AlmaPenzare
2016-12-13, 01:52 AM
Struck by inspiration a while back, I wanted to try whipping up my own prestige class in the vein of ones like Umbral Blade, Discipline specific prestige classes for path of war. I designed this class based on the fighting style of a recurring npc in one of my games, who was loosely inspired by Hazama/Terumi/Susanoo from the Blazblue series. The class is specific to Broken Blade and Mithral current, and runs on a unique combo system I came up with.
I'd like to hear people's thoughts, critiques and opinions! I put a lot of work into this and really enjoyed making it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YquaSOTyPXX_0vvwyXbI9VWDTHjKyjvwWDzrpJWHI-4/edit?usp=sharing
PRESTIGE CLASS: KI-SERPENT MASTER
The Martial art of the Ki-Serpent, or these days better known as the Devil Serpent is an incredibly rare one. Requiring the finest control of one's ki output, the practitioners create serpents that deliver terrible blows upon their opponent, all through control of Ki and body. The Master though, the master knows there is something beyond this, that the ki output is only the first step on a long road to becoming one with their serpent and finding the true nature of their Ki.
Ki creation, manipulation, output but finally and most importantly consumption and augmentation. These are what the master must perfect.
Ki-Serpent Master’s usually hail from the ranks of Stalkers and Monks, though both Ninja’s and Fiend Bound Warders have been known to enter their ranks.
Hit Die: D10
Skills: 4+int
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a Ki-Serpent Master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Perform (Dance) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Martial) 5 ranks
Feats: Mithril-Fist, Discipline Focus: Broken Blade
Maneuvers: Must be capable of initiating 3rd level maneuvers of the Broken Blade and Mithril Current disciplines.
Class Features: Must Possess a Ki-Pool
Maneuvers Known and Readied
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th level, a Ki-Serpent Master gains new maneuvers known from the Mithral Current, Broken Blade, Veiled Moon and Primal Fury. He must meet a maneuver prerequisites to learn it. He adds his full Ki-Serpent Master levels to his initiator level to determine his total initiator level and his highest-level maneuvers known.
At levels 3rd, 6th and 9th, he gains additional maneuvers readied per day, and at 2nd, 5th, and 8th levels he may exchange a known maneuver for a different maneuver that he qualifies for.
Stances Known
At 5th level, the Ki Serpent Master learns a new martial stance from the Mithral Current, Broken Blade, Veiled Moon and Primal Fury disciplines. He must meet the stance's prerequisites to learn it.
Arts of the World Eater
The most defining trait of the Ki-Serpent Master in training is his mastery of the Arts of the World Eater. These are secrets hidden in the manipulation of Ki that they have discovered. To make use of each each secret one must first unlock it within their serpent, their manifestation. To do this they must build up Ki in their strikes, then vent it to unlock one of the Arts. Absorbing the spent ki into their manifestation.
To unlock an art, a Ki-Serpent Master must first spend 1 Ki Point as a free action. then each time they successfully hit an enemy with an unarmed or natural attack, their arts counter increases by one (to a max of 8). At any point, they may use an attack action to release the arts, setting the counter to 0 and unlocking the Art that corresponds to the amount of counters they had and all leading up to that Art. Arts remain unlocked until the end of an encounter.
They start with the first four arts unlocked, then gain the next four in levels 2 - 5
First Art - Grace of the Water Eel
When the First Art is activated, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +2 to Perform (Dance) checks until end of combat
Ouroboros Seal - The Ki-Serpent Master may use Mithral Step and Mithral Slither as a free action (only during their turn in the case of Mithral Step, and no matter what, both may still only be used once.) In addition, the bonus increases to +4
Second Art - Bite of the Flame Serpent
When the Second Art is activated, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +1 to Unarmed Attack and Damage Rolls until end of combat.
Ouroboros Seal - The bonuses become equal to half of the Ki-Serpent Masters initiation modifier (minimum 2)
Third Art - The Scarred Scales of the Anaconda
When the Third Art is active, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +2 to their base natural armor.
Ouroboros Seal - The bonus increases to 4.
Fourth Art - Serpent's Infernal Rapture
When the Fourth Art is active. The Ki-Serpent Masters attacks always count as Silver.
Ouroboros Seal - Their attacks now count as Adamantine in addition to Silver.
Fifth Art - Gleaming Fang Dash
When the the Fifth Art is active, once per round, when the Ki-Serpent Master lands an attack on an enemy that isn’t adjacent to them, they may teleport to them.
Ouroboros Seal - The Ki-Serpent Master now leaves a Mark upon any target they hit, that lasts until their next turn, as an immediate action they can teleport to anyone they’ve hit.
Sixth Art - Screeches of the Condemned
Whenever the Ki-Serpent Master uses a maneuver from the broken blade or Mithral Current Disciplines, they make an additional attack at their highest BAB. this doesn’t benefit from the bonuses of the strike.
Ouroboros Seal - The additional attack now benefits from the strike.
Seventh Art - Hungry Coils of the Dragon Serpent
When the Seventh Art is activated, when full attacking the Ki-Serpent Master may target one additional 5ft square adjacent to their target.
Ouroboros Seal - Any target within two adjacent squares of the target with their full attack.
Eighth Art - Unholy Wrath of the Basilisk
When the Eighth Art is active, as a full round action the Ki-Serpent Master may use the Whirlwind attack feat, and apply a single broken blade strike to it.
Ouroboros Seal - They may now apply any strike to it.
Ki Generation
A Ki-Serpent Master counts his levels in the prestige class when calculating how many ki points he would receive from one other class.
Mithral Step
At level 2, in addition to the normal uses of Ki, as a swift action Ki-Serpent Master may spend 1 ki point to make a Dance check against an adjacent opponents CMD, if they are successful they may make an additional 5 ft step this round.
True Snake Manifestation
At third level the Ki-Serpent Master has come to the point where they are able to create a living thing from their Ki. Their Ki-Serpent does not merely appear as a serpent, it is a sentient creature, bound to and fighting for the Ki-Serpent Master.
True Snake Manifestation counts as both a Broken Blade and a Mithral Current stance. It is a 3rd level stance. While in this stance, as the snake lashes out for them. In addition, they gain a primary bite attack with the same reach as their unarmed strikes. The Ki-Serpent Master attacks gain an additional 5 ft reach and deal an additional 1d6 damage if their hands are sheathed.
Ouroboros Seals
The Ki-Serpent Master unlocks the greater forms of Arts of the World Eater, named the Ouroboros Seals. But to use them, when unlocking the Art, the user must spend half the Arts number on the tally in Ki Points (to a minimum of 1), so if they were to unlock the Eighth art, it would cost them 4 Ki Points to open its Ouroboros Seal. When unlocking multiple arts at once, they can unlock as many seals as they can afford to pay for in Ki points.
At level 4 the first four Arts have their seals made available to the Ki-Serpent Master
At level 8, the final four arts have their seals made available to the Ki-Serpent Master
Mithral Slither
At 5th level, the Ki-Serpent Master gains the ability to use Mithral Step as an immediate action.
Devour the World Eater
The Serpent isn’t necessary. This is the greatest failing of the supposed Ki Masters who successfully manifest their serpents. The true masters know this lesson. The point of the serpent is to shape it, to create a new kind of Ki. The Serpent Ki, a violent and powerful energy that must be released to the world to take from. Once the serpent is complete though. They devour it, they bring it back into themselves. One who has devoured the World Eater is a terrifying foe, their attacks are blasts of serpent shaped black and green energy, bringing forth dozens of serpents rather than just one.
At 6th Level, the Ki-Serpent Master loses access to True Snake Manifestation, and its abilities now become racial abilities of the Ki-Serpent Master. The Ki-Serpent Practitioner now has thick black and green scales along their arms and cheeks, and their eyes are slitted like a snakes.
Ouroboros Armor -----------.......---------------------...------------------------
The truest manifestation of the Serpent is to become it yourself. The ouroboros Armor is the second to last step in the journey of the Ki-Serpent practitioner. A terrifying black and green suit of ethereal armor. This final stance focuses upon defense, ki assimilation and mobility.
Ouroboros Armor is a 5th level Mithral Current and Broken Blade stance. They now count as wearing mithral full plate armor. This full plate armor does not interfere with the Monk’s AC bonus or other similar abilities. In addition whenever they make a 5ft step, they may make a free attack against an adjacent enemy before or after the step. They gain a secondary tail slap attack.
Finally, while in this stance, the Ki-Serpent practitioner can spend ki to gain that many counters to their arts tally.
End Times Final Consumption ----------.......-------------------------------
The Ouroboros Armor becomes fully manifested, and replaces the practitioner's body. They have now become a Kami Serpent Devil of the World Eater Arts. They can never leave this state.
The Ki-Serpent Practitioner loses the Ouroboros Armor stance, and its abilities now become racial traits. The armor now counts as a natural armor bonus. If they die outside of the abyss they are resurrected there. They lose their previous type and gain the type Outsider (Devil). They gain DR/10 Cold Iron. They do not need to sleep, or eat, and no longer age.
I'd like to hear people's thoughts, critiques and opinions! I put a lot of work into this and really enjoyed making it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YquaSOTyPXX_0vvwyXbI9VWDTHjKyjvwWDzrpJWHI-4/edit?usp=sharing
PRESTIGE CLASS: KI-SERPENT MASTER
The Martial art of the Ki-Serpent, or these days better known as the Devil Serpent is an incredibly rare one. Requiring the finest control of one's ki output, the practitioners create serpents that deliver terrible blows upon their opponent, all through control of Ki and body. The Master though, the master knows there is something beyond this, that the ki output is only the first step on a long road to becoming one with their serpent and finding the true nature of their Ki.
Ki creation, manipulation, output but finally and most importantly consumption and augmentation. These are what the master must perfect.
Ki-Serpent Master’s usually hail from the ranks of Stalkers and Monks, though both Ninja’s and Fiend Bound Warders have been known to enter their ranks.
Hit Die: D10
Skills: 4+int
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a Ki-Serpent Master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Perform (Dance) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Martial) 5 ranks
Feats: Mithril-Fist, Discipline Focus: Broken Blade
Maneuvers: Must be capable of initiating 3rd level maneuvers of the Broken Blade and Mithril Current disciplines.
Class Features: Must Possess a Ki-Pool
Maneuvers Known and Readied
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th level, a Ki-Serpent Master gains new maneuvers known from the Mithral Current, Broken Blade, Veiled Moon and Primal Fury. He must meet a maneuver prerequisites to learn it. He adds his full Ki-Serpent Master levels to his initiator level to determine his total initiator level and his highest-level maneuvers known.
At levels 3rd, 6th and 9th, he gains additional maneuvers readied per day, and at 2nd, 5th, and 8th levels he may exchange a known maneuver for a different maneuver that he qualifies for.
Stances Known
At 5th level, the Ki Serpent Master learns a new martial stance from the Mithral Current, Broken Blade, Veiled Moon and Primal Fury disciplines. He must meet the stance's prerequisites to learn it.
Arts of the World Eater
The most defining trait of the Ki-Serpent Master in training is his mastery of the Arts of the World Eater. These are secrets hidden in the manipulation of Ki that they have discovered. To make use of each each secret one must first unlock it within their serpent, their manifestation. To do this they must build up Ki in their strikes, then vent it to unlock one of the Arts. Absorbing the spent ki into their manifestation.
To unlock an art, a Ki-Serpent Master must first spend 1 Ki Point as a free action. then each time they successfully hit an enemy with an unarmed or natural attack, their arts counter increases by one (to a max of 8). At any point, they may use an attack action to release the arts, setting the counter to 0 and unlocking the Art that corresponds to the amount of counters they had and all leading up to that Art. Arts remain unlocked until the end of an encounter.
They start with the first four arts unlocked, then gain the next four in levels 2 - 5
First Art - Grace of the Water Eel
When the First Art is activated, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +2 to Perform (Dance) checks until end of combat
Ouroboros Seal - The Ki-Serpent Master may use Mithral Step and Mithral Slither as a free action (only during their turn in the case of Mithral Step, and no matter what, both may still only be used once.) In addition, the bonus increases to +4
Second Art - Bite of the Flame Serpent
When the Second Art is activated, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +1 to Unarmed Attack and Damage Rolls until end of combat.
Ouroboros Seal - The bonuses become equal to half of the Ki-Serpent Masters initiation modifier (minimum 2)
Third Art - The Scarred Scales of the Anaconda
When the Third Art is active, the Ki-Serpent Master gains a +2 to their base natural armor.
Ouroboros Seal - The bonus increases to 4.
Fourth Art - Serpent's Infernal Rapture
When the Fourth Art is active. The Ki-Serpent Masters attacks always count as Silver.
Ouroboros Seal - Their attacks now count as Adamantine in addition to Silver.
Fifth Art - Gleaming Fang Dash
When the the Fifth Art is active, once per round, when the Ki-Serpent Master lands an attack on an enemy that isn’t adjacent to them, they may teleport to them.
Ouroboros Seal - The Ki-Serpent Master now leaves a Mark upon any target they hit, that lasts until their next turn, as an immediate action they can teleport to anyone they’ve hit.
Sixth Art - Screeches of the Condemned
Whenever the Ki-Serpent Master uses a maneuver from the broken blade or Mithral Current Disciplines, they make an additional attack at their highest BAB. this doesn’t benefit from the bonuses of the strike.
Ouroboros Seal - The additional attack now benefits from the strike.
Seventh Art - Hungry Coils of the Dragon Serpent
When the Seventh Art is activated, when full attacking the Ki-Serpent Master may target one additional 5ft square adjacent to their target.
Ouroboros Seal - Any target within two adjacent squares of the target with their full attack.
Eighth Art - Unholy Wrath of the Basilisk
When the Eighth Art is active, as a full round action the Ki-Serpent Master may use the Whirlwind attack feat, and apply a single broken blade strike to it.
Ouroboros Seal - They may now apply any strike to it.
Ki Generation
A Ki-Serpent Master counts his levels in the prestige class when calculating how many ki points he would receive from one other class.
Mithral Step
At level 2, in addition to the normal uses of Ki, as a swift action Ki-Serpent Master may spend 1 ki point to make a Dance check against an adjacent opponents CMD, if they are successful they may make an additional 5 ft step this round.
True Snake Manifestation
At third level the Ki-Serpent Master has come to the point where they are able to create a living thing from their Ki. Their Ki-Serpent does not merely appear as a serpent, it is a sentient creature, bound to and fighting for the Ki-Serpent Master.
True Snake Manifestation counts as both a Broken Blade and a Mithral Current stance. It is a 3rd level stance. While in this stance, as the snake lashes out for them. In addition, they gain a primary bite attack with the same reach as their unarmed strikes. The Ki-Serpent Master attacks gain an additional 5 ft reach and deal an additional 1d6 damage if their hands are sheathed.
Ouroboros Seals
The Ki-Serpent Master unlocks the greater forms of Arts of the World Eater, named the Ouroboros Seals. But to use them, when unlocking the Art, the user must spend half the Arts number on the tally in Ki Points (to a minimum of 1), so if they were to unlock the Eighth art, it would cost them 4 Ki Points to open its Ouroboros Seal. When unlocking multiple arts at once, they can unlock as many seals as they can afford to pay for in Ki points.
At level 4 the first four Arts have their seals made available to the Ki-Serpent Master
At level 8, the final four arts have their seals made available to the Ki-Serpent Master
Mithral Slither
At 5th level, the Ki-Serpent Master gains the ability to use Mithral Step as an immediate action.
Devour the World Eater
The Serpent isn’t necessary. This is the greatest failing of the supposed Ki Masters who successfully manifest their serpents. The true masters know this lesson. The point of the serpent is to shape it, to create a new kind of Ki. The Serpent Ki, a violent and powerful energy that must be released to the world to take from. Once the serpent is complete though. They devour it, they bring it back into themselves. One who has devoured the World Eater is a terrifying foe, their attacks are blasts of serpent shaped black and green energy, bringing forth dozens of serpents rather than just one.
At 6th Level, the Ki-Serpent Master loses access to True Snake Manifestation, and its abilities now become racial abilities of the Ki-Serpent Master. The Ki-Serpent Practitioner now has thick black and green scales along their arms and cheeks, and their eyes are slitted like a snakes.
Ouroboros Armor -----------.......---------------------...------------------------
The truest manifestation of the Serpent is to become it yourself. The ouroboros Armor is the second to last step in the journey of the Ki-Serpent practitioner. A terrifying black and green suit of ethereal armor. This final stance focuses upon defense, ki assimilation and mobility.
Ouroboros Armor is a 5th level Mithral Current and Broken Blade stance. They now count as wearing mithral full plate armor. This full plate armor does not interfere with the Monk’s AC bonus or other similar abilities. In addition whenever they make a 5ft step, they may make a free attack against an adjacent enemy before or after the step. They gain a secondary tail slap attack.
Finally, while in this stance, the Ki-Serpent practitioner can spend ki to gain that many counters to their arts tally.
End Times Final Consumption ----------.......-------------------------------
The Ouroboros Armor becomes fully manifested, and replaces the practitioner's body. They have now become a Kami Serpent Devil of the World Eater Arts. They can never leave this state.
The Ki-Serpent Practitioner loses the Ouroboros Armor stance, and its abilities now become racial traits. The armor now counts as a natural armor bonus. If they die outside of the abyss they are resurrected there. They lose their previous type and gain the type Outsider (Devil). They gain DR/10 Cold Iron. They do not need to sleep, or eat, and no longer age.