You are possessed of vast strength and the willingness to use it. Someone once showed you that life gains meaning when you live it in the service of others, and you have dedicated yourself to that ideal ever since. With that dedication comes incredible imaginative powers and the willingness to stand when others cannot. You are a vanguard.

Mechanics

Hit Points

Vanguard start with 12 HP and gain 3 additional HP per rank, up to 40.

Armor

Vanguards wear Light, Medium, or Heavy Armor.

Ethos

Whenever you fulfill your character’s ethos within a gaming session, the GM may award you a Legacy Point. This ethos exists in tandem with and is complementary to your character’s personal ambitions.

A Vanguard‘s ethos is manifest through an ideal that they choose to embody. See below:

Choose an Ideal

Vanguards commit themselves to an ideal that empowers their abilities and reflects their goals. You must strive to fulfill this ideal; even if you falter at times, you persist until you have overcome.

Ideal of Fearlessness

You are bold, audacious, daring. You deliberately face your fears head on and never back down from doing the right thing. You are prone to tackling problems directly rather than through subtler methods. Others may view you as reckless, brash, or stubborn.

You are talented in Perseverance and Negotiation: Charm.

You are immune to fear effects.

Ideal of Service

You are committed to acts of service. When someone is in need, you rarely refuse, and you go out of your way to bring comfort to others, even at great inconvenience to yourself. Despite your powerful presence, you eschew fame or recognition, preferring to be the silent helper. Others may view you as intellectually simple, impractical, stupid, or “odd”.

You are talented in Empathy and Negotiation: Conviction.

You are immune to blind effects.

Ideal of Power

Not everyone has strength. You put yours to use to defeat evil and defend those who cannot defend themselves. Your prerogative is seeking evil and smashing it into tiny pieces so that others can live in peace. Others may view you as terrifying, out-of-control, or savage.

You are talented in Athletics and Negotiation: Force.

You are immune to weakened grip effects.

Ideal of Discernment

In the absence of wisdom, the path of justice descends to tyranny. You guard against such folly by being well-read and well-informed. You study the law but act from the heart, always seeking to be fair and balanced when possible. Your intuition, informed by knowledge, and your purity of motive guides you. Others may view you as bookish, “uncool”, reclusive, or perplexing.

You are talented in Knowledge: Scholar and Negotiation: Logic.

You are immune to confused effects.

Path of Mastery

Rank 1

Shield Bash

You have mastered the use of the shield. So long as you have a shield equipped, it has:

Deal 1d12 physical damage as a melee attack.

So long as this ability does 10 or more damage, it also inflicts Weak Grip on its target.

Dive

Instant

Dive in front of an ally, intercepting an attack.

The attack instead targets you. If it’s a physical attack, it deals half damage, rounded up.

Hurl

You throw your target somewhere near or above you (they are considered Pushed). They must be regular-sized or smaller. If you throw an enemy into another enemy, the second enemy also takes physical damage based on the first enemy’s size (small: 1d6, regular: 1d8, large: 1d12).

If your enemy takes falling damage, they must roll a Doom die. If they roll a Doom die, they are knocked Prone.

This ability can target allies. Allies tossed deal an additional 3 damage on their next attack or ability.

Rank 2

Shield Ricochet

Ranged Ability

You throw your shield, hitting up to 2 targets, and dealing 1d12 damage to each.

This ability hits an additional target for each non-Strength die spent on it.

Shield Wall

Concentration

You kneel and plant your shield in the earth, creating a barrier around yourself and someone next to you. You gain and up to one ally gain +1 Temporary Armor and are considered to be In Cover.

When you move, attack, or use an ability, the effect ends.

Auras

Your steadfast presence emits incredible auras that benefit you and your allies.

Auras, once activated, provide a continuous effect that does not end.

Activating an aura does not cost dice.

You may only have one Aura active at a time.

You may only activate one Aura per turn during an Encounter (meaning, if you activate an Aura during your turn, you must wait until your next turn to

Aura: Runaway Freight Train

Passive

You convert your momentum into incredible force.

Whenever you sprint, you can charge through an enemy, dealing 1d12 damage and knocking them Prone.

Additionally, you can pass through solid objects less than one foot (1/3 of a meter) in width.

Rank 3

Shield Surf

Ranged Ability

You throw your shield with incredible force in a straight line past an ally. They may hop on. If they do, the shield carries them to your intended destination and drops them off before returning to you.

The shield travels in the air and is not affected by gravity.

If this ability incurs a Doom die and fails, they fall off after traveling to a place near them.

You may also jump on the shield yourself as you throw it. If you do, an ally cannot hop on it.

Aura: Shadow of the Colossus

Passive

You double in size. You are now giant-sized. You can use your Hurl ability to throw small-sized objects distant, regular-sized objects far, and large-sized objects near.

Whenever you end your turn next to an enemy they must roll a doom die. If they roll Doom, they take 1d6 psychic damage.

Aura: Bramblethorn

Passive

You grow thorny spikes, and become like a dense bramble.

Attacks made against you inflict Thorns on the attacker.

Rank 4

Increase one of your attributes (💪, 👁️, ❤️, or 🎭) by 1.

Aura: Reckless Rampager

Passive

You become Vulnerable to all physical damage.

Whenever you spend Strength dice on an ability, if that ability would roll a d12 for damage, it instead rolls a d20.

Giga Slap

You backhand your enemy, causing them to take 1d12 psychic damage and Shocking them.

Rank 5

Choose a Subclass.

Choose a Subclass Trait.

Aura: Force Conduit

Passive

You channel powerful energy into your shield. Choose one of the following:

Fire: Your shield attacks and abilities instead deal fire damage and Singe the target.
Ice: Your shield attacks and abilities instead deal cold damage and Chill the target.
Water: Your shield attacks instead deal cold damage and inflict Wet.
Earth: Your shield attacks instead deal earth damage and inflict Tarred

Rank 6

Aura: Mirrorfield

Passive

Magical attacks directed at you and allies near you incur a Doom die.

Unstoppable Force

You refresh an additional die each round.

Rank 7

Increase one of your attributes (💪, 👁️, ❤️, or 🎭) by 1.

Moment of Heroism

Gain the heroism resource. Once per day, you may use this ability to do one of the following:

Your next attack deals critical damage
Regain 10 HP
Repair your armor
Rebuild your dice pool
Gain a 1d12 bonus to your next check or save.

Rank 8

[The class has not been developed beyond this point]

Rank 9

Rank 10

Sublimities

[Sublimities are still in development.]

Sublimities are how you progress after reaching Rank 10. You no longer use experience, and instead gain progress through spending Legacy Points (LP) and achieving milestones.

Quest: Knightly Charge

[Quests are still in development]

An authority figure, a person in need, or a mysterious stranger charges you with a quest. When you complete that quest, you are rewarded with a heraldic banner and tabard (or another article of clothing).

Additionally, you are rewarded with your choice of one of the following:

a suit of armor
a shield
an artifact
money

Those that recognize your coat-of-arms and align with your cause may provide you with gifts, information, or other help.

You gain a bonus die on negotiation checks with anyone, friend or foe, that recognizes your banner.