Understanding Druids’ Bastions in Dungeons & Dragons
In Dungeons & Dragons, a player’s bastion is a personalized sanctuary where they exercise control and feel at home. If your Dungeon Master (DM) permits bastions in your campaign, you may want to explore the best options available for druids, who are typically not portrayed as property owners.
Contrary to common belief, druids can possess bastions just like any other class. Additionally, they have access to exclusive facilities due to their connection to nature. This guide will delve into the optimal facilities for druids and suggest some spells to maximize your bastion’s potential.
Acquiring a Bastion at Level Five
You can establish a bastion at level five, which includes two fundamental facilities and two special ones. You have the creative freedom to design the layout of your bastion, and while you can invest in more basic facilities, special ones are available only at certain levels.
Visually, your bastion can be anything you envision, so you are not limited to traditional castles or towers. It might be a hidden cave or a charming woodland cottage, and as long as there is sufficient space and a roof, your DM is likely to approve.
Regarding basic facilities, we won’t elaborate much since they mainly serve narrative purposes. If your Dungeon Master allows, you could have nature-themed enhancements, such as a garden filled with trees and wildlife.
Special Facilities
Among the special options at level five, the sanctuary stands out. This facility is exclusive to characters with a holy symbol or druidic focus. Spending a long rest here grants you a charm, allowing you to cast Healing Word once in the next seven days without consuming a spell slot.
If you are frequently away from your bastion, it risks being invaded. Therefore, having a barrack as your second special facility can enhance your defenses. This facility enables you to recruit guards, providing security against potential attackers.
You can fortify your bastion further by building walls, though this may become costly at lower levels. However, if you’re actively managing your bastion, it is safe and can benefit from a garden instead of a barrack. This choice not only fits the druid theme but also provides a free healing potion each week, along with other supplies like rations and antidotes.
Useful Spells
Maintaining communication with your bastion while you’re away is key. Druids receive a handy spell called Animal Messenger at level five, allowing you to send a small animal to relay orders to your hirelings. Keep in mind that distance can affect the success of this spell—an animal can fly up to 50 miles per day, and using a higher-level spell slot can extend its range.
Level Nine Bastion Enhancements
At level nine, you can select two new special facilities, adding even more versatility and options to your bastion. You also have the opportunity to swap out existing facilities every time you level up. For instance, consider replacing a barrack with something more useful for your gameplay style.
Special Facilities at Level Nine
One valuable addition is the sacristy, which is exclusive to druidic characters. This facility allows you to create holy water at no cost and craft common and uncommon relics for half their purchase price.
The teleportation circle is another crucial feature, facilitating quick access to your bastion depending on how many nearby settlements possess their own circles.
You also retain access to the workshop, which becomes even more beneficial at this level. The workshop enables you to create various equipment, but if it allows spellcasting for items, you will need to craft them personally.
Replacing Facilities at Level Nine
If you opted for a garden at level five, consider upgrading to a greenhouse. It offers similar benefits but enhances your capabilities by generating rations as well.
Level 13 Bastion Developments
Reaching level 13 unlocks new tiers for special facilities, although you’ll only gain one additional option. You can also make improvements to existing options, though druids may find some enhancements less necessary based on their playstyle, particularly Circle of the Moon druids.
New Special Facilities
The meditation chamber at this level allows for increased resilience by granting advantage on two types of saving throws for a week if you spend seven days in your bastion. Furthermore, it allows you to roll twice during your next bastion event and choose the result.
Alternatively, for those more focused on financial gain, investing in a storehouse can yield profits—an injection of 5,000 gold can net you 7,500 in a week.
If you enjoy roleplaying, consider adding a menagerie, filled with animals that can serve as defenders for your bastion.
Replacing Facilities at Level 13
At this level, you can transition from the sanctuary to a reliquary, which provides even greater benefits, such as a free cast of Greater Restoration and additional support for spells requiring components.
Level 17 Bastion Opportunities
If your campaign reaches level 17, you unlock some of the most powerful special facilities available, although you can only select one new option. Thanks to the ability to replace facilities, you can enjoy various powerful benefits.
Special Facilities at Level 17
While druids typically lack access to a guild hall, several feats can help fulfill that requirement, allowing you to create walls around your bastion or establish a druidic guild.
The sanctum adds further advantages, including:
- A free use of Heal
- Temporary hit points when you’re away from the bastion
- The ability to learn the spell Word of Recall ordinarily reserved for clerics.
By this point, you should have a comprehensive understanding of your bastion’s potential and how beneficial it can be in your adventures, even when you’re not physically present.
