Swords & Sorceries: The Shieldbearer Archetype for 5E Fighters

The Broken Empire world of Swords & Sorceries is inspired by ancient history as seen through the lens of Fifth Edition. Fighters have the "Protection" fighting style, of course, but I want a kind of elite fighter that fully evokes the heart of ancient warfare: the phalanx that dominated battlefields for millennia before the twenty-foot pikes of Macedonia and the legions of Rome. 

If you like this subclass, try it at your table and let me know how it works. 

The Shieldbearer archetype is © Shane Ivey.

Edited on Nov. 2, 2019, after player feedback.

You are expert at fighting in a shield wall, on the front lines of a phalanx or warband. You excel in close combat when formations push against each other, screaming and striking until one of them breaks. You are a veteran soldier, a recognized fighter, and proud of your status. 

In the Broken Empire setting, most war comes down to the press of phalanxes of soldiers bearing shields. Shieldbearer fighters are particularly prominent in the Samarran kingdoms’ Sacred Bands, whose pairs of elite warriors devote lives and love to each other as fully as they are devoted to the band and to their kingdom. Outside the Broken Empire itself, shieldbearer fighters are prominent in the Valkani tribes of the northern forests and the Kiavalkans of the far northern mountains, who fight in shield walls with axes and spears.

SHIELD WALL

Beginning at 3rd level when you take this archetype, you gain the following features.

• You gain proficiency with using a shield to attack. When you attack with it, a shield has the light property and does 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
• If you attempt to shove a creature while you are wielding a shield, the attempt has advantage.
• While at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of you and the ally isn’t incapacitated, you gain advantage to saving throws to resist being frightened, grappled, shoved, and overrun.

PHALANX TACTICS

Beginning at 7th level, you gain advantage on a melee attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of you, the creature is within reach of the ally’s weapon, and the ally isn’t incapacitated. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (at least once). You regain all uses after a short or long rest.

WATCHFUL COMPANION

Beginning at 10th level, at the beginning of your turn, you can designate a single ally. If you are wielding a shield and the ally is within 5 feet of you, that ally gains half cover from your shield until the beginning of your next turn. If this feature causes an attack against an ally to miss that otherwise would have hit, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (at least 1).

READY FOR BATTLE

Beginning at 15th level, your tactical eye is keen whenever battle starts. If you roll initiative and you have no uses of Phalanx Tactics remaining, you regain one use of it.

HEART OF IRON

Beginning at 18th level, at the beginning of your turn, you can grant temporary hit points equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier to a single ally who is within 5 feet of you and who has lower than maximum hit points.