Iron Guardian Yojimbo School

   The Iron Guardian school is a school of taoistic defense – a cultivated ability to flow with the currents of fate which approaches precognition. A master may move only subtly, but will – somehow – channel opponents into poor positions, edge friends and allies out of the path of blows and attacks, and – occasionally – simply happen to be standing where an opponent will stumble onto his or her blade. True masters are so capable of subtly manipulating the flow of events that they can extend a limited amount of magical and even social protection to their charges.

Iron Guardian Yojimbo (Bushi) School:

   Trait Bonus: +1 Agility

   School Skills: Courtier, Defense, Divination, Etiquette, Horse Archery, Pole Arms, Staves, Sword, choice of 2.

• First Technique/Reed Bends in the Wind: You are always considered to be on Full Defense unless specifically in another posture (10) and may make a single attack every other round while remaining on full defense (10).
• Second Technique/Riding the Currents of Fate: When on Full Defense you may share your AC increase with up to 3 allies within 10′ and may apply your Full Defense bonus against up to (5 x Rank) opponents at the same time.
• Third Technique/Entering the Karmic Vortex: When on Full Defense you may share your AC increase with all allies within 15′ (+10) and may apply your Full Defense bonus against an unlimited number of opponents at the same time (+10).
• Fourth Technique/Outside the Hourglass: You may double the Style bonuses from your Defense Skill (5), Gain a pool of (Athletics) free raises for use with your Defense skill per Skirmish (5), When you or someone you’re defending is targeted by a spell you may raise or lower the target number for it by up to 5 (10).
• Fifth Technique/One with the Tao: You may now raise or lower spell target numbers by up to 10 (+5), gain 5 Free Raises on Medicine, Investigate, and Etiquette Checks (10), and may extend the benefits of any defensive style elements of your Etiquette skill to those you are defending (5).

   Yes, this is another monomaniacal school – in this case, focused on Defense to the point of utter absurdity. It can also be absurdly powerful if he game master lets a group of them get together and allows them to stack their defenses. Given decent Defense and Athletics skills, each practitioner can easily contribute sixty or more to the groups total armor class. Player characters, of course, are less likely to take this particular school. It’s just too passive for most players, however useful it is to the group.