Yamabushi

            The yamabushi, or “mountain warrior,” is the warrior of the monastic class.  Specialists in the staff, spear (especially the sohei) and unarmed combat, these warrior monks were perhaps the most serious challenge to the rule of the warrior class in medieval Japan.  Sometimes these monks challenged the samurai directly; at other times they led peasant revolts.  Still, the yamabushi did not oppose all samurai, and many warriors and nobles reteated to the monasteries to train or collect their thoughts in the serene surroundings of the mountaintops.

            Adventures: Yamabushi typically embark on missions at the behest of their order or as a matter of faith.  The roads of medieval Japan are very dangerous, beset with roving bands of ronin, and not even the holy men of the mountains are immune to robbery.  Many tales describe lone wandering monks fending of fhordes of rapacious ronin with a simple staff.

            Characteristics: The yamabushi is a master of many forms of combat, and a total master of his body and reflexes.  He seeks a perfect union of body and spirit, thought and action; this makes him a potent combatant regardless of the form he practices. 

            Honor: The yamabushi seeks to master himself, and this process usually results in a very high Honor as a reward for his spotless life.  Alcohol and meat are almost always avoided, and many yamabushi remain celibate throughout their lives.

            Religion: Yamabushi can be found worshipping in every sect of Buddhist belief, and some supplement their faith by practicing the quasi-magico belief of Shugendo.

            Background: Yamabushi devote their entire lives to training, meditation, and the physical upkeep of their monasteries.  This means that yamabushi often learn arts as mundane as gardening and masonry in addition to the esoteric philosophies of Buddhism and the martial arts.

            Bloodline: Yamabushi primarily come from three bloodlines: monastic, noble, and warrior.  In addition to the monastics (typically delivered to the monastery as a child by parents who cannot for some reason take care of them), many nobles and warriors retire to the monastery to learn its ways in peace after a career of violence and bloodshed (a substantial donation to the monastery helps ensure admittance in these cases).

            Other Classes: Yamabushi get along with most classes, but often are seen as rivals for control of Japan’s peasant populations by the kuge and samurai.

            Role: The yamabushi fills a variety of roles in the party from combat to stealth.  Although not as potent in combat as the samurai nor as stealthy as the ninja, the yamabushi is capable of complementing both areas. 

 

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Wisdom and Dexterity are the two most important abilities for the yamabushi.

Honor: A character must have an Honor score of 40 or more to take a level in this class.  Yamabushi must also take an allegiance to the Ascetic Code.  If a yamabushi renounces this code, or has it revoked, he may no longer take levels in this class until he regains it (which at the very least requires the character to gain one level).

Hit Die: 1d8.

 

 

 

Lvl       BAB                F/R      Will     Special

1          +0                    +2        +0        Combat Style, Stoic Reserve

2          +1                    +3        +0        Iron Will, Evasion

3          +2                    +3        +1        Combat Style, Poise

4          +3                    +4        +1        +1 AC, Endurance

5          +3                    +4        +1        Ki 1/day (haragei strike)

6          +4                    +5        +2        Combat Style, +10 ft. movement

7          +5                    +5        +2        Purity of Body

8          +6/+1               +6        +2        +2 AC, Stoic Meditation

9          +6/+1               +6        +3        Combat Style

10        +7/+2               +7        +3        Ki 2/day (haragei blur), +20 ft. movement

11        +8/+3               +7        +3        Wholeness of Body

12        +9/+4               +8        +4        Combat Style, +3 AC

13        +9/+4               +8        +4        Diamond Body

14        +10/+5             +9        +4        Great Fortitude, +30 ft. movement

15        +11/+6/+1       +9        +5        Ki 3/day, Combat Style

16        +12/+7/+2       +10      +5        +4 AC

17        +12/+7/+2       +10      +5        Timeless Body

18        +13/+8/+3       +11      +6        Combat Style, +40 ft. movement

19        +14/+9/+4       +11      +6        Lightning Reflexes

20        +15/+10/+5     +12      +6        Ki 4/day, +5 AC

 

Class Skills: Balance (dex), Climb (str), Concentration (con), Diplomacy (cha), Escape Artist (ex), Hide (dex), Jump (str), Knowledge (history, nature, religion) (int), Listen (wis), Move Silently (dex), Sense Motive (wis), Spot (wis), Survival (wis), Swim (str), Tumble (dex).

Skill Points: 4 + Int mod.

 

Weapon & Armour: Weapons (agricultural, knives, spears & staves); Armor (none).

 

Stoic Reserve: A yamabushi is accustomed to a Spartan lifestyle and requires little in the way of food, water, or other necessities.  He gains a +1 bonus per 10 points of Honor to saves to resist hunger or environmental damage. 

 

Combat Style: At 1st level, the yamabushi chooses between three styles: unarmed, spear, or staff.  If he chooses unarmed combnat, he gains an unarmed martial arts style of his choice as a bonus feat.  If he chooses the spear, he gains either Sojutsu or Naginata-jutsu, and if he chooses staff, he gains Bojutsu, Jojutsu, or Jodo. 

            At 3rd level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die.

·        Sojutsu: Spear Thrust.

·        Naginata-jutsu: Weapon Focus (naginata)

·        Bojutsu: Staff Parry

·        Jojutsu or Jodo: Two-Weapon Fighting.

            At 6th level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die. 

·        Sojutsu: Footwork

·        Naginata-jutsu: Naginata Sweep

·        Bojutsu: Staff Throw

·        Jojutsu or Jodo: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting

            At 9th level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die.

·        Sojutsu: Whirling Spear

·        Naginata-jutsu: Weapon Specialization: naginata

·        Bojutsu: +2 AC when wielding a bo staff.

·        Jojutsu or Jodo: Two Weapon Defense

            At 12th level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die.

·        Sojutsu: Weapon Focus: Yari.

·        Naginata-jutsu: Footwork

·        Bojutsu: +1 AC when using a bo staff, +3 total.

·        Jojutsu or Jodo: Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo.

            At 15th level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die.

·        Sojutsu: Weapon Specialization: Yari

·        Naginata-jutsu: Improved Footwork

·        Bojutsu: +1 AC when using a bo staff, +4 total.

·        Jojutsu: Numbing Strike

·        Jodo: Nerve Strike

            At 18th level, the yamabushi gains a bonus feat or special ability for his style:

·        Unarmed: one martial arts style or maneuver of his choice, or all unarmed attacks are increased to the next larger die.

·        Sojutsu: Greater Weapon Focus: Yari

·        Naginata-Jutsu: Greater Weapon Focus: Naginata

·        Bojutsu: +1 AC when using a bo staff, +5 total.

·        Jojutsu or Jodo: +1d6 to Pressure Point damage with a jo staff attack.

            If the yamabushi gains one of these feats through the use of Combat Style class ability, he does not need to meet the prerequisites for that feat.  If the yamabushi already has a feat (which he must have met the prerequisites for normally), he may use the Combat Style class ability to gain a feat of his choice, for which he meets all the prerequisites. 

 

Iron Will: Gained as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

 

Evasion: At 2nd level, the yamabushi can begin to avoid even magical an dunusual attacks with great agility.  If she makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage.  Evasion can be used only if the yamabushi is wearing light armor or no armor.  A helpless yamabushi does not gain the benefit of evasion. 

 

Poise: At 3rd level, the yamabushi gains this as a bonus feat, even if he does not have the prerequisites.  However, this feat only functions while the yamabushi is in light or no armor.  At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level, the AC bonus from this ability increases.

 

Endurance: Gained as a bonus feat at 4th level. 

 

Ki: At 5th level, the yamabushi can harness the power of his Ki to perform a Haragei strike.  If the yamabushi is entitled to multiple attacks, eh gains this bonus on every attack he makes in the round in which he activates this ability.  The yamabushi’s mastery of Ki is such that activating this ability is a free action that can be performed once per round and provokes no attack of opportunity. 

            By channeling his inner energy, he gains an enhancement bonus to attack and damage equal to +1 per 4 ranks of the Concentration skill he possesses (rounded up).  This bonus allows the yamabushi’s attack to bypass damage reduction possessed by his target.

            At 10th level, th eyamabushi can use his Ki twice per day and can harness the power of his Ki to perform a Haragei blur.  This ability grants the yamabushi a Dodge bonus to AC equal to +1 per 4 ranks in his Concentration skill.  This lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 per 4 ranks in the Concentration skill.

            At 15th level, the yamabushi can use his Ki three times per day.

            At 20th level, th eyamabushi can use his Ki four times per day. 

 

Enhanced Movement: At the levels indicated, the yamabushi gains the listed bonus to his movement rate.  Wearing armor heavier than light armor causes the yamabushi to lose this bonus to his movement. 

 

Purity of Body: This ability renders the yamabushi immune to all non-magical diseases. 

 

Stoic Meditation: At 8th level, the yamabushi can enter a meditative state, which can be maintained for one hour per 10 points of Honor.  While meditating, the yamabushi heals one hit point per hour and gains a bonus to all Listen checks equal to +1 per 10 points of Honor. 

 

Wholeness of Body: This ability allows the yamabushi to heal an amount of damage equal to twice his class level.  The yamabushi may heal this amount of damage in any increment desired during the course of the day.

 

Diamond Body: This ability renders the yamabushi immune to poisons of all kinds.

 

Great Fortitude: At 14th level, this is gained as a bonus feat.

 

Timeless Body: This ability causes the yamabushi to take no ability score penalties due to aging.  The yamabushi will live to the maximum age for a human plus 2 years per class level. 

 

Lightning Reflexes: This is gained as a bonus feat at 19th level.