Two Devoted Defenders

[icthenue]

I recently picked up 3.0 Sword and Fist, which has the class 'Devoted Defender'. I was wondering if anyone has tried making an encounter (or having a party with) involving two devoted defenders that make each other their charges. It may seem cheesy, but the way their abilities sound like they work, makes me imagine two martial artists back to back, blocking, punching and flipping around each other to defeat a room full of baddies...

Key abilities for Devoted Defender
Charge: When combat begins, choose a character to be your "charge".

Harm's Way: Within 5ft of your charge, if your 'charge' is attacked, you may switch places with them and receive the blow yourself.

Defensive Strike: Within 5ft of your charge, you can make an attack of opportunity against any adjacent target who attacks your 'charge'.

Deflect Attack: Within 5ft of your charge, you can attempt to parry an attack on your 'charge', making a reflex saving throw DC20. Success means you deflect the blow as a free action.

[The Mentalist]

Yes, yes I did.

Have you ever seen the Jet Li film "Twin Warriors"? when they fight the other monks... yeah, it's sort of like that.

"Deflect Attack: Within 5ft of your charge, you can attempt to parry an attack on your 'charge', making a reflex saving throw DC20. Success means you deflect the blow as a free action."


This was what made it epic. If you can hit a DC 20 consistently you can't really be touched by attacks.


Add in some Crusader/Knight lockdown and it gets truly amazing.


It can even be self-contained with Leadership. (or taken up to 11 with an item of Body outside of Body)

[Particle_Man]

Combat Reflexes sounds like a good idea. :smallcool:

Heck between this and some white raven maneuvers you could be nasty unstoppable without area effects spammed at you.

[The Mentalist]

Add a dash of this... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238390)

[FMArthur]

A warrior could just make itself untouchable with the Shifting Defense stance without a buddy, but this is pretty cool regardless.

Actually, combined the abilities probably make something incredible - you just take the 'attack the attacker' function and your buddy shifts to avoid the original attack altogether. The two of you move through a battle like a twister while it's not even your turn.

[JadePhoenix]

I'm so using this against my players... Which build do you guys suggest?

[Aeryr]

Dvati (Dragon Magazine Compendium) Swashbuckler 5 / Devoted defender 3 / Hit and run fighter 4 / Swashbuckler + 8 (assuming LA buyoff)

Feats
1 Weapon focus (any weapon you like, rapier for coolness)
3 Alertness
6 Combat reflexes
F1 Vexing flanker
9 Adaptable flanker
F2 Martial study (any shadow hand maneuver you like)
F4 Martial stace (assasin stance)
12 Daring outlaw
15 Combat expertise
18 Allied defense

The trick is adaptable flanker, letting they flank enemies that are in front of them while still being side by side (if the bonus to flanking stack it is a +7 to attack, if not it is still a +4). They have reliable ways of flanking (just standing side by side) so they might do all their precision damage SA 9D6, plus DEX, plus INT. By using combat expertise with allied defense their AC sky rockets so enemies will possibly miss against them granting free attacks to the other twin. Maxing tumble with some bonus to it a nice dex and acrobatic skill mastery they should be able to hit a 40DC to move 10ft a round while still full attacking.

Funny thing since they are dvati you can pull the trick with a PC and have nice things as a melee. As a couple of NPCs (or PCs) Dvati stops being a requirement, if human weapon proficiency and weapon focus with a spiked chain could lead to a greater threatened area.

[Menteith]

Have one of them act as a Mount for the other one, allowing them to move together? It's a different flavor than the one the OP suggested, but it seems like it would be effective.

[Anxe]

Or you could have a bunch of Defenders all defending one guy. Super Combo AC!

Also, the DC20 Reflex save ability was bitten by the errata bug. Here's the new text.


Once per round when your charge is attacked, you may make an opposed attack roll. You gain a competence bonus to your attack roll as indicated on the table. If you beat the attacker, you deflect the blow.

[Gwendol]

Very cool! I'm throwing in a pair of Duergar twins in my current campaign.

[Golden Ladybug]

There are no words that can describe how much I need to sneak this into a Campaign. Next time I take a break from DMing with my real life group, and someone runs a shenanigans game, I am going to play some Dvarti Devoted Defenders :smallbiggrin:

I just won't tell anyone about the Errata...:P

[Aeryr]

Please keep me posted on how it pans out. :smallsmile:

I am also contemplating to play that in the future.