead.

Discerning Defense

6th level Watchman feature

When you take the Defend Action, you can use your Reaction to make an opportunity attack against a creature that enters your reach. In addition, any creature that you hit with an attack, or successfully grapple or shove, loses any benefits of invisibility or heavy obscurement if they were benefiting from any such effects.

Shared Perception

11th level Watchman feature

You are so aware that you can alert your allies to threats before they can be surprised. Creatures within 30 feet of you add half your Bastion level to their passive Perception scores and to their initiative rolls.

In addition, as a Reaction to rolling initiative, you can move up to your speed and take the Attack Action.

Reveal Truth

15th level Watchman feature

You have become adept at learning the truth of the situation in front of you. As a Bonus Action, you can focus your observation skills on a creature you can see within 60 feet of you, and you gain the following benefits for the next 10 minutes, or until you use this feature again:

  • You learn any damage resistances or immunities the creature has
  • You have Advantage on any saving throws it causes.
  • You always know its position, and it cannot gain the benefits of being hidden or Invisible from you.
  • It has Disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

These benefits do not stack with one another.

All-Seeing

18th level Watchman feature

You are constantly under the effects of the True Seeing spell, and the range of your Blindsight increases to 30 feet.

Art Credits

Art (Cover): Matt Forsyth: Warden (Link)
Art (Page 2): Airi Yoshioka: Duality of Cecil (Link)
Art (Page 3): Dmitry Prozorov: My Defender (Link)
Art (Page 4): JamieRomoser: Deflecting Protection (Link)
Art (Page 5): Manuel Castañón: Dauntless Bodyguard (Link)
Art (Page 6): Benlo: Ciela and her Lord Protector (Link)
Art (Page 7): NEMO Art: Alistair form Dragon Age (Link)
Art (Page 8): Morry Evans: untitled (Link)
Art (Page 9): Matthew McKeown: Warden (Personal Art) (Link)
Art (Page 10): JonHodgson: Ardent (Link)
Art (Page 11): BenWootten: Warforged Juggernaut (Link)
Art (Page 12): Dallas Williams: Doomblade (Link)
Art (Page 13): Kim Ekdahl: Magic (Link)
Art (Page 14): LI qian: 大地使者 (Link)
Art (Page 15): Ilker Serdar Yildiz: A guard (Link)
Page Stains: /u/flamableconcrete

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