Monk/Ranger PrC

[Jon Potter]

Okay, after posting my Monk/Rogue Ascetic feat-inspired Prestige Class over in this thread I decided to try my hand at the other two on my list: Monk/Ranger and Monk/Paladin.

Below is my attempt at the former, inspired heavily by some of the class alternatives presented in Unearthed Arcana. I'm unhappy with a couple of things: The Animal Style Mastery ability for both the Cunning Wolf and Frenzied Boar styles are a bit uninspired. And the PrC name - Nature's Fist - is a bit clunky. But I wanted to stick with the existing convention (Enlightened Fist, Sacred Fist, and my own Shadowed Fist) and that's the best I could come up with. [EDIT: Thanks to Lopke_Quasath for the naming suggestion.]

Suggestions are appreciated.

--------------------------------------------

Stalking Fist

HD: d8

Requirements:
To qualify to become a Stalking Fist, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Skills: Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks, Handle Animal 6 ranks, Survival 6 ranks

Feats: Ascetic Hunter, Stunning Fist

Special: Favored Enemy class ability, Evasion Class Ability

Class Skills:
The Stalking Fist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table 1-1: The Stalking Fist
	Class	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will
	Level	Bonus	Save	Save	Save	Special
	1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	Monk Abilities, Favored Enemies
	2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Animal Style
	3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Unseen Stalker, Fast Movement +10'
	4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Improved Animal Style
	5th	+3	+4	+4	+2	Nemesis
	6th	+4	+5	+5	+2	Greater Animal Style
	7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	Improved Evasion, Woodland Stride
	8th	+6	+6	+6	+3	Superior Animal Style
	9th	+6	+6	+6	+3	Fast Movement +20', Favored Resistance
	10th	+7	+7	+7	+3	Animal Style Mastery, Nature's Blessing

Class Features:
All the following are class features of the Stalking Fist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Stalking Fists gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor. Many of the Stalking Fists abilities depend on unfettered movement and a Stalking Fist loses access to these powers when wearing armor (as described below).

Monk Abilities: A Stalking Fist adds her class level to her monk level (if any) to determine her class-based AC bonus, her unarmed damage, and the number of daily attempts of her Stunning Fist feat. If she has no monk levels, she gains the AC bonus and unarmed strike damage of a monk whose level equals her Stalking Fist level, but she cannot add her Wisdom bonus to her AC.
A Stalking Fist does not count her class levels for the purpose of determining when she gains other monk class features, such as improved unarmored speed, reduced penalties for flurry of blows attack rolls, bonus feats, evasion, or other special abilities.

Favored Enemies: Levels in Stalking Fist stack with Ranger levels to determine his favored enemy bonuses.

Animal Style: At 2nd level and again at every even-numbered level of the prestige class a Stalking Fist may adjust her fighting style to reflect her study of nature, mimicking the actions of animals through unarmed martial techniques. She must choose an animal style at 2nd level and thereafter she gains the benefit of that style at the appropriate level (the second benefit at 4th level, the 3rd at 6th level, and so on) whether she meets the feat requirements or not. Once an animal style is chosen it cannot be changed.
The benefits of the Stalking Fist's chosen animal style apply only when he wears no armor. He loses all benefits of his animal style when wearing armor.

Frenzied Boar style
1. Improved Toughness feat
2. Damage Reduction 1/-
3. Diehard feat
4. Damage Reduction 2/-
5. Natural Armor +1

Striking Cobra style
1. Dodge feat
2. Weapon Finesse feat
3. Mobility feat
4. Improved Initiative feat
5. Spring Attack feat

Cunning Wolf style
1. Uncanny Dodge
2. Improved Flanking (+4 bonus to attacks)
3. Swift Tracker (as the Ranger ability)
4. Improved Trip feat
5. Scent feat

Charging Lion style
1. Run feat
2. Kai Shout feat
3. Charge Damage Bonus (+2 to damage)
4. Greater Kai Shout feat
5. Catfolk Pounce feat

Mauling Bear style
1. Iron Will feat
2. Improved Grapple feat
3. Power Attack feat
4. Clever Wrestling feat
5. Improved Natural Attack feat

Agile Hunter: Beginning at 3rd level a Stalking Fist may add his favored enemy bonus as a bonus to his Hide, Move Silently and Tumble checks against her favored enemy.

Fast Movement: Also at 3rd level, the Stalking Fist base land speed increases by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor and not carrying a heavy load. At 9th level, this bonus increases to +20 feet.

Nemesis: At 5th level the Stalking Fist can choose one of his favored enemies to become his nemesis. He gains the ability to sense the presence of this creature type within 60 feet as well as pinpoint their exact location (distance and direction) relative to the Stalking First. Normal barriers and obstructions do not block this supernatural ability, allowing the Stalking Fist to sense the presence and location of creatures behind doors or walls, for example. Use of this ability does not allow him to see invisible or hidden creatures (although he can still discern its location).
In addition to sensing the presence of his favored enemy, the Stalking Fist may add his favored enemy bonus to all saving throws made against his nemesis.

Improved Evasion: If a Stalking Fist of 7th level or higher is exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails. This ability is otherwise identical to the monk class ability described in the Player's Handbook.

Woodland Stride: Starting at 7th level, a Stalking Fist can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

Favored Resistance: Against all spells cast by her favored enemy, a Stalking Fist of 9th level or higher gains Spell Resistance of 20 + her Wisdom bonus.

Nature's Blessing: At 10th level, the Stalking Fist gains the supernatural ability to open his Ki to the Green. As a standard action he may add a +4 bonus to his Constitution, Dexterity or Wisdom score, This ability may be used once a day, and its effect lasts for 1 minute per character level.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Nice class! I feel it is a little strong, however.

Firstly, FYI.... it's "Ascetic", not Aesthetic. You may want to fix that...

Some points about the class itself:

Fast Movement: If you want to keep the monkly flavour, you may want to make this speed increase an enhancement bonus (like the monk does), rather than an untyped increase to the base speed (like a barbarian has). One way to do this would be to have levels int his class stack with monk levels to determine the enhancement bonus to speed. If you intended for the class to be as it is, please ignore this comment.

Ki Strike: This class doesn't gain any improvement to this class ability. Is this intentional?

Alignment: Although it's more or less a given, perhaps you should specify an alignment restriction of "Any Lawful".

Multiclassing: A note that the character can continue to take monk levels after taking this Prestige Class would be helpful (If they can, that is).

Saving Throws: Due to the large amount of class abilities this PrC gets, I'd reduce the favourable saving throws down to Fortitude and Reflex Good, Will Poor (same as the Ranger).

Uncanny Dodge: I'd probably drop this.

Animal Styles: These are very flavourful. I heartily approve!

So... nice work. Just needs some tweaking, to make it a little bit less powerful.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

I really like the flavor of the class, although it does "feel" powerful.


Names:
Fist of Gaia
Fist of the Mother Earth
Ehlonna's Fist (or whatever nature deity is appropriate)
Terrestial Fist (although that's more of an "earthy" tone)
Floral/Fauna Fist (ok, this one is more of a joke, or at least more druidic)
Microcosmic/Macrocosmic Fist
Hunting Fist
Hunter Fist
Prowling Fist

Stalking Fist (I like this one)

Cheers

 

[Jon Potter]

Firstly, FYI.... it's "Ascetic", not Aesthetic. You may want to fix that...

GAAAH!!! I have a complete mental block on Aesthetic/Ascetic. Every single time I type it I type it wrong! Thank you for pointing it out.

Some points about the class itself:

Fast Movement: If you want to keep the monkly flavour, you may want to make this speed increase an enhancement bonus (like the monk does), rather than an untyped increase to the base speed (like a barbarian has). One way to do this would be to have levels int his class stack with monk levels to determine the enhancement bonus to speed. If you intended for the class to be as it is, please ignore this comment.

I'll keep it as is for now, not because I want it necessarily to be an untyped bonus, but rather because I want it to stack with the monk speed increase. I don't want to add it to the list of monk abilities that continue increasing because I'm feel like I'm already approaching a 'monk +' PrC where it's the monk plus a whole slew of other abilities.

Ki Strike: This class doesn't gain any improvement to this class ability. Is this intentional?

Yes. For the same reason listed above.

Alignment: Although it's more or less a given, perhaps you should specify an alignment restriction of "Any Lawful".

You're right, it's more or less a given. But I don't see anything that's particularly Lawful in the class and it is possible to qualify without taking any Monk levels. I think that if someone really wanted to take the Stalking Fist PrC without first being a monk, they should be able to, so I'm not inclined to further the monk-first assumption.

Multiclassing: A note that the character can continue to take monk levels after taking this Prestige Class would be helpful (If they can, that is).

Excellent point, but this was left off intentionally to dissuade dipping back and forth between this and the monk class. I was tempted to include the restiction about multi-classing included with the Sacred Fist. I may still do that, actually.

Saving Throws: Due to the large amount of class abilities this PrC gets, I'd reduce the favourable saving throws down to Fortitude and Reflex Good, Will Poor (same as the Ranger).

Great suggestion. Monk saves are a bit much here.

Uncanny Dodge: I'd probably drop this.

I actually meant to. Chalk it up to poor editting. I used my Shadowed Fist PrC as a template when designing this one and it got left in because I wasn't thinking. Uncanny Dodge makes a good deal more sense with a Monk-Rogue PrC than it does with a Monk-Ranger.

Animal Styles: These are very flavourful. I heartily approve!

Thanks. I still have a couple of issues with some of them, but overall I think they turned out well.

So... nice work. Just needs some tweaking, to make it a little bit less powerful.

The Stalking Fist gives up a bunch of Monk class abilities and loses the Ranger's full BAB and Spellcasting. I hope this is toned down enough to be in line with the power baseline. It's a balancing act trying to get the flavor of both the Monk and Ranger without making this a Gestalt build.

 

[Jon Potter]

I really like the flavor of the class, although it does "feel" powerful.

I made a few changes that may have remedied that.

Names:
Stalking Fist (I like this one)

Me too! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Quartz]

The Nemesis and Favoured Resistance abilities rather duplicate each other. And Favoured Resistance isn't that good at higher levels anyway.

 

[Jon Potter]

The Nemesis and Favoured Resistance abilities rather duplicate each other.

Well, I can sort of see your point. There is definitely some overlap between the two abilities, but I would argue that it's more akin to the overlap of Plate Mail and a Shield. They both benefit the same thing (keeping you from being hit) but they do it in different ways. And both are valuable.

And Favoured Resistance isn't that good at higher levels anyway.

Well, that is a potentially valid point. Perhaps making the SR bonus 20 + favored enemy bonus rather than 20 + Wis bonus. Not a huge difference, but it does scale with advancement rather than being more or less static (barring magic).

 

[Jon Potter]

For those interested, I've posted the last of the Prestige Class trilogy, the Exalted Fist here.