Bone-Breaker

Racial Paragon Classes

In most campaigns, the ideas of class and race are separate concepts. But, with racial paragon classes, the line between the two becomes blurred. Racial paragons are, as the name suggests, nearly ideal examples of the strengths and abilities of the character’s race. Unlike members of other classes, however, racial paragons are more than merely powerful individuals. They are strong in all the ways that their race is strong, while still vulnerable in the ways that their race is vulnerable. Beyond that, they possess powers and capabilities that supersede those of normal members of their race.

Racial paragons rarely undergo the rigorous training or study that members of other classes commonly undertake between levels. Their experience, wisdom, and heroic abilities simply manifest in the form of superior innate racial abilities. Despite this strong association with race, racial paragons need not have specific views or special dedication to their race’s beliefs or typical attitudes (although many do).

Obviously, a character can only take levels in the racial paragon class associated with his race. Like the fighter, wizard, and other standard character classes, racial paragon classes have no prerequisites (other than being a member of the appropriate race).

Levels in racial paragon classes are considered to be advancing in a favored class.

The Bone-breaker Kappa Racial Paragon Class

The bone-breaker class is a racial paragon class available only to kappa. It emphasizes hard unarmed strikes and bone-shattering attacks. At the same time, the kappa’s natural water-related abilities are strengthened as the kappa reconnects with his elemental heritage.

Role: Bone-breakers excel at breaking things, especially people. Especially effective in the water, the bone-breaker is most capable as a one-on-one fighter. A few well-placed blows soften up an opponent and make him more susceptible to the bone-breaker’s signature joint-breaking move.

Alignment: any,

Hit Dice: d8

Class Skills

The bone-breaker’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Bone-Breaker
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Unarmed Damage Natural AC Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 1d4 +1 Improved grapple, shattering strike, unarmed fighter
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 1d4 +1 Improved sunder, tough body I
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 1d4 +2 Maneuver training, stubborn mind I
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 1d6 +2 Fast swimmer +10 ft., ki pool (magic), turtle shape (1/day),
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 1d6 +2 Joint-breaker, water breathing
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 1d6 +3 Bonus feat, tough body II
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 1d8 +3 Water healing, stubborn mind II
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 1d8 +3 Fast swimmer +10 ft., turtle shape (2/day)
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 1d8 +4 Water shape (1/day), strength surge I
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 1d10 +4 Bonus feat, improved joint-breaker, tough body III
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 1d10 +4 Poison immunity, stubborn mind III
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 1d10 +5 Fast swimmer +10 ft., turtle shape (3/day)
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 2d6 +5 Water healing II
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 2d6 +5 Bonus feat, tough body IV
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 2d6 +6 Shatter vital organ, stubborn mind IV
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 2d8 +6 Fast swimmer +10 ft., Turtle shape (4/day)
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 2d8 +6 Water shape (2/day)
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 2d8 +7 Bonus feat, tough body V
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 2d10 +7 Strength surge II, stubborn mind V
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 2d10 +7 & DR 10/- Fast swimmer +10 ft., turtle shape (5/day), improved shatter vital organs, water healing III

Class Features

Bone-breakers have the following class features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Bone-breakers are proficient with maces (light and heavy), clubs, quarterstaffs, slings, war-hammers, great clubs and nunchaku. They are proficient with shields and light armors.

Natural Armor (Ex)

As the bone-breaker advances in levels, his shell becomes harder and thicker. His natural armor bonus improves as described on Table: the Bone-Breaker. At 20th level the bone-breaker also gains DR 10/-.

Improved Grapple

At 1st level the bone-breaker receives the Improved Grapple feat as a bonus feat.

Shattering Strike (Ex)

Beginning at 1st level, as a full-round action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the bone-breaker can make a single powerful attack against either a person or an object. When using a shattering strike the kappa ignores an amount of damage reduction, or hardness, equal to the kappa’s bone-breaker class level. So a 3rd level bone-breaker ignores up to 3 points of damage reduction or hardness. The bone-breaker can use this ability with either unarmed attacks, or with bludgeoning weapons.

Unarmed Fighter (Ex)

The bone-breaker is treated as if he possessed the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, though as kappa have a natural attack the bone-breaker derives no benefit from this other than being able to take other feats. The damage the kappa is able to inflict from an unarmed attack increases as he trains, as shown on the advancement table. The bone-breaker can choose to inflict either slashing or bludgeoning damage with his unarmed attack.

Improved Sunder

At 2nd level the bone-breaker receives the Improved Sunder feat as a class feat.

Tough Body (Ex)

At 2nd level the bone-breaker gains a +1 racial bonus to all Fortitude saving throws. This bonus increases by another +1 every four levels.

Maneuver Training (Ex)

Beginning at 3rd level, a bone-breaker uses his bone-breaker level in place of his BAB when calculating CMB and CMD. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.

Stubborn Mind (Ex)

At 3rd level the bone-breaker gains a +1 racial bonus to all Will saving throws. This bonus increases by another +1 every four levels.

Fast Swimmer

Every four levels the swim speed of the bone-breaker increases by an additional 10 ft.

Ki Pool (Su)

At 4th level, the bone-breaker gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in the bone-breaker’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 his bone-breaker level + his Constitution modifier. So long as the bone-breaker has 1 ki point in his pool, his unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, the bone-breaker can do the following:

  • Add 20 feet to his swim speed.
  • Increase the effectiveness of his shattering strike by adding +1 to the amount of damage reduction or hardness the bone-breaker can ignore.
  • Add +2 to CMD and +4 to CMB for one round.

Turtle Shape (Ex)

At 4th level the bone-breaker gains the ability to shapeshift into a Small or Medium sized turtle once a day (+2 natural armor, speed -10 feet, swim speed +10 feet, bite damage equal to unarmed attack, duration 1 hour/level; otherwise as beast shape I). As the bone-breaker increases in level, the number of times he can do this a day also increases.

Joint Breaker (Ex)

At 5th level, in place of a melee attack, the bone-breaker can attempt a special combat maneuver to damage one of his opponent’s joints (or similar biological feature). This maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity and the bone-breaker gains a +4 competence bonus to the attempt. The bone-breaker can attempt this maneuver as an unarmed attack, or he may employ a bludgeoning weapon.

He may also choose whether to inflict lethal or nonlethal damage on a successful strike. If the maneuver is successful, roll for damage as for a normal attack, but if the bone-breaker is inflicting lethal damage, the target takes only half damage.

The target of the maneuver must also succeed at a Reflex save, where the DC is 10 + ½ bone-breaker class level + the bone-breakers Strength modifier.

If the target fails this save they suffer ability damage to either Strength or Dexterity (the bone-breaker may decide which ability is targeted). The amount of ability damage inflicted is equal to 1 + 1 for every four levels of the bone-breaker class possessed by the attacker. If the bone-breaker’s combat maneuver check exceeded the CMD of the target by 10 or more, the ability damage increases an additional +2.

Alternatively, instead of inflicting ability damage, the bone-breaker may choose to damage his opponent’s ability to move using natural appendages. If used in this way, the bone-breaker chooses one of his opponents method of locomotion (burrowing, climbing, flying, swimming, walking) when beginning the maneuver. With a successful maneuver, the bone-breaker deals half damage (full damage if non-lethal) and the opponent must make a successful Reflex save or suffer a reduction in their speed as it relates to the method of movement targeted by the bone-breaker.

The reduction is equal to 5 ft. + 5 ft. for every four levels of the bone-breaker class possessed by the attacker. The chosen speed cannot be reduced below 5 ft. using this attack. A flying creature drops one maneuverability category for every 10 ft. of speed it loses, to a minimum of clumsy. If it drops below its minimum forward speed while in the air (or to less than half speed, if its maneuverability is average or worse), it immediately falls and takes damage as normal. Note that this effect reduces a target’s base speed as well as its speed after accounting for armor and encumbrance. The effects of this maneuver do not stack with other effects that reduce speed. The penalty to movement last until the creature receives magical healing or, as a standard action, makes a successful Constitution check where the DC is equal to 10 + the bone-breaker’s Strength modifier.

Creatures who move without the aid of anatomical appendages (such as a Wizard using a fly spell) are immune to this effect.

Creatures who are immune to critical hits are immune to the Joint Breaker ability.

Water Breathing

At 5th level the bone-breaker learns to breathe underwater.

Bonus Feat

At 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels the bone-breaker receives a bonus feat. The feats available at 6th level must be taken from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Improved Disarm, Power Attack, Throw Anything and Toughness. At 10th level Improved Critical is added to this list.

Water Healing (Su)

At 7th level, the bone-breaker’s connection to water is strengthened so that when submersed in water, his rate of natural healing is doubled. At 13th level the rate of the healing again doubles so that now the bone-breaker heals at 4 times the natural rate when submersed in water. At 20th level the bone-breaker gains fast healing 1 so long as he is at least standing in a body of water.

Water Shape (Su)

At 9th level the bone-breaker gains the ability to change shape into a Small or Medium water elemental once a day (+4 natural armor, swim speed +20 feet; duration 10 minutes/level; otherwise as elemental body I or II). As a bone-breaker increases in level, the number of times he can do this a day also increases.

Strength Surge I (Su)

At 9th level the bone-breaker can spend a ki point to add 4 to his Strength for 1 round. At 19th level, the amount of the Strength increase goes up to 8.

Improved Joint Breaker (Ex)

At 10th level, when the bone-breaker has succeeded at a joint-breaking Combat Maneuver, he can now choose to inflict both Dexterity and Strength damage when his opponent fails their Reflex save.

Alternatively, if using the maneuver to reduce movement, the bone-breaker can now inflict ability damage (either Dexterity or Strength) in addition to the movement reduction when the opponent fails their Reflex save. Those who suffer ability damage from this maneuver must also make a successful Will save, where the DC is equal to 10 + ½ bone-breaker class level + the bone-breakers Strength modifier, or be dazed for 1d4 rounds. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this effect.

Poison Immunity (Ex)

At 11th level the bone-breaker is immune to all poisons.

Shatter Vital Organ (Ex)

At 15th level, when the bone-breaker has succeeded at a joint-breaking Combat Maneuver which would inflict Strength or Dexterity damage, or both, he can choose to instead inflict Constitution damage. The amount of ability damage inflicted is equal to 1 +1 for every four levels of the bone-breaker class possessed by the attacker. Those who suffer ability damage from this maneuver must also make a successful Will save, where the DC is equal to 10 + ½ bone-breaker class level + the bone-breakers Strength modifier, or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Those who succeed at the Will save are instead dazed for 1 round. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this effect.

Improved Shatter Vital Organs (Ex)

At 20th level, when the bone-breaker attempts a joint-breaking Combat Maneuver, if the Combat Maneuver roll is a natural 20, the bone-breaker may choose to inflict a massive amount of bludgeoning damage to their opponent in addition to the ability damage they would normally inflict. The opponent must succeed at a Reflex save, as normal, but if the Reflex save fails, in addition to ability damage inflicted, the opponent also suffers 200 points of bludgeoning damage (10 points per bone-breaker class level). If the target makes a successful save, they still suffer an additional 10d6 points of bludgeoning damage.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

In the Company of Kappa copyright 2011, Steve D. Russell and Michael Tumey. All rights reserved; Author: Jonathan McAnulty

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