TEXT: 1
  T
  he Genius Guide to the Armiger introduces the 
  armiger base class—a warrior who specializes in 
  defensive techniques and the use of shields and 
  heavy armor. As a great tactician once noted, the best 
  way to win a fight is to be the last man standing. Or, put 
  more colloquially, sometimes the best offense is a good 
  defense!
  The Armiger
  Armigers are masters of defense, able to shrug of 
  attacks that would destroy lesser combatants, and even 
  increase the survivability of those around them. The 
  armiger is built around maximizing the benefit of armor 
  and shields. With large hit point totals, special defense-
  related talents, and an aptitude for unusual shields, 
  armigers can carry the fight forward under the most 
  difficult circumstances. The best armigers often find 
  themselves the main thing standing between victory 
  and a total party kill.
  While armigers can fight with most martial 
  weapons, typically they focus on pole arms with 
  reach or crossbows, giving them the ability to strike at 
  foes without having to be on the front line of a battle. 
  This allows armigers to play strong supporting roles 
  and still manage to inflict damage on the enemy. An 
  armiger certainly can fight with other weapons, but 
  just as monks are generally at their best using unarmed 
  attacks, most armigers function better when using reach 
  or simple ranged weapons. Of course they also wear the 
  best armor they can afford, regularly spending much 
  more on shields and plate mail than weapons or comfort 
  items. Armor is the core of an armiger’s identity—an 
  armiger treats his protective gear the way a cleric treats 
  his holy symbol, or a samurai treats his katana.
  Many armigers are famous heroes, well known for 
  surviving horrific trials that crushed others before. An 
  armiger may begin his career as a small town hero who, 
  
  2
  through sheer cussedness, outlasted a terrible 
  troll on a battle over a local bridge. Or he may be a 
  noble-born guardian of his people, trained from 
  birth to wear the heavy armor only members of 
  the upper class can afford. In some lands, entire 
  brigades of armigers are legendary as specialty 
  troops who provide an impenetrable blanket 
  of protection—groups with names such as the 
  Dwarven Ironhides or the Bullette Brigade.
  Other armigers are the trusted aids of 
  mighty knights, priests, and archmages—the 
  right-hand men and most loyal supporters of 
  important individuals. These armigers are often 
  less well known than the great leaders and 
  dignitaries they serve, but there presence is 
  palpable and they are perceived as powers 
  to be reckoned with. Killing an armiger’s 
  charge is almost always a secondary concern, 
  to be handled only after you’ve disposed of 
  the armiger.
  Role: Armigers are fair combatants, and 
  can certainly survive the rigors of front-line 
  fighting, but in most groups they serve more 
  of a support role. An armiger can help protect 
  allies just by standing near them and does 
  so continuously until he is incapacitated—a 
  fact that makes an armiger excellent partner 
  in combat. Almost any adventurers are 
  more likely to survive a fight if they are next 
  to an armiger, regardless of their class or 
  party role. Additionally, the very durability 
  of an armiger often gives him options that 
  would prove lethal to other characters. If 
  someone has to jump into the blades of a 
  trap, carry a burning relic, hold the doorway 
  against a mob, or run through a gauntlet of 
  readied foes, an armiger will usually be the 
  obvious choice. When the main challenge is 
  survivability, the armiger is in his element.
  Alignment: An armiger may be of any 
  alignment. Because most armigers are 
  practical and have a get-it-done attitude, it’s 
  common from them to be neutral in at least 
  one aspect of their alignment.
  Hit Die: d12. An armiger that rolls lower 
  than 6 on a hit die treats the result as a 6.
  Starting Wealth: At 1st level, an armiger 
  begins play with 5d6 x 10 gp or a suit of 
  splint mail and 2d3 x 10 gp.
  Class skills
  The armiger’s class skills are Appraise 
  (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), 
  Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), 
  Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), 
  Knowledge 
  (nobility) 
  (Int), 
  Perception 
  (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense 
  Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
  Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  TAble 1: The Armiger
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  1
  +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Bulwark
  2
  +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Armiger talent, reflect
  3
  +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Defensive maximization +1
  4
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Armored DR 1/-, quick strap
  5
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Armiger talent
  6
  +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Safeguard 1/day
  7
  +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Armored DR 2/-
  8
  +6/+1
  +6
  +2
  +6
  Armiger talent
  9
  +6/+1
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Defensive maximization +2, safeguard 2/day
  10
  +7/+2
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Armored DR 3/-
  11
  +8/+3
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Advanced armiger talent
  12
  +9/+4
  +8
  +4
  +8
  Safeguard 3/day
  13
  +9/+4
  +8
  +4
  +8
  Armored DR 4/-
  14
  +10/+5
  +9
  +4
  +9
  Advanced armiger talent
  15
  +11/+6/+1
  +9
  +5
  +9
  Defensive maximization +3, safeguard 4/day
  16
  +12/+7/+2
  +10
  +5
  +10
  Armored DR 5/-
  17
  +12/+7/+2
  +10
  +5
  +10
  Advanced armiger talent
  18
  +13/+8/+3
  +11
  +6
  +11
  Safeguard 5/day
  19
  +14/+9/+4
  +11
  +6
  +11
  Armored DR 6/-
  20
  +15/+10/+5
  +12
  +6
  +12
  Advanced armiger talent, shield saint
  
  3
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of 
  the armiger.
  Weapon 
  and 
  Armor 
  Proficiency: 
  An armiger is proficient with all simple 
  weapons, martial melee weapons, heavy and 
  light repeating crossbows, light, medium, 
  and heavy armor, and all shields (including 
  the tower shield and all exotic shields).
  Bulwark (Ex): The armiger knows how 
  to protect not just himself, but also how to 
  help protect his allies. An armiger grants 
  soft cover to any ally adjacent to him, even 
  against attacks the armiger is not aware of 
  and those that come from a direction that 
  would not normally count the armiger as 
  cover. The armiger does not count as cover 
  for himself, though two armigers standing 
  next to each other both do gain this benefit. 
  See Chapter 8 of The Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Core Rulebook for the effects of soft 
  cover.
  An armiger must be conscious and able 
  to take actions in order to grant this benefit. 
  He cannot do so if suffering under effects 
  such as being flat-footed, unconscious, 
  dead, paralyzed, or stunned.
  Armiger Talents: As an armiger gains 
  experience, he learns a number of talents 
  that aid him in defending himself and his 
  allies. Starting at 2nd level, an armiger gains 
  one armiger talent. He gains an additional 
  armiger talent at 5th and 8th levels.
  Armor Training (Ex): Armigers often learn 
  to be more maneuverable while wearing 
  armor. An armiger with this talent improves 
  the armor check penalty (to a maximum of 
  0) and maximum Dexterity bonus to AC by 
  +1 for any armor he is wearing. This talent 
  may be taken more than once. Its effects 
  stack.
  Citadel (Ex): This talent allows an armiger 
  to count as hard cover for all adjacent 
  allies, rather than only being soft cover (as 
  described in the bulwark class ability). The 
  armiger must be conscious and able to take 
  actions to grant this benefit. In addition, 
  as a move action, the armiger can grant an 
  adjacent ally temporary hit points. The ally 
  gains 1d8 temporary hit points + 1 per 2 class 
  levels. The armiger must remain conscious, 
  armiger Hit Points
  While armigers receive a d12 for hit dice 
  (plus their Constitution bonus), on average 
  they will end up with more hit points than 
  other classes with the same size hit die. This 
  is because armigers treat a result of 1–5 as 
  a 6, and thus they end up with a higher 
  number of average hit points per level 
  than other classes with the same hit die. 
  Normally a class with a d12 hit die per level 
  has (not counting Constitution modifiers) 
  6.5 hp a level. With their special rolling 
  rule, armigers end up with an average of 
  7.75 hp/level.
  Groups using a variant rule to determine 
  hit points (such as a flat average of hit points 
  per level, or allowing low die rolls to be re-
  rolled) should modify such rules to ensure 
  that armigers continue to have a higher-
  than-average hit point total. A quick and 
  easy rule is to give armigers one hit point 
  per level more than is given to barbarians.
  
  4
  able to move, and adjacent to the ally or the 
  temporary hit points end. An armiger may do 
  this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his 
  Wisdom modifier (minimum 3/day).
  Crossbow Brace (Ex): This talent allows an 
  armiger to brace a crossbow on an equipped 
  shield. Even when the armiger is using a shield 
  that prevents his hand from being free, that 
  stability of his bracing allows him to use his 
  shield-arm to hold, fire, and reload a crossbow 
  with which he is proficient. It also gives the 
  armiger a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with a 
  crossbow with which he is proficient. He gains 
  this bonus only while he has a shield equipped. 
  This bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 12th 
  level, and +4 at 18th level. Additionally, 
  Defensive Training: An armiger may take 
  this talent to gain one of the following feats 
  as a bonus feat: Alertness, Armored Hustle*, 
  Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Defensive 
  Combat Training, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, 
  Greater Shield Focus, Improved Shield Bash, 
  Mobility, Shield Block*, Shield Focus, and Stand 
  Still. This talent may be taken more than once. 
  Each time, a different feat much be selected.
  *New feat, described later in this product.
  Picket (Ex): An armiger with this talent gains 
  a bonus to attack rolls and damage for attacks 
  the armiger makes with a readied action. The 
  attacks must be made with a weapon with the 
  brace quality, and the target must be a charging 
  foe. The bonus is equal to half the armiger’s 
  class level.
  Resist (Ex): An armiger can learn to maximize 
  his armor’s effectiveness against unusual 
  attack types. The armiger selects one of the 
  following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, 
  fire, or sonic. When wearing medium or heavy 
  armor, the armiger gains resist 5 against the 
  selected damage type. If the armiger is 10th 
  level or higher, this resistance increases to 
  10. This talent may be taken up to five times. 
  Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, 
  a different damage type must be selected.
  Shelter of Steel (Ex): This talent allows 
  an armiger to use his armor to absorb some 
  of the inevitable punishment of battle. As 
  a move action, an armiger in medium or 
  heavy armor can gain 1d8 temporary hit 
  points +1 per 2 class levels. The armiger may 
  do this a number of times per day equal to 
  his Constitution bonus (minimum 1/day).
  Slam (Ex): An armiger with this talent 
  throws himself bodily into foes and 
  barriers, trusting his armor to protect him. 
  The armiger gains a bonus to all CMB 
  checks made to bull rush or overrun foes, 
  and to Strength checks made to break open 
  doors and gates. This bonus is equal to his 
  total armor bonus plus shield bonus, to a 
  maximum of his class level.
  Spear Brace (Ex): This armiger talent 
  allows an armiger to brace a pole arm or 
  spear on an equipped shield, to aid in 
  handling and fighting with it. His increased 
  stability gives the armiger a +1 bonus to 
  attack rolls made with a pole arm or spear 
  with which he is proficient. He gains this 
  bonus only while he has a shield equipped. 
  This bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 
  12th level, and +4 at 18th level. Additionally, 
  even when the armiger is using a shield 
  that prevents his hand from being free, he 
  can use his shield-arm to hold (and fight 
  with) a pole arm or spear with which he is 
  proficient.
  Pole arms include the glaive, guisarme, 
  halberd, ranseur, and any other weapon 
  that falls in the pole arm weapon group for 
  purposes of the fighter weapon training 
  ability. Spears include the javelin, lance, 
  longspear, shortspear, spear, trident, and 
  any other weapon that falls in the spear 
  weapon group for purposes of the fighter 
  weapon training ability.
  Uncanny Block (Ex): With uncanny block, 
  an armiger can interpose a shield between 
  himself and danger before his senses would 
  normally allow him to do so. When the 
  armiger has a shield equipped, he cannot 
  be caught flat-footed even if the attacker is 
  invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus 
  to AC if immobilized or if a foe successfully 
  makes a Bluff check to feint against him.
  Reflect (Ex): A 2nd level an armiger can 
  maximize the protection his armor gives him 
  to reduce the damage area attacks deal him. 
  An armiger in heavy armor takes only half 
  damage from any attack, spell, or ability that 
  allows a Reflex saving throw. The armiger 
  is still allowed a normal saving throw, he 
  simply takes half of whatever damage he 
  normally would based on the result of that 
  saving throw. If the attack, spell, or ability 
  has a non-damaging effect, the armiger 
  suffers the appropriate effect based on his 
  saving throw result.
  Defensive Maximization (Ex): At 3rd 
  level, an armiger learns to get more out of 
  his armor, increasing the armor bonus to AC 
  he receives from medium or heavy armor 
  by +1. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th level, 
  and +3 at 15th level.
  
  5
  Armored DR (Ex): At 4th level an 
  armiger can use his armor to absorb some of 
  the damage he suffers from physical attacks, 
  and can prevent attacks from striking weak 
  points in his armor. The armiger gains DR 
  1/— when wearing medium or heavy armor. 
  This DR also applies to the hardness of the 
  armiger’s armor or shield if either suffers 
  a direct attack. This DR increases to 2/— at 
  7th level, 3/— at 10th level, 4/— at 13th level, 
  5/— at 16th level, and 6/— at 19th level. 
  Thus a 7th-level armiger, with armored DR 
  2/— , increases the hardness of any armor or 
  shield he is wearing by +2.
  An armiger in medium or heavy 
  adamantine armor adds the value of his 
  armored DR to the value of the armored DR 
  total. For example, a 10th-level armiger (with 
  armored DR 3/—) wearing an adamantine 
  breastplate (with DR 2/—) combines the two 
  values and has DR 5/—.
  Quick Strap (Ex): At 4th level, an 
  armiger can don and remove his own armor 
  more quickly and aid others to do the same. 
  The armiger can strap on a shield as a swift 
  action. The armiger can don or remove his 
  own armor in 1/3 the normal time, and can 
  don half-plate or full plate without having 
  someone help. This time reduction also 
  applies if the armiger opts to don hastily. 
  (See Chapter 6 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Core Rulebook for details on donning 
  armor, and donning hastily.) Having an 
  assistant does not help an armiger don 
  armor any more quickly.
  An armiger can also grant these time 
  reductions for donning, hastily donning, 
  and removing armor to up to two adjacent 
  allies. The armiger must take full-round 
  actions to assist these allies. Unlike most 
  characters, an armiger can don his own 
  armor at the same time he assists others in 
  doing so.
  Safeguard (Ex): At 6th level, an armiger’s 
  defensive instincts become so great that he 
  can intercept attacks aimed at his allies. Once 
  a day, as an immediate action, the armiger 
  can swap places with an adjacent ally who 
  has been struck by an attack. The armiger 
  can make this decision after seeing the 
  damage dealt by the attack to his ally. This 
  prevents the original target from suffering 
  any damage or effect from the attack. The 
  armiger instead becomes the target of 
  the attack, and is automatically hit by it. 
  This is true even if the original attack roll 
  would not have hit the armiger—the act of 
  intercepting the attack requires the armiger 
  to lower his own defenses and leaves him 
  vulnerable to the attack. The armiger does 
  gain the benefit of his own saving throws, 
  DR, and resistance against effects that allow 
  such defenses. The armiger and the original 
  target actually trade positions as a result of 
  this power.
  The armiger must be conscious and able 
  to move, and cannot be flat footed, to use 
  this ability. Only attacks and effects that 
  require attack rolls can be intercepted with 
  safeguard (an armiger can’t prevent an ally 
  from being hit by magic missiles, for example). 
  The armiger can use this ability on allies up 
  to one size larger than himself, but it must 
  be possible for the ally to stand in the space 
  originally occupied by the armiger. (A human 
  armiger can use this ability on a Large bear ally, 
  for example, but only if there is a space the bear 
  can stand in that includes the space originally 
  occupied by the armiger).
  The armiger gains an addition use of this 
  ability per day at 9th level, and again at 12th, 
  15th, and 18th level.
  Advanced Armiger Talents: Beginning 
  at 11th level, an armiger’s selection of talents 
  increases. Whenever an armiger gains an 
  
  6
  advanced armiger talent he may choose one 
  of the following abilities or choose one of the 
  armiger talents described earlier. He gains 
  additional advanced armiger talents every three 
  levels.
  Aegis (Ex): This talent doubles an armiger’s 
  DR against successful critical hits and sneak 
  attacks. It also grants the armiger a bonus to AC 
  against attack rolls made to confirm critical hits. 
  This bonus is equal to 1/2 the armiger’s class 
  level.
  Elemental Shield (Su): Some armigers 
  access mystic powers of protection as they 
  become paragons of defensive techniques. 
  With this talent, as a swift action an armiger 
  with a shield equipped gains resistance 10 
  against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic 
  damage. This resistance lasts for one round 
  per class level. The armiger may use this 
  ability a number of times per day equal to 
  his Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day). 
  If the armiger also has the resist talent, that 
  resistance stacks with the elemental shield.
  Improved Uncanny Block (Ex): An armiger 
  must have taken the uncanny block talent 
  to take improved uncanny block. When the 
  armiger has a shield equipped, he cannot 
  be flanked. This defense 
  denies a rogue the ability 
  to 
  sneak 
  attack 
  the 
  armiger by flanking him, 
  unless the attacker has 
  at least four more rogue 
  levels than the target has 
  armiger levels.
  Spellguard, 
  lesser 
  (Sp): A few armigers 
  seek to master all arts 
  of protection, including 
  spells normally reserved 
  for clerics and wizards. 
  With 
  this 
  talent, 
  the 
  armiger selects three 1st-
  level spells and one 2nd-
  level spell. These must 
  be abjuration spells from 
  the cleric or sorcerer/
  wizard spell lists. The 
  armiger can cast each of 
  these spells once per day, 
  using his armiger level 
  as his caster level. The 
  armiger 
  focuses 
  these 
  spells through his armor. 
  Thus they ignore any 
  
  7
  somatic requirements, but the armiger can 
  only cast them when wearing medium or 
  heavy armor.
  Spellguard, greater (Sp): An armiger must 
  take the lesser spellguard talent prior to 
  taking this talent. The armiger selects one 
  2nd-level spell and one 3rd-level spell. 
  These must be abjuration spells from the 
  cleric or sorcerer/wizard spell lists. The 
  armiger can cast each of these spells once 
  per day, using his armiger level as his caster 
  level. The armiger focuses these spells 
  through his armor. Thus they ignore any 
  somatic requirements, but the armiger can 
  only cast them when wearing medium or 
  heavy armor.
  Unkillable (Ex): The armiger gains a 
  number of hit points equal to 10 plus his 
  Constitution score.
  Shield Saint (Ex): At 20th level, the 
  armiger becomes a perfect paragon of 
  defensive skill. The armiger is immune to 
  all critical hits and sneak attacks. Once per 
  round, if the armiger is subject to an effect 
  (other than the consequences of standard 
  damage) that would reduce his AC 
  (including such effects as being stunned, 
  falling asleep or unconscious, and even 
  dying), the armiger is allowed a special 
  Fortitude save to ignore the effect. The DC 
  of this save is 10 + 1/2 the level or hit dice 
  of the attacker, plus the attacker’s Con, Int, 
  Wis, or Cha modifier (whichever modifier 
  is highest). The armiger may use this ability 
  a number of times per day equal to his 
  Wisdom bonus (minimum 1/day). 
  using tHe armiger in 
  Your CamPaign
  The armiger is an unusual class in many 
  ways. It’s a combat-centered design that 
  only has a second-rate base attack bonus 
  progression, and a support character that 
  can’t give many bonuses to his allies. As a 
  result many players and GMs may not be 
  sure where it fits in the standard complement 
  of adventurers.
  For GMs, an armiger can make a fantastic 
  base-class NPC. First, armigers make terrific 
  cohorts for games where someone has the 
  Leadership feat. They are of real benefit to 
  their allies, but are unlikely to strike down 
  the major foe of a fight before the barbarian 
  or sorcerer can do so. They are hard to kill, 
  so the GM rarely has to worry about pulling 
  punches around them. Armigers have few 
  limited-use resources, making them easy 
  for a GM (or another player) to keep track 
  of in addition to running the monsters and 
  other NPCs in an encounter. For similar 
  reasons, armigers make great aids for evil 
  warlords, foul necromancers, and tyrannical 
  slave drivers. Adding an armiger to a major 
  encounter can help prevent one-shot kills 
  of major bad guys, without overwhelming 
  players with another major damage-dealer.
  For players considering how an armiger 
  PC affects group balance, an armiger is a 
  great support character. Such characters 
  work best either as secondary front-line 
  fighters or as guards for characters that 
  want to stay away from the front line. For 
  example, if a group includes a sorcerer who 
  can do significant damage but is very fragile, 
  an armiger can greatly boost the group’s 
  effectiveness by staying next to the sorcerer. 
  The armiger grants the sorcerer cover, and can 
  engage any foes that try to rush the spellcaster.
  Despite not being offensively oriented, an 
  armiger can get into melee combat the same 
  way rogues and fighters do. Rather than dealing 
  very high damage under specific circumstances 
  (rogue) or balancing offensive and defensive 
  abilities (fighter), an armiger defeats more 
  powerful targets simply by out-lasting them. 
  Armigers are generally hard to hit, have lots 
  of hit points, and include numerous abilities 
  to make them tough to dispose of. Any player 
  who wants to be the last man standing, the 
  heroic rear guard, the champion’s trusted 
  lieutenant, or the devoted bodyguard would 
  be well advised to consider an armiger. Such 
  roles are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they are 
  common in both fantasy literature and many 
  gaming groups.
  Within the boundaries of a campaign 
  setting, armigers can take a large number of 
  roles. They may essentially be professional 
  squires or bodyguards—trained and devoted 
  to the task of aiding others. Alternatively, 
  armigers may represent the typical fighting 
  style of some specific culture or nation. It’s 
  easy to envision dwarven armigers being more 
  common than dwarven fighters or rangers, 
  carrying to an exterme their skill at moving in 
  heavy armor. Armigers might also be members 
  of a specific group, ranging from a band of 
  dedicated guards (such as the one mentioned 
  in The Genius Guide to the Order of Vigilance) to 
  an order of knights dedicated to protecting a 
  
  8
  site or population (for example, the Order of the 
  Bulwark, the Defenders of the Temple, or the 
  Praetorian Guard). They could even represent 
  a specific style of gladiatorial fighter, trained to 
  win fights while maximizing the duration of a 
  live-blade bout, to get more entertainment per 
  session for a paying audience.
  AddiTionAl rules
  While the following additional rules are 
  designed specifically to enhance the play 
  options for armiger characters, they can be 
  used by any character that is able to meet the 
  prerequisites.
  new Feats
  These new feats are focused on new uses for 
  armor and shields.
  armored Hustle
  You can move a bit faster in armor than most 
  people can.
  Prerequisites: Con 13, Heavy or Medium 
  Armor Proficiency.
  Benefits: You suffer only half the normal 
  penalty to your move rate for wearing medium 
  or heavy armor. For example, Dame Alaina is a 
  human fighter in full plate. She has a base 30-
  foot move, which would normally give her a 20-
  foot move in heavy armor. If Dame Alaina has 
  the Armored Hustle feat, she takes only half the 
  move penalty from her armor, and has a 25-foot 
  move.
  exotiC sHield ProFiCienCY
  You are trained in how to properly use a 
  specific type of unusual shield.
  Prerequisites: Proficiency with shields.
  Benefit: Select one exotic shield. You are 
  proficient with that shield.
  Normal: When you are using a shield 
  with which you are not proficient, you are 
  subject to the shield’s armor check penalty 
  on attack rolls and on all skill checks that 
  involve moving. Additionally, some exotic 
  shields have special abilities that can only 
  be used by proficient users, and special 
  penalties for nonproficient users.
  sHield BloCk
  You can keep your shield on guard 
  against attacks that might otherwise hit you 
  when you are distracted.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, 
  proficiency with shields.
  Benefit: When you have a shield 
  equipped, you gain a +4 shield bonus to all 
  attacks of opportunity made against you. 
  You do not gain this bonus if you lose your 
  Dexterity bonus to AC.
  sHield CHeCk
  You can slam unwary foes with your 
  shield.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Improved Shield 
  Bash, base attack bonus +1, proficient with 
  shields.
  Benefit: You gain a number of additional 
  attacks of opportunity each round equal to 
  your Wisdom bonus (minimum +1). These 
  additional attacks can only be used to make 
  shield bash attacks. If you have both Shield 
  Check and Combat Reflexes the effects stack, 
  resulting in your having some bonus attacks 
  of opportunity that can be used for any 
  legitimate attack of opportunity and some 
  that can only be used for shield bashing.
  sHield Counter
  You punish those who think you are 
  distracted.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Improved Shield 
  Bash, Shield Check, base attack bonus +8, 
  proficient with shields.
  Benefit: If a foe makes an attack of 
  opportunity against you that misses, it 
  provokes an attack of opportunity from you. 
  You can only use this attack of opportunity 
  to make a special shield bash. (You can use 
  an attack of opportunity gained from the 
  Shield Check feat for this special shield 
  bash.) This acts as a shield bash, but you 
  use your base attack bonus –5 to make the 
  attack, ignoring penalties for fighting with 
  two weapons and off-hand penalties.
  exotiC sHields
  Exotic Shields require the Exotic Shield 
  Proficiency feat for characters to be proficient 
  with them, and many have additional 
  limitations for nonproficient users (noted in 
  their individual descriptions). Armigers are 
  automatically proficient in all exotic shields 
  and, as a result, are more likely to carry 
  them than any other class.
  Deungpae: A deungpae is a round 
  large shield made of bamboo, reeds, or 
  similar materials. While it is very light and 
  maneuverable, it offers less protection than 
  similarly sized shields made of heavier 
  materials. However, if you are proficient 
  with a deungpae, it is possible to use the 
  fact that slashing or piercing weapons tend 
  to punch through one of more layers of the 
  shield to your advantage. If you ready an 
  action to disarm a foe when he next attacks 
  
  9
  you with a piercing or slashing weapon, you 
  gain a +4 bonus to your CMB to attempt the 
  disarm. If you fail your disarm attempt and 
  are in turn disarmed by your foe, you lose 
  the deungpae rather than a melee weapon.
  A character not proficient with a 
  deungpae gains no shield bonus to AC from 
  this thin shield.
  Ecranche: The ecranche is a small shield, 
  made of wood reinforced with metal and 
  covered in boiled leather. It is worn high on 
  the arm, over the shoulder. About the size 
  of a buckler, an ecranche leaves the arm it 
  is on entirely free for other uses, at the cost 
  of reduced protection and slightly restricted 
  movement. You take a –1 penalty to attack 
  rolls with any weapon you wield using the 
  same arm as your ecranche. You cannot make 
  a shield bash with an ecranche. Strapping on 
  or removing an ecranche takes one minute.
  You do not receive an ecranche’s shield 
  bonus (or enhancement bonus to AC or 
  special abilities, if the ecranche is magical) 
  when denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, or 
  against attacks from foes that flank you. An 
  ecranche is not so small that another shield 
  may be worn on the same arm. A wearer 
  not proficient with an ecranche receives no 
  shield bonus to AC.
  Lantern Shield: A lantern shield is a 
  bulky and heavy piece of steel designed to 
  include a number of items an adventurer 
  might find useful, but can’t conveniently 
  carry if using a shield. Most notably it 
  has a bullseye lantern hooked to the front 
  (which is automatically broken any time a 
  foe scores a critical hit against the wearer 
  of the lantern shield). The lantern can be 
  removed or a new lantern attached with no 
  skill check, requiring one minute of work. 
  Additionally:
  • The shield has several small blades and 
  barbs coming off it, giving the wearer 
  the same benefit as armor spikes.
  • Clips on the inside of the armor can 
  hold one piece of parchment to be easily 
  viewed by the wearer. This is normally 
  used to hold a map or scroll. One readable 
  item attached to these clips is considered 
  useable by the shield’s wearer. It takes 
  one minute of work to remove an item 
  from the clips or attach a new one.
  • A slot at the top of the shield can hold 
  a rod or wand, including a sunrod. 
  Although such items aren’t considered 
  “in hand,” if the wearer has a spare 
  hand he can grab items off this slot as a swift 
  action. (A sunrod placed here illuminates 
  normally.)
  Because of the complexity and odd shape 
  of a lantern shield, nonproficient users have 
  the number of attacks of opportunity they may 
  make each rounds reduced by 1 (to a minimum 
  of 0).
  Serrated Shield: A serrated shield is a round 
  heavy steel shield, which has a sharpened, 
  serrated edge 3/4 of the way around the outside. 
  (The unsharpened section is designed to be the 
  part held close to your arm and body when 
  defending.) If you are proficient with a serrated 
  shield, when you use it for a shield bash, 
  instead of the usual damage the shield deals 
  1d6 slashing damage (1d4 for serrated shields 
  designed for Small creatures) and threatens a 
  critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19–20.
  Wall Shield: A wall shield is massive steel 
  shield, just short of the size required to qualify 
  as a tower shield. Unlike a tower shield, you 
  cannot use a wall shield to grant yourself cover. 
  When employing a wall shield in combat, you 
  take a –1 penalty on attack rolls because of the 
  shield’s encumbrance.
  exotiC sHields
  Cost
  sHield
  Bonus
  max
  dex  Bonus
  armor CHeCk
  PenaltY
  arCane sPell
  Failure CHanCe
  weigHt
  Deungpae
  1 gp
  +1
  —
  0
  5%
  3 lbs.
  Ecranche
  50 gp
  +1
  —
  –2
  15%
  6 lbs.
  Lantern Shield
  250 gp
  +2
  —
  –3
  25%
  25 lbs.
  Serrated Shield
  150 gp
  +2
  +4
  –3
  20%
  20 lbs.
  Wall Shield
  300 gp
  +3
  +3
  –5
  40%
  35 lbs.
  
  10
  We err on The side of AWesome!
  CrediTs
  Designer:
  Owen K.C. Stephens
  Editor:
  Stan!
  Cover Art:
  Joeseph Calkins and Cerebus Illustrations
  Interior Art:
  Paul Carrick and Shaman Stockart
  Graphic Design and Typesetting:
  R. Hyrum Savage
  Produced By:
  Super Genius Games
  www.supergeniusgames.com
  Contents ©2010 Owen K.C. Stephens
  Used with permission.
  For more information about Super Genius Games and our 
  upcoming products, follow us on Facebook: 
  www.facebook.com/supergeniusgames, via Twitter: Owen: 
  @Owen_Stephens, Stan: @stannex, and/or Hyrum: @
  savageplanet, or at our Yahoo Group: http://games.groups.
  yahoo.com/group/super-genius/
  All logos are the trademark of  
  Super Genius Games All rights reserved.
  Published Under the SRD, OGL, and d20 (v 3) License ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information 
  on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, 
  and does not endorse this product.
  Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. 
  See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility 
  license.
  DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The Super Genius Games (SGG) and OtherWorld 
  Creations (OWC) company names and logos; the “Genius Guide To: The Armiger” name and logo; 
  all artwork, backgrounds, and logos; all trade dress, and graphic design elements.
  DECLARATION OF OPEN CONTENT: All game mechanics, proper names of classes, prestige 
  classes, archetypes, feats, skills, spells, magic items, monsters, rituals, artifacts AND OR the names 
  of abilities presented within this book are Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) of the 
  License.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 
  1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have 
  contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including 
  derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, 
  correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in 
  which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, 
  license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game 
  Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines 
  to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the 
  prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, 
  and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under 
  copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and 
  product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; 
  stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, 
  designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and 
  other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, 
  personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, 
  creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; 
  and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner 
  of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” 
  means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself 
  or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor 
  (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and 
  otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee 
  in terms of this agreement. 
  2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating 
  that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix 
  such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from 
  this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to 
  any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 
  3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the 
  terms of this License. 
  4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors 
  grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this 
  License to Use, the Open Game Content. 
  5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open 
  Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have 
  sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 
  6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this 
  License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are 
  copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright 
  holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 
  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as 
  to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of 
  each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with 
  any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content 
  except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark 
  or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute 
  a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in 
  Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 
  8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions 
  of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 
  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this 
  License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open 
  Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 
  10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open 
  Game Content You Distribute. 
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using 
  the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 
  12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License 
  with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental 
  regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 
  13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms 
  herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses 
  shall survive the termination of this License. 
  14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall 
  be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, 
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, 
  based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. 
  The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. 
  Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark 
  Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, 
  Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. 
  The Genius Guide To: The Armiger. Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. 
  Stephens
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Super Genius Games/Genius Guides/Classes/The Genius Guide to The Armiger.pdf