Bodyguard (5e Class)

The Bodyguard

An armored human stands by the exit to the palace, deflecting the masses of arrows launched by yuan-ti warriors. Every arrow clangs off her shield, allowing her fellow adventures to exit the temple unharmed.

A nomad runs through the bushes with a sword in hand, stalking the noble who lays in the open. He quickly sprints behind the plated warrior and swings his deadly longsword. The sword deflects off the shield of a hidden warrior and flies out from the nomad’s hand onto the ground. The bodyguard turns around and slices the nomad’s head off, and will do the same to whoever tries to harm his contractor.

The masked combatant sprints ahead of their peers into the darkness jumping over the deep crevasse. On the other side stand two clueless orcs, they turn around as the mysterious warrior blinks above them and slams their sword downwards, cleaving one of them completely in half.

Protector of All

A bodyguard is an elite warrior disciplined by the shield and art of the guard. They have learned to use it to defend themselves from harm, as well as defend those who they’re allied with. Bodyguards are masters with armor. The very sight of them can strike fear into their enemy. These soldiers sometimes wear so much armor that it's difficult to identify who or even what race they are.

Creating a Bodyguard

By ArtofTy

Bodyguards are usually stalwart and staunch figures that have to stand their ground at the worst of times, allowing others to flee. They are not afraid of getting hurt and taking hits to protect others. Is your character one sanctioned and trained in the way of the guard within an organized guild? Or are they rugged survivors from outside, having grown survival instinct from experience? What is it your character wishes to protect? Is it what drove them to become a bodyguard?

Quick Build

You can make a bodyguard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the Soldier or Mercenary veteran background.

Class Features

As a Bodyguard you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Bodyguard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Bodyguard level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, and Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• A Martial weapon
• (a) a chain shirt and a shield or (b) ring mail and a shield
• (a) an explorers pack or (b) dungeoneers pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d8 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Bodyguard

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Guardian Die	Features
1st	+2	1d6	Defended Target, Towering Wall
2nd	+2	1d6	Bolster Defense
3rd	+2	1d6	Sound Body
4th	+2	1d6	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	1d6	Lightmail, Extra Attack
6th	+3	1d8	Rapid Defense
7th	+3	1d8	Guard Path Feature
8th	+3	1d8	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	1d8	Warden
10th	+4	1d10	Guard Path Feature
11th	+4	1d10	Awareness
12th	+4	1d10	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d10	Blockade
14th	+5	1d10	None Shall Pass
15th	+5	1d12	Guard Path Feature
16th	+5	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	1d12	Remise
18th	+6	1d12	Guard Path Feature
19th	+6	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	1d12	Iron Wall

Defended Target

The main job of a bodyguard is to protect an individual, and as such you have learned how to share your defenses with them. As an action, you can allocate someone as your defended target. While adjacent to your target, the target gains a +2 bonus to AC. Additionally, any effect that targets you, you can choose to have it affect your target as well, as long as you are adjacent.

Towering Wall

The guard of the battlefield serves to slow enemies down as well as take hits. Starting at 1st level, you gain a guardian's die, which increases in size as you gain more levels in this class, as shown under the guardian die column of the class table. Using this die, you fuel your battle expertise to guard and control the flow of battle. You begin with 3 such dice, and you gain another one at 5th, 9th, and 14th level. When you expend a guardian die, you do not regain it until you finish a short or long rest. You expend guardian dice to use the following techniques:

Soaker

As a reaction, you can roll a guardian dice when you or your defended target are hit by an attack. You reduce the damage the target takes by a number equal to double the guardian die roll.

Deny Advantage

As a bonus action, you can consume a guardian dice. All creatures within 5 feet of you do not gain advantage against you due to you not being able to see them or by flanking. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.

Bolster Defense

At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to reinforce your Defended Target, granting them temporary hit points equal to the roll of your Guardian Die plus your Constitution modifier. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. While the target has these hit points, they also receive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class.

Sound Body

You have a strong body, able to withstand effects that might force you to back down. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened, charmed and being knocked prone.

Guard Path

At 3rd level, you choose a way of the guard. Choose between Wanderer, Watcher and Arcane Shield, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th levels.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Lightmail

Starting 5th level, you are so adept with armor that moving stealthily and masking your presence is not a burden to you in it. You do not have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while wearing armor.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.

Rapid Defense

Starting 6th level, you are ready to protect your target at a moments notice. When an enemy moves next to your target, you can immediately move up to your speed, ending adjacent to your target.

Warden

You can't always spare a hand while alert. While wielding a shield, that hand is not considered occupied.

Awareness

As a lookout, a bodyguard has to see and perceive better than others and not be taken unawares. Starting 11th level, you gain advantage in Wisdom (Perception) checks to spot traps or hidden threats. Additionally, you can no longer be surprised as long as you are not incapacitated or unconscious.

Blockade

Starting at 13th level, you stand as a powerful obstacle to those who wish to harm you or others close to you. While you hold a shield, creatures within 5 feet of you roll their weapon attack rolls with disadvantage.

None Shall Pass

You can be a force to be reckoned with, daring those who try to pass to take a shot at you. Starting 14th level, creatures within 5 feet of you provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.

Remise

Starting 17th level, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can stop them dead in their tracks by aiming for their motor parts. As a bonus action, you may make a special weapon attack at a creature within range. You have advantage on this attack if the creature is not wearing armor. On a hit, the creature's movement speed is reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, regaining use after you finish a short or long rest.

Iron Wall

Starting 20th level, you become a virtual wall. You gain resistance to all nonmagical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage while you are wearing armor.

Wanderer

The wanderer doesn't always get to choose his target. As such they have adapted to work well with anyone

Dual Guard

Starting 3rd level, you can have a second Defended Target. You can only give the benefits of any effect affecting you to one target at a time.

Traveling Guide

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following tower techniques for which you can expend your guardian dice.

Guard Side

As a bonus action, you can roll a guardian die. All creatures within 5 feet of you gain a bonus to their Armor Class equal to half the dice roll, until the start of your next turn.

Stopping Strike

Immediately after you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can expend a guardian die. You can make an additional attack, if the attack hits the target is knocked prone.

Combat Resistance

Starting 7th level, your expertise in the battlefield now has you covered even against spells. You gain advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Barrage Cover

You are incredibly able with a shield, and you can use it very well. Starting 10th level, when you use a shield, you instead gain a +3 bonus to your Armor Class.

Universal Defense

Starting at 15th level you can treat any adjacent creature as your Defended Target. Additionally Dual Guard no longer restricts how many of your targets can gain your beneficial effects.

Action Block

You can render immobile enemies more useless than they already are by hitting harder. Starting 18th level, when you successfully use your Remise feature, the target cannot make any reactions or bonus actions until the end of their next turn.

Watcher

A bodyguard isn't just a tank. It is a watcher. As a watcher, you protect your allies from the shadows. Sometimes you can stop attacks from a distance by shooting them down. Other times, you can make them gravitate towards you instead.

Shooter

Starting 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Stealth and Perception. If you have proficiency in these skills already, you instead gain expertise.

Alerter

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the two following tower techniques for which you can use your guardian dice:

Pre-emption

When you are targeted by an effect that has you roll a saving throw, you can expend a guardian die with no action necessary. You, and all creatures within 15 feet of you, gain a bonus to your saving throw equal to the roll result.

Distort Vision

Immediately after you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a guardian die and cause the creature to be treated as blind past 20 feet.

Disk Snipe

You can shoot down attempts to harm your allies from a distance, whether by projectile or spell. Starting 7th level, when a creature makes a ranged weapon or spell attack that you can see within 120 feet, you can expend a reaction to shoot it down or weaken it. Roll your weapon's damage die. When you do so, the damage from the attack is reduced by an amount equal to the damage of your weapon. If you reduce the damage to 0, the original projectile is destroyed midair.

Sharp Eye

Your eyes and mind are trained in battle to better strike as a watcher. Starting 10th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to initiative.

Attack Sniper

As a bodyguard, you must watch and protect, even at the cost of your own hide at close quarters sometimes. Starting 15th level, you no longer need to hold a shield to use Blockade, and the range is expanded to 30 feet.

Perfect Aim

You can hit even through armor due to your watchfulness for weakness. Starting 18th level, you now have advantage with your Remise feature even if the target is wearing armor.

Arcane Shield

Using the magical arts, bodyguards are able to use abjurations and other effects to keep themselves and others safe.

Spellcasting

Being an arcane shield means you have to have access to magic. Your wit to protect powers and unlocks this potential. As such, you commit a small number of protective spells to memory rather than using some obstructive tome.

Spell Slots

The Arcane Shield Spell table below shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast it using either slot.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain access to a new level of spell, you learn all the spells for that level from the Arcane Shield Spell List, detailed below.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you learn your spells through tactical wit memorization. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Arcane Shield Spellcasting

— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	-	-	-	-
2nd	-	-	-	-
3rd	2	-	-	-
4th	3	-	-	-
5th	3	-	-	-
6th	3	-	-	-
7th	4	2	-	-
8th	4	2	-	-
9th	4	2	-	-
10th	4	3	-	-
11th	4	3	-	-
12th	4	3	-	-
13th	4	3	2	-
14th	4	3	2	-
15th	4	3	2	-
16th	4	3	3	-
17th	4	3	3	-
18th	4	3	3	-
19th	4	3	3	1
20th	4	3	3	1

Channel Aide

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following tower technique for which you can expend your guardian dice.

Arcane Defense

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the two following Arcane shield techniques for which you can use your guardian dice:

Instant Dispel

When you or your target are affected by an effect that requires a saving throw and only affects you or your target, you can expend a guardian die with no action necessary. You gain a bonus to the roll equal to the roll result. Additionally, if you succeed the save, the spell is cancelled, even if it would normally continue.

Abjuring Shield

As a bonus action you can use a guardian die. You gain temporary hit points equal to twice the amount rolled. As part of the bonus action, after rolling, you can give any amount of these temporary hit points to your target.

Shieldbearer

Starting 7th level, you are considered holding a shield at all times as a magical ward surrounds you. This does not allow you to stack the ward with a mundane shield.

Concentration Cut

Starting 10th level, you can set up a nasty surprise for the person who attacks you. If a creature's attack roll against you fails, that creature rolls with disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast before the end of your next turn.

Magus Blowback

Starting 15th level, a sheen of magic covers you and blasts enemies who dare strike you. Whenever a creature within 10 feet of you hits you with an attack, that creature takes force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Magic Hyper

You become stronger against magic with protections set up by magic. Starting 18th level, if you have cast an abjuration spell in your last turn, you have advantage against all saving throws until the beginning of your next turn.

Arcane Shield Spell List

You know all the following spells as part of the Arcane Shield Subclass.

1st Level

absorb elements, mage armor, grease, shield, thunderwave, snare

2nd Level

aid, find traps, warding wind, pass without trace

3rd Level

aura of vitality, beacon of hope, counterspell, enemies abound

4th Level

resilient sphere, death ward, private sanctum, wall of fire

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the bodyguard class, you must meet these prerequisites: 16 Intelligence, 15 Constitution

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the bodyguard class, you gain the following proficiencies: shield, all armor

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