Iron Buddha (3.5e Prestige Class)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 13/4/2021 Status: Complete, reviews are welcome Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Heavy élite warriors and horsemen, these monk-like fighters wear armor and perform incredible techniques. 10 6 Good Good Poor Good Other Full

Iron Buddha

“	As a peach petal floating to the ground you will be. As a thundering warrior you will ride.	”
—Ma Li Zhung, the Great Iron Buddha, from The Petals of the Blooming Peach

Powerful, claded in steel, mounting incredible creatures, yet gentle and nimble. This is how the iron buddhas are described by those who observe them closely.

They are an order of cavalrymen, strong warriors and philosophers, whose purpose is defende their land, the Jade Empire, and to perfect their souls, pacifying the mind and the belligerent arm. They train to reach these goals in perfect riding, martial prowess and mental fortitude, as well as poetry, gentle and noble bearing as well as behavior, stufy of philopsophy, literature and history. They protect the land, the reigning Emperor and the people by rinding into battle when needeed, as an élite cavalry force, and, during peaceful times, they train and study to perfect themselves, and protect the weak from brigands and monsters or the Emperor, as his royal guardsmen.

There are many monastery-barracks that train monks and warriors to become iron buddhas, though not all who train become one, as the path is difficult and the strength, physical and mental, required is very high. Iron buddhas swear an oath of protection to the Jade Empire and become master cavaliers, capable of using a number of weapons, from great and heavy swords and maces to long spears and bows, or other ranged weapons. Their knowledge of mysticism and philosophy allow them to perform some techniques, similarly to monks, that reflect their nature of gentle giants.

The legendary founder of the order, Ma Li Zhung, was, in stark contrast with the hulking men you see among the ranks of the iron buddhas, a frail and humble man, a trained monk and a great mind. He was one of the Emperor's advisers, who sent him, knowing of his wisdom, to deal with the eastern tribes of the Chenchu people, a barbaric group native to the land. He was given a small force to dispose of them, but, being wise, he knew better than attacking them recklessly and, being a kind soul, he was convinced he could convince them to be among his friends rather than his enemies. He went alone to meet their leaders, who were all strong and powerful men, and managed to charm them with his sapience and diplomacy, obtaining faithful allies. He convinced the Emperor to let him train them, promising to make them into a powerful force at the service of the Empire. Thus, he trained them in philosophy and art and honed their prowess with the horse and their martial capabilities. The master smiths of the Emperor did the rest procuring them with masterwork armors, while the horsemasters bred them powerful mounts.

And so, the order of the Iron Buddhas of the Peach Blossom Spring was born.

Becoming an Iron Buddha

Iron buddhas are born as monks, sometimes with levels as fighters, that prefer to learn use of the armor rather than train supernatural reflexes. They combine stillnes and immovability with capable movements while on their mounts, which are often claded in armor as they are. Their main abilities are Strength and Constitution, as it is a necessity of the warrior to be enduring and strong, and Wisdom, as it is the duty of the mystic to be acute and insightful. They can disregard Dexterity, but many learn the Zen Archery feat, as archery and ranged combat is a useful tool and a door to perfecting own's soul. Intelligence and Charisma are of no particular use, but having them high is still a welcomed event.

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any lawful.
Base Attack Bonus:	+4.
Skills:	Concentration 8 ranks, Knowledge (history) 4 ranks, Ride 4 ranks.
Feats:	Mounted Combat, or Mounted Combat, Scaling, or Mounted Combat, Variant.
Special:	Must have the Steel Sage alternate class feature.

Table: The Iron Buddha

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Monk Abilities, Mounted Sage, Peach Blossom Spring
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Bonus Feat, Iron Flower Stance
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Floating Gallop
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Bonus Feat, Wise Rider
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Petal Gust
6th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Armored Insight Stance, Bonus Feat
7th	+7	+5	+2	+5	Blooming Charge
8th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Bonus Feat, One with the mount
9th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Peach Spring Wave
10th	+10	+7	+3	+7	Bonus Feat, Peach of Immortality Stance
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level.) Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the iron buddha.

Weapons and Armors proficiency: An iron buddha gains proficiency with all martial weapons and three exotic weapons of its choosing and with shields (except tower shields).

Iron buddhas prefer to wear a lamellar armor and use two-handed weapons when on foot, and spears with shield when mounted.

Monk Abilities: Your iron buddha and monk levels stack for the purpose of determining its unarmed damage, flurry of blows, stunning strike's uses and DC and wholeness of the body feature. If you use my version of the monk, at each class level, you gain a progression equal to that of the monk for ki techniques and ki points. Your iron buddha's levels count as monk's levels for any prerequisite and scaling feature from feats.

Mounted Sage (Ex): Starting from 1st level, an iron buddha adds its Wisdom modifier to Ride checks. At level 3rd it adds the same modifier to combat maneuvers done while mounted or by its mount (such as trampling a foe).

Peach Blossom Spring: At 1st level an iron buddha learn a special school of ki techniques, the art of the Peach Blossom Spring. This feature works exactly as ki techinques, and allows the iron buddha to perform specific techniques at certain levels. Techniques of this school may be performed while riding, with no penalties.

If you don't use ki points and ki techniques rules, the iron buddha may perform each ki technique one time per Wisdom modifier per day (all other variable, such as DCs, are the same).

Bonus Feat: Starting at level 2nd and at each subsequent even level, an iron buddha gains an extra fighter feat, monk feat or feat that has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisites, if it meets its requirements.

Iron Flower Stance (Ex): At 2nd level the iron buddha may enter the Iron Flower Stance, as move action that requires a Concentration check (DC 15). This stance allows the iron buddha to reduce the armor speed penalty by 10 feet (3 meters) and halves the penalty to ability and skill checks, while increasing the maximum Dexterity bonus of the armor by 2. Only one stance may be active at any given time, otherwise lasting until dismissed or changed, or until the user falls unconscious.

Floating Gallop (Ex): At 3rd level the iron buddha learns the following base ki techinque:

Floating Gallop

As a swift action and by spending one ki point, the iron buddha grants its mount the ability to walk on liquids, difficult terrain and any kind of terrain that may not sustain it, as if on a solid path. To do so the iron buddha must succeed on a Ride check with DC 20 and this effect lasts until the mount keeps moving with its rider on.

Wise Rider (Ex): Starting from level 4th the iron buddha may share its current stance with its mount.

Petal Gust (Su): At 5th level the iron buddha learns the following advanced ki techinque:

Petal Gust

By spending 5 ki points as a standard action and making a single ranged attack, the iron buddha may transform the attack in an area effect, covering a cone of 15 feet (4,5 meters) + 5 feet (1,5) per each additional ki point spent, up to 30 feet (9 meters), that strikes at the point the iron buddha aimed, imposing a Reflex save to anyone caught to halve 1d6 per ki point spent of the weapon damage and receiving a -3 to attack and skill rolls until the next round.

Armored Insight Stance (Ex): From level 6th the iron buddha may enter this stance to use its Wisdom bonus in place of its Dexterity bonus to AC and Reflexes. The maximum Dexterity bonus from its armor applies. Entering this stance requires a Concentration check (DC 20), as a move action. Only one stance may be active at any given time, otherwise lasting until dismissed or changed, or until the user falls unconscious.

Blooming Charge (Ex): At 7th level the iron buddha learns the following advanced ki techinque:

Blooming Charge

By spending 10 ki points while doing a charge, mounted or not, the iron buddha increases its critical range and multiplier by one, gains its Wisdom modifier to the attack, instead of the standard bonus, unless higher, and to confirm a critical hit. In addition it may move three times its speed, instead of just two (or one increment higher, if its current speed limit is already the triple)

One with the mount (Ex): Starting from the 8th level, an iron buddha and its mount, while riding, count as one size larger than the mount for the purpose of making and resisting combat maneuvers and anytime it would be beneficial.

Peach Spring Wave (Ex): At level 9th the iron buddha may perform the following master ki technique:

Peach Spring Wave

Spending 15 ki points, an iron buddha may perform a monk's flurry of blows with any two-handed weapon or spear it is proficient with, adding its Wisdom modifier to attack rolls and damage. If it has the Ride-By Attack feat, or equivalent, it may hit multiple enemies along its path while riding.

This technique requires a full-round action.

Peach of Immortality Stance (Ex): At 10th level the iron buddha doesn't age anymore, avoiding penalties from aging, and dying eventually when its time comes. In addition, it may enter this stance to become immune to death effects and to gain Fast Healing equal to its Wisdom modifier (maximum +10). Entering this stance requires a Concentration check (DC 30), as a standard action. Only one stance may be active at any given time, otherwise lasting until dismissed or changed, or until the user falls unconscious.

Ex-Iron Buddhas

Those who become non-lawful may not advance in the class, unless they return lawful.

Those who betray the Empire and their oath, or fail miserably showing cowardice or cruelty, are banned from the order and lose access to their capabilities, except for bonus feats and the mounted sage feature.

Variants

• This class may be rebranded for another ki user class, dropping the Steel Sage requirement for heavy armor proficiency, and changing the monk abilities progression into an analogous progression for that class.

• Iron Pagoda

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