Guarded Fighter (5e Class)

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This content deviates from 5e standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5e rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

This class is meant to be run with having 2 separate characters in mind, so if you're going to use this class, you must make sure to have 2 character sheets ready.

Guarded Fighter

Most people wouldn't exactly say that a Guarded Fighter is a "fighter" in the normal sense, considering the fact that their main form of fighting is usually just a big muscular person whos there to be meant to protect them from any harm and fight for them. But hey, you never really see those people complaining when they need a big muscular person for something, so who's really to judge?

Creating a Guarded Fighter

Clara and Svarog from Honkai Star Rail

When creating a Guarded Fighter, ask yourself why you and your bodyguard chose to engage in this dangerous path. Why were you given a bodyguard in the first place? Was in order to protect yourself and those for whom you care about? Was it just because you seek adventure, and the one watching over you didn't want anything happening to you while you were gone?

Quick Build

You can make a Guarded Fighter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. For your guard, Strength should be their highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Far Traveler background for yourself, choosing either the Noble or Knight background for your guard. Third, choose the Explorer's Pack for yourself, and the Glove of choice for your guard.

Class Features

As a Guarded Fighter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Guarded Fighter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Guarded Fighter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor for yourself and your guard.
Weapons: None for yourself. Simple Weapons, and Martial Gloves for your guard.
Tools: Navigators Tools for yourself, Thieves' Tools for your guard.
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Dexterity for yourself, Strength and Dexterity for your guard.
Skills: Choose 2 from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, and Slight of Hand for yourself. Choose 2 from Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, and Survival for your guard.

Equipment

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

• (a) Explorer's Pack or (b) Dungeoneer's Pack (For yourself)
• Leather Armor (For yourself)
• (a) A Martial Glove of choice or (b) A Simple Weapon of choice (For your guard)
• Chainmail Armor (For your guard)
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d8 in funds. Your guard also has 2d8 in funds.

Table: The Guarded Fighter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Will Points
1st	+2	Loyal Guard	—
2nd	+2	Unarmed Combat	—
3rd	+2	Protective Will	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3
5th	+3	Fast Movement	4
6th	+3	Fighting Style	4
7th	+3	Low Sweep	5
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5
9th	+4	Protective Aura	6
10th	+4	Fighting Style Improvement	6
11th	+4	Immunity Aura	7
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7
13th	+5	Magic Cleanse	8
14th	+5	Fighting Style Improvement	8
15th	+5	Counterblow	9
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9
17th	+6	Willful Blows, Protective Aura Improvement	10
18th	+6	Mark Of Counter, Immunity Aura Improvement	10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	15
20th	+6	Rage Of A Guardian	15

Loyal Guard

At 1st Level, you have a bodyguard who serves to protect you. Don't get it mixed up, however, as they still have a mind and life of their own. This class will be referring to "you" as the player that the guard is protecting, and "your guard" as your guard.

• You and your bodyguard are completely separate characters, with separate Names, Backgrounds, Proficiencies, etc.
• You and your guard share the same class, sharing levels and EXP as if only 1 player had the class.
  • You and your guard cannot multiclass.
• While you are in combat, you and your guard both share an initiative, space, AC, Action/Bonus Action limit, and HP.
  • You cannot wield any weapons, or attack. Your guard is the only one who may use weapons and attack.
  • Your guard follows your command during battle, and unless told to go and attack a creature, will automatically move to stay by your side.
• You and your guard cannot willingly rest at the same time. At least one of you must stay awake.

Unarmed Combat

At 2nd Level, your guard has become proficient in hand to hand combat to make sure they can protect you.

• Your guard's unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + their Strength modifier.
  • When your guard successfully start a grapple, they can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the grappled creature. Until the grapple ends, your guard can also deal this damage to the creature whenever they hit it with a melee attack.
• In addition, your guard can choose to use either Dexterity or Strength, for attacks and damage rolls.

Protective Will

At 3rd Level, your guard's willpower has fueled his determination to protect you and make sure you are safe.

• Your guard now has access to Will Points. Will points are gained as shown on the separate table above.

Your guard can spend these points to fuel various features. They start knowing 2 such features: Flurry of Blows, and Patient Step. Your guard learns more features as you gain levels in this class.

When your guard spends a Will Point, it is unavailable until they finish a short or long rest, at the end of which they draw all of your expended Willpower back into themselves.

• Flurry of Blows: Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 Will Point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
• Patient Step: You can spend 1 Will Point to take the Dodge, Disengage, or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.

Fast Movement

Starting at 5th level, both your and your guard gain the Fast Movement feature, where your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing heavy armor.

Fighting Style

Beginning at 6th level, your guard may adopt 1 fighting style of their choice. Your guard cannot take a fighting style more than once, even if they are allowed to pick another fighting style.

Evasive Footwork

If your guard is not wearing armor or wielding a shield, they gain a +2 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When your guard is wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other Weapons, they gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls with that weapon.

Two-Handed Weapon Fighting

When your guard uses a two-handed weapon, they can add their ability modifier to the damage of the attack.

Thrown Weapon Fighting

Your guard can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack they make with the weapon. In addition, when they hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, they gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

Blind Fighting

Your guard has blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, they can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if they're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, they can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from them.

Interception

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

Tunnel Fighter

As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, your guard can make opportunity attacks without using their reaction, and your guard can use their reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within their reach.

Blade Expert

Your guard gains +2 to attack rolls made with weapons that deal slashing damage.

Low Sweep

At 7th Level, If a creature enters your guard's range, your guard may use 2 Will Points to make one melee weapon attack against it, if this attack hits the creature's movement is reduced to 0 and it is pushed back out of your guard's range.

Your guard can use this feature a number of times equal to their dexterity modifier (a minimum of once).

• Your guard regains expended uses when they finish a long rest.

Protective Aura

Starting at 9th Level, whenever you, or a friendly creature within 15 feet of your guard must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your guard's Strength modifier (with a maximum bonus of +4). Your guard must be conscious to grant this bonus.

• At 17th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Protective Will

Starting at 11th level, you, your guard, and friendly creatures within 15 feet of you can't be frightened while your guard is conscious.

• At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Magic Cleanse

Beginning at 13th level, your guard can use their action, and 3 Will Points, to end one spell on themselves, you, or on one willing creature that they touch.

Your guard can use this feature a number of times equal to their Charisma modifier (a minimum of once).

• Your guard regains expended uses when they finish a long rest.

Counterblow

At 15th Level, if you are successfully attacked, your guard may expend 1 Will Point to launch a counterblow afterwards, attacking with the same amount of damage. (If an attack deals 3d8 Radiant damage, the counterblow will also deal 3d8 Radiant damage.)

Willful Blows

At 17th Level, any time your guard misses an attack roll, they may expend 1 Will Point to roll it again.

• Your guard's attack roll loses -1 to the roll every time it is rerolled through Willful Blows in 1 turn.

Mark Of Counter

At 18th Level, creatures successfully hit by Counterblow will be marked with a Mark Of Counter.

• Creatures with a Mark Of Counter hit by your guard will take an additional 50% of damage.
• Mark Of Counter is removed from a creature when:
  • Your guard attempts to attack the creature with Mark Of Counter, regardless of success or failure.
  • The creature with Mark Of Counter no longer being in combat.
  • The creature with Mark Of Counter dies.
• There can be a max of 3 creatures with Mark Of Counter at a time.

Rage Of A Guardian

At Level 20, if your HP is reduced to 0 in battle, your guard's HP is not reduced to 0, staying at what it was before the attack and entering a rage.

• Your guard has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• When your guard makes a melee weapon attack using Strength or Dexterity, they gain a +4 bonus to the damage roll.
• Your guard has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• If your guard drops to 0 hit points while they're raging and don't die outright, your guard can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If they succeed, they drop to 1 hit point instead.
  • Each time your guard uses this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When your guard finishes a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.

Your guard cannot be controlled during this rage, and will focus solely on attacking the creature that brought your HP to 0.

The rage continues even if you succeed in your Death Saves, and only ends if:

• Your guard's HP is brought to 0.
• Your guard is no longer in combat.
• If the creature that brought your HP to 0 dies, it will end on your guard's next turn.

When the rage ends, your guard's HP is brought back to whatever your current HP is, and falls unconscious for 1d4 hours, gaining 2 Exhaustion points.

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