Defender (5e Class)

This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: Almost no class page is in a finished state when it is first posted. For guidance, see the 5e Class Design Guide.

You can help D&D Wiki by finishing and/or adding flavor to this page. When the flavor has been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand the idea behind this page please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits.
Edit this Page | All stubs

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: None
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills:

Equipment

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

(a) Chain mail or (b) Leather armor
(a) An herbalism kit or (b) Smith's tools
A shield
If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 × 10 in funds.

Table: The Defender
Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Shield Bash
1st	+2	Guardian, Shield Expertise	1d6
2nd	+2	Assault Absorption	1d6
3rd	+2	Defensive Focus	1d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
5th	+3	Unshakable Defense	1d8
6th	+3	Aura of Protection	1d8
7th	+3	Defensive Focus feature	1d10
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
9th	+4	Enhanced Shield	1d10
10th	+4	Defensive Focus feature	1d12
11th	+4	Overflowing Vitality	1d12
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
13th	+5	Vanguard	2d8
14th	+5	Unseen Guard	2d8
15th	+5	Defensive Focus feature	2d8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	2d10
17th	+6	—	2d10
18th	+6	Defensive Focus feature	2d10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	2d12
20th	+6	—	2d12

Guardian

You are adept with the defensive arts, granting a plethora of benefits. Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Constitution score. Whenever your defender level increases, you gain additional maximum hit points equal to your Constitution score. Additionally, when you are successfully attacked, the result of each damage die is reduced by an amount equal to your defender level, to a minimum of 0 (e.g. a 5th-level defender is attacked for 2d12 damage. The first die rolls a 7, which is reduced to 2. The second die rolls a 10, which is reduced to 5).

Furthermore, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Beginning at 10th level, you gain resistance to all damage types.

Shield Expertise

You are masterful with your shield; it is the only tool you require in combat. Whilst using a shield, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class, as well as to all saving throws, equal to your defender level. Additionally, you can strike with your shield, the damage of which is contingent upon your defender level, as displayed under the Shield Bash column of the Defender table. The typical shield inflicts bludgeoning damage; a spiked shield or bladed shield may inflict other damage types.

Furthermore, you can utilise Shield Arts, which are special techniques that can only be utilised whilst wielding a shield. Some of your shield arts require a saving throw. The DC for these saving throws equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. You learn the following shield arts:

Displacement

As an action, you attempt to push a creature within 5 feet with your shield. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push them back up to an amount of feet equal to your defender level × your Strength modifier, rounded to the nearest number divisible by 5 (e.g. 12 feet becomes 10 feet, 18 feet becomes 20 feet, etc.). On a successful save, they are pushed back up to 5 feet.

Great Shield Strike

You exert your energy to unleash a vicious shield bash. When you successfully hit a creature with your shield, you can add a number of damage dice equal to your defender level. Additionally, the foe must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are stunned until the end of their next turn.

Protector's Shout

As an action, you raise your shield and lure your adversaries, forcing creatures of your choice that can see or hear you to make Wisdom saving throws. Creatures that can see and hear you suffer disadvantage on their saving throws. On a failed save, they cannot move towards creatures other than yourself, and they cannot direct attacks, spells, features, or effects towards creatures other than yourself. Amidst the duration, you have advantage on all saving throws. These effects remain for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier, or until you disable it as a bonus action. A creature that passes the saving throw is unaffected.

Interposition

You defend an ally from harm. When a creature within an amount of feet equal to or less than your movement speed is attacked, you can force the attack to target you instead as a reaction. You are moved to the nearest space within 5 feet of the defended creature upon doing so. Should the total attack roll fail to exceed your Armor Class, the attack fails as normal.

You can utilise your shield arts a combined total of times equal to your defender level + your Constitution modifier, regaining all expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

Assault Absorption

You are capable of storing any damage sustained to be unleashed in a burst of vengeful energy. Beginning at 2nd level, you gain a damage stockpile. Whenever you suffer damage, you add the amount of damage reduced by your Guardian feature to your stockpile. As an action, you can unleash this stored energy in a 30-foot cone in front of you. Creatures of your choice within range suffer an amount of force damage equal to the amount of damage stockpiled. This damage cannot be reduced or nullified by any means. Upon utilising this feature, your damage stockpile returns to 0, and you cannot utilise this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Defensive Focus

The defenders are powerful alone, but the most powerful individuals learn the techniques of their predecessors as well. At 3rd level, you chose a focus. Choose between the Divine Knight, the Dark Knight, and the Grand Guardian, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

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.

Unshakable Defense

An imperfect offense will utterly fail to harm you. Beginning at 5th level, whenever you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a saving throw to suffer half damage, you instead suffer no damage or effects on a successful save, or half damage on a failed save.

Additionally, should you pass a saving throw that targets an area, such as a dragon's breath weapon or the fireball spell, creatures of your choice within the area automatically pass their saving throws and suffer no damage.

Aura of Protection

You exude the essence of defense, calming the mind and body of others. Beginning at 6th level, you and friendly creatures within 30 feet become immune to the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralysed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, and stunned conditions, as well as to the effects of exhaustion.

Enhanced Shield

Your mastery over the shield has displayed further progression. Beginning at 9th level, creatures hit by your shield must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + the damage dealt. On a failed save, they are knocked prone.

Additionally, whilst wielding your shield, you gain the following benefits:

Opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage.
You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If you already had advantage, you roll three dice and select the highest.
You cannot be knocked prone.
When you take the Dash action, you become immume to the penalties from difficult terrain for the duration of the movement.

Furthermore, you learn the following shield arts:

Thunderous Shield

As an action, you strike your shield with incredible force, creating a booming sound that forces all creatures within 300 feet that can hear you to make Constitution saving throws. On a failed save, they suffer 8d8 thunder damage and become deafened for 1 minute. Additionally, they become dizzy, forcing them to expend 2 feet of movement for every foot they move, as well as imposing disadvantage on their attack rolls. On a successful save, they suffer no effects. You can order any amount of creatures within the radius to cover their ears, causing them to automatically pass the saving throw.

Perfect Guard

As a bonus action, you assume a faultless defensive stance. For 1 minute, you gain a +5 bonus to your Armor Class. Additionally, whenever a creature unsuccessfully attacks you, they gain one level of exhaustion.

Parry

You can deflect the foe's attack with a swift movement. When you are subjected to an attack roll, ypu can cause the attack to automatically fail as a reaction. Upon doing so, you can immediately make one attack against the creature with your shield if they are within 5 feet of you. Any creatures within 5 feet of the target can also make one attack against them as a reaction. If you parry a ranged attack, the attack is deflected back at the attacker, targeting their Armor Class with the same attack roll.

Overflowing Vitality

Your supply of energy is beginning to grow drastically. Beginning at 11th level, you no longer suffer the effects of exhaustion.

Additionally, upon obtaining this feature, your hit point maximum is doubled.

Vanguard

You are swift to defend your allies against impending danger. Beginning at 13th level, your initiative rolls are treated as though they rolled their maximum value.

Unseen Guard

Those under your protection cannot be harmed. Beginning at 14th level, when a creature within 30 feet of you is damaged, you can choose to suffer the damage in their stead, no action required.