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Vanguard

"I do things with weapons that people have never seen before. Don't believe me? Watch this."

Vanguard Class Strengths

Note that these values are not specifically used in Eternity TTRPG. Instead, these representative stats are meant to provide an overall idea of how the class plays. Definitions of these representations are provided below, which do directly align with the Eternity TTRPG system.

Vanguards have the following "class stats":

• 9 Attack
• 8 Defense
• 5 Intuition
• 0 Magic
• 0 Special
• 7 Quickness
• 8 Utility
• 8 Versatility

Value Definitions

The following stat definitions roughly cover the class' strengths and weaknesses, in a representational way.

• Attack: the overall ability of the class to deal damage and set the tempo in a battle.
• Defense: the innate ability of the class to reduce damage and negative effects taken, both from physical and magical attacks.
• Intuition: represents skills such as perception, stealth, or sixth-sense abilities to help them avoid otherwise unforeseeable harm.
• Magic: the innate ability of the class to manipulate the very fabric of Altius and The Dream, turning those powers to their will.
• Special: not all unique "powers" are magical in nature, and some classes have magic-like, "special" abilities.
• Quickness: the overall speed, mobility, and initiative of the class.
• Utility: the ability of the class to bolster allies, debilitate enemies, or provide useful effects in various out-of-combat situations.
• Versatility: the class' ability to adapt to any situation or environment, both in and out of combat.

Vanguard Stat Bonuses

Vanguards gain stat bonuses upon leveling up, based upon the "Critical Option" chosen for each ability. These class-based stat bonuses provide roughly half of the overall stat benefits for your character, making them integral to your character's advancement.

The three categories of stat bonuses/ specialization for vanguards are: tip of the spear (+1 Strike Bonus), shock troop (+1 HP), and ranger (+1 Range).

Vanguard Roleplay Powers

In Eternity TTRPG, each class has its own unique set of "Roleplay Powers," which enable players to feel truly outstanding. It gives each character something that sets them apart from the rest of their adventuring party.

Roleplay Powers either provide auto-successes on specific skill or knowledge checks related to the class, or provide unique effects that make players feel like they're living in the world of Eternity TTRPG with their chosen class.

Adrenaline

Add your Agility Stat against a Fate Roll. When you do, you must also automatically remove your Agility Stat against your next Fate Roll. Vanguards may put on a burst of speed or power at any time, taxing themselves at a later, less dangerous moment.

Dash

Auto success against Fate Rolls involving chases that are less than a half mile in distance, to catch someone or escape. Speed and mobility are key components for any tactical military strike.

Trick Shot

You may loose arrows in a curve of any kind, ignoring wind, even in darkness - and otherwise making impossible "shots," within weapon Range. The best shots are those where your target never knew they were in the line of sight... or in this case, in the "line of the trick shot."

Vanguard Abilities

The following vanguard ability descriptions provide summaries of their actual in-game effects.

Assault

Effectively “Charge,” but target up to 3 enemies, and with much lower hit chance.

Bulwark

Attack with lowered hit chance, with the tradeoff of increased Defenses for 1turn.

Claymore

Continually gain Strike Bonus against one target, each turn, without limits.

Combat Mobility

Move 1 space per turn as an Instant Action.

Intimidating Presence

Chance to continually Taunt up to 3 enemies in Weapon Range.

Piercing Strike

Attack with increased hit chance, with the tradeoff of lowered Defenses for 1turn.

Quick Switch

Switch your equipped weapon/ shield to another, as an Instant Action.

Range Mastery

Increases your Range with melee weapons and ranged weapons.

Retribution

Chance to counterattack enemies who attack you.

Rush

Move with increased Speed, with the tradeoff of lowered Defenses for 1turn.

Class Origin

In 226KS, the First Chaos War was waged upon the mortal lands of Altius. The Altian races suffered terribly under the battle-might and magic prowess of those demonic followers of the Esper, Ifrit, known as asura.

The asura rose from the Lava Sea of Pandaemonium, in the far northwest of the main continent. From there, they slew the first Esper in history, Sinister Dreams, and then waged war upon the northlands. Untold numbers of humans, ateri, empyreans, jadori, and treants were slaughtered in their wrath.

For the first time in history, mortals would have to wage war without Eternals. And without the aid of even other Espers, they did not know how.

However, a powerful defense was required, before the asura overran the realms of mortals, entirely. Thus, they banded together, creating order among themselves, and armies. Together, they marched upon Pandaemonium, losing untold numbers in the process. New to war without the aid of Eternals, they emerged victorious against their spirit-foes, only for sake of numbers. 

Lacking in magical might, they were unable to finish the root of the asuran power, or their waypoint into Altius, and so instead forged a 30ft high, blackened and fire-scorched wall around the peninsula to contain the asura, which even to modern day marks the location where the “Day of Fire” and subsequent wars took place. 

From thence forward, the wall was manned, given strength from all mortal lands, and upkept with constant thought towards the possibility of always-impending peril. And mortal armies were always maintained, even during peace time, for fear of the asura, and other mortal foes.

Primarily, mortals separated their martial forces into four categories: lancers, legionnaires, and vanguard.

At the time, berserkers were powerful, but were being slain in droves, as they fought individually. Upon broad battlefields, their heroism was getting them killed by unseen forces. Additionally, assassins were less useful than in previous campaigns, as the asura had no discernable captains of war, to Ifrit. And he was as a shadow – never remaining in any one place, magically teleporting away in gusts of fire, when as assassin would draw near.

Paladins were powerful foes to the abyssal asura, though they were too few in number to make an impact, alone. And spell casters of all kinds cast terrific energies upon the soul-based asura, but they too were too few.

Altius needed an army of commoners, with no magic-like powers, but great martial training and prowess. These armies needed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, so as not to be overrun by large numbers of foes.

They needed to be numerous enough, as well, to support mortal heroes, such as the berserkers, paladins, and spell casters, who though powerful, would die without them.

Of the three new warrior professions to emerge, vanguard were the second, and filled a distinct role.

While legionnaires would engage the bulk of enemy forces in direct head-to-head combat, vanguard (often reinforced with berserkers, assassins, and thieves) would flank enemy lines, and attack key components of their defenses.

These vanguard assaults would dash into battle and overwhelm their foes with hit-and-run/ “trick” tactics. And while the enemy’s adrenaline was still pumping, the vanguard forces would already then have retreated, their mission complete and damage done.

Vanguard were more highly trained than their legionnaire brethren, but followed more of the path of the berserker – not working entirely alone, or even as powerful, single units upon the battlefield. Still, they were joint teams, but they lacked the tactical prowess of legionnaires, and made up for it with berserker-style attacks.

Working with the main legionnaire armies, and often working as direct guard and support units for infiltrating heroes, vanguards helped break enemy back lines, and ultimately helped win the First Chaos War.

Vanguard Play Style

When it comes to combat, vanguards are all about attack capabilities, options to defend allies, and impressment movement around the battlefield for advantageous positioning. Vanguards can focus on any of these areas in great detail, or utilize abilities and critical options as the need for each arises.

For attacking, "Range Mastery" provides an increase in range of attacks for both melee and ranged weapons, allowing you to attack enemies while remaining beyond reach of their attacks. "Piercing Strike" gives you additional hit chance at the temporary expense of lowered defenses, and "Claymore" allows you to increase your hit chance against a single target every turn, with no limit on how much that hit chance builds up.

For defending, "Bulwark" is an attack that you make with lowered hit chance but that provides you with extra defenses for a turn. You also have "Retribution" to counterattack enemies, and "Intimidating Presence" to potentially force enemies to attack you, rather than your allies.

You also have numerous abilities that function as attacking effects in some cases and defending in others, though they all fall under the general category of "movement advantages." "Combat Mobility" is the single most useful ability for any vanguard, giving you the option to move extra space(s) per turn, before or after attacking, or otherwise. "Rush" lets you move additional distance on your turn, at the expense of having lowered defenses for a turn. "Assault' lets you "Charge" multiple enemies all at once for the chance to Daze them, with a lowered hit chance.

And lastly, "Quick Switch" is sort of the all-around vanguard ability that enables you to fight and function for best effect in virtually any circumstance. This ability allows you to switch weapons/ to a weapon and shield on your turn, as an Instant Action, which enables you to fight in melee range one moment, only to instantly loose arrows at distant enemies in the next.

Vanguard Lore

Just as a rescue effort was launched to free the prisoners, a piece of the cavern ceiling broke inward, and a large figure dropped into the pool of water.

Moonlight streamed down, revealing the form of a massive muscle-cut black body with tremendous claws. It began scooping up prisoners in its massive claws, and devouring them. Combat ensued.

Cado launched arrow after arrow straight into its body while Do’Zakarr and Sanctus charged with their blades. Ryu dropped from the ceiling to slice with his daggers directly into the monster’s back. Do’Zakarr was knocked unconscious by a swipe from the beast, though it was finally brought down. The city people were saved, and shortly thereafter the city was re-conquered. For a time, all was well…

Eternity TTRPG Races

Eternity TTRPG has nine unique playable races, each with their own lore, racial powers, and variety of options for play. Choose from races you know such as humans or treants, or dive into the entirely unique world of Eternity TTRPG with crour, espers, ateri, empyrean, jadori, stoneborn, and yzarc.

Core Rulebook Classes

Take a look at other Eternity TTRPG class pages from the Eternity TTRPG Core Rulebook to learn more about each. Characters gain their class at Lv.1 (after starting with only a race at Lv.0). Classes provide characters with stat boosts. along with spells, abilities, and roleplay powers entirely distinct from one another.