Shield Commander

The Shield Commander focuses on ensuring their comrades are always ready for battle while also keeping the enemy at bay. The shield they carry is just as much for protection as it for dealing heavy blows with swift and deadly precision. They can also utilize their natural leadership talents to bolster their allies which inevitably can turn any standing force into a crumpled heap in the party's wake. 

Spellcasting

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips from the Bard spell list. You learn an additional Bard cantrip of your at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Shield Commander's Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest, or half as many on a short rest (minimum 1).

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level Bard spells of your choice.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Bard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Bard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Bard spells. You utilize your commanding presence and enduring will to inspire or intimidate those around you. You use your charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier

Shield Commander's Spellcasting

Fighter Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	3	2	—	—	—
4th	2	4	3	—	—	—
5th	2	4	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	3	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

Weapon Bond

At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and your shield. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the shield and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a shield to yourself, you can’t be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to fly in a direct path instantly to your hand and is donned.

If you attempt to bond with another shield, you must break the bond with the first unless the first shield is destroyed, if so then you can bond with a new shield as normal.

Shield Combatant

Shield Bash

Starting at 3rd level, you can use a shield to bash your target as part of your attack action (Adding your Proficiency + Strength Modifier to hit), for  1d8 damage. This damage will increase to 1d10 at 10th level, Adding your Strength Modifier to the damage roll. Consider this Bludgeoning damage, unless you create/obtain a unique shield to change the damage type.

Shield Throw

Through your complete mastery of shield combat, you may have your shield that is bonded to you through your Shield Binding feature, use the Attack action to throw it with proficiency for (30/40 ft.). Either retrieving the shield on your own(using your Movement), or using your Shield Binding Feature to return to you as your Bonus Action. This follows the same damage and to hit rolls as the Shield Bash Ability. In addition, when you land a hit on a creature with this ability, you may make a Dexterity check (DC 12) to target another creature within 30ft of the shield's current position and have it ricochet off of the previous target and make another attack roll to hit the new target. If you fail the Dexterity check the attack ends and you may retrieve it on your own or with your Shield Binding ability. If successful, The ricochet attack will only add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll and it can only ricochet a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier.

 

Natural Leadership

 

At 7th Level, you can inspire others with your rousing words and heroic actions. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Leader Inspiration die, a d8.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Leader Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Leader Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Leader Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a short rest.

Your Leader Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Do This All Day

At 10th level, when you are hit or targeted with an attack you can use a Reaction to add your Strength Modifier to your AC total, this will last until the start of your next turn. You will be able to do this a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier (minimum of 1), and will reset on a long rest. 

Additional Fighting Style

At 15th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 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 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Unarmed Fighting

Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.
At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

Assemble!

Assemble!

Starting at 18th level, you are able to use an Action to rally those around you, granting each friendly creature within 60ft of you that can hear you 1 Leader Inspiration die (1d12), as well  each creature gains temporary hit points equal to  their individual Constitution modifier + your Charisma modifier for the next 5 minutes. If the Leader Inspiration die is not used within 5 minutes then it is lost. Once the Leader Inspiration die is rolled it is lost. You can only use this ability once until the next dawn.