Student of the Five Elements (So5E)
Some monks, once they begin to understand the flow of ki and the makeup of their bodies, turn their attention from spiritual energies to the physical makeup of their bodies, studying the five elements that comprise everything.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks
Special: Purity of Body class feature
Class skills: as monk plus Knowledge (the planes)
Skill points at each level: 4 + Int modifier
BAB: 3/4 progression.
Saves: All good progression.
Table: The Student of the Five Elements
1 Monk abilities, Elemental Shape 1/day
2 Elemental Tongue
3
4 Elemental Shape 2/day
5
6 Elemental Shape (Large)
7 Elemental Shape 3/day
8
9 Elemental Home
10 Elemental Master, Elemental Shape 4/day
Monk abilities: Levels of So5E stack with monk levels for purposes of unarmed attack damage, armor class bonus, flurry of blows progression, and speed bonus.
Elemental Shape (Su): As the druid ability, Wild Shape (elemental). This functions as the polymorph spell, except as noted here. At 1st level, a So5E can turn himself into a Small or Medium elemental (air, earth, fire, water, or wood) and back again once per day, lasting for 1 hour per class level or until she changes back. Changing form is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The So5E can use this more times per day at 4th, 7th, and 10th level, as noted in the table. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large elemental at 6th level.
In addition to the normal effects of polymorph, the So5E gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type.
Elemental Tongue (Ex): At 2nd level, , the So5E gains the ability to speak Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran, Sylvan, and Treant.
Elemental Home (Sp): As Plane Shift, 1/day, to an elemental plane or back to the originating plane.
Elemental Master: After attaining 10th level, the So5E becomes a magical creature. She no longer takes aging penalties and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the master still dies of old age when her time is up. She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever her creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the master gains damage reduction 10/magic. Unlike other outsiders, the master can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.