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The Monk character class of the In Pathfinder RPG has issues. There is no easy way to "fix" the class. It tries to do too many things at once.
However, we can focus on one role: the melee debuffer. Pathfinder has the Witch character class as a specialist ranged debuffer, but no parallel character class that specializes as a melee debuffer.
This essay describes a new "homebrew" Fighter archetype, the Chi Warrior, an alternative version of a Wuxia-style Fighter who assists his or her allies as a melee debuffer. All Fighters can debuff foes with combat maneuvers and the Critical Feats. When fighting with bare hands the Chi Warrior excells at these and also has its own class special ability debuffs.
Please put constructive comments and criticisms in this Paizo forum post.
No change.
This ability modifies Bonus Feats.
A Chi Warrior does not get bonus Fighter feats normally until fourth level.
A Chi Warrior receives Spring Attack at first level without needing to meet its prerequisites.
A Chi Warrior receives Improved Unarmed Strike and Combat Expertise at second level without needing to meet the latter's prerequisites.
Starting at fourth level, a Chi Warrior receives Fighter bonus feats normally.
Additionally, any feat that works better when taken by a Monk (such as Stunning Fist) also works better for a Chi Warrior. A Chi Warrior's class levels are counted as Monk levels for determining how these feats function.
(Note that most Chi Warriors take Two Weapon Fighting at first level, to better use chi strikes at second level.)
This ability replaces Bravery.
A Chi Warrior learns to fight especially well unarmed. As mentioned earlier, a Chi Warrior learns Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at second level.
A Chi Warrior gains special abilities with bare hands: anything worn or carried (rings, gloves, gauntlets, brass knuckles, etc.) prevents using these class abilities with that hand.
When fighting with bare hands, a Chi Warrior's unarmed strikes do not cause more damage. (Small characters still do 1d2 damage. Medium characters still do 1d3 damage. Critical hits do double damage.) However, the strikes do have an increased critical threat range of 18-20.
When a Chi Warrior fights with bare hands there is no such thing as an off-hand unarmed attack (the same as for a Monk). A Chi Warrior may make a full attack with unarmed strikes when grappled. The Chi Warrior's full Strength bonus is applied to damage rolls for all successful unarmed attacks with bare hands. A Chi Warrior may substitute Trip, Disarm, or Sunder combat maneuvers in place of any unarmed strike.
(As with any character, unarmed attacks are considered light weapons so a Chi Warrior using Two Weapon Fighting has a −2 penalty to all attack rolls for unarmed attacks.)
Furthermore, a Chi Warrior with bare hands and no armor check penalty gains a bonus to his or her CMB equal to half his or her Chi Warrior level.
This ability modifies Armor Training.
At each of seventh, eleventh, and fifteenth levels a Chi Warrior may chose to forgo the normal benefits of Armor Training to instead receive a +1 bonus to Reflex and Will saving throws.
A Chi Warrior who forgoes the normal benefits of Armor Training at seventh level never learns to move at normal speed while wearing heavy armor. Instead, the Chi Warrior gains the following extra class special ability:
A Chi Warrior of seventh level whose movement remains normally hindered by heavy armor instead learns to more safely jump to his or her feet when on the ground. Henceforth only opponents with Combat Reflexes are allowed attacks of opportunity when the Chi Warrior stands up from prone.
This ability replaces Weapon Training.
The Chi Warrior also learns to augment his or her unarmed strikes by releasing chi. (Following precedent, chi uses focused physical energy, whereas ki uses focused mental energy.)
Starting at second level, a Chi Warrior learns to use chi wraps and make chi strikes. Chi strikes are often more potent than other sources of debuffing (combat maneuvers, hexes, spells) because they can only be used in a more restricted circumstance.
A Chi Warrior uses cloth arm wraps named chi wraps to help focus his or her chi. Putting on the wraps requires movement and meditation. The Chi Warrior must be unarmored and unrestricted in movement. Putting on the wraps requires one minute per level of the Chi Warrior.
While putting on the wraps the Chi Warrior decides whether his or her chi strike powers will be resisted by a Fortitude or Will type saving throw. This choice remains in effect until the Chi Warrior removes the wraps and puts them on again.
A Chi Warrior without chi wraps has less potent chi strikes. In this situation each chi strike is resisted by whichever saving throw is better for the target (Fortitude or Will).
Chi wraps can be enchanted with the Keen enhancement or the Keen Edge spell to increase the Chi Warrior's critical threat range from 18-20 to 15-20. No other weapon enchantments or spells work on chi wraps.
At eigth level, a Chi Warrior's wraps also allow his or her bare hand strikes to be considered either Good or Evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. The Chi Warrior selects either alignment axis when putting on the wraps.
At tenth level, a Chi Warrior's wraps also allow his or her bare hand strikes to be considered either Lawful or Chaotic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. The Chi Warrior selects either alignment axis when putting on the wraps.
At sixteenth level, a Chi Warrior's wraps also allow his or her bare hand strikes to be considered Adamantine for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Chi Strikes are unarmed strikes with bare hands that replace hit point damage with potent debuffing. Because chi is a type of energy involved in the motion of living (and undead) creatures, chi strikes do not effect constructs.
A Chi Warrior can only use a chi strike if it has already touched the target with bare hands that round. (Specifically, the strike must be made against an opponent the Chi Warrior is already grappling or an opponent the Chi Warrior has already hit that round with an unarmed bare hand attack.
(Note that a Chi Warrior can use chi strikes with only one bare hand. Because no unarmed strike is considered off-hand for a Chi Warrior, a Chi Warrior able to make multiple attacks each round could hold a fragile vase in one gloved hand while making his or her full number of attacks with the other bare hand.)
The effect caused by a chi strike can be resisted with a saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is 10 + half the Chi Warrior level + the Chi Warrior's Constitution modifier. (The type of saving throw is determined by the Chi Warrior's chi wraps, as described earlier.) The Ability Focus feat cannot be applied to the chi strike special ability.
A chi strike only causes its debuffing effect if it would have caused hit point damage. The Chi Warrior might need to roll damage normally if the target has damage resistance, to confirm that the strike would have caused hit point damage.
A creature can only be the target of each each type of chi strike once per day, whether or not it succeeds in its saving throw to resist the effect. If a chi strike effect ever lasts for 24 hours it then dissipates harmlessly.
A Chi Warrior learns one type of chi strike at second level, and another every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th).
Here are several types of chi strikes. Others may of course be invented with GM approval.
No change.
No change.
Your understand of chi is deep.
Prerequisites: Chi strike class special ability.
Benefit: You learn one additional type of chi strike.
Special: You can gain Extra Chi Strike multiple times.
You have learned to hit an enemy's vital points with quick, piercing strikes.
Prerequisites: Spring Attack, Chi strike class special ability.
Benefit: When using Spring Attack you may make two bare hand attacks. The second attack must be either a combat maneuver or a chi strike.
Normal: You may only use a standard action to attack while using Spring Attack.
Your critical hits with bare hand attacks cause opponents to see stars.
Prerequisites: Chi strike class special ability, Base Attack Bonus +3.
Benefit: When your score a critical hit with a bare hand attack your opponent suffers as if Dazzled until the end of your next turn. This effect is not actually being Dazzled, so the creature does not need eyes or to be actively relying on vision. However, it does not work on constructs.
Special: Note that this feat is not technically a "Critical Feat" because it does not have the prerequisite of Critical Focus. However, you still cannot apply both it and another critical feat to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.