Vanguard FAQ

What is a Vanguard in D&D?

The Vanguard is a D&D Portal homebrew support class built around Charisma spellcasting, heavy protective equipment, a Helpful Companion, and a short-rest Tool Point resource used to assist allies and reshape spell resources. It uses a d8 Hit Die, has Charisma and Wisdom saving throw proficiencies, can wear light, medium, or heavy armor and use shields, and chooses Thaumaturgist, Saboteur, or Living Shield as its subclass at 3rd level.

The Vanguard is a D&D Portal homebrew class built around one central idea: protecting other people is the character's primary form of power. It is not bound by a Paladin's sacred oath and it does not use the Cleric's divine class structure. Instead, the Vanguard combines Charisma-based magic, strong armor access, support effects, debuffs, a small companion, and a separate Tool Point resource. Vanguards are defined by placing themselves between danger and people who cannot face it alone.

Core class profile

The Vanguard uses a d8 Hit Die.

Charisma is its primary ability and spellcasting ability.

Saving throw proficiencies are Charisma and Wisdom.

The class is proficient with simple weapons and has unusually broad armor training:

  • light armor;
  • medium armor;
  • heavy armor;
  • shields.

The skill list is support- and knowledge-oriented, including options such as Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Arcana, History, and Persuasion.

This creates an unusual full-support profile: the Vanguard can stand in dangerous positions without being built as a pure weapon class.

Spellcasting

The Vanguard gains spellcasting at 1st level.

Charisma is the spellcasting ability and an arcane focus can be used as the spellcasting focus.

The class uses its own spell-slot and spell-list progression rather than copying another class wholesale.

The Vanguard uses the term “prepared spells,” but its spell-replacement rule is tied to gaining Vanguard levels rather than to Cleric-style daily preparation after a long rest.

The spell list is strongly support-oriented and includes effects designed to protect, restore, enhance, and reposition allies while also weakening enemies.

Helpful Companion

At 1st level, the Vanguard gains Helpful Companion.

The character chooses a small or tiny beast within Helpful Companion's CR restrictions and gains *find familiar* as part of the Vanguard spell options.

The companion develops additional interactions later in the class progression.

This makes the familiar part of the base Vanguard identity rather than a subclass-only feature.

Tool Points

At 2nd level, the Vanguard gains Tool Points.

The Tool Point pool equals the Vanguard's proficiency bonus plus Wisdom modifier.

Tool Points return on a short or long rest.

They can be spent on several support functions, including:

  • restoring spell-slot resources according to the Vanguard's conversion rule;
  • improving allies through Tool Boost;
  • removing listed harmful conditions;
  • granting temporary hit points;
  • copying an ally's Armor Class temporarily through Tool Armour;
  • interacting with subclass features.

Tool Points are one of the class's main tactical resources.

Support without passivity

The Vanguard is not intended to stand behind the party and only heal.

Later base features improve the Help action, protective positioning, aura-style defense, spell targeting, familiar utility, and party-wide temporary hit points.

The class can therefore influence a fight through action economy and positioning even when it is not dealing the most damage.

Vanguard subclass

At 3rd level, the Vanguard chooses one of three subclasses:

  • **Thaumaturgist**, focused on healing and restoration;
  • **Saboteur**, focused on weakening and marking enemies;
  • **Living Shield**, focused on taking danger onto the Vanguard instead of allies.

These are the three subclasses defined for the Vanguard.

Party role

A Vanguard can serve as:

  • support caster;
  • armored protector;
  • emergency healer;
  • ally buffer;
  • enemy debuffer;
  • familiar user;
  • damage interceptor;
  • battlefield coordinator.

The selected subclass determines which form of support becomes dominant.

In short

The Vanguard is a Charisma-based homebrew support class with d8 durability, broad armor access, spells, a companion, and Tool Points.

Thaumaturgist keeps allies alive.

Saboteur makes enemies easier to defeat.

Living Shield accepts danger personally so allies do not have to.