A DnD Bastion is a home or stronghold that belongs to one or more players in a campaign. Optional rules for Bastions will be introduced in the new 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, though playtesting has already given us an idea of what these new mechanics will look like. This guide explains how Dungeons and Dragons Bastions work, and it offers tips for making the most of the new rules.
For more recent RPG mechanics, here’s how DnD 2024 backgrounds work in the new Player’s Handbook. Or, for something more familiar, here’s everything you need to know about DnD classes and DnD races.
DnD Bastion rules
Right now, all we know about Bastions comes from a 2023 playtest document released by Wizards of the Coast. However, with the Dungeon Master’s Guide coming up next on the DnD release schedule, we’ll soon be able to share more official details – watch this space.
Gaining a DnD Bastion
If the DM allows Bastions in their DnD campaign, players can decide to acquire one once they reach level five. Each character can have their own Bastion if they wish, but they can also choose to co-own the property. Even if a player chooses not to own a Bastion, they can still benefit from those that belong to their fellow party members.
A Bastion is available to use as soon as a character decides to gain one. Wizards of the Coast suggests coming up with a story reason for the Bastion appearing, but it’s safe to assume that construction or sale of the Bastion has taken place in the background of your adventures.
DnD Bastion Turns
Every seven days, players with a Bastion can take a ‘Bastion Turn’ to issue orders to their base and gain benefits from its facilities. The players do not have to be present at the Bastion to do so, and the playtest gives DMs free reign to change the time between Bastion Turns to suit their campaign.
During a Bastion Turn, special facilities in a Bastion can generate Bastion Points (BP). These can be spent to gain DnD magic items or other specific boons.
| Magic item | Level prerequisite | Cost |
| Common | – | 20 BP |
| Uncommon | – | 70 BP |
| Rare | 9 | 250 BP |
| Very Rare | 13 | 350 BP |
| Legendary | 17 | 700 BP |
Players can also spend 10 Bastion Points during a DnD level up to gain advantage on Charisma checks for seven days, provided that they stay within 50 miles of their Bastion. Alternatively, when a character dies, they can spend 100 Bastion Points to be revived in their Bastion at the start of the next day. This can only be done once per level.
DnD Bastion Facilities
Every Bastion starts with two basic facilities and two special facilities. Players have control over the floor plan of their property and are encouraged to map it out.
Basic Facilities
Basic facilities include the following:
- Bedrooms
- Courtyards
- Dining Rooms
- Kitchens
- Parlors
- Storage
- Washrooms
These facilities are non-magical and don’t generate Bastion Points, but no building would feel complete without the essentials. The two free basic facilities in a starting Bastion must include one cramped (max area four squares) and one roomy (max area 16 squares) facility of your choice.
If you want to expand them (say, to vast, which is 36 squares maximum), you can spend gold and in-game time.
| Space increase | GP cost | Time required |
| Cramped to Roomy | 500 GP | 25 days |
| Roomy to Vast | 2,000 GP | 80 days |
You can also spend gold and time to add further basic facilities:
| Facility space | GP cost | Time required |
| Cramped | 500 GP | 20 days |
| Roomy | 1,000 GP | 45 days |
| Vast | 3,000 GP | 125 days |
All this can be done in the background of your regular adventuring.
Special Facilities
Special facilities can only be gained by leveling up your character. At level nine, a player can add two special facilities of their choice to their Bastion. They also gain one special facility at level 13 and again at level 17.
Each special facility comes with one or more hirelings to take care of it while the players are away. During a Bastion turn, players can issue a variety of special orders to their facilities, depending on which they’ve chosen for their Bastion:
- Craft – Create an item specific to that facility
- Empower – Give someone a temporary buff
- Harvest – Gather a resource specific to that facility
- Recruit – Recruit creatures to live at your Bastion
- Research – Gather information
- Trade – Buy or sell goods and services stored at or produced by the facility
Alternatively, players can choose the Maintain order for all special facilities. The character who issues this order gains 1d4 Bastion Points for each special facility in their Bastion, and the DM rolls for a random Bastion event. Typically, the Maintain order is given while characters are away from their Bastion during a Bastion Turn.
Here’s a summary of all the special facilities featured in the DnD Bastion playtest:
| Level | Special Facility | Prerequisite | Order |
| 5 | Arcane Study | Ability to use an Arcane Focus | Craft |
| 5 | Armory | None | Trade |
| 5 | Barracks | None | Recruit |
| 5 | Garden | None | Harvest |
| 5 | Library | None | Research |
| 5 | Sanctuary | Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus | Craft |
| 5 | Smithy | Fighting style feature or Unarmored Defense feature | Craft |
| 5 | Storehouse | None | Trade |
| 5 | Workshop | Expertise in a skill | 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 | Craft |
| 9 | Scriptorium | None* | Craft |
| 9 | Stable | None | Trade |
| 9 | Teleportation Circle | None | Recruit |
| 9 | Theater | None | Empower |
| 9 | Training Area | Expertise in a skill, fighting style feature, or Unarmored Defense feature | 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 | Harvest |
| 17 | Demiplane | Ability to use an Arcane Focus | Empower |
| 17 | Guildhall | Expertise in a skill | Recruit |
| 17 | Sanctum | Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus | Empower |
| 17 | War Room | Fighting style or Unarmed Defense feature | Recruit |
* Some orders given in these facilities have extra prerequisites.
You can find out more about each facility in the full Bastion playtest document. For more on the new rules, check out our full 2024 Player’s Handbook review. We can also help you prepare for your first D&D 2024 game with a step-by-step DnD character creator.
Source: Wargamer
