Note: This archetype makes use of rules from Path of War by Dreamscarred Press.

Some warders find their training amongst the clergy, raised and trained to be the defenders of their faiths and martial arm of their gods. Ordained defenders are found in almost any faith, as men and women of conviction and valor are universal in their moralities. Shining champions or wicked blackguards, these warders are the shields of their religions and the smiting hammers to those they view as heretics.

Class Skills

Instead of the rigorous tactical training that most warders undergo, ordained defenders undergo a process of dogmatic indoctrination that lends them to more introspective pursuits, meditating on the nature of their faith and their role in their deity’s plan. An ordained defender gains Knowledge (religion) as a class skill and loses Knowledge (nobility) as a class skill.

Maneuvers

A good-aligned ordained defender adds Silver Crane to her list of available disciplines, an ordained defender who is neither good nor evil adds Eternal Guardian to her list of available disciplines, and an evil-aligned ordained defender adds Black Seraph to her list of available disciplines. If the ordained defender does not have this discipline’s associated skill as a class skill, she gains it as a class skill. Her initiation modifier is Wisdom, and any warder class features that previously used her Intelligence modifier now use her Wisdom modifier. She otherwise learns, readies, initiates maneuvers as a standard warder.

This ability alters maneuvers.

Aura (Ex)

An ordained defender who worships a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura (as a cleric) corresponding to the deity’s alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Divine Gift (Su)

At 3rd level, an ordained defender receives supernatural empowerment from her deity in the form of a divine gift. She receives her choice of one inquisitor inquisition or warpriest blessing. She must be of the correct alignment to choose an alignment-based blessing. For determining the abilities gained from an inquisition, the ordained defender’s effective inqusitor level is equal to her ordained defender level –2.

If the ordained defender chooses a blessing, the blessing grants a minor power at 3rd level and a major power at 13th level. An ordained defender can call upon the power of her blessings a number of times per day, in any combination, equal to 3 + 1/2 her ordained defender level (rounded down). Each time she uses a blessing, it counts against her daily limit. The save DC (if any) for these blessings is 10 + 1/2 the ordained defender’s class level + the ordained defender’s initiation modifier.

If an ordained defender also has levels in a class that grants cleric domains, the blessings chosen must match the domains selected by that class. With the GM’s permission, an ordained defender can change her former blessings or domains to make them conform.

This replaces the bonus feats gained at 3rd and 13th levels.