Guardian
A human chants a quick prayer to heal his wounded ally as he diverts the ogre's club with his shield.
The flow of an avalanche is diverted by one lone figure, bearing the wrath of nature to protect the village below.
Over the treetops, a goliath is plummeting to earth like a meteor, the unfortunate troll in her grasp gazing in fear as the ground rushes towards them.
Over the throng of battle, an orc barks orders, his allies moving to the perfect positions to control the flow of battle.
Guardians strive to protect, regardless of who they may travel with. They may divert blows with a shield, lock enemies down with their might, or bring forth the divine, but they are all guardians just the same.
Guiding Hands
Throughout the lands, stories are often told of heroes and their legendary feats. Tales of mortals taking down mighty dragons, overthrowing evil overlords, and sometimes challenging the gods themselves. The subjects of these stories can vary greatly. Powerful warriors, cleaving even mighty dragons in twain. Great sages, their robes flowing in the wind as they weave powerful magics to shape the world around them. Cunning rogues, infiltrating the most secure fortresses. But one figure that is always present on the edges of these tales is the guardian, the figure that protects and nurtures the heroes so that they may be able to accomplish their goal. They will rarely be spoken of with the same splendor and fascination as the heroes they raise, but their names will always be mentioned, and most are content with that.
Defenders at Heart
Though the way that guardians keep their allies can vary greatly, they are always driven by a strong desire to protect. Some may channel the divine to heal the injuries they cannot prevent, others may learn to develop cunning tactics to keep their allies out of harm’s way, and others still will stop their enemies with sheer might and force of will. The caliber of a guardian is determined by the strength of their bonds to others, whether they connect with the members of their group or just those outside that they interact with. Guardians can work with the forces of both good and evil, though they will always share one ideal: to protect what’s important.
Creating a Guardian
As you create your guardian, keep in mind how your character relates to those around them and what strives them to go to such lengths to keep them safe. Do they have a family they wish to protect at all costs? Did they make a mistake that cost them greatly, and they wish to make amends for their folly? Or do they wish to keep those around them safe for their own means?
Guardians are rarely found by themselves. After all, they exist to protect, and there's little to protect when you're by yourself. They find the people they want to protect, and keep by their side often through even the toughest of times. A guardian's true intentions can sometimes be difficult to discern, but their allies know that they will be kept safe so long as they stick together.
Quick Build
You can make a guardian quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Constitution your highest ability score. Make Wisdom your next highest if you plan to take the Divine Bulwark philosophy, otherwise make Strength or Dexterity your next highest depending on your preferred weapon. Then, select the Folk Hero or Soldier background.
Guardian Multiclassing
Should you wish to multiclass with a guardian, the prerequisites and proficiencies gained are listed below.
Guardian Multiclass Prerequisites
Ability Score Minimum: Constitution 13
Guardian Multiclassing Proficiencies
Proficiencies Gained: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, and shields
The Guardian
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Imposing Presence |
2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, With Me! |
3rd | +2 | Guiding Philosophy |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
6th | +3 | Deep Breaths |
7th | +3 | Guiding Philosophy Feature |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
9th | +4 | Retributive Strike |
10th | +4 | Oppressive Presence |
11th | +4 | Guiding Philosophy Feature |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
13th | +5 | Defender's Instinct |
14th | +5 | Infallible Loyalty |
15th | +5 | Fortifying Will |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
17th | +6 | Guiding Philosophy Feature |
18th | +6 | Defender's Instinct Improvement |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
20th | +6 | Impervious Bastion |
Class Features
As a Guardian, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d12 per guardian level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per guardian level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple melee weapons, martial melee weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- a martial melee weapon and a shield
- (a) two handaxes or (b) any simple melee weapon
- (a) scale mail or (b) chain mail
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
Imposing Presence
Through dealing with the many issues you’ve faced, you have learned to draw the ire of your enemies away from your allies. When you deal damage to a creature within your reach, you may choose to mark that creature until the end of your next turn. While it is within your reach, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on all attack rolls against creatures other than you. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated, if you die, or if another creature marks the same creature with this effect or any other similar effect, such as the Cavalier’s Unwavering Mark.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you’ve honed your ability to protect those around you. You gain the Interception fighting style. If you already have this Fighting Style from another source, then you can choose to replace that fighting style with another fighting style from the options you were given.
Interception
When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within your reach with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
With Me!
Protecting your allies means more than just diverting blows, so you’ve learned how to make yourself useful regardless of the situation. Starting at 2nd level, whenever you take the Help action or an ally takes the Help action to assist you, and the attempted check is not an attack roll, you grant a bonus to the roll equal to your proficiency bonus.
Guiding Philosophy
At 3rd level, you choose to follow a philosophy that shapes how you defend your allies and keep them from harm. The available guiding philosophies are detailed at the end of the class description, and your chosen philosophy grants you additional features at 7th, 11th, and 17th 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. If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Deep Breaths
When you reach 6th level, you’ve learned to take a quick moment to catch your breath and recuperate, even in the midst of a fight. On your turn you may use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
Retributive Strike
Beginning at 9th level, you’ve learned to admonish your foes with the same swing used to protect your allies. When you use the reaction granted by the Interception fighting style, you may also make an opportunity attack against the attacking creature as part of the same reaction.
Oppressive Presence
Once you reach 10th level, your presence is so fearsome that enemies have trouble focusing. Your allies have advantage on any saving throws against effects originating from a target you have marked with Imposing Presence while it remains within your reach.
Defender’s Instinct
At 13th level, you’ve learned to keep yourself vigilant, allowing you to defend your allies more often. You gain an additional reaction at the start of each of your turns that can only be used for the Interception fighting style and opportunity attacks.
Infallible Loyalty
Starting at 14th level, your bond between you and your allies is unbreakable. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself and to avoid or end any effects that compel you to take actions against your will, such as Command. If such an effect compels you to harm one of your allies, you may immediately attempt another saving throw against the effect.
Fortifying Will
When you calm yourself during a fight, you can steel your resolve to take even more punishment. Starting at 15th level, whenever you use your Deep Breaths feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
Defender’s Instinct Improvement
At 19th level, you gain an additional reaction for your Incredible Reflexes feature (granting you two additional reactions total from the feature).
Impervious Bastion
At 20th level, you’ve become as sturdy as a mountain. You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class, and your Constitution score increases by 4, as does your maximum for that score.
Guiding Philosophies
Though guardians all share an ultimate goal, the way that they accomplish it can vary greatly. Most simply choose an ideal for themselves and strive to embody it in their daily lives, though there are some who seek to teach their ways to those less experienced, so that the future can continue to be kept safe.
Philosophy of the Divine Bulwark
Among the ranks of guardians, there exist a few capable of genuine miracles. Shapers of divine magic, the philosophy of the divine bulwark is more often than not a case of being chosen by it, and not the other way around. Divine bulwarks are those so devoted to their cause that their sheer desire to protect can shape the mystical forces of the world, healing grave wounds and calling forth divine light, much like priests and clerics.
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, your will to protect has grown so strong that you learned to channel it and cast spells as a cleric does.
Cantrips. You two cantrips of your choice from the cleric list. You learn an additional cleric cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Preparing and Casting Spells. The Divine Bulwark Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your cleric spells. To cast one of your cleric spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of cleric spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the cleric spell list. When you do so, choose a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + one third of your guardian level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and must belong to either the abjuration or evocation schools of magic.
For example, if you are a 7th-level guardian, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells, generally in the form of an emblem emblazoned on your shield.
Bulwark Spells. At 3rd level, you select one 1st-Level spell of your choice from the cleric spell list to gain as a bulwark spell. Once you gain a bulwark spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
You gain an additional Bulwark spell at 8th, 14th, and 20th level, choosing from the cleric spells for which you have spell slots. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of your bulwark spells with another spell from the cleric list that you would have been able to select at the time you gained the bulwark spell being replaced.
Divine Bulwark Spellcasting
Guardian Level ─Spell Slots ─ |
Cantrips Known |
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3rd | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
4th | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
5th | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
6th | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
7th | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
8th | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
9th | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
10th | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
11th | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
12th | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
13th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
14th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
15th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
16th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
17th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
18th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
19th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
20th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Keeper of Life
Starting at 3rd level, you’ve learned to protect your allies from even the greedy pull of death. You learn the Spare the Dying cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of cleric cantrips you know. For you, it has a range of 30 feet, and you can cast it as a bonus action.
Additionally, when you reach 13th level in this class, you gain the spell Revivify as a bulwark spell. Unlike your other bulwark spells, you cannot replace this spell when you gain a level in this class.
Blessings of the Protector
At 7th level, you’ve developed a greater affinity for healing magic. Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to half of your guardian level, rounded down.
Additionally, when you use your Deep Breaths feature, you can choose one ally within 60 feet of you to regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier, provided that they can see or hear you.
Divine Retribution
Starting at 11th level, you can weave magic with the same motions used to protect your allies from harm. When you use the reaction granted by the Interception fighting style, you may cast a spell as part of the same reaction instead of using your Retributive Strike feature. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action or bonus action, and must target only either the attacking creature or the creature being attacked.
Gift of Life
At 17th level, your affinity for healing magic has grown so strong that it practically overflows. When you restore hit points to a creature using a spell, choose one creature within 30 feet of you not already affected by the spell. That creature regains the same amount of hit points from the spell.
Additionally, if you cast a spell, such as Revivify, which has the sole effect of restoring a creature to life (but not undeath), you don’t need material components to cast the spell.
Philosophy of the Vanguard
The vanguard’s philosophy is one of the more common amongst guardians, and for good reason. Vanguards can be found all over, from simple soldiers in the ranks of an army to great steel-clad heroes stopping entire hordes of monsters single-handedly. Vanguards appear to their enemies as an impassable wall, and many who have seen them in action attest that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with.
Fighting Style
When you select this philosophy at 3rd level, you gain the Defense fighting style:
Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Defensive Armaments
At 3rd level, you learn to grit your teeth and face adversity head on. While wearing heavy armor, you may use your Constitution modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier for Dexterity saving throws against any effects that would deal damage to you.
Stalwart Front
Starting at 7th level, you can impede the movement of your enemies to further protect those behind you. All enemies moving through your reach must spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot they move.
Halting Retribution
Starting at 11th level, the force of your blows is enough to stop your enemies in their tracks. When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.
Ceaseless Vigilance
The battlefield is in constant motion, but you stand strong and ensure that not a single enemy slips through your grasp. Beginning at 11th level, creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach.
Faultless Defense
At 17th level, your fortitude can shrug off all manner of effects. Your Defensive Armaments feature now applies to all Dexterity saving throws, not just ones made against damaging effects.
Immortal Aegis
At 17th level, you become an impenetrable fortress. While wearing heavy armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and whenever you would take any damage, reduce the damage you take by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier.
Philosophy of the Wrestler
The wrestler’s philosophy is one of constant and intense physical training. Their bodies serve them more effectively than any armor or weapons ever could, and they are determined to show that might to the world. Heaving beasts around two times their size or more like sacks of flour, they stop enemies in their tracks with their muscles alone.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Athletics. If you already have proficiency in Athletics, you instead gain proficiency in another skill of your choice.
Fighting Style
When you select this philosophy at 3rd level, you gain the Unarmed Fighting fighting style.
Special: When you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you may ignore the requirement of wielding a shield or melee weapon for the Interception fighting style granted by this class at 2nd level. You must still have a hand free to use the reaction, unless the attacking creature is currently grappled by you.
Unarmed Fighting Style. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d8 becomes a d10. When you successfully grapple or shove a creature, and at the start of your turn when you have a creature grappled, you can deal bludgeoning damage to that creature equal to your Strength modifier.
Muscular Fortitude
When you choose the wrestler philosophy at 3rd level, you hone your body to serve you better than any armor could. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. Additionally, your walking speed increases by 5 feet while you are not wearing armor.
Titanic Strength
At 7th level, your strength is superhuman. You can grapple and shove creatures up to two sizes larger than you, and you may attempt to grapple creatures larger than that with altered effects: if you successfully grapple a creature that would be too large for you to do so normally, you latch on to it and impede its movement, but do not halt it completely. While you are latched on to the creature, its movement speed is halved.
Mystical Physique
Starting at 7th level, your body is such an effective tool that it seems almost magical to the untrained eye. You gain a +1 bonus to your attack rolls and damage with your unarmed strikes, and they count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. This bonus increases as you gain levels in this class, increasing to +2 at 11th level, and +3 at 17th level.
Retributive Hold
Beginning at 11th level, you’ve learned how to ensure that your enemies can never escape your grasp. you hit a creature with an opportunity attack using an unarmed strike, you may choose to not deal damage with the attack to instead grapple the creature, as if you had used the grapple action and succeeded.
Herculean Strength
At 17th level, your muscles are so well-honed that your physical prowess far surpasses the limits of mortals. Your jump distance is tripled, and you can grapple and shove creatures up to three sizes larger than you.
Finishing Touch
At 17th level, you have developed your own special technique for ending fights with a flourish. Choose one of the options from the list below. Each of the techniques requires one action to use, and you must have a creature grappled to use them. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.
Heavens-to-Hells Pile Driver. Leaping into the air with unparalleled might, you give your enemy a beautiful view before filling their vision with dirt as you plunge back to the ground. Choose one creature grappled by you. You may choose to move the creature you have grappled up to your jumping distance. Each creature within 10 feet of the creature (including the creature itself, but excluding yourself) must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 10d6 force damage, taking half as much on a success, and if they would be underneath the creature (usually because of the initial movement), they are moved to the nearest unoccupied space. The grappled creature has disadvantage on this saving throw, and the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. After this action, the target is knocked prone and is no longer grabbed, and you land in any unoccupied space adjacent to the creature, or the closest unoccupied space if all adjacent spaces are occupied.
Soul-Rending Suplex. Hoisting your foe and arching your back, you bring them down with such incredible force that you nearly sever whatever forces bind them to reality. Choose one creature grappled by you. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw, with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failure, the target takes 10d10 force damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn, and on a success the target takes half damage and is not stunned.
Orbital Toss. Spinning your foe around rapidly, you release to send them flying off, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Choose one creature you have grappled, and throw it 60 feet in a direction of your choice, with the movement stopping upon collision with a significantly sturdy surface. Upon reaching the end of this movement, the creature takes 6d6 force damage, or 6d10 if it collides with a surface. All creatures whose space it passes through must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier, taking 6d6 force damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.
Philosophy of the Warlord
Warlords are guardians who have learned that the safest place on a battlefield is ever-changing. To truly protect their allies, they issue orders constantly, ensuring that their allies are constantly on the move, and never too close to danger. They often seem strict and oppressive at a glance, but in truth they can be just as warm and caring as any other guardian. The battlefield demands order though, and they are determined to keep it.
Fighting Style
When you select this philosophy at 3rd level, you gain the Superior Technique fighting style.
Superior Technique. You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Commanding Presence
Starting at 3rd level, you’ve learned to direct your allies to be out of harm’s way. When you mark a creature with your Imposing Presence feature or strike a creature you had already marked with a melee weapon attack, you can choose one ally within 60 feet of you that can see or hear you. That ally can use their reaction to immediately move up to half their speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.
Tactical Assessment
At 7th level, you’ve gained a wealth of experience on the battlefield, allowing you to quickly determine a threat’s capabilities. As a bonus action, choose one creature within 60 feet of you. You immediately learn two pieces of information of your choice about that creature:
- Any damage resistances and vulnerabilities it has
- Any damage and condition immunities it has
- If it is inferior, superior, or equal to you in any one of the following of your choice (can select multiple times):
- One chosen ability score (can select multiple times)
- Armor Class
- Current Hit Points
- Total Class Levels (if any)
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest. Once you use this feature against a creature, you cannot use it against any creatures with the same name until the next dawn.
Improved Technique
Through constant training, your martial prowess has improved. At 11th level, you learn an additional maneuver for your Superior Technique fighting style, and your superiority die increases from a d6 to a d8. Additionally, you can choose to replace the maneuver you learned initially with another maneuver.
Debilitating Retribution
You’ve learned to strike your enemies weak points and draw their attention even further, leaving openings for your allies. Starting at 11th level, when you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, your allies have advantage on attack rolls against it until the start of its next turn, as long as it’s within your reach.
Supreme Technique
At 17th level, you’ve improved your techniques even further. You learn a third maneuver for your Superior Technique fighting style, your superiority die increases from a d8 to a d10, and you gain an additional superiority die. You can also choose to replace one of the maneuvers you know with a different one.
Impeccable Command
The battlefield is in a constant state of change, and you strive to ensure your allies are always exactly where they need to be. Starting at 17th level, when you use your Commanding Presence feature, they can move up to their full speed, instead of only half, and can make one melee or ranged weapon attack at any point during the movement as part of the same reaction.
Credits
I would like to give a shout out to Tyler Machado, Ted Blake, and Daniel Abes, who I consulted for many of the decisions I made while making this class. Secondly, none of this art is my own, and I do not claim credit for any of it. If you are curious as to the original sources, here is where I found each of them. If I used your art, and found it posted by someone else, who may have posted it without your consent, I apologize.
Page 1: Versus posted by Andeavenor
Page 2: Armor Sword HD Wallpaper posted by ShuOuma
Page 3: 황금펀치 by Wan Young Yun
Page 4: king of flame by Nguy Ngan
Page 5: Unknown by Ritchie Ramirez
Page 7: Unknown (Could not find a link outside of pinterest, even with google reverse image search)
List of Changes Made to Existing Material
- Interception fighting style trigger changed from “When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack” to “When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within your reach with an attack”
- Unarmed fighting style damage die changed from d6/d8 to d8/d10, Strength modifier added to grapple damage, and grapple damage applies when you initially grapple/shove a creature as well as at the start of your turns
Version History
- 1.0: Released
- 1.1: Wording on With Me! changed from "and you are attempting an ability check and not an attack roll" to "and the attempted check is not an attack roll", and the word "gain" changed to "grant". Moved ally healing with Deep Breaths from Warlord's Shared Resolve to Divine Bulwark's Blessings of the Protector and lowered the number of affected allies from 2 to 1. Warlord's 7th level feature changed from Shared Resolve to Tactical Assessment.
- 1.2: Wording on Imposing Presence changed from "When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack" to "When you deal damage to a creature within your reach" to allow it to work with non-attack forms of damage (primarily cantrips, to help Divine Bulwark's available options)