#dwarven defender

[dragonagegallery]

Dragon Age: Origins - Crossbows Pt 2

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (local) or Dwarven Defender Level Check DC16:

Dwarven defenders, the elite guards of the dwarven people, undergo intense training to harden their bodies until normal weapons can no longer harm them as much as they do most humanoids. In their special defensive stances, they gain phenomenal strength and durability, but cannot move from the spot they are defending.

[jlewenhagen]

Dwarven Defender

[betabites]

Dwarven Defender / Breachgnome

The lone warrior holding the breach is an iconic image, from Thermopylae to Stamford Bridge. However, as a PC, you can't rely on always making the enemy come to you. The DMG Dwarven Defender is reliant on not moving, and doesn't have much to encourage the enemy to close, besides 'being tough'. This revision is a melding of the Dwarven Defender, the Breachgnome from Races of Faerun, the Hordebreaker from Silver Marches, and the Knight-Protector from Complete Warrior. It isn't as dependent on staying put, is still the toughest son-of-a-crossbow in the room, and can dish out serious hurt to hordes.

Prerequisites Race: Dwarf or Gnome*.

* For the Breachgnome, replace all instances of 'Dwarven Defender' below with 'Breachgnome.' The prestige class is otherwise identical.

Alignment: Any lawful. Base Attack: +5 Feats: Cleave, Improved Initiative, Toughness*.

* Or Improved Toughness. Personally, I combine the two, so the feat grants 3hp +1hp/level.

HD d12; BAB 1/1; Fort good; Ref poor; Will good; Skills 4 + Int (Use Barbarian class skill list, if applicable). 1 - AC +1, Diehard, Hold The Line 2 - DR 3/-, Seal the Breach I 3 - AC +2, Fight the Ocean, Great Cleave 4 - DR 6/-, Seal the Breach II 5 - AC +3, Anvil of Doom, Supreme Cleave

Proficiencies: The Dwarven Defender is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light, medium and heavy armor, and with all shields.

AC Bonus: The Dwarven Defender receives the listed value as a dodge bonus to AC.

Diehard: The Dwarven Defender receives Diehard as a bonus feat.

Hold the Line: Whenever an opponent charges into your threatened area, you may make an attack of opportunity. 

Seal the Breach I: When adjacent to a solid object of Medium size or larger (a tree, pillar, wall, etc), the Dwarven Defender receives a +2 dodge bonus to AC. If they are flanked by two such objects, they receive a +4 dodge bonus to AC. Additionally, they are at +4 on ability checks to resist bull rushes, overruns and trips.

Damage Reduction: The Dwarven Defender gains the listed value as impenetrable damage reduction.

Fight the Ocean: The Dwarven Defender may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity equal to their Constitution bonus. They can also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed. This counts as Combat Reflexes for the purpose of qualifying for feats and prestige classes. It does not stack with Combat Reflexes.

Great Cleave: The Dwarven Defender receives Great Cleave as a bonus feat.

Seal the Breach II: The Dwarven Defender receives +4 to-hit on all attacks of opportunity that are triggered by movement. They add +10 to the DCs of any Tumble checks made in squares that they threaten. 

Anvil of Doom: Three times per day, a Dwarven Defender may enter a stalwart stance. They gain +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. Their mobility is limited, however. They may take 5ft steps and retain the granted benefits. If they move more than that, the benefits are lost until they take a move action to re-enter their stance. Forced movement or teleportation does not remove the benefits. The duration continues to elapse, even if the stance is not active. Anvil of Doom can be maintained for 3 + (their increased) Constitution modifier rounds. Once the duration expires, the Dwarven Defender is winded (-2 Strength) for the rest of the encounter.

Supreme Cleave: After each kill with Great Cleave, the Dwarven Defender may take a 5ft step. Using Supreme Cleave will not remove the benefits from Anvil of Doom.