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Back to [[Serpents and Sewers: Character Classes|Character Classes]] Back to the [[Serpents and Sewers|Main page]] =Martial Artists in Serpents and Sewers= Martial Artists are the stereotypical wise warriors. They are educated in powerful and exotic combat skills, and are often deadly foes when faced with a combat, but usually they do not strive for this martial prowess - it is merely a byproduct of their rigid discipline and self-tempering. The Martial Artist is the replacement of the classic monk, which was often seen as the weakest class and the one who had the greatest dificulties to contribute to the game. The martial artist is a bit different in this approach. It is not likely that he deals vast amounts of damage, but his abilities are more focused on hindering and disabling foes than mere brutish force. '''Class Skills''' The Martial Artist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (2xDex), Athletics (Str+Con), Concentration (Con+Wis), Craft (Int+?), Heal (Wis+Cha), Knowledge (geography) (2xInt), Knowledge (Religion) (2xInt), Knowledge (warfare and tactics) (2xInt), Languages (Int+Cha), Perform (Shadow Dance) (Cha+Dex), Perception (Con+Wis), Sense Motive (Wis+Cha), Stealth (Dex + Con) and Survival (Wis + Con). '''Skill Points at 1st Level''': (4 + Int modifier) x 4. '''Skill Points at Each Additional Level''': 4 + Int modifier. '''Hit Points at 1st Level''': 15 + Con modifier '''Hit Points at Each Additional Level''': 4 + Con modifier. =Table: The Martial Artist= {| border="1" !Level !BAB !BDB !Fortitude !Reflex !Will !Special |- |1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Combat Meditation, Bonus Feat, Unarmed Strike |- |2nd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Evasion, Bonus Feat |- |3rd | +3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | simple Art of War, Fast Movement +10' |- |4th | +4 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Bonus Feat, Slow Fall |- |5th | +5/+0 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Purity of Body, Secret Stance |- |6th | +6/+1 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | simple Art of War, Greater Unarmed Strike +1 |- |7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Wholeness of Body, Precise Strike |- |8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Bonus Feat |- |9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | advanced art of war, improved Evasion |- |10th | +10/+5/+0 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Diamond Body, Fast Movement +20' |- |11th | +11/+6/+1 | +8 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Mettle |- |12th | +12/+7/+2 | +9 | +8 | +8 | +8 | bonus feat, advanced art of war, greater unarmed Strike +2 |- |13th | +13/+8/+3 | +9 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Empty Mind |- |14th | +14/+9/+4 | +10 | +9 | +9 | +9 | Blind Sense 30' |- |15th | +15/+10/+5/+0 | +11 | +9 | +9 | +9 | complex art of war |- |16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +12 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Bonus Feat, Timeless Body |- |17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +12 | +10 | +10 | +10 | greater precise Strike |- |18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +13 | +11 | +11 | +11 | complex art of war, greater unarmed Strike +3 |- |19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +14 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Dual School |- |20th | +20/+15/+10/+5/+0 | +15 | +12 | +12 | +12 | Bonus Feat, Perfect Self |- |} ===Martial Artist Unarmed Strike Damage=== {| border="1" !Level !Small !Medium !Large |- | 1-5 | 1d4 | 1d6 | 1d8 |- | 6-10 | 1d6 | 1d8 | 1d10 |- | 11-15 | 1d8 | 1d10 | 2d6 |- | 16-20 | 1d10 | 2d6 | 2d8 |- |} =Class Features= The following traits and abilities are the Martial Artist's class features. * '''Weapon and Armor Proficiency''': Martial Artists are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and one exotic weapon of their choice. They are not proficient with shields or any form of armor. * '''Combat Meditation (ex)''': Martial Artists rely on an almost superhuman instinct and perception of their opponents that borders on divination. They may add their Wisdom bonus to their Defense and Initiative. A Martial Artist who is flat-footed or otherwise lose his Dexterity bonus to Defense also loses the bonus from this ability. * '''Unarmed Strike (ex)''': At 1st level, the Martial Artist gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A Martial Artist’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a Martial Artist striking unarmed. A Martial Artist may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes. Usually these unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but the Martial Artist 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 Martial Artist’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. ** ''Martial Artists with Natural Weapons'': If a martial artist come from a species that grants natural weapons, these improve as the same rate as the usual Unarmed Strikes and always deal at least as much damage. The natural attacks also profit from the Martial Artist's Greater Unarmed Strike feature. * '''Bonus Feat''': At 1st, 2nd, 4th, and every four level afterwards, the Martial Artist may take a bonus feat from the fighter feat list. The Martial Artist may chose the feats from the following list without fulfilling its requirements: Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Spring Attack and Stunning Fist. * '''Evasion (Ex)''': At 2nd level and higher, a Martial Artist can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she 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 the Martial Artist is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Martial Artist does not gain the benefit of evasion. If the Martial Artist already has evasion from a different class, she automatically gains improved evasion instead. * '''Art of War:''' at level 3, and every three level after that, the Martial Artist gains a special ability from the appropriate list of Arts of War. No ability may be taken more than once. If an Art of War ability has other such abilities as prerequisites, the Martial Artist must possess the prerequisite abilities to take the ability in question. * '''Fast Movement (Ex)''': Starting at 3rd level, a Martial Artist gains a +10 feet bonus to her speed. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +20 feet. The Martial Artist loses this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. * '''Slow Fall (ex)''': At 4th level or higher, a Martial within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow her descent. With a successful Acrobatics check (DC 15), she never take more than 1d6 of falling damage, independently of the actual height of the fall. * '''Purity of Body (ex)''': At 5th level, a Martial Artist gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases. * '''Secret Stance(ex)''': At 5th level, the Martial Artist has discovered one of the hidden and exotic secret stances that allow him to greatly improve may chose one of the Secret Stances below. She can only take a stance she qualifies for. * '''Greater Unarmed Strike''': At 6th level, the unarmed attacks of the Martial Artist improves as if they were a magical weapon. At sixth level, the unarmed attacks gain a +1 enchantment bonus to the attack rolls and damage rolls with unarmed attacks, and the Martial Artist's unarmed attacks count as magic for overcoming a foe's damage resistance. The enchantment bonus increases to +2 at 12th level, and to +3 at 18th level. * '''Precise Strike (ex)''': Martial Artists learn to attack at the weakest points of their enemies defenses nd bodies. A Martial Artist of 7th level or higher may add 1d4 points of precision damage to her damage rolls. Creatures that are immune to critical hits are also immune to this damage. On 17th level, the damage bonus increases to 2d4. * '''Wholeness of Body (Su)''': At 7th level or higher, a Martial Artist can heal her own wounds. She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to her current monk level x Wisdom bonus each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses. The Martial Artist can use this ability only on herself. * '''Improved Evasion (Ex)''': On 9th level, the Martial Artist gains the Improved Evasion ability. This ability works like evasion, except that while the Martial Artist still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Martial Artist does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. * '''Diamond Body (Su)''': At 10th level, a Martial Artist gains immunity to poisons of all kinds. * '''Mettle (Ex)''': Starting at 11th level, a Martial Artist has mastered a stronger resistance against magic. She can resist magical attacks with her great willpower and fortitude. If she makes a successful fortitude or will save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of will half or fortitude partial) she instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Martial Artist does not gain the benefit of Mettle. * '''Empty Mind (su)''': Starting at 13th level, the Martial Artist can enter a trance that makes his mind inaffectable for magical manipulation. As a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, and with a Concentration check (DC 30), the Martial Artist can duplicate the effect of a ''Mind Blank'' Spell on herself, with a duration equal to her wisdom score in rounds. * '''Blindsense (ex)''': At 14th level, the Martial Artist's ability to completely focus on the combat becomes even more spectacular - she gaines Blindsense with a reach of 30'. * '''Timeless Body (Ex)''': Upon attaining 16th level, a Martial Artist 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 monk still dies of old age when her time is up. * '''Dual School (Ex)''': At 19th level, the Martial Artist have become a true master of Martial Arts, and gains a second Secret Stance from the list below, including all the involved benefits. * '''Perfect Self''': At 20th level, a Martial Artist becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as a native outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the martial’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the Martial Artist 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 monk can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type. =Secret Stances= ==Anvil Heel Kick== You have mastered the Art of striking against the weakest points of an enemy with as much force as possible, not to kill but to knock out your enemies. A strike of you let the hings of your enemies ring like a temple gong. ''Prerequisites:'' Power Attack, Stunning Fist ''Benefits'': When you use the Stunning Fist ability, you may add your full Martial Artist class levels instead of your half character level to the DC of the Saving Throw, and if the defender's save fails, he becomes stunned for 1d3 rounds, instead of the usual 1 round, and even if he succeeds with the save, he becomes dazed for one round. The DC for the Stunning Fist ability increases by +2 at 10th level, +4 at 15th level, and +6 at 20th level. You also get an additional use of your Stunning Fist ability on level 5, 10, 15 and 20. ==Coils of the Python== The students of the Coils of the Python dojo seek to neutralize the opponent's maneuverability and options and overcome them with strength and exotic pins and throws. ''Prerequisites'': Improved Grapple, Improved Trip ''Benefit:'' Whenever you are in a grapple, try to trip or disarm an enemy, you are treated as if you were one size category larger than you actually are, if you wish so. You also deal an extra 1d3 points of crushing damage every round you maintain a grapple. This damage is modified by size and increases to 1d4 at 10th level, 1d6 at 15th level, and 1d8 at 20th level. ==Dance of the Mongoose== This Style specialize in agility and defense. By making yourself hard to pin down, you force the enemy to fight on your terms and constantly frustrate his efforts to hit you. ''Prerequisites:'' Dodge, Mobility ''Benefits:'' Yo gain a +2 bonus to your Initiaite and Reflex Saves and a +2 Dodge Bonus to your Defense. These bonuses increase to +3 at 10th level, +4 at 15th level and +5 at 20th level. ==Heavenly Sword== The path of the heavenly sword teaches to be deadly with steel as with their fists. You have masterd the path and can unleash a precision of strikes that is unmatched by other swordsmen. ''Prerequisites:'' Weapon Focus (any one-handed sword), Combat Expertise ''Benefits:'' When you wield the one-handed sword you have the weapon focus in, you may substitute the weapon's damage through your Unarmed Strike damage, if this is beneficial for you. In addition, You gain a +1 bonus to all Attack rolls with your sword. This bonus increase to +2 at 10th level, +3 at 15th level and +4 at 20th level. The blade always counts as a magical weapon to overcome DR, and starting at level 15th, counts as an adamantine weapon. ==Iron Mountain== You have trained very long to harden your bones and make yourself inured to pain. Hitting you is like hitting a steel bar. ''Prerequisites:'' Endurance, Toughness ''Benefits:'' You gain DR/Adamantium equal to your Wisdom Bonus. Every five Martial Artist levels (at level 10, 15, 20) you may increase your DR and your Fortitude Saves by 1 point. You also gain one additional hitpoint per level. ==Paralyzing Strikes== You have mastered the secret art of striking at secret pressure points to paralyze your victim's limbs or the whole body. ''Prerequisites:'' 8 ranks in Heal, Weapon Finesse, stunning Fist ''Benefits:'' When you strike your enemies with your unarmed attacks, you may use your Stunning Fist ability to paralyze, instead of stun the foe. The DC of the Saving Throw to resist the Paralyzing Strike increases by +2 at 10th level, +4 at 15th level, and +6 at 20th level. You also get an additional use of your Stunning Fist ability on level 5, 10, 15 and 20. ==Pillar of the Divine Mandate== You have mastered a long forgotten collection of techniques of fighting with a quarterstaff that makes it a most dangerous weapon in your hands. ''Prerequisites:'' Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff), Two Weapon Fighting ''Benefits:'' When you wield a quaterstaff, it deals as much base damage as your unarmed strikes if this is beneficial for you. As a move action, you can also shift the grip of your staff as a reach weapon, but suffer a -2 penalty to the rolls to hit in this form. When using the Quarter staff as a double weapon, the Martial Artist who has mastered the Pillar of the Divine Mandate stance may reduce the penalty for two weapon fighting by 1 point at 10th level and by 2 points at 20th level when he wields a staff. ==Thousand Fist Strike== You have mastered the Arts of the thousand fist strike, a rare and deadly combat stance that allows you to overwhelm your opponent with a hail of blows. ''Prerequisites:'' Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (unarmed Strike) ''Benefits:'' You gain the Pounce Ability. What's more, when you make a full attack, you can make an additional attack at the highest attack bonus against your foe, but you suffer a -3 penalty to all your attack rolls. This penalty is reduced to -2 at level 10, -1 at level 15 and disappears completely on level 20. ==Witch Hunter Fu== You are a hunter of wizards and the like, and your unmatched self-discipline and determintation are like an edge targeted at the heart of enemy sorcerers. ''Prerequisites:'' 4 Ranks in Spellcraft, Battle Learning: Magic (Art of War) ''Benefits:'' You gain a bonus to all Saving Throws against spells and spell-like abilities equal to your Wisdom Modifier. When you succesfully hit a spellcaster while he is channelling a spell, the Concentration check to maintain the channeling is automatically failed and the spell is fizzled. Whenever you fight against spellcasters, you gain a +1 bonus to your attack rolls and damage rolls against them. This bonus increase to +2 at 10th level, +3 at 15th level and +4 at 20th level.

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