Snakes and Earrings [PrC]

[ArmorArmadillo]

Monks control their bodies, but what's the point of exercising control over your body just to mimic what any commoner can do with a sword? There has to be something you do with that physical mastery? There is. And there's also a reason you haven't been told about it until now...

The Chameleon Fist
Those monks who devote themselves to the mystery of bodily control can become Chameleon Fists, nearly mystical healers who can push their bodies beyond human limits.
At best Chameleon Fists seek to master the afflictions of the world and heal their fellow man; at worst they try to establish their superiority over others and shred the moral limits of humanity.
At any rate, however, the bizarre anatomical powers of the Chamleon Fist make them powerful allies and dangerous enemies among monastic warriors.

Requirements:
Base Attack: +4
Skills: Heal 4 Ranks, Profession (Doctor) 9 Ranks
Feats: Stunning Fist
Special: Purity of Body class feature

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, and Tumble.
Skill Points per level: 4 + Int Modifier
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Monk , Surgical Strike (Strength), Medical Expertise

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Fluid Body

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Surgical Strike (Wisdom)

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Medical Mastery

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Surgical Strike (Charisma), Expansive Body

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Cauterize

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Surgical Strike (Intelligence)

8th|
+5|
+6|
+6|
+6|Medical Supremacy

9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+6|Surgical Strike (Dexterity), Unbound Body

10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+7|Detached Existence[/table]

Monk Abilities: Your Chameleon Fist level stacks with your monk levels in determining your unarmored speed, your armor bonus, and your uses of Stunning Fists per day.

Surgical Strike (Ex): Your understanding of life and anatomy allows you to attack directly an opponents' muscles, circulation, and even their nervous systems. By spending a use of your Stunning Fist ability, you may make one of your attacks a Surgical Strike. If successful, rather than dealing hit point damage, a Surgical Strike deals 1d2 points of ability damage. At 1st level, you may deal Strength damage with your Surgical Strike. At 3rd level, you may instead deal Wisdom damage. At 5th level, you may also instead deal Charisma damage. At 7th level, you may also instead deal Intelligence damage. At 9th level, you may also instead deal Dexterity Damage. No matter the number of attacks you may make during a turn, you may make only one Surgical Strike per turn. Creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are immune to Surgical Strikes.

Medical Expertise: Your understanding of the body makes you a powerful healer and elevates your natural senses. You gain an insight bonus to Heal, Spot, and Listen checks equal to 1/2 your level, rounded down.

Fluid Body (Ex): You've learned the secrets of the body, and can push it manipulate it beyond its normal limits, following through strikes by twisting your limbs around your opponent into vicious grapples. At 2nd level or higher, whenever you successfully deliver an unarmed strike, you may immediately initiate a grapple attempt without provoking an attack of opportunity. This ability is not usable in combination with a Surgical Strike.

Medical Mastery: Your encyclopedic knowledge of anatomy allows you to treat in a few key cuts and movements what takes others careful effort. At 4th level or higher, you can complete Heal actions which require a standard action as a swift action, actions which require 1 round instead require a standard action, and actions which require longer than 1 round instead require 1 round.

Expansive Body: With your control over your body and knowledge of anatomy, you can carefully detach and reroute aspects of your body, allowing you to manipulate the size and length of your appendages. At level 5, your reach increases by 5 ft.

Cauterize: You can exercise pinpoint control over your anatomy, healing wounds without external effort. At 6th level, you gain Fast Healing 1.

Medical Supremacy (Sp): The body is nothing to you, a children's toy you can fix without fail. At 8th level, you may spend a use of Stunning Fist and attempt a DC 30 Heal check as a full action. If successful, you may produce the effect of a cure moderate wounds spell with a caster level equal to your Chameleon Fist class level. This action is not quickened by Medical Mastery.

Unbound Body (Ex): Chameleon Fists of high power can twist their body into shapes that should be impossible, even for the limitless contortions of most Chameleon Fists. Twisting these bizarre contortions around opponents, they can crush them like anacondas. At 9th level, you gain constrict damage equal to your unarmed strike damage.

Detached Existence: Chameleon Fists of the highest levels give up their very humanity in light of their control over their physical bodies. At 10th level, your type changes to Monstrous Humanoid, you gain Resistance 10 to Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, and Sonic, you gain immunity to Critical Hits and Sneak Attacks, and you gain immunity to stunning, paralysis, and petrification.

[Bitzeralisis]

It's overpowered. Too many saves, heals and attacks too well. Enough said.

[TheLogman]

It seems like this class should almost be two different classes. You kind of combined the "Changing, becoming something powerful...something better" with the "Check it out, I can Heal!"

And even on top of all the stuff, you've given him near-monk progression.

[Zeta Kai]

I agree with Bitzeralisis; this class needs nerfing. I'd start with changing Cauterize into Fast Healing 1 instead of FH2.

To be fair, the Monk base class has all good saves, & this is obviously an extension of that concept, so I have no qualms with that. The BAB is also in line with that. It's the special abilities that need tweaking.

[ArmorArmadillo]

@ Zeta Kai: It's interesting that you commented on Cauterize, as that's one of the issues I saw as having less to do with the power. FH 2 seems twice as good as FH 1, but ultimately neither make a significant difference in combat at that level, but both give the full benefit of not eating out of combat healing. It would be a sensible starting point.

@ TheLogman: I was actually trying to have different aspects going on in the class; I like classes to have different things going on, but it all ultimately falls into one unifying piece of flavor: knowledge, control, and expansion of the body. I may try to alter the fluff to make it try and unify the flavor more.

And as for near-monk progression, it misses one of the biggest parts of Monk progression, flurry of blows. Also, it gets no abilities past Purity of Body, unless they take more levels. I may get rid of increased unarmed damage though, which actually helps control the power level of constrict damage from unbound body.

@ Bitzeralisis: I think you were talking about Medical Supremacy, which I now notice was written incorrectly. Uses should require a stunning fist attempt. On second look, it should be reduced to moderate wounds as well.

It's hard to tell what you were talking about though, you didn't say enough.