Karateka
After spending a week or so in contemplation, I have finally made the decision to remove the monk from Trinity. However, in its place, I wanted to have a more versatile, representative martial arts class - something more generic, more customizable.
Thus, the karateka.
The Karateka Unarmed Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Damage Special 1 +0 +2 +2 +2 1d6 Unarmed Strike, Meditation, Bonus Feat 2 +1 +3 +3 +3 1d6 Bonus Feat 3 +2 +3 +3 +3 1d8 4 +3 +4 +4 +4 1d8 Bonus Feat 5 +3 +4 +4 +4 1d8 6 +4 +5 +5 +5 1d8 Bonus Feat 7 +5 +5 +5 +5 1d10 8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 1d10 Bonus Feat 9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 1d10 10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 1d10 Bonus Feat 11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 2d6 12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 2d6 Bonus Feat 13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 2d6 14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 2d6 Bonus Feat 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 2d8 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 2d8 Bonus Feat 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 2d8 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 2d8 Bonus Feat 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 2d10 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 2d10 Bonus Feat
Karateka
There are those in the world who choose to forego standard methods of combat, whether it be a personal or cultural belief that such weapons are dishonorable or simply inferior to the weapon that are fists and feet. Honing their bodies into rigorous killing machines, they are never unarmed; their specialization is in unarmed combat. Regardless of their martial discipline, they are - as a whole - known as the karateka.
Adventures: Karateka are prone to adventuring, as venturing into the world gives them a broader look into the martial disciplines. Whether they seek to become a master of a single fighting style, or to produce a new fighting style, all karateka recognize the importance of being aware of other fighting styles: one can more easily combat what one knows.
Characteristics: Karateka are unusually resourceful, capable of turning their environment or their enemies to their advantage. They are usually capable of incredible focus, absurd resiliance, and unending patience. Karateka who specialize in a single fighting style usually take on the personality quirks of that style's home culture; those who seek diversity usually have an open mind regarding others.
Alignment: While the martial arts require discipline and patience, not all styles fit this mold. As such, a karateka may be of any alignment; though most are prone to lawful outlooks, this is by no means a requirement.
Religion: Karateka have a humanoid-centric outlook - after all, they are seeking to perfect themselves so that they may master a fighting style, and while they may not be arrogant, they are certainly optimistic regarding their capabilities. Some karateka are religious, while others are completely and utterly irreverent. A karateka's religious preference is just that: a preference.
Background: Some karateka are raised in cloistered monasteries, taught the ways of their style from an incredibly young age; others are orphans, raising themselves in the rough streets of a large city, teaching themselves a personalized fighting style that makes the most of their own quirks; others are somewhere between these two extremes. Regardless, all karateka have, at some point, found value in the idea of never being unarmed.
Races: Few of the smaller races, such as the moogles or gremlins, take to the lifestyle of the karateka - they are simply not built for such vicious personal combat. The larger races, such as the thri-kreen or the ancelari, take to the ideals of the karateka with the patience and endurance required. Of all the races, the lunari are most likely to practice the ways of the karateka, practicing a martial art that is rather similar to ninjitsu, their race's claim to fame.
Other Classes: Karateka get along well with most other classes - any additional advantage that they can use in a fight is more than welcome. Some karateka may view the use of magic or other forces as unfair or downright dishonorable. Many karateka may feel uncomfortable working with other melee-oriented classes that rely on weapons or armor, though often a karateka is capable of holding his ground against or in conjunction with such folk.
Game Rule Information
Karateka have the following game statistics.
Force Alignment: None.
Force Resistances: None.
Abilities: All physical attributes - strength, dexterity, and constitution - are key to the karateka. With strength, he can hit his foes harder; with dexterity, he can better avoid attacks; and with constitution, he has more health to withstand being struck.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The karateka’s class skills are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Per), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str), Technique, and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Age: As a rogue.
Starting Gold: 4d4.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the karateka core class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Karateka are proficient with three of the following weapons: baton, claw, nunchaku, kama, pole, quarterstaff, sai, shuko, siangham, and rug. Weapons the karateka has chosen proficiency for, as well as her unarmed strike, count as martial arts weapons for purposes of maneuvers gained via the Technique skill.
These selected weapons (along with unarmed) constitute a karateka's preferred weapons - when using them, she uses her unarmed damage, or the weapon's damage, whichever is higher.
Karateka are not proficient with any armor or shields.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a karateka gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A karateka’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a karateka may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a karateka striking unarmed. A karateka may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.
Usually a karateka’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A karateka’s unarmed strike is treated both as 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 karateka also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table above. The damage listed is for a karateka of medium size; adjust the damage dealt accordingly for karateka of smaller or larger sizes.
A karateka wearing any sort of armor loses the benefits of this ability.
Meditation: The karateka can enter a meditative trance, which cleanses and rests the body.
Entering the trance requires 2d6 minutes of mind-clearing exercises. At the end of this time, you perform a Concentration check; if you succeed, you enter the trance. If you fail, you can try again in 10 minutes. You can maintain the trance for a number of hours equal to your Wisdom score, plus any ranks you have in Concentration.
The DC of the Concentration check depends upon your surroundings. If your surroundings are conducive to meditation, such as a temple or quiet forest, the DC is 10. In an area with many distractions, such as an inn, the DC is 15. If you are in physical discomfort, such as being trapped in a cramped cage, the DC is 20.
One hour of uninterrupted meditative trance is as restful as two hours of sleep. Also, while you are meditating, you do not feel the effects of hunger, thirst, or physical discomfort, though you still suffer damage from these effects.
While you are meditating, you have some awareness of your surroundings, and may perform Perception-based checks at a -4 penalty.
If you engage in any sort of activity, even walking or conversation, the meditation trance ends.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, the karateka gains a bonus feat. This feat can be any Martial Arts feat chosen from Ken Hood's guide.
