Bastion Archetype Bug?

[IamMe]

I enjoy playing with the free archetype rules. When you want to turn your character into a masterful shield user, protecting themselves and the innocent, you would pick the Bastion archetype.

Only problem is that the archetype has the Shield Block feat requirement, meaning that you either are stuck with Human as your race or you already are a class adept with shields, being given Shield Block at level 1 or 2.

Apparently in the past, Quick Shield Block required Reactive Shield (which Bastion gives as the dedication) so it made sense back then. But now? I dont really see why a Bastion character would ever spend their ONLY reaction on raising the shield, instead of using all the archetype feats given for blocking.

Maybe it will get fixed in the remaster? Remove the requirement and give Shield Block in the Dedication feat instead of Reactive Shield? or am I overlooking something? Seems to just disable the feat from being taken as a free archetype for most classes that arent human.

[HammerJack]

The archetype is written for standard rules. Some dedications being hard for some characters to qualify for at level 2 isn't a problem under standard rules. Bugs that only exist under Variant Rules aren't really a factor. It's kind of like how archetypes that have a level 2 dedication and no other feat until level 6 aren't actually broken.

For Quick Shield Block, it isn't an "in the past" thing. As a Fighter feat, it requires Reactive Shield. As a Champion feat it does not (which makes sense, as Reactive Shield isn't a Champion feat).

As for why you'd spend your only Reaction on raising your shield instead of blocking, before you get Quick Shield Block, my experience with shield-using characters has definitely been that there are rounds that you need all of your actions for things that aren't raising your shield. I've found Reactive Shield to actually be pretty helpful for anyone who doesn't have Paragon's Guard. And then after you get Quick Shield Block, being able to both Raise and Block with reactions is helpful.

[shroudb]

As someone who absolutely loves shields, and have all kind of characters with Bastion, I'd say that using Reactive is a fairly common occurrence and an absolutely amazing addition to the character's arsenal.

[Chrono]

I don't view it as a problem that you can't take Bastion at level 2 unless you are a class that already has shield block. It's similar to how you can't take Medic at level 2 unless you either spend a feat on Battle Medicine or have it in your background, you can't take Marshal without both martial weapons and diplomacy or intimidation, etc. Some dedications should be too much of a leap to take straight away - this is also the reason for multiclass dedications having stat requirements.