Force Guardians

An guardian’s abilities are determined by the force adept’s level and its animal racial traits. **Table: Guardian Base Statistics** determines many of the base statistics of the animal companion. They remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them.

Easy animal companion statistics can be found in the Pathfinder Animal Companions List.

#### Class Level

The character’s force adept level. The force adept’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an guardian for the purpose of determining the companion’s statistics.

#### HD

This is the total number of eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice the guardian possesses, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal.

Guardians receive average health points per hit die. For d8, the average is 4.5. Determine Health as you would for a player character at first level, then multiply 4.5 times the number of hit dice your guardian has above first and round down. Recalculate hit points for your companion each time it gains additional hit dice. After its hit points are calculated, add in appropriate bonuses from its Constitution modifier, feats, and so on.

#### BAB/ DEF

This is the guardian’s base attack and defense bonus. An guardian’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a force adept of a level equal to the animal’s HD. guardians do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a high base attack bonus.

#### Fort/Ref/Will

These are the guardian’s base saving throw bonuses. A guardian has good Fortitude and Reflex saves.

#### Skills

This lists the animal’s total skill ranks. Animal companions can assign skill ranks to any skill listed below. If an animal companion increases its Intelligence to 10 or higher, it gains bonus skill ranks as normal. Guardians with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can purchase ranks in any skill. A guardian cannot have more ranks in a skill than it has Hit Dice.

Guardians can have ranks in any of the following skills:

Acrobatics\* (Dex), Athletics\* (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception\* (Wis), Stealth\* (Dex), and Survival (Wis).

All of the skills marked with an (\*) are class skills for Guardians. Guardians with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.

#### Feats

This is the total number of feats possessed by an guardian. Guardians should select their feats from those listed under Animal Feats. Animal companions can select other feats, although they are unable to utilize some feats (such as Martial Weapon Proficiency). Note that guardians cannot select a feat with a requirement of base attack bonus +1 until they gain their second feat at 3 Hit Dice.

Guardians can select from the following feats:

Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, and Weapon Focus.

Guardians with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select any feat they are physically capable of using. GMs might expand this list to include feats from other sources.

#### Natural Armor Bonus

The number noted here is an improvement to the Guardian’s existing natural armor bonus. A guardian's natural armor bonus is counted as Damage Reduction. If you choose an animal companion from pathfinder, lower the base creature's natural armor by 2.

#### Str/Dex Bonus

Add this value to the guardian’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

#### Bonus Tricks

The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the force adept might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The force adept selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

#### Link (Ex)

A force adept can handle her guardian as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The force adept gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding a guardian.

#### Force Bond (Ex)

The force adept may use a force talent with a target of “You” on her guardian (as a touch range power) instead of on herself. A druid may cast spells on her animal companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal). Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants an animal companion. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells.

#### Evasion (Ex)

If a guardian is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

#### Devotion

A guardian gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

#### Ability Score Increase (Ex)

The guardian adds +1 to any one of its ability scores.

#### Growth

The guardian's bond grows stronger, and the animal grows into new abilities. Choose one of the following:

* Extra attacks: Bite, claws, rake, slam, sting
* Venom/Poison: DC 1/2HD+Con, 1d6 Str or Dex, 1d4 Con.
* Projectile attack: Every 1d4 rounds, single target, 1d6+Dex?
	+ Breath weapon?: Multiple targets, 1d4/level damage
* Skill trick?

#### Multiattack

A guardian gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the guardian instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.

#### Improved Evasion (Ex)

When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an guardian takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.