Defender (5e Class)

The Defender

A human, accompanied by his trusted comrade, infiltrates a bandit camp under the orders of the territory's lord. The bandits notice the pair and unleash a storm of arrows from every angle. However, the human effortlessly deflects every arrow with his shield, displaying seemingly inhuman reflexes and causing the bandits to rush him with a barrage of blades and magic. As the human's ally prepares a devastating spell, the human blocks the incoming onslaught and unleashes a burst of energy, staggering his opponents. The elvish comrade destroys the opponents, and the battle ends without a scratch.

An erstwhile man of peace, the shield-wielding dwarf challenges the villain who murdered his father to a duel. The wicked woman, overconfident, accepts his challenge and attempts to disintegrate him with a swift spell. However, despite the incredible power of her magic, he is unscathed. He begins to emanate dark energy, prepared to unleash an inundation of unbridled vengeance. From his shield, a tempest of darkness utterly overtakes the area, quicky and painfully tearing the villain to shreds. With this, the dwarf returns to his father's grave, informing the fallen warrior that they have been avenged.

Ever the diplomat and pacifist, an elf wanders the forest without a weapon, wielding only a shield when faced with combat. Amidst his journey, he notices a group of cultists attempting to murder a lone maiden. The elf rushes to her side and attempts to dissuade the aggressors, to no avail. The cultists charge forth with ritualistic daggers, only to be forced back by his shield. They lunge forward at the maiden, but the elf utilises a special spell, causing them to once again attempt to strike him. As the maiden escapes, the cultists exhaust themselves against his shield, and the elf carried them to the local authorities.

Masters of the Shield

Defenders are peculiar combatants. Rather than wielding a weapon or magic, they enter battle with only a shield. This is not conceit, however; a defender's shield is an immovable object that cannot be shattered by even the most powerful of attacks. The defender interposes theirself between the opponent and their allies, serving as a bulwark that protects their allies from incoming attacks. Their peerless defense notwithstanding, a defender is not incapable of offense. By absorbing the foe's strikes, they can unleash colossal eruptions of vengeful energy that consumes all that would oppose them.

Creating a Defender

When creating a defender, consider the purpose of your character's exclusive utilisation of shields. Are they pacifistic in nature, preferring to exhaust their foes until they surrender? Did they vow to never wield a weapon, following an event of substantial magnitude in the past? Perhaps they simply enjoy humiliating their adversaries by defeating them without any weapons? The majority of reasonable individuals would not entertain the prospect of entering combat without weapons or magic, and even fewer are stalwart and courageous enough to abnegate offense in favor of pure defense, and as such, consider your character's motivations for embracing a life of defense.

Quick Build

You can make a defender quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the soldier background. Third, choose the chain mail, the herbalism kit, and the shield.

Class Features

As a Defender you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Defender level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Defender level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armors, Shields
Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) Chain mail or (b) Plate Armor
• (a) An herbalism kit or (b) Smith's tools
• A shield
• Any Martial Weapon
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 × 10 in funds.

Table: The Defender

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Shield Bash
1st	+2	Guardian, Assault Absorption, Protector	1d4
2nd	+2	Dedicated Defender, Taunt	1d4
3rd	+2	Defensive Focus Feature	1d4
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d4
5th	+3	Extra Attack	1d6
6th	+3	Defensive Focus Feature, Defensive Positioning	1d6
7th	+3	Charging Bash	1d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
9th	+4	Shield Raise	1d8
10th	+4	Defensive Focus Feature	1d8
11th	+4	Daring Warden	1d8
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
13th	+5	Shield Raise Improvement	1d10
14th	+5	Defensive Focus Feature	1d10
15th	+5	Defensive Mastery	1d10
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
17th	+6	Shield Raise Improvement	1d12
18th	+6	Survivor	1d12
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
20th	+6	Master Defender	1d12

Guardian

Starting at 1st level, you become an adept on the defensive arts. You gain the following benefits:

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.

Shield Bash

When you take the Attack action while wielding a shield, you can make a melee weapon attack with it. Your shield is considered a simple weapon that causes 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a hit. On a critical hit, the target also needs to make a constitution saving throw (DC 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, the creature is stunned until the start of your next turn. Also don't add your Strength modifier to the damage. The damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the shield bash column on the defender table.

At 11th level, your shield bash adds your Strength modifier to the damage roll.

Defensive Stance

You can use your bonus action to assume a defensive stance. Until you move, or a minute passes, you and all your Allies within 5 feet gain 2 AC.

Assault Absorption

Also at 1st level, you can absorb the impact of an attack and unleash it back on the attacker. Whenever a creature makes a melee weapon attack against you and misses, as long as you are in a defensive stance you may make a Shield Bash against the attacker.

Protector

Starting at 1st level, while wielding a shield and within 5 feet of an ally, you grant that ally half cover as you place yourself between them and harms way

Dedicated Defender

Starting at 2nd level, while wielding a shield, if you or a creature within 5 feet is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw against an effect you can see, you can use your reaction to give that creature a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus to the check.

On a successful save, the creature take no damage, and take half damage on a failure.

Taunt

Starting at 2nd level, at the start of your turn, you can force hostile creatures to attack you. As an action, you force all creatures of your choice within 10 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, the creatures have disadvantage on attacks made against targets other than you.

Warden Awareness

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Perception skill. If you are already proficient in this skill, you can choose another skill from the Defender list.

At 10th level, you add twice your proficiency bonus in checks made with the Perception skill.

Extra Attack

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

Additionally, you can forgo one of your attacks on your turn to make a Taunt attempt.

Defensive Positioning

Starting at 6th level, if you use a Defender feature that require you to be within 5 feet of an ally to target that ally, you can move 5 feet towards that ally as part of the same bonus action or reaction used to activate the feature.

In addition, whenever you are within 5 feet of an ally, you can spend half your movement speed to change places with it.

Charging Bash

At 7th level, you can use your bonus action to move up to half your movement speed. If you end your movement within 5 feet of an ally, you can make a Shield Bash as part of the same bonus action.

Shield Raise

Starting at 9th level, when a creature hits you or a friendly creature within 5 feet with an attack, or cause damage with an effect that requires a Dexterity saving throw, you can reduce that damage by an amount equal to your Shield Bash die. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus and can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

You can also spend one use of this feature to increase the damage of your shield bash by an amount equal to your shield bash damage die.

Daring Warden

When you reach the 11th level, you can use your Taunt feature when you take the Attack action, without using any action.

Defensive Mastery

When you reach the 15th level, your Guardian techniques improve, as you gain the following benefits:

Guardian's Interception

You gain a number of extra reactions equal to your proficiency bonus. You can only use those reactions to use your Guardian's Interception feature.

Shield Bash

When you use your shield bash, you can use your bonus action to shove the target hit by the shield.

Defensive Stance

While you wield a shield, you benefit from your Defensive Stance, without needing a bonus action.

Survivor

At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Master Defender

When you reach the 20th level, you gain resistance to all damage types, except psychic. You can choose to forgo this resistance to confer it to a friendly creature within 5 feet of you.

Defensive Focus

Dreadful Defender

Dreadful Defenders specialize in using fear to keep their enemies at bay. Mixing defensive tactics and psychological warfare, they can awaken terror on the hearts of those who can see or hear them. They use terrifying battle cries and often decor their shields and armor with spikes, razors and frightening symbols and imagery, aiming for winning a battle even before it starts.

Terror Scream

At 3rd level, whenever you use your Taunt feature, you can choose to awaken fear on your enemies, instead of attracting them. You can choose one creature who fail your Taunt saving throw to be frightened until start of your next turn.

Any friendly creature within 10 feet has resistance to the damage rolls with weapon attacks from creatures frightened by this feature.

Demoralizing Gaze

At 6th level, when you are in your Defensive Stance, whenever a creature within 30 feet makes an attack against an ally you can see, you can look at it as a reaction, causing its attack to be made with disadvantage. In addition, the damage of the attack is reduced by your shield bash die on a hit.

Aura of Fear

Starting at 10th level, you can cast the spells cause fear and fear, without spending components and without requiring spell slots a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest. In addition, the spells have the following differences when cast with this feature:

• You can cast cause fear as a bonus action on your turn.
• When you cast fear it affects a sphere of 30 feet around you, instead of its normal area.

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Eye of Dread

At 14th level, whenever you use your Demoralizing Gaze on a creature, that creature takes psychic damage equal to twice your shield bash die.

Primeval Warden

Using the power of nature as their form of protection, Primeval Wardens can control vines, tree branches and plants to ensnare and restrain enemies around them. They also can use these powers offensively, tearing the flesh of their foes with spikes and thorns.

Primeval wardens usually act as protectors of natural places or of those who act as their emissaries, such as druids or clerics devoted to the gods of nature.

Natural Scream

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you use your Taunt feature, you can cause the vegetation below your target's feet to grow and snare them. The area within 10 feet becomes difficult terrain to all creatures of your choice until the start of your next turn.

Fury of Thorns

At 3rd level, whenever you are attacked by a creature within 10 feet while you are in your Defensive Stance, you force the target to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or take piercing damage equal to your Shield Bash damage die + your Constitution modifier, as a spiked thorn wound the attacker. Doing so cause you to drop the stance.

Armor of Vines

At 6th level, whenever you use your Taunt feature, you can cause vines to cover your body or the body of one friendly creature within 10 feet. The target gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier, that last until the start of your next turn.

Ensnaring Roots

At 10th level, you can use your bonus action to restrain a creature within 10 feet with roots of plants. Choose one creature in contact with the ground that you can see, and force it to make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature is restrained until the start of your next turn.

Thorny Rebuke

At 14th level, whenever you take damage from a creature within 10 feet of you while in your Defensive Stance, you cause piercing damage to that creature equal to your Shield Bash damage.

Battle Commander

Battle commanders are the definitive and classic Defender. Using warfare tactics and martial training, they master the art of using the shield to both attack and defense, and they can make a group of soldiers to act as an unit, both inspiring courage and guiding them with experience and military knowledge.

War Tactics

Starting at 3rd level, you learn combat tactics related to each of your Guardian defensive features, as shown below:

Guardian's Protection. Whenever a creature attacks you or a friendly creature you can see within 5 feet, using your reaction you can roll your Shield Bash die and add it to its AC.

Attack Order. You can forgo your Shield Bash and use a bonus action to command an ally within 30 feet to make an attack with a weapon using its reaction.

Encouraging Shout. Whenever you assume your Defender Stance, you can give temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + Defender Die to a friendly creature that is able to hear you within 30 feet.

Versatile Protector

At 6th level, whenever you finish a short or a long rest, you can choose one of the following benefits, lasting until your next rest:

• Your movement speed increases by an amount equal to 5 feet x your proficiency modifier.

• If you haven't moved on your turn, you can assume the Defender Stance without using a bonus action. Doing so causes your movement speed to be reduced to 0.

• When you use your shield bash, you can choose to Shove the target, instead of cause damage. You add your shield bash damage die to the result of the Strength (Athletics) check made.

Encouraging Taunt

At 10th level, when you taunt your enemies, you can also choose to embolden an ally nearby. You can choose to affect one ally within 10 feet with one of the following benefits:

• The target regain hit points equal to twice your Shield Bash die.
• The target can use its reaction to make a single weapon attack against an enemy within range.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

War Cry

At 14th level, you increase your ability to encourage your allies. Whenever you use your Taunt feature, you can choose a number of allied creatures within 10 feet up to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). The chosen creatures gain the following benefits:

• The target's gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
• Once per turn during 1 minute, each affected creature can add a bonus equal to your Shield Bash die to their damage rolls.

Dark Knight

Dark knights are defenders who use the power of darkness, controlling the very essence of the shadowfell. They can use this power to create weapons, appendages and increase their resilience with shadow energy.

Weapon of Darkness

Starting at 3rd level, you can fuel your weapons with the power of darkness by paying with your own vitality. You can spend 1 hit die as a bonus action to deal additional damage with your melee weapon attacks equal to your shield bash die. The additional damage is necrotic.

This additional damage lasts for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Shadow Resilience

At 6th level, you become immune to necrotic damage and to the frightened condition whenever you assume your Defensive Stance.

Tendrils of Shadows

Starting at 10th level, once per turn when a creature fail a saving throw against your Taunt feature, that creature is ensnared by tendrils of darkness, taking necrotic damage equal to your Shield Bash die.

Shadowy Rebuke

At 14th level, when you take damage from a creature within 10 feet of you, you can force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw, or take necrotic damage equal to your Shield Bash die + your Constitution modifier.

Divine Knight

Divine Knights are defenders who serve the gods or their emissaries, acting often as sentinels on temples, bodyguards of high ranking priests or as a line of defense for agents of the gods in important and dangerous missions. Their defensive capabilities are improved by divine blessings and powers that they are able to channel.

Divine Blessings

When you select this path at 3rd level, you can enhance your defensive abilities with a divine powers. Some powers have a range or target an aura. The range of both the ranged attacks and the aura is 10 feet.

If the effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

Aura of Healing. When you assume the Defensive Stance, your body glows with a radiant aura. Your aura cause you to shed bright light in a 5-foot radius, and dim light for extra 5 feet. When this effect is activated, you and any friendly creature that end its turn in the area regain hit points equal to your shield bash die when under half their maximum of hit points.

Divine Bash. When you hit a creature with a Shield Bash, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target take additional damage equal to twice your shield bash die.

Radiant Rebuke. Whenever you use your Guardian's Protection to defend a creature, the attacker takes radiant damage equal to the amount of damage reduced.

Divine Soul

At 6th level, whenever you assume your Defensive Stance, you gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage until the start of your next turn.

Celestial Warden

At 10th level, whenever you use your Divine Soul feature, all friendly creatures of your choice within 10 feet gain its benefits.

Divine Wings

Starting at 14th level, you can use a bonus action to manifest a pair of spectral wings from your back. While the wings are present, you have a flying speed of 30 feet. The wings last until you're incapacitated, you die, or you dismiss them as a bonus action.

Arcane Shield

Arcane shields use magic to enhance their defensive abilities. They engrave their shields glyphs representing the schools of magic, each glyph granting them specific defensive abilities and a limited form of magic.

Eldritch Shield

Starting at 3rd level, you can imbue a shield with arcane glyphs, each glyph containing the power of a different arcane school. Choose one of the following glyphs below. You can replace your chosen glyph after finishing a long rest.

You activate a glyph from your eldritch shield upon assuming your Defensive Stance. If the glyph requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

Necromancy Glyph. Choose one creature creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to your Shield Bash die, or half as much on a success. You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Conjuration Glyph. You teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

Evocation Glyph. As a bonus action, you can cause an arcane explosion on a point you can see within 30 feet of you. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take force damage equal to your Shield Bash die.

Abjuration Glyph. Until the start of your next turn, you and all friendly creatures within 10 feet gain a bonus equal to +1 to their AC.

Arcane Harnessing

At 6th level, you can harness the power of your arcane glyphs to conjure magic. When you finish a long rest, you can choose a spell of your choice, from the same school active currently on your glyph, from the Sorcerer's spell list.

The spell must be from a level equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You can cast the chosen spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining your uses after finishing a long rest.

Magical Rebuke

At 10th level, whenever you use your Guardian's Protection feature, you can activate your Eldritch Shield glyph as part of the same reaction. You also can replace the active glyph when you do so.

Glyph Master

Starting at 14th level, you can have two glyphs on your shield, instead of only one, whenever you finish a long rest.

Hopeful Saver

Your Shield makes everyone smile the shining in your eyes makes people get inspired in getting into a battle full of hope a perfect combination of command and inspire.

Defensive spirit

At any level you can use your attack action to provide 15 foot ally Shield Spirit that provides 1 AC at 8th Level you can use Shield Spirit up to 2 allies 12th up to 3 and 16 up to 4 (for every Three allies with Defensive spirit you loose 1 ac)

Give it to me

in any level you can force an enemy to hit you as a bonus action, if he misses their damage will turn to you as temporary hit points.

Spiky spirit

in your command using your bonus action can order spirits to explode into shards of glass affecting only enemies dealing 1d4 shield bash damage.

Conquer enemy

at the first level you can mark an enemy with "conquest" all allies with Shield Spirit that hit the enemy marked with "conquest" gets their damage as temporary hit points if your ally misses the attack he will not receive the THP and will not have other chance to get the THP until the enemy gets conquered again (Exemple if an ally deal 20 damage he gets 20 temporary hit points).

Givin double

At second level and using as reaction if an ally with Shield Spirit is attacked you can choose to take a third of the damage in exchange for saving him

Shield Ranger

At 3rd level using your complete action you can become one with your shield and free your hands to use whattever you want, like other shield or your own hands, if you use your hands you can deal 2 punches dealing the shield bash effect 2 times + your strength, the damage will turn into temporary hit points for you and all allies that have Shield Spirit within 15 feet distance.

Spirit layer

At 6th level you can stack up to 2 spirits into your allies.

Merger Ranger

Starting at 10th level you can merge yourself in another ally your Hit points will be added to the ally temporary hit points, those who have the greatest AC will be and you can do nothing while merged, when the temporary hit points get to 0 you get out of your ally with 1/4 of your hit points+ a constituition roll.

Merging control

You can merge in and out freely at lvl 14 and your hit points will be the points that you have minus the point you lost+ contituition roll.

Full control

at lvl 16 even merged you dont lose your round and can use your bonus and attack action.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the defender class, you must meet these prerequisites: Constitution 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the defender class, you gain the following proficiencies: All armors, Shields

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