Desert Vanguard

You were the steel and shield of your people, a trained warrior of the wastes. Whether you belonged to a tribal militia protecting seasonal oases, a hired camel-cavalry escort for wealthy merchant caravans, or a fierce raider striking from the dunes, you are a master of desert warfare. You know that out here, heavy armor is a death sentence of heat exhaustion, and water is a tactical resource. Your style of combat relies on swift movement, ambush tactics, and tracking enemies through wind-swept sand.

Feat:

Oasis Reconnaissance Your military experience in arid environments gives you an expert eye for tactical terrain. When traveling through deserts, canyons, or badlands, you can accurately deduce the most likely locations of hidden water sources, choke points, and ideal ambush sites based on the topography, wind patterns, and animal tracks.

Additionally, because of your past service or reputation, veteran soldiers, mercenaries, and tribal scouts of the wastes recognize your military bearing. They are willing to share intelligence regarding local raider movements, dangerous predators, or changing weather conditions in the region.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception

Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (Land), and one type of gaming set

Languages: One language of your choice

Equipment: A finely balanced longsword (longsword), a set of traveler's clothes, a protective sand-goggles or tightly woven facial wrap, a horn or whistle used to signal maneuvers across vast distances, a whetstone, and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

Desert Vanguards are disciplined, stoic, and fiercely loyal protectors who carry themselves with a strict, military bearing. Having faced the harshest elements and the most brutal ambushes the wastes have to offer, they are rarely rattled by sudden danger. They place immense value on chain of command, tactical preparation, and the sacred bond shared between soldiers who have bled together under the same scorching sun.

d4	Personality Trait
1	I clean and inspect my weapons and armor every single evening before taking my rest, without fail.
2	I speak in short, direct commands and have little patience for long-winded, indecisive debates.
3	I am always on duty. Even in a peaceful tavern, I sit facing the door with my hand near my blade.
4	I have a stiff, formal posture and a habit of addressing people by military titles or formal honorifics.

d3	Ideal
1	Protection. My weapon belongs to those who cannot defend themselves. I am the shield that stands between my tribe and the horrors of the wastes. (Good)
2	Discipline. Chaos and panic kill more people in a sandstorm than the heat does. Strict order and tactical execution are the only ways to survive. (Lawful)
3	Retribution. An ambush or betrayal cannot go unanswered. Those who break the peace or turn on their allies must be brought to swift, decisive justice. (Any)

d3	Bond
1	My unit was brutally ambushed and left for dead; I will stop at nothing to hunt down the traitors who betrayed us to the sands.
2	I carry the tattered banner, badge, or broken weapon of my fallen regiment; it reminds me of my duty and the family I lost.
3	I owe my life to the companion who found me dying under the sun and nursed me back to health. My blade is theirs until that debt is paid.

d3	Flaw
1	I have a difficult time shifting out of military mode, often treating peaceful social interactions like a strategic briefing.
2	I am fiercely proud and stubborn; I view tactical retreats as a form of cowardice, even when completely overwhelmed.
3	My trust is incredibly hard to earn. I automatically view outsiders as potential threats or spies until they have proven themselves in battle.