Juggernaut, Variant/Mashup (5e Class)

The Existence of Juggernauts

Juggernauts are not seen often in the land, but when they are, you know security and safeguarding are of a large concern. The way of juggernauts is not easily known and takes an astounding amount of training and a specific mind set in order to excel at the daunting tasks their path sets forth for them. Many times, Juggernauts are seen guarding royalty; whether it be a king and queen traveling the road to complete their next political duty, a prince traveling the land on his journey into knighthood, or a young princess having her evening stroll in the palace garden, you can be sure to see at least one Juggernaut in their company. Aside from these prestigious jobs, Juggernauts can be seen traveling with a band of mercenaries to serve as front line defenders, posted in and outside a wizard's tower keeping a watchful eye, and even finding their skills useful in the main hall of a thieves guild. No matter the situation, all these jobs have one think in common: a need for protection. That is the duty and sole purpose of a Juggernaut. Through years of training, chosen at any point in ones life, a Juggernaut's job of protecting is something they take very seriously and is almost never wasted. Sticking close to allies to act as their guarding shield is what they do best. Some Juggernauts would argue that the best defense is a good offense, whatever the case, a Juggernaut will fight until their dying breath to protect whatever they have been employed to do so.

Creating a Juggernaut

When creating a Juggernaut, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. Why did your character become a Juggernaut? Was it because they lost someone they once loved because they couldn't defend them and they have made it their life's purpose to protect anyone they can? Were you chosen at a young age by a duke to attend a Juggernaut academy to serve as his family's protector? Whatever the situation, you must also keep in mind the trials you had to endure while becoming a Juggernaut. Training is extensive and very brutal. It has to be in order for someone to mentally be prepared to use their body as a human shield if that is what has to be done to protect. Something else to think about is the style of Juggernaut you want to be. Do you want to be a Juggernaut that protects defensively or offensively? Why?

Quick Build

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

Class Features

As a Juggernaut you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: All armour, Shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial weapons
Tools: Smith's tools, Vehicles(land)
Saving Throws: Constitution, Strength
Skills: Choose 3 from: Athletics, History, Investigation, Insight, Perception, Survival, and Intimidation

Equipment

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

• (a) Scale Mail or (b) Chain Mail
• any Simple Melee Weapon and a Shield
• any Martial Melee Weapon
• (a) a Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) an Explorer's Pack

Table: The Juggernaut

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Resistance Training
2nd	+2	Fighting Style, Shield Bash
3rd	+2	Method of Protection
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Brick Wall
6th	+3	Dual Defender, Weapon of Choice
7th	+3	Extra Attack, Resistance Training Enhancement
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Quick Arrival, Brick Wall Enhancement
10th	+4	Protective Dash, Dizzy Punch
11th	+4	Defensive Expert, Resistance Training Enhancement
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Words of Guidance
14th	+5	Adaptive Armor, Legend's Weapon
15th	+5	Paint Tolerance
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Neutralize the Threat
18th	+6	Pain Tolerance Enhancement, Resistance Training Enhancement
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Unstoppable Might

Resistance Training

Beginning at 1st level, when you are hit by a weapon attack, you may use a reaction to gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

At 7th level, when you take damage, you may choose to instead gain resistance to all damage for 1 minute.

The number of times you can use this feature before rests increases to two at 11th level and three at 18th level.

Shield Expertise

Starting at level 1, you've learned how to maximize the efficiency of your shield. While using a shield, you have + 1AC.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options:

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Sword and Shield

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one-hand and a shield in the other, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. If you were to be hit by an attack you may use your reaction to gain a bonus to your AC equal to your half proficiency bonus, rounded up, until the end of your next turn.

Method of Protection

At 3rd level, you chose an archetype. Choose between Act of Defense or Act of Offense, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th.

Ability Score Increase

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.

Brick Wall

Starting at 5th level, you now have advantages on being knocked Prone. Once you reach level 9, you can no longer be knocked Prone and have advantage on attempts made to Grapple against you.

Extra Attack

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to take an extra attack action on each of your turns instead of just attacking once.

Resistance Training enhancement.

Quick Arrival

Starting at 9th level, your movement speed increases by 10 feet. Your movement speed is no longer affected by difficult terrain and you do not provoke opportunity attacks from enemies.

Brick Wall enhancement.

Defensive Expert

Starting at 11th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution or Strength saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Resistance Training enhancement.

Words of Guidance

Starting at 13th level, you may use your action to perform a rally call, giving all allies within 30 feet advantage on their next saving throw.

Pain Tolerance

Starting at 15th level, when a creature lands an attack on you successfully, you may roll 1d6 and add your Constitution modifier to it. You may reduce the damage taken by this amount. This effect increases to 1d12 at 18th level.

Neutralize the Threat

Starting at 17th level, you attempt to subdue an enemy by knocking them out. Using your action, you may make a non-lethal attack against an enemy. The creature must make a constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier or be knocked out. This attack deals no damage, but renders the enemy completely incapacitated for at least an hour. After an hour, the creature may attempt to make a constitution saving throw where the DC is equal to 20. If they fail, they must wait another hour before attempting to make the save again. This repeats until the creature succeeds or 8 hours have passed. Taking damage does not wake the creature up. You may do this once before needing to complete a long rest.

Enhancements

At 18th level you gain Pain Tolerance enhancement and Resistance Training enhancement.

Unstoppable Might

Starting at 20th level, your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4 to a maximum of 24. If already at or above 24, then this has no effect. (Magic items do not count toward the maximum.)

Act of Defense

As a Juggernaut that follows the Act of Defense, you focus all of your defensive ideas into your shield and protecting those arounds you. You prepare yourself for incoming attacks from the enemy and anticipate their hostile movements made toward you and your allies.

Dual Defender

Starting at 3rd level, you now gain the ability to dual wield shields. In addition, your shield bash attack now does 1d8 bludgeoning damage + your Strength modifier and you add your Strength modifier to attacks made with way using a bonus action. Wielding an additional shield this way grants you a +1 bonus to your AC.

Protective Dash

Starting at 6th level, when an enemy makes an attack on a friendly creature within a distance equal to your movement speed, you may use your reaction to dash to the friendly and impose disadvantage on the attack. You can do this a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus before needing to complete a long rest to do it again.

Spiked Barricade

Starting at 10th level, you may take your shields to a black smith and have them altered to incorporate spikes into your shield or add them yourself if proficient in blacksmithing tools. The cost of this operation is up to your DM. Adding spikes to your shield adds an additional 1d4 piercing damage to your attacks made with your shields.

Adaptive Armor

Starting at 14th level, dual wielding shields now provides and additional +1 to your AC, as well as grants a +1 bonus AC to all allies within 5 feet of you. Your shields also count as magical weapons for the purpose of determining damage type and overcoming resistances.

Act of Offense

As a Juggernaut that follows the Act of Offense, your primary goal is to defend yourself and the ones around you by attacking before enemies get a chance to do any real damage. By going on the offensive, you give your allies the chance to act how they see fit by preoccupying your enemies.

Weapon of Choice

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to wield two-handed weapons in one hand but can only wield one at a time when doing so. You may select a two-handed weapon of your choice and attune to it. Attuning to it gives it a +1 to hit and a +1 in damage but DOES NOT make it a magical weapon. Attuning to it allows you to summon it as a bonus action so long as the weapon is on the same plane of existence. You may switch your attunement to another weapon but doing so will destroy the previous weapon you were attuned to.

Dizzy Punch

Starting at 6th level, you gain advantage on all initiative rolls and also get to add your Proficiency bonus to the roll. Additionally, when you make an attack for the first time on each of your turns, you may use your bonus action to target a creature within 5 feet of you and make an unarmed strike with your offhand that is holding a shield. A successful hit stuns the creature until the beginning of your next turn.

Smack Talk

Starting at 10th level, as an action, you may shout distracting and hurtful insults at your enemies to draw their attention. Doing so will give disadvantage to all enemies’ attacks within 30 feet of you that are not made against you until they succeed in a Wisdom Saving Throw equal to 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Constitution Modifier. You can do this a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier before needing to take a long rest.

Legend’s Weapon

Starting at 14th level, the two-handed weapon you are attuned to is now a +2 magical weapon in addition to any other affects it has. This weapon also gains a throwing distance of 30/60 and will return to you at the beginning of your next turn regardless of summoning it.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites.

To qualify for multiclassing into the Juggernaut class, you must meet these prerequisites: at least a 15 in constitution and a 13 in strength, as well as creature size medium or larger.

Proficiencies.

When you multiclass into the Juggernaut class, you gain the following proficiencies: all armors, as well as a martial weapon of your choice.

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