Balance and Homebrew Framework for Bastions
Core Principle
A Bastion facility should create screen time, choices, hooks, and identity. It should not simply grant free permanent power.
Power Scale
| Facility Level | Recommended Power | Safe Examples | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Convenience and minor advantages | local information, common consumables, simple defenders, weak charms | rare items, free teleportation, permanent bonuses |
| 9 | Moderate mobility or production | mounts, specialized crafting, social networks, limited rare resources | high passive income, strong permanent pets |
| 13 | Regional influence and limited strong magic | planar contact, deep research, elite defenders, weekly blessings | high-level spell replication without cost, constant immunities |
| 17 | Controlled epic power | demiplanes, guilds, war rooms, campaign-scale effects | solving adventures remotely, unlimited mobile armies |
Homebrew Facility Template
name: "Facility Name"
type: special
level_required: 5 | 9 | 13 | 17
space: cramped | roomy | vast
hirelings: number and role
order: craft | empower | harvest | recruit | research | trade
prerequisite: class, focus, proficiency, faction, renown, quest, or none
source/creator: DM, player, supplement, etc.Approval Checklist
- The facility has a level and prerequisite comparable to official facilities.
- The benefit has a duration, frequency, and clear limit.
- The benefit has a cost in gold, time, resources, risk, or attention.
- It does not replace a class feature, key spell, or whole adventure.
- It creates at least one unique complication or story hook.
- Hirelings are NPCs, not abstract buttons.
Limits by Order
Craft
Require formulas, tools, gold, time, and rare components for important items.
Empower
Prefer temporary charms, one-use benefits, resistance windows, or situational advantage. Avoid permanent bonuses.
Harvest
Use limited stock, expiry, processing, and demand.
Recruit
Defenders defend the Bastion. Bringing forces into adventures should require logistics and risk.
Research
Research reveals leads, maps, names, rumors, and context. It should not replace investigation or adventure.
Trade
Trade should create contacts, debts, market access, and rumors. Pure passive profit should be modest.