Basic stuff...

[Sellenus]

Greetings all...

My gaming group is about to start a new BR game, and I am in need of a few things...

Does anybody have a good record sheet for keeping track of bodyguards and such? I have found a few that I haven't cared for, and I am to lazy to make my own!

Second, I need an opinion (or a few). The Expertise feat gives the PC a dodge bonus to his AC. Would you allow a bodyguard to take this feat and use it to provide a cover bonus to the Regent instead? Kind of like the secret service jumping in front of the President. Obviously the bodyguard would have to be standing next to the Regent to do this, so only 1 or 2 (maybe) could do this in a round.

If the attack were to miss the Regent by the amount of the cover bonus, then maybe re-roll the attack vs the bodyguard's AC?

I have suggested this to my DM, and he plans on using it... I was just curious what you all think...

[Lord Shaene]

well your dm could treat it as the regent being under the cover of his body guards, depending on the situation and how many bodyguards are there to cover him, th Dm could say the Regent has 1/2 cover of 3/4 cover or 9/10 cover and givethe Ac bonus shown I believe in the DM"s Guide to the Regent. dang i wish i had my books with me.

[brownie]

There is a prestige class called the devoted defender in the sword and fist. Maybe that is something you can look at and modify for lower levels for your body guards.

[Sellenus]

Doesn't modifying a Prestige class for a 1st lvl character seem a bit much?

BTW I have loaned that book out and haven't had a chance to actually read the Prestige classes yet. I will look at the Devoted Defender as soon as I get it back... Thanx

[Arlen Blaede]

but I really don't see a regent being guarded by a first level character. For a 1st level bodyguard all you really have to take is lots of SPOT and increase his initiative bonus. That will help him notice the trouble and then keep from getting flatfooted. Quickdraw would also be a really usefull feat as well. Put your body in front of the Regent and you give him a fairly sizeable cover bonus. As it stands you can get both of these feats as a first level fighter. Now, be aware it's a first level character doing the guarding so anything decently beefy just won't care about him.

[Riegan Swordwraith]

I would have to say that an ELITE bodyguard,which the BR rulebook says these men are,should NOT be 0-level in 2nd Ed,and not 1st in 3rd.I would say at LEAST 3rd,probably 4th level.

But that is just my two coppers......

[Sellenus]

I would normally agree Riegan, but our DM prefers to start a new game with low level PCs. He likes thge idea of a 16 or 17 year old becoming a fledgling regent, and the realm growing in power as he does. It has made for some fun games, difficult at times, but fun. No regent is is ever surrounded by elite bodyguards (lvl 3 or 4) is he is only level 1.

I understand that this may not be the norm, as far as BR goes. But it has proven to be both fun and balanced.

[Riegan Swordwraith]

I can understand the unbalancing aspect of having a regent with higher level bodyguards.

Myself when I run my campaign,I am starting off as a regular world,with at most two scions and I am going to insist on the majority of the party being Anuirean.As the campaign progresses I'll allow more scions and/or non-Anuireans.But this is a little off the point.

Point is the whole bodyguard issue is difficult for a young/inexperienced regent.Does your DM make your seneschal first level as well??How about any other experienced NPC's who would be VITAL to run a domain??Going by the standard already set out that means all your top people are going to be inexperienced which in and of itself is unbalancing to the game as a whole.

But I may just be talking out the side of my neck here.....

[Sellenus]

There are always the experienced NPCs that are vital to the domain, but they are behind-the-scenes types. They are the advisors that constantly recommend that a young regent send qualified people to address conflicts within his realm, rather than going himself.

This type of game has worked for our group because it forces new players to use available resources as well as Diplomacy actions and such. A 1st lvl regent surrounded by a 1st lvl Lt, a 1st lvl Sgt, and several 0 lvl bodyguards does not rush out to fight every threat. The Hack & Slash mentallity disappears almost immediatly. Over time all of these characters increase in level (and act accordingly), but early on the wild card players are toned down.

Obviously not every game should (or could) be run this way. But for our group of players it works well.

As for the level of a bodyguard... why not 1st lvl or lower? When does one start becoming a bodyguard? Why wouldn't a fanatical 1st lvl bodyguard jump in front of a ruler to protect him?

[Riegan Swordwraith]

Just because you have zeal,does not make you a good bodyguard.A bodyguard's job,despite popular beleif,is not to take a bullet,or arrow.Their job is to not let their "package" get into trouble in the first place.If they do get into trouble,it is their primary mission to get the "package" out,get him clear of the area.A bodyguard does not just come out of nowhere,they have to be trained to do it.

Now think on this,as a regent,would you feel safe anywhere knowing that your gardener,mechanics wise,has a good shot of taking out one of your bodyguards???Would your having 10 1st level fighters as bodyguards truly be a deterent to your enemies launching an attack??True 10 4th level may not,but it will put a whole lot bigger dent in their coin-purse to have to pay for the thugs necessarry to take out your protection.

[Sellenus]

Of course your argument makes sense... I do not disagree with your logic.

I am not sure how other games work, but in ours the only people (NPCs) who are without a doubt 100% trustworthy and loyal are the ones you begin the game with. So in truth my regent is more comfortable with the 1st lvl bodyguards trainned for this purpose, over the 4th lvl Thugs hired for the job. My bodyguards are the people that I need to trust, do you really have time to be questioning their motives all the time? Later on in the game, dead bodyguards have to be replaced with hired ones. This is when we are forced to deal with the other issues.

Once again this logic is based on our game, I sure yours is differs.

[Green Knight]

Bodyguards can use the Aid Another option to give the regent a +2 bonus to AC. The FR book has the Purple Dragon Knight with a special ability: Heroic Shield that increases this to +4. Could be adapted for BR use ( have done so,new prestige class called the Armsman.)
or
They can carry tower shileds.
or
They can simply keep the regent out of harm's way etc.