Stalwart Defender Unchained

Design Notes: To go along with the math-simple and rage-death eliminating unchained barbarian, et al, the Statwart Defender needed a revision. Besides the rework of defensive stance to reflect unchained mechanics, we felt that despite some of the modifications made to the class from 3.5e to PF1, the alterations didn’t go far enough. Rooting the character in the same spot on the get-go is one of the dissuaders to adopting the class at all, since many times just a 5-foot step is a necessary strategy to either stay alive, or just stay on-target, especially as Pathfinder bloated with more and more feats that made sidestepping the defender easy. The unchaining of this class turns it into exactly what it was meant to be in concept — an impassable wall, that holds the line no matter what, with the limited mobility needed to do the job. Further, requirements caused MAD issues with DEX as a secondary stat, for no real reason other than the Dodge feat, when the class itself with its CON focus implies a tough, resilient warrior who grits through the opposition, add this with the fact that the damage reduction stacks with adamantine armor, you have zero reason for Dodge other than a feat and stat tax.

Drawn from the fighting techniques of ancient dwarven clans, who are masters of claiming an area and refusing to relinquish it, the stalwart defender turns tactical strategy into an obsessive, stubborn expression of the need to be undefeated. When stalwart defenders set themselves in a defensive stance, they place their whole effort into weathering whatever foe, conflict, or threat comes their way.

Dwarves are particularly suited to the role, having originated the technique which lends itself to their hardy stature, though stalwart defenders of all races exist in the modern day. Stalwart defenders are masters of melee combat, striving to prove that the best offense is a good defense. Stalwart defenders are normally found on the front lines of battle, holding a position to cover their allies, leaping into breaches of opposing formations and holding them open for others, and guarding more vulnerable allies by acting as mobile fortifications, stable points in the ever-changing chaos of battle.

Requirements

To qualify to become a stalwart defender, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Endurance, Toughness.
Special: Proficiency in at least medium armor.

Class Skills: The stalwart defender’s class skills are Acrobatics, Craft (Any), Climb, Intimidate, Perception, Profession (Any), and Sense Motive.

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A stalwart defender is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and shields, including tower shields.

AC Bonus (Ex): A stalwart defender receives a dodge bonus to AC equal to half his class level (minimum +1).

Defensive Stance (Ex): At 1st level, a stalwart defender can enter a defensive stance as a free action — a position of readiness and steel-jawed determination. A stalwart defender can maintain this stance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, he can maintain the stance for 2 additional rounds per day. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those effects like bear’s endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that the stalwart defender can maintain a defensive stance per day. He can maintain this stance as a free action, but he must expend his uses of this ability in one-round increments. The total number of rounds of defensive stance per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.

While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC, a +2 morale bonus to melee attack rolls, and melee and thrown weapon damage rolls, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Fortitude and Will saves. He also gains 2 temporary hit points per Hit Die; these temporary hit points are lost first when a character takes damage, disappear when the stance ends, and are not replenished if the barbarian enters a a defensive stance again within 1 minute of his previous stance. The stalwart defender cannot of his own ability or volition make more than a 5-foot step in any round, nor move outside of a 5ft radius square from where he began his stance, by any means (including normal movement, riding a mount, teleportation, or willingly allowing allies to carry him); any other such movement ends the stance immediately. If he enters a defensive stance while on a moving platform he does not control (such as a wagon or ship), he can maintain the stance even as the platform moves. At 8th level, the stalwart defender is no longer confined to his 5ft radius square, but he can still only make a single 5ft step at any point during each round.

The stalwart defender can end his defensive stance as a free action; after ending the stance, he is fatigued for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the stance. A stalwart defender cannot enter a new defensive stance while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter a stance multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a stalwart defender falls unconscious, is paralyzed or is helpless, his defensive stance immediately ends. A defensive stance requires a level of emotional calm, and it may not be maintained by a character in a rage (such as from the rage class feature or the rage spell).

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, the stalwart defender gains DR/— equal to half his level. When the stalwart defender uses the total defense action, his DR is doubled. Damage reduction from different sources typically does not stack; however, a stalwart defender is able to stack this damage reduction with the same type damage reduction either of his armor worn, or the damage reduction of another class. Ex: a barbarian 10/stalwart defender 10 would have DR 7/—, or a 10th level stalwart defender wearing adamantime armor would have DR 8/— (or DR 13/- when taking the total defense action).

Defensive Powers: As a stalwart defender gains levels, he augments his defensive stance. Starting at 2nd level, the stalwart defender gains a defensive power. He gains another defensive power for every two levels of stalwart defender attained after 2nd level. The stalwart defender gains the benefits of defensive powers only while in a defensive stance, and some of these powers require him to take an action first. Unless otherwise noted, he cannot select an individual power more than once.

• Armor Training (Ex): The stalwart defender reduces the armor check penalty of any armor worn by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. At 6th level, the reduction to armor check penalty and the max Dexterity bonus increase by another 1. This functions as the fighter’s armor training ability. If the stalwart defender has levels in a class with the armor training ability, then his stalwart defender levels stack with the prior class to determine the total benefit.
• Advanced Armor Training: The stalwart defender can select one of the following fighter’s advanced armor training abilities: Adaptable Training, Armor Specialization, Armored Confidence, Armored Master, Armored Sacrifice, Critical Deflection, or Master Armorer. He must first have the armor training ability or class feature to select this power.
• Bulwark (Ex): The defender adds his armor check penalty as a bonus to the DC of opponents attempting to Bluff him and Acrobatics checks to pass by him without provoking an attack of opportunity for moving through spaces he threatens.
• Clear Mind (Ex): The stalwart defender may reroll a failed Will save. This power is used as an immediate action after the first save is attempted, but before the results are revealed by the GM. The stalwart defender must take the second result, even if it is worse. This power can only be used once per defensive stance.
• Enduring Reservoir (Ex): While in a defensive stance, whenever the defender suffers a critical hit from an opponent, she regains 1 round of defensive stance. The defender can gain no more than 1 extra round of defensive stance each round.
• Fearless Defense (Ex): While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender is immune to the shaken and frightened conditions. He must be at least 4th level before selecting this power.
• Halting Blow (Ex): If a foe’s movement in the defender’s threatened area provokes an attack of opportunity and the stalwart defender successfully hits the foe with the attack, the foe’s movement ends immediately. The foe cannot move again until its next turn but can still take the rest of its action. A stalwart defender must have the bulwark power to select this power.
• Immobile (Ex): While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender adds his class level to his CMD against any bull rush, overrun, pull, and push combat maneuvers, as well as grapple attempts to move him. The stalwart defender must be at least 4th level to select this power.
• Increased Damage Reduction (Ex): The stalwart defender’s damage reduction from this class increases by 1/—. This increase is always active while the stalwart defender is in a defensive stance. He can select this power up to two times. Its effects stack. The stalwart defender must be at least 6th level before selecting this defensive power.
• Intercept (Ex): Once a round as an immediate action, when a melee or ranged weapon would successfully strike an adjacent ally, the stalwart defender can choose to have the weapon strike him instead of the intended target. The attack automatically hits the stalwart defender, regardless his AC or any miss chance in effect, and he suffers the normal consequences of the attack.
• Internal Fortitude (Ex): While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions.
• Mighty Resilience (Ex): The stalwart defender automatically negates the additional damage of one successful critical hit or sneak attack, as well as other abilities or effects that rely on a successful critical hit or sneak attack (such as blinding from Blinding Critical or bleed from sneak attack). The stalwart defender takes only normal damage from the attack. This power may only be used once per defensive stance. The stalwart defender must be at least 6th level to select this power.
• Rage Power: The stalwart defender can select one of the following rage powers of the barbarian as a defensive power: eater of magic, intimidating glare, renewed life, renewed vitality, or savage intuition. The stalwart defender uses his defensive stance ability in place of the rage ability to activate the power and determine its effect, and uses his stalwart defender level as his barbarian level. If he has levels in barbarian, then his barbarian levels stack to determine the benefits of these selected powers. This defensive power can be selected more than once. Each time it is selected, the stalwart defender can choose a new rage power from the list.
• Regenerative Defense (Ex): After using her renewed defense power until her current defensive stance ends, the stalwart defender gains fast healing 1. She regains hit points from fast healing at the start of each of her turns. A stalwart defender must have the renewed defense power before selecting this one.
• Renewed Defense (Ex): As a standard action, the stalwart defender heals 1d8 points of damage + his Constitution modifier. For every two levels the stalwart defender has attained above 2nd, this healing increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 5d8 at 10th level. This power can be used only once per day and only while in a defensive stance.
• Roused Defense (Ex): The stalwart defender may enter a defensive stance even if fatigued. While maintaining a defensive stance after using this ability, he is immune to the fatigued condition. Once this stance ends, he is exhausted for 10 minutes per round spent in a defensive stance.
• Smash (Ex): While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender may make an extra attack per round that is either a shield bash or a slam (even if he doesn’t normally have a slam attack). If used as part of a full attack action, the extra attack is made at the stalwart defender’s full base attack bonus –5. The smash deals 1d4 points of damage (if the stalwart defender is Medium, or 1d3 if he is Small) plus half the character’s Strength modifier. The character can make this attack as part of the action to maintain or break free from a grapple; this attack is resolved before the grapple check is made. If the attack hits, any grapple checks made by the stalwart defender against the target this round are at a +2 bonus.
• Unexpected Strike (Ex): The stalwart defender can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the stalwart defender, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity. This power can only be used once per stance. A stalwart defender must be at least 4th level before selecting this power.

Impassable (Ex) At 5th level, while the stalwart defender is in a defensive stance, if a target passes within ten feet of him (15 feet for large characters), as an immediate action he can choose to treat his attacks as if they had the reach property until the start of his next turn. He may use this effective reach to make attacks and/or combat maneuvers upon the person entering this area, without actually moving from his current square.

Stalwart (Ex) At 8th level, the stalwart defender’s sheer resiliency allows him to shrug off or grit his teeth through certain effects. While in his defensive stance, if he makes a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, he instead avoids the effect entirely.

Strategic Stance (Ex) At 9th level, the stalward defender has learned how to further gain an edge in his defensive stance, truly becoming the best offense by being the best defense. In addition to the barbarian rage powers he may already choose as a defensive power, he may also choose one of the following unchained barbarian stance powers: Accurate Stance, Guarded Stance, Knockdown Stance, Powerful Stance, Strength Stance, and Taunting Stance. He may also select a rage power that has one of these stance powers as a prerequisite, if he knows the prerequisite stance. By spending a move action, the stalwart defender can add the benefits of this stance to his defensive stance. He can continue to maintain both stances as a single free action each round, but he cannot maintain the benefits of any of these additional stances without also maintaining his defensive stance.

Last Word (Ex): Once per day, while in a defensive stance, a stalwart defender can make one melee attack against an opponent within reach in response to an attack that would reduce him to negative hit points, knock him unconscious, or kill him. For example, a stalwart defender has 1 hit point left when a red dragon bites him; the defender may use this ability even if the dragon’s bite would otherwise kill him instantly. If the attack hits, roll the damage dice for the attack a number of times equal to the number of one-handed attacks he would otherwise have in a normal round, and add the results together, but do not multiply damage bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), or precision-based damage (such as sneak attack). This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit (although other damage bonuses are multiplied normally). Once the defender’s attack is resolved, he suffers the normal effect of the attack that provoked this ability.

Archetype: Shielded Bulwark

The shielded bulwark utilizes a tower shield and weapon in a phalanx style to guard himself and his allies; and two or more of these together can form an immovable line that is near impossible to break

AC Bonus (Ex): So long as he’s wielding a tower shield, a shielded bulwark increases the shield bonus of his tower shield by an amount equal to half his class level (minimum +1). This replaces the stalwart defender’s AC bonus.

Fortified Shield (Ex): The shielded bulwark’s stance deftly utilizes his massive shield to absorb or deflect many of what might otherwise be a telling blow. At 2nd level, the shielded bulwark increases the fortification on his shield by +2% for as long as he maintains his defensive stance (treat a shield with no fortification quality as a shield with 0% fortification); this fortification increases by +2% for every level beyond 2nd, to a maximum of +18%. If fortification negates the additional damage a critical hit or sneak attack, it also negates other effects that rely on a successful critical hit or sneak attack (such as blinding from Blinding Critical or bleed from sneak attack). This replaces Damage Reduction as well as the Mighty Resilience defensive power.

Defensive Powers: Add/modify these to the stalwart defender’s list of possible defensive powers:

• Advanced Armor Training: The shielded bulwark can select one of the following fighter’s advanced armor training abilities: Adaptable Training, Armor Specialization, Armored Confidence, Armored Sacrifice, or Critical Deflection, however he can only apply benefits that modify or utilize his armor to his shield, and only if it is a tower shield. He has to have the armor training power or class feature to select this power.
• Shield Mastery (Ex): The shielded bulwark gains a shield mastery feat as a bonus feat. He must otherwise meet the prerequisites of this feat.
• Teamwork Feat: The shield bulwark can choose a teamwork feat from this list of possible choices: Back to Back, Improved Back to Back, Bonded Mind, Coordinated Maneuvers, Coordinated Reposition, Duck and Cover, Improved Duck and Cover, Extend the Bulwark, Phalanx Fighter, Take the Hit. This defensive talent can be chosen twice, each time selecting a different teamwork feat from this list.

Coordinated Shield Wall (Ex): At 5th level, the shielded bulwark gains the shield wall teamwork feat. When he is adjacent to allies with this feat, or with this same ability, all adjacent allies add the resulting teamwork bonus to their CMD against bull rush, overrun, pull, and push combat maneuvers, as well as grapple attempts to move them. If the shielded bulwark or an ally move out of adjacent formation, these benefits end until they are once again in formation. This replaces impassable.

Covering Shield (Ex): At 8th level, the shielded bulwark can use his tower shield to shelter himself against incoming dangerous effects, like a dragon’s breath, or a wizard’s fireball spell. While in his defensive stance, if he makes a Reflex saving throw against an attack that has a reduced attack on a successful save, he instead suffers no damage; at 10th level, if he fails the Reflex save, he instead takes half damage. This replaces stalwart.

Unchaining the VPC

Taken from Rogue Genius Games Genius Guide to Variant Multiclassing, this amends the VPC to conform to unchained specs

A character that chooses stalwart defender as his prestige class must fulfill the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Feats: Endurance, Toughness.
Special: Proficiency with at least medium armor.

Prestige Class Features: A character that chooses stalwart defender as his prestige class gains the following prestige class features.

• Defensive Stance: At 5th level, he gains the defensive stance class feature. He can maintain this stance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier. At 9th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, he can maintain the stance for 2 additional rounds per day.
• Defensive Power: At 9th level, he may select one defensive power.
• Uncanny Dodge: At 13th level, he may select another defensive power or gain the uncanny dodge class feature. If he has uncanny dodge in another class he may choose to gain improved uncanny dodge.
• Improved Defensive Power: At 17th level, he may select one additional defensive power or strategic stance.
• Capstone: At 20th level, he gains the last word feature.