Meatshield (5e Class)

The Way of the Meatshield

“	I'm not the sharpest tool in the box, and will be. But I'm the biggest, heaviest and most likely to smash someone's head in.	”
—Leodor Steakhammer, Master Meatshield

Meatshields are disciplined warriors, devoted to protecting others no matter the cost. Lead by the ways of the great Leodor Steakhammer, Meatshields live in a world of honor and smashing monsters heads in. They willfully risk their lives to slay dragons and demon lords just because they were told to. Often Meatshields are hired to become primary fighters in adventuring parties around the world, their perseverance and abundant hit points a valuable asset to any adventurer.

Creating a Meatshield

Meatshields are the masters of running into battle, kicking ass, taking damage and letting other people kill-steal. Meatshields are trained in shrugging off lethal damage and to take as much damage as possible. Almost all Meatshields are Lawful and certainly not the smartest among thier peers.

Quick Build

You can make a Meatshield quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength and Constitution should be your highest ability scores, and Intelligence should be the last to worry about. Second, choose the | City Guard background. Third, choose heavy-duty damage dealing weapons, or a weapon and shield for more survivability, as well as medium armor. From now on it's your job to hemorrhage hit points so buckle up.

Class Features

As a Meatshield you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, marital weapons
Tools:
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Athletics, Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) One martial melee weapon or (b) shield
• (a) Two simple melee weapons or (b) One simple melee weapon and five javelin
• (a) Dungeoneer's pack or (b) Explorer's pack or (c) Healer's Kit
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10 in funds.

Table: The Meatshield

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Might Die
1st	+2	Stoic Stance, Rock-Hard Body	1d6
2nd	+2	Not Going Down, Brawny	2d4
3rd	+2	Meatshield School Feature, Tanky Intuition	3d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4d4
5th	+3	Extra Attack	5d6
6th	+3	School Feature	6d6
7th	+3	Bull-headed Resilience	7d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	8d6
9th	+4	Endless Energy	9d6
10th	+4	School Feature	10d6
11th	+4	Final Stand	11d6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	12d6
13th	+5	Non-Stopping	13d6
14th	+5	School Feature	14d6
15th	+5	Brawny (2)	15d6
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	16d6
17th	+6	Battle Hardened	17d6
18th	+6	Standing Tall	18d6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	19d6
20th	+6	Ultimate Tank	20d6

Stoic Stance

Starting at 1st level, you harbor a vast amount of vitality within yourself and now can withstand pain, recovering incredibly fast from wounds.

You gain a pool of Might dice determined by the class's Might table. When you take damage, you may use your reaction and spend one or more Might dice. For each die spent in this way, you roll the die and lessen the damage taken by an amount equal to the total + your Constitution modifier. If you reduce the damage to 0, any leftover difference from the Might Dice can be applied to any future damages until either it reaches 0 or until the start of your turn.

You regain spent Might Dice upon finishing a Short or Long Rest.

Rock-Hard Body

At 1st level, your body has become as solid as a rock as you dedicate yourself to become the toughest object around. You gain the following:

• You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strikes.

• You gain natural armor. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

• Your hit points maximum increases by 2, and it increases by 2 every time you gain a MeatShield level afterwards.

Not Going Down

By 2th level, as a bonus action, you can recover hit points equal to one roll of your MeatShield level + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this feature, you must finish long rest before you can use it again

Brawny

By 2nd level, you know how to take a hit and still be left standing. You’ve learned to embrace the attacks by hardening your body in anticipation for them.

As a bonus action, you can allow the next attack against you to hit automatically, either with a weapon attack or spell attack. Whoever is attacking still roll despite for the automatic hit for regards to natural 1's and 20's as they still act as they normally do in these circumstances. The damage from this attack is reduced by half. If you are forced to make a Strength, or Constitution saving throw due to the attack, you gain advantage on the roll.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short rest or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 15th level, you can use it twice before a rest.

Schools of the Meatshield

At 3rd level, you choose one School of the following: School of the Shielding, School of the Smashed, School of the Aggressor, or School of the Healing. Your chosen combat School grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Tanky Intuition

By 3th level, when you fail an ability check, you can expend a use of your Not Going Down to push yourself toward success. Rather than regaining hit points, you may add your Constitution modifier and add it to the ability check, potentially turning it into a success. If the check still fails, this use of Not Going Down isn’t expended.

Ability Score Improvement

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

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

Bull-headed Resilience

At 7th level, you may add your Constitution modifier to any saving throw you do not already have proficiency in. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Endless Energy

By 9th level, you tap into a new energy source to help fuel you against the endless waves of enemies. If you have levels in exhaustion, you can remove one level temporarily. This lasts until after your next long rest, where that level of exhaustion is returned back. If you already used this ability, you must clear that original level of exhaustion to do this again.

Final Stand

When everyone is down, you're still left standing amidst the carnage. By 11th level, when your hit points is less or equal to twice your MeatShield level, you enter an enrage-like state. You gain a +2 bonus to weapon attack rolls you make while in this state. You deal an extra 1d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature you hit with these attacks. If you receive healing that would bring you above twice your MeatShield level, you lose this benefit.

Non-Stopping

At 13th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being stunned orparalyzed.

Battle Hardened

Starting at 17th level, you now have resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Standing Tall

Beginning at 18th level, if your total for a Constitution ability check or saving throw is less than your Constitution ability score, you can use that score in place of the total.

Ultimate Tank

At 20th level, you refuse to die. While you still have allies alive and fighting within 30 feet of you and you are reduced to 0 hit points, you may come back with half your maximum hit points. When you do so, you gain the effects of the invulnerability spell until the start of your next turn.

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

Schools of the Meatshields

School of the Shielding

The School of Shielding are paragons of virtue, rushing into battle to protect others at their own risk. They believe that another adventurer's life is sacred, and others must never be hurt. The School of Shielding Meats is only for the truest of hearts, the lawfulness of the stupid.

Unmovable

By 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor. You also gain proficiency in Athletics or one skill of your choice from the list of skills available to Meatshields at 1st level.

Meaty Protector

Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them for harming others. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if someone else marks the creature.

While it is within 5 feet of you, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn't target you.

In addition, if a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can make a special melee weapon attack against the marked creature as a bonus action on your next turn. You have advantage on the attack roll, and if it hits, the attack's weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to half your Meatshield level.

Regardless of the number of creatures you mark, you can make this special attack a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Can't Hurt Friend

By 6th level, you are always on the lookout for your allies, ready to help them in a pinch. When an ally within 10 feet of you that you can see is attacked, you can spend your reaction and 1 Might Die to give them a bonus equal to one roll of your Might Die and add it to their AC, potentially causing the hit to be a miss. This bonus lasts till the start of the protected creature's turn. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per day.

This range increases to 30ft by 18th level.

Saving Tackle

Starting at 10th level, when an ally is about to go down you throw caution to the wind to save them. When an ally within walking distance is about to take damage which would force them unconscious, you can use a special reaction to push them away 10ft in any direction, taking their place, and receive the damage instead. You can use this special reaction even if you already used your reaction for the turn. You can only use this once per long rest.

Unbreakable Stance

At 14th level, you understand that you can not show weakness when confronting the enemy. As an Action, for the next minute you mobilize your body's muscles at its fullest, you of you gain the following:

• If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn't change.
• You gain a +1 to their AC.
• You gain advantage on ability checks and saving throws vs being moved against their will, being knocked prone.

Any allies within 15ft of you gain the following:

• Allies gain advantage on ability checks and saving throws vs being moved against their will, being knocked prone, paralyzed, or stunned.
• Allies now benefit from half-cover.

You must be conscious to grant this bonus. You may also end this early at no cost.

School of the Smashed

The School of the Smashed believes that to truly be a Meatshield, you must destroy all that opposes your way to the enemy. Whatever it be doors, walls, objects, and all other forms of cover, including people. That's basically it, whenever you enter a room, you kick down doors or anything else standing in your way and sending monsters running.

Sustainable Combat

At 3rd level, you are proficient in Improvised Weapons as you learn from your teaching that anything can be a weapon in the right hands, whatever it be a small rock, a log, or a table.

You also learn how to create ammunition that take the form of tiny balls of debris that you can throw it with sheer force towards your enemies. You create five compact rocks per long rest as long as you have the material to create them on your person or nearby. These uses the properties of darts, but deals bludgeoning damage instead.

Destructive Combat

You realize the potential of using the environment around you to help assist you in combat that was never thought possible. At 3rd level, you gain two new special moves, called Environmental Techniques. These Environmental Techniques are fueled by a resource called Environmental Points and are equal to twice your proficiency bonus. You regain all of your expended Environmental Points when you finish a long rest. You gain more Environmental Techniques at 6th and 14th level.

If an Environmental Techniques requires a saving throw, your Techniques save DC equals to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier

Splintering Fragments: When you take an action, you may spend 1 Environmental Point to destroy the environment around you and fling small shrapnel into the air towards your enemies. Any creature within a 15ft cone coming from you must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 1d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.

Shaking Stomp: When you take the attack action, you may spend 1 Environmental Point to replaces one of your attacks to create a shockwave that can knock your foes off their feet as you pound the ground. Each creature of your choice in a 5ft radius originating from you must make a Strength saving throw, or be knocked prone. The ranges increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10ft at 6th level, 15ft at 11th level, and 20ft at 17th level.

Demolition Tendencies

By 6th level, you create new ways of attacks to help support your unique way of fighting. You gain two new Environmental Technique, Wallbreaker, to become more of a brute and facing your problems head on, and Boulder Extraordinaire, to do massive amount of damage around a single area.

Wallbreaker: When you use your Action to dash, you may spend 3 Environmental Point to charge forward and attacking everything in your way (at not cost). Any creatures in front of you in a straight line withing range of your movement must succeed on either a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice). On failure, they take 2d8 bludgeoning damage be push 5ft, either left or right, and be knocked prone. If they succeed on the save, they take half damage (rounded down) and stay standing where they were. If you end your movement inside the space of another creature, that creature is moved 5ft in any direction to a safe area. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d8 at 11th level, 4d8 at 17th level.

Boulder Extraordinaire: As an Action, you may spend 3 Environmental Point create a medium-sized boulder that explodes on impact sending fragments across the battlefield. It has a normal range of 40 feet, and a long range of 80 feet and is an improvised weapon. Make a ranged attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 3d6. Hit or miss, the boulder then explodes, sending fragments across the battlefield. The target and each creature within 10 feet of the point where the boulder exploded must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they take 2d4 piercing damage or half as much damage on a successful one (rounded down). The bludgeoning damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 4d6 at 11th level, 5d6 at 17th level.

If a barrier is within either range of these Environmental Technique, you may decide to try to create a 5ft entrance for you and your party. You make a Strength (Athletics) check for breaking the barrier. The DC for the check will depend on the GM as barriers are made from different materials. This barrier has to be something you can reasonably break through to gain these benefits.

Built Different

At 10th level, your body has adapted to your training and brute force. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

In addition, you deal double damage to objects and structures.

Cataclysm Impact

When reaching 14th level, you finally become a force of nature. You learn an ancient, dangerous, Environment Technique that can create artificial gravity by contracting your muscles and increasing your body's density. You may cast the Gravity Sinkhole spell for 4 Environmental Points, requiring no components, with a range of self. This spell will be considered a Environmental Technique in terms of figuring out the saving throw DC.

The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 3d12 necrotic damage immediately after you cast it as you can feel your muscles being torn apart. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per each continuous cast increases by 1d12. This damage cannot be reduced in anyway.

School of the Aggressor

The School of the Aggressor teaches that the best defense is a excellent offence. They say that the best protection is the one where you are never in danger of having to fight yourself at all. These guys are the most offensive of all the Meatshields, preferring to do damage over tanking as much. The teaching's of the School goes by this motto: "If you beat your enemies to a bloody pulp, they can't even think about hurting your allies!"

Hammer Fist

By 3th level, your unarmed strikes are now a d6. At 7th level, they becomes a d8, at 13th level a d10, and at 17th level a d12.

Additionally, every time you reduce an enemy's hit points to zero, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Meatshield level + Constitution modifier.

Devastating Attacks

At 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack you can attempt to grapple or shove that creature as a bonus action.

In addition, if you start your turn with a creature grappled by you, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Metallic Fists

Starting at 6th level, your fist are now covered with a thin layer of metallic metal. Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Powerful Reach

At 10th level, through training and battle experience, you learned to move your arms in unique ways to deliver powerful strikes. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

In addition, once on each of your turns, one of your attacks with a weapon or an unarmed strike can deal an extra 1d8 damage to a target on a hit.

Onslaught

By 14th level, you get lost in the chaos of battle, becoming a force of nature — a whirlwind of destruction, leaving naught but a trail of shattered bodies in your wake. The thrill of combat causes you to keep beating your foes into a bloody pulp. When you use this Action, the creature must make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier) to withstand the pain. If it fails it takes 6d10 Bludgeoning damage and becomes paralyzed. If it succeeds, it takes half damage (rounded down) instead.

You can do this once per Long Rest.

School of the Healing

The School of the Healing is looked down upon by the other schoolings for its teachings of blood magic. Created by Leodor Steakhammer's very distant brother, Alfredd Steakhammer, it combines the ruthless behavior of the Meatshield fighting style along with black magic to keep the user alive for longer. While not forbidden, is it generally disliked the Meatshield society.

Blood Transfusion

By 3th level, you may transfer a portion of your life force to another. As an action, you can touch a creature and restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to half your maximum hit points, afterwards you take necrotic damage equal to that amount. This cannot be reduced in anyway. You can do this a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per Long Rest.

This feature has no effect on constructs or undead.

Weapon Siphon

At 3rd level, you learn how to involve this type magic in combat to help assist you. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one weapon, focusing your magic on it and bond with it, causing thin needle-like protrusion to appear and cover the weapon. Once per turn when you hit a living creature with that weapon, you may deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage as the "protrusion" drains the life force of your enemy. Additionally, whenever an another creature besides you holds said weapon, you may also active this feature and deal 1d10 necrotic damage to the wielder. Anytime you deal this necrotic damage, you gain that amount of hit points + your Constitution modifier. This benefit lasts until you attempt to bond with a second weapon, where you break the bond with the first weapon. This feature has no effect on constructs or undead.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Death's Body

Your body has become more accustomed to black magic and has gained a resistance against it from outside sources. Beginning at 6th level, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.

Additionally, your body mutants as your body tries to cope with the black magic. Black veins cover your body, while your sclera have turned black and your irises now shine a bright shade of red.

Hematic Control

By the 10th level, you have master the basics to blood magic as it is detailed below.

Ever-living: When you use your Blood Transfusion feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to one-third (rounded up) of what you used restore.

Blood Clot: When you use your Weapon Siphon feature, the target must make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be restrained the by its own blood as it harden inside their body. The target can make a Constitution saving throw to free itself at the end of each of its turns or when they get hit with a attack.

Blood Mastery

When reaching 14th level, you are permanently under the effects of the Shadow Of Moil spell. You can this feature on or off at will as an action.

Multiclassing

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

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Meatshield class, you gain the following proficiencies: (Athletics), and (Survival). You also gain in proficiency in Light and Medium Armor.

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