Prestige Classes


Shieldmarshal

Source Paths of Prestige pg. 48
Shieldmarshals are the chief law enforcement officials of the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar, gunsmithing capital of the Inner Sea. They conduct both overt and discreet investigations of crimes within Alkenstar, as well as events elsewhere in the world that might threaten Alkenstar’s monopolistic domination of the gun trade. Smuggling, industrial espionage, and sabotage greatly concern the Ironmaster and Alkenstar’s ruling parliament, and the shieldmarshals are their chief weapon to combat such felonious behavior. The sheer skill with which they wield their favored firearms makes shieldmarshals a force to be reckoned with, and their silver crossed-rifle shield-badges are enough to open virtually any door in the Grand Duchy and to hold any citizen to account.

Requirements

To qualify to become a shieldmarshal, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Feats: Gunsmithing, Quick Draw.
Skills: Diplomacy 5 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
Special: Must have a grit pool of at least 1 grit point and proficiency with at least two firearms.

Class Skills

The Shieldmarshal's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Hit Die: d10.

Class Features

LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st+1+0+1+1Eye for detail, legal judgment 1/day
2nd+2+1+1+1Danger sense, gunmarshal
3rd+3+1+2+2Labyrinthine cunning
4th+4+1+2+2Legal judgment 2/day
5th+5+2+3+3Urban commando
6th+6+2+3+3Gunhunter
7th+7+2+4+4Legal judgment 3/day
8th+8+3+4+4Double jeopardy
9th+9+3+5+5Quarry
10th+10+3+5+5High shieldmarshal, legal judgment 4/day

The following are class features of the shieldmarshal prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A shieldmarshal gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Eye for Detail (Ex): A shieldmarshal adds his Intelligence bonus as well as his Wisdom bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks. In addition, he gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his level on Perception checks opposed by another creature’s Disguise or Sleight of Hand checks.

Legal Judgment (Ex): A shieldmarshal can pronounce legal judgment upon his foes as a swift action, providing a bonus or ability based on the type of judgment made. Once activated, the ability lasts until the combat ends. If the shieldmarshal is dazed, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise unable to participate in combat, the effect does not end but provides no benefit until he is again able to participate in combat. As a swift action, the shieldmarshal can change his legal judgment to another type.

This ability can be used once per day, plus once for every three levels beyond 1st. It is equivalent to an inquisitor’s judgment ability for the purpose of feats, magic items, or other game effects that affect the judgment ability; however, levels in the two classes do not stack.

Bulletproof: A shieldmarshal gains DR 1/— against ranged attacks. Starting at 4th level, this DR is equal to 1/2 the shieldmarshal’s class level. A shieldmarshal must be wearing armor or using a shield to use this judgment.

Destruction: A shieldmarshal gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls with firearms or light blades, increasing to +2 at 5th level and +3 at 10th level. This bonus is doubled on critical hit confirmation rolls.

Evasive: A shieldmarshal gains the evasion, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge abilities as a rogue of her class level. If he possesses rogue levels, these levels stack.

Justice: A shieldmarshal gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls with firearms or light blades. Starting at 4th level, this bonus is equal to 1/2 the shieldmarshal’s class level.

Lucky Dodge: A shieldmarshal gains a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class, increasing to +2 at 5th level and +3 at 10th level. This bonus is doubled against attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against him.

Quick Recovery: A shieldmarshal recovers quickly from injury, gaining fast healing 1, increasing to fast healing 2 at 5th level and fast healing 3 at 10th level.

Sharpshooter: A shieldmarshal ignores 1 point of any AC bonus granted by cover per shieldmarshal level. This does not allow the shieldmarshal to ignore total cover.

Sure Shot: A shieldmarshal reduces his miss chance with firearms due to concealment, blink, blur, or similar effects by 5% per two shieldmarshal levels (to a maximum reduction of 25% at 10th level). He must still target the correct square to hit a creature with concealment. This judgment can’t decrease his miss chance to lower than 0%.

Danger Sense (Ex): At 2nd level, a shieldmarshal gains a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 his level, and can always act during a surprise round even if unaware of opponents.

Gunmarshal (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a shieldmarshal gains deeds as a gunslinger of half his level. If he also has gunslinger levels, these levels stack. In addition, within the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar, he gains a bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks equal to 1/2 his shieldmarshal level if he openly displays his shieldmarshal’s badge.

Labyrinthine Cunning (Ex): At 3rd level, a shieldmarshal never becomes lost in urban terrain, and he never takes penalties to movement for poor visibility in urban terrain, even while temporarily blinded. A shieldmarshal can open or close doors as a swift action instead of a move action.

Urban Commando (Ex): At 5th level, a shieldmarshal treats urban areas as his favored terrain, as the ranger class feature. At 10th level, his favored terrain bonus increases to +4 but he does not gain a second favored terrain. If he already has a favored terrain bonus in urban terrain from another class, these bonuses stack but do not affect bonuses in other terrain types.

Gunhunter (Ex): A shieldmarshal is well versed in covert operations, especially in urban settings. At 6th level, the shieldmarshal can move through crowds and difficult terrain without impediment in urban terrain. He can use Stealth to hide in urban terrain even without cover or concealment; if he has cover or concealment, he gains a bonus on Stealth checks equal to 1/2 his class level.

Double Jeopardy (Ex): At 8th level, whenever a shieldmarshal uses his legal judgment ability, he selects two different judgments, instead of one. This consumes only one use of his legal judgment ability. As a swift action, he can change one of these effects to another type.

Quarry (Ex): At 9th level, a shieldmarshal can declare one target within his line of sight as his quarry. This ability functions exactly like the ranger ability of the same name.

High Shieldmarshal (Ex): At 10th level, a shieldmarshal attains the highest rank among his order. He can expend one use of his legal judgment ability to create a nonmagical effect equivalent to discern lies (caster level equal to his class level; DC = 20 + the shieldmarshal’s Wisdom modifier), or expend one use as part of an initiative check or Charisma-based skill check to take 20 on that check.