Martial Arts Guidebook Web Enhancement: The Martial Arts Master Prestige Class

by Tim Wallace

In honor of the Martial Arts Guidebook receiving a 5/5 star review, I am releasing a prestige class I designed for the book as a free web enhancement. The purpose of the martial arts master prestige class is to provide an easy way for players and GMs to incorporate martial arts techniques into an ongoing campaign.

Martial Arts Master

Many seek to perfect their body through martial arts, but none accomplish it as well as the martial arts master. While they may be proficient in techniques from many schools, all martial arts masters choose a specific school that they excel in better than any other.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a martial arts master, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Feats: Martial Training (Martial Arts Guidebook, pg. 2) and Combat Expertise, Power Attack, or Improved Unarmed Strike.

Class Skills

The martial artist class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any two), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Martial Arts Master

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Base Class Features
1st	1	+1	+1	+0	Martial arts technique, combat training	—
2nd	2	+1	+1	+1	Martial arts technique	+1 level for class features
3rd	3	+2	+2	+1	Martial arts trick	+1 level for class features
4th	4	+2	+2	+1	Martial arts technique	+1 level for class features
5th	5	+3	+3	+2	Martial arts technique	—
6th	6	+3	+3	+2	Martial arts trick	+1 level for class features
7th	7	+4	+4	+2	Martial arts technique	+1 level for class features
8th	8	+4	+4	+3	Martial arts technique	+1 level for class features
9th	9	+5	+5	+3	Martial arts trick	—
10th	10	+5	+5	+3	Martial arts technique, martial arts mastery	+1 level for class features

Class Features

The following are class features of the Martial Arts Master prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A marital artist gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Base Class Features: At the indicated levels a martial artist is treated as if he had also gained a level in his base class for effective class level (for meeting prerequisites) and the following class features:

Barbarian: Rage and rage powers.

Bloodrager (ACG): Bloodrage and bloodline powers (but not bloodline spells or feats).

Brawler (ACG): Unarmed damage and martial flexibility.

Cavalier (APG): Challenge and order abilities.

Fighter: Weapon and armor training.

Gunslinger (UC): Gun training and nimble.

Monk: Unarmed damage and unarmored AC bonus.

Ninja (UC): Sneak attack and rogue talents (or ninja tricks).

Paladin: Divine bond and mercies.

Ranger: Hunter’s bond and favored enemy.

Rogue: Sneak attack and rogue talents.

Samurai (UC): Challenge and order abilities.

Slayer (ACG): Sneak attack and slayer talents.

Swashbuckler (ACG): Swashbuckler weapon training and nimble.

Spellcaster, prepared: Spells learned, and spells per day.

Spellcaster, spontaneous: Spells known, and spells per day.

Optional: If you are using the optional point cost variant (see Options and Access side bar in the Martial Arts Guidebook, pg. 2), you may want to allow classes with point pools to advance their point pools as well as the above class abilities.

Martial Arts Technique (Ex): At 1st level, a martial arts master chooses a martial arts technique that he meets all of the prerequisites for. This functions in all ways as if he had taken the Martial Training feat. He gains additional martial arts techniques at 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th levels.

Combat Training (Ex): A martial arts master’s class levels stack with fighter levels for determining his eligibility to select feats with a fighter level prerequisite. If a martial arts master does not have any levels of fighter, then his class level equals his effective fighter level.

Martial Arts Trick (Ex): At 3rd level and every three levels of martial arts master attained thereafter, a martial arts master gains one martial arts trick.

Dual Stance: The martial arts master can have two feats or techniques that last for the duration of the encounter active at once. In addition, he may activate both stances with a single swift action.

Evasion: The martial arts master can avoid damage with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the martial arts master is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless martial arts master does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Evasion, Improved: As evasion, except that while the martial arts master still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A martial arts master must possess evasion before selecting this trick.

Improvised Fighting: The martial arts master may select one of the following feats: Catch Off-Guard, Improvised Weapon Mastery, or Throw Anything. He must meet all the prerequisites.

Kip Up: If knocked prone, the martial arts master can stand up without provoking attacks of opportunity as a move action.

Kip Up, Improved: As kip up, except that the martial arts master can stand up as an immediate action. A martial arts master must possess kip up before selecting this trip.

Resilience: The martial arts master can shrug off attacks through sheer hardiness. If he makes a successful Fortitude save against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, he instead avoids the effect entirely. Resilience can be used only if the martial arts master is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless martial arts master does not gain the benefit of resilience.

Resilience, Improved: As resilience, except that while that while the martial arts master still avoids the effect entirely on a successful Fortitude save, he henceforth takes only suffers the partial effect on a failed save. A martial arts master must possess resilience before selecting this trick.

Resolve: The martial arts master can shrug off attacks through determination. If he makes a successful Will save against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, he instead avoids the effect entirely. Resolve can be used only if the martial arts master is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless martial arts master does not gain the benefit of resolve.

Resolve, Improved: As resolve, except that while that while the martial arts master still avoids the effect entirely on a successful Will save, he henceforth takes only suffers the partial effect on a failed save. A martial arts master must possess resolve before selecting this trick.

Uncanny Dodge: The martial arts master gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow his to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A martial arts master with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against his.

Uncanny Dodge, Improved: The martial arts master can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the martial arts master by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has martial arts character levels.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Martial Arts Mastery (Ex): At 10th level, the martial arts master chooses one school or style of martial arts. He treats his base attack bonus as four higher when determining the effects of any techniques from that school. This does affect his actual attack rolls.

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