General Prestige Class : Sacred Fist
Sacred fists are independent organizations found within many temples. Their ascetic members have turned their divine magic inward, bringing their bodies and wills into harmony.
Sacred fists have forsworn the use of weapons and heavy armor. They consider their bodies and minds gifts from their deity, and they believe that not developing those gifts to their fullest potential is a sin. Spellcasting does not dishonor them or their deity, provided the sacred fist casts spells with a range of touch. Sacred fists are strong in faith, will, and body. Clerics are excellent candidates for sacred fists orders. Paladins may also choose to join them, but are seldom comfortable surrendering the trappings of their calling. Fighters, rogues, bards, and even ex-monks may make good candidates, provided they have enough levels in a class that grants divine spells. Druids often find the class's combat skills useful, as do sorcerers and wizards who have some levels as a cleric or other source of divine spells.
NPC sacred fists are as varied as their faiths. In general, they travel the land individually, lending their skills to those who need protection or assistance. While a sacred fist from a temple of Pelor might humbly assist almost anyone who asked, one from Erythnul's faith might help only when it gains him something. Sacred fists from the temple of Kord tend to be genial brawlers, humble in victory and gracious in defeat. All sacred fists seek challenges that allow them to further develop their fighting skills.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Sacred Fist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks
- Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Spells: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells.
Class Skills
The sacred fist's class skills are Balance, Concentration, Escape Artist, Heal, Jump, Profession, and Tumble.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sacred fist prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sacred fists surrender the use of weapons and shields. They may use only light armor without breaking their religious discipline.
Code of Conduct: A member of a sacred fist order refuses to use any weapon. A sacred fist who knowingly carries or uses a weapon loses all class spells and features and advances no farther as a sacred fist until he atones for his action (see the atonement spell description
Spells per Day: A sacred fist has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the sacred fist must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a sacred fist with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast spells. Sacred fist bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When the sacred fist gets spells for a given level, the character cannot cast any spells of that level. When the sacred fist gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 1st level, the sacred fist gets only bonus spells. A sacred fist without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. The sacred fist's spell list appears below; he has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare. A sacred fist prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though he cannot lose a spell to cast a cure spell in its place).
Free Domain: Upon adopting the sacred fist class, the character chooses one domain from his deity's list.
Unarmed Fighting (Ex): A sacred fist is highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving him considerable advantages when doing so. A sacred fist's attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even with elbows, knees, and feet. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a sacred fist striking unarmed. He may choose to deal either subdual or normal damage with his attack. He deals more damage than normal, as summarized on the table below.
| Size of Sacred Fist | ||
|---|---|---|
| Level | Small | Medium-size or larger |
| 1st | 1d4 | 1d6 |
| 5th | 1d6 | 1d8 |
| 8th | 1d8 | 1d10 |
| 10th | 1d10 | 1d12 |
Flurry Attack (Ex): The sacred fist may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack, but this attack and each other attack made that round suffer a -2 penalty apiece. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it affects attacks of opportunity the sacred fist might make before his next action. The sacred fist must use the full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.
Puissant Fists (Su): A sacred fist ignores some damage resistance. At 1st level, treat his strikes as +1 weapons for the purposes of damage resistance. Starting at 3rd level, treat his strikes as +2 weapons for that purpose. Starting at 6th level, treat them as +3 weapons, and at 9th level, treat them as +4 weapons. This ability does not change the sacred fist's chance to hit or the damage dealt.
Evasion (Ex): A sacred fist can dodge and avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If a sacred fist makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally inflicts half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon's fiery breath or a fireball spell), the sacred fist instead suffers no damage. Evasion can only be used if the sacred fist is wearing light armor or no armor.
Combat Casting (Ex): At 2nd level, a sacred fist gains this feat as a bonus feat.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a sacred fist gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)
At 5th level, the sacred fist can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of his as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies other characters the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack him. The exception to this defense is that another character at least four levels higher than the character can flank him (and thus sneak attack him, if a rogue). Uncanny dodge can only be used if the sacred fist is wearing light armor or no armor.
Blindsight (Ex): This ability, gained at 6th level, grants sensitivity to vibrations, scent, and acute hearing so that the sacred fist maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. His senses extend in a 30-foot radius. Invisibility and darkness are irrelevant, though he still can't discern ethereal beings. Sacred fists do not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures within range.
Sacred Flame (Sp): At 7th level, a sacred fist may use a standard action to invoke sacred flames around his hands and feet. Instead of normal damage, a successful attack with these sacred flames deals damage as follows: 1d6 + Wisdom modifier if positive + sacred fist class level. The attack has a maximum possible damage of 1d6+15 points. At least half the damage is fire damage, and the rest is sacred energy (and thus not subject to effects that reduce fire damage).
A sacred flame attack may be combined with a flurry attack.
No Shadow Blows (Ex): Starting at 8th level, a sacred fist may add a positive Wisdom modifier to both attack and damage rolls. Also, for purposes of countering damage reduction, his unarmed blows are considered magic weapons with an enhancement bonus equal to his Wisdom bonus, and this bonus is cumulative with that of puissant fists. The sacred fist's mind, body, and will are forged into one instrument.
Inner Armor (Ex): At 10th level, a sacred fist's inner tranquility protects him from external threats. He may invoke a +4 concentration bonus to AC, a +4 resistance bonus on all saves, and spell resistance equal to his class level for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier. If his Wisdom modifier is +0 or negative, he cannot use this ability. He may use inner armor a number of times per day equal to his class level.
Sacred Fist Spell List
Sacred fists have access to spells appropriate for their alignment, provided those spells have a range of touch or personal. This list excludes spells available only as domain spells. Such spells would be available to a sacred fist with access to the domain.
- 0 - cure minor wounds*, guidance, inflict minor wounds*, light, read magic, resistance, virtue.
- 1st - bless water*, burial blessing, comprehend language, cure light wounds*, curse water*, divine favor, endure elements, entropic shield, inflict light wounds*, invisibility to undead, magic stone**, magic weapon**, protection from chaos/evil/good/law*, sanctuary, shield of faith.
- 2nd - aid, augury, brambles, bull's strength, cure moderate wounds*, death knell, delay poison, endurance, gentle repose, inflict moderate wounds*, lesser restoration, resist elements, speak with animals, undetectable alignment.
- 3rd - bestow curse*, chain of eyes, contagion*, continual flame, cure serious wounds*, curse of the brute, daylight, deeper darkness, flame of faith, glyph of warding, inflict serious wounds*, invisibility purge, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law*, magic vestment, meld into stone, negative energy protection, obscure object, protection from elements, remove curse*, remove disease*, speak with plants, spikes**, stone shape, water breathing, water walk.
- 4th - air walk, beast claws, cure critical wounds*, death ward, divination, divine power, freedom of movement, imbue with spell ability, inflict critical wounds*, neutralize poison*, poison*, restoration, status, tongues, unfailing endurance.
- 5th - atonement, blight, commune, dispel chaos/evil/good/law*, divine agility, ethereal jaunt, hallow*, mark of justice, plane shift, raise dead*, righteous might, slay living*, spell resistance, true seeing, unhallow*.
*DM decides which of these spells are appropriate for PC's organization.
**While these spells technically can be cast, a careless sacred fist might break his discipline, depending on his subsequent action.
| Sacred Fist | Hit Die: d8 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day | |||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Flurry attack, free domain, puissant fists | 0 | - | - | - |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Evasion, Combat Casting | 1 | - | - | - |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC) | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Uncanny dodge (can't be flanked) | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Blindsight | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Sacred flame | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | No shadow blows | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Inner armor | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Source: Complete Divine
Defenders of the Faith