Twinshield

“They say that defense is the greatest offense! Or was it offense is the best defense? I can never recall which way that proverb goes.”

Every soldier, when they begin training, goes through a phase where they think holding two shields would be a flashy and special fighting style to explore. These tendencies are typically corrected very quickly by their mentors. Very few stick with the idea, and fewer still manage to excel at it.

Those who master the style bring unpredictability and passion to the battlefield. Their naturally ambidextrous combat methods ensure that they are well-suited to all manner of frays, and they keep protection at the forefront of their minds where others may focus only on dispatching threats.

Doubly Protected

Starting when you select this archetype at 3rd level, you can wear two shields at once, one on each arm. While wearing an additional shield in this way, the second shield grants only a +1 bonus to your AC, not +2 as normal. Each shield can be used as a martial weapon with the finesse and light properties, dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage. This improves to 1d6 bludgeoning when you reach 10th level in this class.

While wearing two shields, when a creature within 5 feet of you targets you for an attack and fails their attack roll, you can use your reaction to attack them with a shield.

 

 Magical Shields

A +1 shield or similar grants a bonus to AC as normal, not to attack and damage rolls, despite being considered a weapon for you.

 

 

Second Shield Equip

While wearing an additional shield in this way, the second shield grants only a +1 bonus to your AC, not +2 as normal.

Shieldbearing Stance

By 7th level, you have trained in one of two specialized shieldbearing stances, determining whether you prefer to flaunt your shields gracefully while in constant motion, or to stand rigid and act as a stubborn bulwark. When you gain this feature, choose either the Shield Dancer or the Iron Wall style.

You must be wearing two shields to gain the benefits of your chosen style, including any benefits your style would gain from a later feature.

Iron Wall. When you take the Dodge action, you hold your shield in front of you to gain the benefits of half cover in the direction you are facing. You lose these benefits if you move more than 5 feet, or if you are knocked prone or become incapacitated. At 15th level, you instead gain the benefits of three-quarters cover.

Additionally, while wearing medium or heavy armour, if you would take nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, and that damage is equal to or less than your Constitution modifier, you can ignore that damage.

Shield Dancer. When you take the Disengage action, your movement speed is increased by 5 feet until the end of your turn. At 15th level, this improves to 15 feet.

Additionally, once per turn while wearing light or medium armor, after you hit an enemy with a melee attack using your shield, you can move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Stance Specilization

When you reach 10th level, you gain a new benefit based on your choice of Shieldbearing Stance, allowing you to use its benefits more actively.

Iron Wall. When you use your Action to Dodge, you can raise your shields to protect your nearby allies. You can choose to lower your AC by an amount up to your Constitution modifier, and improve the AC of up to 2 creatures within 5 feet of you by the same amount. While those creatures are protected by your shield in this way, they gain the benefits of cover from Shieldbearing Stance instead of you. Those creatures lose these bonuses if they move more than 5 feet away from you.

Shield Dancer. When you use your Action to Disengage, you can choose to dance while you are moving. If you do, each creature you pass within 5 feet of while dancing must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). A creature succeeds on this saving throw automatically if they cannot see you, or if their Intelligence is lower than 6. You choose whether all creatures who fail this save are enticed by the dance, or provoked by it. Enticed creatures cannot target you with attacks or harmful spells, provoked creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against all creatures other than you. Either effect ends at the start of your next turn.

Patience In Protection

At 15th level, when you Dodge or Disengage using your action, you can take up to two additional reactions before the start of your next turn. You cannot use a reaction more than once in the same turn

Perfected Stance

When you reach 18th level, you are a true master of your Shieldbearing Stance, gaining the ultimate benefits based on your chosen style.

Iron Wall. When a creature within 5 feet of you targets you for an attack which would deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, and fails their attack roll, that creature takes half the damage you would have taken from the attack.

Additionally, when you protect an ally with your shield as part of your Dodge action, you can use your reaction to make any attack targeting them target you instead. In order to take this reaction, you must be within the attacker’s range and be a valid target for the attack.

Shield Dancer. When you attempt to entice or provoke a creature concentrating on a spell or effect, that creature must also make a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier) to maintain concentration.

Additionally, when a creature within 5 feet of you targets you for a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an attack with your shield against them first. If that attack hits, they have disadvantage on their attack.