Changelog:
Version 1.6:
- Reworded a number of abilities to be dependent on Hunker Down
Aegis
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Shrug Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Hunker Down, Shrug Off | 1d6 |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style | 2d6 |
| 3rd | +2 | Aegis Order | 3d6 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4d6 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Entrench/Sellsword | 5d6 |
| 6th | +3 | Order Feature | 6d6 |
| 7th | +3 | Swing into Action | 7d6 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 8d6 |
| 9th | +4 | Power Through | 9d6 |
| 10th | +4 | Order Feature | 10d6 |
| 11th | +4 | Warcry | 11d6 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 12d6 |
| 13th | +5 | Undying | 13d6 |
| 14th | +5 | Order Feature | 14d6 |
| 15th | +5 | Unflinching | 15d6 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 16d6 |
| 17th | +6 | Unyielding | 17d6 |
| 18th | +6 | Tower Shield | 18d6 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 19d6 |
| 20th | +6 | Perfect Defense | 20d6 |
Aegis Features
As an Aegis, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d12 per Aegis level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 or 7 + your Constitution modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor: All armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
- Tools: Smith's Tools
- Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Intimidation, Athletics, Persuasion, Medicine, and Arcana
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- A shield and a martial weapon
- (a) 5 javelins or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) Chain mail or (b) scale mail
- (a) a Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) an Explorer's pack
Shrug Off
You gain a pool of Shrug Off dice determined by the classes Shrug Off table. When you take damage while under the effects of Hunker Down, you may use your reaction and spend one or more Shrug Off dice. For each Die spent in this way, you roll the die and lessen the damage taken by an amount equal to the total (to a minimum of 0 damage). You regain spent Shrug Off Dice upon finishing a Short or Long Rest.
Hunker Down
While you are wearing medium or heavy armor, or wielding a shield, you may use your action to adopt a defensive stance. While in this state, your walking speed is reduced by half, and your other speeds are reduced to 0, you gain advantage on checks and saves vs being moved against your will, as well as against the grappled and restrained conditions. Additionally, adjacent allies gain your shield bonus if they do not already have one themself. this effect ends early if you are knocked Unconscious. You can also end this effect on your turn as a Bonus Action.
Fighting Style
Starting at 2nd Level, You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
- Interceptor: When a creature you can see hits a target that is within 5 feet of you 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.
- Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- 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.
Aegis Order
Aegises are considered to be elite protectors, and are generally aligned with one of many orders, two of which are the Warlord, and the Arcane Defender. Your chosen order grants you abilities at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th 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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Entrench
Starting at 5th level, you may pick either this feature or Sellsword, you may ignore the two handed property of weapons, and may treat any attack made with a weapon that has the versatile property as if you used two hands. Additionally, when you roll initiative you may chose to enter Hunker Down, or you may enter it on your turn as an Action as usual.
Sellsword
Beginning at 5th level you may pick either this feature or Entrench, when targeted by an attack and wielding a shield in each hand, you may use your reaction and spend one Shrug Off Die to benefit from both shield bonuses instead of just one until the start of your next turn.
Additionally, for you shields count as martial weapons with the light property that deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage. You may also add additional shield bonuses (+1, +2, +3) to attack and damage rolls made with your shields.
Swing into Action
Starting at 7th level, when you use your action to Hunker Down you may use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack
Power Through
Starting at 9th level, when you take are hit with an attack, you may use your reaction to spend and roll 1 Shrug Off Dice. Make a single weapon attack against the attacker if they are within range, and add the number rolled to the attack roll
Warcry
Starting at 11th level, you may let forth a distracting war cry to draw attention to yourself. As a Bonus Action, creatures of your choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC = 8 + Your Prof Bonus + your CON Mod) and on a failed save they have disadvantage attacking creatures other than you until the start of your next turn.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain spent uses at the end of a long rest.
Undying
Starting at 13th level and when under the effects of Hunker Down, when you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can spend 2 Shrug Off dice and drop to 1 hit point instead.
Unflinching
At 15th Level, while under the effects of Hunker Down you gain Advantage on checks and saves against the Stunned and Paralyzed conditions. Additionally, while Stunned or Paralyzed you may still take Actions and Reactions that involve attack rolls, and you have Disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity Saving Throws instead of automatically failing them.
Unyielding
Beginning at 17th level, you may move through hostile creatures spaces at will regardless of creature size and with no movement penalty. You still cannot end your turn in their space.
Tower Shield
Beginning at 18th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw, and are under the effects of Hunker Down, you may use your reaction and spend 2 Shrug Off Dice to protect yourself from the effect, creating 5x5 feet of full cover from it facing the origin of the effect. (this will protect you and allies behind you from effects such as lightning bolt or some Breath Weapons, but not effects that spread around corners)
Perfect Defenses
Starting at 20th level, when you would take damage, you may use your reaction to become immune to all damage until the end of the current turn.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Aegis Order
Different aegises hone in on different techniques depending on what order they are or were a part of, here are the Order of Warlords, and the Order of Arcane Defenders.
Warlord
Warlord Aegises make excellent leaders. They are generally hired by warring countries as generals whenever their own have shown to be inadequate.
Bark Orders
Beginning at 3rd level, you may use your bonus action and spend a Shrug Off Die to issue orders to an ally within 30 feet, the chosen ally may then use their reaction to move up to half their speed, and make a single weapon attack.
Rallying Cry
Beginning at 3rd level, While under the effect of Hunker Down you may use your action to expend a Shrug Off Die and let forth an inspiring warcry, giving your allies the will to fight one. choose up to 6 creatures within 30 feet, the chosen creatures gain temporary HP equal to 2d8 + your Charisma Modifier.
Quartermaster
Starting at 6th level, you gain proficiency in Cooks Utensils and one other artisan's tool of your choice. Additionally, as part of a long rest you may choose to gain either of the following benifits, which lasts until the end of your next long rest.
-
Up to 5 friendly creatures (including yourself) you can see have their hit point maximum and current hit points increased by an amount equal to your aegis level.
-
Up to 3 nonmagical weapons or armors (5 pieces of ammunition is equivalent to one weapon) that you have access to during your long rest gain a +1 nonmagical bonus.
Focus Fire
At 10th level you may use your action to order a targeted attack against a hostile creature within 30 feet. friendly creatures of your choice (including you) that you can see may use their reaction to move up to half their speed, and make a single weapon attack against the targeted creature.
Once you use this feature you may not do so again until you finish a long rest.
Arcane Defender
The Order of Arcane Defenders is said to be the oldest aegis order, but also the smallest, and as such it costs the most for groups to hire one, and they generally are hired as personal bodyguards by wealthy houses. They enhance their superior defensive abilities with arcane magic, and it's said that some Arcane Defenders know more about the nature of magic than even most wizards.
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your defensive ability with the ability to cast spells.
Cantrips You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots The defender Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Catapult and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Catapult using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know Four 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, Shield and three others, two of which you must choose from the abjuration and transmutation spells on the wizard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Arcane Defender Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or transmutation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an abjuration or transmutation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Arcane Defender Spellcasting
| Aegis Level | Cantrips | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 3 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 3 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Shield Mastery
Starting at 3rd level, you can use Shield to help others. While under the effects of Hunker Down, and when an ally within 15 feet is hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell, you may use your reaction to cast shield on them
Castle
Beginning at 6th level, while under the effects of Hunker Down, when an ally within thirty feet is targeted or hit by an attack, you may both use your reactions to magically swap places, making you the target of the attack instead.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you roll initiative at the start of combat or until you finish a short or long rest.
Secret of the Arcane
At 10th, and again at 14th level select any abjuration spell up to 3rd level from any class. You may cast this spell at 3rd level without expending a spell slot. Once you cast this spell using this feature you may not do so again until you finish a long rest.
The spell you select at 14th level may be up to 5th level and is cast at 5th level.
Immovable Core {Want More}
While under the effects of Hunker Down, and in addition to its normal features:
- You cannot be moved against your will, even if magically compelled to do so, or if defying gravity.