Guarded Stance

When a character is confronted by an angry enemy with a weapon, they may be inclined to defend themselves rather than taking an ineffectual swing at their opponent. In such an instance, the character can take a maneuver to assume a guarded stance, which contributes to their defense against melee attacks. A character who performs this maneuver adds b to any combat checks they make until the end of their next turn. However, they also gain melee defense 1 until the end of their next turn.