Dragonshield

Dragonshields use the legendary might of Dragons to protect their allies and punish enemies many sizes larger than themselves.  The warrior tradition of the Dragonshield began with Kobolds, but any creature who regularly stands against much larger, stronger opponents and is imbued with the might of Dragons can adopt this martial tradition.  Kobolds who live near Dragons sometimes are born with the sorcerous blood of a Dragon, becoming a Kobold Scale Sorcerer.  But on occasion, a Dragon will infuse some of the most impressive members of the Kobold tribes that serve them with a portion of their impressive might, trusting these Dragonshields to protect their egg clutches. 

A Dragonshield seems to move like the wind, always appearing in the way of enemies trying to attack their allies or the precious eggs they are trusted to protect.  They are skilled warriors, getting the best weapons and armor, and learning to improve and maintain their gear as well.  Some rely on traps to protect the chambers leading to the eggs.  They are inspirational leaders of their tribes, shaking off fear and easily breaking out of magic that binds them in place or paralytic toxins and inspiring their allies to do the same.  As they grow in power, they learn to wear their armor more effectively and punish foes for ignoring them.  At the height of their power, a Dragonshield can shake off the most grievous of wounds and come back from the brink of death to punish those who underestimated them.

The overwhelmingly vast majority of Dragonshields are Kobolds. As such, many share the Lawful Evil alignment that is held by a significant number of that race.  However, some Kobolds serve Metallic dragons, and these particular Dragonshields that serve Brass Dragons or Copper Dragons can be chaotic good, or even lawful good for those serving Bronze, Gold, or Silver Dragons.

Bonus Proficiencies

Dragonshields take the ingenuity of Kobolds are ramp it up to eleven.  They also can stare down a Behir and send it running for the hills with their intimidating demeanor.

At third level, you gain proficiency with Mason's Tools, Smith's Tools, Thieves' Tools, or Tinker's Tools.  You also gain proficiency in Intimidation, or, if you already have proficiency in that skill, another skill of your choice.

Mason's Tools

Kobolds have an unrivaled understanding of how stone works.  They have a near-instinctive sense of what sections of stone or earth are strong or weak, are bearing a load or are safe to excavate, or are likely to contain minerals or offer access to water.  You gain proficiency in Mason's Tools, and you can use them to reinforce a tunnel or create a deadly deadfall to crush those who would assault your position.

Smith's Tools

Kobolds are very skilled at taking scavenged equipment and adapting it for their own purposes.  You gain proficiency with Smith's Tools, and can, over the course of 8 hours, refit a suit of armor designed for a medium creature so that it fits you.

Thieves' Tools

Kobolds are renown trap makers, and moving through their warrens is an incredibly deadly proposition.  You gain proficiency in Thieves' Tools, and you can use them to not only disarm traps, but set your own.  Over the course of an hour, which can coincide with a short rest, you can create a trap using items you have on hand. The total of your check becomes the DC for someone else’s attempt to discover or disable the trap.

Tinker's Tools

Kobolds are notorious for creating ingenious devices that can foil even the most steadfast adventurers.  You gain proficiency with Tinker's Tools.  Over the course of an hour, which can coincide with a short rest, you can utilize 1 gp worth of materials to create a hunting trap, a bag of ball bearings, or a bag of caltrops.

Line in the Sand

Dragonshields are used to protecting creatures and objects much larger than themselves.  After all, a Dragon egg is half again the height of a Kobold and nearly five times the weight.  Dragonshields can lock down an area so that no one can pass, and if they try to attack your allies anyway, you disrupt their attacks, usually knocking their aim off.

At third level, you can, as a bonus action, assume a defensive stance.  When you do so, your speed is reduced to 0, but creatures that are huge or smaller cannot move through your space or the spaces adjacent to you unless you are prone or incapacitated.  You have advantage on saving throws and contested ability checks to avoid being moved against your will or knocked prone.  Attacks against any of your allies within 5 feet of you suffer a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus.  The effect lasts until you end it (no action required), or you become prone or incapacitated.

Wrath of the Kobold

As some of the smallest creatures out there, Kobolds are used to dealing with enemies larger than them punishing them.  As the saying goes, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

At 3rd level, when you hit with a weapon attack, you can deal extra damage to creatures larger than you.  You deal an extra 1d6 damage to medium creatures, an extra 1d8 damage to large creatures, an extra 1d10 damage to huge creatures, and an extra 1d12 damage to gargantuan creatures.  You may deal this extra damage only once per turn.  The damage type is the same as the original weapon damage type.

Heart of the Dragon

Kobolds are by and large a cowardly race.  They are not physically adept, and fleeing from a fight they cannot win has kept them alive.  But they also are descended from dragons, and in times of terror, Dragonshields can tap into the draconic courage that lies with them to stay in the fight.

Beginning at 7th level, you can, as an action, end the frightened or paralyzed on yourself or another creature within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you.  You may use this feature on yourself even if you are incapacitated.  When you use this feature on yourself, any creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can also end the effect.  Any creature that benefits from this feature (including you) has advantage on its next attack roll.

You may use this effect a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses upon completing a long rest.

Note: This does not count as succeeding on a save to make yourself immune to ongoing effect.  e.g. A Dragonshield could use this effect to end the frightened condition caused by a Dragon's frightful presence, but they would not gain immunity to the Frightful Presence until they actually succeeded on the save.

Protector

Dragonshields are skilled at batting aside attacks meant for their allies, causing them to miss completely or deal reduced damage.

At tenth level, you gain the Interception or Protection fighting style.  The range at which you can use the fighting style to protect your allies increases from 5 feet to 10 feet.

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 10 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.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Adamant

Dragonshields become more comfortable in their armor the longer they use it.  

At level 15, your armor class increases by 2 while wearing medium or heavy armor.

And No Further

Powerful Dragonshields can protect an entire column of a platoon of kobolds.  They also have learned to hit targets where it hurts, especially the really big targets.

Beginning at fifteenth level, the area of your Line in the Sand feature increases to encompass a 5' x 25' area.  At the beginning of each of your turns while Line in the Sand is active, you can choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.  You have resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn.   In addition, your weapon attacks now deal a critical hit on a 19 or 20, unless your target is gargantuan, in which case you deal a critical hit on an 18, 19, or 20.

Unyielding

The most powerful Dragonshields can stand up even in the face of grievous wounds and continue to fight on, ignoring all but the most exotic of attacks.

Beginning at level eighteen, when you are reduced to 0 hit points or targeted by an effect that would kill you outright like Disintegrate or Power Word Kill, you instead fall to 1 hit point and gain immunity to acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lighting, piercing, poison, and slashing damage for 1d4 rounds.  

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.