Knight Talents

As a knight gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him in defending himself and his allies. Starting at 2nd level, a knight gains one knight talent. He gains an additional knight talent for every 2 levels of knight attained after 2nd level. Unless specified otherwise, a knight cannot select an individual talent more than once.

Table: Knight Talents

Knight Talent	Prerequisites	Benefits
Armor Expertise (Ex)	—	When the knight takes this talent, he chooses between one of the following bonuses to gain, twice (making the choice both times): armor check penalty reduced by 1 or maximum dexterity bonus increased by 1. These bonuses apply to either armor or shields the knight uses, also chosen by the knight. He may choose any combination of the bonuses. This talent may be taken multiple times and its bonuses stack.
Armored Bastion (Ex)	—	While wearing armor, the knight gains DR 1/-. This stacks with DR from other knight features. The DR increases to 2/- at 7th level.
Armored Confidence (Ex)	—	The knight gains a +3 (untyped) bonus to Intimidate checks while wearing armor. This increases by 1 at 7th level and every four thereafter. The knight adds half of this bonus (rounded down) to the DC required to affect him with Intimidate.
Armored Sacrifice (Ex)	—	When damage would cause the knight or an adjacent ally to be knocked unconscious or killed, the knight can redirect that damage to an equipped shield or suit of armor, albeit the shield/armor's hardness is halved for damage calculation. This is a free action usable outside of the knight's turn. This talent can be used once per day, plus one additional time at 12th and 20th levels
Armored Strike (Ex)	—	While wearing armor, the knight gains the benefits of the Martial Arts class feature, treating his monk level as 1 for it. He does not actually gain a monk level. While wearing armor, the material of his unarmed strikes is his armor’s material.
Astute Defender (Ex)	Improved Shield Ally class feature or Take the Blow knight talent	The knight may use Shield Ally or Take the Blow to designate an enemy instead of an ally. If he does, those abilities, as well as the Greater Ally Defense talent, now instead apply to attacks made by that enemy against allies, no matter the ally targeted.
Attracting Shield (Ex)	—	As a move action, or as part of moving as a move action, the knight can grant half of his shield AC bonus (rounded down) to another adjacent ally as a dodge bonus until the start of his next turn, as long as they’re adjacent to him.
Barricade (Ex)	—	The knight adds half of his knight level (rounded down) to DCs of any attempts to move through his space, such as by using Acrobatics or Overrun, as well as to attempts to feint him
Break Fall (Ex)	—	The knight takes halved damage (rounded up) from falling, or from bludgeoning area effects without saves (such as stone calls or avalanches), while wearing armor or using a shield.
Citadel (Ex)	—	The knight inspires an adjacent ally to fight. As a move action, he can grant them (1d8+half of his knight level rounded down) temporary hit points, lasting for the encounter. This ability is usable (3+CHA modifier) times per day.
Critical Deflection (Ex)	—	While wearing armor or using a shield, the knight gains a +2 bonus to his AC against attack rolls made to confirm a critical hit. This bonus increases by 1 at 7th level and every four knight levels thereafter, to a maximum of +6 at 19th level.
Dedicated Guardian (Ex)	Knight 6, Dedicated Protector knight talent	This talent grants the knight and the ally designated with Dedicated Protector the ability to mark an enemy as a swift or move action. Until the end of the user's next turn, the marked enemy is considered flanked by the knight and designated ally if they both threaten it, or if it is adjacent to them both. This ability's duration may be refreshed.
Dedicated Protector (Ex)	Knight 6	When combat begins, or as a free action, the knight may designate an ally. While adjacent to that ally, the knight grants them a +1 dodge bonus to AC. Only one ally may be designated at a time.
Defense Training	—	This talent may be taken multiple times and grants the knight a bonus feat he qualifies for from the following options: • Shield Focus, Armor Focus, Antagonize, Improved Shield Bash, Combat Reflexes, Bodyguard, Endurance, Diehard, and any combat feat that lists those feats as prerequisites. • Combat Expertise, Provoke, Saving Shield, Shield Wall, Dodge, Mobility, Stand Still, Combat Patrol, Intimidating Prowess. • Proficiency feats for any of the following: Armor, Shields, Tower Shields, and Shields as weapons.
Effortless Impetus (Ex)	—	The knight adds one third of his knight level (rounded down, minimum 1) as a bonus to his initiative.
Expanded Vigil (Ex)	—	The range of any of the knight’s abilities that were ‘adjacent’ now becomes 'within 10ft as well as within the knight's threatened area’.
Fearless Defense (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	While in a defensive stance, the knight is immune to the shaken and frightened conditions.
Halting Blow (Ex)	Knight 6	If the knight hits an enemy with an attack of opportunity that was provoked due to movement, their movement ends immediately. The enemy can take any remaining actions of their current turn, but cannot move again until their next one.
Improved Ally Defense (Ex)	Defend Ally or Shield Ally class feature or Take the Blow knight talent	When the knight uses Defend Ally, Shield Ally or Take the Blow on an ally, as long as they're in that ability's range, the next physical attack made against them that round must be rolled twice and use the worse result.
Improved Armored Defense (Ex)	Armored Defense class feature	The knight counts his level as 5 higher when calculating the damage reduction provided by the knight's armored defense feature.
Increased Damage Reduction (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature, Knight 6	While in defensive stance, the knight gains DR 1/-, stacking with other DR from knight abilities. He may take this talent twice to increase it to DR 2/-.
Insurmountable (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	While in defensive stance, the knight imposes his knight level as a penalty to opponents attempting to use Bull Rush, Grapple, Overrun, Push/Pull, Acrobatics, Bluff, or any other action/ability that would move the knight. If the ability requires a saving throw, he instead gains half of this penalty as a bonus to it (rounded down).
Internal Fortitude (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	While in a defensive stance, the knight is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions.
Man Down (Ex)	—	Once per round, when an ally is knocked unconscious or killed, the knight may move towards them as a free action usable outside of his turn. Once per encounter, the knight may also retrieve and use an item on the downed ally as part of this action, even if his hands are occupied. This ability’s actions don’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
Offensive Verbiage (Ex)	Antagonize feat, Intimidate 5 ranks	When using the Antagonize feat, you can use the same check against all enemies within a 30-ft.-radius as a full-round action. Talents or feats that reduce the action cost of Antagonize have no effect on this ability.
Picket (Ex)	—	The knight gains a bonus equal to half his knight level on attack and damage rolls with readied attacks that utilize the brace weapon quality. Enemies trigger the knight's readied brace attacks and this talent when their charge is stopped by the knight's difficult terrain, even if beyond his reach.
Preferred Protection (Ex)	—	The knight gains either Armor Focus or Shield Focus as a bonus feat, and is considered to have both feats for any prerequisites. At 9th level, he fully gains both feats.
Renewed Defense (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	As a standard action, the knight heals 1d8 points of damage + his Constitution modifier. For every four levels the knight has attained above 2nd, this healing increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 5d8 at 18th level. This power can be used only once per day and only while in a defensive stance.
Resilient (Ex)	—	The knight gains a +1 (untyped) bonus to a saving throw of choice. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level.
Resist (Ex)	—	At the start of a day, the knight chooses 1 element, gaining ER 5 against it for the day while wearing armor. At 10th level, this increases to ER 10.
Resolute (Ex)	—	When the knight takes hit point damage, he can convert 1 point (per source of damage) to nonlethal damage. The amount he can convert increases by 1 at 6th level and every four thereafter.
Roused Defense (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	The knight may enter a defensive stance even if fatigued. If the knight enters a defensive stance while fatigued, he loses the fatigued condition and he does not gain temporary hit points from defensive stance. Once this stance ends, he is exhausted for 10 minutes.
Shelter of Steel (Ex)	—	This talent allows a knight to use his armor to absorb some of the inevitable punishment of battle. As a move action, a knight in medium or heavy armor can gain 1d8 temporary hit points + 1 per two knight levels. The knight may do this a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Shield Snap (Ex)	Shield Block	The knight’s bonus AC from Shield Block increases by +1. Once per round, as a free action usable outside of his turn, the knight can apply his Shield Block bonus against an additional attacker he did not designate with it, lasting until the start of his next turn.
Shield Wielder (Ex)	—	The knight can treat heavy shields as light weapons. He increases his shield’s damage die by one step when using a shield to make a shield bash attack.
Slam (Ex)	—	The knight skillfully uses armor to bolster his might. While wearing armor, he adds half of his class level (rounded down) to bull rush, overrun and sunder attempts.
Smash (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	While in a defensive stance, the knight may make an extra attack per round that is either a shield bash or a slam (even if he doesn’t normally have a slam attack). If used as part of a full attack action, the extra attack is made at the knight’s full base attack bonus –5. The smash deals 1d4 points of damage (if the knight is Medium, or 1d3 if he is Small) plus half the character’s Strength modifier. The character can make this attack as part of the action to maintain or break free from a grapple; this attack is resolved before the grapple check is made. If the attack hits, any grapple checks made by the knight against the target this round are at a +2 bonus.
Spear Brace (Ex)	—	While wielding a weapon from the polearms or spears weapon group with both hands, the knight may also wield a shield in his off-hand as if it were empty.
Steel Headbutt (Ex)	—	While wearing medium or heavy armor, a knight can deliver a headbutt with his helm as part of a full attack action. This headbutt is in addition to his normal attacks, and is made using the knight’s base attack bonus –5. A helmet headbutt deals 1d3 points of damage if the knight is wearing medium armor, or 1d4 points of damage if he is wearing heavy armor (1d2 and 1d3, respectively, for Small creatures), plus an amount of damage equal to half the knight’s Strength modifier. Treat this attack as a weapon attack made using the same special material (if any) as the armor. The armor’s enhancement bonus does not modify the headbutt attack, but the helm can be enchanted as a separate weapon.
Tactical Shielding (Ex)	Knight 8	The knight increases his base shield AC bonus (if any) by 1, capped at +4. The cover AC bonus granted by bulwark is increased by 2. At 11t level, both increases are doubled.
Take the Blow (Ex)	Knight 6	As an immediate action, the knight can designate an adjacent ally. Until his next turn, he may force the next attack made against them to strike him regardless of AC or other impediments; alternatively, he may split half of all damage the ally takes from physical attacks to himself. Allies (without this talent) may also use the first effect on the knight. When splitting damage from Take the Blow, only the knight's DR/ER/Hardness applies, before the split, and the knight is considered the attack target (for on-hit effects). Modifiers such as weakness or immunity (to a damage type) are applied, before the split.
Tempered Will (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	The knight may reroll a failed Will save. This power is used as an immediate action after the first save is attempted, but before the results are revealed by the GM. The knight must take the second result, even if it is worse. This power can only be used once per defensive stance.
Uncanny Block (Ex)	—	With uncanny block, a knight can interpose a shield between himself and danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. When the knight has a shield equipped, he cannot be caught flat-footed even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized or if a foe successfully makes a Bluff check to feint against him.
Unexpected Strike (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	The knight can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the knight, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity. This power can only be used once per defensive stance.
Unhindered Movement (Ex)	—	The knight ignores movement penalties of medium armor. He counts worn medium armor as medium or light, whichever is more beneficial (choosing which otherwise), for any sake. A knight with 7 or more hit dice also ignores movement penalties of heavy armor and counts worn heavy armor as heavy or medium in the same way.
Unmaneuverable (Ex)	—	The knight may choose this talent multiple times. When he does, he selects two combat maneuvers. He gains a +3 (untyped) bonus to CMD against those maneuvers, increased by +1 at 7th level and every four thereafter.
Warding Shield (Ex)	—	Once per round, while the knight has a shield equipped, when subjected to a damaging effect with a saving throw, the knight can use this ability by expending an attack of opportunity; he may then redirect half of the total damage he’d take from that effect (rounded down) to his shield. The shield’s hardness is halved (rounded down) for this calculation. The knight may not use this ability with a broken shield. This ability cannot be combined with Evasion/Stalwart (or equivalent abilities) - the knight declares whether he benefits from them or this talent before making the saving throw.

Advanced Knight Talents

At 12th level, and every two levels thereafter, a knight can choose one of the following knight advanced talents in place of a knight talent.

Table: Advanced Knight Talents

Advanced Knight Talent	Prerequisites	Benefits
Aegis (Ex)	—	This talent doubles a knight’s damage reduction against successful critical hits and sneak attacks. It also grants the knight a bonus to AC against attack rolls made to confirm critical hits. This bonus is equal to half the knight’s level.
Countering Stance (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	While in defensive stance, by doubling its cost (in rounds), the knight can further enter countering stance as a free action (exiting it is also a free action). This stance prevents the knight from attacking other than with attacks of opportunity. While in this stance, creatures within the knight's threat range (or affected by his attack-redirecting abilities) provoke an attack of opportunity when they miss an attack against him. Other allies do not consider these attacks as attacks of opportunity (such as for teamwork feats).
Daunting Challenge (Ex)	—	When the knight would use Demoralize or otherwise apply the shaken condition to enemies, the effect resolves normally even if his targets are immune or unaffected (such as from being mindless). This does not apply to conditions escalating from shaken or other uses of intimidate.
Demand Surrender (Ex)	—	Once per encounter, the knight may make an Intimidate or Diplomacy check as a standard action to demand surrender from an opponent below half of their maximum hit points. The DC of this ability is (target's hit dice + 15). On a success, the opponent sheathes their weapons (if any) and ceases participating in combat (moving away from the active battle area) unless targeted by a harmful effect/attack (which cancels the ability). This ability ends combat on a basis of convincing opponents of an assured loss. It is a mind-affecting effect, but opponents may choose to be affected by it even if they'd otherwise be immune/unaffected.
Elemental Shield (Su)	Resist knight talent	As a swift action, the knight gains the ER granted by Resist against all elements for the rest of the encounter.
Fluster (Ex)	—	Once per combat, when the knight applies the shaken condition to an opponent, he may also add a secondary effect to it which prevents the opponent from taking any actions but swift/immediate actions during its next turn. The secondary effect's duration cannot be extended by any means.
Greater Ally Defense (Ex)	Defend Ally or Shield Ally class feature or Take the Blow knight talent, Improved Ally Defense knight talent	When the knight uses Defend Ally, Shield Ally or Take the Blow on an ally, as long as they're in that ability's range, all attacks made against them until the knight's next turn must be rolled twice and use the worse result.
Greater Armored Strike (Ex)	Armored Strike knight talent	The knight treats his monk level as 4 for the Armored Strike talent. While wearing armor, he can use his armor’s enhancement bonus as a weapon enhancement bonus for unarmed strikes.
Guardian Strike (Ex)	—	Whenever the knight deals damage to a target, that target takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls against any target other than him until the beginning of his next turn.
Impetuous Endurance (Ex)	—	Once per day, when a knight rolls a natural 1 on a saving throw, he may choose it to be considered a normal roll instead of an automatic failure. The saving throw also receives a bonus equal to (Constitution modifier or Charisma modifier, the knight chooses). At 20th level, this ability may be used twice per day.
Improved Imposing Figure (Ex)	—	The knight becomes immune to demoralize and antagonize effects from spells, skills, and abilities. In addition, when the knight makes an Intimidate skill check, effects’ range are doubled.
Improved Take the Blow (Ex)	Take the Blow knight talent	When the knight uses Take the Blow, he can also choose to use both effects. He can also use Take the Blow's second effect to absorb half of the damage from any attacks instead of just physical.
Improved Uncanny Block (Ex)	Uncanny Block knight talent	When the knight has a shield equipped, he cannot be flanked. This defense denies a thief the ability to sneak attack the knight by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more thief levels than the target has knight levels.
Indomitable (Ex)	—	This talent allows a knight to add his Constitution modifier to his Will saving throws instead of his Wisdom.
Intimidating Defense (Ex)	—	Once per round, when the knight would make an attack of opportunity, he may replace it with a special attempt to Demoralize. Affected enemies do not suffer the usual effects and instead gain a -5 penalty to their next attack.
Last Word (Ex)	—	Once per encounter, when the knight (while conscious) would be knocked unconscious, reduced to negative hit points or killed, he may use this ability as a free action usable outside of his turn. Before the knight succumbs, he makes an attack against the opponent that triggered this ability (if within range). If the attack hits, he deals double weapon damage, then the opponent's action resolves normally.
Master Armorer (Ex)	—	The knight can use his base attack bonus in place of his ranks in the Craft (armor) skill. The knight need not be wearing armor or using a shield to use this option. The knight substitutes his total base attack bonus (including his base attack bonus gained through levels in other classes) for his ranks in this skill, but adds the skill’s usual ability score modifier and any other bonuses or penalties that would modify that skill. Additionally the knight is treated as having the Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Master Craftsman feats, but only for the purpose of making magic armor/shields. The knight does not need to meet these feats’ prerequisites.
Mighty Resilience (Ex)	Defensive Stance class feature	The knight automatically negates the additional damage of one successful critical hit or sneak attack, as well as other abilities or effects that rely on a successful critical hit or sneak attack (such as blinding from Blinding Critical or bleed from sneak attack). The knight takes only normal damage from the attack. This power may only be used once per defensive stance.
Protect the Meek (Ex)	—	Once per turn, as an immediate action, the knight can move up to his speed (or his ridden mount's speed). This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. After moving this way, he may perform one attack against a target within range. The knight must end his movement adjacent to an enemy or ally. Using this ability staggers the knight until the end of his next turn, and it cannot be used while staggered.
Reactionary (Ex)	—	This talent allows a knight to add his Constitution modifier to his Reflex saving throws instead of his Dexterity.
Reflect (Ex)	Warding Shield talent	Using Warding Shield no longer damages the knight's shield, instead negating that part of the damage. The knight may also use Warding Shield multiple times per round. The ability still cannot be combined with Evasion/Stalwart (or equivalent).
Retributive Attack (Ex)	—	When a knight's ally is rendered helpless/unconscious or slain, the knight gains 1 charge of Justice lasting for the encounter. When the knight makes an attack against an opponent, as a free action usable outside of his turn, he may spend 1 charge of Justice to empower it. The attack gains a bonus to hit equal to his Charisma modifier and bonus to damage equal to his knight level.
Shield Guard (Ex)	—	As a swift action, the knight designates up to 3 squares within his threat range, contiguous with each other or the knight's occupied square/s. Enemies occupying these squares cannot flank creatures. As a swift action, he may change the designated squares (or designate new ones). If these squares leave the knight's threat range, they are undesignated.
Unkillable (Ex)	—	The knight gains a number of hit points equal to 12 plus his Constitution modifier. This talent can be taken multiple of times.