Many warriors get their start in the guard. Whether it’s guarding a city, a noble, or a merchant caravan, well-trained protection and security specialists are always in demand. As the name “watchman” indicates, the job is often at least about as much about alertness as it is about raw combat skill, but the ability to fight is a vital part of a watchman’s job. Because what good is watching for threats… if you can’t deal with them?
When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you refine your existing training to better respond to threats. You gain the Watchful Eye trait of the Steely Mien feature. If you already have it, select a second option. You also gain proficiency in the Perception and Insight skills or if you are already proficient, you gain an expertise die.
Furthermore, as an action you can spend a point of exertion to ignore a number of levels of fatigue equal to your proficiency bonus for 1 hour.
Also at level 3, you learn to work as a team and protect those around you. You become proficient with the Sanguine Knot combat tradition (you may select a different tradition if you are already proficient with Sanguine Knot) and learn a single first-degree maneuver from it, which does not count against your maneuvers known.
Furthermore, you learn to put yourself in the path of incoming attacks. When a creature within 5 feet of you is targeted with an attack, you may use your reaction to make that attack target you instead.
At level 7, you have become practiced at responding to threats quickly. You can don or doff armor in half the normal time, and you gain advantage on initiative checks.
You may also use the Dash action as a bonus action. Once you have done so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you can’t do so again until you have finished a short or long rest.
At level 7, the escape DCs of nets you throw and manacles you fasten increase to match your maneuver DC unless they are already higher.
Also at 7th level, you gain access to more specialized training. You become proficient with the Medicine and Investigation skills.
At 10th level, attempts to threaten, cajole, bribe, deceive, and manipulate you out of doing your duty have built a strong mental resistance in you. You become proficient with Wisdom saving throws.
At 15th level, your alertness transcends the level of mere training. You gain blindsight and tremorsense, each with a range of 20 feet.
At 18th level, you become an almost impenetrable barrier for those you would keep from harm. As a bonus action, you may designate a number of creatures you can see equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) as your charges. Whenever one of those creatures is within 10 feet of you and is subject to an attack, you may spend 1 exertion to move adjacent to the creature and activate your Get Behind Me ability. You need not expend your reaction to use Get Behind
Me when activated this way.