Bastion
Pathfinder 2E
The Bastion is an archetype that all classes can take. This archetype is centered all around shields and being the tank. Some feats in here are shared in the Fighter and Champion statblocks, but it has some interesting new feats to go with it.
Here are a few:
- Disarming Block
- You attempt to Disarm the creature whose attack you blocked of the weapon they attacked you with. You can do so even if you don't have a hand free.
- Nimble Shield Hand
- You are so used to wielding a shield that you can do so even while using the hand that's holding it for other purposes. The hand you use to wield a shield counts as a free hand for the purposes of the Interact action. You can also hold another object in this hand (but you still can't use it to wield a weapon). This benefit doesn't apply to tower shields, which are still too cumbersome.
- Destructive Block
- You can protect yourself more effectively, at the expense of your shield. When you Shield Block, you can reduce the damage to yourself by double the shield's Hardness, but if you do, the shield takes double the normal amount of damage it would have taken (before applying its Hardness). You can't use Destructive Block if your shield can't be broken or destroyed, such as if you're using an indestructible shield.
- Shield Salvation
- You can save your shield from total destruction, even after a devastating attack. If a shield would be destroyed due to damage taken during your Shield Block, the shield remains intact at 1 Hit Point instead. Its construction is weakened until you take the time to repair it, preventing you from using Shield Salvation to save the same shield until your next preparations.
This archetype has a lot of feats to support shield users and is pretty much a necessity if you want to use a shield. Even if you're using a sturdy shield. Lots of utility here.