Shield Bearer

Living Bastion

Shield Bearers are masters of defense and are stalwart defenders, unwavering in their commitment to protect allies and hold the line against overwhelming forces. Clad in heavy armor and armed with a shield, they specialize in absorbing damage, deflecting attacks, and creating openings for their team to strike. With a mix of defensive techniques and strategic positioning, Shield Bearers excel at controlling the battlefield, redirecting enemy focus, and providing crucial support to their comrades. Their resilience allows them to stand firm in the face of danger, offering a beacon of safety to those who fight alongside them.

Undying Loyalty

Bound not by chains, but by unshakable will, the shield bearer stands — a living wall of devotion. Their shield does not falter, their resolve does not break, for their loyalty is a fortress stronger than steel. It is an oath not spoken but shown — in every deflected blow, in every step taken into danger for another. A shield bearer’s loyalty is a flame that neither death nor despair can extinguish.

Shield Mastery

Where others wield swords, you wield resolve. Your shield is both your weapon and your armor — a steadfast guardian between your allies and the storm; if you're not holding a weapon, use your Armor Class as your damage indicator, adding your constitution and strength modifiers to its total damage outcome.

Creating a Shield Bearer

Shield bearers are loyal protectors; no matter the situation, they will uphold their oath. Your character's background can revolve around those who you serve or have served, or you can just be gathering experience for a future master. You could be a trainee shield bearer, traveling the continent to gather experience for your training, or a guardian of a noble household, or a mercenary working for coin.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d12 per Shield Bearer level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier + racial bonus
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Shield Bearer level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Heavy armor
• Weapons: Martial weapons and Shields
• Tools: Playing card set

• Saving Throws: Constitution and Strength
• Skills: Choose two skills from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) 1 shield with a light weight shield class and a short sword or (b) 1 shield with a heavy weight shield class
• (a) a guide to being a good protector
• (a) two healing potions and one antidote
• (a) ring mail

Taunt

In battle, you are the guardian of your party. On your turn you can catch the attention of your foes with either an insult or challenge as a bonus action. When you taunt, you gain temporary health and the enemies within 30ft of you must make a Wisdom save versus your Intimidation check. If they fail, they must use their next actions to move closer and attack you for 1 minute.

Shield Bash

You hit your enemy with all your might. As an action, you can hit your opponent with your shield to stagger them. When this attack hits, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your AC + your strength modifier, and they must roll either a strength or a dexterity saving throw. If they fail, they become prone for 1 turn.

Reckless Charge

Starting at 2nd level, you can charge towards your enemy without any mind to your own safety. As an, action you can charge at an opponent 15ft of you. When this attack hits, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your AC + your strength modifier and they must roll either a strength or a dexterity saving throw. If they fail they’ll be pushed back 30ft. And if this attack misses you become prone for 1 turn.

Battle Cry

At 2nd level, you can bolster the morality of your allies with a rallying call. Whenever you use this ability, you and allies within 30ft of you become immune to any mental attack for the duration of the ability and gain temporary health for 1 minute.

Shield Bearer Orders

At 3rd level, you can choose a shield bearer order where you will start your training and will give your oath to. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

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. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Stand Guard

Your shield becomes an extension of yourself, allowing you to protect others with swift and practiced efficiency. As a bonus action, you can take the "Defend" action, granting half cover to an ally standing adjacent to you, while also taking a defensive stance waiting to counterattack. This cover adds a +2 bonus to their AC and Dexterity saving throws. While in this stance you cannot do any other actions except for Taunt

Holy Sentinels

Devout followers of the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth. This shield bearer order projects the will of their God through the protection of those in need of it. Mainly serving those who serve the Holy, these guardians of justice will be reliable allies in the pursuit of peace and harmony.

Though they allow all races to join their order, there are some that need validation of their alignment to be made worthy of joining. Majority of theses races that need said validation are those with demonic heritage like Tieflings and races with monster blood running through them like Half-Orcs. One of these trials is being assigned to an official member for about three years to prove themselves of good alignment before they can undergo official training.

Judgement of the Valiant

At 14th level, your shield surges with protective energy, punishing those who dare harm your allies. As an action, you invoke Judgement of the Valiant for 1 minute. While active:

• Any enemy within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be frightened until the end of their next turn.

• When an enemy within range makes a melee attack against an ally, you can use your reaction to counterattack. If you are wielding a shield, this attack deals 2d8 bludgeoning damage and forces the target to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, they are pushed 10 feet away.

• Allies within 10 feet of you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of their turns.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Hired Guardian

At 3rd level, your loyalty is as strong as the coin that binds it. While defending an ally who has upheld their end of a contract—be it gold, favors, or sworn agreements—you become an unyielding wall. You gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, your focus rooted in duty, not emotion. When an enemy targets a paying ally within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, your shield interposing with practiced precision. Furthermore, once per long rest, if a contracted ally takes damage, you may use your reaction to halve the damage they receive, shouldering the other half yourself—a harsh but necessary price for the protection you sell.

Should an ally break their contract—failing to pay or betraying your terms—these benefits immediately vanish until the debt is settled. In Behemoth’s Hide, loyalty is not given freely; it is bought, upheld, and, if needed, reclaimed.

Groundquake

At 6th level, you’ve mastered the art of turning your unyielding defense into a weapon. Drawing on the raw strength of the legendary beasts whose hides fortify your shield, you can unleash a devastating shockwave. As an action, you slam your shield into the ground or stomp with crushing force, channeling the might of the creatures your order has conquered. All creatures of your choice within a 10-foot radius must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, creatures are knocked prone and take 1d8 bludgeoning damage as the ground splits and cracks beneath them. On a successful save, they remain standing but still take half damage. The impact leaves the area with difficult terrain until the end of your next turn—shards of stone and beast bone littering the battlefield.

Juggernaut Plating

At 10th level, your armor — reinforced with the hides and bones of legendary beasts — transforms you into an unstoppable force. While wielding a shield, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from both magical and non-magical attacks. Additionally, when you use your reaction to block an attack targeting an ally within 5 feet of you, you can reduce the damage they take by an amount equal to your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Titan Slayer

At 14th level, your presence looms as large as the beasts you've felled, striking fear into those smaller than you. When you hit a creature larger than you (Large or bigger), you deal extra damage equal to your Strength modifier once per turn. If a Large or bigger creature attacks an ally within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to move up to half your speed toward them and make a melee attack. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. When you use this reaction, all Small or smaller creatures within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus) or become Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Falcon Division

Spanning the vast continent of Slevestine, the Falcon Division holds strategic posts in cities, towns, and key routes, ensuring no cry for help goes unanswered. Unlike other shield bearer orders, the Falcons prioritize speed and efficiency over sheer defense, wielding smaller, lighter shields that allow for swift movement and quick strikes. Their tactics center on rapid response — intercepting threats, neutralizing danger, and dispersing conflict before reinforcements are ever needed.

Their disciplined ranks operate like a well-oiled machine, communicating through sharp signals and coordinated maneuvers. Every member is trained not only in defense but also in pursuit, capable of chasing down fleeing foes or swiftly creating a defensive line where the situation demands. They are protectors of the people, but they are also strategists and tacticians, ensuring the safety of the realm through calculated action.

Despite their effectiveness, the Falcon Division often faces criticism from more traditional orders, who see their agile approach as reckless or lacking in honor. Yet, the Falcons pay no heed to such remarks. To them, duty outweighs tradition — and saving lives swiftly is far more important than earning the approval of slower-moving comrades.

Their motto, whispered like a breeze before a storm, reflects their core belief: "Strike fast. Shield strong. Depart before the dust settles."

Protector's Oath

Starting when you choose this order at 3rd level, you take an oath of protection towards your chosen client. You get an additional +2 on one of your ability scores depending on the kingdom where you swore loyalty to. Refer to the table below.

Aura of Fortitude

At 6th level, your unwavering resolve radiates a protective aura, shielding those who stand beside you. You and all allies within 25 ft of you gain a +1 bonus to AC as long as they remain within range.

Perseverance

At 10th level, your relentless training has hardened both your body and mind, allowing you to withstand even the fiercest assaults. You gain resistance to physical damage (bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical sources).

Moral Boost

At 14th level, your unwavering presence inspires those around you, turning your defiance into a rallying cry. When you use Taunt in battle, all allies within 30 feet of you gain Inspiration (a +1d6 bonus to their next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check).

Destructive Impulse

At 3rd level, the relentless teachings of Nanook have seared into your mind, bringing you closer to the Aeon’s will. This connection manifests as a dark, oppressive aura that weighs heavy on those around you. While Taunt is active, you emit an ominous aura in a 15-foot radius. Enemies within this range become more vulnerable, taking an additional +1d4 damage from all sources until the start of your next turn.

Heart of Thorns

At 6th level, your bond with Nanook's destructive will deepens, turning your suffering into a weapon.

While Stand Guard is active, whenever you take damage from a melee attack, you reflect half of the damage back to the attacker. This damage ignores resistances, as your pain becomes an extension of Nanook’s wrath.

Bloodlust

At 10th level, the forbidden teachings of Nanook grant you a grim connection to death itself, using the fallen as fuel for your own strength. When a corpse is within 30 feet of you and in your line of sight, you draw power from its demise. For each corpse, your Strength score increases by 1 for the duration of the encounter, up to a maximum increase equal to your Constitution modifier.

Battle Frenzy

At 14th level, your voice becomes a weapon of pure chaos, a roar echoing Nanook’s will — driving both allies and enemies into madness. When you use Battle Cry, all creatures within 30 feet of you are affected for 2 turns:

• Allies gain the usual benefits of Battle Cry but are also overcome with bloodthirsty madness, causing them to attack the nearest creature — friend or foe — on their next attack.
• Enemies experience the opposite effects of Battle Cry, suffering a -1d6 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.

In addition, they are driven into a reckless frenzy, forcing them to use their next attack action immediately, regardless of strategy or positioning.

Death Guard

Shrouded in mystery and whispered legends, the Death Guard is an enigmatic shield bearer order, their existence more rumor than reality. It is said they serve as the silent protectors of the delicate balance between life and death, sworn to guard the thresholds between realms. Their solemn duty binds them not to the living world, but to the shadowed pathways of the Underworld — ancient corridors where souls pass from one existence to the next.

Rarely seen in the light of day, the Death Guard operates from the veil of darkness, emerging only when the balance is threatened — when necromancers attempt to defy death, or when the living dare to invade the sanctity of the afterlife. Their shields, said to be etched with runes of mortality, do not only protect against physical blows but also ward off the unnatural — curses, spirits, and the corrupting touch of undeath.

Despite the veil of secrecy surrounding them, tales of their existence have spread — some say by the order itself, though none can confirm. Yet, these whispers have done more than stir fear — they have ignited a strange desire in certain souls. Those who seek power over life and death, who crave understanding of mortality’s thin veil, or who feel an unrelenting pull to the world beyond — these individuals yearn to join the ranks of the Death Guard.

However, becoming one of them is no simple feat. The path is unclear, their recruitment methods unknown. All that is certain is this: to walk among the Death Guard, one must embrace the grim reality that their life, from that point on, will belong not to the realm of the living, but to the eternal balance they are sworn to protect.