The Daidoji are among Rokugan's craftiest fighters, concentrating on defensive maneuvers and a style of fighting that induces their opponents to defeat themselves. They make excellent bodyguards, although these abilities can also be turned toward shady pursuits, and many Daidoji work as smugglers and spies. The Daidoji aren't ashamed of their illicit activities, although they don't go to any extremes to shout them to the world. Similar to underground spies, the Daidoji are the shadows in the court, gathering information and protecting the Doji diplomats. If something is needed, the Daidoji can find it. If there's a shipment that must get through, there's a Daidoji willing to take it there. Let the Doji use their skills to hide any dishonor; the Daidoji are willing to do what must be done, for the sake of the clan.

While most characters in the Daidoji bodyguard school are samurai, a few rogues also train in the school and adopt the bodyguard prestige class.

Daidoji bodyguards, as the name suggests, are most commonly found serving as yojimbo (bodyguards) to Doji courtiers and other important Cranes. Others are found involved in criminal operations-or at least borderline activities.

Role: Tank DPS

Characteristics: Defense focused adventurers who can refocus their own defenses

Source: Oriental Adventures

Game Rule Information

The Daidoji Bodyguard has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Constitution for raw bulk, and Dexterity for having good defensive roll capabilities

Alignment: Any Lawful

Hit Die: d12

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Daidoji Bodyguard's class skills are doji bodyguard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff(Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis). S

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Daidoji Bodyguard.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Daidoji Bodyguard is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Defensive Refocus Ex: A Daidoji bodyguard can refocus while using the total defense action. While on total defense, the bodyguard gets the usual +4 dodge bonus to his AC, though he cannot move as well. On the following rounds of combat, the character moves up in the initiative count and is positioned as though he had rolled a 20 on his initiative check.

Defensive Awareness Ex: Starting at 2nd level, the Daidoji bodyguard gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even be aware of it. At 2nd level and higher, he retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)

At 5th level, the Daidoji bodyguard can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the Daidoji bodyguard. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least 4 levels higher than the bodyguard can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

At 10th level, the Daidoji bodyguard gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps.

Defensive awareness is cumulative with uncanny dodge. If the Daidoji bodyguard has another class that grants the uncanny dodge ability, add together all the class levels of the classes that grant these two abilities and determine the character's defensive awareness ability.

Evasion Ex: At 3rd level and higher, a Daidoji bodyguard can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If the bodyguard makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. The Daidoji bodyguard can only use evasion if he is wearing light armor or no armor.

Moving the Shadow Ex: At 4th level, a Daidoji bodyguard learns the techniques of taking advantage of an opponent's armor. The Daidoji bodyguard gains a dodge bonus to his AC equal to the armor check penalty (if any) of the opponent striking him.

Damage Reduction Ex: At 6th level, the Daidoji bodyguard gains the extraordinary ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 3 from the damage the Daidoji bodyguard takes each time he is dealt damage. At 9th level, this damage reduction rises to 6. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. (That is, the bodyguard cannot actually gain hit points in this manner.)

Defensive Roll Ex: At 8th level, the Daidoji bodyguard learns to roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it. Once per day, when a Daidoji bodyguard would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the bodyguard can attempt to roll with the damage. He makes a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if successful, takes only half damage from the blow. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll—if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can't roll. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the bodyguard's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.