#shieldmarshal

(art by GuilloAW on Artstation)

In the city-state of Alkenstar, life can be rough, but opportunities abound for those with the spark of ambition. This can result in daring inventions and business opportunities… but also crime, and so a daring sort of lawman is needed for such daring lawlessness. Which brings us to the Alkenstar Shieldmarshals.

Now, obviously in recent times the supposed heroism of lawkeepers has… shall we say declined? However, in the context of the Wild West analogue that is the nation of Alkenstar, I think there’s still a case for such heroic characters.

Also, this archetype also has a prestige class counterpart in 1st edition… which I haven’t yet covered on the blog. As far as they compare though, the 2E version is much simpler, and drops a lot of the features that were borrowed and modified from other classes in favor of some that embody the flavor of the role.

On that note, Alkenstar presents unique challenges given the unstable magic of the Mana Wastes and the technological marvels they have access to but also must contend with. So let’s see what that means!

The base dedication of this archetype grants familiarity with urban environments, including the ability to use city knowledge to orient oneself, as well as social skills in both high society and the streets.

In an effort to keep tabs on corruption, there has been an effort to enhance certain shieldmarshals with prosthetic eyes that relay what they see back to headquarters. While certainly limiting privacy for the officers, they do have the advantage that the technomagical clockwork eyes can be overclocked to briefly enhance vision as well, piercing darkness.

A lucky blow can end a detective’s life unceremoniously, and so many develop a determination to push past the pain of such critical blows and keep standing, and even more fiercely strike back against the perpetrator.

Many shieldmarshals are trained in firearms, but with the unique dangers of the city, many more receive special training with firearms to better fight against the constructed foes one sometimes faces in the line of duty. As such, with precise knowledge of the weak points of constructs and a bit of special ammo and powder, they can deal additional damage and bypass various defenses

A fairly simple archetype, but one that is usable by a lot of characters. With gunslinger, ranger, and investigator being classes it’s fairly easy to recreate the vibe of the original prestige class, sans the judgement ability since inquisitor as a class is never coming back. That being said, very few classes will actually make use of all four feats of the archetype. Certainly every class can use the urban navigation and social bonuses, but one has to have a gun to gain the bonuses against constructs, and the boosted vision is useless to those who already get such senses from their ancestry. It’s worth considering if you’re going to be playing a peacekeeper or detective though.

While gunpowder and gears are an integral part of the setting region this archetype draws upon, and on some of the mechanics, I can see it being used elsewhere for any other sort of advanced civilization on the verge of many great breakthroughs, which the heroes and law enforcement will have to learn to adapt to rapidly if they hope to do their job.

Shot in the back and given to a necromancer as raw materials, Detective Rollund’s story should have ended there, tragically and ignominiously. However, his will was stronger than the death-wizard’s magic, and now he has returned to the case as a fleshless skeleton. Despite his undead nature, however, he is still determined to find the truth, and avenge his death at the hands of his own crooked partner.

Though the dye it can be brewed into is rare and expensive, smuggling live yaiafineti plants, a monstrous predatory flower also known as dusk poppies, is strictly illegal, which is why when the polyps begin showing up in the city, it’s a race against time to find the core plant before the fertile plant germinates and spreads.