PrC - Shield Warden

[The Souljourner]

This is a PrC I came up with while thinking of a way to make sword and board viable for straight fighter types.

It uses as its basis several PHB II feats. It gives improved two weapon fighting abilities, but two levels after you get each iterative attacks, and they only apply if you're using a shield as your extra weapon. I think that gives the class a little additional firepower, but not too too much, especially since this class has a lot of requirements that won't let it get too twinked out by rogues etc with lots of extra dice/flat damage.

Some of the abilities of Shield Expert in particular are actually things I think should be standard in D&D rules but aren't, which is why it's a little overloaded.

I'd love to see more active abilities... I've been thinking of some kind of shield block ability a la deflect arrows, but any attack.

Anyway, let me know what you think. I know it's strong, but it's strong defense, which I think is ok.

Shield Warden
Prerequisites:
Feats: Shield Proficiency, Improved Shield Bash, Shield Specialization, Agile Shield Fighter, Shield Ward, Combat Expertise
BAB: +6

Stats:
BAB: Fighter
Saves: Good Fort, Poor Ref, Good Will
HD: d12

Skills: 2 per level, skill list as fighter

Abilities:
1st: Improved Shield Ward, Shield Expert
2nd: Improved Agile Shield Fighter, Shield Rush
3rd: Shield Focus, Improved Shield Specialization (+2)
4th: Shield Evasion
5th: Uncanny Defense
6th: Power Defense, Improved Shield Specialization (+3)
7th: Greater Agile Shield Fighter, Zone Defense
8th: Improved Shield Evasion
9th: Improved Shield Specialization (+4)
10th: Perfect Defense

Shield Expert: You add your Shield Warden level to your Fighter level (if any) when determining what feats you qualify for, so long as those feats apply to your shield.

When using Combat Expertise while you have a shield readied, you gain +2 AC for every -1 to your attack rolls instead of the usual +1.

You may fight defensively even if you are not making an attack. To do so, you must declare your intent at the beginning of your turn, the effects last until the beginning of your next turn, as usual.

If you have a shield readied, you gain a +3 dodge bonus to AC when fighting defensively instead of the usual +2 dodge bonus to AC (this does not stack with the bonus from having 5 ranks in Tumble).

If you have a shield readied, you gain a +6 dodge bonus to AC when executing the total defense standard action instead of the usual +4 dodge bonus to AC (this does not stack with the bonus from having 5 ranks in Tumble).
Improved Shield Ward: While you have a shield readied and you are not flat footed, you gain its AC bonus as a bonus to your reflex saves, up to a maximum of your class level.

Improved Agile Shield Fighter: When making a full attack and making an offhand attack with your shield, you may make an additional attack with your shield at -5 to hit.

Shield Rush: When you successfully hit with a shield bash, you may make a free bullrush attempt against that target, which does not draw an attack of opportunity. Unlike a normal bullrush, you cannot choose to follow the defender, and thus cannot push him back farther than 5 feet.

Improved Shield Specialization: At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, your bonus from Shield specialization increases by +1.

Power Defense: While you have a shield readied and are fighting defensively, using total defense, or are taking at least a -2 attack penalty from combat expertise, creatures attacking you gain no benefit from the power attack feat.

Uncanny Defense: While you have a shield readied, you cannot be flanked.

Shield Focus: You count as having weapon focus and weapon specialization when attacking with any shield or shield spikes you are proficient in (these may be used as prerequisites for other feats that depend on them).

Shield Evasion: When you have a shield readied and are not flat footed, if you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead takes no damage.

Greater Agile Shield Fighter: As Improved Agile Shield fighter, but you may make an additional attack at -10 to hit with your shield.

Zone Defense: While you have a shield readied, areas you threaten with your shield count as difficult terrain.

Improved Shield Evasion: As Shield Evasion, except that while you still take no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth you take only half damage on a failed save.

Perfect Defense: While you have a shield readied and are fighting defensively, using total defense, or are taking at least a -2 attack penalty from combat expertise, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for any reason.

 

[Quartz]

Looks interesting, but that's a hefty set of prerequisites. A character would have to be a pure fighter and spend nearly all her feats to qualify at 7th level. I'd suggest dropping at least one of the feats as a prerequisite and moving it into the class. Combat Expertise is an obvious choice: you could rename it Shield Expertise. I'd also like to see some anti-mage abilities at higher levels: being able to block spells with your shield.

Power Defence seems a bit iffy. Is it precedented elsewhere?

I'm not sure that the Shield Evasion abilities are of much use: likely entrants to the class will have poor Ref saves.

 

[The Souljourner]

Thanks for the comments, Quartz.

I think you may be right about the prereqs, but it is a class with a hefty set of benefits, so I didn't want to make it too trivial to get into. Combat expertise is a good one to move into the class, I may do that.

In.... complete warrior? Something like that, there's a tactical feat where one of the abilities is you negate power attack from the person you've targeted with the Dodge feat. This ability is obviously a little more powerful, since it affects everyone attacking you, but power attack by enemies is most common, in my experience, from big bad monsters of which there's generally only one. Plus, taking -2 or more to your attack roll is a little ouchy.

While the people taking the class will have poor reflex saves to begin with, there are a couple abilities that help that tremendously. First is Improved Shield Ward, which gives them their shield's AC bonus to reflex saves (max of their class level). Since entrants to the class will have shield specialization and improved shield specialization as they go up, their shield's AC bonus is going to generally be near their class level anyway. at 5th class level and 12th character level, that's a +5 to reflex saves, that's nothing to sneeze at.

I like the idea of anti-mage abilities. While evasion helps a lot with that, it is the one weakness of the class. I don't want to make it too uber against everything, but some kind of spell blocking with the shield is a very cool idea.

-Nate

 

[Quartz]

In.... complete warrior? Something like that, there's a tactical feat where one of the abilities is you negate power attack from the person you've targeted with the Dodge feat.

Fair enough, but it's still very powerful - perhaps it might be toned down to 1 or 2 points per level?

at 5th class level and 12th character level, that's a +5 to reflex saves, that's nothing to sneeze at.

Good point.

I like the idea of anti-mage abilities. While evasion helps a lot with that, it is the one weakness of the class. I don't want to make it too uber against everything, but some kind of spell blocking with the shield is a very cool idea.

Perhaps the ability to block directed spells and a cover bonus against area spells? Or the chracter could choose one. Both abilities should be granted late on.

 

[the Jester]

2 good saves, full BAB, d12 for HD and a special ability at every level??

Sounds overpowered to me based on that alone. If anything, it might need heftier prereqs; right now, there is no cost at all to taking this prc. Yeah, it locks up your feats, but if you're using a sword and board style and you want to emphasize the board, you're gonna be taking most of them anyway.

 

[el-remmen]

I think you can make their HD d10 and balance it out a bit as is.

Do you use median save progressions? I use them a lot when designing PrCs, and maybe a median progression for Will might be a good change, too.

 

[Quartz]

I missed the d12 - I agree it's too much - it should be a d8, especially with the ability to negate Power Attack. Full BAB's ok - compare with the Duellist.

 

[The Souljourner]

2 good saves, full BAB, d12 for HD and a special ability at every level??

Sounds overpowered to me based on that alone.

I don't think that necessarily makes it overpowered automatically. Take a look at the dwarven defender. Same deal. That's actually what I was basing this guy off of. I've played a dwarven defender... they're tough, but they have several glaring weaknesses, and having two dump feats as an entry requirement really hurts the class.

If anything, it might need heftier prereqs; right now, there is no cost at all to taking this prc. Yeah, it locks up your feats, but if you're using a sword and board style and you want to emphasize the board, you're gonna be taking most of them anyway.

Yes, you probably are going to take them.... and specialization, especially in an underpowered theme, is enough of a drawback in my opinion.

It may need some toning down of the abilities... I was really just trying to think of everything it should have as opposed to exactly what's balanced. Abilities first, then balance them.

I'm not a fan of medium saves, but it's not a terrible idea. As for dropping the hit dice to d8... that's just crazy talk. he's a straight fighter meant to sit in the middle of battle and take hits. Sure, he's hoping not to take as many as the barbarian, but I don't think d12 is too unreasonble. Certainly d10 is the lowest I think is appropriate.

-Nate