Nomad of the Seven Heavens (Prestige Class)

[atemu1234]

“We met him on a forest path, intending to waylay him. Two of us blocked his path as he walked towards us without breaking stride; without a word of answer to our threats of violence, he drew his sword faster than I could blink and was behind us. My two friends fell sideways, dead, split from shoulder to opposite hip. He kept on his path.”

-Aurin, the Survivor

Not all monks serve monasteries or live in seclusion; some take special care to wander from place to place. Often carrying little more than a sword, they live off of what little they make as beggars or the occasional day laborers – some work even as mercenaries. All share the same spirit – the spirit of the traveler. They see the world around them as a beautiful, mysterious thing – something which can help them better understand themselves, should they choose to move about it.

Prerequisites:
- Land Speed 40 ft.
- Feats: Disciple of the Blade*, Dodge, Mobility
- Diplomacy or Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge (History or Local) 5 ranks

Hit Die: D8

http://i.imgur.com/p2M8ZgA.jpg

Skills: 4 + Int modifier. Class Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Local), Perception, Profession, Stealth, Survival, Swim
Monk Abilities: As Nomads of the Seven Heavens are still monks, they still gain certain monk abilities. A Nomad of the Seven Heaven’s levels in this class stack with monk levels for determining the number of attacks they can make with a Flurry of Blows, their AC Bonus, and their Fast Movement. They gain no other monk abilities from the usage of this class. If a character with levels in Nomad of the Seven Heavens has no levels in monk, these levels do not stack.

Student of the Blade (Ex): A Nomad of the Seven Heavens can make all attacks in their Flurry of Blows with a single Bastard Sword wielded in both hands, if they so choose. Their bonuses are still effected as if they were wielding two weapons, but they make both attacks using the same weapon.

Flashstep (Ex): A Nomad of the Seven Heavens can move up to their full land speed and make one attack (or two at their highest flurry of blows attack bonus) as a full-round action. This does not gain them the bonuses or penalties normally associated with a charge; they may use this ability once per day at second level, twice per day at fourth, three times per day at sixth, and four times per day at eighth. At tenth level they can use it at-will.

Alacrity (Ex): At third level, a Nomad of the Seven Heavens gains a +1 bonus to initiative; this bonus increases by one for each three levels in Nomad of the Seven Heavens possesses. In addition, a Nomad of the Seven Heavens gains an additional +1 for every fifteen feet they moved in the previous round as part of a Flashstep. In essence, this means they can improve their initiative count after combat begins depending on how fast much they moved, and lose it the next round.

Artful Dodge (Ex): A Nomad of the Seven Heavens gains greater utility of the dodge feat than normal; at third, fifth, seventh and ninth level, the dodge bonus to AC increases by one, to a total of +5 at ninth level.

Surprising Alacrity (Ex): At fifth level, a Nomad of the Seven Heavens who wins initiative order and Flashsteps as part of his initial attack treats his opponents as flat-footed until the end of the round.

Speed of the Seventh Heavens (Ex): A Nomad of the Seven Heavens, once they reach tenth level, can make a full attack as part of their Flashstep ability.

*
Disciple of the Blade (General, Monk)
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +2, Wisdom 13
Description: A Disciple of the Blade is proficient in the use of Bastard Swords (as with exotic weapon proficiency), and adds their wisdom bonus as an insight bonus on their attack rolls with Bastard Swords.
Special: A monk with this feat can use a katana as part of their flurry of blows, as if it were a monk weapon.

[nikkoli]

For the disciple of the blade feat, the benefit helps bastard swords, but the special helps katana's. Which is the feat aimed at since they are different weapons in pathfinder?

[AOKost]

For the disciple of the blade feat, the benefit helps bastard swords, but the special helps katana's. Which is the feat aimed at since they are different weapons in pathfinder?

Most likely just an oversight, though I would allow this class to specialize in any weapon, as long as they had Weapon Focus in that weapon. Especially since not a single one of the abilities in this prestige class specifically improve the characters use or proficiency/specialization with the weapon. They can attack while moving, in essence, but don't get any bonuses to attack, bonus feats for specializing in that weapon, damage bonuses, improved critical range or multiplier...

I would change Disciple of the Sword to Disciple of (blank) and let the character choose a weapon they wanted to use for the prestige class.

Don't get me wrong, I like the class... It just needs more if you're going to require specializing in a specific weapon. Maybe, if still using the Bastard Sword or Katana, you could alter the damage types it can deal "Flat Blade Strike (Ex): Learning to strike with the flat o the blade, you learn you can deal slightly less damage (1 die lower than normal) but that damage is considered Bludgeoning for purposes of overcoming damage reduction slashing/piercing" or something to that effect. For swords that only have a slashing or piercing component, you could add those in interchangeably as needed.

[atemu1234]

Most likely just an oversight, though I would allow this class to specialize in any weapon, as long as they had Weapon Focus in that weapon. Especially since not a single one of the abilities in this prestige class specifically improve the characters use or proficiency/specialization with the weapon. They can attack while moving, in essence, but don't get any bonuses to attack, bonus feats for specializing in that weapon, damage bonuses, improved critical range or multiplier...

I would change Disciple of the Sword to Disciple of (blank) and let the character choose a weapon they wanted to use for the prestige class.

Don't get me wrong, I like the class... It just needs more if you're going to require specializing in a specific weapon. Maybe, if still using the Bastard Sword or Katana, you could alter the damage types it can deal "Flat Blade Strike (Ex): Learning to strike with the flat o the blade, you learn you can deal slightly less damage (1 die lower than normal) but that damage is considered Bludgeoning for purposes of overcoming damage reduction slashing/piercing" or something to that effect. For swords that only have a slashing or piercing component, you could add those in interchangeably as needed.

An interesting idea; I thought that perhaps the specialization with Disciple of the Sword and Student of the Blade were good enough specialization, then allowing other parts of their abilities to function without a bastard sword (they're different from katanas in pathfinder? the stats looked exactly the same iirc) would be enough in case of something that bricks it.

[nikkoli]

In pathfinder bastard swords are 1h exotic 2h martial w/ 1d10 19-20/x2 and katanas are exotic 1h or martial 2h w/ 1d8 18-20/x2 and have the deadly property for a bonus +4 on coup de gras. Bastard swords are core and the katana is in ultimate combat.

[Kaskus]

I would change the land speed requirement to Fast Movement +10 ft so you are not penalizing small characters unnecessarily.

Also, am I missing something here...

Flashstep (Ex): A Nomad of the Seven Heavens can move up to their full land speed and make one attack (or two at their highest flurry of blows attack bonus) as a full-round action. This does not gain them the bonuses or penalties normally associated with a charge; they may use this ability once per day at second level, twice per day at fourth, three times per day at sixth, and four times per day at eighth. At tenth level they can use it at-will.

Isn't this how normal combat works? Move action to move your speed and then standard action to make a single attack. Is it just the ability to use flurry of blows? If so, the wording could be simplified to just say they may use flurry of blows as a standard action. If that seems abusable, make the movement part mandatory?