Sacred Fist

Sacred Fist

PRESTIGE CLASS: This class is not available at character creation and must be unlocked by meeting special requirements, listed below.

Sacred Fists are independent organizations found within many temples. Their ascetic members have turned their divine magic inward, bringing their bodies and wills into harmony. Sacred Fists have forsworn the use of weapons and heavy armor. They consider their bodies and minds gifts from their deity, and they believe that not developing those gifts to their fullest potential is a sin. Spellcasting does not dishonor them or their deity. Sacred Fists are strong in faith, will and body.

Clerics are excellent candidates for Sacred Fist orders. Paladins may also choose to join them, but are seldom comfortable surrendering the trappings of their calling. Fighters, rogues, bards and even ex-monks may make good candidates, provided they have enough levels in a class that grants divine spells. Druids occasionally find the class's combat skills useful, but sorcerers and wizards find little to interest them.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Sacred Fist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

• Base Attack Bonus: +4
• Skills: 8 Ranks in Lore
• Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Combat Casting
• Spells: Able to cast 1st-level divine spells

Class Skills

The class skills of the Sacred Fist are:

• Concentration
• Heal
• Lore
• Spellcraft
• Tumble

Class Features

Base Attack Bonus Progression: High

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Hit Dice: D8

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Sacred Fist gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies, as they would interfere with his Monk-like abilities.

AC Bonus: When unencumbered, wearing no or light armor and not using a shield a sacred fist gains a +1 AC bonus. This increases to +2 at level 5 and +3 at 10.

Sacred Fist Code of Conduct: Sacred fists have vowed to refrain from using weapons. Whenever a sacred fist equips any weapon they suffer a -8 attack penalty.

Fast Movement: At level 3 a sacred fist gains a +10ft speed bonus. At level 6 this becomes +20ft, at 8th +30ft. Wearing medium or heavy armor or encumberance disables this bonus.

Spell Progression: When a new sacred fist level is gained, except at 4th and 8th level, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an sacred fist, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Unarmed Damage: A sacred fist's unarmed damage follows the same progression as monk. If the sacred fist also has monk levels then the levels stack for the purpose of determining the damage.

Sacred Flames: At 4th level, a sacred fist may use a standard action to invoke sacred flames around his hands and feet. These flames add to the sacred fist's unarmed damage. The additional damage is equal to the sacred fist's class levels plus his wisdom modifier (if any). Half the damage is fire damage(rounded up), and the rest is sacred energy and thus not subject to effects that reduce fire damage. The sacred flame lasts for 1 minute and can be invoked once per day. At 8th level, sacred flames can be used twice per day.

Uncanny Dodge: At 6th level, the Sacred Fist retains any Dexterity bonus to AC when flat-footed or when struck by an invisible attacker.

Inner Armor: At 10th level, a sacred fist may use inner armour once per day. This provides +4 sacred bonus to AC, +4 sacred bonus to all saves, 25 spell resistance for a number of rounds equal to his wisdom modifier.