Ki Striking Monk (3.5e Class)

Ki Striking Monk

A ki striking monk is similar to the average monk in that they use their body to deal damage instead of armor. The main shortcoming of your average monk is that they find themselves lacking when it comes to trying to deal with enemies they can't reach, if they are flying, or just hanging from the ceiling, just out of fist's reach. But given the right kind of training a monk can focus their mental skills to such a point that the energy they posses is projected into the real world and into the face of their adversaries.

Making a Ki Striking Monk

The ability to project their ki into a projectile and attack with it allows the ki striking monk to attack with more proficiency than ever before, especially at lower levels where traditional Monks can find themselves useless in combat because they're facing an enemy outside of their reach. The downside of this class is that the monk can not make stunning fist attempts as those powers are instead used to power her ki based abilities. In addition, at low levels the number of times a Ki Strike can be made is limited. In addition her ki striking abilities often make her an outcast to most monastic orders as it defies traditional teaching, though there are orders devoted to practicing this unusual fighting style.

Abilities: Wisdom powers the monk's special offensive and defensive abilities. Dexterity provides the unarmored monk with a better defense and bonuses to class abilities as well as making their Ki Strikes more accurate. Strength helps the ki striking monk's unarmed combat abilities.

Races: Any race that can be lawful, or trains monks can become a ki striking monk.

Alignment: Any Lawful.

Starting Gold: 5d4 (12 gp, 5sp)

Starting Age: As Monk

Table: The Ki Striking Monk

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus	Ki Power/Day	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus	Unarmored Speed Bonus
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+2	+2	Ki power, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, ki blast	-2/-2	1	1d8	+1
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Bonus feat, evasion, fast movement	-1/-1	2	1d8	+1
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Still mind	+0/+0	3	1d8	+1
4th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Ki strike (magic), slow fall 20 ft., ki beam	+1/+1	4	1d10	+1
5th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Purity of body	+2/+2	5	1d10	+2
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	Bonus feat, slow fall 30 ft.	+3/+3	6	1d10	+2
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Wholeness of body	+4/+4	7	1d10	+2
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Slow fall 40 ft.	+5/+5/+0	8	1d12	+2
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Improved evasion, greater ki blast	+6/+6/+1	9	1d12	+2
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Ki strike (lawful), slow fall 50 ft.	+7/+7/+2	10	1d12	+3
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Diamond body, greater flurry	+8/+8/+8/+3	11	1d12	+3
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Abundant step, slow fall 60 ft.	+9/+9/+9/+4	12	3d8	+3
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Diamond soul	+9/+9/+9/+4	13	3d8	+3
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Slow fall 70 ft.	+10/+10/+10/+5	14	3d8	+3
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9	Quivering palm	+11/+11/+11/+6/+1	15	3d8	+4
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Ki strike (adamantine), slow fall 80 ft.	+12/+12/+12/+7/+2	16	2d20	+4
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Timeless body, tongue of the sun and moon	+12/+12/+12/+7/+2	17	2d20	+4
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Slow fall 90 ft.	+13/+13/+13/+8/+3	18	2d20	+4
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Empty body	+14/+14/+14/+9/+4	19	2d20	+4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Perfect self, slow fall any distance	+15/+15/+15/+10/+5	20	4d20	+5
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Ki Striking Monk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling.

Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.

When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses her AC bonus, as well as her fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Ki Powers (Su): A ki striking monk can channel her ki to manifest and preform a ranged touch attack. She can use her ki powers ability a number of times per day equal to her class level (minimum 1) plus her Wisdom bonus (if any). Ki powers can only be used if the monk is wearing no armor and unencumbered. As long as a monk's ki pool isn't empty she gets a +2 on her Will saves. (virtual stunning fist)

A ki striking monk has the following ki powers: ki blast, ki beam, and greater ki blast.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table: The Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham). She may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1-1/2 or ×1/2) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that she has enough attacks in her flurry of blows routine to do so.

When a monk reaches 11th level, her flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A monk also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Monk. The unarmed damage on Table: The Monk is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Monk Unarmed Damage by Size.

Ki Blast (Su): At 1st level or higher a ki striking monk can spend two points of ki power to preform a ranged touch attack against one target up to 10 ft. + 10 x her level for the same amount of damage as her unarmed strike ability. For damage reduction purposes this ability is considered to share the alignment with its user and is supernatural in nature. Special: This feat grants virtual access to the Stunning Fist feat, allowing you to take other feats for which it is a prerequisite.

Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, a ki striking monk may select either Combat Reflexes or Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat. At 6th level, she may select either Improved Disarm or Improved Trip as a bonus feat. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to her speed, as shown on Table: The Monk. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Still Mind (Ex): A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.

Ki Strike (Su): At 4th level, a monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. Ki strike improves with the character’s monk level. At 10th level, her unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. At 16th level, her unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

Slow Fall (Ex): At 4th level or higher, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow her descent. When first using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The monk’s ability to slow her fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves with her monk level until at 20th level she can use a nearby wall to slow her descent and fall any distance without harm.

Ki Beam (Su): At 4th level or higher, a ki striking monk may spend multiple uses of her ki power (to a maximum of 6) at one time to deal damage as if they'd hit with 3 attacks that turn. Before using this ability a ki striking monk must declare how many uses of their ki power they are using, and if the attack misses those uses are lost for the day. For damage reduction purposes this ability is considered to share the alignment with its user and is supernatural in nature.

Purity of Body (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases.

Wholeness of Body (Su): At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal her own wounds. She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice her current monk level each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Ki Blast, Greater (Su): At 9th level or higher, a ki blasting monk may spend upwards to all of their uses of ki power for the day to add one additional attack worth of damage per use of ki power used. Before using this ability a ki striking monk must declare how many uses of their ki power they are using, and if the attack misses those uses are lost for the day. For damage reduction purposes this ability is considered to share the alignment with its user and is supernatural in nature.

Diamond Body (Su): At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.

Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level or higher, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, once per day. Her caster level for this effect is one-half her monk level (rounded down).

Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance.

Quivering Palm (Su): Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. She can use this quivering palm attack once a week, and she must announce her intent before making her attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to her monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + the monk’s Wis modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time.

Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 17th level, a monk 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.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with any living creature.

Empty Body (Su): At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 round per monk level per day, as though using the spell etherealness. She may go ethereal on a number of different occasions during any single day, as long as the total number of rounds spent in an ethereal state does not exceed her monk level.

Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows her to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonmagical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.

Ex-Ki Striking Monks

If a ki striking monk becomes non-lawful she can no longer gain any levels in any monk based class until her alignment is restored and she is subject to an atonement spell. All existing abilities are still accessible though.

Like a member of any other class, a ki striking monk may be a multiclass character, but multiclass ki striking monks face a special restriction. A ki striking monk who gains a new class(except monk prestige classes) or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her ki striking monk level, though she retains all her ki striking monk abilities.

Epic Ki Striking Monk

“	So you fly. I still hit you.	”
—Slug, Half-Orc Ki Striking Monk

Daily Life: A ki strinking monk's daily life isn't far removed from that of an ordinary monk. But often they find themselves aiding adventuring parties as a way to further increase their abilites.

NPC Reactions: Suprise, awe, wonder, and sometimes terror often follow a ki striker's strike.

Ki Striker Monk Lore

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

DC 5: They are a kind of monk.

DC 10: Ki striking monks usually don't belong to a particular order due to their abilities and often are nomads.

DC 15: Ki striking monks channel the force of their Will to strike their enemies down.

DC 20: The ki striking monk's mixture of close combat and devestating ranged attacks make them one of the most renowned...and most destructive of the monk orders. They best way to avoid their ki blast is to not give them a reason to use it.

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