School of the Shield Scholar

A cousin to those who go to the School of Abjuration but thought to try and step things up slightly to their arsenal in a way. With a shield in one hand, a spellbook in another, it is time to put in the cost of one's body to defend many and others.

Spell Savvy

2nd-Level School of the Shield Scholar Feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Shield Scholar Spells table. These spells count as wizard spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of wizard spells you prepare.

Shield Scholar Spells

Wizard LEVEL	SPELLS
2nd	Armor of Agathys, Shield
6th	Hold Person, Warding Bond
10th	Beacon of Hope, Remove Curse
14th	Death Ward, Fire Shield
18th	Circle of Power, Hold Monster

Shield Preparations

2nd-Level School of the Shield Scholar feature
You manage to learn from a mix between Bladesingers and the School of Abjuration that the best form of defense is actually getting something to protect you. And you learn that the shield can help in a multitude of ways!

You gain proficiency in shields and when you don a shield in your hands, the shield grants the following benefits:

• Damage dealt to you is reduced by an amount equal to the shield's AC granted to you.
• The shield can be used as a spellcasting focus and the magical bonus granted by the shield can be applied to your Spell Attack Rolls and Spell DC.
• Mage Armor can use your Spellcasting Modifier if it is higher than your Dexterity Modifier.
• Spells like Armor of Agathys would still continue to run through with its duration even when it lost its temporary hit points until you are incapacitated.

Arcane Shield

2nd-Level School of the Shield Scholar
Starting at 2nd Level, you begin to do what you can with your shields. They are going to be your biggest line of defense, especially in your magical endeavors; it will help you live longer than some spells that would be gone when the magic runs out!

During a short or long rest, a shield that you wield can have bits of your magic imbued into it. If you do that, you gain an Arcane Shield, a magical shield that you can utilize as a weapon against various enemies and can grow with you too! The Arcane Shield is a simple, melee weapon with the finesse and thrown (30/90) properties where it returns to your hand regardless if it hit or miss, dealing 1d8 plus your modifier upon hit in bludgeoning. You can utilize this with magic shields as well, applying the shield's magical bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls.

Shielding Mind

6th-Level School of the Shield Scholar feature
The 6th level brings bit of your mind out to help enhance the defenses for your spells so they can help your allies longer.

• You able to use your Intelligence Saving Throws in place for Concentration Saving Throws.
• Spells that are prepared from your Spell Savvy feature requires no concentration.

Defensive Aura

10th-Level School of the Shield Scholar feature
One small page is taken out of the Paladin's book for this specialized bit you obtained at 10th Level. You create a 30-foot radius aura where you grant the following benefits until you are incapacitated or shut it off with a bonus action:

• You, allies and friendly creatures in this aura regain 1d4 plus your Intelligence modifier at the start of your turns. You can activate this effect again to give healing to those of your choosing in the aura with a bonus action or reaction.
• Allies and friendly targets of your choosing in the aura gain a +1 bonus to their AC and saving throws.
• As a reaction to you or a friendly target getting damaged, you can half the damage taken and deal damage to the dealer equal to double your Intelligence modifier.

Arcane Shield Upgrades

14th-Level School of the Shield Scholar feature
Bolstering yourself at 14th level for your Arcane Shield needs some necessary upgrades for the treacherous fields of monsters and friends' magic missiles coming at you.

Choose 3 upgrades for your Arcane Shield, as they would be sticking with you for a long time and only accessible when you have your Arcane Shield wielded in your hands.

Arcane Spikes

Whenever you get hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes Force or Psychic damage (your choice) equal to your Intelligence modifier. If you have Armor of Agathys or something similar up, you apply your Intelligence modifier to those effects instead.

Aura Extensions

Your Defensive Aura has expanded to a 60 foot radius. In addition, when an ally or friendly creature ends up having an attack miss them while inside your Defensive Aura, they regain 1 hit point.

Defense Enhancement

You gain a +1 bonus to your AC and Saving Throws. However, if your Arcane Shield has a magical bonus, you can add that bonus instead of a +1 to saving throws.

Extra Shield Measures

When you cast a leveled spell and sacrifice a spell slot, you can choose a number of creatures within your Defensive Aura up to half of your proficiency bonus to grant a 1d4 bonus to their AC that lasts for an amount of rounds equal to the spell slot expended.

Magic Shield Circle

As an action, you are able to hit an amount of creatures within range of your Arcane Shield equal to your proficiency bonus. You can sacrifice a 2nd level spell slot or higher to have a multiplier to the amount of creatures you can hit, the multiplier is equal to the level of the spell slot you sacrificed.

This still requires an attack roll for each creatures.

Reroll That!

As a reaction to anybody taking damage that is within 60 feet of you, you can force the attacker to reroll the damage dice, taking the lowest damage.

Afterwards, granting those in your Defensive Aura including yourself temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Shield for Everybody!

When you cast the Shield spell, you can have the spell affect you, an ally or friendly target within 30 feet. It still follows the ruling of Shield where it requires a specific reaction but now to more people and a bigger range.

After the spell ends and if it is an ally or friendly target of the spell, you and the target gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

The Spell Shield

The Arcane Shield is able to attack further beyond!

• The Arcane Shield's damage type is a damage type of the cantrips and spells up to 3rd level you prepared.
• The Arcane Shield can use your Spell Attack Roll if it is higher than its usual attack roll.
• The Arcane Shield's maximum range is 120 feet instead of 90 feet. The Arcane Shield can be affected by effects of range extension like Sharpshooter and Spell Slinger.