Bulwark (PEACH, WIP)

[JNAProductions]

Bulwark

Hit Die: d12
Proficiencies: All armor, shields, all weapons
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment:
-Chain Mail
-A martial weapon and a shield or two martial weapons
-A light crossbow and 20 bolts or two handaxes
-A dungeoneer's pack or an explorer's pack



Level
Prof.
Features


1
+2
Bulwark's Resistance


2
+2
Fighting Style


3
+2
Archetype, Controlling Strike


4
+2
Ability Score Improvement


5
+3
Extra Attack


6
+3
Bulwark's Resistance II


7
+3
Archetype Feature


8
+3
Ability Score Improvement


9
+4
Indomitable


10
+4
Bulwark's Resistance III


11
+4
Archetype Feature


12
+4
Ability Score Improvement


13
+5
Indomitable 2/Rest


14
+5
Controlling Strike II


15
+5
Archetype Feature


16
+5
Ability Score Improvement


17
+6
Indomitable 3/Rest


18
+6
Archetype Feature


19
+6
Ability Score Improvement


20
+6
Mighty Bulwark



Bulwark's Resistance-You gain DR/nonmagical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage equal to your Constitution Modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

At level 6, select 5 energy types. Your DR now applies to them as well.

At level 10, your DR now applies to all damage.

Fighting Style-Select from the Defense, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, or Dueling fighting style to use.

Archetype-Choose to be an Unkillable or an Unstoppable Bulwark.

Controlling Strike-Your strikes now shape the battlefield. Select two of the following abilities:
-Knock Prone (Strength Save)
-Shove 5' (Strength Save)
-Unable to make reactions (Constitution Save)
-At a disadvantage when attacking any target but you (Wisdom Save)
-One of your allies gets an immediate Attack of Opportunity against the enemy (Dexterity Save)
When you hit with an attack, you can choose to remove your ability modifier and instead use one of the effects on your enemy. Saving throw DCs are equal to 8+Proficiency+Strength modifier

At level 14, select two more abilities.

Indomitable-As the Fighter ability.

Mighty Bulwark-You now have resistance to all damage.

[JNAProductions]

Unkillable

Level 3-Diehard-You no longer suffer penalties for dying. You must still, however, make death saving throws as normal, and die upon failing three death saving throws.

Level 7-Unkillable-You now have to fail 6 death saving throws to die, and have advantage on them.

Level 11-Immovable Object-If you have not moved in your last turn, gain a +2 to AC and advantage on saves vs. any forced movement.

Level 15-Hardy of Body-Increase Constitution and max Constitution by 2, normally raising your cap to 22.

Level 18-Natural Healer-You now have regeneration equal to your Constitution modifier.

Unstoppable

Level 3-

Level 7-

Level 11-Unstoppable Force-You can never be slowed by nonmagical means, and have advantage on saving throws versus any magical slowing effect.

Level 15-Might of Body-Increase Strength and max Strength by 2, normally raising your cap to 22.

Level 18-

[PotatoGolem]

There's some things here that don't really fit in 5e. DR and numerical energy resistance aren't really a thing anymore (with the exception of one feat). Bulwark's Resistance is way OP at low levels, and super trivial at high levels. I'd stick with the 5e resistance system.

Similarly, Diehard does nothing. There isn't an XP penalty for dying anymore.

[JNAProductions]

If it's just resistances, then it's basically the same as Barbarian. I wanted to differentiate this. I definitely want to keep the DR, so how would you suggest making it balanced?

As for dying, I meant the dying condition. When you're at 0 HP.

[Zman]

Bulwark

Hit Die: d12
Proficiencies: All armor, shields, all weapons
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment:
-Chain Mail
-A martial weapon and a shield or two martial weapons
-A light crossbow and 20 bolts or two handaxes
-A dungeoneer's pack or an explorer's pack



Level
Prof.
Features


1
+2
Bulwark's Resistance


2
+2
Fighting Style


3
+2
Archetype, Controlling Strike


4
+2
Ability Score Improvement


5
+3
Extra Attack


6
+3
Bulwark's Resistance II


7
+3
Archetype Feature


8
+3
Ability Score Improvement


9
+4
Indomitable


10
+4
Bulwark's Resistance III


11
+4
Archetype Feature


12
+4
Ability Score Improvement


13
+5
Indomitable 2/Rest


14
+5
Controlling Strike II


15
+5
Archetype Feature


16
+5
Ability Score Improvement


17
+6
Indomitable 3/Rest


18
+6
Archetype Feature


19
+6
Ability Score Improvement


20
+6
Mighty Bulwark



Bulwark's Resistance-You gain DR/nonmagical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage equal to your Constitution Modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

At level 6, select 5 energy types. Your DR now applies to them as well.

At level 10, your DR now applies to all damage.

Ok, DR really isn't a think in 5e, and for good reason. The only real example I can think of is Heavy Armor Master which is DR3 vs S/P/B from nonmagical sources. So, that DR3 vs nonmagical S/P/B is worth half a feat. Barbarians get Resistance to all S/P/B for one minute 2-6 times a day. If they pick a particular style this extends to all but Psychic Damage.

This ability is too strong, or should come with a per short/long rest rider. By default 2-6 +2-5 DR against everything that effectively matters is too good. At low levels DR4/5 is extremely strong, significantly stronger than Heavy Armor Master. At high levels DR10/11/12 is very good. Sure, against some high powered attacks of foes it is less useful than a Barbarian's resistance, but against many foes, ie the mid CRs and mooks it is strictly superior and has no weak damage type and effectively trivializes opponents that were supposed to remain relevant.

I would suggest changing it from DR to Resistance at the least, potentially making it a limited use. I know you want to differentiate it from a Barbarian's Rage, but DR just doesn't work well with 5e. Even HAM trivializes low levels.

Fighting Style-Select from the Defense, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, or Dueling fighting style to use.

Ok... so a vs a Fighter you trade Second Wind and Action Surge for broken levels of DR and more HP.

Archetype-Choose to be an Unkillable or an Unstoppable Bulwark.

Will look at separately.

Controlling Strike-Your strikes now shape the battlefield. Select two of the following abilities:
-Knock Prone (Strength Save)
-Shove 5' (Strength Save)
-Unable to make reactions (Constitution Save)
-At a disadvantage when attacking any target but you (Wisdom Save)
-One of your allies gets an immediate Attack of Opportunity against the enemy (Dexterity Save)
When you hit with an attack, you can choose to remove your ability modifier and instead use one of the effects on your enemy. Saving throw DCs are equal to 8+Proficiency+Strength modifier

At level 14, select two more abilities.

Ok, this is problematic. Firstly, the second part about "choose to remove your ability modifier" is poorly worded and doesn't mean much of anything. I'm assuming remove damage to damage? Knocking prone, normally replaces an attack or for a Battle Master uses a perishable resource. It also is a lot of rolling, potentially on every single attack roll. This is definitely stepping on the BattleMaster's Toes not to mention you still have Archtype features on top. This should be simple allowed to perform one maneuver as a bonus action a limited number of times per short rest. At Will maneuvers like this don't fit terribly well in 5e.

Indomitable-As the Fighter ability.

Again, stepping on the Fighter's toes by copy pasting their abilities.

Mighty Bulwark-You now have resistance to all damage.


Wait, this is supposed to stack with Bulwark's Resistance?? Completely Redundant abilities, DR to a Damage type, the Resistance to it as well. This is IMO poor class design and as a non limited use ability is Strictly superior to a Barbarian's Rage, and stacks with one of yoru other class features.



Unkillable

Level 3-Diehard-You no longer suffer penalties for dying. You must still, however, make death saving throws as normal, and die upon failing three death saving throws.

What penalties for dying?? You mean falling unconscious?

Level 7-Unkillable-You now have to fail 6 death saving throws to die, and have advantage on them.

This is ridiculous. You should just have given Advantage on Death Saving throws. Advantage takes it form 45% chance of failing to a 20% chance of failing. Now, needing Six before you stabilize with three fails makes it mathematically unlikely to happen, like seriously ridiculous. May as well just say can't die. IMO this is a not a good class feature.

Level 11-Immovable Object-If you have not moved in your last turn, gain a +2 to AC and advantage on saves vs. any forced movement.

Ok, basically giving +2 AC in combat most of the time. I'd remove the "have not moved" portion and just make the ability gain Advantage against any forced movement, or make it halve all forced movement.

Level 15-Hardy of Body-Increase Constitution and max Constitution by 2, normally raising your cap to 22.

Ok, this is effectively better than most ASIs at this level. Also, stacks with with Bulwark's Resistance. It is unique as a class feature breaking the ASI Cap which nothing in the PHB can do. Not a fan of the feature at all.

Level 18-Natural Healer-You now have regeneration equal to your Constitution modifier.

Not as good as the Champion Ability, may as well have just made it Regen 5 and make it simple. When combined with the obscene levels of immunity to damage it is kind of broken. Also, doesn't state you have to be at 1HP to use, as written completely negates death save mechanics and bonuses.

Unstoppable

Not complete.

Level 3-

Level 7-

Level 11-Unstoppable Force-You can never be slowed by nonmagical means, and have advantage on saving throws versus any magical slowing effect.

Level 15-Might of Body-Increase Strength and max Strength by 2, normally raising your cap to 22.

Level 18-

Gave you a PEACH when I saw you didn't get much feedback or do much refining. Overall I think there are huge problems with the DR mechanic, and giving the class straight up Resistance to everything is doubly problematic. The class is almost straight up immune to damage from mooks of lower CR which IMO is bad class design. The class breaks the ASI increase cap which probably is a nono. It is straight up superior in many ways to Fighter or Barbarian.

Too many at will ability with basically no resource management necessary which is a big balancing force in 5e. Only Indomitable as a resource mechanic.

IOM, you would have been better off just making this a Fighter or Barbarian Archetype, it doesn't feel like enough substance to make into an entire class with subclasses.


Edit: Yes, I am aware this thread is six months old, but the class is being alpha tested in a current game I'm in and I decided to PEACH it for him.

[weaseldust]

Proposal: Instead of DR, you get to minimise one damage die from one attack you are hit by each round. E.g. the attacker deals d6+2 damage and rolls a 4, so you would take 6 damage, but instead you get to reduce the roll to 1, so you only take 3 damage.

At higher levels, the ability could improve to be usable more times per round or to be usable against other sources of damage. Though iff you weaken other parts of the class, you could allow them to minimise one die per incoming attack from level 1, maybe.

This way, you don't have to replicate the Barbarian's resistance, but you don't trivialise any attacker by reducing the damage they deal to you to 0.

EDIT: Oh wait, 6-month-old thread. Never mind then.