Master of the Five Winds
Requirements:
Alignment: Any non-chaotic.
BAB: +5,
Base Will +5
Endurance, Improved Unarmed Strike
5 ranks in Knowledge religion or Knowledge nature
Class Features:
BAB: +¾
Good Prestige Saves: Fortitude, Medium, Will
Hit Dice: 1d8
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Knowledge arcane, Knowledge history, Knowledge nature, Knowledge planes, Knowledge religion, Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival, Swim.
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Masters of the Five Winds do not gain any armor or weapon proficiencies.
Level Ability
1. First Breathing Style, Monastic Traditions
2. Enduring Breath
3. Second Breathing Style
4. Improved Breathing Styles
5. Third Breathing Style
6. Steady Breathing
7. Fourth Breathing Style
8. Advanced Breathing Styles
9. Fifth Breathing Style
10. Harmonious Breaths
Breathing Styles (Su) Beginning at first level, the Master of the Five Winds learns to meditate and control his breathing to gain inner peace and focus. This allows him to manifest powers and abilities based on the five elements of earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. The Master of the Five Winds learns one Breathing Style at first level and an additional one every odd level thereafter (3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). He can learn them in any order of his choice.
It takes the Master of the Five Winds a full round action to enter a state of meditation that allows him access to the abilities of one of his Breathing Styles; the Master of the Five Winds can only enter one such meditative state at a time, and he can maintain it for as long as he can hold his breath (typically a number of rounds equal to twice his Constitution score, after that period, he must make a DC 10 Constitution check each round, with the DC increasing by +1 each round after the first). The Save DC, if any, of any Master of the Five Winds abilities is 10 + the Master of the Five Wind’s class level + his Constitution modifier.
At 4th level, the Master of the Five Winds gains access to the Improved abilities of the Breathing Styles he knows. At 8th level, the Master of the Five Winds gains access to the Advanced abilities of the Breathing Styles he knows.
Breath of the Hammer of the Forge.
Metal is the element of the Breath of the Hammer of the Forge. While in this meditative state, the Master of the Five Winds gains DR/- equal to the Constitution bonus; this damage reduction is doubled if the Master of the Five Winds take a full round action concentrating on this meditative state. While in this meditative state, his unarmed strikes strike as slashing weapons and have a critical threat range of 19-20/x2.
The Improved Ability of this breathing technique is the Sundering Skin, while in this meditative state, he causes damage equal to his character level plus his Constitution modifier to any weapon that strikes him; if this causes enough damage to destroy the opponent’s weapon, the attack does no damage. The Master of the Five Winds’ unarmed strikes improve to have a critical threat range of 18-20/x3.
The Advanced Ability of the Breath of the Hammer of the Forge is an Iron Body effect with a duration equal to the length of his meditative state. His unarmed strike improves again, with a critical threat range of 17-20/x4.
Breath of the Pulse of the Earth.
Earth is the element of the Breath of the Pulse of the Earth. Masters of the Five Winds that learn this breathing technique gain a sacred bonus to all Saving Throws equal to ½ the Master of the Five Winds’ class level (minimum +1) while in the meditative state; this bonus is doubled if the Master of the Five Winds takes a full round action to concentrate on this breathing technique. The Master of the Five Winds also gains a bonus equal to his class level on his CMB and CMD affecting Bull Rush, Overrun, and Trip attempts while in his meditative state.
The Improved Ability of this breathing technique is called Bound to the Earth. The Master of the Five Winds gains the ability to ignore all penalties to speed because of difficult terrain and emit an aura that causes opponents within 5 feet per Constitution bonus of the Master of the Five Winds to treat any terrain they travel through as difficult terrain; if the Master of the Five Winds takes a full round action to concentrate on this power, the penalty of moving through his aura of difficult terrain is doubled. The Master of the Five Winds can cause the earth to tremor, causing all opponents within his Bound to the Earth that fail a Reflex Saving throw to become prone and take 1d6 points of non-lethal damage for every 2 levels of the Master of the Five Winds; using this ability reduces the duration of the state by 10 rounds.
The Advanced Ability of this breathing technique allows the Master of the Five Winds to use the Statue spell on himself, with a duration equal to his held breath. He can also use Earthquake as a full round action, but doing so reduces the duration of his breathing technique by 20 rounds.
Breath of the Rolling Waves.
Water is the element of the Breath of the Rolling Waves. The Master of the Five Winds gains a swim speed equal to his land speed and a +8 racial bonus on Swim skill checks. While in the meditative state of the Breath of the Rolling Waves, the Master of the Five Winds gains Fast Healing 1; this improves to Fast Healing 2 if the Master of the Five Winds concentrates on his meditative state as a full round action.
The Improved Ability of this breathing technique increases the rate of Fast Healing to 2, which improves to Fast Healing 5 if the Master of the Five Winds takes a full round action. He also gains Freedom of Movement and Water Walking while in this meditative state.
The Advanced Ability of this breathing technique increases the rate of Fast Healing to 5, which improves to Fast Healing 10 if the Master of the Five Winds takes a full round action. He can also transform himself and his companions into rushing water; this is identical to the spell Windwalk except the subjects must travel through a watery medium.
Breath of the Stirring Embers
Fire is the element of the Breath of Stirring Embers. While in this meditative state, the Master of the Five Winds benefits from Endure Elements and Haste. As a full round action, he gains Cold Resistance 10 and Fire Resistance 10, but loses the benefits of Haste for the round.
The Improved Ability of this breathing technique grants the Master of the Five Winds Cold Resistance and Fire Resistance equal to his Constitution bonus multiplied by 5; this increases to immunity to cold and fire if he takes a full round action concentrating on his meditative state. His unarmed strikes gain the Flaming Burst weapon special quality while in this meditative state.
The Advanced Ability of this breathing technique grants the Master of the Five Winds with the benefits of the Fire Shield spell for the duration of the meditative state. The Master of the Five Winds can also breathe out a cone of fire as a standard action; this reduces the duration of the meditative state by 10 rounds. Treat this as a cone of cold spell that causes fire damage and has a caster level equal to the Master of the Five Wind’s class level.
Breath of the Trees Growing
Wood is the element of the Breath of Trees Growing. While in this meditative state, the Master of the Five Winds gains a Natural Armor bonus to AC equal to his Constitution bonus; this is doubled if the Master of the Five Winds takes a full round action concentrating on this breathing technique. He can also use Enlarge Person on himself while in this meditative state, but doing so reduces the duration by 10 rounds.
The Improved Ability of this breathing technique grants the Master of the Five Winds the Shadow of the Forest. He gains a +8 competence bonus to Stealth, Hide in Plain Sight, and Lesser Fortification against critical hits. He can sustain himself on sunshine while in this state, and in fact is healed instead of harmed by damage from light-based spells and effects.
The Advanced Ability of this breathing technique allows the Master of the Five Winds to use a version of Giant Form II that also grants him the benefits of the Plant type.
Monastic Traditions (Ex). Master of the Five Winds levels stack with monk levels for the purposes of any monk ability the Master of the Five Winds has already gained from the following list: AC bonus, fast movement, flurry of blows, ki pool, slow fall, unarmed damage, and wholeness of body.
Enduring Breath (Ex). Beginning at second level, the Master of the Five Winds adds ½ his class level to his Constitution score when determining how long he can hold his breath. He adds ½ his class level to his Constitution checks to hold his breath.
Steady Breathing (Ex). The Master of the Five Winds never reduces the duration he can hold his breath due to strenuous activity, such as combat.
Harmonious Breaths (Ex). The Master of the Five Winds can enter a number of meditative states based on his Breathing Styles equal to his Constitution bonus (minimum 2, up to a maximum of all 5). Each meditative state requires a full round action, and they must be performed consecutively with no interruptions. If the Master of the Five Winds is interrupted, he only benefits from the Breathing Techniques he has already activated.
EDIT.
Breathing Styles (Su) Beginning at first level, the Master of the Five Winds learns to meditate and control his breathing to gain inner peace and focus. This allows him to manifest powers and abilities based on the five elements of earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. The Master of the Five Winds learns one Breathing Style at first level and an additional one every odd level thereafter (3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). He can learn them in any order of his choice.
It takes the Master of the Five Winds a full round action to enter a state of meditation that allows him access to the abilities of one of his Breathing Styles; the Master of the Five Winds can only enter one such meditative state at a time, and he can maintain it for a period of time equal to how long as he can hold his breath; the Master of the Five Winds is not actually holding his breath when he enters a meditative state. The Save DC, if any, of any Master of the Five Winds abilities is 10 + the Master of the Five Wind’s class level + his Constitution modifier.
(A character can typically hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to twice his Constitution score, after that period, he must make a DC 10 Constitution check each round, with the DC increasing by +1 each round after the first check. 1 round of strenuous activity, such as combat, reduces the number of rounds he can hold his breath by 2.)
At 4th level, the Master of the Five Winds gains access to the Improved abilities of the Breathing Styles he knows. At 8th level, the Master of the Five Winds gains access to the Advanced abilities of the Breathing Styles he knows.
I have to say this is awesome! I absoultely LOVE Jacqueline Carey. If it wasn't for copyrights, I'd make a D'Angeline book. Kudos!
I have to say this is awesome! I absoultely LOVE Jacqueline Carey. If it wasn't for copyrights, I'd make a D'Angeline book. Kudos!
Thanks! I really like the Terre D'Ange universe too. The Sundering series was really good too. I haven't read the St. Olivia series yet...YET.
I have the Sundering series as well. I'm honestly a bigger fan of the Kushiel series, but it was a good read. The ending pissed me off a little, but I didn't expect it.
I wonder if Ms Careywould let us develop a campaign setting. I'm trying to contact square-enix about doing a final fantasy line like Dragon Age. If that was succesful maybe she would okay it.
We use the roleplaying aspects from D'Angeline by using a mechanic from Verbal Diplomacy by Louis Porter Design. All in all, wouldn't you say a campaign setting would rock?
Yeah, it would.
I have a bastardized version of Elua and his angelic companions in my sea-based swashbuckling campaign; the DMPC is a female aasimar healer originally from my version of Terre D'Ange (Baldacel). The Baldaceline are pretty much a quasi-Celtic/French/British version of Terre D'Ange, with halflings filling in for the Tsingani.
I know there is a link to an D'Angeline RPG on Carey's site that goes nowhere special. I'm secretly working on a PF based Final Fantasy classic for "fan use" right now, but this would be next on my "charity" list. I need to finish my busniess products first, but would you want to be a a co-auther or contributer? It'd be great if Ms. Carey would allow this for posting off her site. Just a thought.
I like the class, havent read namaah's kiss yet, its on my list. Just have too much work to do this month. I am interested to read what this is based on.
I happen to love the Series. I remember pouring through the first two trilogies completing them rather fast despite the fact that I am not a particularly faster reader. I simply love the world and the characters. A Campaign setting for pathfinder would be special kinds of awesome, and will almost certainly find any current campaign of mine immediately side tracked. (not to mention more then one copy ordered by myself and at least one or two ordered by group mates).
Terre D'Ange seems like a relatively low magic world. But events in Naamah's Kiss reveal that more overt magic exists, and it is just a quirk of history that most D'Angeline heroes have struggled against magic or sought to end a dire magical effect as opposed to actively using magic. They're a relatively anti-magic people, and it seems their particular magic is being extra pretty.
I'm not sure the flavor of Terre D'Ange would work with the magical classes of Pathfinder. That said, it is a very interesting world, and it would be neat to examine and develop more subtle magic using classes. It might work best as a d20 Modern-type campaign, class-wise, with Advanced Classes used to flesh out the magical and special organizations therein (Cassaline Brotherhood, etc.).
Terre D'Ange seems like a relatively low magic world. But events in Naamah's Kiss reveal that more overt magic exists, and it is just a quirk of history that most D'Angeline heroes have struggled against magic or sought to end a dire magical effect as opposed to actively using magic. They're a relatively anti-magic people, and it seems their particular magic is being extra pretty.
I'm not sure the flavor of Terre D'Ange would work with the magical classes of Pathfinder. That said, it is a very interesting world, and it would be neat to examine and develop more subtle magic using classes. It might work best as a d20 Modern-type campaign, class-wise, with Advanced Classes used to flesh out the magical and special organizations therein (Cassaline Brotherhood, etc.).
Well certainly there is magic in the setting (the whole world) but terre d'ange happens to be a nation that does not overtly practice it. Certainly other nations practice it actively.
Magic as a whole would need to be reshaped as the system as it stands doesnt adequately represent whats there in Carey's world, but it can definately be done.
I once designed a d20 Modern-based magicuser that was roughly based on Tolkien magic (which seems powerful, but rarely used) that was based on the use of spending action points. So it wasn't limited on uses per day, but uses per level. Something like that might work in a Terre D'Ange universe. Especially if there was a way to give and/or take action points from other characters.
That said, it is pretty obvious the other peoples of the Earth that Terre D'Ange is in practice a lot more magic.
I once designed a d20 Modern-based magicuser that was roughly based on Tolkien magic (which seems powerful, but rarely used) that was based on the use of spending action points. So it wasn't limited on uses per day, but uses per level. Something like that might work in a Terre D'Ange universe. Especially if there was a way to give and/or take action points from other characters.
That said, it is pretty obvious the other peoples of the Earth that Terre D'Ange is in practice a lot more magic.
One would have to account for the D'Angeline resistance to magic when it involves love though ;). But yes alot of classic fantasy worlds dont quite mesh with Vance's. One could argue that Gandalf for instance was more Eldritch Knight Then wizard since he was far more likely to draw his sword then cast a spell.
I'm going to have to read these books now because this class looks amazing! I will say though that this probably wouldn't work well in some campaigns seeing as how Pathfinder (and all other editions of D&D) used the Japanese elements (Earth, Water, Wind, Fire) rather than the Chinese elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) but you sir did a splendid job on this.
EDIT: Might I suggest rather than adding half the characters class levels to his Constitution score for holding his breath increasing the multiplier? Kind of like how Lizard Folk can Hold their breath for 4 times their con score (which by the way would make a really good Master of the Five Winds). Also how would this class work with a character that doesn't need to breathe like a Warforged or Vampire? You may want to add something like "the character must be able to breathe" to prerequisites.
I'm going to have to read these books now because this class looks amazing! I will say though that this probably wouldn't work well in some campaigns seeing as how Pathfinder (and all other editions of D&D) used the Japanese elements (Earth, Water, Wind, Fire) rather than the Chinese elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) but you sir did a splendid job on this.
The series is a great set of books. I hope you enjoy them. It has in it some of my all time favorite characters.
Just as an aside please keep in mind this is not a child friendly fantasy series.
The series is a great set of books. I hope you enjoy them. It has in it some of my all time favorite characters.Just as an aside please keep in mind this is not a child friendly fantasy series.
Good thing I'm not a child :P (well maybe at heart but not by societies standards)
Good thing I'm not a child :P (well maybe at heart but not by societies standards)
The series is a great set of books. I hope you enjoy them. It has in it some of my all time favorite characters.Just as an aside please keep in mind this is not a child friendly fantasy series.
Just wanted to point it out, cant really tell age by avatar ;). Besides some people also read/share books with sons/daugthers/nieces/nephews, and well, its usually a good idea to warn people in advance regarding something like that.
Just wanted to point it out, cant really tell age by avatar ;). Besides some people also read/share books with sons/daugthers/nieces/nephews, and well, its usually a good idea to warn people in advance regarding something like that.
That's true
I'm going to have to read these books now because this class looks amazing! I will say though that this probably wouldn't work well in some campaigns seeing as how Pathfinder (and all other editions of D&D) used the Japanese elements (Earth, Water, Wind, Fire) rather than the Chinese elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) but you sir did a splendid job on this.
EDIT: Might I suggest rather than adding half the characters class levels to his Constitution score for holding his breath increasing the multiplier? Kind of like how Lizard Folk can Hold their breath for 4 times their con score (which by the way would make a really good Master of the Five Winds). Also how would this class work with a character that doesn't need to breathe like a Warforged or Vampire? You may want to add something like "the character must be able to breathe" to prerequisites.
Maybe increase the multiplier by 1/2 the Master of Five Winds's level? x3 at level 2, x4 at level 4, x7 at level 10.
EDIT: If I do that, I'll have to re-vamp some of the powers that reduce the duration of the meditative stance.