User:Eiji-kun/Ki Master V.2 (3.5e Class)

Ki Master (V.2)
A ki master is a monk who has trained their spirit to manifest itself physically. Their inner ki may be projected into beams, bombs, shields, and weapons as needed.

Making a Ki Master
Ki Masters, like Monks, are masters of unarmed combat. They trade some of their monk abilities for spell-like powers and ranged attacks. While they are not as restricted by alignment, they still possess a strong sense of duty and training to maintain their bodies in prime form.

Abilities: Strength and Constitution are important to any melee class. However their Dexterity and Wisdom both help improve their defenses which may be lacking due to the lack of armor. Wisdom also helps their primary abilities, bonus ki pool points, and the DCs of certain ki skills. Intelligence and Charisma are often lacking as they improve their other abilities.

Races: Any race willing to become a monk can become a ki master. The base train of thought is the same, the execution is merely different.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 2d4&times;10 gp (50 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Ki Master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ki Masters are proficient with gauntlets, and quarterstaff.

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 and ki skill abilities.

 (Ex): 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.

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 Ki Master. The unarmed damage on Table: The Ki Master 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.

 (Ex): At 2nd 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 points are consumed by use of various ki skills. Wis is the primary ability to determine bonus ki points. Treat ki points as psionic power points for determining bonus ki points per day.

Refreshing your ki pool requires 8 hours rest and 15 minutes meditation.

At 2nd level and every two levels beyond, the ki master may choose to add a ki skill to their known abilities. Ki skills consume points from the ki pool, seen on Table: The Ki Master. Originally you may only choose Least Ki Skills.

At level 6 and beyond a ki master may choose from a Lesser or Least Ki Skill. At level 12 and beyond, they may choose from a Greater, Lesser, or Least Ki Skill. Finally at level 16 and beyond they may choose from a Master, Greater, Lesser, or Least Ki Skill.

Upon reaching 6th level, 12th level, and at every four ki master levels after that (16th, 20th, and so on), a ki master can choose to learn a new ki skill in place of one he already knows. In effect, the ki master "loses" the old ki skill in exchange for the new one. The new skill’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level ki skill the ki master can use (so a 16th level ki master can swap out for a Least or Lesser, but not a Greater ki skill). A ki master may swap only a single skill at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the skill at the same time that he gains a new skill known for the level.

 (Ex): By spending 2 ki points you can perform a Flurry of Blows similar to a monk of your ki master level for that round.

 (Sp): By spending 1 ki point per 1d4 of damage, you can make a ranged touch attack as a standard action against one target within Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft/level) range, dealing typeless magic damage. You may spend up to your ki master level in points in a single attack. For example, a 15th level ki master can fire a 15d4 bolt costing 15 ki points. No save, but spell resistance applies.

 (Ex): By spending 1 or more ki points you can receive a competence bonus to a skill check as a free action. You spend 1 per point per +1 bonus, up to half your ki master level.

 (Su): By spending 2 ki points you can add an additional 1d6 typeless magic damage to your unarmed attacks. At level 11 it becomes 2d6 damage. Adding the additional effect is a swift action.

 (Su): By spending 1 or more ki points you can receive a resistance bonus to a single save for 1 round as a immediate action. For every 1 ki point spent you can apply a +1 bonus/every five ki master levels (5th, 10th, 15th, and max +5 at 20th level for the cost of 5 ki points).

 (Sp): By spending 2 ki points, you can mimic the effects of a Feather Fall spell, with a caster level equal to your ki master level.

 (Sp): By spending 4 ki points, you can mimic the effects of any of the 2nd level ability enhancement spell such as Bull's Strength or Owl's Wisdom, with a caster level equal to your ki master level. You can only have one such effect active at a time. If you boost your Str by 4, you will loose the previous +4 Cha you had just applied.

 (Sp): Area effect untyped damage. Reflex save half, SR yes.

 (Su): Gain a fly speed as per spell.

 (Su): Short range dimension door and leave behind a major image, as per Warlock ability.

 (Ex): Gain blindsense 30 ft.

 (Su): Gain a shield bonus to AC, stronger when you do not move.

 (Ex): As per Nondetection.

 (Ex): As per Mirror Image, with higher potential.

 (Sp): Line or cone or ki, at your choosing. May Bull Rush. Reflex save half, SR yes.

 (Sp): Multiple Ki Bolts ala Magic Missile. Possible damage output is higher. Ranged touch, no save, SR yes.

 (Su): Full BAB ala Divine Power or Transformation.

 (Su): Dimension Door as a move action.

 (Su): Moderate level healing, perhaps like Lay on Hands.

 (Su): Short duration but powerful burst in power, possible applications of metamagic-like feats.

 (Su): Possible Bull Rushing Falcon punch, can be charged up. Melee attack, Fort save half, no SR.

 (Su): Long range teleport with swift action short range teleport uses.

 (Sp): Save-vs-die. Reflex save negates, SR yes.

 (Sp): Slow charge but very powerful area effect. Fort save half, SR yes.

 (Su): Large ability boosts. Leaves you exhausted afterward.

 (Ex): So many punches, that you don't miss and treated as a single attack for DR. Treat similar to magic missile simply to determine the mass amount of damage done. Physical damage, no save, no SR.

 (Ex): At 3rd level, a ki master gains an enhancement bonus to her speed, as shown on Table: The Ki Master. A ki master in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

 (Su): At 3rd level, a ki master becomes in tune with the flow of ki. It gives her the ability to search out the energy of others, and effectively grants +2 on Spot and Listen checks to locate a living creature. It does not function on undead or constructs.

 (Su): At 4th level, a ki master’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 striking incorporeal enemies. Ki strike improves with the character’s ki master level. At 10th level, her unarmed attacks are also treated as weapons aligned to her character's alignment for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. So a Lawful Good ki master deals damage as if their weapons were both lawful and good. At 16th level, her unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

 (Su): At 5th level, a ki master can flare up their ki in a visible and fierce aura about them. It grants the ki master the ability to intimidate multiple foes within 30 ft. of the ki master.

' (Sp):''' At 7th level the ki master gains the ability to use Detect Power Level at will.

 (Ex): At 9th level, a ki master’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 ki master does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 (Ex): At 11th level the ki master's spiritual presence is so great that it proves to be quite disturbing. When employing her spiritual presence, the ki master gets a bonus to the intimidate check, starting at +1 and going up one every two levels to +5 at 19th.

 (Ex): 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.

 (Su): At 20th level, a ki master can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, every 1d4 rounds. Her caster level for this effect is one-half her ki master level (rounded down).

She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the ki master’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the ki master gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows her to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonmagical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the ki master can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.

Ex-Ki Masters
A ki master who becomes chaotic cannot gain new levels as a ki master but retains all ki master abilities.

Epic Ki Masters
<-existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-another existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-Lather, rinse...->

<-... repeat.->



Epic Ki Master Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

Half-Orc Ki Master Starting Package
Weapons: <-Weapon selection for starting at 1st level with this class.->.

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

Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.

Bonus Feats: <-1st-level feat bonus feats due to class or sample race. remove this section if this sample doesn't get any bonus feats at 1st level. ->.

Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.

Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.

Playing a Ki Master
Religion: As Ki Masters are focused on their inner ki, religion is not often a major part of their lives. That is not to say they discount it, and many a ki master is also a cleric, but their focus requires a more universal, environmental form of thought more in tune with that of the druid.

Other Classes: As other classes can hardly tell the difference between a ki master and a monk, there is little to no chances in behavior.

Combat: While the Ki Master only has a d8 for HD, they still throw themselves into combat, usually after softening the enemy up with a few ki blasts.

Advancement: Monk classes are good for the Ki Master as well. Classes which advance psionic or spellcasting growth (as long as it does not specify arcane or divine) function to advance the ki pool of the Ki Master (but not new abilities known).

Ki Masters in the World
"<-Some quote from a character of this class->"

<-Where characters of this class fit in a d20 world.->

Daily Life: <-day in the life of a character of this class->.

Notables: <-notable NPCs of this class->.

Organizations: <-info on what, where, when, and how characters of this class congregtate and assemble->.

NPC Reactions: <-How NPCs react to PCs of this class->.

Ki Master Lore
Characters with ranks in <-the appropriate skills-> can research <-pluralized class name-> to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Ki Masters in the Game
<-How characters of this class fit in the game (PC and NPC) and what roles they play.->

Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.

EL whatever: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.