Advanced Class: Shield Wall

[Sanjin Koukyu]

Class Suggestion:

Advanced Class: Shield Wall

Overview: It doesn’t take much to fight. There can be any excuse to fight, from something as small as bumping into one another to as grand as insulting your slave, god, or the noble you work for. There are only a few who give up such desires to defend, to become something more than merely themselves and to put their lives on the line for the greater good of those they serve.

Allowable Races: Human (Barbarian, High, and Amahil), Cat Person, Dark Elf, Drak Sen (Metallic), Drak Sen (Metallic), Dwarf, Goblin, High Elf, Minotaur, Ogre, Troll, Wolven, and Vulpine **Effectively anything that can be a warlord**

Qualifying Classes: Warrior, Knight

Spell Spheres Allowed: Common, Racial

Armor: A B C D

Weapons: A B C (One-handed only, no ranged)

Class Bonus Stats:

Str: 4 Int: 1 Agi: 4 Res: 3 Sta: 0 Spl: 0 Lfe: 6

Stat Weight Reasoning: While being a physical oriented Class, it is mostly focused on defense, leading to a lower strength score while having higher agility and resistances than its counterpart in the Warlord.

Mindset:

The Shield Wall is the first and last line of defense against those that would see its charges harmed. Prior to the time that one takes up the mantle of Shield, they find someone to dedicate themselves to, to protect their wishes and whims with an almost slavish intensity. Forgoing magic and offense in lieu of defense and the ability to defend others. More often than not, the Shield Walls are those unable to delve into the deific glories that await Paladins and Dark Paladins and their gods.

Most, if not all, Shield Walls dedicate themselves to a Warlord, Noble, or House. Without a greater cause to dedicate themselves to, they find themselves bereft of many of their skills and an increasing toll on their mental fortitude.

Concept:

A soldier who has forsaken everything in favor of defense, wearing the heaviest, most defensible gear, wielding the largest shield and setting aside the need for personal strength in lieu of the greater strength that a community creates. They protect their own during battles, bar fights or even against mythical beasts, should such a situation arise. They show no fear unless driven to the absolute brink and ultimately, will lay down their lives for the standard they bear.

Advantages:

Standard Bearer:

After a Shield Wall bends knee to either a Warlord, a Noble, or a House, they wear their liege’s standard when going into battle. While wearing the standard and fighting for the standard’s cause, a Shield Wall may effectively double their Defense Values. For example, Body Plate would have a Defense Modifier of 26 instead of 13, while a Tower Shield would give a Defense Modifier of 8 AND +8 Defense against missile weapons (instead of the a Defense modifier of 4 and +4 Defense against missile weapons).

Turn Aside:

While they are unable to use but the most minimal of magic (OOB spells only), a Shield Wall may, once a day, reflect back a spell cast upon them. They have to be judicious with their application of this ability, and often times refer to their superior to tell them to ‘TURN ASIDE THAT FIREBALL!’. This cannot be used to reflect AoE skills (like Dragon’s Breath or Blizzard) nor can it reflect skills that do not create a physical-like object, like Contagion). Turn Aside can also be used on larger missiles, such as Ballista Bolts, but only once a day. Turn Aside requires, at minimum, a Tower Shield or a sufficiently powerful Shield-type Special Item.

Disadvantages:

Stoic:

Shield Walls are not prone to starting fights or quarrels. Under no circumstance will a shield wall initiate or instigate a fight, as such might bring shame upon those they serve. They can defend themselves, but unless the attacker is attacking because of the standard the Shield Wall wears, they will not derive the defensive benefits of Standard Bearer.

Gilded Gauntlet:

A Shield Wall will only ever wear the thickest, most metal of metals. And they can only ever use one-handed weapons for attacking. Because of their gravitas towards the standard they serve, they will pour every mehrial they can into upgrading their armor as much as they can. Much like a monk will freely give up their mehrial for their beliefs, a Shield Wall will pour every coin they can into their defensive capacity. For what good is a shield if it cannot defend its master?