Ki Master (3.5e Class)

Ki Master
The body flows with ki energy, it animates us and drives our bodies. Ki Masters use that force as a weapon, firing blasts to smite their foes, and to boost their physical powers.

Making a Ki Master
Ki Masters are well against single targets, able to strike from afar, them move into melee for the kill. They can fill the role of the monk of the party well.

Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are all important traits of the Ki Master who will be forced into melee. However, Wisdom and Charisma are both important, for the sake of their monk-like AC bonus from Wisdom, and the power and effectiveness of their ki blasts from Charisma. High scores are practically needed everywhere, depending on your abilities depends which sort of focus your Ki Master may take, melee, ranged, or midway between.

Races: Humans and half-orcs make great Ki Masters, while frailer elves shy away from it. Even small characters such as Gnomes can make good Ki Masters if they focus on evasive abilities.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Complex.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ki master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ki Masters are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling.

Ki Masters are not proficient with any armor or shields.

When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a ki master loses her AC bonus, as well as her fast movement.

Ki Blasts:  A ki master uses super natural powers drawn from the Ki Master Spell List. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).

To learn or cast a ki blast, a ki master must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the ki blast level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ki master's blast is 10 + the blast level + the ki master's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a ki master can cast only a certain number of blasts of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Ki Master. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

A ki master's selection of spells is extremely limited. A ki master begins play knowing three 0-level blasts and two 1st-level blasts of your choice. At each new ki master level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Ki Master Blasts Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a ki master knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Ki Master Blasts Known are fixed.) These new blasts are chosen from the Ki Master spell list. The ki master can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn blasts at a faster rate, however.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered ki master level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a ki master can choose to learn a new blast in place of one she already knows. In effect, the ki master “loses” the old blast in exchange for the new one. The new blast's level must be the same as that of the blast being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level ki master blast the ki master can cast. A ki master may swap only a single blast at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a ki master need not prepare her blasts in advance. She can cast any blast she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her blasts per day for that blast level. She does not have to decide ahead of time which spells she’ll cast.

Ki Masters rarely keep track of spell names. Actually, most of their moves are re-named as they see fit (and that way a Blur spell is something else, some mystical ki technique which makes you difficult to hit.)

Ki Blasts count as arcane spells for the purpose of arcane spell failure and prestige classes, where applicable.

Ki Masters choose their spells from the following list:

0th Level: Light, Flare, Resistance*, Mage Hand, Cure Minor Wounds, Ki Push, MORE

1st Level: Shield, Mage Armor*, Magic Fang*, Feather Fall, Jump*, Expeditious Retreat, Cure Light Wounds, Lesser Ki Barrage, Ki Bullet, Lesser Kinetic Ray, MORE

2nd Level: Protection from Arrows*, See Invisibility, Resist Energy*, Undetectable Alignment*, Locate Object, Detect Thoughts, Gust of Wind, Blur*, Mirror Image, False Life, Bear’s Endurance*, Bull’s Strength*, Cat’s Grace*, Eagle’s Splendor*, Fox’s Cunning*, Levitate, Owl’s Wisdom*, Status. Cure Moderate Wounds, Suppress Power Level, Ki Ball, Eyebeams, MORE

3rd Level: Nondetection*, Protection from Energy*, Arcane Sight, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Rage*, Daylight, Displacement*, Blink, Haste*, Fly*, Greater Magic Fang*, Cure Serious Wounds, Bolster Spirit, Special Beam Cannon, Lesser Kamehameha Wave, Solar Flare

4th Level: Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Stoneskin*, Dimension Door, Locate Creature, Scrying, Detect Scrying, Resilient Sphere, Shout, Cure Critical Wounds, Ki Barrage, Kaioken, Protective Aura, Kinetic Ray, MORE

5th Level: Teleport, Contact Other Plane, Telepathic Bond, Wall of Force, Overland Flight, Telekinesis, Control Winds, True Seeing*, Greater Bolster Spirit, Ki Bomb, Greater Eyebeams, MORE

6th Level: Globe of Invulnerability, Repulsion, Analyze Dweomer, True Seeing*, Mislead, Shadow Walk, Transformation, Find the Path, Destructo Disc, Kamehameha Wave, MORE

7th Level: Spell Turning, Plane Shift, Greater Teleport, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Scrying, Reverse Gravity, Destruction, Regenerate*, Project Image, Delayed Blast Ki Bomb, Greater Ki Barrage, Greater Kinetic Ray, MORE

8th Level: Mind Blank*, Protection from Spells*, Discern Location, Moment of Prescience, Greater Shout, Sunburst, Telekinetic Sphere, Iron Body, Earthquake, Raging Aura, Cluster Ki Bomb, MORE

9th Level: Foresight*, Astral Projection, Time Stop, Greater Kamehameha Wave, Spirit Bomb, Self-Detonate, MORE

* (Self only)

AC Bonus: When unarmored and unencumbered, the ki master adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a ki master gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five ki master levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the ki master is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Ki Sense : At will, a ki master can use Detect Power Level, as the spell. Classes or creature which emanate an aura, such as the paladin's aura of good, may also be detected by this ability.

Aura of Power : The power of a ki master's aura of power (see the detect power level spell) is equal to her ki master level.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a ki master gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A ki master's attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a ki master may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a ki master striking unarmed. A ki master may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually a ki master's unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A ki master's unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A ki master also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Monk. The unarmed damage on Table: The Monk is for Medium ki masters. A Small ki master deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large ki master deals more damage; see Table: Monk Unarmed Damage by Size.

Damage Reduction : At 2nd level, a ki master gains Damage Reduction/magic. Subtract 1 from the damage the ki master takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three ki master levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

At 20th level the kind of damage reduction changes due to Adamant Body.

Evasion : At 3rd level or higher if a ki master makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a ki master is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ki master does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Ki Fist : At 4th level, the ki master's fighting spirit grows stronger. Her unarmed strikes are treated as being +1 magic weapons. Every 4 levels after (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th) the enchantment bonus rises by +1, to a +5 bonus at level 20.

Intimidating Aura : As a full round action, a ki master may attempt an Intimidate check to all who can see them, the power and might of a visible ki aura about them. They may add half their ki master level as a bonus to Intimidate.

Special Ability: On attaining 7th level, and at every six levels thereafter (13th and 19th), a ki master gains a special ability of her choice from among the following options.

Power Up : A ki master may spend several turns supercharging their next attack. Every round spent charging up increases their effective caster level for ki blasts by +1. They may charge up for as many rounds as their Constitution modifier.

Rapid Metamagic: When employing metamagic feats on Ki Blasts (done akin to a sorcerer), it no longer extends the time of the casting to a full round action, but instead is reduced to a standard action. Through this ability Quicken Metamagic may be applied.

Catch Energy: When facing spells or ki blasts which target the Ki Master (and thus not area effects) and which require an attack roll, the Ki Master may attempt to counterspell, identifying the spell with Spellcraft. On succees the Ki Master expends a slot equal to the spell he is attempting to catch. The spell is put on 'hold'. The Ki Master can choose to deflect it harmlessly aside, or wait until next round to launch it back at the caster (using the caster's save DCs and the like). Launching it at the caster requires a Concentration check DC (10 + spell level) to do effectively.

Draw Energy : By calling on surrounding life energy you attempt to cast without expending your own ki blast slots. It takes concentration, and focus may be interrupted. If you fail your Concentration check you stop drawing in power, but may continue where you left off. If you fail your Concentration check by 5 or more you lose the power and must start over. You gain the ability to supplement 1 ki blast level for every round you draw in energy. For example, Goku has used up all his 9th, 8th, and 7th level slots, yet wants to cast a 9th level ki blast. He can charge for 9 rounds and expend no blasts per day, or he can expend 3 rounds, and use an available 6th level blast per day to complete the attack. This ability is a pre-requisite for the Ki Blast "Spirit Bomb".

Speed of Ki : You may add an additional +10 ft. to your movement rate. This ability may be taken multiple times.

Critical Blow : The critical multiplier on your unarmed attacks rises from x2 to x3. It may not increase above x4. Alternatively, you can increase the range of your critical hits by +1 (maximum +3), making it in the 17-20 range (for the purposes of spells and abilities which double your critical range, it does stack but is treated as if your fists still crit only on a 20... that is, with 3 applications of this feat and a version of Keen for bludgeoning weapons, your range is 16-20). This ability may be taken multiple times.

Push Yourself : You may expend Constitution as a swift action to increase the damage of your ki blasts. For every point of Constitution used up, add an additional +1d6 to your damage on your next ki blast attack made in that round. The additional damage only applies once. The Constitution damage cannot be avoided, and it is possible to kill yourself with this ability. You may not spend yourself into negative Constitution (you're too dead to try). The Constitution damage recovers normally through sleep, but not from Restoration spells. This ability is a pre-requisite for the Ki Superhuman prestige class.

Defensive Roll : The ki master can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than she otherwise would. Once per day, when she would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the ki master can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the ki master must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, she takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, she takes full damage. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll—if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the ki master's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Bonus Feat: A ki master may gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Diehard: The ki master receives the feat Diehard for free at level 9, even if she does not meet the pre-requisites.

Improved Evasion : This ability works like evasion, except that while the ki master still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless ki master does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Abundant Step : At 12th level or higher, a ki master can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, once per day. Her caster level for this effect is one-half her ki master level (rounded down).

Diamond Soul : At 13th level, a ki master gains spell resistance equal to her current ki master level + 10. In order to affect the ki master with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the ki master's spell resistance.

Transfer Energy : By a touch a ki master may transfer ki to another, refreshing them. With another ki master, they may expend twice as many ki blast levels to restore one ki blast per day in another. For example, Goku needs a use of his 4th level abilities, having used them up for the day. Vegeta expends the use of his available 8th level blast per day to restore Goku's 4th level blast per day.

With this limitation the highest level that can be refreshed is a 4th level blast per day.

This can also be used with traditional spellcasters at a higher waste. The requirement is 3 times the spell level or slot being restored, causing you to expend a 9th level blast per day to restore somebody else's 3rd level spell slot.

Timeless Body : Upon attaining 17th level, a ki master no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the ki master still dies of old age when her time is up.

Inner Calm : At level 18, a ki master becomes immune to fear effects.

Adamant Body : At level 20 a ki master has grown tough as nails. He gains +1 damage reduction as normal but his damage reduction changes to adamantine instead of magic.

Ki Strike : At 20th level, a ki master’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

Epic Ki Master
{| class="d20"
 * + class="epic" |

Table: The Epic Ki Master
Hit Die: d8 ! Ki Master Level!! AC Bonus!! Unarmored Speed Bonus!! Special
 * 21st|| +4|| +70 ft.||
 * 22nd|| +4|| +70 ft.||
 * 23rd|| +4|| +70 ft.|| DR 8/adamantine
 * 24th|| +4|| +80 ft.|| Ki Fist +6
 * 25th|| +5|| +80 ft.|| Special Ability
 * 26th|| +5|| +80 ft.|| DR 9/adamantine
 * 27th|| +5|| +90 ft.||
 * 28th|| +5|| +90 ft.|| Ki Fist +7
 * 29th|| +5|| +90 ft.|| DR 10/adamantine
 * 30th|| +6|| +100ft.||
 * }
 * 26th|| +5|| +80 ft.|| DR 9/adamantine
 * 27th|| +5|| +90 ft.||
 * 28th|| +5|| +90 ft.|| Ki Fist +7
 * 29th|| +5|| +90 ft.|| DR 10/adamantine
 * 30th|| +6|| +100ft.||
 * }
 * 29th|| +5|| +90 ft.|| DR 10/adamantine
 * 30th|| +6|| +100ft.||
 * }
 * }

2 + Int modifier skill points per level.

AC Bonus: The ki master's bonus to Armor Class when unarmored increases by +1 every five levels higher than 20th.

Unarmored Speed Bonus: The epic ki master's speed when wearing no armor increases by 10 feet every three levels higher than 18th. The unarmored speed of Small and dwarven ki masters increases by 5 feet instead of 10 feet.

Ki Fist: The ki master's ki fist ability increases every 4 levels after 20th level.

Bonus Feats: The epic Ki Master does not gain bonus feats. They do however continue to gain new Special Abilities.

Playing a Ki Master
Religion: Religion is usually a subject of indifference, as the ki master focuses on the self and drawing power from their own bodies. They are most in tune with druids, especially if they discover how to draw energy from their surroundings.

Other Classes: They have a great deal of respect for monks, although not being restricted by alignment does cause the occasional conflict. Spellcasters are both mocked as weak and feared for their ability to attack their minds, a weak point, and fighters are seen as strong allies.

Combat: The Ki Master covers both roles of ranged attacker and brawler. Focus on which skill varies, but they are best with one on one encounters.

Advancement: Any class suitable for monk is also suitable for ki masters. A few take a more barbaric route and take barbarian oriented classes.

Ki Masters in the World
"It's over 9000!!!!"

The Ki Master often does not care for the desires of the rest of the world. They are people driven by personal desires. The fact that their desires line up with the rest of the world, for better or worse, is coincidence.

Daily Life: Physical training is important as well as physical enlightenment. The ki master is always attempting to improve something, less they grow slack and stagnate.

Notables: Legends tell that those who walk the path of the Ki Master eventually become as gods, and leave the world for other planes in search of further enlightenment, their hair changing colors, growing long, and their bodies aging slowly as they travel through the multiverse, challenging the strong to battle.

Organizations: Ki Masters rarely have any groups, meeting only for tournaments, or the occational master teaching their student. They are encouraged to adventure and through surviving the dangerous path of adventure, discover their power and purpose.

NPC Reactions: Most NPCs do not recognize any notable difference between Ki Masters and Monks. Both are men who use their fists in amazing shows of force and fury. On occasion, after a show of ki blasts, one may be mistaken for a warlock however.

Ki Master Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (history) can research Ki Masters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC 5: Ki Masters are a sort of monk. They fight things with their bare hands

DC 10: A ki master channels ki to fuel their powers and use spell-like abilities.

DC 15:A ki master has inhuman speed, durability, and a powerful sense of energy in the world.

DC 20: A ki master has several tricks to improve their ki blasts, some even able to draw energy from others.