Protectors of the weak, the shieldbreaker wields a gunshield to ward his allies against threats. Shieldbreakers often earn reputations as valiant warriors, men and women who safeguard any and all in need of their shield – as well as raining down firepower on the wicked.
The shieldbreaker is an archetype of the gunbreaker class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The shieldbreaker mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and WIS for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Armor Proficiency, Limit Break (No Mercy), Aurora, Gunsmith. 2nd – Gunbreaker Talent. 3rd – Gun Arm Techniques, Jugular Rip. 4th – Gunbreaker Talent, Armor Training. 5th – Gun Arm Mastery, Quick Cartridge. 6th – Gunbreaker Talent. 7th – Improved Aurora. 8th – Gunbreaker Talent. 10th – Continuation, Gunbreaker Talent. 11th – Royal Guard. 12th – Advanced Gunbreaker Talents. 13th – Greater Aurora. 14th – Gnashing Fang, Advanced Gunbreaker Talent. 16th – Advanced Gunbreaker Talent. 17th – Perfect Aurora. 18th – Advanced Gunbreaker Talent. 20th – Lion Heart, Advanced Gunbreaker Talent.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the shield breaker receives the Limit Break (Aegis).
Aegis (Su): This Limit Break grants the shieldbreaker a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws. In addition, he gains Fast healing 2. These bonuses increase by 2 per four gunbreaker levels after 1st. This lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four gunbreaker levels after 1st. This limit break requires only a swift action.
This ability replaces the Limit Break (No Mercy).
Armor Proficiency
The shieldbreaker is also proficient with tower shields.
This ability modifies the gunbreaker’s starting armor proficiencies.
Gunsmith
The shieldbreaker begins play with a gunshield as his starting gun arm.
This ability modifies gunsmith.
Defensive Stance (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, a shieldbreaker can enter a defensive stance, a position of readiness and trance-like determination. A shieldbreaker 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 gained from spells like dwarf’s endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that the shieldbreaker can maintain a defensive stance per day. The shieldbreaker can enter a defensive stance as a free action. 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 shieldbreaker gains a +2 bonus on ranged attack rolls, ranged damage rolls, and Will saving throws. He also does not provoke attack of opportunity when making a ranged attack with a gunshield from being in an enemy’s threatened square. In addition, he gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class. He also gains 2 temporary hit points per gunbreaker level. These temporary hit points are lost first when a character takes damage, disappear when the defensive stance ends, and are not replenished if the shieldbreaker enters a defensive stance again within 1 minute of his previous defensive stance. If the shieldbreaker moves more than half of his movement speed over the course of a turn, his stance ends.
A shieldbreaker can end his defensive stance as a free action, and is fatigued for 1 minute after a defensive stance ends. A shieldbreaker can’t enter a new defensive stance while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter a defensive stance multiple times per day. If a shieldbreaker falls unconscious, his defensive stance immediately ends.
This ability replaces aurora.
Shield Training (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a shieldbreaker counts his total gunbreaker level as his warrior level for the purpose of qualifying for any shield-related feats. If he has levels in warrior, these levels stack.
This ability replaces a gunbreaker talent gained at 2nd level.
Gun Arm Techniques
The shieldbreaker gains the following gun arm techniques in place of others.
Omniguard* (Su): As a swift action, the shieldbreaker plants his gunshield in front of him and can produce a brilliant barrier around himself and his allies. The shieldbreaker and all allies adjacent to him gain a circumstance bonus to AC and saving throws equal to the shieldbreaker’s Wisdom modifier, and gain the effects of evasion for 1 round.
This technique replaces demon slice gun arm technique.
Super Omniguard* (Su): Omniguard now extends out to a 10-ft.-radius of the shieldbreaker, and prevents enemies from passing through the barrier. When this ability is used, enemies in the area of effect are pushed outside of the radius, if able. (If there is an adjacent free space.) If not shunted out, they can move around within the shield’s radius freely, including leaving the radius. At the beginning of the shieldbreaker’s next turn, the shield explodes, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per two gunbreaker levels to all enemies within a 20-ft.-radius burst of the shield breaker. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + half of the gunbreaker’s level + his Wisdom modifier) reduces this damage by half. Prerequisites: The shieldbreaker must have the omniguard gun arm technique and must be at least 12th level to select this technique.
This technique replaces demon slaughter gun arm technique.
Shield Block (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, the shieldbreaker excels in using his armor and shield to frustrate his enemy’s attacks. Once per turn, as a free action, he can designate a single opponent as the target of this ability. His shield bonus to AC against that foe increases by 1 as he moves his shield to deflect an incoming blow, possibly providing just enough protection to turn a surprise blow into a near-miss. This shield bonus increases to +2 at 9th level, and again to +3 at 15th level.
This ability replaces jugular rip.
Tartarus Strike (Ex)
At 4th level, the shieldbreaker gains Improved Shield Bash as a bonus feat and may utilize his gunshield to make Shield Bash attacks, treating it as a Heavy Shield; he still suffers the -2 penalty on attacks due to the gunshield’s weight. Additionally, spikes may be added to the Gunshield as though it were a Heavy Shield.
This ability replaces a gunbreaker talent gained at 4th level.
Shield Training (Ex)
At 4th level, the shieldbreaker’s growing familiarity with his shield makes it increasingly easy to fight unimpaired. Whenever he is wielding a gunshield, he reduces his armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his gunshield by 1. Every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th and 20th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum +5 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +5 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed. In addition, a shieldbreaker lowers his attack penalty from wielding a gunshield by 1, and by an additional 1 at 8th level, Furthermore, a shieldbreaker may split the bonus from armor training between their armor and gunshield as he sees fit.
This ability modifies armor training.
Gun Arm Mastery (Ex)
The following replaces the gun arm mastery choice for Parry Mastery.
- Shield Mastery: Increases the shield AC bonus from wielding a gunshield by +1.
This ability modifies gun arm mastery.
Shield Ally (Ex)
At 6th level, as an immediate action once per round, the shieldbreaker can intercept an attack on an adjacent ally; the shieldbreaker and the ally swap squares, and the Attack roll is resolved against the shieldbreaker instead. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity for either the shieldbreaker or the target, nor does it remove the shieldbreaker from Defensive Stance. He can only intercept physical melee attacks and ranged attacks, such as an incoming arrow or a blow from a sword – spells and other effects are not affected by this ability. The swap may only be taken before the result of the attack roll is announced.
This ability replaces quick cartridge.
Knight Talents
At 6th level, the shieldbreaker can further focus on his proficiency with his gunshield. He can choose a knight talent in place of a gunbreaker talent. At 12th level he can begin selecting advanced knight talents in place of advanced gunbreaker talents.
This ability modifies gunbreaker talent and advanced gunbreaker talent.
Bulwark (Ex)
At 7th level, when a shieldbreaker is using a gunshield, he may use a move action to provide partial cover (+2 cover bonus to AC, +1 bonus on Reflex saves) to himself and all adjacent allies until the beginning of his next turn.
At 13th level, he can choose to instead provide cover (+4 cover bonus to AC, +2 bonus on Reflex saves) and evasion (as the class feature) to himself and one adjacent ally until the beginning of his next turn. The shieldbreaker ignores the heavy armor limitation of evasion for himself. This cover does not allow Stealth checks.
At 17th level, he can provide cover to himself and all adjacent allies, or he can provide improved cover (+8 cover bonus to AC, +4 bonus on Reflex saves, improved evasion) to himself and a single adjacent ally. The shieldbreaker ignores the heavy armor limitation of evasion for himself.
This ability replaces improved aurora and greater aurora.
Stalwart (Ex)
At 10th level, a shieldbreaker’s determination coalesces into a grand, unyielding source of strength. 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. A helpless shieldbreaker does not gain the benefit of the stalwart ability.
This ability replaces continuation.
Improved Defensive Stance (Ex)
At 11th level, a shieldbreaker’s bonuses whilst in defensive stance increase to +3. Also, the amount of temporary hit points gained when entering a defensive stance increases to 3 per gunbreaker level. In addition, while in a defensive stance, he may move up to his normal movement without losing the benefit of the stance.
This ability replaces royal guard.
Improved Shield Ally (Ex)
At 14th level, the shieldbreaker’s ability to intercept attacks improves. The shieldbreaker can now intercept touch or ranged touch spells made against an adjacent ally.
This ability replaces gnashing fang.
Tireless Stance (Ex)
At 17th level and higher, a shieldbreaker no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his defensive stance. If he enters a defensive stance again within 1 minute of ending his defensive stance, he doesn’t gain any temporary hit points from his defensive stance.
This ability replaces perfect aurora.
Indomitable Shield (Ex)
At 20th level, the shieldbreaker’s mastery with the gunshield becomes legendary; he is known known not as a warrior, but as an unbreakable wall. A shieldbreaker’s bonus on ranged attack rolls, range damage rolls, thrown, Will saves, dodge bonus to AC while in a defensive stance increases to +4. In addition, the amount of temporary hit points gained when entering a defensive stance increases to 4 per gunbreaker level.
This ability replaces lion heart.
