Bodyguard

Protectors of those in need, Bodyguards stand resolute in defending people whom employ them. They are masters at protecting others and intercepting attacks intended for another target.

**Menacing Glare (Ex):**

At 2nd level, A Bodyguard is trained to look tough and scare off ruffians. When they use intimidate to demoralize an opponent, they add twice their charisma modifier to the check.

**Damage Pool (Ex):**

At 2nd level, The bodyguard learns to become hearty and to temporarily shrug off damage so as to last longer in a fight. A Damage pool works similarly to damage reduction. Whenever the Body Guard takes damage it subtracts the damage from the damage pool before it applies damage reduction or energy resistance. This reduction increases by +1 for every 5 levels you possess.

With the damage pool, you can utilize negated damage for great effect. Whenever you take damage, you store a number of it equal to your Body Guard level. At any time afterward, you can choose to either deal that damage back as part of your attack damage, or you can heal yourself or an ally for the same amount. The ally must be within reach. Using this is a swift action, unless using it to heal in which it is a standard action on either yourself or the enemy. The damage pool persists for a number of minutes equal to your Body guard level.

**Body Guard Path (Ex):**

At 4th level the Body Guard selects their Body Guard path. This determines abilities gained at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 18. Once this decision is made it cannot be altered.

***Thug:*** The thug is a more melee oriented body guard. Sometimes called a bouncer, these body guards get up into the thick of it and are more likely to eliminate a threat than to protect the one who hired them.

At 4th level the Thug gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and CMB attacks. This increases to +2 if using an attack from the special technique talent tree. In addition whenever it expends points from it’s damage pool to deal damage to an opponent, the attack causes an additional amount of bleed damage equal to ½ of the amount spent from the pool. This bleed damage lasts for 1 round per 2 levels in Body Guard and requires a heal check DC: 15 to stop before that.

At 8th level, the Thug gains an additional number of hitpoints equal to 1d6+ Constitution modifier. In addition the thug gains a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. poison, drugs, or disease.

At 12th level, The bonus to attack, damage, and CMB rolls increases to +2 (Or +3 for special technique talent tree attacks) This bonus also applies to saving throw DC’s for special techniques. In addition the Thug’s DC to stop the bleeding increases by an amount equal to the Thug’s charisma modifier.

At 16th level, the Thug can make a charge without having to move in a straight line. All other charge rules apply, but the Thug can alter his or her direction when making a charge to avoid obstacles, so long as they make an acrobatics check DC 15 +2 for every turn made during the charge.

At 18th level, the Thug gains a +3 bonus to it’s massive damage threshold. In addition whenever the thug expends at least ½ of its damage pool to deal damage to a creature it can make a dirty trick combat maneuver against that target as a free action. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

***CPO (Close Protection Officer):*** The CPO is a more tactical body guard, usually utilized by politicians or other people of importance and excels at protecting their VIP with great skill.

At 4th level, the CPO gains a +1 bonus to armor class and CMD (This increases to +2 against attacks from the special technique talent tree). In addition, it can select a creature to be it’s VIP. This is usually the person who hired the body guard, however it can occasionally be an object, another person, or an animal. The CPO can select it’s VIP as a move action every round. The VIP of the Officer gains the +1 bonus to armor class and CMD so long as the CPO is within reach of them. Finally, if an enemy attacks the CPO’s VIP while the VIP is adjacent to the CPO, the CPO can take an attack of opportunity against the attacker. Even if the range for the other CPO abilities increases, this range doesn’t increase.

If it’s VIP is ever killed, the CPO takes a -4 to it’s wealth checks until it finds a new one.

At 8th level, the CPO gains a +1 bonus to reflex saving throws and it increases it’s base movement speed by +10 feet. The range that the CPO can grant it’s protection is increased to 15 feet. The bonus to reflex saves goes to it’s VIP so long as it is within that range as well. Whenever the CPO gets an attack of opportunity against a creature that attacks it’s VIP, the CPO can choose to move it’s VIP 5 feet in any direction as well.

At 12th level, The bonus granted to AC and CMD increases to +2 (Or +3 vs. special technique talents). In addition their VIP gains an additional number of hit points equal to the 1d6+ The CPO’s constitution modifier so long as they are within the range of the CPO’s bonuses. If the VIP is within range to gain the bonuses from the CPO, the CPO can spend an immediate action to move anywhere within that area to be adjacent to the VIP. This can be used in tandem with the Interception ability gained at 10th level, allowing for the Body Guard to intercept an attack and gain an attack of opportunity.

At 16th level, The bonus granted to reflex saving throws increases to +2, and the VIP gains the bonus to movement speed. Finally the range increases to 30 feet. When making an attack of opportunity, the CPO always adds ½ of it’s damage pool to the damage dealt without expending it.

At 18th level, The CPO grants it’s VIP a +3 bonus to it’s damage threshold. The CPO gains a +4 bonus on attacks of opportunity. The Body Guard gains a +4 bonus on all of its attacks of opportunity. Attacks of opportunity that the Body Guard makes have their critical hit range increased by 1 (Added after abilities such as improved critical) and the multiplier increased by +1 step (X2-X3-X4-X5- Ect…)

**Shield Ally (Ex):**

At 6th level, Whenever an ally is the target of an attack, if the body guard is within reach of the ally, it can make a reflex saving throw against the attack roll. If successful, the body guard take the damage instead and is the target of the attack.

**Interception (Su):**

At 10th level, The Body guard can move at sonic speeds to protect his friends. A number of times per day equal to his wisdom modifier, the body guard can move anywhere within his base land speed to intercept an attack intended for someone else as an immediate action. The body guard always takes the damage from this interception that cannot be negated save for using the body guard’s damage reduction, energy resistance, immunity, or damage pool. If the attack is an area effect, the Body Guard can choose to increase the damage by 50% to protect all adjacent creatures.

**Sudden Action**

Once per day, a Bodyguard of 14th level or higher can focus his or her effort to burst into sudden action when the situation calls for it. The Bodyguard can change his or her place in the initiative order, moving higher in the count by a number less than or equal to his or her class level, as the Bodyguard sees fit. The Bodyguard can declare the use of this ability at the start of any round, before anyone else takes an action. A Body Guard can do this additional times per day by expending a full damage pool each time.

In addition, when using Shield Ally, if the Bodyguard has an ability that allows it to negate damage through methods such as parrying, they can be used against the attack. Abilities such as dodge rolling do not apply however as it would move the body guard out of the line of fire.

**Final Stand (Su):**

At 20th level, The body guard learns to fight to protect its allies, even after it has been embraced by the icy hand of death. Once per day, if a Body guard is killed by any means, it can make a final stand until the end of its next turn. The body guard gains a +4 bonus to all d20 rolls. Its land speed increases by 20 feet. Finally the body guard is immune to all status ailments. When this round ends, the body guard falls dead unless it has received proper healing. If healed, it is exhausted for 24 hours, and the exhaustion cannot be treated or alleviated through means other than typical rest.