Energy Shields, Globes of Shielding, Mass Shield?

[Rossebay]

So, my friend wants to play a Guardian-type character.
For reference, check out this Guild Wars 2 class...
http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/guardian/ (Guardian Class)

He was thinking some Crusader, or Knight, but... He's most concerned with being able to throw up barriers around his allies and acting as the protector/hero role of the party.

We'd like to get it as close to Guardian as we can, with the magic and all, but he doesn't necessarily want spellcaster levels. Can you help us out?

[rmg22893]

So, my friend wants to play a Guardian-type character.
For reference, check out this Guild Wars 2 class...
http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/guardian/ (Guardian Class)

He was thinking some Crusader, or Knight, but... He's most concerned with being able to throw up barriers around his allies and acting as the protector/hero role of the party.

We'd like to get it as close to Guardian as we can, with the magic and all, but he doesn't necessarily want spellcaster levels. Can you help us out?

Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil is probably the closest you're going to get. Without spellcasting, you can't really just throw up magical barriers at will. I'd do Wizard 3/Master Specialist 10 (abjuration)/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7

[Rossebay]

Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil is probably the closest you're going to get. Without spellcasting, you can't really just throw up magical barriers at will. I'd do Wizard 3/Master Specialist 10 (abjuration)/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7

Not what he's looking for, sorry. That destroys melee abilities and such.

[Coidzor]

We'd like to get it as close to Guardian as we can, with the magic and all, but he doesn't necessarily want spellcaster levels. Can you help us out?

:smallconfused: Magic without casting levels, you say? Binder or Incarnum is your best bet then. THough I don't believe those are particularly suited to passive defense of one's allies rather than active defense via interposition and distraction and smacking.

What's his objection to D&D spellcasting?

Otherwise, well, that leaves the crusader and martial adepts.

[Rossebay]

:smallconfused: Magic without casting levels, you say? Binder or Incarnum is your best bet then. THough I don't believe those are particularly suited to passive defense of one's allies rather than active defense via interposition and distraction and smacking.

What's his objection to D&D spellcasting?

Otherwise, well, that leaves the crusader and martial adepts.

He has no objection to spellcasting at all. We both think it'd be cooler if it was just throwing up physical wards and such, but magic CAN work. We'd just like a paladin-type character who focuses on throwing barriers and defenses around his allies.

[Coidzor]

He has no objection to spellcasting at all. We both think it'd be cooler if it was just throwing up physical wards and such, but magic CAN work. We'd just like a paladin-type character who focuses on throwing barriers and defenses around his allies.

There's a ToB prestige class that can call up columns of stone at will, I believe it might be dwarf only.

Hmm... Problem with Sorcadin is that spells known are rather tight and they're not very fun from low levels... Maybe take a look at Magus and Paladin in Pathfinder, smash them together a bit, look through the books you have available and decide which spells are in keeping with the theme and add them to the spell list if they don't already fit on it and possibly excise most-to-all of the blasting so that his focus on buffing is more cemented? Probably just adding some ally-buffing/defensive BC to the magus list using the spell compendium would take care of it for you.

I can't think of any homebrew that's been done on the subject already, though some of the rebalanced paladins might have something like that if they're aura-based.

[Daer]

some kind of glaivelock maybe? They have pretty simple casting system, can do pretty nicely on melee with eldritch glaive. And could throw wall all day long.. though impenetrable barrier (wall of force spell )is high level stuff and on lower levels would have to settle for darknesses and tentacles (not very heroic) or firewall.

well quite far from it but might be fun.

[Shyftir]

Complete Mage, Abjurant Champion. Get there as a Crusader/sorc or something.

[Randomguy]

A gish build might work, possibly a sorcerer with spells focusing on summoning walls and stuff. I'd say standard sorcadin. (Paladin 2 sorcerer 4 spellsword 1 abjurant champion 5 sacred exorcist 8)

Suel Arcanamach going into abjurant champion is an option, but a weak one: All wall spells are in conjuration, and resilient sphere is in evocation, and Suel Arcanamach's don't get either of those schools.

Artificer crafting magic items that let him use wall of stone and such could work, but probably isn't what you're looking for.

Knight/crusader multiclassing is pretty decent, since knight gets abilities that make enemies attack him, and crusader gets maneuvers that let him heal his allies. Maybe knight 16/Crusader 4? No actual walls though.

[Incriptus]

Like other had said the Traditional Paladin/Sorc/Abjurant Champ Gish is probably ideal. Just intentionaly gimp the spell selection and call it a day. Perhaps even a run with War Weaver, Greater Mage Armor through the weave, along with other protective spells might be useful?