DnD 5e Backgrounds

Guard 5e Background Guide

Published on December 28, 2024

Explore which D&D classes work best with the Guard background and how it can help your character spot and react to danger.

A female gaurd in silver plate.

Chris Rallis - Wizards of the Coast - Adriana, Captain of the Guard

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What Is the Guard Background in D&D?

The Guard is a DnD 5e background that represents a character trained to protect and defend. Whether stationed at a city gate, patrolling a noble’s estate, or serving in a watchtower, this background prepares you for vigilance in the face of danger. Guards excel at keeping watch and responding swiftly when trouble arises, making this a great pick for combat-focused characters.

How Does the Guard Background Work?

The Guard background offers the following features:

  • Ability Scores: Receive a +2 bonus to one ability and +1 to another, or a +1 bonus to all three: Strength, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
  • Feat: Alert. This feat grants a bonus to Initiative rolls equal to your Proficiency Bonus and allows you to swap your Initiative with one willing ally.
  • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and Perception.
  • Tool Proficiency: One type of Gaming Set.
  • Equipment:
    • Option A: Spear, light crossbow, 20 bolts, gaming set (chosen proficiency), hooded lantern, manacles, quiver, traveler’s clothes, and 12 GP.
    • Option B: 50 GP for a more customizable loadout.

Let’s break down the benefits:

Ability Scores: Strength, Wisdom, and Intelligence is an awkward spread of ability scores because very fun classes use two of any of the three choices. Your best best would be something like an Eldritch Knight or Heavy armor Cleric that’s swinging a Strength-based weapon.

Alert Feat: This has got a substantial upgrade in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. The bonus to Initiative equal to your Proficiency Bonus actually is a bit of a debuff, because you won’t have the previous +5 bonus until level 13. But, the big upside if you can swap your Initiative with a willing ally. When you’re in a party of 4 or 5 adventurers, at least one is bound to have a higher roll than you, which can aid in going first if you’ve got a big spell to drop. When you’re a Rogue, going first may actually be detrimental to your goals because you may not have an opportune Sneak Attack target, so swapping Initiative with a Fighter in your party could help ensure you’ve got an ally within 5 feet of an enemy.

Athletics and Perception Proficiencies: Athletics has gotten a debuff in the 2024 Player’s Handbook because it’s no longer involved in grappling checks. Perception, on the other hand, is still universally useful for spotting traps, ambushes, or hidden enemies.

Gaming Set Proficiency: While most tools have been given mechanical benefits in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the gaming set doesn’t have any use beyond being able to discern if someone is cheating (DC 10) or win the game (DC 20).

What Type of Character is the Guard Background For?

The Guard background offers awkward ability score increases. Maritals usually want Strength or Dexterity with a side of Constitution, while casters want their spellcasting ability and Dexterity or Constitution. The combo of +2 to Strength and +1 to Intelligence could be a perfect choice for Eldritch Knights, but not many other builds.

The revamped Alert feat can be a boost for casters looking to drop a big spell before combat kicks off or for martials to engage enemies before they can close in on your more vunlernable allies. While Athletics isn’t the most useable skill for casters, everyone will like a boost to Perception.

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of the Guard Background?

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good the Guard 5e background is for a specific class/subclass.

  • Red : Isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
  • Orange : Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
  • Green : A good option
  • Blue : A great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
  • Sky Blue: An amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Artificer: You can get an Intelligence boost, solid feat, and a good skill proficiency, but this isn't the best background for Artificers in strictly a mechanical sense. The Criminal background provides an Intelligence boost, the Alert feat, strictly better skill proficiencies, and a boost to Constitution.

Barbarian: A Strength boost and the Alert feat are solid pickups, but your secondary ability score increase will likely be wasted.

Bard: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Bard.

Cleric: You can boost Wisdom, get a solid boost to Initiative with the Alert feat, and pick up a Perception skill proficiency. You can also boost Strength if you're going to be a melee-combat Cleric.

Druid: You can boost Wisdom, get a solid boost to Initiative with the Alert feat, and pick up a Perception skill proficiency. Not amazing, but not bad.

Fighter: A Strength boost and the Alert feat are solid pickups, but your secondary ability score increase will likely be wasted unless you're planning on going the Eldritch Knight route.

Monk: Without a Dexterity boost, there isn't much here for a Monk.

Paladin: A Strength boost and the Alert feat are solid pickups, but you'd much rather your secondary ability score increase to be Constitution or Charisma.

Ranger: For Rangers using a Strength-based weapon, this is a solid pick up. You get a boost to Strength, Wisdom, and a bonus to Initiative thanks to the Alert feat. The proficiency in Perception will also go well with your propensity to be the party's scout.

Rogue: Without a Dexterity boost, there's not much here for a Rogue.

Sorcerer: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Sorcerer.

Warlock: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Warlock.

Wizard: You can get an Intelligence boost, solid feat, and a good skill proficiency, but this isn't the best background for Wizards in strictly a mechanical sense. The Criminal background provides an Intelligence boost, the Alert feat, strictly better skill proficiencies, and a boost to Constitution.

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Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Adamantine best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.