So, I've been running the 2024 ed. campaign since March. My players have only just gotten to the point where they can start looking at Bastions. I'm looking for some feedback, though: some "lessons learned."
For those of you who have bastions in your games, what are your thoughts? Do you like 'em? Are they worth the extra time and attention they require?
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
I am not a super fan of the implementation. Poof you have stuff does not make sense to me. I think you can make it work. I just feel "You and the players can decide together how these Bastions come into being. A character might inherit or receive a parcel of land on which to build their Bastion (see “Marks of Prestige” in chapter 3), or they might take a preexisting structure and refurbish it. It’s fair to assume that work has been going on behind the scenes of the campaign during a character’s early adventuring career, so the Bastion is ready when the character reaches level 5." is way lighter on this than it should be. And personally I am in the nothing is for free camp so the "free" rooms are paid for in the same style as the adding basic rooms chart. And special rooms I am coming up with costs for as we are only level 6 I have not priced out the higher level features yet as a I play with it. The level 5 ones I priced at 4500. The one benefit for the players here, is the only limit on special rooms is their wallet. Which thankfully now gives them a reason to make money instead of just sitting on a horde like you are a dragon in disguise. Though I did have to end up being a bit more generous with cash than i am used to.
That isn't to say I can't see these being "free" in the right campaign where like you are working for royalty or something. But without some crazy benefactor hook in the campaign, buying a house and land costs money.
I do in general like the bastion turn mechanic though.
Bastions are fine. Not great but ok. Well at least the idea is.
They are basically a home base for your character. Someplace you can sort of safely store your extra stuff and once in a while it will pull a small profit for you. But they are not perfectly safe or secure. They are basically houses and not castles.
They are only for one character and a few henchmen. Not a whole party.
But my DM allowed us to combine our bastions into a single facility. Then add a simple wall around it, it sort of did become a castle, or at least a start of one.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
They are only for one character and a few henchmen. Not a whole party.
This isn't accurate per the bastion rules. They can have a garrison, an armory, defenses. You can also combine multiple characters bastions into a single structure so they can totally be for a whole party.
But my DM allowed us to combine our bastions into a single facility. Then add a simple wall around it, it sort of did become a castle, or at least a start of one.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
Those characters would acquire them when they get back, have downtime and interest in doing so.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
You missed out the following very relevant sentences:
If you allow Bastions in your campaign, characters acquire their Bastions when they reach level 5. You and the players can decide together how these Bastions come into being. A character might inherit or receive a parcel of land on which to build their Bastion (see “Marks of Prestige” in chapter 3), or they might take a preexisting structure and refurbish it. It’s fair to assume that work has been going on behind the scenes of the campaign during a character’s early adventuring career, so the Bastion is ready when the character reaches level 5.
Overall, I am enjoying them as a system. Base-building is a fun way to get players invested in the world and feel like they are leaving a physical mark on it. I have had some players get really into it, and it is great to see their joy as they create maps, write up backstories for their hurlings, etc.
Yet, while some players got really into it, the balancing on them is very well done, such than none of the abilities are so powerful as to make bastions feel required. It also helps that a lot of the structures can help the party as a whole, as opposed to the primary owner. This makes bastions something players can engage with if they want, but do not feel compelled to do in order to keep up with other party members.
My only real gripe with the system - I do not think some of the time for construction matches some elements of real gameplay. If you are in a campaign that role plays almost every day of a character’s life, and doesn’t do “and then you have a month of downtime” hand waiving, constructing things like walls is a bit unrealistic. That is something that can be adjusted my the DM to fit the actual pace of the campaign, but I think they could have done a bit better with how the numbers are set in RAW.
Overall, very pleased with the system both as a DM and a player. Looking forward to seeing it expanded in the Eberron book and beyond.
Since My DM Runs community games and there is more than one group, i like that the Bastion system allows me as a player to make some of the newer players lives a little easier because i dropped all platinum on upgrades even when i won't use them. I genuinely like that about Bastions. It isn't only me or the class that i am currently playing that benefits.
They can even open up story or character motivations. If my cleric is going to get retired, then i have him drop a bunch of money on an Arcaneum or a Sancutary and i can have a new character drawn to the party with "I heard y'all had a proper library." From a farmer who wants to try and be a wizard. The fun thing is, other players can do the same. Newby can't figure out a character motives? " I was drawn here by your smithy, i want an apprenticeship." is the perfect stopgap till they figure it all out.
I love Bastions. LOVE THEM.
And the DM can make it personal, by having the Cult of the Dragon attack my little fort, and we have to defend it. The possibilities beyond raw mechanics are endless.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
I was merely pointing out that it seems weird for the rules to leave absolutely zero wiggle room for when you obtain the Bastion. I would never assume that it materializes.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
I was merely pointing out that it seems weird for the rules to leave absolutely zero wiggle room for when you obtain the Bastion. I would never assume that it materializes.
The DMG does have wiggle room built in. Home rules and the DM’s ability to change elements of the game are mentioned in the very first chapter where it discusses the core elements of being a DM. Everything that follows in the DMG - including what level you start providing bastions - is the default rule. But the book explicitly gives you permission to deviate from the default rules.
If you do not like the bastion start point or progression and think it does not work for your game, you are allowed to - and even encouraged to - change it. As such, dismissing the entire system because you are stuck on a completely mutable rule seems a bit overly self-limiting.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
I was merely pointing out that it seems weird for the rules to leave absolutely zero wiggle room for when you obtain the Bastion. I would never assume that it materializes.
The DMG does have wiggle room built in. Home rules and the DM’s ability to change elements of the game are mentioned in the very first chapter where it discusses the core elements of being a DM. Everything that follows in the DMG - including what level you start providing bastions - is the default rule. But the book explicitly gives you permission to deviate from the default rules.
If you do not like the bastion start point or progression and think it does not work for your game, you are allowed to - and even encouraged to - change it. As such, dismissing the entire system because you are stuck on a completely mutable rule seems a bit overly self-limiting.
Some people play THAT level of AL-Strict RAW.
Ergo, playing within the constraints of the system as is.
That's why people may not like an auto-Bastion, among other changes brought up as a result of 10 years of feedback of mixed quality.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
Going by character level is about the only way they can provide a consistent and balanced progression of the features. If they make "DM just eyeball it" the RAW default then the experience is going to vary wildly by DM and would likely put more people off the concept. Just pouring gold into it means players are going to be torn between spending gold on Bastion facilities or stuff like magic items when they're available, providing an unequal experience for players based on magic item availability/DM assigned pricing of those items that again could be off-putting, and complicates them writing out published adventures because they either need to create two sets of gold rewards based on whether or not a table is using Bastions or they just assume Bastions and print what will look like inflated rewards for tables that don't use them. It can require a bit of forethought and mental gymnastics to finesse the initial appearance of the Bastion into a given campaign, but it's the most balanced and user-friendly model that comes to mind.
I’ve been enjoying bastions but then I’ve been dealing with home bases since my first characters reached tier 3 back in the early 1e days where they got such things between L9-11. I’ve played with many of the various rules for “bastions” over the years and this seems to be simplest and easiest system, and it even gives access to to some basic magic items - yeah! The present campaign I DM started with the ruins from Phandelver using the Aquisitions Inc. rules and the transition to bastions went quite smoothly.
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
I was merely pointing out that it seems weird for the rules to leave absolutely zero wiggle room for when you obtain the Bastion. I would never assume that it materializes.
The DMG does have wiggle room built in. Home rules and the DM’s ability to change elements of the game are mentioned in the very first chapter where it discusses the core elements of being a DM. Everything that follows in the DMG - including what level you start providing bastions - is the default rule. But the book explicitly gives you permission to deviate from the default rules.
If you do not like the bastion start point or progression and think it does not work for your game, you are allowed to - and even encouraged to - change it. As such, dismissing the entire system because you are stuck on a completely mutable rule seems a bit overly self-limiting.
Some people play THAT level of AL-Strict RAW.
Ergo, playing within the constraints of the system as is.
That's why people may not like an auto-Bastion, among other changes brought up as a result of 10 years of feedback of mixed quality.
I like to change the rules, I just feel like it shouldn't be almost essential for Bastions. If they had just said that the players typically get them at level 5 it would have been much better.
I like to change the rules, I just feel like it shouldn't be almost essential for Bastions. If they had just said that the players typically get them at level 5 it would have been much better
As mentioned above, there are some players who need strict rules - either because that is what they feel comfortable playing with, or because they are playing in something like the Adventurer’s League, where a degree of standardization is expected and required - I expect AL content (or the new Greyhawk thing that is similar) are the reason they made this a fairly clear, direct rule, as then everyone can track their bastion starting at the same point, even across campaigns.
Furthermore, there is utility in making a hard and fast rule for newer DMs. New DMs often do not do a great job handing out loot and rewards - it is a known struggle - and often hand out too much or too little. Making this guidance clear ensures players get access to the system at an appropriate level, even if their DM might otherwise be inclined to go too early or too late on the reward. A more flexible system of “and provide this when it feels appropriate, likely around level five” does not accomplish the same goals in helping new DMs, since it adds the kind of ambiguity new DMs often struggle with.
For more advanced DMs or DMs who do not play in environments where strict rules are necessary, they are already well versed in the “you can change whatever you want” elements of the DMG, and thus do not need it restated. Thus there is little additional utility in adding the flexibility, particularly compared to the potential downsides.
As I said, this particular complaint feels like making a mountain out of a molehill. I would actually be curious to hear what your thoughts are on the actual system, since you dismissed the entire system with a single word in your first post, but the only justification for that dismissal seems to be a non-issue due to other text in the DMG, as opposed to any actual review of the substance of the bastion rules.
This seems like the goalposts have moved a fair bit. Your original complaint was about the characters not being in a local or situation to claim the bastion—you literally said "What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?" When it was pointed out the guidance for bastions accounts for that, you shifted your criticism to it being instead that the rules intend for Bastions to be awarded at level 5. What's the issue with that? You want to award Bastions earlier? Later? This doesn't seem like a valid criticism imo—Bastions come with mechanical benefits and those benefits need to be balanced to gameplay. This would be akin to claiming that changing the rules is "almost essential" for using the classes because you want the subclasses to be available at a higher or lower level.
The rules suggest that work on a Bastion can preempt level 5, but level 5 is when the mechanical benefits come online. Conversely, it's entirely possible to have a Bastion be available at a higher level, and you just apply it like you would making a character at a higher level—Bastion progress is tied to characters levelling so you can just give the player the Bastion later with more features.
All in all this feels like a less than serious criticism.
So, I've been running the 2024 ed. campaign since March. My players have only just gotten to the point where they can start looking at Bastions. I'm looking for some feedback, though: some "lessons learned."
For those of you who have bastions in your games, what are your thoughts? Do you like 'em? Are they worth the extra time and attention they require?
C. Foster Payne
"If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."
Not. This sentence in particular bothers me: "If you decide to have Bastions in your game, the characters acquire them when they reach level 5." What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?
I am not a super fan of the implementation. Poof you have stuff does not make sense to me. I think you can make it work. I just feel "You and the players can decide together how these Bastions come into being. A character might inherit or receive a parcel of land on which to build their Bastion (see “Marks of Prestige” in chapter 3), or they might take a preexisting structure and refurbish it. It’s fair to assume that work has been going on behind the scenes of the campaign during a character’s early adventuring career, so the Bastion is ready when the character reaches level 5." is way lighter on this than it should be. And personally I am in the nothing is for free camp so the "free" rooms are paid for in the same style as the adding basic rooms chart. And special rooms I am coming up with costs for as we are only level 6 I have not priced out the higher level features yet as a I play with it. The level 5 ones I priced at 4500. The one benefit for the players here, is the only limit on special rooms is their wallet. Which thankfully now gives them a reason to make money instead of just sitting on a horde like you are a dragon in disguise. Though I did have to end up being a bit more generous with cash than i am used to.
That isn't to say I can't see these being "free" in the right campaign where like you are working for royalty or something. But without some crazy benefactor hook in the campaign, buying a house and land costs money.
I do in general like the bastion turn mechanic though.
Bastions are fine. Not great but ok. Well at least the idea is.
They are basically a home base for your character. Someplace you can sort of safely store your extra stuff and once in a while it will pull a small profit for you. But they are not perfectly safe or secure. They are basically houses and not castles.
They are only for one character and a few henchmen. Not a whole party.
But my DM allowed us to combine our bastions into a single facility. Then add a simple wall around it, it sort of did become a castle, or at least a start of one.
They find the writ of ownership within the dungeon and now have it waiting for them when they emerge? Or maybe you told your players you'd be using bastions and construction/renovation was started before level 5 but they know that's when it'll be ready and waiting for them when they leave the dungeon? Or they've already been using some ruins as a base of operations since level 1 or 2 or 3 and it only mechanically becomes a bastion at 5th level?
Are you interpreting that line as "at level 5 the characters must drop everything and attend to their bastion once they hit level 5"? Or worse still, that a bastion materialises at 5th level? If the characters are already in the middle of something else such as a dungeon when they hit that level, obviously the bastion will wait for them to finish.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
This isn't accurate per the bastion rules. They can have a garrison, an armory, defenses. You can also combine multiple characters bastions into a single structure so they can totally be for a whole party.
That's literally in the rules for Bastions
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Those characters would acquire them when they get back, have downtime and interest in doing so.
You missed out the following very relevant sentences:
Overall, I am enjoying them as a system. Base-building is a fun way to get players invested in the world and feel like they are leaving a physical mark on it. I have had some players get really into it, and it is great to see their joy as they create maps, write up backstories for their hurlings, etc.
Yet, while some players got really into it, the balancing on them is very well done, such than none of the abilities are so powerful as to make bastions feel required. It also helps that a lot of the structures can help the party as a whole, as opposed to the primary owner. This makes bastions something players can engage with if they want, but do not feel compelled to do in order to keep up with other party members.
My only real gripe with the system - I do not think some of the time for construction matches some elements of real gameplay. If you are in a campaign that role plays almost every day of a character’s life, and doesn’t do “and then you have a month of downtime” hand waiving, constructing things like walls is a bit unrealistic. That is something that can be adjusted my the DM to fit the actual pace of the campaign, but I think they could have done a bit better with how the numbers are set in RAW.
Overall, very pleased with the system both as a DM and a player. Looking forward to seeing it expanded in the Eberron book and beyond.
Since My DM Runs community games and there is more than one group, i like that the Bastion system allows me as a player to make some of the newer players lives a little easier because i dropped all platinum on upgrades even when i won't use them.
I genuinely like that about Bastions. It isn't only me or the class that i am currently playing that benefits.
They can even open up story or character motivations. If my cleric is going to get retired, then i have him drop a bunch of money on an Arcaneum or a Sancutary and i can have a new character drawn to the party with "I heard y'all had a proper library." From a farmer who wants to try and be a wizard. The fun thing is, other players can do the same.
Newby can't figure out a character motives? " I was drawn here by your smithy, i want an apprenticeship." is the perfect stopgap till they figure it all out.
I love Bastions. LOVE THEM.
And the DM can make it personal, by having the Cult of the Dragon attack my little fort, and we have to defend it. The possibilities beyond raw mechanics are endless.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
I was merely pointing out that it seems weird for the rules to leave absolutely zero wiggle room for when you obtain the Bastion. I would never assume that it materializes.
The DMG does have wiggle room built in. Home rules and the DM’s ability to change elements of the game are mentioned in the very first chapter where it discusses the core elements of being a DM. Everything that follows in the DMG - including what level you start providing bastions - is the default rule. But the book explicitly gives you permission to deviate from the default rules.
If you do not like the bastion start point or progression and think it does not work for your game, you are allowed to - and even encouraged to - change it. As such, dismissing the entire system because you are stuck on a completely mutable rule seems a bit overly self-limiting.
Some people play THAT level of AL-Strict RAW.
Ergo, playing within the constraints of the system as is.
That's why people may not like an auto-Bastion, among other changes brought up as a result of 10 years of feedback of mixed quality.
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
Going by character level is about the only way they can provide a consistent and balanced progression of the features. If they make "DM just eyeball it" the RAW default then the experience is going to vary wildly by DM and would likely put more people off the concept. Just pouring gold into it means players are going to be torn between spending gold on Bastion facilities or stuff like magic items when they're available, providing an unequal experience for players based on magic item availability/DM assigned pricing of those items that again could be off-putting, and complicates them writing out published adventures because they either need to create two sets of gold rewards based on whether or not a table is using Bastions or they just assume Bastions and print what will look like inflated rewards for tables that don't use them. It can require a bit of forethought and mental gymnastics to finesse the initial appearance of the Bastion into a given campaign, but it's the most balanced and user-friendly model that comes to mind.
I’ve been enjoying bastions but then I’ve been dealing with home bases since my first characters reached tier 3 back in the early 1e days where they got such things between L9-11. I’ve played with many of the various rules for “bastions” over the years and this seems to be simplest and easiest system, and it even gives access to to some basic magic items - yeah! The present campaign I DM started with the ruins from Phandelver using the Aquisitions Inc. rules and the transition to bastions went quite smoothly.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Shame Bastions aren't supported on Maps and/or Beyond...hint hint
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
Agree!
I like to change the rules, I just feel like it shouldn't be almost essential for Bastions. If they had just said that the players typically get them at level 5 it would have been much better.
As mentioned above, there are some players who need strict rules - either because that is what they feel comfortable playing with, or because they are playing in something like the Adventurer’s League, where a degree of standardization is expected and required - I expect AL content (or the new Greyhawk thing that is similar) are the reason they made this a fairly clear, direct rule, as then everyone can track their bastion starting at the same point, even across campaigns.
Furthermore, there is utility in making a hard and fast rule for newer DMs. New DMs often do not do a great job handing out loot and rewards - it is a known struggle - and often hand out too much or too little. Making this guidance clear ensures players get access to the system at an appropriate level, even if their DM might otherwise be inclined to go too early or too late on the reward. A more flexible system of “and provide this when it feels appropriate, likely around level five” does not accomplish the same goals in helping new DMs, since it adds the kind of ambiguity new DMs often struggle with.
For more advanced DMs or DMs who do not play in environments where strict rules are necessary, they are already well versed in the “you can change whatever you want” elements of the DMG, and thus do not need it restated. Thus there is little additional utility in adding the flexibility, particularly compared to the potential downsides.
As I said, this particular complaint feels like making a mountain out of a molehill. I would actually be curious to hear what your thoughts are on the actual system, since you dismissed the entire system with a single word in your first post, but the only justification for that dismissal seems to be a non-issue due to other text in the DMG, as opposed to any actual review of the substance of the bastion rules.
This seems like the goalposts have moved a fair bit. Your original complaint was about the characters not being in a local or situation to claim the bastion—you literally said "What if you're in the middle of a dungeon?" When it was pointed out the guidance for bastions accounts for that, you shifted your criticism to it being instead that the rules intend for Bastions to be awarded at level 5. What's the issue with that? You want to award Bastions earlier? Later? This doesn't seem like a valid criticism imo—Bastions come with mechanical benefits and those benefits need to be balanced to gameplay. This would be akin to claiming that changing the rules is "almost essential" for using the classes because you want the subclasses to be available at a higher or lower level.
The rules suggest that work on a Bastion can preempt level 5, but level 5 is when the mechanical benefits come online. Conversely, it's entirely possible to have a Bastion be available at a higher level, and you just apply it like you would making a character at a higher level—Bastion progress is tied to characters levelling so you can just give the player the Bastion later with more features.
All in all this feels like a less than serious criticism.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here