Larkas
2013-09-03, 10:19 PM
Eh, this is a hard one to introduce. My reasons for making this were many. First, I always liked the unarmed swordsage adaptation. Second, qinggong monk is a solid choice and a step in the right direction, but I felt it didn't go far enough. Third, magi are awesome. Fourth, I've been watching Avatar: the Last Airbender too much, and I feel that magi are aesthetically close to benders. The result is this simple archetype, a spiritual successor to the unarmed swordsage and a solid choice for mystical monkish characters. I hope you like it! Oh, and don't forget to tell me what you think of it.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/55fe0740f34b6ee4bc15c85be3dd9284/tumblr_moh4o502TR1rmqnb5o3_500.jpg
Source (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Avatar-Roku-316931626). And yeah, Avatar Roku is just awesome.
Monastic Magus (Archetype)
Magi usually embrace weapons and armor, producing veritable twisters of steel and magic. A monastic magus, however, believes those implements only get in the way of perfection. Leading secluded lives not unlike a monk's, cultivating their minds and their bodies, these magi show that eldritch might meshes perfectly with unarmed - and unarmored - martial prowess.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A monastic magus is proficient with the bolas, club, dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, quarterstaff, nunchaku, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a monastic magus' movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monastic magus loses his AC bonus ability. This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency feature.
AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monastic magus adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monastic magus gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monastic magus levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monastic magus is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. This ability replaces the ability to cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monastic magus gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monastic magus' attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monastic magus may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monastic magus striking unarmed. A monastic magus may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monastic magus' unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monastic magus' unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monastic magus also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would. A monastic magus unarmed strike damage is the same as a monk's of his level and size. Furthermore, a character's monastic magus and monk levels stack when determining his unarmed strike damage.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 7th level, a monastic magus gains an insight bonus of 10 ft. to his land speed. A monastic magus in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. This ability replaces the Medium Armor class feature.
Movement Blending (Ex): Starting at 13th level, a monastic magus' Spell Combat ability counts as a full attack action instead of its own kind of full-round action. Furthermore, the bonus to his land speed provided by Fast Movement increases to 20 ft. This ability replaces the Heavy Armor class feature.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/55fe0740f34b6ee4bc15c85be3dd9284/tumblr_moh4o502TR1rmqnb5o3_500.jpg
Source (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Avatar-Roku-316931626). And yeah, Avatar Roku is just awesome.
Monastic Magus (Archetype)
Magi usually embrace weapons and armor, producing veritable twisters of steel and magic. A monastic magus, however, believes those implements only get in the way of perfection. Leading secluded lives not unlike a monk's, cultivating their minds and their bodies, these magi show that eldritch might meshes perfectly with unarmed - and unarmored - martial prowess.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A monastic magus is proficient with the bolas, club, dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, quarterstaff, nunchaku, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a monastic magus' movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monastic magus loses his AC bonus ability. This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency feature.
AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monastic magus adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monastic magus gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monastic magus levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monastic magus is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. This ability replaces the ability to cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monastic magus gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monastic magus' attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monastic magus may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monastic magus striking unarmed. A monastic magus may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monastic magus' unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monastic magus' unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monastic magus also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would. A monastic magus unarmed strike damage is the same as a monk's of his level and size. Furthermore, a character's monastic magus and monk levels stack when determining his unarmed strike damage.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 7th level, a monastic magus gains an insight bonus of 10 ft. to his land speed. A monastic magus in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. This ability replaces the Medium Armor class feature.
Movement Blending (Ex): Starting at 13th level, a monastic magus' Spell Combat ability counts as a full attack action instead of its own kind of full-round action. Furthermore, the bonus to his land speed provided by Fast Movement increases to 20 ft. This ability replaces the Heavy Armor class feature.