Another thought I had on increasing the Guardian's survivability: give them a focus-like ability called Armor Block. As a reaction, allow a Guardian to apply 5+level damage resistance to any physical damage. After using this ability, Armor Block cannot be used for another 10 minutes. This would allow the Guardian to absorb one good blow per encounter, regardless of the type of damage they take. Considering that if you're fighting something that is doing damage that your armor specialization doesn't block you essentially have no damage resistance at all, this Armor Block ability would help out immensely. You could even add a feat that would let you use Armor Block multiple times, like take an action to "Clear Your Head" and Armor Block again.

Good video. The class definitely needs some work. But I'm commenting, because of something you said towards the end of the video the Fighter and the Monk not having subclasses. I strongly disagree that they need them. I love that those two classes are so versatile in the way you build them with the feats and choice of weapons. Don't mess with perfection! 😁

I really like your videos! I really like that you get to the point, don't do any crazy clickbait and give useful information without any BS! I can't say the same about some bigger pf2e creators so I hope you'll grow soon!

Great video it seems to be in line with most of what I've seen. In addition, Guardian is supposed to be THE heavy armor class, yet it still takes all the usual speed penalties from heavy armor, this works in friction with its Intercept Strike as its harder to be near your allies, a feature that negates the speed penalty completly from their armor and shields (making massive shields more viable for the class) so the Guardian won't be lagging behind their party. The way Taunt functions also clashes with the fantasy of being a heavily armoed character, buy lowering your AC all the investment the class has made into heavy armor pointless.

Worth a like just for the closing quip.

With the playtest you mentioned, several classes would have difficulties as the sole frontline. Champion would also be chasing their allies to get in range for their reaction, and Rogue would lament the lack of a flanking buddy. But classes aren't without their tricks. The hypothetical Rogue could still trip or feint to get Off-Guards, and could skate around with Mobility. The hypothetical Champion would still have its high AC and self-healing, maybe Reactive Strike to punish enemies for racing by. So what about your Guardian? Intercept Strike will be far too obnoxious to chase your allies with, *maybe* Intercept Foe but you're still dealing with 20ft Strides on a spread-out map. Taunting nearby foes could encourage them not to run past you, but then it also softens up your AC, and might encourge the enemies to focus-fire you before picking off your squishy allies. The Long-Distance Taunt feat does look tempting though, as you're forcing the enemy to choose between Striking your ranged ally with boosted AC, or the enemy wasting ITS actions to move back to you and bite you. But the Rules Lawyer playtest showed that bow Guardian is a meme build, so there's not really much you can DO while 120ft away... I just don't think it lives up to its class fantasy, in the current build. Being the hulking armor person with resistance/tempHP to shrug off blows is a fun class fantasy. The current build feels like your ideal strategy is to "waste" enemy actions with running over to you and dropping you to Dying 1, when in reality you have low damage and low battlefield impact. So you're "tricking" enemies to knock you out before high-impact targets, which... is stratetically valuable, it's the entire reason in MMOs that glass cannons can deal damage safely. But this class doesn't feel notably more survivable than a Fighter or Barbarian, let alone Champion with its self-healing, and being focus-fired isn't a fun experience no matter what class you're playing.

It would be interesting to see support for a Medium or Light Armour Guardian. Maybe its part of the subclass, but it would be nice if that doesn't limit your feat choices as much as sum subclasses do. Light Armour would need to get armour specialization effects though. All three should get similar base damage resistance, taunting, and intercept strike abilities; but maybe tie addition riders onto things. Heavy gets the best maximum damage resistance. Medium gets you a unique but smaller damage resistance against spells/saves, and Light give you free Step actions and/or the ability to partially move alongside allies. Also, maybe a Reaction akin to Fighter's Cut From the Air and Smash From the Air feats, but letting you protect adjacent allies or even use throwing weapons to knock aside ranged attacks/spells.

Um abraço do Brasil!

I feel the class needs to get mkre meat on its bones overall. Right now, it has one playstyle only. I think they should let it be more complex: buff Taunt and Intercept Strike and then augment them via Subclass. So I'm proposing a few possible changes. 1) Just have them have the highest armor proficiency compared to everyone else at the same level. It would make sense for the meat shield to be able to resist the Blows more than anyone else. 2) Baseline buffs for both Taunt and Intercept Strike. Taunt could have a new trait (Stalwart, Bastion, something akin to that) that makes criting harder. Maybe a harder check to crit (need 12 over instead of 10) or resistance to the damage from crits, that kinda thing. Intercept Strike is easier: when you use it, the enemy compares their roll to your AC. That can turn a crit on an ally to a normal hit to you and normal hit to them to a miss on you. 3) Subclass choices that affect how Taunt and Intercept Strike work by focusing a "goal" to it. A Vengence Subclass that makes Taunt targets take a penalty to AC if they don't focus on just the Guardian and Intercept Strike now let's you hit the enemy afterwards. Bully makes Taunt attempt a freebie Demoralize and Intercept Strike let's you attempt to Shove or Trip the triggering enemy (with feats to expand that list) and a Defender who's Taunt grants ally AC for that target and Intercept Strike grants the guardian Temporary Health. I like the idea of the Guardian somehow always tanking but using various methods. A threat that becomes dangerous if ignored (Vengence), a tank focused on controlling the enemy (Bully) and a tank focused on becoming very hard to harm (Defender) can make the class feel like more than a larger free Archetype, which is part of what it really, really needs right now.

I'd like Intercept to work on damage done by an Attack roll, not just physical.

I also want a subclass for the Guardian. I find the class lacking in some flavor to separate it from "specialized fighter" and subclasses could really be that!

Honestly I'd love for them to have more HP and some resistance. It feels a bit weird that Barbarian is the one and only class that has a class HP of 12. Plenty of classes with 6's, 8's and 10's but only one with 12? If any class were to stand alongside them with that class HP of 12, it should be a tank type build like the Guardian.

It feels like this class could be a fighter feat chain, or an archetype at best. It doesn't feel like there is enough to it to be a full class.

Good points. The abilities of the Guardian are too narrow and too weak. It can't really much help a more mobile party like you had. Perhaps just being offensive with athletics is the right option there.

I dislike that the taunt gives you -2 to AC while the class gives you expert in wearing armor so it seems like they give you a class ability only to remove it when you do your class skill? It's like are you giving me AC or not?

Guardian is a weird class concept. People keep trying to add "tank" classes to a game that absolutely refuses to have any concept of "aggro". These classes are always going to be hard to balance because of this, so much of your word count is taken up just compensating for the fact that a sack of hit points and damage reduction is useless if the DM doesn't attack it.

Having the prime stat be Strength is just silly. It should be Con.