The Avenger — D&D 5.5e (2024 Rules)

Avengers excel at protecting their allies while relentlessly pressuring their foes with expertly thrown shields and unwavering battlefield leadership.

Designer Note: The Enhanced race was designed alongside the Martial Archetype: The Avenger, but either option can be used independently.

3rd Level: Shield Mastery

You have mastered fighting with a shield as an offensive weapon:

• Shield Offense: While you are wielding a shield, you can use it as a martial weapon with which you are proficient. It deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the Light and Thrown (20/60) properties.
• Returning Shield: Immediately after you make a ranged attack with your shield, it ricochets back into your hand, whether the attack hits or misses.
• Close-Quarters Throwing: Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose Disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls made with your shield.
• Vanguard Strike: When you take the Attack action on your turn and make a ranged attack with your shield, you can use a Bonus Action to make one melee weapon attack with your shield or an unarmed strike.

3rd Level: Tactical Leader

Your tactical command coordinates team strikes. When you use your Action Surge on your turn, you can choose one willing ally within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you. That ally can immediately use their Reaction to move up to half their speed without provoking opportunity attacks and make one weapon attack as part of the same Reaction.

7th Level: Shield Ricochet

You learn to strike multiple targets with a single shield throw:

• When you hit a creature with a thrown shield, you can make one ranged attack with that shield against a different creature within 15 feet of the original target. If that attack hits, you can make one additional ranged attack against another creature within 15 feet of that target. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
• Additionally, attacks made with your shield count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

10th Level: Unyielding Defense

Your presence on the battlefield becomes an unshakeable wall:

• Defensive Rebuke: When you take damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to 1d10 + your Fighter level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all uses on a Long Rest.
• Second Wind Defiance: When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can expend one use of your Second Wind. Roll your Second Wind as though you had used it. You instead drop to 1 hit point and gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

15th Level: Rally the Team

As an action, you can issue an inspiring battle cry to your allies. Choose any number of willing creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear you. For 1 minute (or until you are incapacitated), each affected creature gains the following benefits:

• The creature can't be Frightened. If it is already Frightened, that condition immediately ends.
• If the creature is Charmed, it can immediately make a saving throw against that effect with advantage, ending the effect on a success. While this feature lasts, the creature has advantage on saving throws against being Charmed.
• At the end of each of its turns, the creature gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + half your Fighter level (minimum 1).

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

18th Level: Master Avenger

You reach the pinnacle of heroic leadership and martial mastery:

• Enhanced Shield Damage: The damage die of your shield increases to 1d8 bludgeoning damage.
• Toppling Bounce: When you hit a creature with an attack made as part of your Shield Ricochet feature, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked Prone.
• Tactical Momentum: Once per turn, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you regain one expended use of Unyielding Defense.
• Relentless Rally: You regain the use of Rally the Team after finishing a Short or Long Rest.