General Prestige Class : Master of the East Wind
by David Noonan, Dragon #314
The masters of the east wind are the arcanists among Kiu-Shanat's followers; he has bid them, "Grow in your control of magic and marshal its power, just as the winds gather before the storm." Masters of the east wind spend a fair amount of time in the laboratories and libraries of the Palace of the Four Winds, but they also cross the globe on missions involving arcane lore.
Wizard/monks are slightly more prevalent among the masters of the east wind than sorcerer/monks. In the past, the Order has welcomed bards who've adopted the lawful alignment to become monks and then masters of the east wind, although there are none in the membership at present.
The libraries and laboratories of the Palace of the Four Winds are busy places, with masters of the east wind training in the martial arts, studying eldritch tomes, and creating magic items. They are particularly fond of monk's belts, ioun stones, and carpets of flying. At some point in their careers, nearly all masters of the east wind create for themselves an intelligent carpet of flying that flies of its own accord like a steed, freeing them to cast spells and take other actions.
Masters of the east wind excel in missions involving powerful magic, especially where illusions and enchantments are useful. Many use their magic to keep a secret society from opening a permanent portal from the Lower Planes through which a horde of fiends would emerge. That means breaking up sacrificial rites, cleansing abandoned ruins of fell influences, and bringing members of the secret society (many of whom are highly placed nobles and merchants) to justice.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Master of the East Wind, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Lawful good or lawful neutral.
- Skills: Climb 10 ranks.
- Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells
- Other: Ki strike (magic) class feature.
Class Skills
The master of the east wind's class skills are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the master of the east wind prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The master of the east wind gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Monk Abilities: A master of the east wind's class levels stack with her monk levels for the purpose of determining her unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus. If a master of the east wind doesn't have monk levels prior to becoming a master of the east wind, she gains the unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus of a monk of a level equal to her master of the east wind level.
Spells per day: When a new master of the east wind level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she added the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, for example). If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she became a master of the east wind, she must decide to which class she adds each level of master of the east wind for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Familiar: Starting at 2nd level, a master of the east wind improves the effectiveness of her familiar. Half her master of the east wind levels (rounded down) stack with her wizard or sorcerer levels to determine the abilities her familiar has (see familiars). Masters of the east wind who didn't previously have the ability to summon a familiar gain the ability when they become 2nd-level masters of the east wind, then improve t the same rate (gaining the familiar abilities of a 3rd-level wizard when they become 6th-level masters of the east wind, for example).
Air Domain: A master of the east wind who reaches 5th level is granted access to the Air domain. In the likely event that she has wizard or sorcerer levels rather than cleric levels, the master of the east wind adds the domain spells to her spells known - scribed in a wizard's spellbook, or added to a sorcerer or bard's list of known spells, in addition to the character's normal number. The master of the east wind casts these spells as arcane spells. She can use the Air domain's granted power, substituting her master of the east wind levels for cleric levels.
| Master of the East Wind | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Monk abilities | +1 level of existing class |
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Familiar | +1 level of existing class |
| 3 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 4 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 5 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Air domain | +1 level of existing class |
| 6 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 8 | +5 | +2 | +2 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | +7 | - | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Dragon #314