New hard evidence of female Scandinavian warriors

You can make a Shield Maiden quickly by following these suggestions. First, strength should be your highest ability score, followed by constitution. Second choose the outlander background.
Class Features

As a Shield Maiden you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Shield Maiden level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Shield Maiden level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor, medium armor, and shields
Weapons: longswords, spears and daggers
Tools: none
Saving Throws: strength, constitution, and charisma
Skills: Choose 1:Athletics, Acrobatics, or Intimidation

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) Long Sword or (b) Simple weapon
(a) Studded Leather Armor and Light Shield or (b) Scale Mail
(a) An explorer's pack or (b) A dungeoneer's pack
(a) leather belt or (b) bag containing 35gp

Table: The Shield Maiden

Level Proficiency
Bonus Features Grace of the God's
1st +2 Shield Bash 0
2nd +2 Spirit Animal 0
3rd +2 Valkarie's Shield, Grace of the God's 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, Shield Bash 3
5th +3 Extra Attack, Grace of the God's feature 3
6th +3 Maiden's Second Chance 3
7th +3 Shield Wall, Grace of the God's feature 4
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Shield Bash 4
9th +4 Helping Hand, Grace of the God's feature 4
10th +4 Maiden's Charm 4
11th +4 Helping Hand Upgrade, Grace of the God's feature 6
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 6
13th +5 Unbreakable Armor 6
14th +5 Vikings Rage, Grace of the God's feature 6
15th +5 Extra Attack 8
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 8
17th +6 Survivor 8
18th +6 Vahala's Reach, Grace of the God's feature 8
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 12
20th +6 Sindri and Brokkr's Gift 20
Shield Maiden's Features and Abilities
Shield Bash

At 1st level because of her proficiencies with her shield, the Maiden has the ability to not only use her shield for defense but also may use is as a weapon, as an extra attack from a distance of up to 15 feet, she can bash her shield into an attacker causing 1d6 of damage, at the 4th level 2d6, and at the 8th level 3d6.
Spirit Animal

At level 2 the Maiden gains an animal companion that accompanies you on your adventures that she has trained to fight along side her. The animal will obey your commands as best as an animal can. It takes its turns on your initiative, but it doesn't take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can verbally command your spirit animal where to move (this requires no action by you). You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help Action. Once the Shield Maiden has gained her Extra Attack feature, she can make one weapon attack herself when she commands her spirit animal to take the Attack action. If the Shield Maiden becomes absent or incapacitated, her spirit animal will act on its own, focusing its efforts on protecting you and itself. The spirit animal does not require the Shield Maidens command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack. If her spirit animal dies, the Shield Maiden can obtain a new spirit animal by spending 8 hours bonding with an animal that isnt hostile towards her and is in the list of spirit animals. To determine your spirit animal you must roll 1d4. The abilities and statistics of theses spirit animals can be found in the Appendix D of the Players Handbook 5e (Starting on page 304).

1=Panther

2=Dire Wolf

3=Giant Eagle

4=Young Metallic Dragon
Valkarie's Shield

At level 3, opponents have to make a successful strength check equal to or greater then the maiden's AC, otherwise it is an automatic miss even upon a successful attack. Upon a failed check, the attack is deflected.
Grace of the God's

At the third level, the Shield Maiden has proven herself to be a fierce warrior and worthy of Grace of the God's. The Shield Maiden may choose to receive Grace of the God's as a bonus action. She will receive temporary hit points equal to player level + constitution modifier. She gets 5 points to strength and your Shield Bash damage is doubled. The Grace of the God's may end early if you are knocked unconscious or you choose to end early as your bonus action.
Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack

Beginning at the 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Maiden's 2nd Chance

At level 6, after rolling your attack, when you hit, if you roll a 1 or a 2, you get to re roll, but if you roll a 1 or 2 again you have to keep it.
Shield Wall

At level 7, using your shield, you can connect your shield to another shield. You gain +5 AC and +5 strength. You must complete a short rest to regain. Lasts for 5 minutes.
Helping Hand

At level 9, as a bonus action, you can dash to an ally. Upon arrival, you will grant both you and your ally 5 HP and 5 AC. This effect lasts for 3 rounds. At level 11 it becomes 10 HP and 10 AC. You may use this twice before you must take a long rest.
Maiden's Charm

At level 9, your Shield Maiden gains the ability to use her charisma to charm any humanoid enemy into being at her command. Attacker would roll a saving throw of 15 or higher. If they save they get an automatic hit against the Maiden for their normal damage.
Unbreakable Armor

At level 13, the Shield Maiden gains a bonus to her AC of + 12.
Vikings Rage

At level 14, the Shield Maiden receives a + 1d4 to every attack.
Survivor

At level 17, at the start of your turn, you regain HP = to 5 + constitution modifier if you have more then half of your HP left.
Vahala's Reach

At level 18, upon dealing a killing strike to your Maiden, the attacker must roll a saving throw of the Maiden's strength or higher, otherwise the attacker will take your place in death. This will temporarily grant you its remaining hit points through the duration of the battle.
Sindri and Brokkr's Gift

At level 20, the dwarf brothers reforge your shield. Making the outside rim razor sharp, and the face of the shield will now be covered with sharp spikes, giving your shield slashing and piercing damage = to 1d12.


Grace of the God's
Hal's Refusal

Upon receiving "Grace of the God's" your Shield Maiden gains the ability to refuse death. When her HP reaches 0, Hal's hands will come up from the underworld and instantly restore you to 10 HP.
Odin's Eye

Starting at level 5, you have proven yourself to Oden. You now receive +10 to strength and charisma. 2 ravens will appear, taking the creatures attack for you. Upon attack the ravens instantly deal 1d6 to the attacker. At level 8 this will increase to 2d6, at level 12 it increases to 3d6.
Freyja's Love

Starting at level 7, while under Grace of the God's, you may charm the creature closest to you,upon doing so the creature must roll a wisdom saving throw VS your DC (8 + con + proficiency bonus) on a failed save the creature closest to you will be charmed and fight for you. But if the creature rolls a successful save, the creature becomes enraged and focuses all of its attacks only on you while you are under Grace of the God's.
Thor's Might

Starting at level 9, while under Grace of the God's, you can no longer use Shield Bash because a lightning bolt comes from the sky striking your weapon, giving you the ability to throw it, having it return to youcausing an additional 1d6 damage to the attacker, at level 11 it will be 2d6 and level 15 will be 3d6. (Extra hit still applies)
Baldur's Radiance

Starting at level 11, while under Grace of the God's, your shield will glow with a blinding light, striking up to 3 attackers within your viewing range, causing blindness for the duration of the Grace of the God's. When doing so, the creatures must roll a saving throw VS your DC (8 + dex + proficiency bonus). Upon successful save, the light will instead strike you, blinding you for 1 round. (when using this as your turn)
Loki's Tricks

At level 14, while under Grace of the God's, when using this as your turn, "The trickster God Loki" will send down 3 conjured animals that will do no damage, but will instead take the creatures attack for you.
Lady Sif's Gateway

At level 18, while under Grace of the God's, The Lady Sif has taken favor of you and your great abilities as a supreme Shield Maiden, she casts down her swords enchanted by Oden, granting you the ability to open passageways between dimensions.
Multiclassing