Steelbound Warden

Very rarely, a vanguard will find their talent lies within creating a single, magically-powered object, rather than a construct. These steelbound wardens gain great combat and magical ability while using their bonded item.

Steel Bond (Ex)

At 1st level, a steelbound warden creates his steel bond, a piece of equiment that channels his magical powers and grants him new abilities. This acts like a wizard’s bonded object, using his vanguard level as his wizard level. Instead of the normal item types allows, a steel bond must take the form of a weapon, a shield, or a suit of armor. The steelbound warden begins play with this object at no cost. As he is a spontaneous caster, the bonded object lets him cast any one spell he knows each day, rather than a spell from a spellbook.

This ability replaces his construct companion. When the steelbound warden casts a discharge spell, it comes into effect centered on himself. He may only cast those spells if he is holding or wearing his steel bond.

Steel Augmentation

At 1st level, a steelbound warden binds additional powers to his steel bond. The warden gains the mending touch augmentation and a single augmentation of his choice. He must meet the requirements of the augmentation using his own ability scores, as opposed to the abilities of a construct companion, and uses his own abilities for determining the effects of those augmentations. As long as the steelbound warden is wielding or wearing his steel bond, he gains the benefit of the selected augmentation, though some of the augmentations have altered effects, as follows:

Extradimensional arsenal creates storage within the warden’s steel bond; the items are lost if the steel bond is ever replaced or destroyed, and cannot be accessed unless the steel bond is in the warden’s possession. Munitions generation grants the warden a constant abundant ammunition effect without needing to integrate the ammunition first. Mental link allows the warden to telepathically communicate with a single willing ally at a time, and only within 100 feet.

At 4th level, and every three levels thereafter, he learns an additional augmentation. He can only gain the benefit of mending touch and two of his chosen augmentations. At 10th level and 16th level, he can benefit from an additional augmentation that he knows at the same time. The steelbound warden can change which of his chosen augmentations he gains the benefit of (except mending touch) by spending 1 hour modifying his steel bond.

This alters the augmentation ability.

Steel Resonance (Su)

A steelbound warden can create resonances, but has certain limitations. Resonances that affect creatures in an area around a construct companion, such as armor empowerment, are centered around the steelbound warden instead. When using a resonance that works based on the location of the construct companion relative to the vanguard, such as tactical reposition and energy discharge, the steelbound warden can choose one willing ally as his “companion” for determining the effects of that resonance. The resonance effect of mending touch restores hit points to the warden’s steel bond, rather than a construct companion. The warden can only create resonance effects for the augmentations he is currently benefiting from, and only while wielding or wearing his steel bond.

This alters the resonance ability.

Bonus Feats

At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, the steelbound warden gains a combat feat or an item creation feat as a bonus feat.

This replaces vanguard tactics and the vanguard’s normal bonus feats.

Repurpose (Ex)

This ability functions as normal, but it allows the warden to alter the augmentations he has applied to his steel bond.

This alters repurpose.

Perfect Bond (Su)

Perfect Bond (Su): At 20th level, the steelbound warden’s steel bond becomes indestructible; it cannot be damaged, broken, destroyed, or disarmed. Whenever he creates a resonance, he gains the benefit of a haste spell for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier.

This ability replaces perfect resonance.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Path of Iron, © 2015, Ascension Games, LLC; Author Christopher Moore

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