TheFallenOne
2012-03-28, 11:22 AM
The Vanguard
In every army, there is the first line of offense, those who go out to scout the enemy, secure advanced positions and engage the opponent in small skirmishes before the armies meet in open battle. This is the Vanguard.
Vanguards operate in small groups, experts at striking an unsuspecting foe to vanquish him before he has time to get organized. A pitched battle with locked formations is not the right place for a Vanguard. He fights best when he can move about freely, keeping his enemy off balance by expertly striking from an unexpected angle.
Becoming a Vanguard
This class favours those who use their mobility and stealth to gain an initial advantage over their foe. All Vanguards have Scout levels, and most of them have a few levels of Warblade or Swordsage as well, but some Scouts choose instead to take the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats to become a Vanguard.
There are two types of Vanguards. Most of them rely on pure skill and determination, learning the Iron Heart and Tiger Claw disciplines. A few though use their supernatural control over shadows as well for stealth and misdirection. Those Vanguards learn the Iron Heart and Shadow Hand disciplines.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: 8 Hide, 8 Move Silently, 5 Spot, 5 Survival
Feats: Track
Abilities: Skirmish +1d6/+1 AC
Martial Maneuvers: One stance of the Iron Heart, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines.
THE VANGUARD____________HIT DIE: d10
{table=head]Level|
Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|
Maneuvers known|
Maneuvers readied|
Stances known|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|
0|
0 |
0 |
Offensive Recovery
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+0|
1|
0 |
0 |
Skirmish +1d6
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+1|
0 |
0 |
0 |
Quick Finish
4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
1|
0|
0 |
Fast Movement +10 ft, Skirmish +1d6/+1 AC
5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
0|
1 |
1|Ready for Battle
6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+2|
1|
0 |
0 |
Vexing Flanker, Skirmish +2d6/+1 AC
7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+2|
0|
0 |
0 |
Unhinging Offense
8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+2|
1|
0|
0 |
Fast Movement +20 ft, Skirmish +2d6/+2 AC
9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+3|
0 |
1 |
0 |
Unrelenting Assault
10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+3|
1|
0 |
0 |
Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC[/table]
Class Skills(6+Int modifier per level): Balance, Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Jump, Knowledge(Dungeoneering), Knowledge(Nature), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble.
Class Features
Weapon and armor proficiencies: The Vanguard gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Maneuvers: At each even-numbered level the Vanguard gains one new maneuver known. He must meet the maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. He adds his full Vanguard level to his initiator level to determine the total initiator level and the highest-level maneuvers known.
At 5th and 9th level, he gains an additional maneuver readied.
Special: A character who enters the Vanguard through an Iron Heart or Tiger Claw stance knows the Iron Heart and Tiger Claw disciplines. A character who enters the Vanguard through a Shadow Hand stance knows the Iron Heart and Shadow Hand disciplines. If a character fulfills both conditions he can choose either option when taking his first Vanguard level.
Offensive Recovery(Ex): Whenever the Vanguard is eligible for rolling Skirmish damage, he may use a Swift action to sacrifice some of the Skirmish dice. The Vanguard instantly recovers a prepared maneuver of a level equal to the number of dice sacrificed.
You can't recover a maneuver previously expended in the same turn.
Quick finish(Ex): A Vanguard is an expert at dispatching foes not prepared for his sudden assault. When attacking a flatfooted foe, the Vanguard gains two additional Skirmish dice.
Fast movement(Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Vanguard gains a +10 ft enhancement bonus to his base land speed. At 8th level this increases to 20 ft.
This bonus stacks with the Scout's fast movement bonus of the same type, but not other enhancement boni to base land speed.
Ready for Battle(Ex): Most Vanguards favor a mix of Stances, some to help with scouting and detection, others to give an advantage once combat begins.
At fifth level, a Vanguard has learned to quickly adapt to the sudden start of combat at a moment's notice. When initiative is rolled, the Vanguard can instantly switch to another Stance without expending a Swift action.
Stances known: At 5th level, the Vanguard learns a new martial stance from one of his class disciplines. He must meet the stance's prerequisite to learn it.
Vexing Flanker: The Vanguard has learned to coordinate with his allies, rapidly moving into advantageous positions to circumvent his opponent's defenses. At 6th level, he gains the feat of the same name, even if he doesn't fulfill the prerequisites.
Unhinging Offense(Ex): At 7th level, a Vanguard has learned to prevent his enemies from regaining their focus and readiness after a momentary surprise.
When attacking a target that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, the Vanguard can sacrifice some of his Skirmish dice if he is eligible for the bonus damage. If hit, the target has to make a Reflex save(DC 10+Vanguard class levels+2x number of Skirmish dice sacrificed).
On failure, the target is stunned until the end of the Vanguard's next turn.
Unrelenting Assault (Ex): At 9th level, a Vanguard learned to strain his body to the breaking point, pressing the assault in spite of obstacles and effects that would stop a lesser man.
By activating this ability as an immediate action, the Vanguard benefits from an effect identical with the Freedom of Movement spell until he dismisses it as a free action. The Vanguard takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage whenever Unrelenting Assault is active at the start of his turn.
In every army, there is the first line of offense, those who go out to scout the enemy, secure advanced positions and engage the opponent in small skirmishes before the armies meet in open battle. This is the Vanguard.
Vanguards operate in small groups, experts at striking an unsuspecting foe to vanquish him before he has time to get organized. A pitched battle with locked formations is not the right place for a Vanguard. He fights best when he can move about freely, keeping his enemy off balance by expertly striking from an unexpected angle.
Becoming a Vanguard
This class favours those who use their mobility and stealth to gain an initial advantage over their foe. All Vanguards have Scout levels, and most of them have a few levels of Warblade or Swordsage as well, but some Scouts choose instead to take the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats to become a Vanguard.
There are two types of Vanguards. Most of them rely on pure skill and determination, learning the Iron Heart and Tiger Claw disciplines. A few though use their supernatural control over shadows as well for stealth and misdirection. Those Vanguards learn the Iron Heart and Shadow Hand disciplines.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: 8 Hide, 8 Move Silently, 5 Spot, 5 Survival
Feats: Track
Abilities: Skirmish +1d6/+1 AC
Martial Maneuvers: One stance of the Iron Heart, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines.
THE VANGUARD____________HIT DIE: d10
{table=head]Level|
Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|
Maneuvers known|
Maneuvers readied|
Stances known|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|
0|
0 |
0 |
Offensive Recovery
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+0|
1|
0 |
0 |
Skirmish +1d6
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+1|
0 |
0 |
0 |
Quick Finish
4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
1|
0|
0 |
Fast Movement +10 ft, Skirmish +1d6/+1 AC
5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
0|
1 |
1|Ready for Battle
6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+2|
1|
0 |
0 |
Vexing Flanker, Skirmish +2d6/+1 AC
7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+2|
0|
0 |
0 |
Unhinging Offense
8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+2|
1|
0|
0 |
Fast Movement +20 ft, Skirmish +2d6/+2 AC
9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+3|
0 |
1 |
0 |
Unrelenting Assault
10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+3|
1|
0 |
0 |
Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC[/table]
Class Skills(6+Int modifier per level): Balance, Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Jump, Knowledge(Dungeoneering), Knowledge(Nature), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble.
Class Features
Weapon and armor proficiencies: The Vanguard gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Maneuvers: At each even-numbered level the Vanguard gains one new maneuver known. He must meet the maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. He adds his full Vanguard level to his initiator level to determine the total initiator level and the highest-level maneuvers known.
At 5th and 9th level, he gains an additional maneuver readied.
Special: A character who enters the Vanguard through an Iron Heart or Tiger Claw stance knows the Iron Heart and Tiger Claw disciplines. A character who enters the Vanguard through a Shadow Hand stance knows the Iron Heart and Shadow Hand disciplines. If a character fulfills both conditions he can choose either option when taking his first Vanguard level.
Offensive Recovery(Ex): Whenever the Vanguard is eligible for rolling Skirmish damage, he may use a Swift action to sacrifice some of the Skirmish dice. The Vanguard instantly recovers a prepared maneuver of a level equal to the number of dice sacrificed.
You can't recover a maneuver previously expended in the same turn.
Quick finish(Ex): A Vanguard is an expert at dispatching foes not prepared for his sudden assault. When attacking a flatfooted foe, the Vanguard gains two additional Skirmish dice.
Fast movement(Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Vanguard gains a +10 ft enhancement bonus to his base land speed. At 8th level this increases to 20 ft.
This bonus stacks with the Scout's fast movement bonus of the same type, but not other enhancement boni to base land speed.
Ready for Battle(Ex): Most Vanguards favor a mix of Stances, some to help with scouting and detection, others to give an advantage once combat begins.
At fifth level, a Vanguard has learned to quickly adapt to the sudden start of combat at a moment's notice. When initiative is rolled, the Vanguard can instantly switch to another Stance without expending a Swift action.
Stances known: At 5th level, the Vanguard learns a new martial stance from one of his class disciplines. He must meet the stance's prerequisite to learn it.
Vexing Flanker: The Vanguard has learned to coordinate with his allies, rapidly moving into advantageous positions to circumvent his opponent's defenses. At 6th level, he gains the feat of the same name, even if he doesn't fulfill the prerequisites.
Unhinging Offense(Ex): At 7th level, a Vanguard has learned to prevent his enemies from regaining their focus and readiness after a momentary surprise.
When attacking a target that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, the Vanguard can sacrifice some of his Skirmish dice if he is eligible for the bonus damage. If hit, the target has to make a Reflex save(DC 10+Vanguard class levels+2x number of Skirmish dice sacrificed).
On failure, the target is stunned until the end of the Vanguard's next turn.
Unrelenting Assault (Ex): At 9th level, a Vanguard learned to strain his body to the breaking point, pressing the assault in spite of obstacles and effects that would stop a lesser man.
By activating this ability as an immediate action, the Vanguard benefits from an effect identical with the Freedom of Movement spell until he dismisses it as a free action. The Vanguard takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage whenever Unrelenting Assault is active at the start of his turn.