Shield Guardian (5e Subclass)
Shield Guardian[edit]
Fighter Subclass
In the heart of battle, where steel clashes and the air trembles with the cries of the fallen, the Shield Guardian stands unyielding. Cloaked in the din of war, they are the bulwark against the tide of chaos—a protector whose resolve is as impenetrable as the shield they bear. To allies, they are a beacon of hope, a stalwart defender whose presence inspires courage and fortitude. Enemies face not just a warrior, but a fortress on legs, a combatant whose mastery of defense turns aside blades and spells with equal disdain.
The Shield Guardian knows the weight of the lives entrusted to their care, carrying this burden with honor and steadfastness. With shield in hand, they chart the course of battles, turning lethal blows to harmless glances and creating opportunities where none seem possible. In their art, the line between offense and defense blurs; the shield becomes an extension of their will, capable of thwarting death itself.
In the Shield Guardian's creed, the shield is more than armor—it is a symbol. A symbol of protection, of sacrifice, and of the unbreakable bond between them and those they defend. Through their deeds, the legend of the Shield Guardian grows—a legacy of battles won not by the sword, but by the unassailable strength of their resolve and the might of their shield.
- Guardian's Bulwark
Starting at 3rd level, you have honed your skills to use your shield not just as a means of protection, but as a cornerstone of your combat strategy. Your mastery over shield techniques allows you to protect yourself and your allies with unparalleled efficiency. You gain the following benefits :
- Extended Coverage : When you are wielding a shield, you can extend its protective aura to one ally within 5 feet of you as a bonus action. The chosen ally gains the benefit of your shield's AC bonus until the start of your next turn. 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.
- Shield Bash : As a part of the Attack action, you can use your shield to make a special melee attack, a shield bash. If you hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, and you can push the target up to 5 feet away from you. The damage increases to 1d8 at 10th level. This attack uses your proficiency with a shield.
- Indomitable Defense : You can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack roll made against you or a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see. You must be wielding a shield to use this feature.
- Aegis of Deflection
Upon reaching 3rd level, your mastery with the shield allows you to deflect incoming attacks, turning potential harm away from yourself and your allies. Your anticipation and reflexes with your shield reach supernatural levels, enabling you to protect against even the most unforeseen threats.
- Deflection Training : When you or an ally within 5 feet of you is targeted by a ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, using your shield to deflect or misdirect the projectile. If the attack misses, you can choose to have the projectile ricochet back at the attacker or another enemy within range of the original attack, using your attack roll and proficiency bonus to determine if the ricochet hits.
- Shield's Guidance : Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a shield bash attack, you can guide an ally's next attack against that creature. Your ally gains advantage on their next attack roll against the creature, provided the attack is made before the start of your next turn. This represents your ability to exploit openings and direct your allies' attacks to where they are most effective.
- Bastion of Fortitude
At 7th level, your presence on the battlefield becomes a source of inspiration and resilience, turning you into a veritable bastion of fortitude. Your mastery of defensive tactics and your indomitable spirit bolster the resolve of those you protect, granting them strength to withstand even the most dire of assaults.
- Inspiring Defense : Whenever you use your action to Dodge, you can choose one ally within 30 feet of you. That ally gains temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Fighter level. These temporary hit points last until they are depleted or for 1 minute. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Unyielding Shield : Your shield becomes an extension of your will to protect. When you or an ally within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage from an effect, you can use your reaction to grant the benefit of your shield's AC bonus to the saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, and the effect allows for taking half damage on a success
- Reactive Barrier
By the time you reach 10th level, your ability to use your shield reactively has been honed to near perfection. You've learned to read the flow of battle with such acuity that your interventions with your shield can turn potential disaster into strategic advantage, not just for you but for your allies as well.
- Immediate Riposte : When you use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack roll with your Indomitable Defense feature and the attack still hits, you can immediately make a shield bash attack against the attacker if they are within your reach. This attack occurs even before the attack's effects resolve, potentially disrupting the attacker.
- Barrier's Counter : Once per round, when you or an ally within 5 feet of you is hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Fighter level + your Constitution modifier. If this reduction reduces the damage to 0, you can immediately make a melee weapon attack against the attacker as part of the same reaction. This represents your skill in not just blocking or deflecting attacks, but also in using your shield to create openings for counterattacks.
- Impenetrable Fortress
At 15th level, your mastery of defense with your shield reaches legendary proportions. You've become a symbol of unbreakable defense on the battlefield, a warrior whose very stance promises sanctuary to allies and defiance to foes. Your shield is not just a barrier; it is a declaration of your indomitable will to protect and persevere.
- Fortress of Will : Your mental and physical resilience are fortified. You gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened, charmed, or possessed, and you can extend this benefit to a number of allies equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) within 30 feet of you. This represents your unyielding spirit bolstering those around you.
- Shield of Reprisal : When you or any ally within 15 feet of you takes damage from an attack made by a creature within range of your shield bash, you can use your reaction to make a shield bash attack against the attacker. This attack deals an additional 1d8 damage (of the same type as your normal shield bash) and pushes the attacker up to 10 feet away, whether or not the attack hits. This represents your ability to swiftly punish those who dare strike you or your allies.
- Guardian's Last Stand
Reaching 18th level marks you as a paragon among Shield Guardians, a hero whose very name is synonymous with unassailable defense and the protection of others. In the direst of circumstances, when the fate of battle hangs by a thread, you can summon the full might of your resolve and training to make a stand that legends are made of.
- Stand Unbroken : Once per long rest, when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. For the next minute, any damage you take is reduced by half, and any ally within 30 feet of you gains the same damage reduction. This does not stack with any other form of damage reduction.
- Aura of Invincibility: For the duration of Stand Unbroken, you emit an aura of invulnerability that inspires awe and courage within 30 feet of you. Allies within this aura gain immunity to fear and charm effects, and they have advantage on all saving throws. Additionally, once during the aura, each ally can reroll one failed saving throw. This powerful aura reflects the indomitable spirit you inspire in those around you, bolstering their defenses and resolve in the face of overwhelming odds.
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