Vanguard
Change and decay are the only universal constants, and your understanding of these principles makes you a nigh-unstoppable force of nature: a juggernaut brimming with fundamental energies that allow you to hold the front line of any conflict and turn your own injuries into strength. The entropy within the universe and the level of chaos within any system stand at your disposal, and you channel them into potent combat abilities. To you, the inevitable decay of the galaxy is simply a force to shape, control, and even temporarily reverse. The ability to control when and how things change defines your philosophy and power, allowing you to transform blows that should have destroyed you into ticking time bombs of destruction ready to be unleashed upon your enemies.
Your Constitution determines your ability to control matter at an atomic level, the DCs of your abilities, the damage dealt by your entropic strike, and your general hardiness, so Constitution is your key ability score. A high Dexterity helps you act early in combat, avoid damage when you need to, and successfully land blows with your entropic strike.
The Vanguard's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Culture (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Life Science (Int), Medicine (Int), Mysticism (Wis), Perception (Wis), Profession (Cha, Int, or Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Armor: Light armor, heavy armor, and shields
Weapons: Basic melee weapons, advanced melee weapons, and small arms
You can focus the power of entropy into a forceful attack. Though you must touch your target to damage it, the damage is not from the impact but from focused waves of entropic energy that unbind and dissolve your target, crush it, or both. Your entropic strike is a magical one-handed advanced melee weapon with the operative weapon special property that targets EAC (even when dealing bludgeoning damage). You can make this attack with nearly any body part and do not need a hand free to use this ability. Using your entropic strike does not require any additional action to use beyond the action you take to make an attack (for example, it can be used to make an attack of opportunity.) For any calculation that requires the item level of your entropic strike, treat your vanguard level as your entropic strike’s item level.
You can also deliver an entropic strike with any melee weapon, or any shield that allows you to make unarmed attacks (replacing the normal attack with your entropic strike). The attack’s damage is equal to the entropic strike damage of a vanguard of either your class level or a class level equal to the weapon’s item level, whichever is lower. When you use this option, your entropic strike is considered to be made of whatever material the weapon or shield is made of (such as for the purposes of bypassing DR or creature weaknesses). Additionally, you can apply any weapon special property, critical hit effect, or weapon fusion the melee weapon or shield has to your entropic strike as long as the effect can be applied to a one-handed advanced melee weapon that deals acid or bludgeoning damage, doesn’t use additional ammunition or charges, and doesn’t require information beyond that specified for your entropic strike to function. If the weapon special property, critical hit effect, or weapon fusion requires information provided for your weapon (such as the amount of a bleed critical hit effect), use the value for the weapon you are gaining the effect from.
At 1st level, your entropic strike deals damage equal to 1d3 + your Constitution modifier, but you do not add your Strength modifier (unlike most melee attacks). For each attack, you can deal acid damage, bludgeoning damage, or both. This damage increases as you gain levels (see Table 2–2: Vanguard). At 10th level, you also add your Strength modifier to the damage of your entropic strike. At 5th level, when you use any combat maneuver for which you have Improved Combat Maneuver, you can target a foe’s EAC + 8 (rather than KAC + 8) to determine success, and you also determine the level of success (such as how far you push a foe with a successful bull rush) using EAC.
You have focused on one specific aspect of how entropy interacts with the universe, building a philosophy that goes far beyond mere physics. This aspect grants you an expanded command of the universe around you and teaches you important insights about matters that most people never connect to entropy.
You select one vanguard aspect when you take your first level of vanguard. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. Descriptions of the aspects you can choose from appear on pages 53–55. If an aspect ability allows a target to attempt a saving throw to resist its effects (including spell-like abilities), the DC is equal to 10 + half your vanguard level + your Constitution modifier unless stated otherwise.
Your understanding of a specific aspect of entropy gives you insight into combat and one specific skill that others rarely understand. You gain the Improved Combat Maneuver feat for the listed combat maneuver. Additionally, you gain a +2 insight bonus to checks with one skill determined by your aspect.
You gain an additional means of generating Entropy Points. If your aspect embodiment requires any interaction with another creature, that creature qualifies only if it is a significant enemy.
You have learned to create significant effects under certain conditions, guiding powerful forces with your subconscious mind. You gain an ability that you can use as a reaction the first time you take a critical hit in combat, or as a standard action by expending 4 Entropy Points. You can’t use the ability again until you take a 10-minute rest to regain Stamina Points.
You also gain an improved version of the ability that you can use without taking an action the first time you reach 0 Stamina Points or 0 Hit Points in a combat encounter, expending all Entropy Points you have, if any. Once you use the improved version of the ability, you can’t do so again for 24 hours.
You gain a powerful ability unique to your aspect.
You can control how you are affected by damage or effects that alter damage. As a reaction when you take damage, you can spend 1 Entropy Point to reduce the damage you take by an amount equal to your vanguard level (to a minimum of 0 damage). If you do, you can’t gain any Entropy Points from that attack.
Additionally, as a swift action, you can remove any DR or energy resistance you have, or the AC benefit of any ability or spell that increases your AC. If the effect granting DR or energy resistance has a duration, this ends the effect entirely for you. If you end an AC benefit, that AC benefit is ended for the duration of the effect. If the ability does not normally have a duration, you suspend the listed benefits until the beginning of your next turn. Additionally, whenever you first come under the effect of an ability or spell that grants you DR, energy resistance, or a bonus to AC, you can waive that benefit of the effect.
Your close attention to the multivariate interactions between countless systems of order and disorder, combined with your study of advanced combat techniques, allows you to manipulate reality in devastating ways known as disciplines. You learn your first vanguard discipline at 2nd level and an additional discipline every 2 levels thereafter. The list of vanguard disciplines appears on pages 55–57. Unless otherwise specified, you can’t select the same discipline more than once. If a vanguard discipline allows a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + half your vanguard level + your Constitution modifier.
Once per day, you can take an additional reaction during a single round, though you can still take only one reaction per triggering event. You can take a reaction before the first time you act in a combat, but not in a surprise round in which you are unable to act.
At 9th level and again at 15th level, you can use this ability one additional time per day, though you can never use this ability to take more than two reactions in a round or one per triggering event.
You gain the Weapon Specialization feat as a bonus feat for each weapon type with which this class grants you proficiency. You also gain a special form of weapon specialization for your entropic strike, allowing you to add a bonus to your damage equal to your vanguard class level plus half of any other class levels you have.
As you learn to exert finer control over your entropic strike, you can enhance it to devastating effect. The saving throw DC for any of these effects that allow a saving throw is equal to 10 + half your vanguard level + your Constitution modifier.
At 5th level, choose one of the following weapon special properties: breach, bright, feint, force, or penetrating. Once made, this choice can be changed only when you gain a new vanguard level. As long as you have at least 1 Entropy Point, your entropic strike has the chosen special property.
At 7th level, choose one of the following critical hit effects: corrode (1d8 for every 3 vanguard levels you have), knockdown, or staggered. Once made, this choice can be changed only when you gain a new vanguard level. Your entropic strike gains this critical hit effect as long as you have at least 1 Entropy Point. If your entropic strike has another critical hit effect, when you score a critical hit, you can choose either the entropic attunement critical hit effect or the other critical hit effect. Alternatively, you can expend 1 Entropy Point to apply both critical hit effects.
At 10th level, you can extend your field of entropy far enough that your entropic strike gains the reach weapon special property. The reach granted by this property increases by an additional 5 feet at 13th level, 16th level, and 19th level.
At 13th level, just before making an attack, you can spend 2 Entropy Points to grant your next attack the blast weapon special property with a range of 20 feet. At 16th level, this range increases to 30 feet, and at 19th level, it increases to 60 feet.
At 16th level, as a standard action you can use your entropic strike to strike the ground or clap your hands together to deal damage in a radius. Make a single melee attack roll and compare the result to the EAC of creatures and objects within 20 feet (other than yourself). You damage each creature and object with an EAC equal to or lower than the attack result. You can expend 1 EP to exclude a number of targets equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
At 19th level, as long as you have 1 Entropy Point, your entropic strike gains a second weapon special property, selected from those listed at 5th level. When you score a critical hit with your entropic strike, you can apply either the severe wound critical hit effect or any one of the critical hit effects listed at 7th level.
You are immune to the flat-footed condition, and your opponent doesn’t gain any bonuses to attack rolls against you from flanking you or attacking you when you’re prone. Furthermore, covering fire and harrying fire don’t provide any advantage against you.
Your understanding of the many ways entropy can control the physical world expands. Select a second vanguard aspect, which must be different from your first vanguard aspect. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.
You gain the aspect insight benefit from your second vanguard aspect. If you already have the bonus feat granted by this aspect insight, you can instead select any other feat for which you meet the prerequisites.
You gain the aspect embodiment benefit of the second vanguard aspect you selected at 8th level.
Your mastery of melee combat allows you to make multiple attacks more accurately. When making a full attack entirely with melee attacks, you take a –3 penalty instead of the normal –4 penalty.
When making a full attack, you can also take a separate move action to move. The movement can occur before, after, or between the attacks from the full attack. All the movement must occur at the same time. This is a haste effect.
You begin each combat encounter with 3 Entropy Points.
Once per day as a reaction, you become immune to all weapon special properties that impose penalties on you or that grant an attacker bonuses against you, as well as all combat maneuvers, conditions, critical hits, and critical hit effects, and you can take three reactions each round. These benefits last for 1 minute.
Hit Points: 7
Stamina Points: 7
Key Ability Score - Con
Your Constitution determines your ability to control matter at an atomic level, the DCs of your abilities, the damage dealt by your entropic strike, and your general hardiness, so Constitution is your key ability score. A high Dexterity helps you act early in combat, avoid damage when you need to, and successfully land blows with your entropic strike.
Class Skills
The Vanguard's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Culture (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Life Science (Int), Medicine (Int), Mysticism (Wis), Perception (Wis), Profession (Cha, Int, or Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, heavy armor, and shields
Weapons: Basic melee weapons, advanced melee weapons, and small arms
Class Features
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Entropic Strike Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Entropic Pool, Entropic Strike, First Vanguard Aspect (Aspect Insight) | 1d3 |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Mitigate, Vanguard Discipline | 1d3 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Reactive 1/day, Weapon Specialization | 1d4 |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | First Vanguard Aspect (Aspect Embodiment), Vanguard Discipline | 1d4 |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Entropic Attunement (Weapon Special Property) | 1d6 |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Vanguard Discipline | 2d6 |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Entropic Attunement (Critical Hit Effect), Uncanny Agility | 2d6 |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Second Vanguard Aspect (Second Aspect Insight), Vanguard Discipline | 2d6 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Reactive 2/day | 3d6 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Entropic Attunement (Reach), Vanguard Discipline | 3d6 |
| 11th | +11 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Flashing Strikes | 3d6 |
| 12th | +12 | +8 | +8 | +4 | First Vanguard Aspect (Aspect Catalyst), Vanguard Discipline | 4d6 |
| 13th | +13 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Entropic Attunement (Blast) | 5d6 |
| 14th | +14 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Vanguard Discipline | 6d6 |
| 15th | +15 | +9 | +9 | +5 | Reactive 3/day, Uncanny Speed | 7d6 |
| 16th | +16 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Entropic Attunement (Radius), Vanguard Discipline | 8d6 |
| 17th | +17 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Second Vanguard Aspect (Second Aspect Embodiment) | 9d6 |
| 18th | +18 | +11 | +11 | +6 | First Vanguard Aspect (Aspect Finale), Vanguard Discipline | 10d6 |
| 19th | +19 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Agent of Chaos, Entropic Attunement (Severe Wound) | 11d6 |
| 20th | +20 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Invulnerability, Vanguard Discipline | 12d6 |
Entropic Pool (Su) - 1st Level
You have the supernatural ability to control matter as it changes states, allowing you to arrest, accelerate, or even reverse the typical course of events. This energy takes the form of a pool of Entropy Points (EP). You can have a maximum number of EP in your entropic pool equal to your Constitution modifier.
You can gain Entropy Points only when involved in a combat encounter that includes a significant enemy (Starfinder Core Rulebook 242). When combat begins, you gain 1 Entropy Point at the beginning of your first action; at the end of combat, you lose any Entropy Points you have remaining. In addition to methods granted by vanguard aspects, you can gain Entropy Points in the followings ways.
- While you have no Entropy Points, you can spend 1 Resolve Point as a move action to gain 1 EP (2 EP at 10th level).
- Each time you take damage equal to or greater than twice your character level from a single attack or effect (after applying any ability to reduce that damage, such as DR, energy resistance, or the mitigate class feature), you gain 1 EP.
- If you take damage from a critical hit, you gain 1 EP, in addition to any you gain from the attack’s normal damage.
- If you score a critical hit on a significant enemy, you gain 1 EP.
- If you take a full action to charge, you gain 1 EP.
- If you take two move actions on the same turn to move your speed each time, you gain 1 EP.
- As a move action, you can designate a willing adjacent ally as an entropic focus. They remain an entropic focus until the beginning of your next turn, unless they cease to be adjacent to you or you designate a new entropic focus (both of which end this effect). If your entropic focus takes damage equal to or greater than twice your character level from a single attack or effect (after applying any ability to reduce that damage, such as DR, energy resistance, or the mitigate class feature), you gain 1 EP. If you are at least 6th level, you can expend a Resolve Point to designate an adjacent, willing ally as your entropic focus as a reaction when they take damage (and gain EP from damage they take from the triggering attack, if appropriate).
- As part of a full action to charge or a move action to move your speed, you can expend 1 EP to gain a +10-foot enhancement bonus to your speed (normally land speed, but you can apply it to the speed for any movement type you have).
- As a move action, you can expend EP to boost the damage of the next entropic strike attack you make before the start of your next turn. You must decide how many EP to expend when you take this move action, and you can’t expend more EP than your level. If the boosted entropic strike hits, you deal +1d4 damage for every EP expended.
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