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 |
|---|---|---|
| Antagonistic Personality (Ex) | Antagonize feat | The knight gains Provoke as a bonus feat. |
| 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, Improved Shield Bash, Combat Reflexes, Bodyguard, Endurance, Diehard, and any combat feat that lists those feats as prerequisites. • Combat Expertise, 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) | Knight 6 | The knight selects one specific type of armor with which he is proficient, such as chain shirt or full plate. While wearing the selected type of armor, the knight adds +1 to the armor’s armor bonus. At 9th level, this bonus increases to +2. This increase to the armor bonus doesn’t increase the benefit that the knight gains from feats, class abilities, or other effects that are determined by his armor’s base armor bonus. A knight can choose this option multiple times. Each time he chooses it, he applies its benefit to a different type of armor. |
| 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) | — | A knight can learn to maximize his armor’s effectiveness against unusual attack types. The knight selects one of the following damage types: earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, or wind. When wearing medium or heavy armor, the knight gains Elemental Resistance 5 against the selected damage type. If the knight is 10th level or higher, this resistance increases to 10. This talent may be taken up to five times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, a different damage type must be selected. |
| 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 attacker he did not designate with it, lasting until 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 – Heavy (Ex) | Unhindered Movement (Medium) knight talent | The knight can move at his normal speed while wearing heavy armor. He can run in heavy armor as if he were wearing medium armor. |
| Unhindered Movement – Medium (Ex) | — | The knight can move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor. While wearing medium armor, he can use movement based abilities such as the Fleet feat, as if he were wearing light armor. |
| 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 after his saving throw is made; he may then redirect half of the total damage he’d take (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. |
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. |
| Counterattack Stance (Ex) | Defensive Stance class feature | While in defensive stance, the knight can enter a counterattack stance. In this stance, the knight cannot make any attacks other than attacks of opportunity or attacks from counterattack stance, any creature within reach of the knight that attempts to melee attack him, whether its a hit or miss, the knight can attack the creature immediately, using his full BAB. Using this stance consumes an additional round of defensive stance, however. |
| Daunting Challenge (Ex) | — | This talent allows the knight to call out opponents, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. In this manner, the knight separates the strong-minded from the weak-willed, allowing him to focus on opponents that are worthy foes. As a swift action, the knight issues a daunting challenge. This ability affects all creatures within 100 feet of the knight that have a CR less than his character level minus 2. Targets must be able to hear him, speak or understand a language of some sort, and have an Intelligence score of 5 or more. All targets who meet these conditions must make Will saves (DC 10 + half of the knight’s level + his Charisma modifier) or become shaken. Whether a creature fails or succeeds on its save against the knight’s daunting challenge, it can only be targeted by this effect once per day. |
| Demand Surrender (Ex) | — | Once per encounter, the knight can make an Intimidate check as a standard action to demand surrender from an opponent who has been reduced to one-half or less of its hit points. If his check result equals or exceeds the target's DC (15 + hit dice), it surrenders to him and his allies, drops any weapons it is holding, and takes no hostile actions. If the knight or any of his allies attack it, it no longer submits to the knight's will and can act normally. He can only use this talent against a particular target once per day. This is a mind-affecting effect. |
| Elemental Shield (Su) | Resist knight talent | Some knights access mystic powers of protection as they become paragons of defensive techniques. With this talent, as a swift action, a knight with a shield equipped gains Elemental Resistance 10 against earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, and wind damage. This resistance lasts for one round per knight level. The knight may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The resist talent stacks with the elemental shield. |
| Fluster (Ex) | — | The knight gets under an opponent's skin. Once per encounter, he makes a Intimidate skill check against one creature within line of sight as a standard action. On a success, instead of the normal effect of an Intimidate skill, the affected creature can take only a single swift action on its next turn. This is a mind-affecting effect. |
| 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. |
| Immovable (Ex) | — | The knight can activate this talent as a swift action. Until the start of his next turn, anyone attempting to move him involuntarily (such as with a Bull Rush attempt) takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls made to use that effect that would move him. An enemy can only take the penalty from this talent once per attempt. |
| Impetuous Endurance (Ex) | — | The knight’s fighting spirit enables him to push his body beyond the normal limits of endurance. The knight no longer automatically fails a saving throw on a roll of 1. He might still fail the save if his result fails to equal or beat the DC. |
| 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 encounter, as an immediate action, the knight can make a Intimidate skill check against one creature that is making a melee or ranged attack against him, and is within his line of sight. If he succeeds, he imposes a -5 penalty to that attack roll. This is a mind-affecting effect. |
| 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) | — | With this talent, a knight can maximize the protection his armor gives him to reduce the damage area attacks deal him. A knight in medium or heavy armor takes only half damage from any attack, spell, or ability that allows a Reflex saving throw. The knight is still allowed a normal saving throw; he simply takes half of the damage he normally would base on the result of that saving throw. If the attack, spell, or ability has a non-damaging effect, the knight suffers the appropriate effect based on his saving throw result. |
| Retributive Attack (Ex) | — | If an adjacent ally of a knight is rendered helpless or unconscious, the knight with this talent can make a retributive attack against the creature that felled his ally. When making a retributive attack, the knight adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals an extra 1 point of damage per knight level on a successful hit. A knight can make a number of retributive attacks per day equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum of one), but never more than once per round. He may make more than one retributive attack against the same foe. |
| Shield Guard (Ex) | — | With this talent, as a swift action, a knight may designate one square adjacent to him. He may designate two squares if using a heavy shield or three squares if using a tower shield, but these squares must be contiguous. Enemies in these squares cannot flank the knight and do not count for flanking with other creatures. This effect lasts until he moves from his position or uses another swift action to change the affected squares. |
| 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. |