General Prestige Class : Elemental Warrior
The elemental warrior sees that great strength comes from focusing on the most basic aspects of reality. The sages say that the worlds are formed through combinations of fire, water, earth, and air, and that any problem can be overcome with the correct application of these forces. The elemental warrior becomes attuned to one of these building blocks of reality, channeling its power to great effect.
Fighters, monks, paladins, and barbarians make the best elemental warriors. This prestige class is focused on fighting and applying the elements in just the right way to bring down even the roughest adversary. Bards, rogues, rangers, and druids also may find this class useful if they often find themselves involved in close combat; a few levels of elemental warrior give them access to a range of weapons and defenses that will make them much more versatile.
NPC elemental warriors are usually fighters or mercenaries of some sort. They maybe of any alignment, but they all believe that it is best to be prepared for anything and that with the elements themselves at their fingertips, they have everything they need to overcome any foe.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Elemental Warrior, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks.
- Base Attack Bonus: +7.
- Special: The character must have traveled to at least one of the Elemental Planes.
Class Skills
The elemental warrior's class skills are Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (the planes), Ride, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the elemental warrior prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Elemental warriors gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Elemental Affinity (Ex): An elemental warrior is attuned to one of the Elemental Planes, which imbues her with certain related abilities. At 1st level, she selects one of the four elements (air, earth, fire, or water) as the one for which she has an affinity. She immediately gains the ability to speak (and, if she is literate, to read and write) the language associated with her chosen element (Auran, Terran, Ignan, or Aquan, respectively). She also gains resistance 10 to a particular energy type based on her chosen element (electricity, acid, fire, or cold, respectively).
Elemental Manifestation (Su): An elemental warrior of 2nd level or higher can use a standard action to cause her body to manifest aspects of her chosen element. The effect lasts for 1 minute and may be used a number of times per day equal to her class level. It can be dismissed as a free action.
Air: Brisk winds whip around the elemental warrior's body. All ranged attacks against her have a 20% miss chance.
Earth: The elemental warrior's skin is partially sheathed in rocky hide. Her natural armor bonus increases by 3.
Fire: A sheath of flame envelops the elemental warrior. Any opponent who lands a successful melee attack against her takes 1d6 points of fire damage. Creatures wielding reach weapons, such as longspears, do nor take this damage.
Water: The elemental warrior becomes coated in water. She gains damage reduction 3/piercing.
Elemental Weapon (Su): At 3rd level and higher, an elemental warrior can, as a move action, imbue any melee weapon she wields with the energy of her chosen element. The imbued weapon deals an extra 2d6 points of energy damage on each hit. The effect lasts for 1 minute and maybe dismissed as a free action. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her class level. If the weapon already has a magical effect that allows it to deal energy damage, that effect is suppressed for the duration of the elemental weapon effect. When an elemental warrior reaches 5th level, this ability improves. The extra damage remains the same, but on a successful critical hit, the weapon releases a burst of energy that deals even more energy damage of the same type (for a total of 6d6). The additional damage is 4d6 points for weapons with a x2 critical multiplier, 6d6 points for weapons with a x3 critical multiplier, or 8d6 for weapons with a x4 critical multiplier.
Elemental Movement (Su): At 4th level, an elemental warrior gains a special movement property based on her chosen element.
Air: The elemental warrior can fly at a speed of 20 feet (perfect maneuverability). If the character wears medium or heavy armor or carries a medium or heavy load, she can't use this ability.
Earth: The elemental warrior gains a burrow speed of 30 feet (or equal to her base land speed, whichever is lower).
Fire: The elemental warrior's base land speed increases by 10 feet. This benefit stacks with all other speed increases. If the elemental warrior wears heavy armor or carries a heavy load, she loses this benefit.
Water: The elemental warrior gains a swim speed of 30 feet (or equal to her base land speed, whichever is lower). She also gains the ability to breathe water.
At 4th level, elemental warriors of all kinds also gain the ability to use plane shift once per day to reach their chosen Elemental Plane (or from that Elemental Plane to the Material Plane).
Elemental Strike (Su): Once per day, a 5th-level elemental warrior can channel her chosen element to deal a devastating melee touch attack. The attack requires a standard action to deliver; if it hits, it affects its target as noted below. No save is allowed against the damage dealt by the attack, but a successful Fortitude save negates the secondary effect. The save DC for these effects is 15 + the elemental warrior's Con modifier.
Air: Target takes 10d6 points of bludgeoning damage from a sudden gust of wind and is knocked prone (Fort save negates knockdown).
Earth: Target takes 10d6 points of bludgeoning damage from the crushing touch attack and is pushed back 10 feet as if bull rushed (Fort save negates push).
Fire: Target takes 10d6 points of fire damage and catches on fire for 1d4 rounds (Fort save negates catching on fire).
Water: Target takes 10d6 points of damage as moisture is drawn from its body and becomes nauseated for 1 round (Fort save negates nausea).
| Elemental Warrior | Hit Die: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Elemental affinity |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Elemental manifestation |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Elemental weapon |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Elemental movement |
| 5th | +3 | -*4 | +1 | +1 | Elemental burst weapon, elemental strike |
Source: Planar Handbook