Warden Brute

Warden Brutes are particularly surly veterans of a dwarven Hold Ward.

**Officer 9**

**Perception** +18; Darkvision

**Languages** Dwarven, Common

**Skills** Acrobatics +18, Athletics +20, Crafting +18, Intimidation +16, Religion +16, Survival +16

Str +6, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +3

**Bravery** Having faced countless foes and the chaos of battle, you have learned how to stand strong in the face of fear and keep on fighting. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to expert. When you roll a success at a Will save against a fear effect, you get a critical success instead. In addition, anytime you gain the frightened condition, reduce its value by 1.

**Mountain's Stoutness**

**Terrified Retreat** When you critically succeed at the Demoralize action, if the target’s level is lower than yours, the target is fleeing for 1 round.

**Items** crossbow (10 bolts), clan dagger, +1 scale mail, signal whistle, +1 Maul

**AC** 28; Fort +18, Ref +18, Will +15

**HP** 159

**Death Warden** (Dwarf, Heritage) if a Brute succeeds against a Necromantic Effect they get a critical success instead.

**Speed** 15 ft

Melee (Single Action) Maul +21 (Shove), Damage 2d10+13 bludgeoning

**Attack of Opportunity**

**Dwarven Weapon Cunning** You’ve learned cunning techniques to get the best effects out of your dwarven weapons. Whenever you critically hit using a battle axe, pick, warhammer, or a dwarf weapon, you apply the weapon’s critical specialization effect.

**Felling Strike** (Double Action) Your attack can ground an airborne foe. Make a Strike. If it hits and deals damage to a flying target, the target falls up to 120 feet. The fall is gradual enough that if it causes the target to hit the ground, the target takes no damage from the fall. If the attack is a critical hit, the target can't Fly, Leap, levitate, or otherwise leave the ground until the end of your next turn.

**Intimidating Strike** (Single Action) Your blow not only wounds creatures but also shatters their confidence. Make a melee Strike. If you hit and deal damage, the target is frightened 1, or frightened 2 on a critical hit.

**Knockdown** (Flourish) You attack to knock a foe off balance, then follow up immediately with a sweep to topple them. Make a melee Strike. If it hits and deals damage, you can attempt an Athletics check to Trip the creature you hit. If you're wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you can ignore Trip's requirement that you have a hand free. Both attacks count toward your multiple-attack penalty, but the penalty doesn't increase until after you've made both of them.

**Power Attack** You unleash a particularly powerful attack that clobbers your foe but leaves you a bit unsteady. Make a melee Strike. This counts as two attacks when calculating your multiple-attack penalty. If this Strike hits, you deal an extra die of weapon damage. If you’re at least 10th level, increase this to two extra dice, and if you’re at least 18th level, increase it to three extra dice.

**Shatter Defenses** (Press) Your offense exploits your enemy's fear. Make a melee Strike against a frightened creature. If you hit and deal damage, the target becomes flat-footed until its frightened condition ends. If the target was already flat-footed to you when you damaged it with this Strike, it can't reduce its frightened value below 1 until the start of your next turn.