Special facilities are Bastion locations where certain activities yield game benefits. A character’s Bastion initially has two special facilities of the character’s choice for which they qualify. Each special facility can be chosen only once unless its description says otherwise.
Unlike basic facilities, special facilities can’t be bought; a character gains them through level advancement. At level 9, a character gains two additional special facilities of their choice for which they qualify; they gain one additional facility at level 13 and another at level 17. The Special Facility Acquisition table shows the total number of special facilities in a character’s Bastion. Each new special facility immediately becomes part of the character’s Bastion when the character reaches the level.
Each time a character gains a level, that character can replace one of their Bastion’s special facilities with another for which the character qualifies.
Each special facility has a level. A character must be that level or higher to gain that facility. A special facility might also have a prerequisite the character must meet to gain that facility. For example, only a character who can use an Arcane Focus or a tool as a Spellcasting Focus can have an Arcane Study.
A special facility occupies a certain amount of space (see “Facility Space”). A player can configure the squares of a special facility as desired on the Bastion’s map. A special facility can be enlarged to grant additional benefits if its description says so.
A special facility comes with one or more hirelings who work in the facility, maintain it, and execute Bastion orders there, as described in the next section. A player can assign names and personalities to hirelings in their character’s Bastion using the same tools DMs use to create NPCs (see chapter 3).
Each special facility in a Bastion generates enough income to pay the salary of its hirelings. Hirelings follow the orders they’re given and are loyal to the Bastion’s owner.
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. 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.
Special facilities are presented in alphabetical order. The Special Facilities table lists all the special facilities presented in this section, along with their prerequisites and orders. Some facilities confer additional benefits, specified in their descriptions.
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.