Prestige Classes

YAMABUSHI

The Yamabushi are an order of fearsome warrior-priests that live in the wild.  All are welcome to join their order, but the entry requirements are harsh, and the tests grueling without exception.  Those who show devotion and stay the course attain some measure of enlightenment in both the ways of spirit magic, and the way of their chosen weapon.

 
 

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Yamabushi, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills: Knowledge (religion) 10 ranks, Heal 10 ranks, Concentration 10 ranks.

Feats: Proficiency with all martial weapons, Weapon Focus in a melee weapon

Spells: Ability to cast 3rd level divine spells. 

Special: Must be accepted by existing Yamabushi, and train among them.

Class Skills

The Yamabushi's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature/religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
 

Table: The Yamabushi

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save
Special Spells per Day
1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Skill Focus: Concentration, Chosen Weapon +1 level to divine spellcasting
2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 +1 spontaneous divine spellcasting +1 level to divine spellcasting
3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Skill Focus: Knowledge (religion) +1 level to divine spellcasting
4th +4 +4 +1 +4 +1 spontaneous divine spellcasting +1 level to divine spellcasting
5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Weapon Specialization +1 level to divine spellcasting
6th +6 +5 +2 +5 +1 spontaneous divine spellcasting +1 level to divine spellcasting
7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Weapon Size +1 +1 level to divine spellcasting
8th +8 +6 +2 +6 +1 spontaneous divine spellcasting +1 level to divine spellcasting
9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Weapon Size +2 +1 level to divine spellcasting
10th +10 +7 +3 +7 +1 spontaneous divine spellcasting +1 level to divine spellcasting
Class Features

All of the following are features of the Yamabushi prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Yamabushi gain no new proficiencies with weapons or armor.

Chosen Weapon: A Yamabushi relies solely on his chosen weapon and his magic to defend himself.  He forswears the use of all wands, staffs, armor, shields, and weapons but for the one weapon he chooses when he enters the class, represented by his Weapon Focus.  If he so much as touches a wand, staff, or another weapon, straps on a shield, or dons armor, he loses access to all class benefits immediately and cannot progress further in the class.  A lengthy quest and an atonement are needed before he can benefit from any class features or progress as a Yamabushi.

Spells per Day: When a new Yamabushi level is gained, the character increases in caster level and spells per day as if he had gained a level in any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except as noted here.

If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before he became a Yamabushi, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Yamabushi for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting:  When a new even-numbered Yamabushi level is gained, the character increases caster level and spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had gained a level in any one spontaneous divine spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except as noted here.

If a character had more than one such spellcasting class before he became a Yamabushi, he must decide to which class he applies each even-numbered level of Yamabushi for the purpose of determining spells per day.  If a character is not a member of a spontaneous divine spellcasting class when the level is gained, he derives no benefit from this feature. Note that this feature does not allow the Yamabushi to circumvent normal rules forbidding multiclassing in both a core class and its variant.

Weapon Specialization: The Yamabushi trains only with his chosen weapon, represented by his Weapon Focus.  When he reaches sufficient level, he gains Weapon Specialization in his chosen weapon, even if he does not normally meet the prerequisites.

Weapon Size (Ex): The Yamabushi trains with increasingly larger weapons, to the point where he becomes unaccustomed to normal-sized weapons.  When using his chosen weapon, he must use a version one size (later two sizes) larger than normally indicated to benefit from focus and specialization.  He suffers no penalties from wielding the size-adjusted weapon, so long as he does so in a fashion identical to its smaller counterpart.  (A 9th level, human Yamabushi with greatsword as his chosen weapon would wield a Huge greatsword in two hands with no penalty and full bonuses, but take full penalties and gain no bonuses for attempting to wield it in one hand.)

Yamabushi take penalties for wielding incorrectly sized weapons as though the increased size were their base size.

 

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