I like the Ki pool mechanic Pathfinder added to monks, and how later monk abilities add to it.
I think it is an ideal field in which to expand with feats. And since monks are already masters of their own mind, body and souls and can achieve supernatural effects with it, I think it would be cool to add some more abilities, drawing on a number of sources for inspirations.
I'll mostly throw around ideas and general ideas of prerequisites and exact benefits. Others are invited to cast them in rulestone, or add ideas on their own.
[Ki] feats
This type of feat uses the monk's ki pool. Some might grant continuous effects as long as you have at least one ki point left, while others grant you special abilities you activate by spending ki points. Some might be combinations
A monk needs to have the ki pool class feature before he can take [Ki] feats.
In addition I'm thinking of expanding the monk bonus feat selection to add these feats.
Psychic Slap[Ki]
Basically, this feat is supposed to allow monks to make unarmed attacks at a distance.
By spending a ki point (as a swift action), you gain the ability to make unarmed attacks against enemies within 30 feet of you until the end of your turn. This works like natural reach, except that you do not threaten any space you wouldn't otherwise threaten, and you only can make regular attacks (you cannot use combat manoeuvres).
Psychic Grip[Ki]
Prerequisites: psychic slap (maybe ki pool (lawful?))
By spending a ki point (as a swift action), you can manifest your psychic strength to make combat manoeuvres at a distance of up to 30 feet. This manifestation remains for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity for using this ability, though you can still provoke an attack of opportunity from the manoeuvre you are attempting. In this case, enemies can either target you or your manifestation, provided their desired target is within reach.
All other rules for combat manoeuvres apply, including what happens when you miss your combat manoeuvre check by a wide enough margin (if you badly fail to trip someone, you will fall prone instead, as the power will travel through the psychic link and apply to your body, and damage dealt to your psychic grip is applied to you - though if both you and your manifestation are subject to the same effect, you only suffer the damage once).
The psychic manifestation is considered invisible (though those defending against your combat manoeuvres will suffer no penalty) and has your AC, saves, and immunities.
You can end it as a swift action. If you want to end it early (e.g. to prevent damage dealt to it from applying to you), you can attempt an opposed check of d20 + monk level + wis modifier against the attack roll or DC of the offending effect.
(Everyone who knows Mortal Kombat's Blind Kenshi knows where this stuff comes from. For the rest: Blind Kensi is basically a psionic martial artist who uses mental powers to not only ignore the fact that he's blind, but also make attacks and even throws at a distance. His finishing move involves breaking the enemy's limbs using psionic force)
Psychic Step[Ki]
By spending a ki point as a swift action, you gain the ability ignore some aspects of the terrain for a number of rounds (minutes? maybe minutes if you spend more ki points?) equal to your wisdom modifier.
Your feet do not quite touch the ground, which allows you to ignore difficult terrain and effects as grease, slippery ice or caltrops. You can walk on (or just above) water, and since you do not exert pressure on the ground, you do not trigger traps that rely on pressure plates or the like.
You can also change your subjective gravity, which allows you to move up steep inclines, walls or even ceilings, though you need an actual surface (you cannot walk on thin air).
You can jump and tumble on your "psychic buffer", but you can carry more than a light load and may not wear any armour.
(The inspiration here is the mystical abilities that were attributed to ninja, which are closely related to the PF monk).
I always loved the idea that the Monk is not simply a 'Martial Artist', but more a 'Mystic Warrior', and so I hope that some feats in the upcoming Advanced Player Guide would indeed include variants on the Ki pool expenditure.
In 3.5, the PH2 introduced some feats which COULD (theoretically) be interesting for Monks, if not for the fact that were not exactly well balanced, IMHO (Ki Blast, for example, was a 3d6 + Wis force attack which required a move action to charge, and a standard action to fire... at a range of 60 feet !), and were 'fueled' by Stunning Fist expenditure (which was not an exclusive of the Monk).
However, with the new mechanics of Ki points expenditure, and a little tweaking, some effects could really be interesting !
Some ideas:
- Ki Aura: when taking this feat, choose one of the following energy types - Cold, Electricity, or Fire. As a swift action, you can expend 1 ki point to sheathe yourself with the energy you have chosen for 1 round. Each of your Unarmed Strikes deal an additional 1d6 energy damage of your chosen type. At 12th level, the extra damage becomes 1d8, and at 20th level, 2d6. While Grappled or Pinned, the creature in contact with you while this power is active takes automatically this energy damage.
- Ki Emanation: when taking this feat, choose one of the following energy types - Cold, Electricity, or Fire. As a swift action, you can expend 2 ki points to charge a projectile of raw ki energy into your hands and fire it, dealing energy damage of your chosen type. You can overcharge your Ki Emanation in order to deal more damage and fire it at a greater distance, but this would require more time.
As a standard action, you can fire an orb of energy at Close range (use your Monk level as caster level) which deals 1d4 damage per monk level at a single target. This is a ranged touch attack.
As a Full-round action, you can fire an orb of energy at Medium range which deals 1d6 damage per Monk level. This is a ranged touch attack against a single target, and deals energy splash damage equal to 1 point per Monk level into a 5' radius around the target (Reflex DC equal to 10 + half your monk level + your Wis mod to halve the splash damage).
As a 1-round casting time action (if you are damaged while charging the orb, see the rules for Concentration, using your Wisdom and your Monk level as Concentration factors), you can fire an orb of energy at Medium range which deals 1d8 damage per Monk level. This is a ranged touch attack against a single target, and deals energy splash damage equal to 2 points per Monk level into a 10' radius around the target (Reflex DC equal to 10 + half your monk level + your Wis mod to halve the splash damage).
This is a supernatural ability and therefore not subjected to Attacks of opportunity (but if 'overcharging' the greater version, it can still be disrupted - see above).
- Ki Precision: when taking this feat, you can empower your physical attacks with Ki, allowing you to strike with unerring precision and great damage your target. As a swift action, your Unarmed Strikes are empowered for 1 round with an enhancement bonus equal to +1 for each 4 Monk levels you possess (minimum +1, maximum +5 at 20th level). This enhancement bonus is similar to that of a Greater Magic Fang spell - which is, it cannot aid you to bypass damage reduction other than Magic (for other types of DR you have to rely on your Ki Strike special ability), but it gives you an enhancement bonus to hit rolls and damage rolls.
Just my 2 - hadouken ! - cents...
Psychic Grip[Ki]
Prerequisites: psychic slap (maybe ki pool (lawful?))By spending a ki point (as a swift action), you can manifest your psychic strength to make combat manoeuvres at a distance of up to 30 feet. This manifestation remains for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity for using this ability, though you can still provoke an attack of opportunity from the manoeuvre you are attempting. In this case, enemies can either target you or your manifestation, provided their desired target is within reach.
All other rules for combat manoeuvres apply, including what happens when you miss your combat manoeuvre check by a wide enough margin (if you badly fail to trip someone, you will fall prone instead, as the power will travel through the psychic link and apply to your body, and damage dealt to your psychic grip is applied to you - though if both you and your manifestation are subject to the same effect, you only suffer the damage once).
The psychic manifestation is considered invisible (though those defending against your combat manoeuvres will suffer no penalty) and has yourAC, saves, and immunities.
You can end it as a swift action. If you want to end it early (e.g. to prevent damage dealt to it from applying to you), you can attempt an opposed check of d20 + monk level + wis modifier against the attack roll or DC of the offending effect.
(Everyone who knows Mortal Kombat's Blind Kenshi knows where this stuff comes from. For the rest: Blind Kensi is basically a psionic martial artist who uses mental powers to not only ignore the fact that he's blind, but also make attacks and even throws at a distance. His finishing move involves breaking the enemy's limbs using psionic force)
Actualy, i was thinking Darth Vader...
When I first conceived my Kaidan (feudal Japan-like/Asian Horror setting), I was going for a psionic Ninja Prestige Class - but never quite hammered out the details, but kind of wanted to go off the Ki pool mechanic.
I was thinking of five different Ninja Houses, each specializing in a different psionic/mechanical direction: movement, temporal, combat enhanced, telekinetic, and divination. Perhaps using the same basic feats as you describe, but different higher level powers that distinctualize each house.
So this something I'm really thinking about as well, I like your ideas.
GP
Here's a pathfinderized ninja I developed. It has some nifty ki powers that monks might like. It's designed to be pretty flexible, but it could totally be re-organized into different houses that emphasize different ki abilities.
Ninja
BAB: +¾
Good Saves: Reflex
Hit Dice: 1d8
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge dungeoneering, Knowledge history, Knowledge local, Linguistics, Perception, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, Use Magic Device.
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier.
Ninja are proficient in all simple weapons, plus the kama, katana (bastard sword), kukri, longsword, nunchaku, sai, scimitar, short sword, shuriken, siangham, Ninja are not proficient in any armor or shields.
LEVEL ABILITY
1. AC Bonus, Ki Pool, Ki Reserve Power, Sudden Strike +1d6, Trapfinding
2. Evasion, Talent
3. Sudden Strike +2d6, Poison Use
4. Talent, +1 AC
5. Sudden Strike +3d6
6. Talent
7. Sudden Strike +4d6
8. Talent, +2 AC
9. Sudden Strike +5d6, Improved Poison Use
10. Advanced Talents, Talent
11. Sudden Strike +6d6
12. Talent, +3 AC
13. Sudden Strike +7d6
14. Talent
15. Sudden Strike +8d6, Greater Poison Use
16. Talent, + 4 AC
17. Sudden Strike +9d6
18. Talent
19. Sudden Strike +10d6
20. Ultimate Talent, Talent, +5 AC
AC Bonus. When unarmored and unencumbered, the ninja adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC and CMD. This applies to her touch AC and when she is flat-footed, but not when she is immobilized. At level 4, and every 4 levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1.
Ki Pool (Su). The ninja has a reserve of mystical energy called her ki pool. It has a number of points equal to ½ her class level plus her Wisdom bonus. As long as she has at least 1 point in her ki pool, she has access to her Ki Reserve Power. By spending 1 point from her ki pool, a ninja can make 1 additional attack at her highest attack bonus when making a full attack. In addition, she can spend 1 point to increase her speed by 20 feet for round. Finally, a ninja can spend 1 point from her ki pool to give herself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. As a ninja gains levels, points from her ki pool can be spent to activate many of her Talents.
Ki Reserve Power (Su). At 1st level, the ninja chooses one of the following Ki Reserve Powers. As long as she has at least 1 point in her Ki Pool, she has access to her selected Ki Reserve Power.
Damage Reduction. The ninja gains DR/magic equal to ½ her level (minimum 1).
Enduring Fortitude. The ninja gains the benefits of the Endurance and Diehard feats. In addition, she adds half of her ninja level to the bonuses provided by the Endurance feat.
Energy Resistance. Choose 1 energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The ninja gains resistance 5 to the selected energy type; this increases by 5 at level 4 and every 4 levels thereafter.
Inner Strength. The ninja adds half her level (minimum 1) to her Will Saves.
Inner Fortitude. The ninja adds half her level (minimum 1) to her Fortitude Saves.
Light as Air. The ninja benefits from a constant feather fall effect. At 6th level, she gains a constant water walking effect. At 12th level, she gains a constant air walk effect.
Mystic Celerity. The ninja’s speed increases by 10 feet. This increases to 20 feet at 7th level, 30 feet at 13th level, and 40 feet at 19th level.
Night Vision. The ninja gains lowlight vision (or superior lowlight vision if she already has lowlight vision). At 5th level, she gains dark vision 60 feet (or her existing dark vision increases by 60 feet). At 10th level, she gains the ability to see through magical darkness. At 15th level, she gains blind sense 60 feet. At 20th level, she gains blind sight 60 feet.
Unarmed Damage. The ninja benefits from the Improved Unarmed Strike feat and her unarmed damage equals a monk’s of the same level. Monk and ninja levels stack for the purposes of determining her unarmed damage.
Sudden Strike (Ex). The ninja causes additional damage to any opponent that is flatfooted or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. This damage is +1d6 at 1st level, plus an additional 1d6 points of damage every 2 levels thereafter.
Trapfinding. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Evasion (Ex). The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Talents. At 2nd level, and every 2 levels there after the ninja chooses one of the following abilities.
Combat Mastery. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and for 1 round gain the benefits of a combat feat that she qualifies for but does not have.
Concealment. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action gain concealment, including benefiting from a 20% miss chance, for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus.
Extra Class Skill. The ninja may choose 1 cross-class skill and add it to her list of class skills. This talent may be chosen more than once.
Ghost Sight. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and benefit from the see invisible spell for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus.
Ghost Step. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and become and remain invisible for 1 round.
Ghost Touch. The ninja can strike incorporeal targets as if they were corporeal.
Improved Uncanny Dodge. The ninja gains the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability. She must have Uncanny Dodge before selecting this ability.
Ki Blast. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and for 1 round gain the ability to make ranged touch attacks with a range of 60 feet that cause damage equal to her ninja level plus her Wisdom bonus on a successful hit.
Minor Venom. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and poison 1 weapon with a mystic poison for up to 1 minute per level or until the weapon successfully strikes a target. This poison does 1d3 points of ability damage of the ninja’s choice (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) for a number of rounds equal to the ninja’s Wisdom bonus. The Save DC is 10 + ½ the ninja’s class level + her Wisdom modifier. A successful save prevents further damage from occurring.
Potent Skill. Choose 1 skill you are trained in. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and add +20 to the all skill checks of the chosen skill for 1 round. This ability may be selected more than once, each time applying to a different skill.
Puissant Strike. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and add her Wisdom bonus to her attack and damage rolls for 1 round.
Rogue Talent. The ninja can select a rogue talent. She can choose this talent more than once, each time selecting a different talent from the list available of rogues.
Second Ki Reserve Power. The ninja may select a second Ki Reserve Power.
Silencing Attack. When the ninja makes a successful critical hit or sudden strike attack, she may spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as an immediate action and cause her opponent to be silenced (as the spell, but only targeting her opponent) for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus.
Swift Feint. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and may make a Bluff check to feint in combat as a free action for 1 round.
Swift Stride. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and move up to her speed.
Uncanny Dodge. The ninja gains the Uncanny Dodge ability.
Wholeness of Body. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and regain a number of hit points equal to her class level.
Wraithstrike. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and resolve all melee attacks for 1 round as melee touch attacks.
Poison Use (Ex). At 3rd level, the ninja never risks accidentally poisoning herself when using poison. At 9th level, she gains Improved Poison Use, which allows her to apply poison to her weapon as a move action. At 15th level, she gains Greater Poison Use, which allows her to apply poison to her weapon as an immediate action.
Advanced Talents (Su). Beginning at 10th level, the following advanced talents become available whenever the ninja may select a new talent.
Abundant Step. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and use dimension door with a caster level equal to her ninja level.
Crippling Strike. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Defensive Roll. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Dispelling Attack. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Feat. The ninja may select any feat she qualifies for.
Flicker. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool and gain the ability to teleport 5 feet per 2 class levels as an immediate action once per round for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus. If she teleports away in response to an attack, she gains a 50% miss chance against that attack.
Ghost Mind. The ninja gains Spell Resistance 15 + her class level against divination spells.
Hide in Plain Sight. The ninja gains the ability to use the Stealth skill to hide even while being observed, as if she had the shadow dancer ability of the same name.
Hummingbird’s Dance. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and gain the benefit of a Blink spell for a number of rounds equal to her class level.
Improved Concealment. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action gain full concealment, including benefiting from a 50% miss chance, for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus. She must have the Concealment talent before selecting this talent.
Improved Ghost Step. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and become and remain ethereal for 1 round or invisible for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus. She must have the Ghost Step talent before selecting the ability.
Improved Ghost Sight. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and benefit from True Seeing for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom bonus. She must have the Ghost Sight talent before selecting this ability.
Improved Ki Blast. When the ninja uses her Ki Blast ability against the target, on a successful hit she may use one of the following abilities as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity: Bull Rush, Disarm, Sunder, or Trip using a CMB equal to the ninja’s class level plus her Wisdom bonus, or Pull the opponent a distance towards the ninja, up to the closest square that is adjacent to the ninja.
Improved Wholeness of Body. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and gain Fast Healing equal to ½ her class level for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier. She must have the Wholeness of Body ability before selecting this ability.
Ki Mastery. The ninja gains the ability to spend points from her Ki Pool as a free action instead of as a swift action.
Ki Strike. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as an immediate action and bypass the damage reduction of her opponent.
Major Venom. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and poison 1 weapon with a mystic poison for up to 1 hour per level or until the weapon successfully strikes a target. This poison does 1d6 points of ability damage of the ninja’s choice (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) for a number of rounds equal to the ninja’s Wisdom bonus. The Save DC is 10 + ½ the ninja’s class level + her Wisdom modifier. Two successful saves prevent further damage from occurring.
Opportunist. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Poison Resistance. Whenever the ninja is subjected to ability damage or ability drain from poison, she subtracts her Wisdom bonus from the amount of ability damage or ability drain she suffers.
Potent Poison. If the ninja uses poison on an attack that is also a successful sudden strike, she adds the number of sudden strike dice she has to the Save DC of the poison.
Skill Mastery. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Slippery Mind. The ninja gains the rogue ability of the same name.
Third Ki Reserve Power. The ninja may select a third Ki Reserve Power. She must have the Second Ki Reserve Power ability before selecting this talent.
Ultimate Talent (Su). At 20th level, the ninja may select one of the following abilities in addition to the regular Talent or Advanced Talent she gets for being 20th level.
Ghost Walk. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and benefit from the Ethereal Jaunt spell.
Quick Killer. The ninja can make a coup de grace as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Shadow Walk. The ninja can spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as a swift action and benefit from the Shadow Walk spell.
Truly Potent Poison. If the ninja uses poison on an attack that is also a successful sudden strike, she adds her sudden strike damage to the save DC of the poison.
Truly Puissant Strike. When the ninja makes a successful critical hit or sudden strike attack, she may spend 1 point from her Ki Pool as an immediate action to cause maximum damage.
Well my plan was that a Ninja is a Prestige Class, and requires Shinobi (or Ninja Rogue) as a prerequisite. A shinobi is a rogue, so many of your rogue talents listed in your ninja would be normally acquired while still a Shinobi Rogue (ie: evasion, uncanny dodge, opportunist, etc.)Also in order to qualify for the Ninja prestige class, the Shinobi must take levels in monk or sorcerer, as well to qualify. Because the majority of a given Ninja House consists of Shinobi (rogues), you don't have to be a true Ninja to participate in ninja missions in Kaidan.
Now I'm starting to edge toward Shinobi/monk as qualifier for Ninja PrC and not sorcerer.
As a level 10 PrC, Ninja would probably get 5 Psionic-like Ki powers. The first three could be Psychic Slap, Psychic Grip, and Psychic Step (with more ninja flavorful names), then 2 higher powers, each specific to one of the five ninja houses. Perhaps Ghost Step and Ghost Walk for one house that specializes in invisibility, Ghost Sight and Improved Ghost Sight for another, etc. (which consider all to be Superior Powers, and not feats). Distributed as 1st level and every odd level.
Then 5 ki/ninja feats in between.
Capstone Power at 10th - different for each house.
GP
PS: your list of abilities is expansive, it gives me thoughts of widening the available powers for each house, but you have too many powers for a Prestige Class.
Do ninja use the 5 elements system (earth, fire, metal, water, wood)?
Maybe base the 5 houses around those?
Have you guys checked out Heroes of the Jade Oath yet?
You might be interested in the wide variety of Ch'i feats, the monk variant subclasses, and the Kusa class.
Have you guys checked out Heroes of the Jade Oath yet?
You might be interested in the wide variety of Ch'i feats, the monk variant subclasses, and the Kusa class.
I haven't, but for some consolation, Rite Publishing which handles Heroes of the Jade Oath, is the publisher I am doing an imprint under for Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story setting. So these Ninja/Monk issues are intended for publication soon under Rite Publishing.
I don't want to steal from one setting for another, but if the logic supports being included, I'm all for it.
GP