As a stalwart defender gains levels, he augments his defensive stance. Starting at 2nd level, the stalwart defender gains a defensive power. He gains another defensive power for every two levels of stalwart defender attained after 2nd level. The stalwart defender gains the benefits of defensive powers only while in a defensive stance, and some of these powers require him to take an action first. Unless otherwise noted, he cannot select an individual power more than once.
The defender adds his armor check penalty as a bonus to the DC of opponents attempting to Bluff him and Acrobatics checks to pass by him without provoking an attack of opportunity for moving through spaces he threatens.
The stalwart defender may reroll a failed Will save. This power is used as an immediate action after the first save is attempted, but before the results are revealed by the GM. The stalwart defender must take the second result, even if it is worse. This power can only be used once per defensive stance.
While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender is immune to the shaken and frightened conditions. He must be at least 4th level before selecting this power.
If a foe's movement in the defender's threatened area provokes an attack of opportunity and the stalwart defender successfully hits the foe with the attack, the foe's movement ends immediately. The foe cannot move again until its next turn but can still take the rest of its action. A stalwart defender must have selected the bulwark power prior to selecting halting blow.
While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender adds his class level to his CMD against any bull rush, overrun, pull, and push combat maneuvers, as well as grapple attempts to move him. The stalwart defender must be at least 4th level to select this power.
The stalwart defender's damage reduction from this class increases by 1/—. This increase is always active while the stalwart defender is in a defensive stance. He can select this power up to two times. Its effects stack. The stalwart defender must be at least 6th level before selecting this defensive power.
Once a round as an immediate action, when a melee or ranged weapon would successfully strike an adjacent ally, the stalwart defender can choose to have the weapon strike him instead of the intended target. The attack automatically hits the stalwart defender, regardless his AC or any miss chance in effect, and he suffers the normal consequences of the attack.
While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions.
The stalwart defender automatically negates the additional damage of one successful critical hit or sneak attack, as well as other abilities or effects that rely on a successful critical hit or sneak attack (such as blinding from Blinding Critical or bleed from sneak attack). The stalwart defender takes only normal damage from the attack. This power may only be used once per defensive stance. The stalwart defender must be at least 6th level to select this power.
As a standard action, the stalwart defender heals 1d8 points of damage + his Constitution modifier. For every two levels the stalwart defender has attained above 2nd, this healing increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 5d8 at 10th level. This power can be used only once per day and only while in a defensive stance.
The stalwart defender may enter a defensive stance even if fatigued. While maintaining a defensive stance after using this ability, he is immune to the fatigued condition. Once this stance ends, he is exhausted for 10 minutes per round spent in a defensive stance.
While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender may make an extra attack per round that is either a shield bash or a slam (even if he doesn't normally have a slam attack). If used as part of a full attack action, the extra attack is made at the stalwart defender's full base attack bonus –5. The smash deals 1d4 points of damage (if the stalwart defender is Medium, or 1d3 if he is Small) plus half the character's Strength modifier. The character can make this attack as part of the action to maintain or break free from a grapple; this attack is resolved before the grapple check is made. If the attack hits, any grapple checks made by the stalwart defender against the target this round are at a +2 bonus.
The stalwart defender can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the stalwart defender, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity. This power can only be used once per stance. A stalwart defender must be at least 4th level before selecting this power.