Shieldbruiser (5e Class)

Shieldbruiser

Deep within the cloistered halls of monasteries lies a secret, guarded well against intrusion, its mysteries only understood by a privileged few. Rumors suggest that there is a training regimen combining the strict discipline of monks with the sheer ferocity of fighters. This is, for the most part, correct – with the addition that this training is bestowed upon those who stand watch and protect the monastery from harm, rather than monks themselves. Those thusly trained are known as shieldbruisers. Recently, these warriors have been spotted carrying out various quests on behalf of their monastic masters, causing quite a stir in the adventuring community who have conflicting stories to tell of their experiences alongside – or of simply being near – a shieldbruiser in action. Some suggest that they have an uncanny ability to control a battlefield, while still others have witnessed a shieldbruiser throw a small, bladed shield with unerring accuracy.

Dedicated Warriors

Only one thing is certain: it takes a certain kind of individual to take on the mantle of the shieldbruiser. The role requires an attentive understanding of the flow of battle, and the strength to withstand even the most withering of attacks. One must also enjoy a degree of agility, especially by way of coordination, for the shieldbruiser's inherent value is in their ability to wield two shields at once, eschewing all other weapons in favor of forming the defensive wall of their party. This does not preclude the shieldbruiser from causing their own form of mayhem in battle, however. Shieldbruisers have a wide array of offensive capability options, confounding opponents who simply see a person with mere shields.

How To Train Your Shieldbruiser

Shieldbruisers take their cues from the monks that train them, and therefore have the ability to use ki, although not with the same efficiency that monks themselves enjoy. In addition, shieldbruisers also have features better known to be the tradecraft of fighters. Finally, shieldbruisers have developed several unique abilities common to all who practice the art, as well as those granted by one of five distinct subclasses.

Shieldcraft

Shieldbruisers have an innate understanding of the various qualities of shields, and employ three different varieties. Each have their own uses depending on the Discipline the shieldbruiser chooses to uphold. Disciples of the Wall use a tower shield in conjunction with a kite shield, making them exceptional defensive party members. Disciples of the Spinning Blade use a kite shield alongside a buckler, the latter of which is imbued with ki for use as a throwing weapon. Meanwhile, Disciples of Mindfulness use two bucklers as effective weapons, allowing them to be outstanding ki users. While they both may only use one shield, Discipline Breakers may choose from a light or medium shield, and Eldritch Disciples may freely choose from any of the three options. Whichever subclass you choose, you have access to powerful shield-based attacks and defensive options that will further define your playstyle.

Shield Varieties

Type	AC	Cover	Size
Tower	3	Half*	Large
Kite	2	Quarter	Medium
Buckler	1	None	Small

Despite their ability to adapt to various shields, shieldbruisers do not gain extra cover from their off-hand shield.

*Tower shields are used by Disciples of the Wall almost exclusively, in which case the half-cover can be expanded to three-quarters if the shieldbruiser spends an amount equal to half of their movement speed to bury in and withstand an assault.

Creating a Shieldbruiser

Quick Build

You can make a shieldbruiser quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution and Wisdom. Second, choose the Soldier background.

Class Features

As a Shieldbruiser you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and medium armor, all shields
Weapons: None
Tools: Choose one type of adventurer's pack or musical instrument
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Religion or Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) a tower shield and kite shield or (b) a kite shield and buckler or (c) two bucklers
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a stick of incense and a meditation mat

Table: The Shieldbruiser

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Ki Points	Eldritch Disciple Ki Points	Features	Eldritch Disciple spells
1st	+2	-	-	Second Wind, Shield Specialist, Shield Bash	-
2nd	+2	1	1	Action Surge (one use), Ki	-
3rd	+2	1	1	Discipline, Deflect Missiles	Guidance (C), Shocking Grasp (C)
4th	+2	2	1	Ability Score Improvement	Spare the Dying (C), Resistance (C)
5th	+3	2	2	Extra Attack, Shield Specialist Improvement	Cure Wounds (1), Inflict Wounds (1)
6th	+3	3	2	Stunning Shieldstrike	Mage Armor (1), Dragon's Breath (2)
7th	+3	3	2	Pinning Strike	Snare (1) Warding Bond (2)
8th	+3	4	2	Ability Score Improvement	Gentle Repose (2), Blink (3)
9th	+4	4	2	Indomitable (one use)	Shadow Blade (2), Bestow Curse (3)
10th	+4	5	3	Shield Specialist Improvement	Revivify (3), Stoneskin (4)
11th	+4	5	3	Ki Strike, Extra Attack (2)	Death Ward (4)
12th	+4	6	3	Ability Score Improvement	Fire Shield (4)
13th	+5	6	3	Indomitable (two uses)	Contagion (5)
14th	+5	7	3	Starglare, Moonwave	Far Step (5)
15th	+5	7	3	Shield Specialist Improvement	Primordial Ward (6)
16th	+5	8	4	Ability Score Improvement	Tenser's Transmutation (6)
17th	+6	8	4	Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (three uses)	Crown of Stars (7)
18th	+6	9	4	Shield Mastery	Prismatic Spray (7)
19th	+6	9	4	Ability Score Improvement	Antimagic Field (8)
20th	+6	10	5	Extra Attack (3), Astral Protection	Astral Projection (9)

Second Wind

You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your shieldbruiser level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Shield Specialist

Beginning at 1st level, you are able to equip two shields at once. You only gain the AC benefit from your main-hand shield, but you are able to make melee attacks with your off-hand shield. Your off-hand shield deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, improving to 1d8 at 5th level, 1d10 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 15th level. While wielding a tower shield, you do not incur a disadvantage on attack rolls.

Shield Bash

Beginning at 1st level, you may use your attack action to slam your main-hand shield into an enemy. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Shield Bash DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

Action Surge

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action.

Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a long rest, but only once on the same turn.

Ki

Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your shieldbruiser level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Shieldbruiser table.

You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You learn more features as you gain level in this class, and as determined by your Discipline.

When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.

Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Discipline

At 3rd level, you commit yourself to a discipline. Choose between Discipline of the Wall, Discipline of the Spinning Blade, and Discipline of Mindfulness, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th and 17th level.

Deflect Missiles

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your shieldbruiser level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a ranged attack in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a shieldbruiser weapon for the attack, which has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.

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.

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 and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.

Stunning Shieldstrike

Starting at 6th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with a melee attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until your next turn.

In addition, the shieldbruiser may spend an additional ki point to attempt to intimidate enemies within 5 feet. Enemies within range who have not been stunned must make a Wisdom saving throw or flee 10 feet from their starting point, provoking an attack of opportunity as they pass any of your allies. A shieldbruiser that uses this additional option then ends their turn without taking advantage of any attacks of opportunity, and regardless of any benefits from the Extra Attack feature.

Pinning Strike

When you reach 7th level, you gain the ability to pin down enemies with your main-hand shield. The target must make a Strength saving throw or be pinned, either by the weight of a tower shield or by the body of the shieldbruiser, depending on your choice of shields. Enemies pinned in this way are relegated to the bottom of the initiative order, but may attack the shieldbruiser with melee or touch-magic attacks. Using this feature counts as an Attack action. If you have an additional action from the Extra Attack feature, you may use it after pinning the enemy.

Indomitable

Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.

Ki Strike

From 11th level, the shieldbruiser may spend a ki point to increase the damage of their off-hand shield, regardless of whether the attack is melee or ranged. Doing so increases the dice used to deal damage to 1d12 at 11th level and 1d20 at 15th level. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you have completed a short rest. Damage from Ki Strike counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Starglare

Beginning at 14th level, the shieldbruiser may use a ki point to take advantage of available light sources and create a glaring light emanating from their main-hand shield. This light temporarily blinds enemies within a 25 foot cone extending from the shieldbruiser for one round. Enemies must pass a Constitution saving throw or drop their weapons and cease concentrating on spells. Blinded enemies will not take attacks of opportunity against you or your allies for the duration of the effect. You must finish a long rest before you may use this feature again.

Moonwave

Beginning at 14th level, the shieldbruiser may use a ki point to refract light using their main-hand shield and then bend it, creating a 25 foot cone of magical darkness extending from the shieldbruiser. Enemies caught within the cone must pass a Wisdom saving throw or be rendered confused, attacking indiscriminately around them on their turn for 1d4 rounds. Enemies that would otherwise see clearly in magical darkness attack or use actions with disadvantage. You may only use this feature once per day.

Shield Mastery

From 18th level, you may add the sum of your AC acquired by shields to your damage when making any Attack action. You may also double your proficiency bonus on all checks and saves involved with your shieldcraft.

Astral Protection

A 20th level shieldbruiser has dedicated themselves wholly to the rigours of their vocation, and has been rewarded with the grace to intervene in dire moments. Whenever an ally loses enough hit points to lose consciousness the shieldbruiser summons an immense magical shield directly in front of the fallen ally. One side is golden, repels attacks and deals 1d8 radiant damage to non-allied creatures within a 25 foot arc pointing away from the glittering face of the shield. The other side is appointed with thick leather and furs and gives advantage on rolling death saves to all creatures within a 25 foot arc pointing away from its side of the shield. The magical shield lasts for 1d4 rounds, giving time for the injured party to move to safety. The shieldbruiser cannot use this ability again until the moon's phase shifts.

Disciplines

There are five distinct traditions within the shieldbruiser community. The first, the Discipline of the Wall, focuses on battlefield control and intense shield bashes in close combat, using their secondary shield to deflect attacks on their weak side. Discipline of the Spinning Blade adherents use their secondary shield as a throwing weapon, increasing their reach in combat. Those who follow the Discipline of Mindfulness are able to use their ki to heal and buff allies, and eschew the traditional tower shield of the order in favor of two light shields. Discipline Breakers can augment their melee fighting kit and excel at reversing attacks of opportunity against allies and moving creatures on the battlefield. Finally, Eldritch Disciples tap into reserves of their own life-force to protect allies and deal devastating teleportation-based sneak attacks.

Discipline of the Wall

Requires tower shield and kite shield.

It is said that smiths and warriors were gathered in a mead hall when the idea to create a new martial profession was first broached. Their idea was to heavily shield a warrior using the best materials money could buy, and send them into battle to confound their enemies. A stubborn streak among the warriors meant that this new order would use no weaponry, instead focusing on passive defense with a few good maneuvers. Eventually the noisier smiths in the faction successfully argued for some form of attack capability in adherent training after a squad of Wall disciples led by order founder Jules Markhaven were wiped out defending a monastery. While staying true to the ethos of the original order, Wall disciples soon shield spikes and began to focus more on shield bashing as an artform, thereby molding the order into the formidable attacking defenders that are now the iconic archetype when an image of a shieldbruiser comes to mind. However, the rumblings within the two founding factions of the Discipline of the Wall would never cease, and has so far resulted in two schisms.

Disciples of the Wall prefer to use their off-hand shield for melee attacks, relying on their peerless ability to quite literally leap into close-combat situations where protection from a tower shield is most important.

Armored Reflexes

Starting when you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you may add the AC bonus from your off-hand shield to your total AC. When an opponent fails a skill check or save within 5ft of you, you are able to roll for an attack of opportunity as a reflex action on that target using your off-hand shield. Successful attacks in this manner stun the target until the start of your next turn, in addition to normal damage effects.

Shield Spikes

When you reach 6th level your monastic order pools its resources and pays for the addition of spikes to your tower shield. From this point onward, whenever you use the Shield Bash feature you also deal piercing damage to the target equal to the current damage output of your off-hand shield + 1d4 bleeding damage for the rest of the encounter. If your target fails their Constitution save they must also make a Strength save or be skewered on the shield’s spikes.

Leap

Beginning at 11th level, you may spend a ki point to leap through the air, up to 15 feet away from your starting position. The force of your impact creates a small crater of ki energy that deals 1d6 magical damage to enemies within 5 feet for 1d4 rounds. You may spend additional ki points to increase the damage of the energy crater, in 1d6 increments per ki spent up to a maximum of 3d6; or you may spend additional ki to increase the radius of the crater, in increments of 5 feet per ki spent to a maximum of 15 feet. You can’t increase both damage and crater size at the same time. To use this feature again, you must finish a short rest. Using this feature does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Stunning Pirouette

From 17th level, whenever you use the Stunning Shieldstrike feature, you may spend an additional ki point to perform a pirouette attack that stuns all enemies within 5 feet. Doing so provokes an attack of opportunity for all enemies within the radius of this feature. The additional effects of Stunning Shieldstrike also apply to this feature.

Discipline of the Spinning Blade

Requires kite shield and buckler.

Raginar was a half-orc shieldbruiser in training but had a truly chaotic patience for the actual study involved. Growing frustrated with the usual parry, parry, thrust of training, Raginar lashed out and threw his buckler with unbridled fury, heedless of the safety of others. While no other trainees were hurt, everyone's favourite training dummy (affectionately known as Wilkins) was now the proud owner of a seven inch thick wound in its chest. During the inevitable investigation the admiration of other trainees for Raginar's skill quickly came to light, as the shield had been thrown with precision, it's arc was impressively stable, and had enough force behind it that several students swore that the shield had simply moved from hand to Wilkins as if it had teleported there. To his immense frustration, Raginar was promoted to the role of Instructor, doomed to attend classes for the rest of his tenure. What he built in the next forty seven years was an order so technically adept and rigorous in its training procedures that few ever come up through its ranks.

Disciples of the Spinning Blade don't mind taking hits for their allies, but back up their defensive ability with ranged abilities using their off-hand, throwing shield.

Shield Throw

Starting when you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you may use your off-hand shield as a throwing weapon. Doing so requires spending a ki point to imbue your off-hand shield with blades of ki energy around its outer edge, which must be done during a rest period. These blades last for a day, and converts all damage from your off-hand shield into slashing damage. Additionally, the shield magically returns through the air toward you at the end of your turn.

Ranged Pinning Strike

Beginning at 6th level, your throwing shield can be used as if it were using the Pinning Strike feature, effectively gaining the feature one level early (only for ranged attacks, however). Using this feature causes the throwing shield to pin a target by an extremity to a hard surface, during which your throwing shield will be unavailable for use. You must retrieve the shield yourself, rather than having it return to you automatically, by spending a ki point - after which your shield magically returns to you. Enemies pinned by Ranged Pinning Strike are unable to cast spells or attack with ranged and melee weapons for one round, after which they are free to retrieve the shield themselves.

Crescent Moon

When you reach 11th level your throwing shield becomes an extension of your indomitable will, and is capable of ricocheting against multiple enemies in a single throw. Before using your Attack action, roll 1d4. The throwing shield then travels between that many enemies, dealing full damage to its targets provided each strike succeeds its Attack roll. Afterward your shield magically returns toward you. Should the shield miss a potential target you must make a successful Dexterity check or the shield continues on its path until it clatters to the ground.

Baleful Shield

This feature becomes available at level 17 and provides the following benefits:

• Successful ranged attacks with your throwing shield deal an additional 1d6 bleeding damage.
• If your throwing shield successfully hits the maximum number of targets provided by your 1d4 roll, it deals 1d10 slashing damage to the final target.
• You may spend a ki point to instantly recall your throwing shield, even if it is pinning an enemy, from up to 60 feet away. If you do, your next Ranged Pinning Strike becomes a non-lethal bludgeoning attack that can stop wounds from bleeding and knocks out a wounded target for 1d6 rounds.

Discipline of Mindfulness

Requires two bucklers.

As it became apparent that a new profession was emerging in the warrior ranks, the monks who lived among them began to have ideas of their own. They taught some early shieldbruisers how to channel ki, quite against protocol, which angered high-ranked individuals in the governing theocracy. It soon became apparent however that these warriors were finding new ways to use ki, and anger among the monastic leaders turned to curiosity. Without the dedication to mindful meditation that monks themselves employ, shieldbruisers were never going to use ki as efficiently as their instructors, but those who stood out as particularly attuned began to turn to mental instruction quite naturally. These shieldbruisers became the first to refer to themselves as following the disciple of mindfulness. Ahdri Zaedr was an early adherent who discovered a way to passively regenerate ki without sacrificing martial ability. Set in their ways, the observing monks were initially wary of what they saw as reckless manipulation of an important life-force, but when the sky didn't fall in some divine act of retribution, the monks decided to keep their traditions and the emerging tenants of the shieldbrusiers two very separate realms of thought. For her insight Ahdri was made leader of the Discipline, a role she took to with great vigor until she was incapacitated in a freak turnip accident a mere 9 years into her tenure.

Disciples of Mindfulness rely on the speed of their attacks, therefore eschewing the usual heavier shields for lighter bucklers. They back up their offensive ability with useful ki-based options.

Flurry of Blows

When you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you gain the ability to perform a flurry of blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional strikes as a bonus action. Unlike the Monk feature of the same name, this feature does not require you to make those extra attacks as unarmed strikes.

Beseech

Starting at 6th level, you can spend a ki point to perform one of the following actions:

• (Heal) Heal an ally or willing creature for 1d8 + your Constitution modifier.
• (Buff) Imbue a target with a calming aura, adding 1d4 damage to every successful attack made by the target for 1d6 rounds.
• (Damage) Strike an area with a 10 foot wide column of ki energy, dealing 1d6 to all targets within range.

Temporality

Beginning at 11th level, you no longer have to complete a short or long rest to regain ki. Instead, you regenerate 1 ki point every hour. You may still complete a short or long rest to regain a bulk amount of ki points. In addition, every time you damage an enemy with a ki-based ability you have a 25% chance to instantly recover 1 ki point.

Serene Grace

Upon reaching 17th level, you regenerate 1d4 hit points every time you use a ki-based ability. Furthermore, whenever you buff an ally or willing creature using the Beseech feature you also gain the effects of the aura.

Discipline Breaker

Requires unique weapon, any medium and light shield.

There are some in the shieldbruiser community that think a little...differently. Known historically for breaking away from the adherents of the Wall, these warriors combine their peerless shieldcraft education with creative weapon augmentation. Perhaps the most vocal proponent of the initial idea doubles as the most famous of its order, Juniper Greensleeves, a member of the smith faction within the Discipline of the Wall that was growing restless with stuffy ideals of honour and tradition. Her great insight was recognising that tower shield training may be adapted so that the warrior carries a two-handed weapon with a medium or light shield. In the way most rabbitfolk imaginations tend to wander, Juniper eventually debuted a weapon that initially elicited sniggers. It was, in effect, a scaled-down sledgehammer with a drum attached on one side: and if that weren't silly enough, it was named the Sledgedrummer. To prove the validity of her theory, Juniper willingly walked into a practice ring with twenty men. As she calmly walked toward the center, onlookers noted the way she slung Sledgedrummer over her shoulder, so that her feet kicked the drum with bardic rythym. The 20-0 tally sheet did the hard "negotiating" for her. To this day, Breakers craft their own weapons in homage to their fearless founder.

Although the initial Breakers were shunned for their ways, they eventually proved themselves capable fighters and unfailing allies. It is joked that the Discipline Breakers rebelled only to find themselves become tradition anyway. Those now taking up the Discipline are schooled in unique methods of fighting that break combination strikes in opposing parties, while supporting those more fortification inclined.

Substitution

Beginning from 3rd level, when shieldbruisers choose this Discipline, they must spend at least a day cobbling together a weapon of their own design. The weapon may be of any type and size (except giant+), is considered exotic, and it must have a gimmick that may prove useful in a combat situation built into it. Exactly how this works is agreed upon during the weapon creation process with your game guide, but it may not deal extra damage, cause modifier penalties, or impose a necessary roll to overcome its effects. You must also name your weapon. You are proficient with this weapon, and only this weapon. You may not gain or retain additional weapons proficiency, even by multiclassing, and using any other weapon incurs disadvantage on all attack and weapon saving throws.

Activating your unique weapon's gimmick is a bonus action. In accordance with pre-arranged rules about your unique weapon and the manner in which it works mechanically, you may catch an attack of opportunity against an ally within 5ft and turn it around on the attacker instead. In effect, before the opponent's attack of opportunity resolves, you switch places with the targeted ally. The opponent then attempts their attack of opportunity against you instead. If you beat that roll, turn the attack of opportunity back on the target, dealing 2x weapon damage. Can only occur once per round, and you can't chain together responses to different opportunistic threats in this fashion.

Augmentation

At 6th level, your idle thoughts related to shield augmentation become a powerful impulse. You must spend at least a day cobbling together a shield augmentation of your own design. Exactly how this works is agreed upon during the augmentation creation process with your game guide, but it may not deal extra damage, cause modifier penalties, or impose a necessary roll to overcome its effects. A shield augmentation may be freely removed and attached to other shields, requiring half a day to perform this task. In addition, your unique weapon gains +1 enhancement score.

Activating the shield augmentation is a standard action. In accordance with pre-arranged rules about your shield augmentation and the manner in which it works mechanically, your shield expands, adds plating, exudes energy or otherwise shows a visual aid that an effect is occurring. For 1d6 rounds afterward you add 2 to your total AC. You may use a ki point to activate this ability as a reaction instead. This feature has a maximum of three charges per day, replenished on long rest.

Integration

From 11th level your technical insights begin to find common cause with insights metaphysical. You must spend at least a day cobbling together ki batteries of your own design. Exactly how these work is agreed upon during the battery creation process with your game guide, but it may not cause modifier penalties, or impose a necessary roll to overcome its effects. After this process is complete your unique weapon and shield augmentation each gain the ability to store up to 3 charges of ki to use later, taking one hour to absorb each reserved ki point. These extra charges can be used as a bonus action to imbue your next strike with kinetic energy, dealing an extra 1d10 lightning damage and knocking the target backward by 10ft.

In addition, your unique weapon gains +1 enhancement bonus and your shield augmentation unit confers a +1 enhancement bonus to your shield.

Adaptation

Upon reaching 17th level you gain new insight into the retaliatory arts. Whenever you move another creature in combat, interfere with the initiative order, or successfully dodge an incoming attack of opportunity, you gain an additional free attack of opportunity to use on nearby foes before the end of the turn. Any additional attacks of opportunity gained by this feature deal normal weapon damage.

In addition, your unique weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus and your shield augmentation confers a further +2 enhancement bonus to your shield.

Eldritch Disciples

Requires one shield of any type.

There once were just four disciplines within the shieldbruiser order, but all that changed the day that Wilkins attacked. Nobody is quite sure who cast the initial sorcery, only that it was long ago - Wilkins had sat as inanimate as you'd hope a target dummy to be, apparently observing the "training" being meted out to his vital targets. In the aftermath of his brutal assault some shieldbruisers openly wondered if the innovative techniques Wilkins employed might be adapted to their own skills, and thus commenced the second great schism from the Wall adherent ranks. Eldritch Disciples began to turn away from the ki-heavy skills of their peers, and started tapping into something much darker - their own vitality - to fuel their abilities. As a result most of these warriors appear haggard and ailing, and many have the disposition to match. For these warriors survival is everything, and they reserve the bulk of their power in the event an ally requires aid, or they can influence a fight decisively. They pay the toll, and do so gladly.

Eldritch Disciples use their shield defensively in order to cast touch magics with their main hand to support their allies and bring victory in battle. Though they have limited ki, they can sacrifice a hit dice to cast powerful spells. Wisdom is your spellcrafting attribute.

*Wilkins remains at large to this day.

The Bargain

Upon choosing to follow the path of the Eldritch Disciple you gain the ability to cast spells from a limited pool (see Eldritch Disciple spell list on the Shieldbruiser table). In order to cast a spell, you must first sacrifice 1 hit dice per spell level (meaning you do not have to expend hit dice to cast cantrips). All spells cast this way are instant, even if the spell information explicitly states a cast time - though duration effects remain. You recover hit dice on a long rest. All spells gained are considered shieldbruiser spells for you. You gain new spells every time your shieldbruiser level increases. You do not have spell slots - instead you may cast spells freely as long as you have the hit dice available to spend.

Fuel for the Fight

At 6th level you gain the ability to turn ki into life-force. The Eldritch Disciple can spend one ki point to restore 1 hit dice, or, spend one ki to gain 1d4-1 hit dice. A shieldbruiser taking the second riskier option may therefore never regain 4 hit dice in this manner, and may even fail the restoration attempt. Recycling ki in this manner is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity in combat. You can make as many attempts in a row as you wish, limited only by your current amount of available ki.

In addition, any time you make a melee attack with your shield, you have a 50% chance to regain one ki.

Endless Pain

When you attain 11th level, your magical skill has become efficient enough that you may now spend half of the required hit dice, rounded up, to cast spells. Furthermore, after casting any spell with a touch range against an opponent, you may follow up your spell with a Shield Bash as a bonus action. The bonus effects of Shield Bash also apply. Enemies stunned in this fashion are leeched of 1d6 hit points, which count as a temporary hit points. You can't restore hit dice in this manner. These temporary hit points last until lost in combat or until you complete a short or long rest.

Planar Rush

By the time you reach the 17th level, your knowledge of different planes of existence (having jumped through many while casting certain spells) becomes unparalleled. You gain +2 on History, Perception or Insight checks that specifically relate to extraplanar affairs. Additionally, whenever you emerge from a plane as the result of a movement spell, you are shrouded in planar fog for one round and your next melee or spell attack is a sneak attack. Only opponents with Truesight may see through your planar fog and avoid a sneak attack made against them. Successful sneak attacks restore 1d4-1 hit dice.

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