Class Archetype · Beta

Sentinel of Battle

The Sentinel of Battle has seen the face of cosmic law made flesh. Whether glimpsed on a blood-soaked field or delivered in a vision at the threshold of death, the image never fades: a towering construct of hammered gold and onyx plate, moving through carnage without hurry, dealing judgment with absolute precision. These are the Arbiters of Law — ancient engines of order built to enforce the immutable compact of existence. They come for those who violate the natural laws: the would-be immortals, the destroyers of balance, the ones who reach beyond what is permitted. The Sentinel of Battle carries that image forward like a brand. She does not fight for victory. She fights because disorder cannot be permitted.

Class Requirements

Alignment: Lawful.

Feats: Toughness and Improved Bull Rush.

Skills: Craft (Armorsmithing) 5 ranks.

Special: Must have witnessed an Arbiter of Law or have been granted a vision of one.

Armor Proficiency: Must be proficient with heavy armor.

Hit Die: d10.

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier.

Class Progression

Class Features

The following are the class features of the Sentinel of Battle.

Battle Trance (Ex)

The Sentinel of Battle learns to focus on the battlefield so completely that combat becomes the entirety of her awareness. At 1st level, she may enter a Battle Trance as a free action, hardening her body and amplifying her martial instincts. She may remain in this trance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier + 2 rounds per Sentinel of Battle level. During the trance, she gains a +2 insight bonus to Strength, Constitution, Will saves, and Perception checks against opponents within 30 feet. The increase to Constitution grants the Sentinel 2 temporary hit points per Hit Die; these hit points are lost first and disappear when the trance ends. While in her trance, she also gains the benefit of the Blind-Fight feat.

This narrow focus comes at a cost. While in her trance:

• She cannot use any Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills (except Intimidate), or any ability requiring concentration.

• She takes a –2 dodge penalty to AC.

• She takes a –10 penalty on Perception checks against any opponent more than 60 feet away.

The Sentinel may end her trance as a free action, but she is then Sickened and Dazzled for a number of rounds equal to twice the number of rounds spent in the trance. As she leaves the trance, the flood of sensory input from the outside world overloads her senses. She cannot enter a new trance while Sickened from a previous one, but may otherwise enter Battle Trance multiple times during a single encounter. If the Sentinel falls unconscious, her trance immediately ends.

Sentinel’s Path (Ex)

At 1st level, the Sentinel chooses her First Path. Each path shapes how her training intersects with another martial or mystical discipline and determines her path-based stacking benefits. She gains a Second Path at 10th level and a Third Path at 15th level.

A Second Path is treated as though the Sentinel were 4 levels lower for all path-dependent abilities. A Third Path is treated as though she were 9 levels lower. All paths are held simultaneously; the level reduction affects only path-dependent scaling, not the Sentinel’s total class level for other purposes. Only one path’s Bonded Armor benefit applies each day (see Bonded Armor), except when Dual Bond is active.

Path of the Knight

The Sentinel gains a tactical feat of her choice (she must meet all prerequisites). Her Sentinel of Battle levels count as Fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for and using mounted combat feats and abilities. Allies within 30 feet who can see her gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects. This War Standard aura functions as long as she is conscious and standing.

Path of the Righteous

At will, the Sentinel may use detect chaos as a spell-like ability (as the spell). Her Sentinel of Battle levels stack with Paladin levels for the purpose of determining the number of daily uses of any smite class abilities she possesses.

Path of the Titan

The Sentinel gains a bonus combat feat of her choice (she must meet all prerequisites). Her Sentinel of Battle levels stack with Fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats that have a minimum Fighter level prerequisite.

Path of the Warrior

The Sentinel gains fast movement, increasing her land speed by 10 feet while wearing medium or lighter armor or no armor. Her Sentinel of Battle levels stack with Barbarian levels for the purpose of calculating rage and Battle Trance duration.

Path of the Wise

The Sentinel gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Her Sentinel of Battle levels stack with Monk levels for the purpose of determining her unarmed strike damage.

Un-veering Path (Ex)

The Sentinel is a force of nature in motion — little can stop her from reaching her goal. Starting at 1st level, she adds half her Sentinel of Battle level (rounded down, minimum 1) to her CMB for bull rush attempts. For every 4 points by which she exceeds her target’s CMD on a bull rush, the target is pushed back an additional 5 feet beyond the normal distance.

Bonded Armor (Su)

At 2nd level, the Sentinel does not simply wear her armor — she bonds with it. After wearing a single suit of armor for 24 hours and resting in it, she forms a permanent bond to that armor. Her bonded armor is treated as though it has the Comfort special ability at all times, and it can never be damaged or destroyed while she is bonded to it as long as she lives.

Each day after resting, the Sentinel chooses one path to walk for that day. Her bonded armor manifests an additional ability based on the chosen path, scaling with her character level.

Path of the Knight

Her bonded armor radiates a War Standard aura. Allies within 30 feet who can see her gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects.

Path of the Righteous

Her bonded armor radiates an aura of resolve in a 10-foot radius. She and all allies within the aura are immune to fear effects.

Path of the Titan

Her bonded armor gains the benefit of Armor Training: its armor check penalty is reduced by 2 and its maximum Dexterity bonus increases by 1. She also gains the Fortification (light) armor special ability, granting a 25% chance to negate a critical hit or sneak attack.

Path of the Warrior

She gains fast movement while wearing her bonded heavy armor, increasing her speed by 10 feet. This benefit applies even in heavy armor. She also gains Uncanny Dodge — she is not caught flat-footed and does not lose her Dexterity bonus to AC against invisible attackers.

Path of the Wise

She gains an insight bonus to AC and CMD equal to one-quarter her Sentinel of Battle level (minimum +1). This bonus applies even while wearing armor and is not negated by armor check penalties.

Combat Training (Ex)

At 4th level and again at 6th level, the Sentinel gains a bonus combat feat. She must meet all prerequisites for the chosen feat. At 6th level, she may choose a tactical feat in place of a combat feat.

Bonded Armor (Improved)

At 7th level, the Sentinel’s bond to her armor deepens. Each path’s Bonded Armor benefit improves as follows:

Path of the Knight (Improved)

The War Standard aura’s morale bonus increases to +2 on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects.

Path of the Righteous (Improved)

The aura of resolve extends to 20 feet. Any ally who succeeds on a saving throw against a fear effect while within the aura gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls for 1 round.

Path of the Titan (Improved)

Fortification (light) upgrades to Fortification (moderate), granting a 50% chance to negate a critical hit or sneak attack. The total armor check penalty reduction increases to 3 and the total maximum Dexterity bonus increase rises to 2.

Path of the Warrior (Improved)

If the Sentinel already has Uncanny Dodge from another class, she instead gains Improved Uncanny Dodge and cannot be flanked except by a rogue of 4 or more levels higher than her total class levels.

Path of the Wise (Improved)

The insight bonus to AC and CMD increases to one-third her Sentinel of Battle level (minimum +2).

Physical Perfection (Ex)

At 8th level, the Sentinel gains damage reduction 1/—. Subtract 1 from the damage she takes each time she is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 11th level, and again at 14th and 17th level, this damage reduction increases by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

Flesh of Steel (Ex)

At 9th level, the Sentinel’s skin hardens as she takes on more and more of the aspect of the construct she was forged to emulate, granting her a +1 natural armor bonus. This bonus increases to +2 at 13th level and +3 at 17th level.

Second Path

At 10th level, the Sentinel chooses a Second Path from the five options. All benefits of this path — Sentinel’s Path stacking, Bonded Armor, Greater Armor Bond, and Sentinel Transformation — are calculated as though she were 4 Sentinel of Battle levels lower.

Greater Battle Trance (Ex)

At 12th level, the insight bonuses from Battle Trance increase from +2 to +4. The dodge penalty to AC is reduced to –1. The Sentinel is now Sickened for only 1 round per round spent in the trance (not 2) and is no longer Dazzled when the trance ends. The Perception penalty for distant opponents is reduced to –5.

While not in her trance, the Sentinel gains the benefit of the Blind-Fight feat. If she already has Blind-Fight, she instead gains the benefit of Blind-Fight, Improved.

Third Path

At 15th level, the Sentinel chooses a Third Path. All benefits of this path are calculated as though she were 9 Sentinel of Battle levels lower.

Dual Bond

At 16th level, the Sentinel’s bond to her armor is strong enough to walk two paths at once. Each day when she selects her Bonded Armor path, she may choose two paths instead of one, gaining both paths’ Bonded Armor benefits simultaneously.

Greater Armor Bond (Su)

At 18th level, the Sentinel’s bond to her armor becomes supernatural in its completeness. Her skin grows into the plates, fusing armor to flesh. To willingly remove the armor requires her full concentration and 10 minutes of effort. To forcibly remove it requires a sharp tool, acid capable of breaching her damage reduction, and several painful hours of work. If forcibly removed, she takes 4 points of temporary Constitution damage.

Her bonded armor gains an additional supernatural benefit based on the path or paths chosen that day:

Path of the Knight

Any magical enhancement bonuses on her bonded armor also apply to her mount’s natural armor bonus and attack rolls while she is mounted.

Path of the Righteous

Her bonded armor gains the Spell Resistance (15) special ability.

Path of the Titan

Fortification (moderate) upgrades to Fortification (heavy), granting a 75% chance to negate a critical hit or sneak attack.

Path of the Warrior

Once per day as a swift action, the Sentinel may increase her size by one category for a number of rounds equal to her Sentinel of Battle level, gaining all standard benefits of an enlarge person effect. This functions even on non-humanoid creatures.

Path of the Wise

Her unarmed strikes gain the properties of an Axiomatic weapon — they are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and deal an extra 2d6 points of damage against chaotic-subtype creatures.

Battle Awareness (Ex)

At 19th level, the Sentinel’s awareness of the battlefield reaches its peak, inside or outside the trance.

While in her Battle Trance: she gains the benefit of Blind-Fight, Greater — she ignores all miss chances from concealment, including total concealment, and does not need to guess the location of invisible foes. She no longer suffers a dodge penalty to AC from the trance, and may use Charisma- and Intelligence-based skills normally while trancing. She is no longer Sickened when the trance ends.

While not in her trance: she gains the benefit of Blind-Fight, Improved. If she already has both Blind-Fight and Blind-Fight, Improved, she instead gains Blind-Fight, Greater.

Sentinel Transformation

At 20th level, the Sentinel reaches her final form. Her bond with her armor is absolute — it can only be removed if she wills it or if she is slain. She becomes a living instrument of Law and is treated as being under a continuous protection from chaos effect. She is immune to any effect that would alter her alignment.

She now chooses a single Master Path, which is fixed permanently and cannot be changed. If her Master Path was not her First Path, it swaps with her First Path selection for all legacy stacking purposes. The Sentinel’s Master Path determines her final transformation:

Path of the Knight

Her Physical Perfection increases to DR 10/—. The War Standard aura extends to 60 feet and its morale bonus increases to +3 on attack rolls and fear saves. These benefits extend to her mount’s barding even when she is not mounted.

Path of the Righteous

She gains damage reduction 10/chaotic. She and all allies within 30 feet gain immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities.

Path of the Titan

She is treated as a construct rather than as a humanoid (or her actual creature type) for the purpose of spells and magical effects that distinguish between creature types. She gains damage reduction 10/adamantine and immunity to all mind-affecting effects, including charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms.

Path of the Warrior

Her Physical Perfection increases to DR 10/—. She grows in height by 50% and her weight increases fourfold. She gains the benefits of Powerful Build (see sidebar) and a +2 bonus to both Strength and Constitution; the increase to Constitution grants 2 additional hit points per Hit Die.

Path of the Wise

She is treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or her actual creature type) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. She gains damage reduction 10/chaotic — nonmagical weapons and the natural attacks of creatures without the chaotic subtype cannot penetrate this reduction.

Powerful Build

Sidebar — Path of the Warrior, Sentinel Transformation.

The Sentinel’s physical stature allows her to function in many ways as if she were one size category larger. Whenever she is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense — such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, or trip attempts — she is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to her. She is also considered one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect her. She may wield weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. Her space and reach remain those of a creature of her actual size. The benefits of Powerful Build stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.