| Level | Passives | Actives |
| 1 | Tempered Defense | Exerted Defense |
| 2 | Steady Channeling | Covering Guard |
| 3 | Hard Angles | Unbalancing Parry |
| 4 | Effortless Parry | Active Defense |
| 5 | None Shall Pass | Move the Line |
| 6 | Anticipate Attacks | Dizzying Bash |
| 7 | Obstructing Defense | Shielding Allies |
| 8 | Hardened Defense | Absorbing Blows |
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 |
Shield Martial Abilities
Exerted Defense – 1
You can spend Stamina to gain a bonus to AC provided by your shield or any Defensive martial skill check that you make against a single attack at a 1:1 ratio.
Tempered Defense – 1
Any time a shield you wield would take damage, reduce that damage by your Highest Martial Rank bonus.
Covering Guard – 2
You can spend 1 Stamina to count your shield as providing you Partial Cover until the start of your next turn. If you already have Cover, increase your Cover by one step.
Steady Channeling – 2
You gain a bonus to Concentration checks while wielding a Shield equal to half of your Highest Martial Rank bonus.
Hard Angles – 3
You count as one size larger for the purposes of defending against Maneuvers and Parrying attacks while wielding a shield.
Unbalancing Parry – 3
You may spend 2 Stamina when performing a Parry, but before the check is made, and if the Parry is successful the attacker is Staggered until the end of the attackers next turn.
Active Defense – 4
You may spend 2 Stamina as an Immediate Action to intercept a hostile creature moving within 30 ft of you, this allows you to move 5 ft plus 5ft per half of your Highest Martial Rank bonus. If this ability would block the enemies movement on things such as a charge, you become the new target.
Effortless Parry – 4
While wielding a shield, you gain one free Defensive Action against each individual enemy each turn.
Move the Line – 5
You can spend 1 Stamina when taking a 5ft step to allow all adjacent friendly creatures to also take a 5ft step in the same direction. Other creatures with this ability who are adjacent to any creature that moves from this ability may also move with them.
None Shall Pass – 5
Enemies attempting to move through your natural reach while you are wielding a shield must make a Bull Rush or Acrobatics check against your CMD check to do so. This does not apply to enemies entering or exiting your natural Reach.
Anticipate Attacks – 6
You are now able to attempt to Parry attacks that you are unaware of, as long as you are aware you are in a hostile situation, up to GM discretion.
Dizzying Bash – 6
You may spend 1 Stamina when you would successfully hit a target with your shield. The target takes a penalty to all skills checks equal to half of your shields bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.
Obstructing Defense – 7
When you take the Total Defense action while wielding a shield, your space and all adjacent squares count as a solid object with a hard corner for hostile creatures targeting friendly creatures. This does not apply to vertical space unless you are Large or larger as appropriate.
Shielding Allies – 7
When you take the Fighting Defensively action while wielding a shield you can spend 2 Stamina to also give friendly creatures within your natural Reach half the benefits of this action.
Absorbing Blows – 8
When you are hit with an attack while wielding a shield you may spend 1 Stamina to take half damage from that attack. If the damage is non-physical the reduced damage applies to the shield.
Hardened Defense – 8
You gain a bonus to DR equal to your shield’s Hardness.