The kings of Lucis often kept a warrior known as “The King’s Shield” on close retainer as a personal bodyguard, champion and advisor. Unlike the training of a traditional knight, a guardian shield is as much an agent as he is an aegis, so it should come as no surprise, then, that over time others have followed in the footsteps of Shields past, training themselves to master both offense and defence in equal measure.
Guardian shield is an archetype of the warrior class.
Armour Proficiency
Guardian shields are proficient only in light armour and gain proficiency with tower shields.
This modifies the warrior’s standard armour proficiencies.
Defend Ally (Ex)
At 1st level, the guardian shield can provide allies a modicum of safety if they stick close. When an ally within his reach is subject to an attack roll, as an immediate action, the guardian shield can grant them a +2 circumstance bonus to armor class. If the triggered attack would still hit, the guardian shield may choose to become the new target of all effects including damage. The guardian shield may use this ability after he learns the result of the attack roll.
The guardian shield may move up to half his speed as part of this ability to place the ally within his reach (this movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal). The movement traveled is subtracted from the guardian shield’s total movement allotted to him on his next turn. The circumstance bonus increases by +1 for every three warrior levels after first (maximum +8 at 19th level).
This ability replaces advance.
Guardian’s Reflexes (Ex)
At 1st level, the guardian shield gains combat reflexes as a bonus feat (If he already had this feat, he instead gains any other combat feat he would have qualified for at the level he gained combat reflexes instead) The guardian shield may use either his Strength or Dexterity modifier to determine the number of additional attacks of opportunity the feat grants.
This ability replaces the bonus provided by the weapon training ability at 1st level. He still chooses and has a weapon group for other purposes, but gains no benefit from weapon training or talents that rely on his weapon training bonus (Such as defensive weapon training) until fourth level.
Warrior Talents (Ex)
A guardian shield may take one of the following knight talents in place of a warrior talent, using his warrior level as his knight level: Active Bastion, Improved Living Bastion, Living Bastion, Oversized Shield Bearer, Swift Bastion
These abilities may replace some warrior talents.
Guardian’s Patrol (Ex)
At 3rd level, the guardian shield gains Combat Patrol as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites (If he already had this feat, he instead gains any other combat feat he would have qualified for at the level he gained combat patrol instead). The guardian adds half his warrior level (Minimum +2) to his base attack bonus to determine how much he can increase his threatened area.
This ability replaces second skin.
Guardianship (Ex)
At 5th level, the guardian shield puts greater effort into defending others. The guardian shield can, as a move action, provide partial cover (+2 cover bonus to AC and a +1 to Reflex saves) to himself and all adjacent allies if he has a heavy or tower shield drawn until the beginning of his next turn. This type of cover cannot be used for Stealth checks.
At 11th level, the guardian shield can now provide soft cover (+4 to AC, to +2 Reflex saves) to himself or a single adjacent ally until the beginning of his next turn.
At 16th level, The guardian shield can provide soft cover to all adjacent allies or improved cover (+8 cover bonus to AC and +4 to Reflex saves, counts as having improved evasion) to himself or a single adjacent ally until the beginning of his next turn.
Guardianship counts as the active bulwark ability.
This ability replaces the warfare, improved warfare and greater warfare abilities.
Guardian Techniques (Ex)
At 9th level, the guardian shield gains one of the following teamwork feats as a bonus feat: Back to Back, Circling Offense, Coordinated Capture, Coordinated Reposition, Coordinated Charge, Duck and Cover, Ferocious Loyalty, Got Your Back, Hammer Guards the Anvil, Harrying Partners, Improved Back to Back, Improved Duck and Cover, Improved Swap Places, Intercept Charge, Lookout, One Mind, Pack Attack, Shield Wall, Swap Places, Trade Initiative, Usurper's Guard. The guardian shield ignores all prerequisites of the chosen feat, other than the Base Attack Bonus prerequisite and must still have back to back, duck and cover or swap places in order to take the improved version. At 13th and 17th level, the guardian shield may choose another feat from this list.
Additionally, as a swift action, the guardian shield may choose an ally within 50ft. So long as that ally remains within 50ft of the guardian shield, they gain the benefits of all teamwork feats the guardian shield possesses (Regardless of whether he obtained them via this ability or took them as character feats) until that ally either moves out of range or the guardian shield spends a swift action to choose a different ally.
Lastly, as a move action a number of times per day equal to his constitution modifier (Minimum 1), the guardian shield may change any number of teamwork feats granted by this ability to another teamwork feat from the list.
This ability replaces holmgang and warrior’s charge.
