#knight vigilant

[dailycharacteroption]

Lastwall Sentry (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by GeorgeVostrikov on DeviantArt)

So, two weeks ago we covered both the Knight Reclaimant and Knight Vigilant archetypes, both of which require and are extensions of the Lastwall Sentry archetype. Well, guess what we’re finally covering today?

At the end of the life cycle of 1st edition and the advent of 2nd, the nation of Lastwall, a long-time bastion against not just The Worldwound but also the remnants of the Whispering Tyrant’s forces and the threat of his return was destroyed by the superweapon developed by the returned lich ruler and his resurgent armies.

However, while their bastions have been destroyed and their nation turned into a twisted wasteland of undeath and corrupted life known as the Gravelands, the defenders of Lastwall have not abandoned their post. Instead, those who remained renewed their vows and swore to hold the line and one day be victorious over the forces of darkness.

Whether they join one of the two divinely-empowered factions among their number or stick with their role as guardians and defenders, these warriors remain resolute against evil. Today, in this entry, we’ll see exactly how they do so!

The base dedication of this archetype requires the trainee to first learn how to properly use a shield to block incoming blows, but once they take the dedication, they can do so reflexively. In addition, they train to become more physically fit and learn more about their hated enemy: the undead.

Many also learn to always be ready against the undead, almost never being caught off guard by the classic ambushes and attacks of unquiet souls and necromantic abominations. However, they might be fooled by undead disguised as the living, or vice versa.

Incorporeal undead are the bane of any shieldbearer, but some learn to utter a prayer of protection to instilling their shield, as well as any shield boss or spikes, with just enough power to reach into the ether and block or strike foes with said shield for a few seconds.

For many, the title of sentry isn’t an empty role, and many are especially good at spotting danger or distant threats.

Others become so familiar with undead foes they almost always have a decent chance of recognizing their nature and abilities.

The guardians of Lastwall would rather face total oblivion that rise again as an undead monstrosity and become a threat to the very people they fight for. As such, some learn divine or occult methods of suffusing their bodies with trace amounts of positive energy that lingers after death, preventing all but the most powerful forces from raising them as undead, and making their corpse actually toxic to the unliving.

Similarly, many train to inure themselves to negative energy and harmful necromancy.

Though sometimes others may have differences of opinion or goals that run counter to these sentries, most will not slay the living if they can help it, learning how to better deal nonlethal blows against them when a peaceful resolution cannot be reached.

When one is part of a shield wall, it is often important to know how to push foes back with one’s shield, and so these warriors do, especially if they are also champions with a knack for using both hands to strike with a shield.

Some have fought they undead so long the can sense their presence, giving them an early warning against unseen foes.

The undead hoards just keep coming, and one must often adapt to the quirks of different undead types on the fly, and so these sentries do, recalling their weaknesses and how to pierce them in the same motion as they strike.

Like any foe, the undead are capable of mistakes and poor luck despite their relentlessness, and many of these warriors train to capitalize on that, punishing such fumbles with a mighty shove driving them back.

Rather it be by personal prayer, the blessings of a priest, or sheer willpower-driven occult power, more experienced soldiers of lastwall find their weapons able to strike true against spectral foes.

Some that revere a goodly deity sometimes channel a bit of their god’s blessing into their shield, causing it to flare with positive energy and light to harm and drive back the wicked undead.

Even negative energy is not exempt from their shields, giving them a new way to absorb the harm caused by the undead.

Necromancy is an insidious school of magic on the offense, and as they continue to inure themselves, they learn to better resist such spells which would have a partial effect even when they would succeed.

Those that have honed their senses against undeath can refine them further into a more precise sense, letting them better root them out.

True to their part as members of a shield wall, these warriors can protect others with their shields, not just themselves, and they often reflexively move to interpose the shield if it is an undead assailant.

Death and corruption are old companions of these warriors, and they not only better resist such effects but also try their best to ignore feelings of nausea and unwellness.

Whether it be divine intervention or a spot of uncanny luck in the face of doom, but these guardians sometimes find their shield holding out against one more attack when others would splinter and shatter.

It’s a simple lesson, if evil magic is being cast or manifested nearby, you disrupt it however you can, and some learn to do this with their raw spiritual power alone.

Some of the most powerful sentries are so resolute that they don’t just resist the life-sucking power of the void, but all forms of harm that undead would do to them, standing firmer against the deathly tide.

This archetype is one half improving your shield usage, and one half resisting and retaliating against the undead. As such, it really is meant primarily to be used by champions, fighters, rangers, as well as any sort of class build that makes heavy use of a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other. I will say, however, that a lot of the feats available to the class really are “you resist the deathly effects of undead, but in a different mechanical way”, which gives the homebrewer in me a headache. Even still, if you’re planning on building a shield-based character that fights a lot of undead, and this archetype is available, go for it, and remember it can also be a stepping stone for two other specific archetypes!

It really is inspiring to see heroes emerge from tragedy, to see people be subjected to the absolute worst that life has to offer and say “You will break before I do.” I suppose that’s why such characters are so popular across media.

Long has the Shining Legion stood firm against the horrors of the armies of Kados. However, when the necromancer king recruits a cadre of summoners, the legion will find itself against an unfamiliar foe in the form of hordes of elementals, including massive crystal striders and the like.

Though stout of heart, Pebbo the grippli is an odd choice indeed for a member of the Holy Phalanx, but he insisted he could be of use despite his small size, and he meant it, offering to train his very own underfoot brigade of smaller peoples to supplement the main shieldwall.

With the prestige of both the knights reclaimant and the knights vigilant, it’s often easy to assume that the sentry legion is full of those that couldn’t hack it in either of those groups, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, as most are proud of their role as defenders. However, there are rarely those that live up to the stereotype, and though some learn to move on from those feelings of bitterness, others do not, forming a festering cyst in the unbreakable shell of the legion.

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #24: Georgios

today on Grailfinders, we’re finally getting back to work on the OG servants with Georgios! dear ol’ Dragons Georg is a Champion, because what else is a cleric with a sword supposed to be? that being said, we do make some pit stops into the Cavalier archetype for a cool horse that will not eat you, as well as the Game Hunter archetype to ruin dragons’ days even more, and the Knight Vigilant archetype to become a vigilant knight.

and yes, I’m still using the “confused with a nature god” excuse to give him some extra stuff to do. if nasu can create an entire servant based on one niche reading of a mythological figure so can I. I will be vindicated when saber Georgios comes out in LB 8.

check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

next up: Teach me, Blackbeard-san!

Ancestry & Background

While we will be spicing it up later, Georgios starts out as a bog-standard Human. that gets him a +2 in Wisdom and Constitution, but not a whole lot else at level 1. that being said, he is pretty Versatile, giving him a free first-level general feat like Ride. with this, you can automatically command animals to move while riding them, and they act at the same time you do. you also get situational protection from mental effects when you Keep Up Appearances as a reaction. this doesn’t make you immune to emotional effects, but it does prevent enemies from capitalizing on them.

at level 5, you can Sense Allies. a good tank always knows what their party is doing, otherwise the healer might run off and get himself killed pulling yet another mob group we weren’t ready for and- ahem. sorry. we’ve been playing a lot of FFXIV lately. the important thing is you can always detect when allies are nearby, and finding them while hidden is a lot easier.

at level 9 you become a Hardy Traveler, making it easier to ride around in heavy armor. turns out dragons don’t wait that long to attack.

at level 13 you gain a Stubborn Persistence that helps keep you from getting fatigued by making a flat check to avoid the effect. you still have to get away from whatever’s causing it though, or you’ll have to remake the check every once in a while.

finally, at level 17 you can Bounce Back once per day, preventing you from being wounded after hitting 0 HP. that’s one more chance to get up from being knocked down, which is practically a guts on its own.

George’s real background was a soldier, but we can pick up soldiering skills from anywhere- getting photography lessons at a later level would feel weird. that’s why we’re starting as a Printer. that gives you a boost in Charisma and Wisdom, as well as training in the Society and Scribing Lore skills. you’re also Multilingual, giving you two more languages now, and even more if you level up in society. George is simultaneously Greek, Palestinian, and English, depending on who you ask. a real globe-trotter!

Starting Proficiencies

yeah this part takes so long I’m making a whole new section for it.

Trained: Perception; Religion; Survival; Athletics; [Diplomacy; Medicine]; Reflex saves; Class DC; unarmed, simple, and martial attacks; unarmored, light, medium, and heavy armor

Expert: Fortitude saves, Will saves

Class Levels

1. your Key Ability is Strength, giving you another boost to help haul that big sword around. you also get an Ability Boost in four more stats, like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma.

I’ve heard rumors that they’re planning on removing alignment restrictions for Champions in the next Pathfinder update, but to be honest, being a Paladin still works really well for you. with this, you can Lay on Hands using your devotion points, which are usually one per devotion spell per day, and can be recharged by spending ten minutes doing good deeds. touch someone, and they get healed.

you can also make a Retributive Strike against an enemy who attacks another ally. this grants the ally in question some damage resistance, and you get to make an attack if they’re close enough. you also get trained in Nature for some reason.

following the trend of useless features, you can Shield Block. useful if you have one, but Georgios usually doesn’t carry a shield. maybe he should? might help.

one last feature, your Deity’s Domain grains you a second devotion point and spell. I’d rather just get the Might domain’s second spell right away, but we need to get Athletic Rush first. this spell increases your movement speed and your athletics checks, and as part of the action you use to cast the spell you can stride, leap, climb, or swim. it’s really just helping you be a lot more physical in short bursts. given what you’re fighting, every little bit helps.

2. at level two, you can take the oath to become a Dragonslayer! that means you have to fight evil dragons now, and to help with that you get a +4 bonus to damage against evil dragons when using your retributive strike. again, every bit.

you also hold the Eyes of the City, making it easier to track creatures in villages and towns by listening to local’s stories. I’m sure this can also help you find the perfect photo ops too.

we’re also grabbing the Cavalier archetype this level, giving you an animal companion. you can also pledge yourself to a cause now for bonuses in the archetype later, and given how champions are all about pledging themselves you’ve pretty much done that already.

3. at level three you gain a Divine Ally, a steed who is… also an animal companion with the mount ability. huh. you can’t keep both at the same time, so we’re mostly going to focus on the champion companion.

thankfully, other features like Express Rider can work regardless of the companion you’re partnered with, making it easier to increase your travel speed while riding.

you’re also an expert in Religion now. it’s kind of your thing. that and the dragons, obviously.

4. at level four your Divine Health makes it harder for you to get sick- you get a +1 to all saves against diseases, and your successes are always critical.

you’re also an Experienced Professional, so your photography is never bad enough to keep you from making any money off of it. I know as a man of god you’re not into material possessions, but you’re going to need quite a nest egg to afford a dragonslaying sword.

you also pick up a Cavalier’s Banner, giving all allies within 30’ of your mount a +1 bonus to will saves against fear, at the cost of causing them to be frightened when your banner is destroyed. carrying a flag everywhere is a little unwieldy, but hey it’s more mental debuff resistance.

5. at level five you get an Ability Boost in Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma again. more health, more dragonslaying, more spell power. you’re also better at Scribing now, since that’s what we’re using as your photography. everybody needs a hobby.

on top of that, your Weapon Expertise makes you an expert with weapons! everything except advanced weapons are your for the using!

6. at level six you get a Loyal Warhorse, making your champion steed a mature companion, and it can no longer attack you, even if magically compelled to. kind of a specific feature, but given your horse’s unique dietary needs, that’s probably for the best.

you’ve spent enough time studying photography that your Unmistakable Lore makes it easier to recall knowledge about the process, preventing critical failures.

you can also Defend Mount as a reaction, taking the hit for your horse while you’re riding it. that’s kind of the opposite of how this is supposed to go, but you’ll have a lot more defensive buffs by the time this is over to eat damage.

7. speaking of, your new Armor Expertise does what you’d expect, plus you get the armor specialization effects of medium and heavy armor. you can also Pick up the Pace while traveling to hustle more, and you’re a master of Religion.

on last thing- your Weapon Specialization adds an extra 2 damage to all your attacks, and grows as your weapon training does.

8. at level eight you get the Advanced Deity’s Domain devotion spell, giving you a third devotion point each day which you can use to cast Enduring Might. as a reaction, you get resistance to all damage from one attack or effect. this is Bayard’s one attack nullification effect, and it also grows as you level up and also based on your strength.

speaking of defense, you can pray for some sacred defense as an action once an hour! if you succeed, you’ll get some temporary hp- you can also try a harder check for more of it!

if all this protection is getting you down, lets go on the offense with the game hunter dedication! with this, you can target creatures with the hunt prey action if you can see it, hear it, or you’re tracking it down. this gives you a +2 bonus to seek and track it, as well as a bonus to stealth checks! you can also get an extra bonus- if you hit your prey while its flat-footed, it needs to make a constitution save. on a failure, it gets slowed down for up to a minute.

9. that last bit from level 8 uses your class dc, so it’s a good thing your champion expertise just came around to give you expertise in your class dc and divine spells. your divine smite makes creatures you make a retributive strike against take persistent damage too.

your saves get better when you become a juggernaut with lightning reflexes. that’s mastery in fortitude saves, plus more crit succs, and expert for reflex saves.

you’re also an expert with nature now for better riding!

10. level 10’s another ability boost in strength, constitution, wisdom, and charisma! all the stuff you need to slap up a dragon real good. well, most of it. we’re working on it, it’s a long-term goal! on thing that’ll help is your battle prayer, helping you blast an enemy with good or law damage once a day. the damage even triples once you’re legendary in religion.

on the nonmagic side, your steed is now an imposing destrier, turning it into a savage animal companion, plus it gets an action each turn even if you don’t spend time commanding it, letting it attack or move for free!

speaking of movement, your quick positioning helps you get into the thick of things at the start of battle against your prey, letting you step up to two times for free. you’re the one with all the defense buffs, so make sure you’re between your friends and your dragons.

11. at level 11 your alertness gives you expert perception, and your divine will makes you a master of will saves, with more crits to boot! you’re also a master of nature!

you can also exalt your retributive strike, getting the rest of your party in on the hitting stuff action! everybody within 15’ of you can make a melee attack with a -5 penalty as a reaction. just really julius caesar his ass.

you also get an incredible investiture, letting you attune to more magic items. the bones of saints are relics, so you already have like, 200+ magic items on you! congrats!

12. at level 12 you become a Blade of Justice. you can spend two actions to make a special attack against something you’ve seen hurt an innocent person, dealing extra damage against evil creatures, and letting you turn all the damage into good! you can also use all your retributive strike effects on this attack.

as a master of nature, you have Morphic Manipulation, helping you grow a plant through ten minutes of meditation. doing this more than once a day is possible, but it makes you fatigued, and you can’t do it more than twice a day. told you we were bringing back the nature god stuff.

one last thing- you can spend three actions on a Trampling Charge, moving your mount up to its speed and through enemies, dealing damage to everything it passes through, based on the targets’ reflex saves.

13. at level 13 your Armor Mastery gives you mastery… in armor! shocking, I know. you’re also a master in scribing now! and your Weapon Mastery does exactly what you’d think. easy level!

14. at level fourteen, you’re actually expected to fight dragons! at least I assume so, since that’s the level you can finally emit a Wyrmbane Aura, protecting yourself and nearby allies from elemental damage, with extra protection if that damage is from a dragon’s breath.

you can also Quick Mount now, mounting a creature and giving it an order in the same action! dragons move fast, but so do you.

you can also use Double Prey now to mark two enemies at the same time. FGO has three slots in each wave, but if you’re fighting dragons usually one of them is really big and takes up two of those, so it all works out!

15. level fifteen’s Ability Boost bumps your Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom. at this point brute strength won’t add too much to your fight, it’s all about survivability. you’re also a Caravan Leader, for more hustle in your bustle while traveling.

your Greater Weapon Specialization adds even more damage to every swing, and we’ll also bump your Athletics up to expert so you can stay on your horse easier.

16. at level 16, Bayard becomes an Auspicious Mount, making it a specialized companion that can be an “Auspice” mount. there are other options, but the feat’s named after it, come on. this gives your mount expertise in Religion, the ability to speak celestial, and increased intelligence and wisdom.

you’ve also been a knight long enough at this point to know some Courtly Graces, letting you use your societal training to make impressions on nobles. given that your society is actually worse than your diplomacy, that may not be a good idea. you look the part though.

speaking of knighthood, you’re now a Knight Vigilant. this increases your proficiency in Religion to Legendary status, and you now provide greater cover to your allies as they stand behind you.

17. more skill buffs! your Champion Mastery improves your spells and class DC, while your Legendary Armor makes you legendary with armor. you’re also legendary in Nature now, to be almost superhuman in your ability to ride creatures. because you are. that’s how servants work.

18. you now exude an Aura of Righteousness, giving you and all allies resistance to evil damage. you now resist evil, elemental damage, and specific attacks, so it’s really hard for a dragon to actually fight you and leave a scratch.

you’re so religious, you can receive Divine Guidance by spending 10 minutes reading the bible. you make a religion check of the DM’s choice of DC, and you can get a hint on how to move forward.

you can also Keep up the Good Fight once an hour. if you’d drop to 0 HP without dying, you can react to stay a 1 HP with some temporary HP to boot, and you become wounded. unless you bounce back. now this is a guts. and it’s also like 90% of the reason we grabbed Knight Vigilant anyway.

19. at level 19 we go entirely off script thanks to your Fey Life. we’re about to go through faerie britain, so you’re bound to save at least one fey, right? your nearby surroundings are now super vibrant at all times, which would mostly be flavor if not for your photography hobby. you can also summon fey once a day, but that’s not why we’re here.

the first time you die past this point, you come back to life, becoming part fey. now this is the gutsiest guts we could guts. I mean get. I know Georgios is more know for being used as solo fodder, but all that means is he’s great at dying and coming back!

this is great, but it comes with a cost- the second time you die, and each time after, you become completely fey, and no longer care about the material world, essentially turning you into an NPC. this can be reversed with a three-day ritual, but the third and subsequent times would require something like the wish spell to be fixed.

you also gain the Hero’s Defiance devotion spell, letting you heal yourself as a free action right before you would drop to 0 HP, so hopefully you won’t die that often. plus, you’re better at athletics again.

20. for your final level, you get an Ability Boost for Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom. you also become a Sacred Defender, giving you a further 10 resistance to physical damage caused by evil or dragon creatures, and you’re immune to critical hits.

furthermore, you can now Influence Nature over the course of 10 minutes, trying a nature check to affect the behavior of animals in the area, like setting up natural alarms via songbird, or making hunting for food a lot easier.

finally, you can gain Lead the Way, spending two actions to guide an ally through danger. your movement will still trigger reactions, but theirs won’t. it’s rough, but that’s kind of the job you signed up for.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

you are really, really, really hard to kill. you have resistance to almost anything a dragon can throw at you, which means you have resistances to almost everything. add onto that your solid health pool, high AC, self-healing, and ability to further block up attacks as a reaction, and you won’t go down easily. and then you’ll get right back up with one of your three or four abilities that just lets you ignore being knocked out. and then you’ll get back up with your “say no to death” card.

all that tankitude is great for taking hits for the team. you block up line of sight against enemies, you have some powerful counterattacks to encourage enemies focus on you, and you can help your team move around while only making yourself a valid target.

for a guy in plate mail you’re so goddamn fast it isn’t funny. not in combat, of course, but being able to cut down on travel time is fantastic in games that care about that sort of thing. travel speed can mean the difference between getting ambushed and setting an ambush yourself.

Cons:

you need your reaction ready simultaneously to heal yourself, counterattack, and block damage. obviously, you can’t do all those at once. this means that if anything, you’re thinking more when it’s not your turn than when it is, and that’s a weird playstyle to get used to. guess it’s par for the course for defensive types.

that “no death for me thanks” card from earlier comes with a major drawback in trading one death for a later, very permanent one. while your defenses are fantastic, you also have to take into account how much hate you’re focusing on yourself.

final downside: the horse can’t come with you everywhere. I know I haven’t brought up Bayard too much in terms of combat effectiveness, but Pathfinder is a lot better than D&D when it comes to horse survivability, and both increasing your own movement speed and getting all the horse-exclusive features from Cavalier is a nice bonus. unfortunately, Bayard is both large and an animal, so there’s plenty of spaces you simply can’t take him.

[fluffypotatey]

Consider: Arthur keeping his word about making peace with the Druids (*side-eyes BBC*) and the next time they come across one of those small shrines, he's a lil uncomfy still but is doing his best like, "what's this one for? Should we go around or...?" Because this one isn't as subtly creepy as the last one, there are no "def haunted" vibes, it's just a kind of rough cairn of stacked stone and branches, and it's got flowers all over it, candle stubs and incense sticks, little jars of honeycomb, sweetmeats, preserves, etc.

And it's Percival (hc he was raised in a Druid camp, even if he doesn't have magic) is like, "No, it's fine, this one is for Emrys."

Cue Arthur asking about Emrys, and Percival explaining he's supposedly the living son of the Triple Goddess, born to heal the wounds of the Old Religion (he's tactful enough to not mention who made those wounds *coughcough*kingcunt*cough*) and the offerings are made to show kindness and peace, and to aid him in his duty (sure enough, those flowers and herbs are all medicinal).

"Why's it so important to keep him happy?" It's Gwaine who asks, irreverent and curious.

And Percival tells them the story of the High Priestess Nimueh, who tried to turn her power against Emrys's through the magic of life and death. So Emrys created a great storm over the Isle of the Blessed and called down the wrath of rain and lightning to unmake her.

They're all so absorbed in storytelling that nobody notices Merlin sitting off to the side and sweating like a hooker talking to a beat cop.

-

Bonus points if Merlin sneaks over to take some of the offerings, against his better judgement bc he should not be encouraging this but he's got a killer sweet tooth and nobody in Camelot can make decent sweetmeats, apparently, and some of these herbs are pretty rare.

Double bonus if Percival or Elyan sees him do it and are like, "bro you gon be so cursed," and Merlin doesn't know how to explain that no he's not sacrilegious, these are for him, they're offerings, they were offered, and not entirely realising he's being paid the magical equivalent of ye olde protection racket.

*also side-eyes bbc* yeah...this would have been awesome to have...excuse me while i go sharpen my knives, completely unrelated to this ask i assure you

[age-of-moonknight]

“The Final Hours of Moon Knight,” Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #29.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Inker and Penciler: Federico Sabbatini; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[rabbittwinrithings]

Since I'm close to finish writing the first part of the commentary...

The quest I've been writing commentary for is Vigilant. I'm unsure how much I can get implemented, but trust me when I say I some crazy (and tragic) ideas in my head.

Below will be additional information regarding this process if anyone is interested:

So far I have only written dialogue for Act 1 (still need to write some scenes where the followers talk to each other about the events that just took place.)

The plan is to take it all by Act. So I won't start the next Act until I have everything written, implemented, and voiced for the current Act.

While I'm trying to make it the commentary can be used by having one, some, or all, the sidekicks enabled and in your party, the mod will work best with them all there with you.

(Though, I still need to make line variants to fit certain scenes or lines where if one follower isn't there, another will take their place. This will probably be the hardest spot.)

Luckily though, it seems Act 1 and 4 will be the hardest ones to put together and implement. But, you know, famous last words. All acts may end up being hell to put together.

[kicktwine]

DRK 50… COMPLETE

and i threw together a glam! I really want that chaos armor(?) I look so cool in it… but it’s level 60… so for now ch’ari goes back to his open shirts

heheheheghe

[jurygarroth]

Laurence has removed Garroth’s helmet twice god forbid they actually take all of it off. It’d be so intimately gay it’d break everyone within a hundred yards’ gaydar.

turn your back on him to let him unclasp your chestplate in a display of trust.. kneeling to remove his boots like hey.. is this symbolically referencing the act of proposal…

[vi-visected]

nobody understands leon like i do

[thebirdandhersong]

.

[suri-da]

Artfight attacks on @illouminant-btd and @griffeller-grifondoro. Absolutely wonderful people, and had a blast drawing their ocs You are now legally obligated to follow them or else the FBI will be coming after you

[pupmusebox]

Tag dump 4/?

{ Human Typhoon and Plant - Vash } { Cold Hearted and Bladed Plant - Nai/Knives } { Scuffy Priest and Undertaker - Nicholas D. Wolfwood } { Crimson Cloaked Marksman - Vincent Valentine } { Sleepy Royal Chocobro - Noctis Lucis Caelum } { Geo Archon and Mysterious Consultant - Zhongli } { Cyro Knight and Calvary Captain - Kaeya Alberich } { Anemo Archon and Bard of the Winds - Venti } { Leader and General Mahamatra - Cyno } { Verdant Strider - Tighnari } { The Dark Side of Dawn - Diluc Ragnvindr } { Admonishing Instruction - Alhaitham } { Vigilant Yaksha - Xiao } { Ordainer of Inexorable Judgment - Neuvillette } { Emissary of Solitary Iniquity - Wriothesley } { Kind Hearted Game Loving Duelist - Yugi Moto } { Puzzle Spirit and Pharaoh - Yami Yugi/Atem } { Blue Eyed Calculating CEO - Seto Kaiba } { Luck Duelist with a Heart of Gold - Joey Wheeler } { Friend of Duel Spirits - Jaden Yuki } { Vehicroid Deck - Syrus Truesdale } { Cyber Dragon Duelist - Zane Truesdale } { Red Eyed Dragon User - Atticus Rhodes } { Ruler of the Grimm - Salem } { Shining Outlander - Aether } { Hanamizaka Heroics - Arataki Itto } { Laid-back Ground Type User - Rika } { Dark Type Specialist and Singer-Songwriter - Piers } { Shy and Mysterious Ghost Trainer - Allister } { Enforcer and Trainer - Gladion }

[dailycharacteroption]

Knight Vigilant (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by BillCreative on DeviantArt)

So remember how I mentioned last entry that the Knight Reclaimants were also a splinter group from the rest of the Knights of Lastwall? Well, it’s time to meet the main group now, and like the reclaimants, they are a complementary archetype for Lastwall Sentry!

However, while the reclaimants focus on scouting, survival, and channeling a mysterious power on the offense against the forces of the Whispering Tyrant, the Knight Vigilants instead stand guard over the living, stay vigilant for and destroy undead incursions, and plan for the time when they will march as an army. As a group, they are known as the Shining Sentinels.

This isn’t to say they sit on their haunches, but they’re definitely the more cautious and long-game-oriented, of the two factions, which naturally leads to some conflicts here and there.

As we’ll soon see, these knights can potentially take plenty of leaves of the champion’s playbook, at least in terms of theme, but they also boast plenty of their own tricks.

Just as yesterday, this archetype counts as part of the Lastwall Sentry and can be taken even if you haven’t fulfilled the dedication to it yet.

The base dedication comes with education in religious matters, as well as training to use one’s own body to help better cover one’s allies.

Even those sentinels that are not true champions sometimes manifest a small amount of healing ability, closing wounds with a touch.

A defender that allows foes to slip past them to the back lines is one that lives in shame, so many among their number learn how to arrest the motion of foes that attempt to move away from them, keeping them right where they want them. Later on, they can take an additional bit of training to do so quickly, freeing them up for other reactions.

Many are also trained to fight in a phalanx of shieldwall, letting their allies weapons slip past them with ease while providing an impenetrable wall against those coming from their foes.

That phalanx training also means that those that use shields use them to protect their allies as well as themselves.

Courage in the face of death and fear is the core value of these knights, and as such, they are naturally more resistant against fear, and even when it would take them, they can choose to freeze in place rather than run, hindering their actions for a moment rather than abandon the fight.

Many of these knights value peace above all else, and they understand that even though they must sometimes face living foes, they do not forget to offer mercy, for all must stand together against the horrors of evil, after all.

Given the foes they fight, many also receive training on how to better turn aside and endure the strikes of the undead, becoming more resistant to their blows and the taint of unlife that comes with them.

A knight must be ready for combat anywhere, and so some with a knack for ritual magic learn how to perform a ritual that stores their armor in an extradimensional space, one that allows them to summon it forth onto their person when needed.

Defense is one thing, but when it comes time to push, many knight vigilants know how to lead the charge, covering the advance of those beside and behind them.

Those that also have training as cavaliers often inspire a righteous fury against those that would harm the innocent as well as becoming resistant various combat maneuvers, their banners evoking this drive.

With a command, some can direct close allies to all raise their shields as one, readying to face a threat as one.

Speaking of their shields, a few of them learn some of the arts of the warrior Arnisant, and become able to use their shields to dissipate magical assaults, though at the cost of the shield itself.

Sometimes a slow advance with raised shield is better than marching forward, and many learn to keep their shields raised while moving slowly.

Those that do not already master heavy armor often do so later, matching their more martial companions.

With surprising skill, these warriors can use their shields to return a poorly-cast spell back on their enemy, punishing them with their own hostile magic.

Not to be outdone by their Crimson Reclaimer kin, the Shining Sentinels often petition the local gods, both major and minor, for aid, granting them the ability to cast a single spell, typically one that wards or heals them or others. As they grown in mastery, they can learn to invoke up to two other deities as well.

The will of some of these knights is legendary, allowing them to occasionally withstand a felling blow with some small dredges of vitality left, able to continue fighting for a while longer.

Some of the most powerful of these knights have become a paragon of righteousness, so much so that the wicked balk in their presence, slowed by the aura they give off.

Others at the zenith learn to master their tower shields, fluidly taking full advantage of their defensive benefits in seconds.

This archetype is much more heavily geared towards direct combatants and tanky builds than the stealth and survival aspects of the Knight Reclaimants, but there’s a little bit for every class if you look closely enough. Their more defensive abilities are useful if you wanna make a tank out of other classes, or an even better tank out of an already defensive class. Again, look up the Lastwall Sentry to see what other feats you might pick up as well.

The fact that the most devout of these warriors can tap into a tiny measure of divine power is interesting, and helps drive home the point that the different traditions of magic are not just limited to a few based on class. Of course, coming up with alternate divine magic for your own setting if you use the archetype there is also fun.

Firmly believing he was built to be a protector, Tranquility-8 joined the Holy Guard to put her skills to work against the undead hoards of the Starblight. Despite being an android and therefore a product of the fallen star that brought the blight, they have been accepted by their fellow knights as one of their own.

They say that the shield wall of the Skyshield Legion is impenetrable from every direction, able to withstand assault from the forces of evil from all sides. However, the Dark Lord seeks to test how literal those claims are with a new force of burrowing undead that attack from below.

They say that the vault builders, the greatest of the insectile elementals known as xiomorns, gifted the Fortress of Glass to it’s guardians in a joint effort to keep the relics safeguarded there secure. Whatever the truth of it, the guardians who watch over it’s diamond-hard crystalline walls do so with the same dedication as their forebears centuries ago, but even a mountain of diamond can crack if enough force is applied in just the right spot.

[the-punforgiven]

Decided just now that it'd be really funny to have a whole bunch of different d&d characters who are all like former knights of the same order or crestfallen sellswords from the same mercenary company but also have all of them individually believing for their own reasons that they are the last surviving member of their group

[martyrbat]

testament – batman: legends of the dark knight #173

[ID: Batman fighting against another vigilante that has been murdering (other) lawbreakers. Batman avoids the knife attack and punches him as he says, “I'm not laughing. I don't think you're funny at all.” END ID]

[illustratus]

The Vigil | A knight's vigil

by John Pettie

[aceofwonders]

the difference between the two rogues with lying and telling the truth tho