This prestige class was inspired by playing WAY too much Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance the other day. The flavour text isn't entirely according to the game storyline, but to make it so would've meant naming the class something else, and I think "Ice Warrior", "Frost Monk", and "Cold Ninja" are all cheesy.
Anyway... this is my first venture into creating prestige classes. Is it balanced? Is it cool? Would someone want to take this class? Did I make a mistake somewhere?
Lin Kuei
The Lin Kuei are an ancient organization of martial artists and assassins. They have existed in secret for centuries. Their overall alignment is a nebulous thing at best, as they number among themselves both the most black-hearted villains and noblest heroes. The most promising and talented of the organization are trained in the ways of manipulating cold temperatures with their ki.
Most Lin Kuei start as monks, though a number of fighters, sohei and rogues also dot their ranks, along with a scant few rangers and even paladins. Spellcasters rarely take levels in Lin Kuei, as their spellcasting abilities would be stunted.
NPC Lin Kuei often spend most of their time at the artic temple of the clan, training and waiting for the Grandmaster to send them on assignments. It is also traditional for some Lin Kuei to take up adventuring for a time, to learn the ways of the world and gather experience.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements:
To qualify to become Lin Kuei, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Concentration +6, Hide +6, Move Silently +6
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike
Special: Must be accepted by the Lin Kuei clan.
Class Skills:
Lin Kuei's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are 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), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Code:
Level BAB Fort Ref Will
--------------------------
1 +0 +2 +2 +2
2 +1 +3 +3 +3
3 +2 +3 +3 +3
4 +3 +4 +4 +4
5 +3 +4 +4 +4
6 +4 +5 +5 +5
7 +5 +5 +5 +5
8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6
9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6
10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7
*
Level Special Abilities
--------------------------------------
1 Monk Abilities, cold resistance 5
2 Freeze 1/day
3 Light weapon of ice
4 Cold resistance 10, freeze 2/day
5
6 One-handed weapon of ice, freeze 3/day
7 Cold resistance 15
8 Freeze 4/day
9 Two-handed weapon of ice
10 Cold immunity, freeze 5/day
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Lin Kuei are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light armor. They suffer the same penalties for wearing armor that monks do.
Monk Abilities: A Lin Kuei has the unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus of a monk with as many levels as his Lin Kuei levels plus his monk levels (if any). If the character has no monk levels, these abilities are not gained.
Cold Resistance (Ex): At first level, the Lin Kuei gains cold resistance 5. At 4th level, this becomes cold resistance 10, and at 7th level it becomes cold resistance 15. At 10th level, the Lin Kuei gains total immunity to all cold damage.
Freeze (Su): At 2nd level, the Lin Kuei gains the ability to literally freeze an opponent in his tracks for rounds equal to the Lin Kuei's class level, as a ranged touch attack with range of 30 feet or as a melee touch attack. The target can make a Fort save (DC 15+class level) to resist the effects of freeze. A frozen target cannot is aware and can breathe, but is unable to take any actions, even speech. He is effectively helpless, and is subject to coup de grace attacks. A target hit by the freeze attack takes 1d4 points of cold damage, regardless of whether he makes his save. If the frozen victim takes any damage, the freeze effect ends immediately.
This ability may also be used to freeze bodies of liquid, or to create a thin sheet of ice, 10 feet by 10 feet. The ice lasts for rounds equal to the Lin Kuei's class level. See the description of the spell grease in Player's Handbook, page 237, for the effects of a slippery surface.
At 4th level, the Lin Kuei may use this ability twice per day. This increases by one every second levels thereafter, until five times per day at 10th level.
Weapon of Ice (Su): At 3rd level, the Lin Kuei gains the ability to freeze the moisture in the air surrounding him into a light masterwork melee weapon of his choice. The weapon of ice deals, in addition to the normal damage for a weapon of its type, 1d4 points of cold damage. At 6th level, the Lin Kuei may create a one-handed weapon of ice, or two light weapons, and at 9th level, a two-handed weapon of ice or one light and one one-handed weapon. The Lin Kuei may use this ability once per day. Should the Lin Kuei have access to it, he may use the monk's
ki strike ability with the weapon of ice.
A weapon of ice has half the hit points of a normal weapon, and will melt down to become unusable in hours equal to the Lin Kuei's class level. If wielded by someone other than a Lin Kuei, the weapon will become unusable in half that time.
)
If that's good or bad is an entirely different question, of course... 
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