Dwarven Vaultguard

Dwarven class — see Classes for the full list.

Prime Requisite:	STR
Requirements:	CON 9
Hit Dice:	1d8
Maximum Level:	13

Dwarves trained to defend their race’s underground vault from the endless hordes that threaten it are called vaultguards. Though most vaultguards are born, live and die in the vault, from time to time a young vaultguard will be dispatched to foreign realms on a warrior’s pilgrimage. The few vaultguards who return from such pilgrimages bring gold and glory to their clans, often leading them to found new vaults and become great lords.

Dwarven Vaultguard Level Progression

Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus
0	Sentry	1	1d8	+1
2,200	Warden	2	2d8	+1
4,400	Shieldbearer	3	3d8	+2
8,800	Defender	4	4d8	+2
17,500	Sentinel	5	5d8	+2
35,000	Guardian	6	6d8	+3
70,000	Champion	7	7d8	+3
140,000	Vaultguard	8	8d8	+3
270,000	Vaultlord	9	9d8	+4
400,000	Vaultlord, 10th Level	10	9d8 + 3*	+4
530,000	Vaultlord, 11th Level	11	9d8 + 6*	+4
660,000	Vaultlord, 12th Level	12	9d8 + 9*	+5
790,000	Vaultlord, 13th Level	13	9d8 + 12*	+5

Dwarven Vaultguard Saving Throws and Attack Bonus

Level	Paralysis	Death	Blast	Implement	Spells	Attack Bonus
1	9+	10+	12+	12+	13+	+0
2-3	8+	9+	11+	11+	12+	+1
4	7+	8+	10+	10+	11+	+2
5-6	6+	7+	9+	9+	10+	+3
7	5+	6+	8+	8+	9+	+4
8-9	4+	5+	7+	7+	8+	+5
10	3+	4+	6+	6+	7+	+6
11-12	2+	3+	5+	5+	6+	+7
13	1+	2+	4+	4+	5+	+8

Combat Characteristics

Vaultguards are the most highly-trained combatants fielded by the dwarves.

Combat Proficiencies: Vaultguards have weapon proficiency with all weapons except long bows or two-handed swords (due to their short stature). They have armor proficiency with all armor. They have fighting style proficiency with the weapon and shield, two-handed weapon, and dual weapon styles.

Combat Progression: Vaultguards advance in attack throws and saving throws as fighters, by two points every three levels of experience. They increase their base damage roll from successful missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1^st level, and by an additional +1 at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They can cleave after felling a foe a maximum of once per round per class level.

Starting Class Powers

Manual of Arms: The vaultguard is highly experienced in military discipline, physical fitness, and weapon drill. He can automatically identify the battle standards, equipment, great captains, military slang, and rank insignia of his clan and vault. He can identify those of other clans, vaults, or realms with a proficiency throw of 11+. He can fight as a regular (rather than irregular) troop in formed and loose units. He can begin play as a member of a legion, mercenary’s guild, or other military organization (Judge’s discretion). (This class power is equivalent to one rank of Manual of Arms proficiency.)

Additional Class Powers

Battlefield Prowess (5th level): The vaultguard’s presence inspires troops he leads. Any henchmen and mercenaries hired by the vaultguard gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever he personally leads them. This bonus stacks with any modifiers from the vaultguard’s Charisma or proficiencies.

Vault (9th level): By acquiring a vault worth at least 15,000gp, the vaultguard can attract dwarves to his service. 3d6 x 10 1^st level dwarven mercenaries arrive to serve him as followers within 1d3 months of him acquiring the vault. If the vaultguard already acquired a vault, the followers arrive to serve him within 1d3 months of him reaching 9^th level. The vaultguard must pay his followers the ordinary rates for mercenaries and henchmen or they leave his service. Additional rules for vaults are detailed in Campaigns.

Racial Traits

As dwarves, vaultguards have certain powers and drawbacks associated with their race.

Dwarf Tongues: Dwarves can speak the Common and Dwarvish tongue and, because of their frequent interaction underground with beastmen, can also speak Goblin, Gnome, and Kobold.

Hardy: Dwarves are tough. The target values for all their saving throws versus Blast/Breath are reduced by 3, while the target values for all their other saving throws are reduced by 4. (These adjustments are already factored into the saving throws on the Dwarven Vaultguard Attack and Saving Throws table.)

Sensitivity to Rock and Stone: Dwarves gain a +1 bonus to surprise rolls when underground. When using Adventuring proficiency to search or listen, they succeed on a proficiency throw of 14+ (instead of the usual 18+). If separately proficient in either or both, they gain a +2 bonus to the throw instead.

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1^st level, vaultguards gain one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list (as indicated by the template rolled). They select an additional class proficiency at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5^th, 9^th, and 13^th level.

Dwarven Vaultguard Proficiency List: Alertness, Berserkergang, Blind Fighting, Caving, Combat Ferocity, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (force back, knock down, overrun, sunder, wrestling), Command, Dungeonbashing Expertise, Dwarven Brewing, Fighting Style Specialization, Goblin-Slaying, Illusion Resistance, Intimidation, Land Surveying, Leadership, Military Strategy, Mountaineering, Precise Shooting, Prospecting, Running, Siege Engineering, Vermin-Slaying, Weapon Focus

Vaultguard Templates

3d6	Template	Proficiencies	Starting Equipment
3 – 4	Deserter	Running Survival	Battle axe, hand axe, undamaged leather armor, threadbare workborn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, tinderbox, 6 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 3gp (enc. 4 5/6 st)
5 – 6	Battlerager	Berserkergang Intimidation	Rune-carved battle axe, wooden shield, dagger, ring mail armor, craftborn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, tinderbox, 6 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 3gp (enc. 6 5/6 st)
7 – 8	Sentinel	Alertness Signaling	Iron-shod spear, warhammer, wooden shield, banded plate armor, craftborn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, tinderbox, 6 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 5gp (enc. 9 4/6 st)
9 – 10	Clansdwarf	[[Fighting Style Specialization	Fighting Style Spec.]] (wpn & shld) Manual of Arms 2
11 – 12	Goblin Slayer	Goblin-Slaying Caving	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, spear notched with many kills, hand axe, steel shield painted with vault insignia, chainmail armor, military cloak, oathsworn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, tinderbox, 6 torches, 3 flasks of military oil, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 9gp (enc. 9 3/6 st)
13 – 14	Axebearer	Weapon Focus (axes) Endurance	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, battle axe, 2 hand axes, steel shield repainted many times, banded plate armor, oathsworn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, tinderbox, 6 torches, 2 flasks of military oil, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 14gp (enc. 9 4/6 st)
15 – 16	Beseiger	Dungeonbashing Expertise Siege Engineering	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, spiked mace, heavy steel shield with many dents, banded plate armor, oathsworn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, crowbar, small hammer, 12 iron spikes, tinderbox, 6 torches, 2 flasks of military oil, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 19gp (enc. 10 st)
17 – 18	Highborn	Command Riding	Crossbow, case with 20 bolts, iron-shod spear, warhammer carved with clan emblem, hand axe, steel shield painted with clan emblem, dwarf-forged plate armor, oathsworn tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, mule, riding saddle and tack, saddlebags, tinderbox, 6 torches, waterskin, 1 week’s iron rations, 4gp (enc. 10 st with rations on mule)