Sentinel

Many knights believe the tower shield is a tool suitable only for troops on the battlefield, claiming it is too large and bulky to use in skirmishes or within dungeon corridors. Sentinels defy those notions, using their massive shields with startling skill and incredible effect. They use these seemingly clumsy shields to perform deft maneuvers that confound their enemies.

The sentinel is an archetype of the knight class.

Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The sentinel mainly focuses on STR for martial combat, CON for their class features, and STR and CHA for optional features.

Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Defend Ally. 2nd – Knight Talent, Stand Firm. 3rd – Armor Training. 4th – Knight Talent. 5th – Deft Shield. 6th – Fortress of Defense, Knight Talent. 8th – Knight Talent. 10th – Knight Talent. 12th – Advanced Knight Talent. 13th – Counterattack. 14th – Advanced Knight Talent. 16th – Advanced Knight Talent. 18th – Advanced Knight Talent. 19th – Shield Ward. 20th – Advanced Knight Talent.

Burst Barrier (Ex)

At 1st level, a sentinel can use his shield to screen himself from burst spells and effects, gaining a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against them while employing a tower shield. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 1st (to a maximum of +5 at 17th level).

This ability replaces defend ally.

Stamina Pool (Ex)

At 2nd level, the sentinel gains a reservoir of stamina that he can draw upon to fuel his talents that he gains below. This stamina pool has a number of points equal to half his knight level + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The pool refreshes once per day when the sentinel rests for a full 8 hours. Sustained modes take up a static amount of stamina points from the sentinel’s current and maximum stamina pool and most sustained modes stack.

Some talents are activated as a sustained mode. When activated, these talents both consume stamina and reduce the user’s maximum stamina by the listed amount. While active, they provide their listed bonuses until the user deactivates them as a free action, falls unconscious, or dies, at which point the reduction to the user’s maximum stamina is removed. Multiple sustained mode talents may be used at the same time as long as the user has enough stamina, though some talents may specify others that they cannot be used with.

By spending 1 stamina point as a swift action, the sentinel can do one of the following:

• Increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round, or
• Delay and suppress his fatigue or exhaustion for 1 round, or
• Increase one saving throw by +1 for 1 round.

This ability replaces stand firm.

Talent Trees (Su)

The sentinel gets access to the defender and weapon and shield talent trees from below. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, the sentinel may choose to learn one talent from the talent trees below or a knight talent taken from the knight’s talent list.

Defender Talent Tree (Su): Defenders specialize in survivability, taking everything the enemy throws at them and walking away unscathed. Weapon Requirement: Any manufactured weapon.

• Stonewall: At a cost of 1 stamina point, as an immediate action, the sentinel braces for impact, shrugging off damage for a brief moment. The sentinel gains a damage reduction of 1/- and an additional 1/- per two knight levels after 2nd for the round.
• Bulwark: Stonewall now protects the sentinel further, increasing the starting damage reduction by 1 and making the sentinel temporarily immune to combat maneuvers or any effect that causes the sentinel to be moved or knocked down. Prerequisite: Stonewall.
• Elemental Aegis: As a swift action, the sentinel may activate this talent as a sustained mode. The secret to warding off the elements is to rely on your armor, keeping it between you and the blast. The sentinel has learned this lesson well, and can anticipate magical attacks. The sentinel gains an Elemental Resistance of 2 + an additional 2 per four knight levels after 2nd. This mode cannot be used at the same time as Turn the Blade. This mode uses up 2 stamina points of the sentinel’s current and maximum stamina pool.
• Elemental Shroud: Elemental Aegis’s Elemental Resistance is increased by 1 + 1 per four knight levels after 2nd. Prerequisite: Elemental Aegis.
• Turn the Blade: As a swift action, the sentinel may activate this talent as a sustained mode. While many sentinels choose to endure their foes’ hits, some prefer to deflect the damage instead. The sentinel gains a +1 deflection bonus to Armor Class and an additional +1 per four knight levels after 2nd. This mode cannot be used at the same time as Elemental Aegis. This mode uses up 2 stamina points of the sentinel’s current and maximum stamina pool.
• Raise the Guard: Turn the Blade now also grants a damage reduction of 1/- and an additional 1/- per four knight levels after 2nd. Prerequisite: Turn the Blade.
• Steady the Foot: Turn the Blade also grants a +1 bonus and an additional +1 per four knight levels after 2nd to resist combat maneuvers, or any effect that causes the sentinel to be moved or knocked down. Prerequisite: Turn the Blade.
• Resilience: A sentinel trained in resilience has learned not to flinch from wounds. As long as the sentinel has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, with this talent, he is immune to having to make a Fortitude save from massive damage or coup de grace. Prerequisites: Elemental Aegis, Turn the Blade.
• Adamant: The sentinel’s deep knowledge of the defensive arts grants a permanent resilience against damage of all type. As long as the sentinel has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, he gains a damage reduction of 5/- (that stacks with any current DR) as well as an Elemental Resistance of 5 (which also stacks with any current elemental resistance). Prerequisites: Stonewall, Turn the Blade, Resilience.
• Resolute: The sentinel has faced more mages in battle than most even see in a lifetime. This experience has built a mental fortitude that anyone would envy. As long as the sentinel has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, he gains a Spell Resistance of 10 + 1 per knight level. Prerequisites: Elemental Aegis, Elemental Shroud, Turn the Blade, Resilience.

Weapon and Shield Talent Tree (Su): Sentinels who specialize in the shields trade damage for protection. Attacks made with one-handed weapons hit a smaller arc than two-handed weapons, although shield users have the perfect tool at hand for knocking foes around the battlefield. Weapon Requirement: Any manufactured one-handed melee weapon and shield.

• Shield Defense: As a swift action, the sentinel may activate this talent as a sustained mode. The sentinel assumes a defensive stance, reducing damage taken. However, the sentinel inflicts less damage against enemies. The sentinel gains a damage reduction of 2/- and an additional 2/- per four knight levels after 2nd and increases the shield bonus of his shield to Armor Class by 1 plus an additional +1 per four knight levels after 2nd, but reduces damage done by his physical attacks by half. This mode uses up 2 stamina points of the sentinel’s current and maximum stamina pool.
• Shield Wall: Shield Defense now has a chance to deflect any physical attack except critical hits. All physical attacks that successfully hit the sentinel has a 20% chance of deflecting and missing while Shield Defense is active. Prerequisite: Shield Defense.
• Shield Bash: At a cost of 1 stamina point, as a standard action, the sentinel’s shield arcs out, striking foes like a battering ram. The sentinel makes a standard attack with his shield against each foe within his frontal arc. If it hits, the sentinel deals normal damage with his shield and creatures struck must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the knight’s level + his Strength modifier) or be dazed for one round.
• Pummel: Shield Bash now stuns instead of dazes opponents that are struck by this talent. Prerequisite: Shield Bash.
• Assault: At a cost of 2 stamina points, as a standard action, the sentinel spins into a vicious assault that inflicts significant damage and often throws enemies back. The sentinel makes a standard attack against every foe within a 5-ft.-radius, dealing normal damage. If it hits, the sentinel makes a Bull Rush combat maneuver attempt against each foe that was struck by this attack. Prerequisite: Shield Bash.
• Battery: Assault now has a chance to daze opponents that are struck by this talent. Enemies must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the knight’s level + his Strength modifier) or be dazed for one round. Prerequisites: Shield Bash, Assault.
• Perception: The sentinel maintains constant awareness of the battlefield. As long as the sentinel has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool and he has a shield equipped, he cannot be flanked. Prerequisite: Shield Defense.
• Scatter: At a cost of 2 stamina points, as a standard action, the sentinel clears a forward arc, throwing enemies back. The sentinel makes a standard attack against each foe within his frontal arc, dealing normal damage. The sentinel then makes a Bull Rush combat maneuver attempt against each foe struck with this attack with a +4 circumstance bonus. Prerequisites: Shield Defense, Shield Bash.
• Disperse: Scatter now has a greater chance to push enemies back. The sentinel gains a +8 circumstance bonus to Bull Rush combat maneuvers using Scatter. Prerequisites: Shield Defense, Shield Bash, Scatter.
• Safeguard: As long as the sentinel has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, while a shield is equipped, he is immune to critical hits of physical attacks. Prerequisites: Shield Defense, Shield Bash, Scatter, Perception.

These abilities may replace knight talents and advanced knight talents

Tower Shield Training (Ex)

At 3rd level, a sentinel gains armor training as normal, but while he employs a tower shield, the armor penalty is reduced by 3 and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor increases by 2. The benefit increases every four levels thereafter as per standard armor training; if the sentinel is not employing a tower shield, the benefits to armor training revert to the normal bonuses. A sentinel may split the bonus from armor training between their armor and tower shield as he sees fit. In addition, a sentinel may utilize his tower shield to make Shield Bash attacks, treating it as a Heavy Shield.

This ability modifies armor training.

Tower Shield Specialist (Ex)

At 5th level, when a sentinel employs a tower shield in combat, he does not take the –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s encumbrance.

This ability replaces deft shield.

Tower Shield Defense (Ex)

At 6th level, while using a tower shield, a sentinel gains Shield Ward as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

This ability replaces fortress of defense.

Tower Shield Evasion (Ex)

At 13th level, while using a tower shield, the sentinel gains evasion, as the thief class ability. At 19th level, the sentinel gains improved evasion, as the thief advanced talent, while using a tower shield. In addition, his shield cannot be disarmed or sundered. The sentinel ignores the armor limitation of evasion and improved evasion.

This ability replaces counterattack and shield ward.