Very rarely, a vanguard will find their talent lies within
creating a single, magically-powered object, rather than a
construct. These steelbound wardens gain great combat
and magical ability while using their bonded item.
Steel Bond (Ex)
At 1st level, a steelbound warden
creates his steel bond, a piece of equiment that channels his magical powers and grants him new abilities. This acts
like a wizard’s bonded object, using his vanguard level as
his wizard level. Instead of the normal item types allows,
a steel bond must take the form of a weapon, a shield, or
a suit of armor. The steelbound warden begins play with
this object at no cost. As he is a spontaneous caster, the
bonded object lets him cast any one spell he knows each
day, rather than a spell from a spellbook.
This ability replaces his construct companion. When the steelbound warden casts a discharge spell, it comes
into effect centered on himself. He may only cast those
spells if he is holding or wearing his steel bond.
Steel Augmentation
At 1st level, a steelbound
warden binds additional powers to his steel bond.
The warden gains the mending touch
augmentation and a single augmentation of his choice.
He must
meet the requirements of the augmentation using
his own ability scores, as opposed to the abilities of
a construct companion, and uses his own abilities for
determining the effects of those augmentations. As long
as the steelbound warden is wielding or wearing his steel
bond, he gains the benefit of the selected augmentation,
though some of the augmentations have altered effects,
as follows:
Extradimensional arsenal creates storage within the warden’s steel bond; the items are lost if the steel bond
is ever replaced or destroyed, and cannot be accessed
unless the steel bond is in the warden’s possession.
Munitions generation grants the warden a constant
abundant ammunition effect without needing to integrate
the ammunition first. Mental link allows the warden to
telepathically communicate with a single willing ally at a
time, and only within 100 feet.
At 4th level, and every three levels thereafter, he learns an additional augmentation. He can only gain the benefit
of mending touch and two of his chosen augmentations. At 10th level and 16th level, he can benefit from an additional augmentation that he knows at the same time. The steelbound warden can change which of his chosen augmentations he gains the benefit of (except mending touch) by spending 1 hour modifying his steel bond.
This alters the augmentation ability.
Steel Resonance (Su)
A steelbound warden
can create resonances, but has certain limitations.
Resonances that affect creatures in an area around a
construct companion, such as
armor empowerment, are
centered around the steelbound warden instead. When
using a resonance that works based on the location
of the
construct companion relative to the vanguard,
such as
tactical reposition and
energy discharge,
the steelbound warden can choose one willing ally as
his “companion” for determining the effects of that
resonance. The resonance effect of
mending touch
restores
hit points to the warden’s steel bond, rather than a
construct companion. The warden can only create
resonance effects for the augmentations he is currently
benefiting from, and only while wielding or wearing his
steel bond.
This alters the resonance ability.
Bonus Feats
At 3rd level, and every three levels
thereafter, the steelbound warden gains a
combat feat
or an
item creation feat as a bonus feat.
This replaces vanguard tactics and the
vanguard’s normal bonus feats.
Repurpose (Ex)
This ability functions as normal, but it allows the warden to alter the augmentations he has applied to his steel bond.
This alters repurpose.
