Disciple of the Radiant Star (Monk/Paladin)

In a small, isolated village on the top of a remote mountain, a single wiseman discovered a way to harness the power of the sun and the heavens through his breath. He refined this sacred technique, this glorious light, into a powerful tool of both healing and purifying. This was the beginning of the ripple. An esoteric and versatile power, the formal disciples of the ripple take it within them to use this holy light to protect the innocent and the natural, and banish the unholy and abominable from this world. (Original Concept by Taco Man)

Primary Class: Monk.

Secondary Class: Paladin.

Alignment: Lawful good.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The disciple of the radiant star selects three paladin skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal monk class skills. The disciple of the radiant star gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The disciple of the radiant star is proficient with the brass knuckles, cestus, club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, spear and temple sword. The disciple of the radiant star is not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a disciple of the radiant star loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

Radiant Strike (Su): At 1st level, a disciple of the radiant star absorbs the energy of the sun and stores it in his body. As a swift action, the disciple of the radiant star can channel the sun’s energy into his fists to make a radiant strike. The disciple of the radiant star must declare that he is using this ability before he makes his attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). The disciple of the radiant star adds his Cha bonus (if any) to his attack and damage rolls until the beginning of his next turn. If the target is evil, he adds his disciple of the radiant star level to the damage roll of his first successful attack made against the target of his strike. If the target of the radiant strike is an outsider with the evil subtype, an undead creature, or any creature with vulnerability to sunlight (or the daylight spell or similar effect), the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the disciple of the radiant star possesses. Regardless of the target, radiant strike automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

The disciple of the radiant star may attempt a radiant strike a number of times per day equal to his disciple of the radiant star level + his Charisma modifier.

At 4th level or higher, radiant strike forces a foe damaged by the disciple of the radiant star’s unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the disciple of the radiant star’s character level + his Charisma modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is dazzled for 1 minute (until just before the disciple of the radiant star’s turn).

At 8th level, a disciple of the radiant star can make the target blinded for 1 round. This condition replaces dazzling the target for 1 minute, and a successful saving throw still negates the effect.

At 12th level, he can make the target blinded for 1d6+1 rounds.

At 16th level, he can permanently blind the target.

The disciple of the radiant star must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature dazzled by a radiant strike cannot become blinded if hit by radiant strike again), but additional hits do increase the duration. This ability replacesstunning fist.

Ki Pool (Su): This is exactly like the monk ability of the same name, except with the following changes. The number of points in a disciple of the radiant star’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 his disciple of the radiant star level + his Constitution modifier.

By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a disciple of the radiant star can do one of the following:

• Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack, or

• Treat his unarmed strike as if it had the ghost touch special weapon ability, or

• Treat his unarmed strike as having the reach weapon quality for 1 round, or

• Gain a bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1) on all saving throws for 1 round, or

• Replicate the effects of lay on hands with an equivalent paladin level equal to his disciple of the radiant star level –4.

This modifies ki pool.

Focused Radiance (Su): At 4th level, a disciple of the radiant star learns to focus the radiant energy within him. When using his radiant strike, a disciple of the radiant star may spend 1 point from his ki pool as a free action to treat any improvised, manufactured, or natural weapon as having the monk weapon quality, allowing him to use it with his unarmed strike and flurry of blows. He is also considered to be proficient with that weapon.

At 5th level, this chosen weapon is granted a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains an additional +1 enchantment bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: anchoring, brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, glorious, grounding, guardian, impact, ki focus, ki intensifying, and neutralizing. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost. These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the radiant strike are determined when the ability is activated and cannot be changed until the ability is used again.

This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 6th and 10th level, quivering palm, and tongue of sun and moon.

Aura of Life (Su): At 10th level, a disciple of the radiant star becomes a powerful conduit for the energy of the sun. As long as the disciple of the radiant star has at least 1 point in his ki pool, any creature within 10 feet of him with fast healing or regeneration has these abilities negated and cannot be healed by magical means (“cure” or “inflict” spells, channeled energy, etc.), only by natural means. This ability replaces diamond body and diamond soul.

Master of the Sun (Su): At 19th level, a disciple of the radiant star gains DR 5/evil and immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities, as well as spell resistance equal to his disciple of the radiant star level. This ability replaces timeless body,empty body.

Final Radiance (Su): At 20th level, he can channel his radiant energy into one final desperate act. By expend all his remaining ki points, the disciple of the radiant star can perform one of the effects:

• His radiant strike ability is immediately activated for 1 minute and treats all opponents as having an evil alignment. This can be used with his flurry of blows, and any critical hit is automatically confirmed.

• When he is reduced to 0 hit points of lower, he is instead reduced to 1 hit point and becomes immune to the dead, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, and unconscious conditions for 1 minute. He remains alive and mobile even if unable to attack or in a state where he’d normally be unable to move (such as a severed head, etc.). If the disciple of the radiant star is alive after the 1 minute has expired, he immediately gains fast healing 5 for 1 minute.

• As a standard action, he gains 1 negative level for every ki point expended, and in turn grants an adjacent and willing ally 1 ki point and 2 temporary hit points for every ki point expended. The ally also gains a permanent +1 enhancement bonus to 3 separate ability scores of her choice and becomes a 1st level disciple of the radiant star. If the disciple of the radiant star dies while this ability is in effect, its effects are doubled for 1 minute, and the ally is considered to have unlimited ki points. Only a wish or miracle spell, or divine intervention can return the disciple of the radiant star back to life.

This ability replaces perfect self.

Table: Disciple of the Radiant Star