Bodyguard Prestige Class

Written by Cameron J. Haigh

The bodyguard is the guy you call when you need someone protected well and good. This guy is a specialist at stopping attempts on his charge’s life. The bodyguard will even put his own life on the line to protect his charge. They are a serious type with no time for games. It is expect that you will follow their orders or you will lose their expertise.

Abilities: The bodyguard relies on a good defense and the ability to spot trouble for his charge. To do this he needs a good Dexterity and Wisdom. If he ever needs to take a bullet for his charge, a good Constitution will help also.
Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution bonus per level.

Requirements
To become a bodyguard, an agent must meet all of the following requirements:
Agent Level: 5+.
Dexterity: 13+.
Wisdom: 13+.
Sense Motive: 6 ranks.
Spot: 8 ranks.
Feats: Combat Instincts, Improved Initiative.

Class Skills
The bodyguard’s class skills are Boating, Craft, Cultures, Diplomacy, Driver, First Aid, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge, Languages, Listen, Pilot, Profession, Read Lips, Search, Sense Motive, Sport, Spot, Surveillance, and Swim.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the bodyguard.
Class Feats: The bodyguard gains the following feats at 1st level; Armour Proficiency (Light), Armour Proficiency (Medium), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun), Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle), Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee).
Recovery: Whenever a bodyguard spends an action die to gain back vitality, it is doubled. This affects the roll only for vitality and can not be used to gain back twice the amount of wounds.
Intervention: Beginning at 1st level, the bodyguard may elect to place himself in the path of danger in order to protect his single charge. Any time that you are within 5 feet of your charge, and your charge suffers an attack, you may switch places with your charge and receive the attack in his place. You must declare this before the attack roll is made. You select your charge when you roll initiative, and it is a free action to do so. You may not change your charge for the duration of that combat.
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, the bodyguard gains the ability to instinctively react to danger. He always retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense, even if caught flat-footed (the bonus is still lost if the bodyguard is immobilized, though), making it much more difficult to sneak attack him. At 6th level, opponents must be 4 levels higher than the bodyguard in order to flank him. Remember that an agent cannot use the sneak attack ability unless flanking the target of the attack. If the bodyguard already had the Uncanny Dodge special ability before entering the class, then continue the normal progression of this ability.
Bonus Feat: The bodyguard may choose a feat from this list: Alertness, Confident Charge, Expertise (Improved Disarm), Jump Up, Lightning Reflexes, Mark, Mobility, Quick Draw, Run (Increased Speed), Sidestep, Surge of Speed, Toughness.
Shield Charge: The bodyguard can take a movement half action, in order to stay within 5 feet of his charge to shield him. Both the bodyguard and the charge must move the same distance in the round. If the charge becomes separated from the bodyguard by more than 5 feet, all bonuses are lost. At 4th level, while being shielded by the bodyguard, the charge acts as if under quarter cover. At 8th level, this increases to half cover.
Vigilance: At 10th level, whenever the bodyguard is actively protecting his charge, he is considered to be taking 10 on all Listen, Search, and Spot checks. If you actually take 10, it is treated as if you took 20. In neither case can a threat ever be scored.

The Bodyguard