Vanguard Introduction

Two can do more than one, and anyone who has ever entered a dungeon knows the value of a trustworthy companion. The problem here is that many companions are far from trustworthy.
So what is an adventurer to do? Get your own personal ally, from the ranger’s animal companion to the otherwordly eidolons called forth by the summoner. From the dragonrider’s scaly steed to the mechanical bodyguard crafted by the skilled craftsman. The options for acquiring a trustworthy companion are countless.

There are plenty of third party classes that allow for building your own customized construct companion. Interjection Games’ Tinker creates legions of temporary ones, much like the drones created using the new technology sphere, and Thunderscape’s mechamage makes its own construct companion.
The vanguard’s unique selling point is a form of cooperation between vanguard and companion called resonance. Each of the augmentations build into the companion can be activated by the vanguard for a more powerful magical effect called a resonance.

With their d8 Hit Die and medium armor the vanguard can survive on the front line, but their magic and firearm proficiency allows for support from the back. The vanguard is also a charisma based caster with his own spell list up to 6th level. These spells can also be imbued into the vanguard or the companion to be automatically activated under specific circumstances. 

Role: Vanguards will send their companions forward to bash heads and expose their enemies to whichever resonance is most useful at the time. They can support their allies with magic and ranged attacks or join 

HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod

Morabund’s Auditorium of Gears, Bells and Whistles is a small college in the ship city of Steamdepths. It famously boasts that every graduate can craft their own golem, though critics say this has less to do with the quality of the curriculum and more with the auditorium’s insistence that all textbooks be printed on bound copper sheets.

When they first encounter him the players may be forgiven for thinking Lawtrance is an unfortunate tinker forced by the raiders to build war constructs. But in truth he is seeking to spread more and more constructs into the lawless lands until he has enough to take over and establish an empire of his own.

The gnomish mining villages in the Short-Spires are a frequent target for raiders and bandits. After losing his parents Sagwau Gearspinner build a mighty construct and swore to defend the local villages from more such tragedies.

Path of Iron, 22