Veklim
2012-08-29, 10:14 AM
Arise, Bastion of Caern Mul'Toth, you are needed once more.
For all of remembered time there have been a chosen few with the power and determination to become Bastions. They come from many races, all walks of life and every creed and ethos, but they share one thing; a person, a place or an item that they would die to protect. A Bastion is physically imposing, and their defensive capabilities are usually immediately apparent, but this is merely the surface of a Bastion's power as a deep mystical connection runs beneath the surface of these rare individuals. Some say it is raw, untrained arcane might, others insist the influence is divine, but fail to find whence the power originates, sensitive psionics can feel a Bastion's power radiating about them and insist they are latent psions, but all would be wrong. The truth of the Bastion's power is in their own conviction, a power which allows them to do incredible things.
THE BASTION Hit Dice: D12
REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks
Feats: Iron Will, Forge Bastion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12891070&postcount=1)
Special: Must hold a person, group, object or place in such high regard that they are willing to devote their lives to it's protection.
{table=head]LEVEL|BAB|FORT|REF|WILL|SPECIAL|CONVICTION
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Purpose, Strength of Conviction |
1
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Hardware |
3
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Hardware, Call to Arms 1/day (no AoO)|
5
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Strength of Conviction |
7
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Hardware |
9
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Hardware, Call to Arms 2/day (move) |
11
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Strength of Conviction |
13
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Hardware |
15
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Hardware, Call to Arms 3/day (free) |
17
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Strength of Conviction, Immortal Bastion |
19
[/table]
Skills per level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering, History, Nobility & Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis)
CLASS FEATURES
Purpose: (Su)
At first level, a transformation of sorts happens within the Bastion and his armour. The Bastion must dedicate themselves utterly to someone or something (this is very much up to DM approval) like a town's population, a royal family, a performing troupe, a temple, a naval ship or trading caravan, or perhaps a single person or item. This is forever more linked to you via the same bond your Bastion armour is, becoming entwined with your very soul, and is henceforth referred to as the Bastion's 'Purpose'. You always know instinctively where your Purpose is and it's general state (fine, under attack, damaged, etc) as long as you remain on the same plane as it. With DM permission a Bastion may choose another player character to become their Purpose, but you may never have a Bastion as another Bastion's Purpose. Because that's just silly.
If the Bastion fails to protect their Purpose from harm and it is subsequently killed or destroyed, the Bastion loses all class features which use conviction (see below), and is compelled as if by a Geas (CL 20) to search for a way of restoring their Purpose to it's former state (if the Purpose is a town or a sizeable population of people, the DM must choose what constitutes enough damage, loss of life, etc to trigger this effect). If you seek vengeance for the loss of your Purpose, you may use conviction abilities for as long as you do so, but not for any other reason. If the Purpose is a person who simply dies of old age, or a building which becomes defunct (a chapel being demolished and replaced by a temple, for instance), the Bastion either lays down his burden and retires, or searches for a new Purpose (in the case of the chapel being replaced, the Bastion would almost certainly take on the temple as his Purpose). A Bastion in search of a new Purpose for this reason may still use Conviction abilities, but only for as long as he actively searches (DMs are advised to discuss this with the player).
From now onwards, your Bastion armour cannot be removed in the classic sense, rather it is absorbed by your own body until such time as it is needed again. This has 2 major effects and one downside. The first effect is that the armour may no longer be destroyed, the only way to directly harm it is to harm you, the armour no longer has a hardness, saves or HP, the armour can no longer be targeted, and doesn't count as being made of it's actual materials for the purposes of spells and effects like Rusting Grasp, Heat Metal and Repel Wood. Secondly, you may call your armour to you as a full round action (which provokes attacks of opportunity), whereby it seems to burst forth from your flesh and knit itself onto you. You may absorb your armour at any time as a move action. This causes no damage to the Bastion or any of his equipment or clothing, but is apparently quite painful. If you are polymorphed, wildshaped or anything of the like, the effect is suspended whilst you wear your armour (it will resume if the armour is absorbed before the end of any duration the effect may have).
On the downside, when you're wearing your Bastion armour, it now covers you entirely, moves unnaturally and distorts your voice, rendering a +20% arcane spell failure chance and a -10 penalty to all social interaction skills and Charisma checks except feinting in combat, intimidation and sense motive checks (this does not affect your actual ability scores, nor any static bonus you may gain from ability modifiers, like a Paladin's Divine Grace ability).
Strength of Conviction: (Su)
At the very heart of a Bastion's power lies their conviction. From 1st level onwards, you have a pool of conviction points equal to the number on the table above + your Constitution and Wisdom modifiers. The points may be invested (held in reserve to activate the ability) or spent (used for the day to gain extra benefit) from this conviction pool to power your abilities, and are replenished after a full night's sleep (or whatever may be appropriate for your race, etc). Conviction abilities have two types of use; Passive (which requires invested conviction to activate) and Active (which requires spending conviction once activated). Investing conviction takes a standard action per ability being invested and spending it is a swift action, unless stated otherwise. You may not spend conviction once it is invested for the day, these points only return to your conviction pool once you have rested enough to replenish your conviction.
At 1st level, and every three levels thereafter, you gain a Strength of Conviction ability, chosen from the following list.
Toughness of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain DR 1/- for each conviction point invested (if the Purpose has a hardness, it gains +1 hardness for each conviction point instead).
Active. The Bastion and his Purpose gain an amount of fast healing equal to the number of conviction points spent on activation (if the Purpose is a construct, building or object it repairs damage at this rate instead). This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain the passive bonus, but the Active ability can only affect you and one other at a time, healing the most injured first, then the next, then the next, round by round.
Determination of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain a morale bonus to all saves equal to the number of points invested.
Active. Whenever the Bastion or his Purpose fails a save, you may immediately spend a point of conviction to gain a new save for that effect with a bonus equal to half your class level (rounded up). You may only do this once for each effect saved against.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain this bonus if it's applicable.
Knowledge of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion may make untrained knowledge checks to identify creatures and gains a bonus to do so equal to the number of points invested.
Active. The Bastion and his Purpose gain an insight bonus until the end of the encounter (or 1 minute / class level outside of combat) to all rolls made against a particular creature type, equal to 2 / point spent. The creature type must have already been identified by the Bastion to use this ability.
Speed of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion's base land speed increases by 5ft / point invested.
Active. As a full round action action, The Bastion may spend 3 points of conviction to teleport to anywhere within 10ft of their Purpose as long as they are both on the same plane. Treat this effect as a Greater Teleport, except you may only ever travel to your Purpose, and cannot take anyone else with you.
Tenacity of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain energy resistance to one type of energy (fire, cold, acid, electricity or sonic, chosen when investing) equal to 2 / point invested. You may choose a different energy type for each point invested this way.
Active. The Bastion may spend 1 point of conviction to grant himself and his Purpose immunity to a single energy type until the start of your next turn.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain this bonus.
Hardware: (Ex/Su)
A part of every Bastion is his armour which develops and grows as he does. This may also use conviction to do amazing things. Beginning at 2nd level, and then again at every level marked in the table above, you gain a Hardware upgrade for which you qualify. These are only usable when you have your armour on unless otherwise stated. These each grant an ability which is always active (these effects are Extraordinary in nature). They also each have a Power, which requires you spend conviction points to use (these effects are Supernatural in nature). As such, a Bastion who has lost their conviction abilities may still gain limited use of their Hardware, but not the associated Powers.
Some Hardware also grants class skills to the Bastion, these do not require the armour to be worn to have an effect, they are permanently added to your class skill list.
Entry Class Specific Hardware:
Arcane Attenuator
Requires: 5+ levels in Sorcerer or Wizard
Benefit: +1 level of arcane spellcasting (you gain this even when not in your armour). You gain Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft as class skills.
Power-Up: You may expend a conviction point as part of casting any spell to ignore the arcane spell failure chance of your Bastion armour.
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times, gaining +1 spellcasting each time you do so.
Arcane Converter
Requires: 5+ levels in Bard
Benefit: You may expend a spell slot or prepared spell as a standard action to do one of the following things:
You and all allies within 10ft gain an insight bonus to attack and damage equal to the spell or slot level expended for rounds equal to your Bastion level.
You and all allies within 10ft gain a dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves equal to the spell or slot level expended for rounds equal to your Bastion level.
You make a ranged touch attack (60ft range) which deals 1D6 damage / spell or slot level expended.
(Cantrips count as level 1 spells for these purposes)
You gain Perform and Spellcraft as class skills.
Power-Up: Whenever you expend a spell slot you may spend conviction points as well. Each conviction point spent counts as an additional spell level when calculating the effects of your Arcane Converter. You may only expend a number of conviction points this way equal to half your Bastion level (rounded up) in any one turn.
Divine Capacitor
Requires: 5+ levels in Paladin
Benefit: Bastion Levels stack with Paladin levels for the purpose of calculating your Smite and Lay on Hands abilities.
Power-Up: You may spend conviction to power your Smite and Lay on Hands abilities at the following rates; 2 conviction points / Smite attack, 1 conviction point / 5 HP.
Morphic Resonator
Requires: 5+ levels in Druid
Benefit: You may use your Bastion armour whilst wildshaping, but you do not gain the benefit of any Hardware other than this if you do so. Knowledge (Nature) and Survival are class skills for you.
Power-Up: For every point of conviction you spend, you gain the use of a single Hardware ability from the ones you have obtained for your Bastion armour whilst wildshaping. This benefit lasts until the end of the encounter
Mystic Amplifier
Requires: 5+ levels in Ranger
Benefit: Bastion Levels count as Ranger levels for the purpose of calculating Ranger spells per day, access to new levels of Ranger spells and calculating caster level.
Power-Up: You may spend conviction points to recall and cast a spell you have already used today. Doing so requires 1 conviction point / spell level of the recalled spell.
Sacred Seals
Requires: 5+ levels in Cleric
Benefit: You no longer take penalties to turn/rebuke checks whilst wearing your Bastion armour, and your Bastion level stacks with your Cleric level for the purposes of turn/rebuke checks.
Power-Up: You may expend two conviction points instead of a turn attempt to power turn/rebuke checks and other divine feats which use turn attempts.
Servo-Assist
Requires: 5+ levels in Barbarian or Fighter (or a mixture of both).
Benefit: You gain +2 Strength, +1 Dodge bonus to AC and +1 to Reflex saves. This stacks with rage benefits. Climb and Swim are class skills for you.
Power-Up: Whenever you score a critical threat with a weapon, you may spend a conviction point to automatically confirm the critical.
Targetting Array
Requires: 5+ levels in Rogue
Benefit: The distance at which you may attempt ranged sneak attacks increases by 5ft / Bastion level. Hide and Move Silently are class skills for you.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to make your next attack a sneak attack, regardless of whether or not the target is normally immune to such, or not in a situation where one would be open.
General Hardware:
Aquatic Impeller
Requires: At least one Hardware, 9 ranks in Swim
Benefit: You gain a swim speed equal to half your base land speed and the ability to breath under water.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to propel yourself through the water at 4x your swim speed (as if running) as a standard action. If you so choose, you may use this movement as a full round action as part of a charge attack, gaining a +1 / class level bonus to attack and damage.
Special: If you have the Run feat, you move at 5x your swim speed when powered up.
Digger Drill
Requires: At least one Hardware
Benefit: You gain a burrow speed equal to half your base land speed.
Power-Up: Whenever you make a charge, bullrush or overrun attempt you may spend a conviction point to ignore the Hardness or DR of the target for that attack. Any target hit by this attack must make a fortitude save (DC = Damage dealt) or take a -5 penalty to it's Hardness or DR for the duration of the encounter.
Extra Plating
Requires: Increased Mass, Medium or Heavy Bastion armour
Benefit: Your Bastion armour grants an additional +2 AC, this is added to the base AC of the armour as an untyped bonus.
Power-Up: Whenever a critical threat is scored against you, or you are subject to a sneak attack or other form of precision damage, you may spend 2 conviction points as a free action to negate it and receive a normal attack in it's place (as if the critical didn't confirm or you weren't flat-footed, etc).
Increased Mass
Requires: Any 2 Hardware (not compatible with Lightweight Components)
Benefit: Varies with Bastion armour type as follows:
Light armour. You gain powerful build.
Medium armour. You gain a size category and a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls.
Heavy armour. You gain a size category and a +4 bonus to melee damage rolls.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to gain a bonus equal to your Bastion level on a Strength check or Strength based skill check.
Integrated Weapon/Shield
Requires: Masterworked or better weapon (but no thrown weapon) or shield with which you are proficient
Benefit: You absorb your chosen weapon or shield into your Bastion armour with a 10 minute ritual per item integrated (requires no xp or gold, just time). Integrated items may only be used whilst in your armour, but benefit from being integrated as follows; It can no longer be destroyed, the only way to directly harm it is to harm you, the weapon or shield no longer has hardness, saves or HP, the weapon or shield can no longer be targeted, and doesn't count as being made of it's actual materials for the purposes of spells and effects like Rusting Grasp, Heat Metal and Repel Wood. Removing a weapon or shield from your armour also takes a 10 minute ritual per item removed, but again, requires no xp or gold, just time. You may only have one weapon or shield integrated for each instance of this Hardware (see Special below).
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to allow your next attack to ignore resistances, DR and hardness.
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times. Each time you take it you may integrate one additional weapon or shield into your armour at any given time(you may still only benefit from one shield at a time).
Lightweight Components
Requires: Any 2 Hardware (not compatible with Increased Mass)
Benefit: Varies with Bastion armour type as follows:
Light armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of your Bastion armour increases by 3 and armour check penalties are removed. Gain +5ft to your base speed.
Medium armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of your Bastion armour increases by 2 and armour check penalties are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -2)
Heavy armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of you Bastion armour increases by 2 and armour check penalties are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -4)
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to gain a bonus equal to your Bastion level on a Dexterity check or Dexterity based skill check.
Micro-Missile Miasma
Requires: Integrated Weapon with a ranged weapon, any one other Hardware.
Benefit: As a standard action you may fire an integrated ranged weapon using multiple Micro-Missiles instead of normal ammunition. You fire 1 missile / Bastion level at a range of 100ft (+20ft / Bastion level), rolling a single attack roll at full base attack bonus as normal for your weapon and applying the result to each missile separately (this has no critical, but a natural 20 may still be considered an auto-hit). Each individual missile may be targetted at any creature within range and deals damage equal to 1D4 + any enhancement or feat bonuses to the weapon. This damage is of the same type the weapon normally deals and is considered magic if the weapon is considered magic. For example: You have Weapon Specialisation (Longbow), 14 Strength, and you use an integrated +1 magic composite (+2) longbow, each missile would deal 1D4 + 5 piercing damage (magic)
Power-Up: When you fire a Micro-Missile Miasma, you may chose to spend a conviction point as part of that action to turn the missle damage into force damage and increase the die to a D6.
Overdrive Engine
Requires: -
Benefit: You gain +5ft / 2 Bastion levels (rounded up) to your base land speed.
Power-Up: Whenever you would use a Hardware power-up as a standard action, you may spend an additional conviction point as part of it's cost to make it a move action instead.
Phoenix Pack
Requires: At least one Hardware, 9 ranks in Jump
Benefit: With a successful DC 20 Jump check, the Bastion may propel himself aloft as if under the effects of a Fly spell (caster level equals character level). This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Power-Up: Whenever the Bastion takes off or lands whilst using this ability he may spend a conviction point to produce an explosive burst of fire in a 10ft radius around him dealing 1D6 / class level fire damage. A successful reflex save halves this damage, DC = 5 + Bastion's ranks in Jump.
Reactive Camouflage
Requires: Light or Medium Bastion armour, Lightweight Components
Benefit: You gain 5% concealment / Bastion level whenever you remain in the same square for at least 1 round. You may supress or resume this at any time as a free action.
Power-Up: You may move with your concealment active for 1 round / conviction point spent.
Rocket Barrage Unit
Requires: Medium or Heavy Bastion armour, Micro-Missile Miasma
Benefit: You gain a ranged 'secondary attack system' with an area of effect which may be used 3 times per day. You may use this as part of any full attack action you make, or as a standard action attack, similar to a secondary natural weapon except there is no attack roll. Everything in a 10ft radius centered on a target area take 2D6 + 1 / Bastion level damage (fire and bludgeoning), and must succeed on a fortitude save (DC = 10 + Con mod + class level) or be knocked prone in the square they occupy. This is a ranged attack (40ft +5ft / Bastion level) which provokes attacks of opportunity.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to imbue your next rocket barrage with an additional 2D6 damage and increase it's DC by 2. For each attack, you may only spend one conviction point for each instance of this Hardware (see Special below).
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times. Each time you take it you gain an additional use / day and may spend an additional conviction point to Power-Up your barrage.
Rocket Punch!
Requires: Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: Your unarmed strike damage goes up by one die size and you gain +5 ft reach when making unarmed attacks.
Power-Up: As a standard action, you may spend a conviction point to make an unarmed strike at a range of 10ft / class level by detaching and launching your fist at the enemy. If the attack hits it deals maximum damage and the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + Con mod + class level) or be knocked back 5ft / class level. The fist returns to the end of your arm at the end of the attack, regardless of whether it hit or not, as if it had the Returning weapon property. This strike counts as a melee attack and follows all other normal rules for such.
Special: You may use a stunning fist attempt or similar strike as part of this attack, as if it were a standard unarmed strike.
Call to Arms: (Ex)
Your instincts are sharp, and you have become accustomed to the pain of calling your armour, no longer flinching in anticipation of it. Beginning at 3rd level, the Bastion no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when calling his armour. Furthermore, 1/day the Bastion may provide himself and all allies within 10ft/class level with a bonus to their initiative checks equal to his Bastion class level. This is a free action which may only be made when initiative is rolled, and before results are declared.
At 6th level, the Bastion may call his armour as a move action, instead of a full round. You may use Call to Arms 2/day.
At 9th level, the Bastion may call his armour as a free action, instead of a move. You may use Call to Arms 3/day.
Immortal Bastion: (Ex)
At 10th level, you gain the living construct type and all it's benefits whenever you are in your Bastion armour and for as long as you remain armoured, you no longer age. Ageing resumes as normal when not in your armour, but any physical age penalties accrued from now onwards are removed when you are in your Bastion armour, and return as normal when the armour is absorbed.
Some Bastions choose to forsake their mortal lives at this point, and some do not. The choice is for the individual to make.
For all of remembered time there have been a chosen few with the power and determination to become Bastions. They come from many races, all walks of life and every creed and ethos, but they share one thing; a person, a place or an item that they would die to protect. A Bastion is physically imposing, and their defensive capabilities are usually immediately apparent, but this is merely the surface of a Bastion's power as a deep mystical connection runs beneath the surface of these rare individuals. Some say it is raw, untrained arcane might, others insist the influence is divine, but fail to find whence the power originates, sensitive psionics can feel a Bastion's power radiating about them and insist they are latent psions, but all would be wrong. The truth of the Bastion's power is in their own conviction, a power which allows them to do incredible things.
THE BASTION Hit Dice: D12
REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks
Feats: Iron Will, Forge Bastion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12891070&postcount=1)
Special: Must hold a person, group, object or place in such high regard that they are willing to devote their lives to it's protection.
{table=head]LEVEL|BAB|FORT|REF|WILL|SPECIAL|CONVICTION
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Purpose, Strength of Conviction |
1
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Hardware |
3
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Hardware, Call to Arms 1/day (no AoO)|
5
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Strength of Conviction |
7
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Hardware |
9
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Hardware, Call to Arms 2/day (move) |
11
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Strength of Conviction |
13
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Hardware |
15
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Hardware, Call to Arms 3/day (free) |
17
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Strength of Conviction, Immortal Bastion |
19
[/table]
Skills per level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering, History, Nobility & Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis)
CLASS FEATURES
Purpose: (Su)
At first level, a transformation of sorts happens within the Bastion and his armour. The Bastion must dedicate themselves utterly to someone or something (this is very much up to DM approval) like a town's population, a royal family, a performing troupe, a temple, a naval ship or trading caravan, or perhaps a single person or item. This is forever more linked to you via the same bond your Bastion armour is, becoming entwined with your very soul, and is henceforth referred to as the Bastion's 'Purpose'. You always know instinctively where your Purpose is and it's general state (fine, under attack, damaged, etc) as long as you remain on the same plane as it. With DM permission a Bastion may choose another player character to become their Purpose, but you may never have a Bastion as another Bastion's Purpose. Because that's just silly.
If the Bastion fails to protect their Purpose from harm and it is subsequently killed or destroyed, the Bastion loses all class features which use conviction (see below), and is compelled as if by a Geas (CL 20) to search for a way of restoring their Purpose to it's former state (if the Purpose is a town or a sizeable population of people, the DM must choose what constitutes enough damage, loss of life, etc to trigger this effect). If you seek vengeance for the loss of your Purpose, you may use conviction abilities for as long as you do so, but not for any other reason. If the Purpose is a person who simply dies of old age, or a building which becomes defunct (a chapel being demolished and replaced by a temple, for instance), the Bastion either lays down his burden and retires, or searches for a new Purpose (in the case of the chapel being replaced, the Bastion would almost certainly take on the temple as his Purpose). A Bastion in search of a new Purpose for this reason may still use Conviction abilities, but only for as long as he actively searches (DMs are advised to discuss this with the player).
From now onwards, your Bastion armour cannot be removed in the classic sense, rather it is absorbed by your own body until such time as it is needed again. This has 2 major effects and one downside. The first effect is that the armour may no longer be destroyed, the only way to directly harm it is to harm you, the armour no longer has a hardness, saves or HP, the armour can no longer be targeted, and doesn't count as being made of it's actual materials for the purposes of spells and effects like Rusting Grasp, Heat Metal and Repel Wood. Secondly, you may call your armour to you as a full round action (which provokes attacks of opportunity), whereby it seems to burst forth from your flesh and knit itself onto you. You may absorb your armour at any time as a move action. This causes no damage to the Bastion or any of his equipment or clothing, but is apparently quite painful. If you are polymorphed, wildshaped or anything of the like, the effect is suspended whilst you wear your armour (it will resume if the armour is absorbed before the end of any duration the effect may have).
On the downside, when you're wearing your Bastion armour, it now covers you entirely, moves unnaturally and distorts your voice, rendering a +20% arcane spell failure chance and a -10 penalty to all social interaction skills and Charisma checks except feinting in combat, intimidation and sense motive checks (this does not affect your actual ability scores, nor any static bonus you may gain from ability modifiers, like a Paladin's Divine Grace ability).
Strength of Conviction: (Su)
At the very heart of a Bastion's power lies their conviction. From 1st level onwards, you have a pool of conviction points equal to the number on the table above + your Constitution and Wisdom modifiers. The points may be invested (held in reserve to activate the ability) or spent (used for the day to gain extra benefit) from this conviction pool to power your abilities, and are replenished after a full night's sleep (or whatever may be appropriate for your race, etc). Conviction abilities have two types of use; Passive (which requires invested conviction to activate) and Active (which requires spending conviction once activated). Investing conviction takes a standard action per ability being invested and spending it is a swift action, unless stated otherwise. You may not spend conviction once it is invested for the day, these points only return to your conviction pool once you have rested enough to replenish your conviction.
At 1st level, and every three levels thereafter, you gain a Strength of Conviction ability, chosen from the following list.
Toughness of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain DR 1/- for each conviction point invested (if the Purpose has a hardness, it gains +1 hardness for each conviction point instead).
Active. The Bastion and his Purpose gain an amount of fast healing equal to the number of conviction points spent on activation (if the Purpose is a construct, building or object it repairs damage at this rate instead). This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain the passive bonus, but the Active ability can only affect you and one other at a time, healing the most injured first, then the next, then the next, round by round.
Determination of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain a morale bonus to all saves equal to the number of points invested.
Active. Whenever the Bastion or his Purpose fails a save, you may immediately spend a point of conviction to gain a new save for that effect with a bonus equal to half your class level (rounded up). You may only do this once for each effect saved against.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain this bonus if it's applicable.
Knowledge of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion may make untrained knowledge checks to identify creatures and gains a bonus to do so equal to the number of points invested.
Active. The Bastion and his Purpose gain an insight bonus until the end of the encounter (or 1 minute / class level outside of combat) to all rolls made against a particular creature type, equal to 2 / point spent. The creature type must have already been identified by the Bastion to use this ability.
Speed of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion's base land speed increases by 5ft / point invested.
Active. As a full round action action, The Bastion may spend 3 points of conviction to teleport to anywhere within 10ft of their Purpose as long as they are both on the same plane. Treat this effect as a Greater Teleport, except you may only ever travel to your Purpose, and cannot take anyone else with you.
Tenacity of The Bastion:
Passive. The Bastion and his Purpose gain energy resistance to one type of energy (fire, cold, acid, electricity or sonic, chosen when investing) equal to 2 / point invested. You may choose a different energy type for each point invested this way.
Active. The Bastion may spend 1 point of conviction to grant himself and his Purpose immunity to a single energy type until the start of your next turn.
Note. If the Purpose is multiple people or objects then they each gain this bonus.
Hardware: (Ex/Su)
A part of every Bastion is his armour which develops and grows as he does. This may also use conviction to do amazing things. Beginning at 2nd level, and then again at every level marked in the table above, you gain a Hardware upgrade for which you qualify. These are only usable when you have your armour on unless otherwise stated. These each grant an ability which is always active (these effects are Extraordinary in nature). They also each have a Power, which requires you spend conviction points to use (these effects are Supernatural in nature). As such, a Bastion who has lost their conviction abilities may still gain limited use of their Hardware, but not the associated Powers.
Some Hardware also grants class skills to the Bastion, these do not require the armour to be worn to have an effect, they are permanently added to your class skill list.
Entry Class Specific Hardware:
Arcane Attenuator
Requires: 5+ levels in Sorcerer or Wizard
Benefit: +1 level of arcane spellcasting (you gain this even when not in your armour). You gain Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft as class skills.
Power-Up: You may expend a conviction point as part of casting any spell to ignore the arcane spell failure chance of your Bastion armour.
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times, gaining +1 spellcasting each time you do so.
Arcane Converter
Requires: 5+ levels in Bard
Benefit: You may expend a spell slot or prepared spell as a standard action to do one of the following things:
You and all allies within 10ft gain an insight bonus to attack and damage equal to the spell or slot level expended for rounds equal to your Bastion level.
You and all allies within 10ft gain a dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves equal to the spell or slot level expended for rounds equal to your Bastion level.
You make a ranged touch attack (60ft range) which deals 1D6 damage / spell or slot level expended.
(Cantrips count as level 1 spells for these purposes)
You gain Perform and Spellcraft as class skills.
Power-Up: Whenever you expend a spell slot you may spend conviction points as well. Each conviction point spent counts as an additional spell level when calculating the effects of your Arcane Converter. You may only expend a number of conviction points this way equal to half your Bastion level (rounded up) in any one turn.
Divine Capacitor
Requires: 5+ levels in Paladin
Benefit: Bastion Levels stack with Paladin levels for the purpose of calculating your Smite and Lay on Hands abilities.
Power-Up: You may spend conviction to power your Smite and Lay on Hands abilities at the following rates; 2 conviction points / Smite attack, 1 conviction point / 5 HP.
Morphic Resonator
Requires: 5+ levels in Druid
Benefit: You may use your Bastion armour whilst wildshaping, but you do not gain the benefit of any Hardware other than this if you do so. Knowledge (Nature) and Survival are class skills for you.
Power-Up: For every point of conviction you spend, you gain the use of a single Hardware ability from the ones you have obtained for your Bastion armour whilst wildshaping. This benefit lasts until the end of the encounter
Mystic Amplifier
Requires: 5+ levels in Ranger
Benefit: Bastion Levels count as Ranger levels for the purpose of calculating Ranger spells per day, access to new levels of Ranger spells and calculating caster level.
Power-Up: You may spend conviction points to recall and cast a spell you have already used today. Doing so requires 1 conviction point / spell level of the recalled spell.
Sacred Seals
Requires: 5+ levels in Cleric
Benefit: You no longer take penalties to turn/rebuke checks whilst wearing your Bastion armour, and your Bastion level stacks with your Cleric level for the purposes of turn/rebuke checks.
Power-Up: You may expend two conviction points instead of a turn attempt to power turn/rebuke checks and other divine feats which use turn attempts.
Servo-Assist
Requires: 5+ levels in Barbarian or Fighter (or a mixture of both).
Benefit: You gain +2 Strength, +1 Dodge bonus to AC and +1 to Reflex saves. This stacks with rage benefits. Climb and Swim are class skills for you.
Power-Up: Whenever you score a critical threat with a weapon, you may spend a conviction point to automatically confirm the critical.
Targetting Array
Requires: 5+ levels in Rogue
Benefit: The distance at which you may attempt ranged sneak attacks increases by 5ft / Bastion level. Hide and Move Silently are class skills for you.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to make your next attack a sneak attack, regardless of whether or not the target is normally immune to such, or not in a situation where one would be open.
General Hardware:
Aquatic Impeller
Requires: At least one Hardware, 9 ranks in Swim
Benefit: You gain a swim speed equal to half your base land speed and the ability to breath under water.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to propel yourself through the water at 4x your swim speed (as if running) as a standard action. If you so choose, you may use this movement as a full round action as part of a charge attack, gaining a +1 / class level bonus to attack and damage.
Special: If you have the Run feat, you move at 5x your swim speed when powered up.
Digger Drill
Requires: At least one Hardware
Benefit: You gain a burrow speed equal to half your base land speed.
Power-Up: Whenever you make a charge, bullrush or overrun attempt you may spend a conviction point to ignore the Hardness or DR of the target for that attack. Any target hit by this attack must make a fortitude save (DC = Damage dealt) or take a -5 penalty to it's Hardness or DR for the duration of the encounter.
Extra Plating
Requires: Increased Mass, Medium or Heavy Bastion armour
Benefit: Your Bastion armour grants an additional +2 AC, this is added to the base AC of the armour as an untyped bonus.
Power-Up: Whenever a critical threat is scored against you, or you are subject to a sneak attack or other form of precision damage, you may spend 2 conviction points as a free action to negate it and receive a normal attack in it's place (as if the critical didn't confirm or you weren't flat-footed, etc).
Increased Mass
Requires: Any 2 Hardware (not compatible with Lightweight Components)
Benefit: Varies with Bastion armour type as follows:
Light armour. You gain powerful build.
Medium armour. You gain a size category and a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls.
Heavy armour. You gain a size category and a +4 bonus to melee damage rolls.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to gain a bonus equal to your Bastion level on a Strength check or Strength based skill check.
Integrated Weapon/Shield
Requires: Masterworked or better weapon (but no thrown weapon) or shield with which you are proficient
Benefit: You absorb your chosen weapon or shield into your Bastion armour with a 10 minute ritual per item integrated (requires no xp or gold, just time). Integrated items may only be used whilst in your armour, but benefit from being integrated as follows; It can no longer be destroyed, the only way to directly harm it is to harm you, the weapon or shield no longer has hardness, saves or HP, the weapon or shield can no longer be targeted, and doesn't count as being made of it's actual materials for the purposes of spells and effects like Rusting Grasp, Heat Metal and Repel Wood. Removing a weapon or shield from your armour also takes a 10 minute ritual per item removed, but again, requires no xp or gold, just time. You may only have one weapon or shield integrated for each instance of this Hardware (see Special below).
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to allow your next attack to ignore resistances, DR and hardness.
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times. Each time you take it you may integrate one additional weapon or shield into your armour at any given time(you may still only benefit from one shield at a time).
Lightweight Components
Requires: Any 2 Hardware (not compatible with Increased Mass)
Benefit: Varies with Bastion armour type as follows:
Light armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of your Bastion armour increases by 3 and armour check penalties are removed. Gain +5ft to your base speed.
Medium armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of your Bastion armour increases by 2 and armour check penalties are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -2)
Heavy armour. The maximum Dexterity bonus of you Bastion armour increases by 2 and armour check penalties are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -4)
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to gain a bonus equal to your Bastion level on a Dexterity check or Dexterity based skill check.
Micro-Missile Miasma
Requires: Integrated Weapon with a ranged weapon, any one other Hardware.
Benefit: As a standard action you may fire an integrated ranged weapon using multiple Micro-Missiles instead of normal ammunition. You fire 1 missile / Bastion level at a range of 100ft (+20ft / Bastion level), rolling a single attack roll at full base attack bonus as normal for your weapon and applying the result to each missile separately (this has no critical, but a natural 20 may still be considered an auto-hit). Each individual missile may be targetted at any creature within range and deals damage equal to 1D4 + any enhancement or feat bonuses to the weapon. This damage is of the same type the weapon normally deals and is considered magic if the weapon is considered magic. For example: You have Weapon Specialisation (Longbow), 14 Strength, and you use an integrated +1 magic composite (+2) longbow, each missile would deal 1D4 + 5 piercing damage (magic)
Power-Up: When you fire a Micro-Missile Miasma, you may chose to spend a conviction point as part of that action to turn the missle damage into force damage and increase the die to a D6.
Overdrive Engine
Requires: -
Benefit: You gain +5ft / 2 Bastion levels (rounded up) to your base land speed.
Power-Up: Whenever you would use a Hardware power-up as a standard action, you may spend an additional conviction point as part of it's cost to make it a move action instead.
Phoenix Pack
Requires: At least one Hardware, 9 ranks in Jump
Benefit: With a successful DC 20 Jump check, the Bastion may propel himself aloft as if under the effects of a Fly spell (caster level equals character level). This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Power-Up: Whenever the Bastion takes off or lands whilst using this ability he may spend a conviction point to produce an explosive burst of fire in a 10ft radius around him dealing 1D6 / class level fire damage. A successful reflex save halves this damage, DC = 5 + Bastion's ranks in Jump.
Reactive Camouflage
Requires: Light or Medium Bastion armour, Lightweight Components
Benefit: You gain 5% concealment / Bastion level whenever you remain in the same square for at least 1 round. You may supress or resume this at any time as a free action.
Power-Up: You may move with your concealment active for 1 round / conviction point spent.
Rocket Barrage Unit
Requires: Medium or Heavy Bastion armour, Micro-Missile Miasma
Benefit: You gain a ranged 'secondary attack system' with an area of effect which may be used 3 times per day. You may use this as part of any full attack action you make, or as a standard action attack, similar to a secondary natural weapon except there is no attack roll. Everything in a 10ft radius centered on a target area take 2D6 + 1 / Bastion level damage (fire and bludgeoning), and must succeed on a fortitude save (DC = 10 + Con mod + class level) or be knocked prone in the square they occupy. This is a ranged attack (40ft +5ft / Bastion level) which provokes attacks of opportunity.
Power-Up: You may spend a conviction point to imbue your next rocket barrage with an additional 2D6 damage and increase it's DC by 2. For each attack, you may only spend one conviction point for each instance of this Hardware (see Special below).
Special: You may select this Hardware multiple times. Each time you take it you gain an additional use / day and may spend an additional conviction point to Power-Up your barrage.
Rocket Punch!
Requires: Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: Your unarmed strike damage goes up by one die size and you gain +5 ft reach when making unarmed attacks.
Power-Up: As a standard action, you may spend a conviction point to make an unarmed strike at a range of 10ft / class level by detaching and launching your fist at the enemy. If the attack hits it deals maximum damage and the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + Con mod + class level) or be knocked back 5ft / class level. The fist returns to the end of your arm at the end of the attack, regardless of whether it hit or not, as if it had the Returning weapon property. This strike counts as a melee attack and follows all other normal rules for such.
Special: You may use a stunning fist attempt or similar strike as part of this attack, as if it were a standard unarmed strike.
Call to Arms: (Ex)
Your instincts are sharp, and you have become accustomed to the pain of calling your armour, no longer flinching in anticipation of it. Beginning at 3rd level, the Bastion no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when calling his armour. Furthermore, 1/day the Bastion may provide himself and all allies within 10ft/class level with a bonus to their initiative checks equal to his Bastion class level. This is a free action which may only be made when initiative is rolled, and before results are declared.
At 6th level, the Bastion may call his armour as a move action, instead of a full round. You may use Call to Arms 2/day.
At 9th level, the Bastion may call his armour as a free action, instead of a move. You may use Call to Arms 3/day.
Immortal Bastion: (Ex)
At 10th level, you gain the living construct type and all it's benefits whenever you are in your Bastion armour and for as long as you remain armoured, you no longer age. Ageing resumes as normal when not in your armour, but any physical age penalties accrued from now onwards are removed when you are in your Bastion armour, and return as normal when the armour is absorbed.
Some Bastions choose to forsake their mortal lives at this point, and some do not. The choice is for the individual to make.