Grimoire Tenken (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Grimoire Tenken
Summary::An alternative to the tenken which focuses even more on speed and special techniques.

Class: ]]

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you gain two extra skill points every level, you lose the Superior Finesse ability at first level, the ability to gain one's Wisdom bonus to AC along with the bonus at higher levels, the Acrobatics ability at first level and all its improvements, the Dodge feat at third level, the Mobility feat at sixth level, the bonus feats gained at levels 9, 13, and 17, the Haste ability gained at level 10, and the BAB of the tenken is reduced to that of a Rogue.

Benefit: You gain the following abilities and feats:

Class Skills: Add the following skills to the Tenken's class skills: Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The tenken gains proficiency with all simple and martial weapons. They are also proficient with light armor.

 (Ex): A tenken is fast. Very fast. He gains an enhancement bonus to his speed, as shown on Table: The Grimoire Tenken. A tenken in medium or heavy armor, wielding a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.



 (Ex): When unarmored or in light armor and using a melee or special monk weapon, a tenken may strike with the Tojutsu—-a flurry of ridiculously fast strikes—at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a full attack at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made until the start of his next round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Tojutsu Attack Bonus column on Table: The Grimoire Tenken. When a tenken reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears.

The tenken's ability to use the Tojutsu improves at 11th level. In addition to the standard extra attack he receives, he also gains another extra attack at his highest base attack bonus.

 (Ex): Whenever the tenken chooses to use Tojutsu, he gains +1d8 damage to all attacks made until the start of his next round at first level. This damage only applies to attacks derived from BAB and extra attacks from Tojutsu, attacks of opportunity, spells (such as Haste), or the class abilities of other characters, but not to attacks from other sources (such as Two-Weapon Fighting, natural weapons, and the like), and increases by 1d8 at every odd level (to 2d8 at level 3, 3d8 at level 5, 4d8 at level 7, and so on). This damage is considered to be Precision damage, and only deals 1/2 its usual damage against creatures immune to Sneak Attacks or Critical Hits.



 (Ex): When brawn fails, sometimes the best option is to run, whether it be towards the enemy or away from them. The tenken takes this strategem to heart, and has finely honed his ability to sprint. When unarmored or in light armor and carrying less than a light load, a tenken runs five times his speed. If he takes the Run feat, this improves to six times his speed.

 (Ex): Veteran warriors, particularly those accustomed to fighting without armor, have been known to develop a "soldier's sense" that instinctually warns them of impending danger. The tenken listens well to this primordial foresight and uses his unmatched agility to dodge. At 4th level or higher, a tenken can avoid even magical or unnatural attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the tenken instead takes no damage. This ability only works if the tenken is unarmored or in light armor and unencumbered. A helpless tenken does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 (Ex): The tenken's strikes become far more accurate than those of any of his peers as he learns to hit the smallest of targets with his fastest flurry of blows. At fourth level, when a tenken uses Tojutsu, he gains a +1 competence bonus to all attacks made during his turn. This bonus increases by one at every four levels afterwards to a maximum of +5 at level 20. This competence bonus stacks with any competence bonus granted by any class, but not one granted from feats or other abilities.

 (Ps): The tenken's speed quickly reaches incredibly heights, allowing him to move from place to place in only the blink of an eye, confusing his enemies as he reaches places he isn't expected to be. At fourth level, the Tenken may use Dimension Slide once per encounter, and gains one more use of this ability every three levels hence (twice at 7th level, thrice at 11th level, and so on). His effective manifester level for the use of this ability is equal to his class level. Unlike other Psi-Like abilities, the use of this ability does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.

 (Ex): Swiftness is what the tenken is all about; swiftness of movement, swiftness of body, swiftness of the mind--and yes, even swiftness of blade. Once per round at fifth level, when the Tenken draws the weapon which he chose Weapon Focus for at first level, he made add his Dexterity modifier to damage on the first attack made with that weapon. At level 15 this ability improves, allowing him to add the damage on all attacks made in that round.

 (Ex): At 5th level, a tenken 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 he already has the uncanny dodge class feature from another class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead. If he is wearing armor or encumbered, the tenken does not receive the benefits of uncanny dodge or improved uncanny dodge.

 (Ex): Just as the tenken's speed rises, so do his increase amounting in what might well be super-human levels. At sixth level, whenever a foe moves and becomes adjacent to him, the tenken may take a single attack at his highest attack bonus as an immediate action. In addition, he may draw the weapon which he chose Weapon Focus with at first level should he wish before making the attack. He may not use Tojutsu in conjunction with this attack.

 (Ex): A 7th level tenken can take part of one of his move actions to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if he begins and ends his move on a horizontal surface. The height he can achieve on the wall is limited only by this movement restriction. If he does not end his move on a horizontal surface, he falls prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for his distance above the ground. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring his movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement; he can change surfaces freely. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as he moves up the wall.

The tenken can take other move actions in conjunction with moving along a wall. For instance, the Spring Attack feat allows him to make an attack from the wall against a foe standing on the ground who is within the area he threatens; however, if he is somehow prevented from completing his move, he falls. Likewise, he could tumble along the wall to avoid attacks of opportunity.

 (Ex): As he gains mastery over the art of quickness, the Tenken learns to use his most powerful attacks even when moving at incredible speeds. At level 7, the tenken gains the ability to use Tojutsu even when making circumstances would force him to make a single attack, such as on a charge, during a spring attack, or attacking after movement. He gains all the bonuses and penalties that Tojutsu would entail when making the attack, including extra damage, extra attacks, and any penalties to attack he might be forced to take due to Tojutsu.

 (Ex): The tenken's sheer speed makes him extremely difficult to track in combat at 9th level. On any turn where he has moved 10 or more feet, the tenken's form appears to waver and shift, and he gains 20% concealment as if he was affected by a blur spell. This effect cannot be negated by any means because it is not a magical effect, but simply a result of his quickness.

At 17th level, the tenken's quickstep ability improves to the point where another being's eyes are unable to follow his movement, making him appear several feet away from his actual location. He now gains the effects of a displacement spell when he moves more than 10 feet in a turn.

 (Su): At level 10, as a swift action, the Tenken may Haste himself for one round once per encounter. For every six levels he possesses, he may haste himself once more per encounter (twice at level 12, three times at level 18, and so on). The extra attack granted by this effect stacks with any additional attacks granted by the Tojutsu, but does not stack with any attack provided by a weapon with the speed enchantment.

 (Ex): The tenken's ability to dodge attacks with miraculous speed increases. This ability functions like evasion (see above) but the tenken only takes half damage even if he fails his Reflex save. A helpless tenken does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 (Ex): At 13th level and higher, a tenken can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the tenken by flanking him unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has tenken levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

 (Su): There is no way the tenken could have survived as long as he has without being able to get out of sticky situations. Once per encounter as a swift action at 14th level, a tenken acts as if he is under the effect of a freedom of movement spell for three rounds.

 (Ex): At 16th level, a tenken’s jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is no longer limited according to his height. This ability only functions if the tenken is unarmored or in light armor and unencumbered.

 (Ex): At 18th level, a tenken’s sword strikes with unmatched efficiency, hitting fast and hard where it hurts. The critical threat range of any slashing weapon the tenken is proficient with improves by one. This enhancement is add after everything else (thus 19-20 would become 18-20, while 17-20 would become 16-20).

 (Ex): At 19th level, the tenken gains the ability use a burst of superhuman speed to take two turns worth of actions in one round once per encounter.

 (Ex): At 20th level, the tenken moves with such speed that it defies reality. He is now permanently hasted. Up to three times per day, he can substitute either his Fortitude or Will save with his Reflex save, avoiding the effect with unimaginable quickness. The tenken must be unarmored or in light armor and unencumbered in order to use any of the abilities afforded by this class feature. He also now cannot be affected by another haste effect.

Unarmed Grimoire Tenken
For a more monk-like tenken, do the following:
 * 1) Remove Light Armor Proficiency. This does not mean that the Unarmed Grimoire Tenken is unable to benefit from class abilities while in light armor, simply that he takes the appropriate penalty when wearing armor, which can be remedied by taking Light Armor Proficiency.
 * 2) Add the monk's unarmed damage progression.
 * 3) Make Weapon Focus be forced to be taken with Unarmed Strikes.
 * 4) Make Tojutsu only usable with unarmed strikes (but no other natural weapons, or two-weapon fighting/multiweapon fighting). Change name to "Taijutsu".