Devoted Defender

Devoted Defender

(Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Monks and Fighters variant, p. 13)

The devoted defender is a professional guardian.

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Search 4 ranks , Sense Motive 4 ranks , Spot 4 ranks

Feats: Weapon Focus (any melee) , Alertness

Hit die

d12

Skill points

2 + Int

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The devoted defender is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and shields.

Armor Class Bonus: The devoted defender concentrates on defense, both for herself and her charge. She receives this dodge bonus to AC as a result of that focus.

Harm's Way: Beginning at 1st level, the devoted defender may elect to place herself in the path of danger in order to protect her single charge. Any time that you are within 5 feet of your charge, and your charge suffers an attack, you may switch places with your charge and receive the attack in his place. You must declare this before the attack roll is made. You select your charge when you roll initiative, and it is a free action to do so. You may not change your charge for the duration of that combat.

Defensive Strike: You can make an attack of opportunity against any adjacent opponent who attacks your charge in melee. You gain a +1 bonus to this attack for every two levels after 2nd.

Deflect Attack: Beginning at 3rd level, the devoted defender can attempt to parry a melee attack against her charge. She must be within 5 feet of her charge to attempt this and holding a melee weapon or shield to deflect the attack. Once per round when your charge would normally be hit with a melee weapon, you may make a Reflex saving throw against DC 20. (If the melee weapon has a magic bonus to attack, the DC increases by that amount.) You gain a competence bonus to your Reflex save as indicated on the chart. If you succeed, you deflect the blow as a free action. You must be aware of the attack beforehand and not flat-footed.

Advancement

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	AC Bonus	Special
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	+1	Harm's way
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	+1	Defensive strike
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	+2	Deflect attack +1
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	+2	Defensive strike +1
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	+3	Deflect attack +2
6th	+6	+5	+5	+2	+3	Defensive strike +2
7th	+7	+5	+5	+2	+4	Deflect attack +3
8th	+8	+6	+6	+2	+4	Defensive strike +3
9th	+9	+6	+6	+3	+5	Deflect attack +4
10th	+10	+7	+7	+3	+5	Defensive strike +4
AC Bonus: The defensive bonus to the character's Armor Class, added to the character's normal AC bonus. This bonus applies only when the devoted defender is actively engaged in protecting her client from an attack; otherwise, use the character's normal AC bonus.

Class skills

Skill name	Key ability	Trained only	Armor check penalty
Climb	STR
Innuendo	Wis
Jump	STR
Listen	WIS
Profession	WIS
Search	INT
Sense Motive	WIS
Spot	WIS