Juggernaut (5e Class)

Juggernaut

A tall, muscular orc looks ahead at his enemies, planting his shield in the ground and creating a near impenetrable wall. A goliath runs in front of his friends to block the on-coming savage and deadly attacks of the fabled red dragon. A dwarf, seething, channels his energy to make giant spikes appear on his shield, suddenly flying to the enemy.

Juggernauts, masters of strength and defense, are warriors who aim to block attacks, taunt enemies, and trap foes with their shield. Juggernauts are uncommon, as most warriors prefer methods of power over defense. They strive to embody their strength within their main weapon, a shield. Their shield represents themselves, their honor, and their spirit for a fight.

Uncommon Style

The fighting style of a juggernaut is very rare. It is similar to the way of a fighter, block or attack, but it is also very different from any other style of fighting. Most classes wish to damage foes, heal allies, or curse/bless creatures. The honor of a juggernaut is embodied in their fighting style as well, similar to that of a paladin.

Creating a Juggernaut

A juggernaut's main power is their shield. Who crafted your shield? Did you make it? Did you take your father or your mother's shield? Or did they die an unhonorable death, and you are following their footsteps to avenge them?

Quick Build

You can make a Juggernaut quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the Folk Hero background. Third, choose Chain Mail, a Flail, and a Warhammer.

Class Features

As a Juggernaut you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Juggernaut level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Juggernaut level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Smithing tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from: Medicine, Intimidation, Survival, Investigation, Perception, Athletics

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Chain Mail or (b) Scale Mail Armor
• (a) A Shield or (b) Any Martial Melee weapon
• (a) A Warhammer or (b) Any Simple Melee Weapon
• (a) A Explorer's Pack or (b) A Dungeoneers Pack

Table: The Juggernaut

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Bonded Shield, Juggernaut Defense Style
2nd	+2	Superior Health, Taunt
3rd	+2	Defense Specialization Path
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Improved Superior Health
7th	+3	Defense Specialization Feature
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Taunt Upgrade
10th	+4	Advanced Superior Health
11th	+4	Defense Specialization Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Shield Bash
14th	+5	Defense Specialization Feature
15th	+5	Superior Bond
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Advanced Taunt
18th	+6	The Wall
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Unstoppable Might

Bonded Shield

Starting at 1st level, you can forge a bond with a shield you wield, using it to perform incredible defensive feats. You must spend 1 hour practicing with a particular shield you want to bond with, which can be done during a short rest. You can't bond with more than one shield at the same time, and bonding with another one ends the bond with the previous one.

The bonded shield gain a bonus to its AC equal to +1. The bonus increases to +2 at 9th level, +3 at 13th level and +4 at 20th level. If the shield has already a magical bonus to its AC, choose the highest bonus. The bonded shield also allows you to make a Shield Attack:

Shield Attack

While donning a bonded shield, you can make attacks with bonus action. You make a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet, and cause 1d4 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage on a hit. This damage increases to 1d6 at 5th lvl, and 1d8 at 13th lvl.

Juggernaut Defense Style

Starting at 1st level, you inherit a juggernaut defending style as your specialty. Choose one of the following below:

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

Unmovable Stance

As an action, you can enter a defensive stance, in which only the most powerful forces can move. You gain advantage on Strength, Dexterity and Constitution saving throws that would move you in any way. This lasts until you are attacked successfully or the start of your next turn.

Blind Fighting

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Grapple

Any Strength check against you made by a creature the same size as you or smaller is made with disadvantage. Any Strength check made by you, against a creature the same size as you or smaller is made with advantage.

Brute Force

You gain a +2 to attack rolls made with strength melee weapons that do not have the finesse property.

Unyielding Strength

If a creature makes a melee attack against you and misses, you may use your reaction to knock the enemy back 1d10 + Strength Modifier feet, knocking them prone.

Superior Health

Starting at 2nd level, you can add your Proficiency to the number of hit points you gain when rolling hit dice.

Taunt

Starting at 2nd level, as a bonus action you can enrage enemies into fighting you. Enemies must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, enemies have disadvantage against creatures other than you with melee attacks. The DC is 8 + Constitution Modifier + Proficiency. This feature lasts for one minute, and the affected creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of its subsequent turns. Creatures immune to the charmed condition automatically pass this saving throw.

You can use this feature an equal amount of times to your Proficiency Bonus. You recover all uses on a long rest.

Defense Specialization Path

Starting at 3rd level, you gain a Defense Specialization Path, as outlined at the end of this class. If your alignment changes you gain the starters for both paths.(starter being anything under 7th level)

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, then again at 7th and 14th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Improved Superior Health

Starting at 6th level, whenever you would regain hit points using a magical item (such as a potion) or due to a creature casting a spell on you, you regain additional hit points equal to 1d6+ your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).

At 9th, 11th and 13th, 15th and 17th level that dice increase to 1d8, 1d10, 1d12 , 2d12 and 3d12.

Taunt Upgrade

At 9th level, when you use your Taunt feature, it now lasts for two minutes and enemies and work against enemy that are immune to charm.

Advanced Superior Health

Starting at 10th level, you now gain advantage on Constitution saves against poison and diseases. Additionally, any Juggernaut hit dice that is rolled 6 or below, is treated instead as an 7.

Shield Bash

Starting at 13th level, once per turn when you take the Attack action while you are within 5 feet of a creature, you can bash that creature with your shield, without using an action. Make a shield attack against the target, and on a hit, it suffers the attack's normal effects, and you can choose to Shove that target (no action required). If the target can't be shoved, it loses its reactions until the start of your next turn.

Superior Bond

Starting at 15th level, you have become the ultimate tank. You and creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you gain half cover while you wield your bonded shield.

Additionally, if you did not take the Guardian specialization path, You gain the ability to magically sense the position of the shield in a 60-foot radius, and if your shield is within 30 feet of you, you can use your bonus action to summon it to your hand.

Advanced Taunt

At 17th level, while the target is under the effects of Taunt, it has a -5 to any attack roll.

The Wall

At 18th level, you ignore any damage lower than your AC

Unstoppable Might

Starting at 20th level, you become an unstoppable force, Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4 to a max of 24. If already at or above 24, then this has no effect.

Defense Specialization Path

Beskytter

Mjölnir Shield

Starting at 3rd level, your shield becomes as light as a feather to you and no longer reduces your speed. You can carry your shield easily, and it does not count against your maximum weight. No other creature is able to lift your shield, as it remains fixed to the ground unable to be moved. You can magically sense the position of the shield in a 60-foot radius, and if your shield is within 30 feet of you, you can use your bonus action to summon it to your hand. Additionaly you can choose what type of damage the shield do between thunder and bludgening.

Pray for the Miðgarðr

Starting at 7th level, twice per turn you can sacrifice your health dice, if you do so you can roll it, add the result to the damage as cold damage.

The Honored Protector

Starting at 11th level, if you don't move this turn you can concentrate to protect your allies.the first time an creature makes an attack within 15 feet, if it's the first attack that creature has made this turn, you may impose disadvantage on that attack.

Defense of Thousand Shields

Starting at 14th level, you can use your action to rally any willing creatures behind you. As a reaction to this feature, each chosen creature in a 30-foot radius can use their movement to get behind you. Each creature must move within 10 feet of you and they do not take opportunity attacks during this feature. You create a 20-foot radius aura of defense, centered on yourself, blocking any incoming creature that is not chosen. Until your next turn, a creature must make a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 8 + constitution modifier + proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 force damage and is removed from the aura. This aura blocks any melee or ranged attacks, but does not block any magic attacks. This feature can only be used once per day. As a result of using this ability, your speed is halved. This lasts for 1 minute.

Shielder

Aggressive shield

Starting at 3rd level,if you wear a shield that is bonded to you, you gain the following benefits:

-Your speed increase of 10 feet

-When an ally creature you can see its hitted by an attack you can spend your reaction to move towards the ally using your remain movment speed, you take the damage he should take (this movement provoke opportunity attack);

-You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from not magical sources.

Counter-shield

Starting at 7th level when a creature within 5 feet misses you with a melee weapon attack, you can spent one of your health dice and make one melee attack, if it hit you put him prone. In additition when you succed a dexterity saving throw you can decide to spent one of your health dice you can negate the damage

Improved Aggressive shield

Starting at level 11th your bond with the shield grows even stronger, you gain the following benefits:

--Your speed increase of additional 10 feet

-If you take fire, cold, lightining , acid or necrotic damage you can spend 2 health dice to recive 2d8 more damage of the same type, but your shield gets infused by the same type of damage and deals 2d8 more damage for the next two attacks.

-You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing damage from magical sources .

Last resort

Starting at 14th When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction make an attack action on a enemy in reach, if you do it you gain one level of exhaustion. In addition you heal for half the damage dealt rounded down. You can use this feature once per long rest

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Juggernaut class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Constitution 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the juggernaut class, you gain the following proficiencies: Heavy Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons

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