WARRIOR-FIGHTER KIT

Sentinel

Description:  Sentinels are masters of defensive tactics of all kinds.  They are 
highly valued for their ability to prevent harm to individuals and property, and 
all manner of scholars, nobles, and merchants (especially those with aggressive 
competitors) seek assistance from Sentinels in order to keep themselves safe.  
Sentinels generally see themselves as serving society by protecting them from 
those with dangerous ambitions, and they seek to maintain vigilance to dangers 
of all types, both hidden and obvious.  They are called upon to act as guards 
for employers of all types, and they are most effective when working alone or 
with other Sentinels and are sometimes enlisted for forward sentry duty at 
remote outposts in dangerous areas.  They are also very good at organizing the 
defenses of a fortress or military base.  In any potential danger situation, 
however, the heightened awareness possessed by a Sentinel is always valuable.

Requirements:  Sentinels must be of lawful alignment, but may be of any race 
except half-orcs, tieflings, and gnomes, which are simply seen as not 
sufficiently trustworthy or reliable for such a career.  A Sentinel must have 
Wisdom, Dexterity, and Constitution of at least 13.

Weapons & Armor:  A Sentinel can wear any armor and use any kind of shield 
(though they do not generally use shields because of their chosen weapons).  A 
Sentinel must begin with proficiency in the following weapons:  dagger/knife 
(any), polearm (any), spear, and any one missile fire device.  At later levels, 
a Sentinel can specialize in one or more of these weapons or become proficient 
in other weapons.

Special Benefits:  Sentinels specialize in defensive skills, and they gain the 
following unique kit abilities:

Attacks of Opportunity:  As a standard Fighter.

Base Defense:  Sentinels are very knowledgeable about defensive tactics of all 
sorts.  If they have had time to carefully study a building or small outdoor 
area, they will be able to notice and memorize small details of layout and 
access and thereby can determine how best to take advantage of the terrain and 
restrictions of that area in order to guard it.  While fighting within an area 
that has been studied in this way, a Sentinel gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class 
and saving throws vs. any attack form that could be blocked or obstructed by the 
physical barriers and structures (including furniture, trees, boulders, 
doorways, and so on) that are present.  In addition, he or she gains a +1 bonus 
to attack enemies while fighting within such an area.

This ability normally requires 24 hours of study of a given locale and can be 
applied to only a single area; i.e., studying a new area will cause the new 
tactical study to replace and eliminate the previous one.  When a Sentinel 
reaches 3rd level, the time required is reduced to 12 hours, and at 6th level it 
is reduced to 1d4 hours.  In addition, a 6th level Sentinel can retain memory of 
two separate areas, with one normally being his or her 'home base' and the other 
'slot' being used as a Sentinel travels, generally to safeguard his or her 
campsite.  The area studied must have some sort of obstacles or constrained 
spaces within it (i.e., it could not be used in the middle of an empty field or 
desert or inside an unfurnished tent or hut), and the total size of the area 
studied cannot exceed a 10 yard radius for every level of experience of the 
Sentinel outdoors or the interior of a single building or structure of any size.

In addition to this weapon training, a Sentinel is able to Find/Remove (and Set) 
Traps as a Thief, beginning with a base score of 10% and modified normally by 
race, ability scores, etc.  This ability improves by 5 per level of the 
Sentinel, up to a maximum of 90%.  In addition, if multiple Sentinels work 
together at setting a trap the ability of every Sentinel present using the same 
ability is increased by 10% for every other Sentinel cooperating in the effort 
(hence, three Sentinels working together would each receive a +20% bonus to 
their attempt).

Continuous Conditioning:  Sentinels train rigorously in the areas of endurance 
and reflexes, but not in simple brute strength.  As a result, they gain the 
benefits of Continuous Conditioning only with respect to Dexterity and 
Constitution, not Strength.

Defensive Tactics:  A Sentinel is also trained in how to counter an enemy's 
weapons.  Beginning at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, a Sentinel 
can choose to study a single weapon of any type (including weapons that he or 
she cannot use).  Once a weapon has been studied in this fashion, the Sentinel 
gains a +1 Armor Class bonus whenever a weapon of that type is used against him 
or her. A Sentinel can choose to select the same weapon twice for study in this 
way, gaining a +2 Armor Class bonus, but this is the maximum possible bonus.  
Whenever a Sentinel is Parrying on behalf of another character (see below), this 
AC bonus for Defensive Tactics applies to that character instead of the 
Sentinel.

A Sentinel is also highly skilled at Parrying, especially on behalf of others.  
When Parrying with a weapon in which he or she is specialized, a Sentinel gains 
an additional AC bonus equal to his or her level of specialization (rather than 
the usual 'effective level bonus' of a specialist).  In addition, a Sentinel can 
Parry in order to provide his or her full Parrying AC bonus to any creature 
within melee range.  Note that when this is done the Sentinel receives no AC 
benefit for him- or herself.  A Sentinel is also able to Parry or Block an 
attack on behalf of another creature with any weapon, rather than only with a 
polearm, as is the case for other characters, though when using a polearm to 
Parry or Block for another character, a Sentinel gains a +1 bonus to hit for a 
Block and provides an additional +1 AC bonus when Parrying.

Heroic Fray:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Sentinel's attacks are tripled 
when engaging in a Heroic Fray within an area that he or she is guarding with 
Base Defense.

Mental Resistance:  In addition, this bonus vs. surprise also applies to saving 
throws vs. any form of magical or psionic mind-affecting power that would cause 
the Sentinel to forsake his or her guardianship (e.g., fear, sleep, domination, 
aversion, charm), deceive his or her senses (e.g., invisibility, phantasmal 
force, change self), or cause the Sentinel to reveal information against his or 
her will (e.g., ESP, probe, truthear, know alignment, memory read), as well as 
to checks to notice divination or scrying attempts or to notice disguises 
(consider this bonus as a negative penalty to a character's Disguise proficiency 
score).  Even if one of these effects normally allows no saving throw, a 
Sentinel is entitled to a save vs. spells to resist their effects (e.g., see 
through a change self spell, ignore a sleep spell at low level).  In most cases, 
this is an unmodified saving throw; however, if guarding an area using Base 
Defense a Sentinel gains all normal saving throw bonuses (except for the one 
normally provided by Mental Resistance).

Sensitivity to Observation:  When alone or in the company of other Sentinels, a 
Sentinel is never surprised, even if asleep.  When in the company of anyone 
other than a Sentinel, they still gain a bonus of +1 per five levels of 
experience (rounding up; doubled if guarding an area using his or her Base 
Defense ability) to avoid surprise.  In addition to a Sentinel's personal bonus 
to resist surprise, he or she is able to help set up camps and organize parties 
in such a way that the entire party receives a +1 bonus to avoid surprise, 
assuming they follow the Sentinel's advice (i.e., if the Sentinel is unconscious 
or unable to communicate, this bonus is lost until he or she is well enough to 
help coordinate the defense of the party).

A Sentinel who is not surprised can react instantaneously, meaning that he or 
she can act immediately rather than having to spend a round waking up or 
readying a weapon.  In addition, a Sentinel who is not surprised gains a -3 
bonus to initiative on the first round of combat, -2 on the second round, and -1 
on the third round, due to his or her ability to react with deadly efficiency in 
chaotic situations.  Note that these benefits do not apply if a Sentinel has 
been rendered unconscious (e.g., reduced to negative hit points) or is magically 
asleep or incapacitated.

Finally, a Sentinel's acute senses grant a +1 bonus to his or her Observation 
proficiency score for every three levels of experience.  A Sentinel also gains 
the Detect Noise ability as a thief, with a base score of 15 and improving by 5 
per level.  This ability is subject to all normal modifiers, but in addition if 
several Sentinels cooperate in attempting to pick up or locate a source of noise 
all Sentinels gain a +10% bonus for every other Sentinel present (cf. Base 
Defense above).

Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, save that a Sentinel must specialize in 
all of his or her 'preferred weapons' before specializing in any other weapon.

Special Hindrances:  Because all of their initial weapon proficiency slots are 
filled, Sentinels cannot specialize in a weapon until at least 3rd level, and 
they must specialize first of all in their 'preferred weapons'.  In addition, a 
Sentinel specializes in the defense of the citadels and fixed locations rather 
than pure combat, and they cannot learn the Style Specialization of other 
Fighters.  In addition, their career path is not particularly glamorous, and 
although a Sentinel could choose to build a fortress he or she does not gain the 
Stronghold benefit (including attracting men-at-arms to service) that other 
Fighters do.

Because a Sentinel has trained him- or herself to sleep lightly, his or her rest 
is vitally important to good functioning.  For every day during which a Sentinel 
does not get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, he or she loses 1 point 
from both Dexterity and Constitution scores.  Lost points are regained at the 
rate of 1 point per ability score for every 8 hours the Sentinel spends asleep; 
hence, someone who pulled strenuous duty for three days in a row could regain 
all lost points by staying in bed for a full day thereafter.

Sentinels gain full experience for creatures defeated only if such actions are 
directly in the line of duty of protecting their wards; otherwise, only half the 
usual experience points are gained.  For every person under their care who dies 
or is lost or kidnapped, all Sentinels who were supposed to be protecting them 
will lose experience points equal to the normal x.p. value of the creatures 
lost, and the commanding (highest level) Sentinel will lose double this amount.  
This loss can never cause a Sentinel to lose a level, but all lost experience 
must be regained before normal advancement can continue.  Loss of extremely 
valuable items under their care is treated similarly, unless sacrifice of such 
items was necessary to safeguard lives also under the Sentinel's care (unless 
evil, Sentinels will never value objects or items above lives).

Note the Sentinels do gain an x.p. bonus for completing successful guardianship 
of a person, place, or item, equal to the x.p. award that another would have 
gained for defeating persons under their care or stealing or taking items or 
places.  This award can be made upon completion of a long journey or other 
significant milestone, but it should be given at least at the end of each year 
of successful guardianship by the character.  Note that if no significant danger 
was faced in protecting a Sentinel's ward, this x.p. bonus is reduced to one-
fourth normal.  In addition, if more than one Sentinel is protecting the same 
ward, the x.p. bonus is divided between all of them, with x.p. shares being 
proportional to the level of each Sentinel. 

Finally, Sentinels must adhere to a strictly lawful code of behavior and ethics.  
The fundamental rule is to provide protection at any cost, even at the risk of 
personal injury or death.  If a Sentinel has been assigned or hired to protect a 
person, place, or thing, he or she must put the safety of his or her charge 
ahead of personal welfare in all decisions.  For instance, if a Sentinel is 
traveling with his or her client (as is common) and they are attacked, the 
Sentinel must expend every effort to get his or her charge to safety regardless 
of personal risk, even to the point of interposing his or her body to accept 
blows meant for the protected individual.  To do otherwise, especially in the 
presence of witnesses, is to denounce everything that the honorable profession 
of warden stands for.

Bonus Proficiencies:  Observation
Preferred Proficiencies:  Acute Hearing, Alertness, Armor Optimization, Armorer, 
Artillerist, Awareness, Blind-fighting, Bowyer/Fletcher, Camouflage, Close-
quarter Fighting, Direction Sense, Excellent Vision, Fortification, Healing, 
Immovability, Lightning Reflexes, Mental Resistance, Night Vision, Siegecraft, 
Sixth Sense, Survival, Torture (only if evil), Tracking