Bluemagetim |
My picks at each level
Threat Technique is Ferocious Vengeance given what it seems like its meant to do.
Level 1 - Bodyguard - this feat gives resistance for an entire turn to the ally you protected. With only one attack intercepted this is actually going to allow you to mitigate more damage from the rest of the foes actions adn from any other enemies attacking them. You can choose your party tactics around where your charge will try to be each combat.
Level 2 -Shielding taunt - I think this compression feat is essential if you are using a shield. Hampering strikes is way too good as it is though and might be everyone else's top pick.
Level 4 -Intercept Foe - This was an instant favorite giving movement as a reaction and increasing an allies AC. As revenge_kobold just said it has great synergy with taunt. I also really liked Flying Tackle.
Level 6 - Reflexive shield is next. That just expands what my shield offers me and when I can shield block. I also wanted the mobile protection for the 10 ft intercept strike for my charge but the reflexive shield seemed more important.
Level - 8 - Forcing us to choose between Group Taunt and Quick Intercept is a hard choice. Want both. Maybe group taunt is the way to go because youll already have a second reaction by level 7. having 3 reactions by 8 though would be awesome.
Level 10 -Get behind me. Shield salvation only stops one break then you just raise and dont block anymore right? thats kinda good but a spare shield and the swap action can accomplish that too.
Level 12 - Armored counter attack.
level 14 - Improved Intercept foe for me.
Level 16 -Improved Reflexive Shield this effectively doubles triples or quadruples the damage my shields hardness is stopping.
level 18 - Perfect Protection - who doesnt want to say you know that crit doesnt count just normal damage for you.
Level 20 - Boundless reprisals. imagine an armored pinball bouncing back and forth between allies increasing their AC with intercept foe moving allies behind you as you do it and throwing in some of the other reactions you have banked on consecutive attacks from the more dangerous foes.
YuriP |
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I will try 2 different builds.
A Shield Human Guardian (level 1-4) focused into use Taunt when Necessary:
1. Mitigate Harm, Bodyguard, Versatile Human (Toughness) - Mitigate Harm is essential to give-me some extra DR if the target choose to Strike me, Bodyguard to extend the Intercept a Strike to "endure" more than one time, Due Taunt and the additional enemy attention could put myself in risk take Toughness looks the best option for me.
2. Shield Taunt - Essential to save my action economy using a Shield and Taunt.
3. Fleet - Heavy armor and Fortress Shield hit hard my Speed so Fleet will help to diminish this problem.
4. Intercept Energy - Will help to protect my allies from elemental attacks no reason to not take it.
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Starting from Level 5 Taunt stops to work as a taunt due Expert Proficiency in Heavy armor. Due my AC becomes way higher than my allies Taunts will just debuff my enemies attacks but they probably will ignore me anyway once that still easier to hit my allies than me. So now I will rebuild my character to become more offensive:
A Two-Handed Guisarme Orc Guardian (level 5-20) focused into annoy the enemies while going damaging them:
1. Ferocious Vengeance, Long-Distance Taunt
2. Hampering Sweeps / Bodyguard
3. Adopted Ancestry (Dwarf)
4. Intercept Energy
5. Unburdened Iron (from Dwarf Feat)
The point here is simple I Taunt the enemy to get some additional damage and maybe call its attention once that I no more have more AC than my allies even being Expert in Heavy Armors the Taunt still effective. Due the lack of a shield I no more need Shield Taunt, instead I take Hampering Sweeps. But honestly this pressure my action economy so maybe I simply take Bodyguard instead
6. Reactive Strike - Due the focus change to become more offensive, Reactive Strike and the Trip strategy becomes a way to get more dmg output. If the Taunt works as predicted the usage of Intercept Strike will diminish giving some space to use the reaction to Reactive Strike.
7. Toughness
8. Quick Intercept - Will grant me more reactions to use Reactive Strike and still protect my allies specially versus other enemies that I'm not Taunting.
9. Orc Ferocity - Let me keep up if I the Taunt "works too well".
10. Tough Cookie - Some extra temp HP is always welcome.
11. Fleet
12. Armored Counterattack - An extra attack when someone tries to hit my ally like a Paladin is welcome.
13. Incredible Ferocity
14. Bloody Denial
15. Canny Acumen (Reflex) - This will improve my reflexes at level 17 as well will combo with Guardian Mastery at 19.
16. Clang! - An extra Strike when the enemy critical miss me!? Sure!
17. Rampaging Ferocity - If an enemy will try to take me down I will counter attack and maybe get another use Rampaging Ferocity with luck.
18. Perfect Protection - Anti-critical DC flat check. Sure!
20. Boundless Reprisals
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All that said for a non-shielded guardian many feats didn't impressed me so let us invest more in offense and take a Mauler Archetype:
2. Mauler Dedication
10. Knockdown
12. Improved Knockdown
14. Brutal Finish
HenshinFanatic |
As is I'd go with something like the following, I'll also include choices for if the Gamemastery Guide's Ancestry Paragon optional rules are used as well as Free Archetype, because why not?
Ancestry: Orc (+STR, +CON)
Heritage: Mixed Heritage (Dwarf)
Background: Laborer (+STR, +CON)
Class: Guardian (+STR)
Free Ability Boosts: +STR, +INT, +WIS, +CHA
Net Ability Boosts: ++++STR, ++CON, +INT, +WIS, +CHA (This is so we don't waste Ability Boosts since STR and CON will be increased at every chance)
Starting Trained Skills: Athletics (Background), Labor Lore (Background), Crafting (replacing Guardian's fixed Athletics), Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Society (main focuses while leveling are Athletics and Crafting, with Diplomacy and Intimidation being secondary concerns we want enough of each secondary to somewhat reliably hit standard DCs)
1st Level: Unburdened Iron (Ancestry Feat; VERY IMPORTANT), Orc Ferocity (Ancestry Paragon), Guardian Armor, Intercept Strike, Shield Block, Taunt, Larger Than Life (Guardian Feat; mostly for the niche benefit vs small enemies), Threat Technique (Ferocious Vengeance)
Equipment Purchased: Chain Mail (6 gp), Armored Skirt (2 gp), set of Gauntlets and Greaves (2 sp), Adventurer's Pack (15 sp)
Total Spent/Funds Remaining: 9 gp, 7 sp / 5 gp, 3 sp
Equipment was chosen to provide maximum AC and Armor Spec resistance for the cheapest cost (+5 item bonus to AC and 6 Critical Resistance at this level), weapon was super cheap, and everyone needs the basic gear. We begin saving up for a Tower Shield and eventually a Warding Escutcheon and upgrades for it, our armor, and weapons (we won't be stuck punching forever).
2nd: Shielding Taunt (Guardian Feat), Wrestler Dedication (Free Archetype; this is for the free bump to Expert Athletics and Titan Wrestler, we'll be spending our next 2 FA feats getting out of this archetype), Bon Mot (Skill Feat)
For equipment we should have been able to afford both a Tower Shield and Shield Adjustment (Disarm, Trip; this is our actual main weapon), as well as a Repair Kit.
3rd: Player's choice (Ancestry Paragon; mine would be Rock Runner), Expert Crafting (needed for a key ancestry feat in early levels), Diehard (Tough to Kill), Fast Recovery (General Feat), Tough to Kill
4th: Intercept Foe (Guardian Feat), Crushing Grab (Free Archetype), Rapid Mantel (Skill Feat)
5th: Attribute Boosts (+STR, +CON, +WIS, +CHA), Dwarven Reinforcement (Ancestry Feat; yes, it's that important for the longevity of our shield; that extra hardness early on helps a lot), Armor Expertise, Reflex Expertise, Expert Diplomacy
6th: Reactive Strike (Guardian Feat), Snagging Strike (Free Archetype), Quick Repair (Skill Feat)
7th: Toughness (General Feat; our next standard ancestry feat stacks with it for even more HP as well as supercharging the Ancestry Paragon feat at this level), Defy Death (Ancestry Paragon), Reaction Time, Master Crafting, Weapon Expertise
8th: Group Taunt (Guardian Feat), Marshal Dedication (Free Archetype), Expert Intimidation (Marshal Dedication), Magical Crafting (Skill Feat)
9th: Mountain's Stoutness (Ancestry Feat), Battle Hardened, Guardian Expertise, Master Athletics
10th: Attribute Boosts (+STR, +CON, +INT, +CHA), Tough Cookie (Guardian Feat), Dread Marshal Stance (Free Archetype; if you can enter it this makes every critical hit by your team mates against enemies you're fighting cause Frightened 1), Quick Jump (Skill Feat), choice of untrained skill becomes trained (increased INT), learn additional language (increased INT)
11th: Undying Ferocity (Ancestry Paragon), Armor Mastery, Canny Acumen Perception (General Feat), Master Intimidation, Weapon Specialization
12th: Rallying Charge (Free Archetype), Alchemist Dedication (Guardian Feat), Alchemical Crafting (Alchemist Dedication), Assurance Athletics (Skill Feat)
13th: Incredible Ferocity (Ancestry Feat; if not using Ancestry Paragon take Orc Ferocity instead), Greater Armor Specialization, Master Diplomacy
14th: Expert Alchemy (Free Archetype), Improved Intercept Foe (Guardian Feat), Group Impression (Skill Feat)
15th: Lifeblood's Call (Ancestry Paragon), Attribute Boost (+STR, +CON, +INT, +CHA), choice of untrained skill becomes trained (increased INT), learn additional Language (increased INT), Multilingual (General Feat), Legendary Armor, Legendary Crafting, Unyielding Resolve
16th: Master Alchemy (Free Archetype), Never! (Guardian Feat), Improvise Tool (Skill Feat)
17th: Rampaging Ferocity (Ancestry Feat; if not using Ancestry Paragon take Incredible Ferocity instead), Greater Weapon Specialization, Legendary Athletics, Weapon Mastery
18th: Whirling Throw (Free Archetype), Perfect Protection (Guardian Feat), Cloud Jump (Skill Feat)
19th: Stonewall (Ancestry Paragon), (General Feat), Guardian Mastery, Legendary Intimidation
20th: Acrobat Dedication (Free Archetype), Attribute Boosts (+STR, +CON, +INT, +WIS), choice of untrained skill becomes trained (increased INT), learn additional Language (increased INT), Boundless Reprisals (Guardian Feat), Cat Fall (Skill Feat)