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Tormsskull
2007-08-16, 08:20 AM
The Guardian
"I am Sir Tobias, Guardian of Princess Lafolia, and sergeant in the king's army. My duty is to keep the princess safe from all sorts of dangers that might befall her. I'm equipped with the best of weapons and armor to defend any physical attacks against her, and the proper skills to ferret out those who would attempt to sneak around or deceive me. If your goal is to harm the princess, you'll have to go through me, and that is no easy ask I assure you."

Guardians are trained soldiers, learned in the ways of fighting in the heaviest of armors and using an assortment of weapons. They often serve in full armies and legions as nobles and royalties personal guards. Their defensive capabilities are renowned around the world, as they are trained to block, parry, and absorb attacks, and are also trained to deal with attacks on their mind.
Adventures: Guardians adventure for the same reason most people do, to aquire money, power, or fame. They are just as likely as other people to be taken up with a cause, to defend their homeland, or to join a band of mercenaries.
Alignment: Most guardians are some form of Lawful, as their elite training forces them into a very structured and regulated lifestyle. Guardians are just as likely to be good or evil, depending on the region where they received their training.
Religion: Guardians usually respect the state-sponsored church of whatever land they hail from, as their elite training is usually government-funded.
Other Classes: Guardians get along well with most classes, though since they tend to move at slower speeds due to their heavy armor, classes that rely on fast movement or stealth often don't enjoy working with guardians.
Role: Guardians serve as front-liners in standard adventuring groups, absorbing the attacks of the enemies while their comrades assail the enemy from the sides or behind.

Table 1:1 The Guardian
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Armor Training +1, Dodge

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Bonus Feat, Mobility

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Protect Ally, Combat Reflexes

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|DR 1/magic, Iron Will.

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Armor Training +2, Bonus Feat

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|Preemptive Strike 1/day

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Assist Ally, Defensive Surge 1/day

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Bonus Feat, DR 2/magic

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Armor Training +3, Improved Protect Ally

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Preemptive Strike 2/day

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Bonus Feat, Defensive Surge 2/day

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|DR 3/magic

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|Armor Training +4

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|Bonus Feat, Preemptive Strike 3/day

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Cover Ally, Defensive Surge 3/day

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5|DR 4/magic

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Armor Training +5, Bonus Feat

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Preemptive Strike 4/day

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6|Defensive Surge 4/day

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|DR 5/-[/table]

Game Rule Information
Guardians have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Guardians rely heavily on their Constitution to provide them with bonus hit points for when enemies get through their defenses. Strength also helps to give them a boost to their attack, and Wisdom is helpful to boost their mental defense.
Alignment: Guardians tend towards Lawful Alignments.
Hit Die: d12.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Guardians are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armors, and tower shields.
Class Skills
The Guardians's class skills, and the key abilities for each are Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int Mod) X 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int Mod

Class Features
Armor Training: Guardians excel at using their armor to the best of their benefit. When wearing any type of armor, that armor is treated as being the indicated number of points higher for armor bonuses.
Dodge: As the feat, regardless if the prerequisite is met or not.
Bonus Feats: Guardians receive bonus feats which must be selected off of the Fighter Bonus Feat list, and they must meet the requirements for the feats (i.e. they cannot take Weapon Specialization without 4 levels of Fighter).
Mobility: As the feat, regardless if the prerequisites have been met or not.
Protect Ally: As a free action, once per round, a Guardian can select 1 target to protect. If that target is within melee reach of the Guardian and is attacked, the Guardian grants the target a bonus to their armor equal to the Guardian's Armor Training bonus.
Combat Reflexes: As the feat, regardless if the prerequisites are met or not. In addition, if the Guardian's dexterity is less than 12, they still gain 1 additional attack of opportunity from this ability.
Damage Reduction: Experienced Guardians become very efficient at manuevering their armor to absorb damage. When wearing any sort of armor, the Guardian gains damage reduction as listed.
Iron Will: As the feat.
Preemptive Strike: As an immediate action, a Guardian can strike at anyone within melee range attempting to strike them or a target that is benefiting from their Protect Ally or Cover Ally ability. This attack uses up one of the Guardian's Attack of Opportunities for the Round, and if successful, prevents the initial attack from occuring.
Assist Ally: If a target benefitting from the Guardian's "Protect Ally" or "Cover Ally" ability provokes an attack of opportunity from an enemy, the Guardian can spend one of his Attacks of Opportunity for the round to stop the enemy attack. The enemy does NOT lose its attack of opportunity for the round.
Defensive Surge: As an immediate action, the Guardian can become a bastion of defense, increasing their Constitution by 4 and their Damage Reduction doubles. These benefits last for 1 round per bonus point of their newly increased Constitution score.
Improved Protect Ally: As protect Ally, but the Guardian can also grant their target their Damage Reduction bonus.
Cover Ally: The Guardian has become so adept at defending himself and his surroundings that he can, as an immediate action, move infront of an ally within 5 ft. and become the target of the attack against that ally. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with Protect Ally, nor can it be used if the Guardian's movement is reduced by magic or mundane reasons (excluding the movement reduction from heavy armor).

Designer's Note:
The Guardian class is meant to be a Fighter replacement class. While it technically could be used alongside the Fighter, I believe it is far more powerful than the fighter, and as such makes the Fighter a bit redundant. In addition, this is the first class in a series of "new" classes that will eventually replace many of the standard classes. The basic premise behind this is to attempt to balance the core classes a bit more.

Thoughts/comments?

Arbitrarity
2007-08-16, 09:05 AM
Only potential issue I have is pre-emptive strike, as it essentially negates 1 attack/round against the guardian or an ally, and allows an extra attack. Maybe not imbalancing, but powerful. Other than that, this looks like a good class for protecting squishies.

As far as design intent goes, it's a decent idea. I can see splashing this class for two levels to get dodge and mobility, AND another bonus feat. Dodge and mobility might be poor feats, but they seem to be common prerequisites.
Crusader

Tormsskull
2007-08-16, 09:26 AM
Only potential issue I have is pre-emptive strike, as it essentially negates 1 attack/round against the guardian or an ally, and allows an extra attack. Maybe not imbalancing, but powerful. Other than that, this looks like a good class for protecting squishies.


Preemptive strike is very powerful, yes, which is why it is an x times/per day ability. So, even at level 20, it is only going to be able to negate 1 attack/round for 4 consecutive rounds.

Arbitrarity
2007-08-16, 09:42 AM
Whoops, missed the limited uses (doh!). Must.. read... table...

Isn't the normal format including that in the text description?

Preemptive Strike: As an immediate action, a Guardian can strike at anyone within melee range attempting to strike them or a target that is benefiting from their Protect Ally or Cover Ally ability. This attack uses up one of the Guardian's Attack of Opportunities for the Round, and if successful, prevents the initial attack from occuring. This ability can be used once per day starting at 6'th level, and gains an extra use per day every four levels thereafter.

Aeyamar
2007-08-16, 10:22 AM
You may want to spread out the bonus feats more among the levels as opposed to cramming 4 in the first three. Otherwise, it makes the class too tempting to just dip into and then stop advancing in it after the first few levels.

Tormsskull
2007-08-16, 10:26 AM
Isn't the normal format including that in the text description?


Hmm, you might be right. I'll double-check when I am home and then fix it if need be.



You may want to spread out the bonus feats more among the levels as opposed to cramming 4 in the first three. Otherwise, it makes the class too tempting to just dip into and then stop advancing in it after the first few levels.


Yeah, good suggestion. Let me see what would make sense...

Dryad
2007-08-16, 12:39 PM
Hmm... Perhaps it's an idea to lower the B.A.B to 3/4, since it's a guardian, a human shield, and not actually a fighter, and raise it's will save to full, since a guardian isn't very likely to run away from anything dangerous, or have her mind affected easily.

EvilElitest
2007-08-16, 01:19 PM
A bit more fluff detail would be nice
from,
EE

D Knight
2007-08-16, 01:35 PM
you said that they where adapt at blocking mental on themselves but you give the gurdian a poor will save that makes no sence to me can you explane more on mental defence.

Fishies
2007-08-16, 02:29 PM
you said that they where adapt at blocking mental on themselves but you give the gurdian a poor will save that makes no sence to me can you explane more on mental defence.

Iron Will bonus feat?

Dryad
2007-08-16, 02:42 PM
That still makes the bard more courageous than the guardian.

Tormsskull
2007-08-16, 03:08 PM
A bit more fluff detail would be nice
from,
EE

That I plan on adding sometime this weekend.



you said that they where adapt at blocking mental on themselves but you give the gurdian a poor will save that makes no sence to me can you explane more on mental defence.


My idea was that a traditional Guardian would be Constitution/Strength/Wisdom in order attribute priority. As such, I'm guessing they'll have at least a +1 or 2 in Wisdom. Couple that with the Iron Will Feat, and they have a pretty decent Will save.

I didn't think it would be balanced to give them good Will saves, but I could add in an Improved Iron Will or some such, but I think as is right now the class is pretty powerful, and I don't want to make it overpowered.



Hmm... Perhaps it's an idea to lower the B.A.B to 3/4, since it's a guardian, a human shield, and not actually a fighter, and raise it's will save to full, since a guardian isn't very likely to run away from anything dangerous, or have her mind affected easily.


I really liked this idea at first, except I can't imagine anyone wanting to play a fighter-type character without full BAB. I mean, they would effectively be dropped down to a "support" character, and they would only be melee support for the most part. I think they would be played less than the Bard if I were to do so.

With full BAB, they can be accomplished warriors that focus on defense and protecting their comrades, but still have the fun of being able to dish out some damage.

Dryad
2007-08-17, 08:46 AM
I'd play one sooner if the will save was full and the bab was 3/4. After all, the cleric does a very decent job in melee, still, and so do the druid and rogue. All three are excellent as a support class, too. But even with iron will and a wisdom mod, most fighters simply have loads of trouble with everything that demands a will save. I know. I have a fighter with iron will and a wis mod.

Deesix
2007-08-17, 10:37 PM
You have a couple options to do with Will Save, really. Adding Iron Will isn't a bad one, but perhaps add something like the Grace ability of Swashbucklers (+1 every few levels or so). Call it Stalwart, or something like that.

Second, you could give them the ability to make a second save against certain effects at higher level (or split it up; Level 5 or so, reroll saves versus Fear, level 10 against Charm). But that's a little major. I'd go with the first option, giving them a +9 base will at level 20 if done the same as a Swashbuckler.