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Stalwart Defender enhancements

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Stalwart Defender enhancements[edit]

Stalwart Defender enhancements tree
Stalwart Defender enhancements tree

(Stalwart Defender enhancement tree image is out of date!)

Core abilities[edit]

Toughness: You gain +1 Hit Point for each action point you spend in this tree. Each Stalwart Defender Core Ability you possess (including this one) grants +3% Fortification. (Core Abilities are the abilities along the bottom of each Tree, such as this Enhancement.)
  • Bug: The first point spent in this tree does not appear to grant the +1 HP that it should.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 0 Requires: Fighter Level 1
Stalwart Defense: Defensive Combat Stance:
  • +10 Physical and Magical Resistance
  • +150% bonus to threat generation with melee weapons
  • Cannot be used while Raged
  • Sacred Defense and Stalwart Defense can't be active at the same time
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 Requires: Fighter Level 3, Toughness
Overbalance: Your shields gain On Vorpal: Knock an opponent to the ground.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: Fighter Level 6, Stalwart Defense
Stand Fast: While in Stalwart Defense, you are immune to Fear and most forms of being knocked down.
Passive: You gain a +10% quality bonus to Max Hit Points.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Fighter Level 12, Overbalance
Defensive Footwork: Passive: +15% Exceptional bonus to Armor Class, +50% Melee Threat, and +20 PRR
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: Fighter Level 18, Stand Fast
Last Stand: Action Boost: You gain +100% Maximum hit points, +50 Physical and Magical Resistance Rating, and On Attacked: You are healed for 1d10 positive energy healing. This Action Boost does not share a cooldown with other Action Boost abilities, and can be used while helpless.
Passive: You gain +10 Physical and Magical Resistance Rating, +2 Strength, +6 Constitution and +2 to the DCs of all Tactical feats. (Cooldown: 3 minutes.)

Note: This action boost does not double your current hit points. Instead, it adds 100% to your Max Hit Point Scalar. (Last tested on Update 59)

AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 40 Requires: Fighter Level 20, Defensive Sweep

Tier One[edit]

Requires Toughness, Fighter Level 1

Item Defense: You have a [25/50/75]% chance to negate potential item wear.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1
Improved Stalwart Defense: Improves your Stalwart Defense stance.

Choose one:

  • Durable Defense: While in Stalwart Defense, you gain a +[5/10/15] Competence bonus to Physical and Magical Resistance Rating.
  • Inciting Defense: While in Stalwart Defense, you gain a [150/300/450]% Competence bonus to melee threat generation.
  • Resilient Defense: While in Stalwart Defense, you gain a +[1/2/3] Competence bonus to all Saving Throws.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1
Stalwart Defensive Mastery: +[1/2/3] Armor Class and Armor Maximum Dexterity Bonus.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1
Defense Boost: Activate to gain a +[5/10/15] Action Boost bonus to Armor Class and Physical Resistance Rating for 20 seconds. (Cooldown: 30 seconds.)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1
Threatening Countenance: +[1/2/3] Haggle, Intimidate, and +[60/120/180]% melee threat generation.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1

Tier Two[edit]

Requires Fighter Level 2, 5 APs spent in tree

Improved Stalwart Defense: Improves your Stalwart Defense stance.
Choose one of the options you did not pick at tier 1.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: Improved Stalwart Defense
Stalwart Shield Mastery: +5%/+10%/+15% Shield Armor Class and +[1/2/3] Tower Shield Maximum Dexterity Bonus.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: Stalwart Defensive Mastery
Armor Expertise: Armor you equip gains +[1/2/3] to its Enhancement Bonus. minor bug: It also provides +[1/2/3] to Intimidate.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5
Instinctive Defense: You take [5/10/15]% less extra damage when struck while helpless. (Additional damage while helpless varies by difficulty setting from 5% to 25%.)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5

Tier Three[edit]

Requires Fighter Level 3, 10 APs spent in tree

Improved Stalwart Defense: Improves your Stalwart Defense stance.
Pick the third option left.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: Improved Stalwart Defense (Tier 2)
Greater Stalwart Defense: Further improves your Stalwart Defense stance.

Choose one:

  • Hardy Defense: While wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or wielding a shield and in Stalwart Defense, you gain a you gain a +[2/4/6] Competence bonus to Constitution.
  • Strong Defense:While wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or wielding a shield and in Stalwart Defense, you gain a +[2/4/6] Competence bonus to Strength.
  • Tenacious Defense: While wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or wielding a shield and in Stalwart Defense, you gain a +10%/+15%/+25% Competence bonus to maximum hit points.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10
Shield Expertise: Shields and weapons you equip gain +[1/2/3] to their Enhancement bonus. minor bug: It also provides +[1/2/3] to Intimidate.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: Armor Expertise
Strength or Constitution: Choose one:
  • +1 Strength
  • +1 Constitution
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10

Tier Four[edit]

Requires Fighter Level 4, 20 APs spent in tree

Counterattack: Action Boost: You gain On Shield Block: Your next attack within 3 seconds gains +1[W] that stacks 1/2/3 times. (Cooldown: 30 seconds.)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20
Swift Defense: Stalwart Defense provides a +10% Action Boost bonus to your movement speed. minor bug: It also provides +1 to Intimidate.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20
Greater Stalwart Defense: Further improves your Stalwart Defense stance.
Choose one of the options you did not pick at tier 3.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: Greater Stalwart Defense (Tier 3)
Reinforced Defense: Improves the armor class bonus you receive from shields or armor.
  • Reinforced Armor: The Armor Class bonus you gain from armor or docents is increased by [15/30/50]%.
  • Reinforced Shield: The Armor Class bonus you gain from using a shield is increased by [15/30/50]%.
Note: This stacks with Reinforced Defense from Sacred Defender, and Reinforced Armor from Renegade Mastermaker.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20
Strength or Constitution: Choose one:
  • +1 Strength
  • +1 Constitution
AP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Strength or Constitution (Tier 3)

Tier Five[edit]

Requires Fighter Level 5, Character Level 12, 30 APs spent in tree

The Thick of Battle: +100% Melee Threat. +60 HP.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30
Block and Cut: Shield Melee Attack: Deals +20%/+40%/+60% Damage. On Damage: You gain a [10/15/25]% Morale bonus to doublestrike and [10/15/25] bonus to Armor Class for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds.)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30
Greater Stalwart Defense: Further improves your Stalwart Defense stance.
Choose the option you didn't chose at Tier 3 or 4.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30 Requires: Greater Stalwart Defense (Tier 4)
Reinforced Defense: Improves the armor class bonus you receive from shields or armor. (Cannot choose same as Reinforced Defense from Tier 4.)
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30 Requires: Reinforced Defense (Tier 4)
Against All Odds: +5 AC, taking damage adds a stacking +2 AC, stacks 10 times. +60 HP.
AP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30