Vanguards turn the Steel Keeper’s supernatural bond into a stubborn, punishing style of swordsmanship. They favor decisive strength over finesse, using their blade as a bulwark and their own presence as a challenge enemies cannot ignore. A Vanguard is at their best in the thick of a fight, drawing attacks away from allies and answering each blow with crushing force.
Be the wall. Make every blow count.
Frontline defender and forceful melee controller.
At a glance
Hit die d10
Strength
ConstitutionSubclass of Steel Keeper
You learn to meet force with force. While wielding your Bonded Blade, you can use Strength instead of Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls, even if another Steel Keeper feature would let you use Dexterity. When you hit a creature with your Bonded Blade on your turn, you can mark it as your quarry until the start of your next turn (no action required). The mark ends early if you are Incapacitated or mark another creature. While marked, the creature has Disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you while it is within 5 feet of you. You can have only one creature marked at a time.
When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you takes damage, you can use your Reaction and expend one Steel Resonance to reduce that damage by 1d10 + your Steel Keeper level + your Strength modifier. If this reduces the damage to 0, the protected creature can immediately move up to 5 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks. You must be wielding your Bonded Blade to use this feature.
Your heavy blows break an enemy’s composure. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your Bonded Blade, you can force it to make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure, choose one: push it up to 10 feet away from you, or knock it Prone. A creature at least one size larger than you has Advantage on this saving throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
You become an almost immovable center of the fight. While wielding your Bonded Blade, you have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws to avoid being shoved or knocked Prone, and your Speed cannot be reduced against your will. In addition, when you use Stand Behind Me, the protected creature gains Resistance to the triggering damage until the end of the current turn, and you can move up to half your Speed immediately after reducing the damage, without provoking Opportunity Attacks. This movement must end closer to the creature you protected or adjacent to the attacker, if possible.
StrengthConstitutionHit points per Steel Keeper level, as the parent class.
Saving throwsUses the Steel Keeper’s saving throw proficiencies. Iron Vanguard and Stand Behind Me reward Strength and Constitution; Shattering Answer uses a Strength-based saving throw DC.
TrainingNo additional proficiencies. The subclass relies on Steel Keeper Training: martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.
ResourceSteel Resonance, using the Steel Keeper’s proficiency-bonus-based pool and recovery rules.
MulticlassingUse the multiclassing rules for the Steel Keeper. The Vanguard subclass grants features at Steel Keeper levels 3, 6, 10, and 14; its features do not grant additional proficiencies.
Vanguards turn the Steel Keeper’s supernatural bond into a stubborn, punishing style of swordsmanship.
They favor decisive strength over finesse, using their blade as a bulwark and their own presence as a challenge enemies cannot ignore. A Vanguard is at their best in the thick of a fight, drawing attacks away from allies and answering each blow with crushing force.
Choose a dangerous enemy to mark and stay close enough to make attacking your allies costly.
Save Steel Resonance for Stand Behind Me when it can prevent a serious hit or help an ally reposition. At higher levels, use Shattering Answer to control the frontline, then rely on your durability and Bonded Blade to keep pressure on the threats that matter.
A Steel Keeper becomes a Vanguard by choosing to master weight, leverage, and protection over speed and precision.
Initiation usually pairs the candidate with a partner who must be kept safe through exhausting drills: the candidate learns to intercept strikes, hold ground, and recover from a blow without surrendering the space behind them.
Ordinary people tend to regard Vanguards as reassuring protectors, though their blunt, imposing presence can unsettle those who prefer diplomacy.
Soldiers respect their reliability; cautious leaders may worry that a Vanguard’s instinct to hold the line will complicate a planned retreat.
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