Those who take up the path of the vigilant warden are dedicated to the defense and guardianship of what they hold precious. Whether serving as guards, sentries, or protectors, the vigilant warden is the champion and protector, constantly wary against any threat.
Unlike many other arcane spellcasters, they spend time honing their skill with weapons and armor so that they may be ready even when magic fails. The vigilant warden’s abilities focus on detection and protection from opposing forces and standing strong against them. Most vigilant wardens began as sorcerers or magi, though some wizards and bards count themselves among their ranks. In battle, a vigilant warden often fights from the front lines, ready to defend those who stand behind.
Entry Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Arcane Lore 5 ranks, Insight 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks.
Feat: Alertness.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Special: Proficient with at least one category of armor, proficient with at least one martial weapon.
| Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Arcane Spellcasting | Vigilant Warden Spellcasting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Detect alignment, zealous | — | 1 | – | – | – |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Detect magic | +1 level of existing class | 1 | – | – | – |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Nondetection | — | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Focused warding +1 | +1 level of existing class | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Constant vigilance | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +3 | +3 | Vigilant reach | +1 level of existing class | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Increased vigilance | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Focused warding +2 | +1 level of existing class | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +5 | +5 | Shared warding | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +5 | +5 | True vigilance | +1 level of existing class | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Arcane Lore, Arms Lore, Athletics, Heal, Insight, Perception, Persuasion, Profession, and Theology.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Vigilant Warden does not gain proficiency with any weapons. They are proficient with light and medium armor and with shields (but not with tower shields).
Arcane Spellcasting
As a vigilant warden, you cast arcane spells, which are drawn from the vigilant warden spell list. You need not prepare these spells in advance and may cast any vigilant warden spell you know, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.
To learn or cast a spell, you must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a vigilant warden spell is 10 + the spell level + your Intelligence modifier.
You can cast only a certain number of vigilant warden spells of each spell level per day. Your base daily spell allotment is given on the table. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Intelligence score.
When you gain access to a new level of vigilant warden spells, you immediately learn and can cast all spells of that level, assuming your Intelligence score is high enough to cast spells of that level.
Arcane Spellcasting Progression
In addition to granting its own spellcasting ability, levels in vigilant warden progress your existing arcane spellcasting. At each even-numbered level (2nd, 4th, and so on), you progress an arcane spellcasting class you already possess. If you possess more than one arcane spellcasting class, you must decide to which class you add each new level of progression. This ability cannot be used to progress vigilant warden spellcasting.
Detect Alignment
At will, you can use detect evil as a spell-like ability. If your alignment is Evil, you can instead use detect good.
Zealous
If you possess the zeal class feature (such as by having levels in paladin), your vigilant warden level stacks for determining the number of points of zeal you gain. If you do not already possess zeal, you gain no benefit from this ability.
Detect Magic
At 2nd level, you can use detect magic as a spell-like ability at will.
Nondetection
At 3rd level, your insight into divination magics gives you the ability to better resist it. You gain the benefit of a permanent nondetection effect as the spell (caster level equal to your highest arcane caster level).
Focused Warding
Your skill with warding magic improves at 4th level. Whenever you cast a spell or other esoteric effect that provides an armor or shield bonus to AC, that bonus is increased by +1. Similarly, spells and effects you cast which grant a bonus on one or more saving throws increases that bonus by +1. This ability is not limited to vigilant warden spells.
At 8th level, the bonus from this ability increases to +2.
Constant Vigilance
Beginning at 5th power, you are able to detect any hostile creatures nearby. This functions as the detect hostile intent psionic power using your class level as the manifester level.
Vigilant Reach
At 6th level, you become able to ward your allies from afar. Your vigilant warden spells that target an ally gain the benefit of the Reach Spell metamagic feat. This does not increase the spell’s level.
Increased Vigilance
Your vigilance is greatly improved at 7th level, allowing you to detect threats from a greater distance. Your vigilant warden spells gain the benefit of the Widen Spell metamagic feat, doubling the area that they cover. This does not increase the spell’s level.
This effect also applies to your Constant Vigilance ability, doubling the area in which you can detect hostile intent.
Shared Warding
At 9th level, you can cast any vigilant warden spell with a range of personal on an ally as a touch spell. (This effect does not benefit from your Vigilant Reach ability.)
True Vigilance
When you reach 10th level, your vigilance improves to the point that you are able to interpret even the most subtle hints of hostile intentions. Your Constant Vigilance ability loses the [Mind-Affecting] descriptor, allowing you to detect the hostile intent of creatures normally immune to mind-affecting abilities. (The ability still fails against mindless creatures, as they lack the mental faculties to have hostile thought or intent.)
In addition, your Constant Vigilance ability gains the benefit of your Detect Alignment and Detect Magic abilities, allowing you to detect the presence or absence of magical and aligned auras within its area of effect. You need not concentrate on this ability to maintain it and gain basic information; however, you must concentrate to gain the detailed information from the spells’ 2nd and 3rd rounds of study.
Allies within range of your Constant Vigilance ability also benefit from your nondetection ability.