The Protector Simple Class

Protectors are defensive paragons that fight with cunning and resolve. They are able to hold out against even the mightiest foes and suffer even the most grievous injuries and still remain standing.

Hallmarks of a Simple Class

Simple classes have to represent an individual and because of that some of the structure normally found in a base class is not found in a simple class. This means simple classes tend to have:

• Bonus Feats: As a simple class represents an individual, they have lots of bonus feats.
• Strong Chassis: A simple class tends to have a very good array of skill ranks per level, HD, BAB, and saves.
• No Talents: Simple classes don’t have “talents” or a large list of class specific options.

“Classes” have traditions, branching paths, and sub-divisions, but a simple class is really just the core mechanic of the power you’ve received.

Because of this lack of sub-division, simple classes don’t have talents but do have bonus feats. They are very linear as a result of having no talents; their only real customizations come from their race and selection of bonus feats. Because simple classes are linear, they are rather straightforward and simple to play. They have flavorful abilities but are designed to be able to be played by a new player.

Role: The protector is responsible for defending their party. They care more about survivability than fighting but can dish out the pain with the best of them. While many push this further by investing heavily in Constitution, a smart protector knows their class features free them up to invest in other ability scores.

Alignment: Any

Hit Dice: D12.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 105 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The protector’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The following are the class features of the protector.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The protector is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and shields (including tower shields).

Defensive Arts (Ex)

At 1st level, the protector gains the following benefits:

• Damage Reduction: The protector gains DR 1/-. This improves by an additional 1 at 3rd level and every odd level thereafter.
• Resistance: The protector gains energy resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, and fire damage. At 4th level this becomes 5 + 1/2 character level and at 12th level this becomes 5 + character level and also applies to sonic and force damage.
• AC Bonus: The protector gains an armor bonus to their AC equal to 1 + 1/5th their level. This bonus stacks with other armor bonuses.

Bonus Feat

At 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the protector gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. They must meet all the prerequisites for these feats.

Spirited Revenge

At 4th level, the protector gains a 1/4th protector level morale bonus on damage rolls against opponents who have hit an ally (other than themselves) or failed an attack roll against the protector on their last turn.

Threshold

At 8th level the protector gains threshold 5. At 16th level this improves to 1/2 their level.

God of Defense

At 20th level, the protector gains one of the following benefits. Once choice is made it cannot be changed.

• Threshold: The protector’s threshold becomes equal to their level.
• Immunity: The protector becomes immune to acid, cold, electricity, and fire damage.
• AC: The protector’s AC bonus improves to +10 rather than +5.

Threshold

Threshold is a mechanic that causes the creature to ignore any damage that is less than that value, as if they had damage reduction or resistance equal to that amount. Any damage in excess of their threshold value causes them to take that full damage. As an example: a creature with threshold 5 would ignore any attack that caused 5 or less damage. If an attack dealt 6 damage though, they would take the full amount of damage. If a given attack deals multiple damage types, such as a flaming sword, add the damage all together before comparing it to the threshold value. Sneak attack and precision damage bypass threshold; any attacks that deal sneak attack or precision damage ignore threshold completely.

Threshold counts as damage reduction for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. If a creature has both a threshold value and damage reduction, damage reduction applies to damage suffered beyond the threshold value.

For example: if a protector had threshold 5 and 5 damage reduction, they wouldn’t suffer damage 5 or less but any damage higher than 5 would then be reduced by 5. If an attack dealt them 10 damage, it would bypass their threshold but only end up dealing 5 damage to them in that scenario.

Table 1-1: The Protector

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	+1 AC, DR 1/-, resist (5)
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Bonus feat
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	DR 2/-
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Resist (5 + 1/2 level), spirited revenge (+1)
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	+2 AC, DR 3/-
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Bonus feat
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5	DR 4/-
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Spirited revenge (+2), threshold (5)
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	DR 5/-
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	+3 AC, bonus feat
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+7	DR 6/-
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+8	Resist (5 + level), spirited revenge (+3)
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+8	DR 7/-
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+9	Bonus feat
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+9	+4 AC, DR 8/-
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+10	Spirited revenge (+4), Threshold (1/2 level)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	DR 9/-
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Bonus feat
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	DR 10/-
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	+5 AC, god of defense, spirited revenge (+5)