Spirit Meister (variant) (3.5e Class)

Summary::Speed and elements based martial class. Length::20 Minimum Level::1 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Moderate Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Full

Spirit Meister
Spirit meisters are warriors that sought out a pact with a being from outside the mortal world. Unlike the lapdog warlock, a spirit meister is the master in his bond. They are a class of athletic weapon masters, focusing on speed, agility and skill to win their battles. They can handle most weapons with ease, but rely on their echo companion in battles.

A spirit meister forms a pact with an elemental echo, forever after bound to it. As the spirit meister grows in power the bond he has with his echo infuses him with small measures of elemental power, making him an often surprising opponent. An elemental echo is the fading essence of elemental beings that died while bound in magical service to a summoner. The magical bonds that held them in life fade slowly, keeping the tiniest echo of the once mighty elemental servant. These echoes instinctively strive to remain in existence and so when contacted by the reaching of a spirit meister they will bond to him, ensuring their continued place in the planes, and once again in comforting service. An elemental echo's existence is dependent on its connection with its spirit meister, and so it is fanatically loyal. An elemental echo is bound into the meister's very lifeforce and therefore ceases to be if its meister is dead, but will be reconstituted if the meister is returned to life.

Making a Spirit Meister
Spirit Meisters are paragons of speed and physical adeptness.

Abilities: Dexterity and Constitution are the main abilities for the spirit meister.

Races: Commonly elf, half-elf or human, but open to any race that does not receive a negative adjustment to dexterity.

Alignment: Any

Starting Age: Moderate

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Spirit Meister.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Spirit Meister's are proficient in the use of Simple and Marital Weapons; as well as Light Armor. They are not proficient with Shield's of any kind.



All feats requiring a minimum Strength instead require the same minimum Dexterity. Feats specific to a single weapon are specific to an individual form of the meister's echo weapon (if he has unlocked multiple forms).

 (Ex): Your sublime grace in combat outshines the brutishness of others.  You use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls, as well as for Climb, Jump, and Swim checks.

In addition, a meister gains a +1 bonus to AC at 6th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every six meister levels thereafter (+2 at 12th, +3 at 18th, +4 at 24th, and +5 at 30th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the meister is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears medium or heavy armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

 (Ex): The fragments of what once was gather again to serve you. You summon forth your elemental echo, giving it the form of a single weapon. The first weapon form of your echo must be a melee weapon you have profiency in, once chosen it may not be changed. The weapon has abilities based on your level of spirit meister as per below. The summoning takes one hour, a destroyed echo is not truly eliminated and may be summoned again.

 (Ex): Gravity holds no sway over the spirit meister.  At 2nd level the earth itself lessens its pull upon you, allowing you to take no damage from a fall of your class level multiplied by 10 or less, always landing on your feet. Falls of greater distances are reduced in damage as if you had fallen 10 X class level less feet. You may also walk across water and other liquids without sinking as per the water walk spell.

At 17th level, as an immediate action, you can make a Jump check, DC10 (+1 per 10 feet beyond your safe limit), to negate all falling damage when falling more than your safe limit, furthermore all falling damage is nonlethal.

 (Ex): You are a master of being somewhere else. At 3rd level and higher, a spirit meister can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the spirit meister is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless meister does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 (Ex): The armor of a meister is as the breath of a lover.  At 4th level and beyond you suffer no maximum Dexterity, armor check, spell failure or speed penalties in light armor.

 (Ex): The essence of the earth stretches forth to turn aside the blows against you.  You gain + 1DR/- at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th, 24th and 28th levels. This damage reduction does not stack with damage reduction granted by magic items or nonpermanent magical effects, but it does stack with any damage reduction granted by permanent magical effects, class features, or the damage reduction feat.

Additionally, at 4th level you gain light fortification, at 14th level this improves to moderate fortification and finally to heavy fortification at 24th level.

 (Ex): The raging gale lends unto you its grace.  At 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th levels you gain a +1 to your Dexterity score.

 (Ex): Bygone echos protect you from the ravages of elemental fury.  You gain resistance to fire, cold, acid and electricity equal to half your class level as a spirit meister. This ability does stack with energy resistance granted by other means, temporary or permanent. At 12th level your resistance impoves to equal your class level, at 24th level this improves again to twice class level.

 (Ex): A swiftly as the storm's bolt do you move. At 7th level, you gain +10 feet to your speed; you gain an additional 10 feet to your speed at 14th, 21st and 28th levels.

 (Ex): Your enemy's attacks move with the slowness of the glacier in your eyes. Starting at 8th level, a spirit meister can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If the meister already has uncanny dodge from another class, he instead gains one of the bonus feats listed above.

At 16th level the meister gains improved uncanny dodge and can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the meister by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the meister has spirit meister levels. If the meister already has improved uncanny dodge from another class, he instead gains one of the bonus feats listed above.

 (Ex): You sometimes seem to be nowhere at all. This ability, gained at 9th level, works like evasion, except that while the spirit meister still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless meister does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 (Ex): The elemental spirits welcome you as a brother. You automatically adapt to, and can breath in, the natural planar environment on all elemental planes, suffering no damage simply from being there. All true elementals react more positively towards the spirit meister. Their attitude shifts to the next more favorable reaction (hostile to unfriendly, unfriendly to indifferent, indifferent to friendly, or friendly to helpful). Creatures involved in combat, however, continue to fight back normally

 (Ex): Just as the waves of the sea roll and flow, so can you too be not where your foe strikes. The spirit meister can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than he otherwise would upon reaching 13th level. Once per day per 10 class levels, when he 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 meister can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the meister must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC=damage dealt). If the save succeeds, he takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, he takes full damage. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll—if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the meister’s evasion ability does not apply to the roll of the waves.

 (Su): Like ash from a volcano, you can send your enemies to fall upon the ground.  Beginning at 14th level, whenever you successfully hit a target with at least two attacks in the same round, using your echo weapon, you knock your opponent into the air. An inferno blast effect takes place immediately after the last iterative attack is resolved. The target takes damage as normal from your attacks, additional fall damage and is knocked prone. This ability may be suppressed at will.

The height your opponent reaches is based on their Size Modifier. All opponents are knocked prone by this attack regardless of Size. However, flying opponents are moved back by the distance indicated and do not fall. Creatures smaller than small size fly an additional 10 feet and suffer +1d6 damage per additional size category. Creatures bigger than large size are not affected by this ability.

Table: Inferno's Blast

 (Ex): Your critical attacks can stop your enemies just as the blizzard stops the traveler.  Starting at 18th level, whenever you gain a critical hit, your opponent must make a Fort save DC 10+1/2 HD+(ability mod) or be dazed for one round, critical failure on the save instead results in it being stunned for one round.

 (Ex): Just as the flame will consume and spread where it will, you also may not be restrained.  At 19th level you are permanently under the influence of Freedom of Movement.

 (Ex): The essence of the primals infuses you, granting you eternal youth. You cease to age and become immune to aging effects; at 30th level you also become immune to fatigue, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.

Upon the first summons of his echo a meister must choose a base element, once chosen this may never change. An echo has a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage for every four levels of its meister (rounded up), +1 at 1st level, +3 at 9th, +6 at 21st level and so on.

All echoes are intelligent items; their Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are always equal to their meister's class level (minimum 5); it is possible for the echo to have abilities higher than the meister. The echo does not receive additional powers for being an intelligent weapon, it is limited to the general and elemental powers on the following table.

Echoes may speak and also communicate telepathically with their meister. An echo knows the common tongue, and its appropriate elemental language, such as Ignan for a fire echo. The echo always shares its meister's alignment, and is always loyal and obidient no matter how powerful it might become, although it does have its own personality traits (whimsical, snarky, gruff, melodramatic, etc.).

All echoes receive the general abilities in addition to those of its elemental base. Gained abilities that aren't possible for a weapon based upon damage type, such as keen for a bludgeoning weapon do not function in that weapon form.

Epic Spirit Meister
 (Ex): The fire burning within may not be tainted. The spirit meister becomes immune to disease and poison, even magical varieties.

'''Echo Abilities (epic):

Playing a Spirit Meister
Religion: Spirit meisters revere the raw elements themselves. They show a certain awe for the rulers of the elemental planes, but cannot be said to truly worship them.

Other Classes: They respect others who focus upon the primal elements, but disdain those worshipping fiends or deities, unless they are deities of the elements. The get along well with fighters, although their approach to battle is usually a bit different.

Combat: Melee Combatant. Speedily damaging others while not being hit is your specialty. To maximize your combat power it is recommended you gain feats that favor movement and avoidance.

Advancement: Multi-classing can add breadth to your progression, particularly those that add stealth or burst damage options.

Spirit Meisters in the World
"I am the instument which strikes thrice in blinking of the eye, the powers primal guide my steps."

Daily Life: Spirit meisters follow no strict daily schedule, other than showing respect for the primal power of the elements in all they do. Many seek adventure in which to glorify the elements; these can be great journeys, epic battles, monetary investments, or religious socializing.

Organizations: The spirit meister may be part of any worldly organization or adventuring group. Otherwise, meisters who meet will have a respect for each other, even if circumstances mean that one must kill the other.

NPC Reactions: Regarded simply as agile warriors by the commonfolk, those with more knowledge are careful not to disrespect the elements around a meister.

Spirit Meister Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can research the spirit meisters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Spirit Meisters in the Game
Warrior's of diverse race and background; they can be found all over the world in very small numbers.