Dwarven Defender

Alignment: Any lawful
Hit Die: d12

Requirements:

Class Skills: The defender's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The dwarven defender is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and shields.

Table: Dwarven Defender
Class Level Base
Attack Bonus
Fort Save Ref Save Will Save AC Bonus
Special
1 +1 +2 +0 +2 +1 Defensive stance 1/day
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 +1 Defensive awareness (Dex bonus to AC)
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 +1 Defensive stance 2/day
4 +4 +4 +1 +4 +2  
5 +5 +4 +1 +4 +2 Defensive stance 3/day
6 +6 +5 +2 +5 +2 Damage reduction (3), def. awareness (can’t be flanked)
7 +7 +5 +2 +5 +3 Defensive stance 4/day
8 +8 +6 +2 +6 +3  
9 +9 +6 +3 +6 +3 Defensive stance 5/day
10 +10 +7 +3 +7 +4 Damage reduction (6), def. awareness (+1 vs. traps)

Defensive Stance: When he needs to, the defender can become a stalwart bastion of defense. In this defensive stance, a defender gains phenomenal strength and durability, but he cannot move from the spot he is defending. He gains the following benefits:

While defending, a defender cannot use skills or abilities that would require him to shift his position, such as Move Silently or Jump. A defensive stance lasts for 3 rounds, plus the character's (newly improved) Constitution modifier. The defender may end the defense voluntarily prior to this limit. At the end of the defense, the defender is winded and suffers a -2 penalty to Strength for the duration of that encounter. The defender can only take his defensive stance a certain number of times per day as determined by his level. Taking the stance takes no time itself, but the defender can only do so during his action.

Defensive Awareness: Starting at 2nd level, the dwarven defender gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. At 2nd level and above, he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)

At 6th level, the dwarven defender can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the dwarven defender. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least 4 levels higher than the dwarven defender can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

At 10th level, the dwarven defender gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps.

Defensive awareness is cumulative with uncanny dodge. If the dwarven defender has another class that grants the uncanny dodge ability, add together all the class levels of the classes that grant these two abilities and determine the character's defensive awareness ability on that basis.

Damage Reduction: At 6th level, the dwarven defender gains the extraordinary ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 3 from the damage the dwarven defender takes each time he is dealt damage. At 10th level, this damage reduction rises to 6. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. (That is, the defender cannot actually gain hit points in this manner.)