Shugenja

In faith and the miracles of the divine, many find a greater purpose. Called to serve powers beyond most mortal understanding, all priests preach wonders and provide for the spiritual needs of their people. Shugenja are more than mere priests, though; these emissaries of the divine work the will of their deities through strength of arms and the magic of their Goddesses. Devoted to the tenets of the religions and philosophies that inspire them, these ecclesiastics quest to spread the knowledge and influence of their faith. Yet while they might share similar abilities, shugenja prove as different from one another as the divinities they serve, with some offering healing and redemption, others judging law and truth, and still others spreading conflict and corruption.

Class Features

The following are class features of the shugenja.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A shugenja is proficient with all monk weapons and learns Celestial as a bonus language.

Spells

A shugenja casts divine spells drawn from the cleric spell list. He can cast any spell he knows at any time without preparing it ahead of time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

To learn or cast a spell, a shugenja must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shugenja’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the shugenja’s Wisdom modifier.

A shugenja can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level each day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Shugenja. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A shugenja’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A shugenja begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the shugenja’s choice. At each new shugenja level, he gains one or more new spells as indicated on Table: Shugenja Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a shugenja knows is not affected by his Wisdom score. The numbers on Table: Shugenja Spells Known are fixed.)

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third shugenja level thereafter (8th, 11th, and so on), a shugenja can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the shugenja “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level shugenja spell he can cast. The shugenja may swap out only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Martial Artist

Shugenja gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at first level. Their unarmed strike damage progresses as that of a monk of the same as their shugenja level, and in all other ways acts as a monk's unarmed strike. Additionally, a Shugenja uses his Shugenja level in place of Monk level for the purposes of qualifying for feats, and for determining the effects of feats.

Flurry of Blows (Ex)

At 1st level, when making a full attack action, the shugenja may make an additional strike at his highest BAB. All attacks with a Flurry of Blows must be made with unarmed strikes or monk weapons. At 8th level, the shugenja may make another strike at his second highest BAB. At 15th level, he may make another strike at his third-highest BAB. Flurry of Blows cannot be used in conjunction with Two-Weapon fighting, though multiple weapons may be used as part of the flurry.

Bonus Feat

At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a shugenja may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list, or from the list of:

Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.

At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list:

Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.

At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list:

Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.

A shugenja need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

Alternatively, the shugenja may choose from the list of Style Feats. If the shugenja chooses this option, he must meet all prerequisites of the chosen feat.

Orisons

Shugenja learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Shugenja Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. Orisons prepared using other spell slots, such as those due to metamagic feats, are expended

AC Bonus (Ex)

When unarmored and unencumbered, the shugenja adds his Wisdom bonus to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a shugenja gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four shugenja levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. These are insight bonuses that stack with each other, but not with any other insight bonus to AC/CMD.

Channel Energy (Su)

Starting at 2nd level, a shugenja can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of his faith through his holy (or unholy) symbol. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + his Wisdom modifier. This energy can be used to deal or heal damage, depending on the type of energy channeled and the creatures targeted. Using this ability is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The shugenja must present a holy (or unholy) symbol to use this ability. A good shugenja (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to heal living creatures or to deal damage to undead creatures. An evil shugenja (or one who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or heal undead creatures. A neutral shugenja who worships a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether to channel positive or negative energy. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the shugenja. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal 1d6 +1d6/3 levels past 2nd. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy must succeed at a Will saving throw to halve the damage. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 the shugenja’s level + the shugenja’s Wisdom modifier. Creatures healed by channeled energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. A shugenja can choose whether or not to include himself in this effect.

Maneuver Training (Ex)

At 3rd level, a shugenja uses his shugenja level in place of his base attack bonus when calculating his CMB and CMD. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.

Shugenja Path

At 4th level, a shugenja chooses a path to follow. This grants an additional ability at 4th level, as well as at each level listed in Table: Shugenja. The shugenja's path choice can additionally modify some of his other class features (such as Spells).

Shugenja can choose from the following paths:

• Path of the Eastern Star

• Path of the Northern Star

• Path of the Rising Star

• Path of the Southern Star

• Path of the Western Star

Evasion (Ex)

At 5th level or higher, a shugenja can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a shugenja 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 a shugenja is wearing no armor. A helpless shugenja does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Stalwart (Ex)

At 11th level, a shugenja can use mental and physical resiliency to avoid certain attacks. If he succeeds on a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, he instead avoids the effect entirely. This ability can only be used if the shugenja is wearing no armor. A helpless shugenja does not gain the benefit of the stalwart ability.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 13th level, a shugenja’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless shugenja does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Timeless Body (Ex)

At 16th level, a shugenja no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the shugenja still dies of old age when his time is up.

Unbreakable (Ex)

At 20th level, a shugenja sets aside many of the frailties of mortal flesh. He becomes immune to death effects and stunning. He is not subject to ability damage or ability drain, and has a 75% chance of ignoring the extra damage dealt by critical hits and sneak attacks. He also ignores attribute penalties due to aging.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells

A shugenja can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own or his deity’s (if he has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaotic, evil, good and lawful descriptors in their spell descriptions.