Rae ArdGaoth
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Disciple of the Body
The warrior whose strength rivals that of giants, the monk who snatches tiny darts out of the air, the guru who meditates for weeks without food or water; these are the disciples of the body. Using intense training, measured exercises, and extended meditation, disciples conquer the weaknesses of their bodies and hone their strengths to excellence.
Disciples of the body are, by nature, always lawful, thus monks are perfect candidates. Fighters and clerics or paladins of some religions can also find benefits from the extreme control of the body to be advantageous in many situations. Druids and arcane spellcasters usually do not become disciples of the body since they focus so much on honing the mind rather than the body. Barbarians, due to alignment restrictions, cannot become disciples. Disciples of the body have a tendency towards neutrality in moral outlook, but people from both ends of the spectrum are present among their ranks.
A disciple of the body usually trains in seclusion since such intense concentration is required, though this does not mean they are loners. They can be found in bars and adventuring parties as easily as alone on a mountain summit. When they are with other people, however, a disciple takes his training extremely seriously, and if interrupted or ridiculed, many will become quietly furious and wrathful.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Disciple of the Body, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any lawful.
BAB: +4
Skills: 8 ranks in Concentration and 8 ranks in any 2 of the following: Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
Feats: Weapon Focus (any) or Improved Unarmed Strike. Skill Focus in any 1 of the skills listed above.
Somatic Art: Throughout his long periods of intense training, a disciple of the body focuses primarily on one physical attribute, which plots out a major part of his progression as a disciple. The chosen Somatic Art also determines the saves that a disciple receives (refer to the Art descriptions below). At first level, a disciple must select a Somatic Art from the list below. This Art is improved at levels 4, 7, and 10.
Art of Form: The art of improving Dexterity. Disciples of form learn to react almost instantaneously to events, sometimes even before they seem to happen. They are speedy and exact in their movements. Nothing gets past their lightning fast reflexes. A disciple of form has trained and focused his movements to near perfection.
The Art of Form grants a good reflex save.
Novitiate Ability: Just beginning his training, the disciple simply trains to move and dodge quickly. When armored in light armor (or unarmored) and unencumbered (carrying only a light load), he adds his wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC. This wisdom bonus does not count twice if the disciple is also a monk and follows all the same rules as does the wisdom bonus granted by the monk class.
In addition, a disciple of form gains a +1 dodge bonus (all dodge bonuses stack) to AC. This dodge bonus increases by 1 at 4th level and by 1 again at 10th level. This bonus is lost when the disciple is immobilized or helpless, when he wears medium or heavy armor, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Otherwise, it follows all other rules of a dodge bonus.
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, and with some experience under his belt, the disciple of form can perform extraordinary feats of dexterity in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat slowed afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Dexterity score by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost preemptively if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is slowed, receiving a -2 penalty to his Dexterity score until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
The disciple has also had enough training to increase his speed. He gains fast movement +10’. This stacks with the fast movement ability granted by the monk class.
Art Aptitude: The disciple of form has spendt long hours honing his speed, and at 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Dexterity score. His fast movement ability increases to +20’.
Art Mastery: After much training, the disciple of form has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Dexterity score and his fast movement ability increases to +30’. Also, the number of rounds that he is slowed after his Feat of Prowess boosts decreases to the level of the boost he gained. (So if he gained a +8 boost to his Dexterity score, he would receive a -2 penalty for 8 rounds after his boost ended.) He may also use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though never when slowed as an effect of his Feat of Prowess ability.
Near-perfection of his craft allows the disciple of form one extra attack at his full attack bonus in a full attack.
Art of Intensity: The art of improving Strength. Disciples of intensity are known for their amazing feats of strength. Their blows are powerful, dealing great amounts of damage in a single strike. Their training consists of lifting extremely heavy weights and performing extreme forms of calisthenics. A disciple of intensity has trained and focused his muscles to near perfection.
The Art of Intensity grants a good fortitude save.
Novitiate Ability: At the start of his discipline, the disciple of intensity meditates and engages in introspection, examining his body from the inside out. His newfound knowledge of his muscles allows him to perform some basic but powerful actions. He gains the full benefits of the Power Attack or Improved Grapple feats. His honed strength also gives him a +1 bonus to damage with all melee weapons. If he is using a composite bow with a Strength bonus, he treats his Strength score as though it were 2 points higher. This applies to damage dealt by the bow and any penalties he would have had if his Strength was too low for the bow’s Strength rating. It does not apply to anything else.
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, with some experience under his belt, the disciple of intensity can perform extraordinary feats of strength in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat weakened afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Strength score by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost prematurely if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is weakened, receiving a -2 penalty to his Strength score until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
The disciple has also been exercising enough to increase his melee damage bonus to +2. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before. Furthermore, his increased muscle mass allows the disciple to carry more without becoming encumbered. The maximum weights for all of his carrying loads is increased by 25%, rounded down. (So a disciple of intensity with a Strength score of 18 would have his light load increased to 125 lbs, medium load increased to 250 lbs., and heavy load increased to 375 lbs.)
Art Aptitude: The disciple of intensity spends long hours honing his muscles to increase their power output, thus at 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Strength score. He gains all the benefits of the Improved Sunder feat. His melee weapon damage bonus also increases to +3. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before.
Art Mastery: After much exercise, the disciple of intensity has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Strength score and increases his melee damage bonus to +4. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before. Also, the number of rounds that he is weakened after his Feat of Prowess boosts decreases to the level of the boost he gained. (So if he gained a +8 boost to his Strength score, he would receive a -2 penalty for 8 rounds after his boost ended.) He may also use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though never when slowed.
His huge, well-toned muscles rival those of giants, and he is able to output enormous amounts of power. When sundering an object, he deals 5 points of bonus damage to the object. The disciple of strength’s blows are so powerful that he can carry his swing through great resistance. If he successfully sunders a wielded object, any extra damage not spent on the object is dealt to the wielder of the object. He gains a +5 bonus to any Strength checks to break an object. His carrying loads are increased again by 25% of their original value, rounded down, for a grand total of 150%. (So if the disciple of intensity has a score of 22, his light load would be increased to 259 lbs, his medium load to 519 lbs., and his heavy load to 780 lbs.)
Art of Stamina: The art of improving Constitution. Disciples of stamina can go for days with little or no sustenance through deep meditation. They can run nearly infinite distances, falling within themselves to find inner strength and fortitude. Their strength of will is indomitable, their focus uninterruptible. They can ignore seemingly fatal wounds and fight past the supposed limits of their mortal shells. A disciple of stamina has trained and focused his endurance to near perfection.
The Art of Stamina grants good fortitude and will saves.
Novitiate Ability: Like the disciple of intensity, the disciple of stamina meditates for long periods of time, learning about the way his body works, especially his metabolism. Unlike the disciple of intensity, though, the disciple of stamina engages in other activities while he meditates, such as running, climbing, eating, or on rare occasions interacting with other people, in order to gain a full understanding of the reactions of his body to the many situations it finds itself in. At first level, he gains the full benefits of the Endurance and Run feats. In addition, his hit points are increased by 1 extra hit point per level, as though his Constitution score were increased by 2. (The Constitution score does not actually increase.)
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, with some experience under his belt, the disciple of stamina can perform extraordinary feats of constitution in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat fatigued afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Constitution by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost prematurely if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is fatigued, receiving a –2 penalty to Strength, a –2 penalty to Dexterity, and losing the ability charge or run until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
In addition to being able to enact this short burst of increased Constitution, a disciple of stamina can also perform extraordinary feats of endurance over long periods of time. In order to activate this ability, he must meditate for a number of hours equal to the bonus he plans to receive in addition to receiving a full night’s rest (8 hours for a human, 4 hours for an elf, etc.). During his meditation, the disciple falls into a comatose state, effectively becoming helpless. Only lethal damage (not nonlethal) can break him out of this meditation, and all forms of mental coercion, magical or otherwise, initiated during the meditation automatically fail (a mental coercion already in effect, like charm person, is not dispelled). Once he awakens from the meditation, his Constitution is increased for a number of hours equal to his disciple level minus the added Constitution bonus, with a minimum of 1 hour. Once his time is up, the disciple immediately falls into his deep meditation again, whether he is prepared for it or not. If his loss in Constitution decreases his hit points below 0 or his hit points were already below 0, his hit point total becomes -1. He stays in this meditative state for 1 hour. This ability is usable once per week.
Art Aptitude: The disciple of stamina spends long hours contemplating his body and learning to understand the tiny processes that go on at each level of his metabolism. At 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Constitution score. The hit point bonus he received at level 1 increases by 1. He also gains the ability to slow his metabolism down to lengthen the amount of time he can go without food, water, or air. As a full-round action, the disciple can enter a semi-conscious state (effectively becoming disabled) and decrease his metabolism by a factor of his disciple level. This ability also affects his natural healing rate. (So a 7th level disciple of stamina could slow down his metabolism by a factor of 7, meaning he only needs 1 day of food for every 7, 1 minute of air for every 7, 7 days of resting to heal only count as 1, 7 rounds of blood loss from a wounding weapon only count as 1, etc.) This ability can be held indefinitely. As another full-round action, the disciple can come out of the semi-conscious state and resume his metabolism normally.
Art Mastery: After much conditioning, training, and meditating, the disciple of stamina has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Constitution score. He can never become fatigued, be it from running, from his Feat of Prowess ability, or anything else. Also, he may use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though he must wait 10 rounds in between each use. His hit point bonus per level is increased by 1. The factor by which he can decrease his metabolism is 14 (instead of 10).
The intense endurance running and torture-like exercises he has put himself through allow him to completely ignore pain. If his hit point total is decreased to 0, he is not disabled, if it decreases to -1 or below, he does not become unconscious and automatically stabilizes himself. If his hit points decrease to -10, he dies as normal. He is immune to all mental effects from torture or physical pain, though he takes damage as normal. Nonlethal damage does not affect him, though it still accumulates and becomes lethal damage in great amounts.
Disciplines: While a disciple of the body focuses primarily on his chosen Somatic Art, the introverted nature of his training allows him to discover other latent abilities within his body as well. Many monks gain similar abilities, since their method of training is so similar. These latent powers are called Disciplines, and a disciple of the body can potentially gain 6. Each Discipline may be taken only once.
Increase Metabolism (Ex): Through meditation, the disciple has gained enough control over his own metabolism to speed it up, increasing the amount of natural healing he receives for resting. He may increase his metabolism by a factor of half of his disciple level, rounded down. He heals that many more hit points per day, but he also requires that much more food, water, and air, and bleeds that much faster. (So a 7th level disciple could speed up his metabolism by a factor of 3, meaning he needs 3 days of food for every 1, 3 minutes of air for every 1, 1 day of resting to heal counts as 3, if he is wounded he loses 3 times as many hit points each round, etc.) A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Fast Movement (Ex): The disciple can move faster. He gains +10’ to his base move speed as long as he is unarmored or wearing light armor and carrying no more than a light load. This Discipline also adds +4 to any jump checks made with a running start. The benefits of this Discipline stacks with any other similar bonuses, such as those from the Somatic Art of Form or the monk class.
Resist Toxins (Ex): Through meditation, the disciple has gained enough control over his own metabolism to ignore weak poisons and to more effectively combat stronger ones. He may take 10 on his save vs. poisons and receives a +2 bonus on all saves vs. poisons.
Hardened Skin (Ex): The disciple is able to ignore small amounts of physical damage. He gains damage reduction 1/magic. A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Sixth Sense (Ex): The disciple is so aware of his surroundings that he can sometimes predict attacks before they come. He gains a +1 foresight bonus to his AC when not flatfooted.
Mighty Leap (Ex): The disciple can jump extraordinarily high and far. He does not need a running start to jump far distances (the Jump DC is not doubled if the disciple doesn’t get a running start) and gains a +4 speed bonus to his jump checks if he does get a running start.
Enhanced Perception (Ex): Using nonvisual senses, such as acute smell and hearing, the disciple gains blindsense out to 30’. No Spot or Listen checks are required to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of his blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent the disciple cannot see still has total concealment against the disciple, and he still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects his movements. He is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.
Sighted (Ex): By further improving his nonvisual senses, the disciple gains blindsight out to 15’. He maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature within his blindsight’s effect. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant, though he must have line of effect to a creature or object to discern that creature or object. The disciple must have the Enhanced Perception Discipline in order to take this Discipline.
Detect Arrows (Ex): When using the Deflect Arrows feat, the disciple can deflect the projectile weapon even if he is not aware of the attack or is flatfooted. He makes a Listen or Spot check (whichever is better) opposed by the attack roll of the attacker. If he succeeds, he can deflect the ranged attack as if he was aware of it and was not flatfooted (though he is still flatfooted for all other purposes).
This feat is usable only once per round, along with the Deflect Arrows feat. Attempting to detect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action, not even a free action. The disciple must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to use this Discipline, as per the Deflect Arrows feat.
Heightened Olfactory and Gustatory Sensations (Ex): The disciple can detect opponents by scent within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When the disciple detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed-only its presence somewhere within range. The disciple can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the disciple comes within 5 feet of the source, he pinpoints the source’s location. The disciple can also detect poisons in food or drink and determine whether water is pure enough to drink by taking small tastes. He makes a check with his disciple level and wisdom modifier added vs. the DC to resist the primary effect of the poison. If he fails, he does not detect the poison. If he succeeds, he discovers only that a toxin is present, not its power or type. If he fails critically, he becomes poisoned by the toxin present. The DC to check the purity of water (unless it is tainted with poison) is 12.
Intense Sensation Compensation (Ex): The disciple has gained so much control over his body that he becomes immune to attacks that rely on intense stimulation, such as attacks that dazzle with lights or deal sonic damage. His pupils reflexively shrink closed when over stimulated, etc. A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Multi-Classing: A monk or paladin who takes this prestige class may continue in their original class’s progression without penalty.
The warrior whose strength rivals that of giants, the monk who snatches tiny darts out of the air, the guru who meditates for weeks without food or water; these are the disciples of the body. Using intense training, measured exercises, and extended meditation, disciples conquer the weaknesses of their bodies and hone their strengths to excellence.
Disciples of the body are, by nature, always lawful, thus monks are perfect candidates. Fighters and clerics or paladins of some religions can also find benefits from the extreme control of the body to be advantageous in many situations. Druids and arcane spellcasters usually do not become disciples of the body since they focus so much on honing the mind rather than the body. Barbarians, due to alignment restrictions, cannot become disciples. Disciples of the body have a tendency towards neutrality in moral outlook, but people from both ends of the spectrum are present among their ranks.
A disciple of the body usually trains in seclusion since such intense concentration is required, though this does not mean they are loners. They can be found in bars and adventuring parties as easily as alone on a mountain summit. When they are with other people, however, a disciple takes his training extremely seriously, and if interrupted or ridiculed, many will become quietly furious and wrathful.
Code:
[B]Level BAB Art Save(s) Other Save(s) Special[/B]
1 +0 +2 +0 Somatic Art, Novitiate Ability
2 +1 +3 +0 Discipline
3 +2 +3 +1 Discipline
4 +3 +4 +1 Feat of Prowess
5 +3 +4 +1 Discipline
6 +4 +5 +2 Discipline
7 +5 +5 +2 Art Aptitude
8 +6 +6 +2 Discipline
9 +6 +6 +3 Discipline
10 +7 +7 +3 Art MasteryRequirements
To qualify to become a Disciple of the Body, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any lawful.
BAB: +4
Skills: 8 ranks in Concentration and 8 ranks in any 2 of the following: Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
Feats: Weapon Focus (any) or Improved Unarmed Strike. Skill Focus in any 1 of the skills listed above.
Somatic Art: Throughout his long periods of intense training, a disciple of the body focuses primarily on one physical attribute, which plots out a major part of his progression as a disciple. The chosen Somatic Art also determines the saves that a disciple receives (refer to the Art descriptions below). At first level, a disciple must select a Somatic Art from the list below. This Art is improved at levels 4, 7, and 10.
Art of Form: The art of improving Dexterity. Disciples of form learn to react almost instantaneously to events, sometimes even before they seem to happen. They are speedy and exact in their movements. Nothing gets past their lightning fast reflexes. A disciple of form has trained and focused his movements to near perfection.
The Art of Form grants a good reflex save.
Novitiate Ability: Just beginning his training, the disciple simply trains to move and dodge quickly. When armored in light armor (or unarmored) and unencumbered (carrying only a light load), he adds his wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC. This wisdom bonus does not count twice if the disciple is also a monk and follows all the same rules as does the wisdom bonus granted by the monk class.
In addition, a disciple of form gains a +1 dodge bonus (all dodge bonuses stack) to AC. This dodge bonus increases by 1 at 4th level and by 1 again at 10th level. This bonus is lost when the disciple is immobilized or helpless, when he wears medium or heavy armor, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Otherwise, it follows all other rules of a dodge bonus.
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, and with some experience under his belt, the disciple of form can perform extraordinary feats of dexterity in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat slowed afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Dexterity score by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost preemptively if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is slowed, receiving a -2 penalty to his Dexterity score until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
The disciple has also had enough training to increase his speed. He gains fast movement +10’. This stacks with the fast movement ability granted by the monk class.
Art Aptitude: The disciple of form has spendt long hours honing his speed, and at 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Dexterity score. His fast movement ability increases to +20’.
Art Mastery: After much training, the disciple of form has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Dexterity score and his fast movement ability increases to +30’. Also, the number of rounds that he is slowed after his Feat of Prowess boosts decreases to the level of the boost he gained. (So if he gained a +8 boost to his Dexterity score, he would receive a -2 penalty for 8 rounds after his boost ended.) He may also use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though never when slowed as an effect of his Feat of Prowess ability.
Near-perfection of his craft allows the disciple of form one extra attack at his full attack bonus in a full attack.
Art of Intensity: The art of improving Strength. Disciples of intensity are known for their amazing feats of strength. Their blows are powerful, dealing great amounts of damage in a single strike. Their training consists of lifting extremely heavy weights and performing extreme forms of calisthenics. A disciple of intensity has trained and focused his muscles to near perfection.
The Art of Intensity grants a good fortitude save.
Novitiate Ability: At the start of his discipline, the disciple of intensity meditates and engages in introspection, examining his body from the inside out. His newfound knowledge of his muscles allows him to perform some basic but powerful actions. He gains the full benefits of the Power Attack or Improved Grapple feats. His honed strength also gives him a +1 bonus to damage with all melee weapons. If he is using a composite bow with a Strength bonus, he treats his Strength score as though it were 2 points higher. This applies to damage dealt by the bow and any penalties he would have had if his Strength was too low for the bow’s Strength rating. It does not apply to anything else.
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, with some experience under his belt, the disciple of intensity can perform extraordinary feats of strength in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat weakened afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Strength score by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost prematurely if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is weakened, receiving a -2 penalty to his Strength score until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
The disciple has also been exercising enough to increase his melee damage bonus to +2. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before. Furthermore, his increased muscle mass allows the disciple to carry more without becoming encumbered. The maximum weights for all of his carrying loads is increased by 25%, rounded down. (So a disciple of intensity with a Strength score of 18 would have his light load increased to 125 lbs, medium load increased to 250 lbs., and heavy load increased to 375 lbs.)
Art Aptitude: The disciple of intensity spends long hours honing his muscles to increase their power output, thus at 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Strength score. He gains all the benefits of the Improved Sunder feat. His melee weapon damage bonus also increases to +3. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before.
Art Mastery: After much exercise, the disciple of intensity has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Strength score and increases his melee damage bonus to +4. This bonus has the same rules for composite bows as before. Also, the number of rounds that he is weakened after his Feat of Prowess boosts decreases to the level of the boost he gained. (So if he gained a +8 boost to his Strength score, he would receive a -2 penalty for 8 rounds after his boost ended.) He may also use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though never when slowed.
His huge, well-toned muscles rival those of giants, and he is able to output enormous amounts of power. When sundering an object, he deals 5 points of bonus damage to the object. The disciple of strength’s blows are so powerful that he can carry his swing through great resistance. If he successfully sunders a wielded object, any extra damage not spent on the object is dealt to the wielder of the object. He gains a +5 bonus to any Strength checks to break an object. His carrying loads are increased again by 25% of their original value, rounded down, for a grand total of 150%. (So if the disciple of intensity has a score of 22, his light load would be increased to 259 lbs, his medium load to 519 lbs., and his heavy load to 780 lbs.)
Art of Stamina: The art of improving Constitution. Disciples of stamina can go for days with little or no sustenance through deep meditation. They can run nearly infinite distances, falling within themselves to find inner strength and fortitude. Their strength of will is indomitable, their focus uninterruptible. They can ignore seemingly fatal wounds and fight past the supposed limits of their mortal shells. A disciple of stamina has trained and focused his endurance to near perfection.
The Art of Stamina grants good fortitude and will saves.
Novitiate Ability: Like the disciple of intensity, the disciple of stamina meditates for long periods of time, learning about the way his body works, especially his metabolism. Unlike the disciple of intensity, though, the disciple of stamina engages in other activities while he meditates, such as running, climbing, eating, or on rare occasions interacting with other people, in order to gain a full understanding of the reactions of his body to the many situations it finds itself in. At first level, he gains the full benefits of the Endurance and Run feats. In addition, his hit points are increased by 1 extra hit point per level, as though his Constitution score were increased by 2. (The Constitution score does not actually increase.)
Feat of Prowess: At 4th level, with some experience under his belt, the disciple of stamina can perform extraordinary feats of constitution in short bursts, though he becomes somewhat fatigued afterward. As a free action, the disciple may increase his Constitution by his disciple level. The boost lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of his disciple level, rounded down, and ends right before his initiative count on that final round. The disciple may choose to receive a bonus of less than his level and may also choose to end the boost prematurely if he wishes. When the boost ends, he is fatigued, receiving a –2 penalty to Strength, a –2 penalty to Dexterity, and losing the ability charge or run until the end of the encounter. This ability is usable only once per encounter.
In addition to being able to enact this short burst of increased Constitution, a disciple of stamina can also perform extraordinary feats of endurance over long periods of time. In order to activate this ability, he must meditate for a number of hours equal to the bonus he plans to receive in addition to receiving a full night’s rest (8 hours for a human, 4 hours for an elf, etc.). During his meditation, the disciple falls into a comatose state, effectively becoming helpless. Only lethal damage (not nonlethal) can break him out of this meditation, and all forms of mental coercion, magical or otherwise, initiated during the meditation automatically fail (a mental coercion already in effect, like charm person, is not dispelled). Once he awakens from the meditation, his Constitution is increased for a number of hours equal to his disciple level minus the added Constitution bonus, with a minimum of 1 hour. Once his time is up, the disciple immediately falls into his deep meditation again, whether he is prepared for it or not. If his loss in Constitution decreases his hit points below 0 or his hit points were already below 0, his hit point total becomes -1. He stays in this meditative state for 1 hour. This ability is usable once per week.
Art Aptitude: The disciple of stamina spends long hours contemplating his body and learning to understand the tiny processes that go on at each level of his metabolism. At 7th level he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Constitution score. The hit point bonus he received at level 1 increases by 1. He also gains the ability to slow his metabolism down to lengthen the amount of time he can go without food, water, or air. As a full-round action, the disciple can enter a semi-conscious state (effectively becoming disabled) and decrease his metabolism by a factor of his disciple level. This ability also affects his natural healing rate. (So a 7th level disciple of stamina could slow down his metabolism by a factor of 7, meaning he only needs 1 day of food for every 7, 1 minute of air for every 7, 7 days of resting to heal only count as 1, 7 rounds of blood loss from a wounding weapon only count as 1, etc.) This ability can be held indefinitely. As another full-round action, the disciple can come out of the semi-conscious state and resume his metabolism normally.
Art Mastery: After much conditioning, training, and meditating, the disciple of stamina has finally reached the peak of his art. At level 10, he gains another permanent +2 bonus to his Constitution score. He can never become fatigued, be it from running, from his Feat of Prowess ability, or anything else. Also, he may use his Feat of Prowess ability more than once per encounter, though he must wait 10 rounds in between each use. His hit point bonus per level is increased by 1. The factor by which he can decrease his metabolism is 14 (instead of 10).
The intense endurance running and torture-like exercises he has put himself through allow him to completely ignore pain. If his hit point total is decreased to 0, he is not disabled, if it decreases to -1 or below, he does not become unconscious and automatically stabilizes himself. If his hit points decrease to -10, he dies as normal. He is immune to all mental effects from torture or physical pain, though he takes damage as normal. Nonlethal damage does not affect him, though it still accumulates and becomes lethal damage in great amounts.
Disciplines: While a disciple of the body focuses primarily on his chosen Somatic Art, the introverted nature of his training allows him to discover other latent abilities within his body as well. Many monks gain similar abilities, since their method of training is so similar. These latent powers are called Disciplines, and a disciple of the body can potentially gain 6. Each Discipline may be taken only once.
Increase Metabolism (Ex): Through meditation, the disciple has gained enough control over his own metabolism to speed it up, increasing the amount of natural healing he receives for resting. He may increase his metabolism by a factor of half of his disciple level, rounded down. He heals that many more hit points per day, but he also requires that much more food, water, and air, and bleeds that much faster. (So a 7th level disciple could speed up his metabolism by a factor of 3, meaning he needs 3 days of food for every 1, 3 minutes of air for every 1, 1 day of resting to heal counts as 3, if he is wounded he loses 3 times as many hit points each round, etc.) A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Fast Movement (Ex): The disciple can move faster. He gains +10’ to his base move speed as long as he is unarmored or wearing light armor and carrying no more than a light load. This Discipline also adds +4 to any jump checks made with a running start. The benefits of this Discipline stacks with any other similar bonuses, such as those from the Somatic Art of Form or the monk class.
Resist Toxins (Ex): Through meditation, the disciple has gained enough control over his own metabolism to ignore weak poisons and to more effectively combat stronger ones. He may take 10 on his save vs. poisons and receives a +2 bonus on all saves vs. poisons.
Hardened Skin (Ex): The disciple is able to ignore small amounts of physical damage. He gains damage reduction 1/magic. A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Sixth Sense (Ex): The disciple is so aware of his surroundings that he can sometimes predict attacks before they come. He gains a +1 foresight bonus to his AC when not flatfooted.
Mighty Leap (Ex): The disciple can jump extraordinarily high and far. He does not need a running start to jump far distances (the Jump DC is not doubled if the disciple doesn’t get a running start) and gains a +4 speed bonus to his jump checks if he does get a running start.
Enhanced Perception (Ex): Using nonvisual senses, such as acute smell and hearing, the disciple gains blindsense out to 30’. No Spot or Listen checks are required to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of his blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent the disciple cannot see still has total concealment against the disciple, and he still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects his movements. He is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.
Sighted (Ex): By further improving his nonvisual senses, the disciple gains blindsight out to 15’. He maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature within his blindsight’s effect. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant, though he must have line of effect to a creature or object to discern that creature or object. The disciple must have the Enhanced Perception Discipline in order to take this Discipline.
Detect Arrows (Ex): When using the Deflect Arrows feat, the disciple can deflect the projectile weapon even if he is not aware of the attack or is flatfooted. He makes a Listen or Spot check (whichever is better) opposed by the attack roll of the attacker. If he succeeds, he can deflect the ranged attack as if he was aware of it and was not flatfooted (though he is still flatfooted for all other purposes).
This feat is usable only once per round, along with the Deflect Arrows feat. Attempting to detect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action, not even a free action. The disciple must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to use this Discipline, as per the Deflect Arrows feat.
Heightened Olfactory and Gustatory Sensations (Ex): The disciple can detect opponents by scent within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When the disciple detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed-only its presence somewhere within range. The disciple can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the disciple comes within 5 feet of the source, he pinpoints the source’s location. The disciple can also detect poisons in food or drink and determine whether water is pure enough to drink by taking small tastes. He makes a check with his disciple level and wisdom modifier added vs. the DC to resist the primary effect of the poison. If he fails, he does not detect the poison. If he succeeds, he discovers only that a toxin is present, not its power or type. If he fails critically, he becomes poisoned by the toxin present. The DC to check the purity of water (unless it is tainted with poison) is 12.
Intense Sensation Compensation (Ex): The disciple has gained so much control over his body that he becomes immune to attacks that rely on intense stimulation, such as attacks that dazzle with lights or deal sonic damage. His pupils reflexively shrink closed when over stimulated, etc. A disciple must be level 5 or higher in order to take this Discipline.
Multi-Classing: A monk or paladin who takes this prestige class may continue in their original class’s progression without penalty.
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