Azure Knight

*Azure knights take the bits and pieces of creatures they fought and killed, to imbue their shields with the creature’s powers.*

## Abilities

### Azure Pool (Su)

At 1st level, the azure knight gains a reservoir of mystical blue energy that he can draw upon to fuel his powers and enhance his shield. This azure pool has a number of points equal to his Guard level + his Charisma modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the azure knight rests for a full 8 hours.

At 1st level, an azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as a swift action to grant any shield he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st the shield gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses can be added to the shield, stacking with existing shield enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following shield properties: animated, arrow catching, arrow deflection, assiduous, bashing, bastion, blinding, bolstering, clangorous, fortification, frosted, grinding, impervious, jarring, jawbreaker, mirrored, ramming, rebounding, or reflecting.

Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the shield already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the shield is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the azure pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the azure knight uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the shield is wielded by anyone other than the azure knight.

An azure knight can only enhance one shield in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.

This ability replaces defend ally.

### Imbue Shield (Su)

Also at 1st level, the azure knight can imbue their shields even further by sacrificing pieces of creatures that he has slain to imbue his shield with supernatural abilities. Sacrificed creatures that have supernatural abilities that can be learned by blue mages are immediately learned by the azure knight. Instead of spells, they become supernatural abilities that the azure knight can use. Each supernatural ability learned become on the azure knight’s known ability list. Accessing a specific supernatural ability requires a move action to attune to. To use a supernatural ability, the azure knight must spend points from his azure pool equal to the spell level equivalent of the ability and must have a Guard level (minimum 1) equal to double the spell level.

At 6th level, the azure knight can spend one point from his azure pool to add any metamagic feat of 1 MP or lower onto any supernatural ability he uses. He can only apply this once per spell.

At 11th level, the azure knight can access a specific supernatural ability as a swift action and can spend two points from his azure pool to add any metamagic feat of 2 MP or lower onto any supernatural ability he uses. He can only apply this once per spell and doesn’t stack with the previous ability.

At 16th level, the azure knight can access a specific supernatural ability as a free action and can spend three points from his azure pool to add any metamagic feat of 3 MP or lower onto any supernatural ability he uses. He can only apply this once per spell and doesn’t stack with the previous ability.

This ability replaces defensive stance, improved defensive stance, tireless stance, and superior defensive stance.

### Azure Arcana (Ex or Su)

As he gains levels, an azure knight learns special arcanas tailored to his specific way of blending martial puissance and azure power. Starting at 2nd level, an azure knight gains one azure arcana. He gains an additional azure arcana for every two levels of Guard attained after 2nd level. Unless specifically noted in an azure arcana’s description, an azure knight cannot select a particular azure arcana more than once.

*Accurate Strike (Ex):* The azure knight can expend 2 points from his azure pool as a swift action to resolve all of his melee weapon attacks until the end of his turn as melee touch attacks. **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Azure Accuracy (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as a swift action to grant himself an insight bonus equal to his Charisma bonus on all attack rolls until the end of his turn.

*Azure Edge (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as an immediate action after hitting a target with a slashing or piercing weapon in order to deal an amount of bleed damage equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 0). **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Azure Redoubt (Su):* As a swift action, the azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool to treat his shield bonus to AC (including any enhancement bonus) as a bonus to touch AC until the beginning of his next turn.

*Azure Redoubt, Greater (Su):* Whenever the azure knight uses his azure redoubt azure arcana, he may spend an additional point from his azure pool in order to apply his shield bonus to AC (including any enhancement bonus) as a bonus on Reflex saves until the beginning of his next turn. If he is targeted with an effect requiring a Reflex save while using this power, he may spend 2 points from his azure pool as an immediate action to grant himself evasion, or 4 points to grant himself improved evasion. **Prerequisite:** GRD 12, azure redoubt azure arcana

*Dispelling Strike (Su):* The azure knight can spend 1 or more points from his azure pool as a swift action to imbue his weapon with a special power. If the weapon strikes a creature within the next minute, that creature is the subject of a targeted *dispel* using the Guard's level as the caster level, except that this effect cannot dispel a spell of a level higher than the number of azure pool points expended to activate this ability (treat higher-level spells as if they do not exist and apply the dispel attempt to the remaining spells with the highest caster level). Once the strike is made, the power dissipates, even if the dispel attempt is unsuccessful. **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Disruptive (Ex):* The azure knight gains Disruptive as a bonus feat.

*Enduring Shield (Su):* Whenever the azure knight enchants his shield using his azure pool, he may spend 1 additional point from his azure pool to increase the duration to 1 minute per Guard level.

*Extra Azure Pool (Su):* The azure knight’s azure pool increases by 2. This arcana can be taken more than once.

*Ghost Touch (Su):* Whenever the azure knight enchants his shield using his azure pool, he may spend 1 additional point from his azure pool to add the ghost touch special abilities to the list of available options. **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Hasted Assault (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as a swift action to move more quickly. This functions as *haste*, but only targets the azure knight and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the azure knight’s Charisma bonus. **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Lingering Pain (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as an immediate action after hitting a target with a weapon attack. All damage from that attack is considered continuous damage for the purposes of any concentration checks made by the target prior to the beginning of the azure knight’s next turn.

*Prescient Attack (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as an immediate action after hitting a target with a weapon attack, allowing him to anticipate his opponent’s defenses. The target is denied its Dexterity bonus against the azure knight’s attacks until the end of the azure knight’s next turn.

*Prescient Defense (Su):* The azure knight can expend 1 point from his azure pool as an immediate action after hitting a target with a weapon attack, granting him a premonition of his enemy’s intentions. The azure knight gains a bonus to his AC and on Reflex saves equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 0) against attacks by that opponent until the beginning of his next turn. **Prerequisite:** GRD 8

*Spellbreaker (Ex):* The azure knight gains Spellbreaker as a bonus feat. **Prerequisite:** GRD 12

These abilities replaces Guard Powers.