D&D (2024) Did Protection Fighting Style just become "Shield Wall" for warrior types?

[AntiStateQuixote]

Protection
Fighting Style Feat (Prerequisite: Fighting Style Feature)
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can take a Reaction to interpose your Shield if you're holding one. You impose Disadvantage on the triggering attack roll and all other attack rolls against the target until the start of your next turn if you remain within 5 feet of the target.

Unless I'm missing something, a pair of warriors each of whom has the Protection Fighting Style can stand adjacent to each other and use their Reactions every round to protect one another against all attacks.

Did we just get a Shield Wall option for paired warriors? I could see a line or group of such warriors working together to expand the protection to even more comrades.

In a line: each warrior protects the person to his/her right (only one person on the left end of the line doesn't get the protection).

In a group (2x2 grid, for example), each warrior protects the person counterclockwise in the group, or just pairs up (left/right or front/back).

 

[Steampunkette]

D&D24 All-Fighter Adventuring Party.

 

[abirdcall]

Fighters protecting each other is redundant. Certainly can be fun, esp. if you can make a choke point but completely fine powerwise I think.

It is like taking Tough on a Barbarian. You are already going to be the last one standing so the extra HP doesn't do much for you.

There are so many effects in 2024 that provide advantage or provoke disadvantage too so the monsters might already have disadvantage anyway.

 

[bedir than]

Fighters protecting each other is redundant. Certainly can be fun, esp. if you can make a choke point but completely fine powerwise I think.

It is like taking Tough on a Barbarian. You are already going to be the last one standing so the extra HP doesn't do much for you.

There are so many effects in 2024 that provide advantage or provoke disadvantage too so the monsters might already have disadvantage anyway.

Additionally, it helps get them in fireball form.

 

[Mort]

Additionally, it helps get them in fireball form.

On the plus side, the new shield master feat actually helps with fireball now!

Though, now the question will be, how reaction starved will this make the shield focused fighter?

 

[ezo]

The only issue I see with this rule / feature is if a PC is using protection style to protect someone from an attack from the other side of them. But, since 5E doesn't use facing, oh well.

 

[Minigiant]

On the plus side, the new shield master feat actually helps with fireball now!

Though, now the question will be, how reaction starved will this make the shield focused fighter?

I always thought since third edition that the fighter should not only have increased attacks as they level but increased opportunity attacks/reactions as they level.

So not only would the fighter be able to defend it nearby ally did be able to bash you when you miss. This would reduce the whole analysis paralysis because you would just have so many reactions that you both defend and attack.

 

[Stormonu]

Shields have really gotten their due in 5E, and it's about time.

 

[Minigiant]

The only issue I see with this rule / feature is if a PC is using protection style to protect someone from an attack from the other side of them. But, since 5E doesn't use facing, oh well.

Martial Shield Protective and Platonic Rear Bro Hug

 

[ezo]

Shields have really gotten their due in 5E, and it's about time.

Now if they would only include standard rules of actually attacking with a shield instead of fostering the BS in Shield Master.

If anyone knows of something new in 2024 about this, please share! One can only hope...