Shaolin

Most Shaolin hail from ascetic monastic orders and lead a life of quiet contemplation, study, and martial training. Excelling in unarmed combat, and supplementing their skills with the power of their Faith, their very body can become an instrument of considerable power. While their unique way of life originates from the High Elves, it has spread to many cultures and faiths. There are always those who wish to lead a simpler life, removed from the stress and opulence of the wider world.

Many Shaolin monasteries provide charitable services to nearby communities in exchange for land and goods, making them regarded favorably in most cultures. Though they typically live a peaceful life removed from society, some Shaolin choose to champion righteous causes that align with their own beliefs. Those fortunate enough to secure an Shaolin ally will reap a multitude of benefits as the Shaolin can fulfill many roles: acting as a healer, supporting allies, confounding foes, and even inflicting harm with considerable competency when the need arises.

Class Overview

Typical Roles: Healer, Support/Utility, Melee Damage, Ranged Damage
Damage Types: Physical, Faith (Holy, Demonic, Psionic, Primal)
Class Mechanic: Faith and Focus

Default Stats: During Character Creation you may choose to use the default stat line shown below, before racial modifiers. This can be instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results.

During Character Creation you may choose to use the Default Stat Line, before racial modifiers, instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results

Proficiencies

Natural Armor Proficiency: Cloth
Trainable Armor Proficiency: Leather
Natural Weapon Proficiency: None
Trainable Weapon Proficiency: Knives, Staves

See Equipment section for details. When using weapons or armor that your class is not proficient with, see Combat Penalties. There is no level or title prerequisite to train in a new proficiency, however you must receive the appropriate Training.

Class Skills

Class Passive Skill: Meditative Faith
Class Secondary Skill: Martial Arts, Brewmaster, or Alchemist (choose one)

Primary Skills

Focus

Rigorous training is as much a part of the communal monastic lifestyle of a Shaolin as any other. While Shaolin can learn from any master of the martial arts, they rarely need to. Within their communities many masters are willing to teach those who ask with humility and respect. Shaolin fighting styles are a mixture of unarmed attacks and defensive techniques. The use of conventional weaponry is forbidden, but ultimately unnecessary given their talents. Shaolin follow the standard methods for Learning New Focus Skills.

The maximum number of skill points that can be allotted to each focus discipline are as follows:

• Fist: 30 skill points
• Kick: 30 skill points
• Armed: unavailable
• Ranged:  unavailable
• Defense: 15 skill points

New focus skills require training unless they are upgrades (i.e. Rank1 Heart Punch -> Rank2 Heart Punch), see Learning New Focus Skills for details

Faith

Sacred Scrolls

The writings and teachings of Revered and Transcendent Masters form the bulk of the scriptures held sacred by the monastic orders of Shoalin. So sacred and beloved are these writings that they are rarely if ever allowed to be removed from their Monasteries. Some temples or shrines may even be built around the location where they where first inscribed. On the rare occasion that a Shoalin is required to carry the knowledge fo these teachings with them, it is usually int eh form of a scroll, containing only a portion of the complete work.

Whether studying from a complete work at a monastery, temple or shrine, or carrying sacred scrolls on their person, this is the repository of knowledge for all of the Faith Powers that the Shaolin have access to as part of their faith. Depending on the circumstance and character background, a GM might choose to restrict what Powers are recorded within those sacred writings and scriptures. Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that a complete work that contains the entirely of what would be available for their choose Faith Path exists at their home monastery (i.e. if following the Holy Faith, it would contain all Holy Faith powers from all Disciplines)

From this complete work, or a subset contained within Sacred Scrolls, a Shaolin can memorize powers for day-to-day use and for use in combat. For additional details see Learning New Faith Powers.

Chanting and Physical Expression

In order to actually cast any of their powers, a Priest, Monk, or Shaolin must chant sacred verses or recite memorized scriptures while focusing their mind on the desired outcome. Shaolin punctuate their chanting with short yells, shouts, or sharp exhaling of breath paired with a symbolic physical expression incorporated into martial poses. This effectively “casts” the power they are focusing on, bringing it into existence. Shaolin do not require physical objects, religious symbols, relics, idols, or other such devices to cast, though they may carry them for a purely symbolic purpose. (see Methods of Casting).

Level Ups

Shaolin use the following chart for levelling up:

HP Dice (Regular): Small Race (1d8), Medium Race (1d10), Large Race (1d12)