Way of the Transcendent Fist (5e Subclass)

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Transcendent Fist

"I am the leaf on the wind, the boulder rolling down the hill, the surging tide and the blazing flame"
—Master Zen Tsa, Human Monk/Transcendent Fist

The Transcendent Fist is a powerful unarmed warrior who has trained their entire life to defeat enemies with their fists. They tap into the elements to deal devastating attacks against their foes. They can defeat even the mightiest foes with only a few prods to vital ki points throughout the body. They are ageless, being able to outlive even the elves, and are nearly immune to harm when they are unarmored. They may look ancient and decrepit, but a Transcendent Fist is at one with the universe, and can do everything and more any young person can...

Becoming a Transcendent Fist

Monks who spend a long lifetime perfecting their martial arts often pursue the Way of the Transcendent Fist in order to become one with the universe and gain true knowlege and insight. Few other classes are able to become a Transcendent Fist, and fewer still have the patience to attempt it, but the patience of a monk is as time-tested as the mountains, and the few monks who seek the path of the Transcendent Fist are most often rewarded with Cosmic Knowledge.

Entry Requirements
Alignment: Any Lawful
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Race: All
Skills: 6 Ranks in Balance, 4 Ranks in Jump, 4 Ranks in Tumble
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Altered Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
Table: The Transcendent Fist

Hit Die: d8

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special
Fort Ref Will
1st +1 +3 +3 +3 Elemental Fists, Transcendent Abilities
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Transcendent Abilities
3rd +2 +3 +3 +3 Ki Rejuvenation, Transcendent Abilities
4th +2 +4 +4 +4 Transcendent Abilities
5th +3 +4 +4 +4 Improved Elemental Fists, Transcendent Abilities
6th +3 +4 +4 +4 Transcendent Abilities
7th +4 +4 +4 +4 Timeless Body, Transcendent Abilities
8th +4 +5 +5 +5 Transcendent Abilities
9th +5 +5 +5 +5 Five-Palm Strike, Transcendent Abilities
10th +5 +7 +7 +7 Nirvana, Transcendent Abilities

Class Skills (2 + Wis Modifier per level)
Same as Monk

Class Features

Elemental Fists (Ex): At level 1, you gain Elemental Fists. Once per turn, you can designate your unarmed strikes as elemental, your unarmed strikes and flurry of blows deal 1d6 damage and gain one of the following effects: Earth- You can make all squares around you difficult terrain for your enemies after an unarmed strike of flurry of blows, and you gain tremorsense 30 feet around you for the encounter. Air- You can push, pull or slide the target 1d10 squares after an unarmed strike or flurry of blows, and you gain the ability to hover for the encounter. Fire- Your unarmed strike and flurry of blows burns the target, dealing 1d4 damage for the next two turns, and you become immune to Fire for the next 5 rounds. Water- Your unarmed strike and flurry of blows heal you for 4d4 hitpoints, you cannot drown and you can walk on water for the encounter. When you gain the "Improved Elemental Fists" feature, you can either add 1d4 to your unarmed strike or flurry of blows attack or damage rolls, or add one of the following effects to your elemental fists: Earth- You can move up to twice your movement speed after making a successful Unarmed Strike or Flurry of Blows. Air- You can call a lightning bolt down from the heavens after a successful Unarmed Strike or Flurry of Blows, dealing 1d12 damage and stunning the target for 1d4 turns. Fire- You can ignite the target, blowing them back up to 3 squares and dealing an additional 2d4 fire damage for two turns after a successful Unarmed Strike or Flurry of Blows. Water- You can heal all party members 10 squares around you for 2d4 damage after a successful Unarmed Strike or Flurry of Blows, and you can heal yourself for an additional 1d4 damage.

Transcendent Abilities (Ex): When you gain levels as a Transcendent Fist, you gain 1 spells from a Cleric's domain list as if you took levels in Cleric. You must choose the spell from the following Domains: Law, War, and Strength. You can cast the spell any number of times equal to your wisdom modifier. In order to regain use of your spells, you must meditate once every day, as if you were preparing spells as a Cleric does. You do not gain any other domain benefits or cleric spells such as turn undead.

Ki Rejuvenation (Ex): Upon reaching the 3rd level, when you have less than half your hit points, you gain regeneration 5 until you have hitpoints higher than half of your total hitpoints, or you are knocked unconscious.

Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 7th level, a Transcendent Fist 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.

Five-Palm Strike (Ex): Upon reaching the 9th level, Once per day, when you attack with a Flurry of Blows, you can designate the attack as a Five Palm Strike, rolling attack rolls normally. If you make at least two successful attacks, you can roll a d20. If you roll 1-4, you stun the target. If you roll 5-8, you weaken the target. If you roll 9-12, you daze the target. If you roll 13-16, you knock the target out. And if you roll 17-20, you kill the target. The target must make a saving throw against any condition you inflict upon the target.

Nirvana (Ex): Upon attaining the 10th level, a Transcendent Fist reaches enlightenment. She gains Flight (Hover) equal to her base speed, A bonus +5 to attack and damage rolls against non-lawful creatures, and when killed, can choose to reincarnate into a new body with half of your total level in Monk, but not Transcendent Fist. You can only reincarnate once every 5d10+5 days, which is rolled whenever you are killed.

Ex-Transcendent Fist

When you become non-lawful or commit a serious non-lawful act, you loose all benefits of being a transcendent fist. In order to Atone, you must go to a monastery and fast for 3d10 days, then pray for an additional 1d8 days. After this time of prayer and fasting, you will regain your lawful alignment and gain all abilities you had before you fell from the lawful alignment. You can only atone once every 10d10 days, which you roll every time you must atone.

Campaign Information

Playing a Transcendent Fist

Combat: Your job as a Transcendent Fist is to defeat enemies and aid allies as much as possible. With your assortment of cleric-like spells, you can buff allies. With your powerful elemental fists, you can deal serious damage to the enemy. Your main job is to strike as hard as possible, and to never back down.

Advancement: As multiclassing anything outside of Monk will end your ability to gain levels, your options are a bit limited. Feat-wise, however, you should choose feats that focus on your damage-dealing capabilities, especially dealing with unarmed attacks.

Resources: Almost all monasteries that are your alignment will welcome a Transcendent Fist as a traveler and teacher. You are welcomed in just about every town you come across, as you are not only powerful, but wise. You are more than just about anyone else could ever hope to be, and as such you are envied for your wisdom, strength and power.

Transcendent Fists in the World

Their path is the middle road, never to stray away from the path of Order, lest they doom our world.


NPC Reactions: If an NPC finds out that you are a Transcendent Fist, they will be filled with awe at your presence. Those who become Transcendent Fists have a heavy burden to take. They are warriors for Law, teaching Monks to fight the evils of Chaos and defeating Chaotic beings wherever they go. Thier greatest enemies are Demons, who are the embodiment of Chaos. Even Lawful Evil Transcendent Fists are upheld to this duty, and do their part to defeat law through use of Loopholes and Clauses. In lawful domains, you are treated as royalty, defenders of Order and Law such as yourselves are what created such areas of Law.

Transcendent Fist Lore

Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC Result
11 .
16 .
21 .
26 .

Transcendent Fists in the Game

Adaptation:

Sample Encounter:

EL whatever:


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