Oath of the Bastion

Origins

The Oath of the Bastion was first sworn during an ancient siege in the city-fortress of Tir Valin, when a small order of Paladins stood alone atop the shattered gates for three days, holding back a monstrous horde while civilians escaped through secret tunnels. Those few knights, surrounded and outnumbered, did not fall—legend says their presence alone turned blade and flame aside. They became known as the Bastion Eternal, and their creed has since been carried forward by defenders of the hopeless across all lands.

Where the Oath of Devotion serves the light, and the Oath of Vengeance seeks justice, the Oath of the Bastion exists to endure. It is taken not in the name of victory, but of survival—to protect what must not fall.

Common Bastion Orders

The Shieldwardens of Caldaris – Trained in the mighty fortress of Stonegate, these Paladins defend the borders of a militant empire and are revered for never retreating from a field.

The Wall of Shizuka – Legendary defenders in a far eastern land, famed for standing between villages and yokai incursions, forming spiritual bulwarks that no demon has ever broken.

The Silver Rampart – An elite knightly order sworn to protect scholars, diplomats, and those whose words shape peace rather than war.

Appearance and Symbolism

Bastion Paladins typically wear heavier, ornate armor with engraved script or runes of protection. Their tabards often bear the symbol of a tower wrapped in chains, a shield with seven stars, or interlocking rings, all of which represent unity, defense, and unbreakable will.

When they manifest divine power, the air might shimmer like heat on stone, and their footsteps echo like hammer-strikes on a fortress wall.

In The World

Others may scoff at Bastion Paladins for their passive demeanor or lack of aggression—but when the tide turns and hope wanes, it is the Bastion who remains standing, shield raised, eyes unblinking. Kingdoms owe their survival to such men and women, even if the tales often forget their names.

Ranks of the Order

The Bastion Order isn't just a sacred oath-it is a militant and sacred brotherhood with a strict hierarchy. Those who swear the Oath of the Bastion become part of a larger defensive covenant often referred to as The Stonewardens or The Order of Unyielding Shields. Their ranks progress as follows:

• Initiate - Trainees and Squires who have begun learning the ways of the order.
• Knight - Full Paladins who have taken the oath and are recognized as Shield-brothers. Knights and every upper rank may mentor an initiate into Knighthood.
• Shield Captain (I-IIII Class) - Leaders of Knights, responsible for organizing defenses. They have the authority to from Shield Units.
• Shield Mason (I-IIII Class) - Commands Shield Captains and responsible for leading ceremonies. They have the authority to form Walls.
• Fort Officer (I-IIII Class) - Highest commanding officers, second only to the High Bastion. They have the authority to form Fortresses.
• Sentinel - Lone shield-brothers who roam the lands, reporting events and situations of note to the order. They have the power and authority to establish Stone Sanctuaries wherever they see fit, and achieve their rank by performing an impossible feat of defense alone. They have the authority to act as any rank up to Shield Mason, and Fort Officer when deemed necessary by the High Bastion or another Fort Officer. If a Fort officer is deemed unfit to command and no other is available to act in their stead, a Sentinel may assume command until relinquished or ordered to do so by the High Bastion.
• High Bastion - The highest authority in the Order. Only one is active at a time and is demoted when another ascends to the rank (decided by 3/4 vote by a council of every active Sentinel. Inactive Sentinels may serve on the council if they have achieved 100+ Wallbands). Only the High Bastion may deem any Shield-brother as an Oathbreaker or even deconsecrate a Stone Sanctuary. Only the High Bastion may command a Shield Battalion.

A group of 5 Knights is known as a Rook. 2-3 Rooks can form a Shield Unit. 2 Shield Units becomes a Wall. 4 Walls become a Fortress. Multiple Fortresses are called a Shield Battalion.

Words of the Bastion

Bastion Paladins are zealous defenders that embody their oath at any opportunity. Here are some things these Paladins might say.

“I am the wall between the world and the end of all things.”

“Let them come. I do not yield.”

“My life is the mortar. My will is the stone.”

“Where all else breaks, I hold.”

“To shield another is to know true strength.”

“Behind me, and live.”

"Steel breaks. Stone endures. I endure.”

"Your blades may strike me—but they will go no farther.”

"You will not pass. Not today.”

“Strike me a hundred times—I will rise a hundred and one.”

“A fortress stands not for itself, but for those it protects.”

“The Bastion does not chase glory—it bears the weight of it.”

"There is no shame in fear. Only in turning from it.”

"We do not protect because we are unafraid. We protect because we must.”

“Hold the line, even if you are the line.”

"A bastion built of many stones stands taller than one made of gold.”

"Chains do not bind us—they link us.”

Rite of Oath - Vigil of Stone

A sacred ceremony performed when a Paladin swears the Oath of the Bastion. The ritual is held at dusk in a stone sanctuary, beneath a great unbroken wall—real or symbolic. The Paladin kneels with a tower shield planted before them and both hands upon it. The Vigil of Stone follows these 4 steps.

1. The Watch Begins:

The Paladin stands vigil through the night, alone, in silence, bearing the shield while enduring the cold and darkness without food or warmth. This is called “Facing the Storm.”

2. The Wall is Forged:

At dawn, a senior Bastion carves the "5 Stone Creed" into stone and reads it aloud. As each tenet is spoken, the Paladin echoes it, placing their hand upon the stone.

3. The Final Binding:

The Paladin is given their first Wallband, heated and cooled in sacred water, then fastened around their forearm. They then speak the vow:

“I am the Bastion. I yield for no king, break for no blade, and fall only so others may stand.”

4. The Oath is Sealed:

The shield is struck three times with a Warhammer by fellow Bastions—once for strength, once for loyalty, once for duty. With this, the Paladin is sworn.

The 5 Stone Creed

When one becomes a Bastion Paladin, they have done so with full knowledge of what it entails. Thus, during induction, they must recite the "5 Stone Creed". These are not merely rules—they are the very foundation upon which the Bastion stands. To break them is to let the wall fall. And the wall must never fall.

"The First Stone - I Will Hold The Line. I will not yield while those behind me still draw breath.

The Second Stone - I Will Shield The Weak. My strength is not for pride, but for protection.

The Third Stone - I Will Endure Without Falter. Pain is fleeting. Duty is not.

The Fourth Stone - I Am Bound By Brotherhood. A single stone does not make a wall.

The Fifth Stone - My Oath Above All. I serve no master above the shield I bear."

The Final Rite: The Capstone Vow

Spoken in anticipation of death, the "Capstone Vow" is the final rite of a Bastion Paladin. This rite fulfills the Paladin's oath and grants them peace in dead.

“Should I fall, let me become the foundation for another to rise.”

Once invoked, after the Paladin has passed, those of the order recover the body and return it to Tir Valin. There a ritual is performed to encase the body in stone, immortalizing their fallen brother or sister as a statue that will stand in the courtyard forevermore. Once the stone is set, a small hole is drilled so that molten rock can be poured in to devour the body. It is then removed and shaped into a stone, the Paladin's name is engraved upon it, and it is placed on the Tir Valin Wall. So that, even in death, they hold the line.

Wallbands

Bastion Paladins mark experience and honor not with medals, but with bands of forged steel bound to their forearms, called "Wallbands."

One Wallband is earned for each sacred duty fulfilled without retreat—defending a stronghold, safeguarding innocents, standing against impossible odds. The most revered Bastions bear bands nearly to the elbow, and each Wallband is etched with the names of those the Bastion swore to protect in that stand.

Bastion Paladins who refuse to aid those in need, or deliberately take actions that would directly harm the innocent, stand trial at Tir Valin and are judged by the High Bastion to assess their actions. Oathbreakers have their Wallbands ceremonially cut by their mentor. If their mentor has made the Capstone Vow or is otherwise unavailable, their closest commander or an active Sentinel may cut their bands. Sentinels are the only authority permitted to deconsecrate a Stone Sanctuary, using ceremonial Warhammers to destroy its walls.

Oath of the Bastion - Subclass Features

Level 3: Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the Paladin levels listed.

Level 3: Channel Divinity

Bulwark of Faith - As an action, you present your holy symbol and choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 30 feet. Until the start of your next turn, those creatures gain resistance to all damage and cannot be moved against their will.

Unyielding Stance - As a bonus action, you become a bastion of defense. For 1 minute, you have advantage on Strength saving throws and Constitution saving throws, and hostile creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you within 10 feet.

Level 7: Aura of Bastion

While you are conscious, all allies within 10 feet gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of their turn. At 18th level, the range increases to 30 feet.

Level 15: Impenetrable

Once per long rest, when an ally within 30 feet would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to take the damage instead (calculated before resistances are applied). If this reduces you to 0 hit points, you remain at 1 instead.

Level 20: Bastion Ascendant

As an action, you can assume the form of an unbreakable guardian for 1 minute. While transformed:

You and allies within 30 feet are immune to being frightened, charmed, or pushed.

You emit a 30-foot aura of warding. Allies within this aura have resistance to all damage.

You gain +2 AC and cannot be moved or knocked prone.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Level 3: Bulwark of Faith

As an action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 30 feet. Until the start of your next turn, those creatures and yourself gain resistance to all damage and cannot be moved against your will.

Level 3: Unyielding Stance

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and you become a bastion of defense. For 1 minute, you have advantage on Strength saving throws and Constitution saving throws, and hostile creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you within 10 feet.

Level 3: Siege Smite

Whenever you make a melee attack roll that is a critical success against a creature, that creature's AC is reduced by 1 + your charisma modifier for up to 1 hour. The reduction can be applied multiple times to the same target and the affect stacks for the duration of the first instance. Once the first instance comes to completion, all further instances during that period end as well.

Level 7: Aura of the Bastion

While you are conscious, all allies within 15 feet gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of their turn.

At 18th level, the range increases to 30 feet.

Level 7: Aura of Fortification

As an action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and create an aura of 15 feet for up to 1 hour. An amount of chosen creatures within range gain + your Charisma modifier to their AC. Healing spells that target you while the aura is active also heals said creatures within the aura for half the amount.

Level 7: Stalwart Warrior

At 10th level your years of servitude have bolstered your combat prowess, you gain the following abilities.

Stable Footing - You have resistance to the Prone condition.

Greatest Defense - Whenever a creature enters into your space (5 feet) you may make an opportunity attack against that creature without expending your reaction.

Taunting Smite - As a bonus action, you make a melee attack roll against a target creature. The creature must succeed a Wisdom saving throw equal to 10 + your Charisma modifier, on a failure it is forced to prioritize you over any other targets for up to 1 minute. The creature may attempt the saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns to end the effect.

Level 15: Impenetrable

Once per long rest, when an ally within 30 feet would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to take the damage instead (calculated before resistances are applied). Prevent all damage dealt to you this way. If the attack roll was a critical success, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point.

Level 20: Bastion Ascendant

As an action, you can assume the form of an unbreakable guardian for 1 minute. While transformed:

• You and allies within 30 feet are immune to being frightened, charmed, or pushed.
• You emit a 30-foot aura of warding. Allies within this aura have resistance to all damage.
• You gain +3 AC and cannot be moved or knocked prone.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.