Zen Monk (3.5e Class)

Zen Monk
Some look out to gods for power, or find it in the weaves or magic or a shiny sword. But true power does not come from without, but from within. Each mortal is a potential god, each body stronger than steel and stronger than a titan. Through self-enlightenment and wisdom can one learn their own bodies, discovering what has been taken for granted and releasing its true potential. They are the zen monks, and they are potential unleashed.

Making a Zen Monk
Abilities: Strength is primary to most zen monks, to fuel their attacks and damage. Though unarmored, they have several sources of defense where evasion is not required. Still, some may focus on Dexterity in order to benefit from the freedom not wearing armor provides. Constitution is important to any melee build, and Wisdom is paramount, as it fuels so very much from their ki pool, to their special abilities. Intelligence and Charisma are least important.

Races: Zen monks need focus and dedication, regardless of alignment. Dwarves, humans, and steadfast half-orcs are common, but any race can become a zen monk.

Alignment: Any. However, a zen monk selects a specific alignment degree she must stick to. See the Aligned Focus class feature.

Starting Gold: 5d4&times;10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As fighter.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the zen monk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Zen Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. And of course, they are proficient with their own unarmed strike.

Zen Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.

When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a zen monk loses her AC bonus, as well as her channel ki and flurry of blows abilities.

She must select one aspect of her alignment (lawful, chaotic, good, evil, or neutral). She must have at least one component of her alignment match her selected align focus. If she later changes alignments and no longer qualifies, she becomes an ex-zen monk (see below).

 (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 armor bonus to AC at 2nd level. The bonus increases as shown on Table: Zen Monk.

Unlike a normal armor bonus, these bonuses to AC apply even against incorporeal touch attacks, as it is a manifestation of their aura surrounding them. She loses these bonuses when she is dead or unconcious, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

At 7th level the list includes: Improved Disarm and Improved Trip. A zen monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

The zen monk can use this energy to generate extraordinary and supernatural effects above and beyond the limits of normal men. She draws from her ki pool, which is the amount given on Table: Zen Monk plus (Wisdom modifier x her monk level). She can spend up to her class level in ki points at any one task. Ki pool points are refreshed after 8 hours of rest and meditation.

She can perform the following options by expending points from her ki pool:

 (Ex): By spending 1 ki point as an immediate action, you can raise your AC against a single attack by 1. This is a dodge bonus to AC and does not apply if you are flatfooted. You must use this ability before you know the results of the attack. For every 3 additional points you spend (4, 7, 10, 13, etc.) you gain an additional +1 dodge bonus.

 (Su): By spending 1 ki point as an immediate action, you can negate up to 10 ft. of falling damage for 1 round. For each additional point spent you can negate another 10 ft. of damage, up to completely negating all falling damage at 200 ft. (20 points). In addition by spending 4 ki points you can stand and move on a liquid or other surface which cannot support your weight for 1 round. It does not protect you from any harmful effects of what you stand on, such as lava, acid, or spikes.

 (Ex): By spending 1 ki point as a free action on your turn, you gain a +1 compitence bonus on a Balance, Climb, Jump, Swim, or Tumble check for 1 round. For each additional point spent she gains another +1 bonus.

 (Su): When the zen monk goes to rest, she may burn her remaining ki points and turn them into self-healing, gaining 1 hp recovery per point of ki expended. She must be at rest for at least 1 hour. Typically a zen monk will burn all her remaining points on healing immediately before resting to recover her ki pool.

 (Ex): By spending 1 ki point as a free action on your turn, you gain a +5 ft. enhancement bonus to speed for 1 round. For each additional point spent she gains another +5 ft. to her speed.

At 5th level, she gains additional options:

 (Su): By spending 4 ki points as a swift action, you gain a +2 enhancement bonus to any one of your ability scores. The bonus lasts for 1 minute/level. For every additional 4 points spent, you gain another +2 bonus which you may apply to a different ability score, or the same ability score (maximum +6 bonus on any one score). Only one instance of Inner Beast may be active at a time.

 (Su): By spending 5 ki points as a swift action, you fall under the effects of freedom of movement for 1 round.

 (Su): By spending 4 ki points as a swift action, you gain the ability to pounce and make a full attack at the end of a charge. This benefit lasts for 1 round.

 (Su): By spending 3 ki points as a free action on your turn, you gain the ability to trend through air as if using air walk. You remain airborne for 1 round and may stay in the air by spending points every round. If you cease employing Rising Sparrow, you fall at the end of your turn as normal.

At 15th level, she gains the following options:

 (Su): By spending 1 ki point as a free action on your turn, you can add 1 point of damage to a single attack. For each additional point of ki spent, the damage rises by 1.

 (Su): By spending 10 ki points, you gain the effect of true seeing for the normal duration of the spell.

 (Su): By spending 10 ki points you can teleport as if using dimension door as a move action. Alternatively you can have the effects of teleport as a full-round action by spending 15 ki points.

 (Su): By spending 15 ki points as a standard action, you gain the effects of an etherealness spell, except it only lasts for 1 round/level.

 (Ex): While the zen monk only possesses medium BAB, he is adapt at employing various maneuvers and tricks in combat. When making a bull rush, disarm, grapple, sunder, or trip attempt, you may use your zen monk level instead of your normal BAB for the purpose of the check.

 (Ex): When unarmored, a zen monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table: Zen Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the zen monk might make before her next action. When a zen monk reaches 10th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 20th level it disappears. At 6th, 11th, and 16th levels, the zen monk recieves another attack at her highest attack bonus in addition to her normal attacks. These attacks do not stack with the extra attack granted by haste, but it can combine with Two Weapon Fighting. A zen monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

When using flurry of blows, a zen monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham) or any light weapon she is proficient in. She may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a zen monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus &times; 1-1/2 or &times;1/2) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands. The zen monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon or light weapons she is proficient in as part of a flurry of blows.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that she has enough attacks in her flurry of blows routine to do so.

A zen monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a zen monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a zen monk striking unarmed. A zen monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

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

 (Ex): At 2nd level or higher if a zen monk 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 zen monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless zen monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 : At 3rd level, a zen monk has obtained a sense of peace even in the heat of battle. She recieves her Wisdom bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects (minimum 1). Calm Mind counts as Still Mind for the purpose of feats and pre-requisites.

 : At 3rd level, a zen monk's senses keep her alert and aware of her surroundings. She recieves her Wisdom bonus as a bonus to initiative checks (minimum 1).

 (Su): At 4th level, a zen monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction, and she gains the ability to enhance her unarmed strike as if it were a manufactured weapon through the application of arcane tattoos. She must be present during the enhancing process. Ki strike improves with the character’s monk level. At 7th level, her unarmed attacks are also treated as aligned to whatever alignment she possesses (so to a LG zen monk her weapons would count as lawful and good for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.) At 10th level, her unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness. At 13th level, her attacks are treated as ghost-touch weapons for the purpose of striking incorporeal creatures. In addition, she can interact with and destroy force objects such as a resilient sphere or wall of force. Such objects have a hardness equal to its caster level, and 3 hp per caster level. The break DC is 10 + caster level.

 (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases.

 (Ex): At 8th level, a zen monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless zen monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 (Su): At 9th level, a zen monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.

 (Ex): A zen monk of 9th level or higher can speak with any living creature.

 (Ex): At 10th level, a zen monk is aware of even the slightest changes around her. She gains blindsense out to 60 ft.

 : Starting at 10th level, a zen monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the zen monk so desires. She can use this five-point death touch once a day, and she must announce her intent before making her attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the zen monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the five-point death touch succeeds. Thereafter the zen monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to her zen monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the zen monk’s level + the zen monk’s Wis modifier), it dies. At the zen monk's choice the death may be subtle and clean, or result in an explosive, bloody death. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular five-point death touch, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time.

 (Ex): At 11th level, a zen monk gains spell resistance equal to her current zen monk level + 10. In order to affect the zen monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the zen monk’s spell resistance. She may raise and lower her spell resistance as an immediate action.

 : Starting at 13th level, a zen monk can apply her monk armor bonus to her touch AC.

 : Starting at 14th level, a zen monk can pass through the planes at will, through deep meditation and focus. She must meditate for 1 minute, duplicating the casting of plane shift. She may bring others with her by joining hands, increasing the casting time by 1 minute per person. Travelers going with the zen monk must succeed on a DC 20 Will save. If they fail, they are left behind as their friends fade to another plane. Many zen monks travel to the astral plane where they can meditate for years without end.

 (Ex): Upon attaining 15th level, a zen monk 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 zen monk still dies of old age when her time is up.

 (Ex): Upon attaining 17th level, a zen monk understands that death is only the beginning, and the cycle of life will allow them to be reborn. On death, a zen monk may choose to return in 1d10 days in a new body, as if using reincarnate. Their cycle of self-rebirth is not limitless, or easy. Each death consumes 5000 xp as its cost, though it does not cost any gold. The zen monk respawns anywhere within 1 mile of their previous death in their new body.

 : Starting at 18th level, any targetted spell successfully negated by the zen monk's spell resistance rebounds onto its original caster, using the same DC and variables.

 : Starting at 19th level, a zen monk's mind has become something deep, enlightened, and unfathomable by mortal means. She is under a constant mind blank effect.

 (Ex): At 20th level, a zen monk is aware of even the breath of a gnat on a mote of falling dust. She gains blindsight out to 30 ft.

She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the zen monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/aligned, where the alignment is her opposite chosen alignment (a lawful focused monk would gain DR 10/chaotic). She no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breath and is immune to sleep effects. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type, and when beneficial for spells and magical effects.

Ex-Zen Monk
A monk who becomes an alignment in violation of her Aligned Focus cannot gain new levels as a zen monk but retains all zen monk abilities.

Epic Zen Monk
AC Bonus: The epic zen monk's AC bonus continues to rise with their level.

Ki Pool: The epic zen monk's ki pool continues to rise by 8 points every level.

Ki Strike (Hardness): The effective hardness of the zen monk's fists is equal to the zen monk's level. This allows them to bypass hardness of object whose hardness is less than theirs.

She still does not need to meet the requirements for zen monk bonus feats, but she must meet the requirements for any epic bonus feats.

Epic Zen Monk Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

Half-Orc Zen Monk Starting Package
Weapons: Quarterstaff.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Dodge.

Bonus Feats: Stunning Fist.

Gear: Backpack.

Gold: 123g.

Playing a Zen Monk
Religion: Zen monks seem religious, but their religion is one of self improvement and introspection. They have little time to look outside to the affairs of gods.

Other Classes: There is no difference between a zen monk and a monk.

Combat: A zen monk is a master of combat maneuvers and mobility. He can go anywhere to strike at the opponent and lay down a flurry of blows. Ki abilities give him the utility he needs when standard tactics do not cover, including the important ability to get a full attack off after moving. A wise zen monk will use his ki abilities only when needed, so as to conserve energy.

Advancement: Classes which advance monks are appropriate for advancing zen monks. They also benefit from martial classes such as initiators.

Zen Monks in the World
"I desire... nothing."

Daily Life: Zen monks live life in contemplation, for life is a mystery to be unfolded. All aspects are but part of this cosmic test, and it is important to be alert when the answers appear.

Notables: Pan, a chaotic, fat, lazy dwarf, was ill liked by his lawful hard working kin. Through some comical mishap he ended up joining a monistary, only to find himself a master at the martial arts. Now, the lazy Pan is respected by his peers.

Organizations: Zen monks congregate in temples of meditation and enlightenment, where they can live simple lives away from the noise of civilization.

NPC Reactions: As monks, zen monks seem... distant, but provoke no unpleasent responses and may be respected.

Zen Monk Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Religion can research zen monks to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Zen Monks in the Game
Adaptation: Monks and psionics often go hand in hand. Perhaps zen monks are psionic in nature?

Sample Encounter: A immortal and legendary martial artist of great evil was once buried and imprisoned here, for his captors had taken a vow of nonviolence. But now he is free, and coming to take his great revenge.

EL 10: PENDING.