Most warriors become proficient with a variety of weapons, but martial arts masters strive to master various styles of hand-to-hand combat, shunning weapons and turning their bodies into powerful weapons. Although other combatants are satisfied with learning the basics of unarmed combat, martial arts masters learn the techniques and philosophies of many different styles of martial arts, incorporating different elements and techniques into unique personal styles. They are among the most self-sufficient and the most dangerous fighters out there.
Martial arts masters focus on perfecting their art, but many different paths lead to that goal. Some martial arts masters withdraw from the galaxy, honing their skills in small, isolated enclaves. Others use their prowess in the defense of the helpless and innocent. Some make their lethal skills available to the highest bidder, and still others hold positions of influence with criminal cartels, using their deadly fighting abilities to ruthlessly maintain their rank.
Martial arts masters can be surprisingly dangerous enemies, since they require nothing more than their own limbs to lay even the toughest of enemies low.
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a martial arts master, a character must fulfill the following criteria.- Minimum Level: 7th
- Base Attack Bonus: +7
- Feats: Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, Melee Defense, and at least one additional [Martial Arts] feat which is not Martial Arts III
- Talents: One talent from either the Brawler (Soldier base class) talent tree or the Survivor (Scout base class) talent tree
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Martial arts masters have the following game statistics.HIT POINTS
At each level, martial arts masters gain 1d10 hit points + their Constitution modifier.HERO POINTS
Martial arts masters gain a number of Hero Points equal to 6 + one-half their character level, rounded down, every time they gain a new level in this class.| LEVEL | BASE ATTACK BONUS | CLASS FEATURES |
| 1st | +1 | Defense bonuses, talent |
| 2nd | +2 | Tough as Durasteel +2 |
| 3rd | +3 | Talent, Diverse Training |
| 4th | +4 | Tough as Durasteel +4 |
| 5th | +5 | Talent |
| 6th | +6 | Tough as Durasteel +6 |
| 7th | +7 | Talent |
| 8th | +8 | Tough as Durasteel +8 |
| 9th | +9 | Talent |
| 10th | +10 | Tough as Durasteel +10 |
CLASS FEATURES
The following are features of the martial arts master prestige class.DEFENSE BONUSES
At 1st level, you gain a +2 class bonus to your Reflex Defense and a +4 class bonus to your Fortitude Defense.TALENTSAt every odd-numbered level (1st, 3rd, 5th, and so on), you select a talent. The talent can be selected from the Awareness talent tree (Scout base class), the Master of Martial Arts talent tree (see below), the Martial Arts Forms talent tree (see below), or the Unarmed Mastery talent tree (see below).
MARTIAL ARTS FORMS TALENT TREE
WARNING: TALENTS (AND RELATED FEATS) IN THIS TREE WILL BE RENAMED “SOON”You have advanced training in one or more martial art forms, turning your body into a lethal weapon. Although any character can practice these forms, you have the dedication and perseverance to go beyond what most beings are capable of.
Close Range Expertise: While adjacent to an opponent, you can spend a swift action to activate this talent. If the designated opponent moves or withdraws before the beginning of your next turn, you can choose to move with that opponent, up to a total distance equal to your current speed. Unless your opponent uses the withdraw action or makes an Acrobatics check to avoid attacks of opportunity, its movement provokes an attack of opportunity from you for the first square moved as normal (but not subsequent squares in the same movement). If your target moves farther than your speed, you must still end this movement closer to the target than you began.
Focused Strike Expertise: When making an unarmed attack, you extend your critical threat range by 1 (for example, 19—20 instead of 20). However, anything other than a natural 20 is not considered an automatic hit; if you roll anything other than a natural 20 and still miss the target, you do not score a critical hit.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +10.
Grappling Expertise: When you successfully grab an enemy, he or she must make an opposed grapple check to break free of your grab. If you are initiating a grapple, you can reroll your grapple check. However, you must accept the second result, even if it is worse. You can use this talent only while wearing light armor or no armor.
Precision Strike Expertise: Once per turn, when you damage a creature or drone with an unarmed attack, compare your attack roll to the target’s damage threshold. If your attack roll equals or exceeds the target’s threshold, the target is moved -1 step on the condition track, regardless the damage result of your attack.
Returning Strike Expertise: When you damage a creature or drone with an unarmed attack, the target takes a penalty to its next attack roll equal to your Strength bonus.
Surprise Strike Expertise: Once per turn, when you damage a creature or drone with an unarmed attack, you can make an attack to disarm as a swift action. Also, you do not take the -5 penalty to your attack roll if the target is wielding a weapon with more than one hand.
Swarming Strike Expertise: Any enemy that begins its turn adjacent to you takes damage equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1 point) if you are able to make an attack of opportunity against them. You can use this talent while wearing only light armor or no armor.
MASTER OF MARTIAL ARTS TALENT TREE
Ignore Damage Reduction: When you make an unarmed against a target that has damage reduction, and you deal more damage than the target’s DR, you ignore the target’s DR completely.Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I
Martial Arts Basics: You deal an additional die of damage with unarmed attacks.
Prerequisite: Martial Arts I.
Martial Arts Mastery: If you make only unarmed attacks during action, you can take the full attack action as a standard action instead of a full-round action.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, Martial Arts III.
Unarmed Counterstrike: When you successfully parry a melee with the Unarmed Parry talent, you can immediately make an unarmed attack as a reaction against that target.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Unarmed Parry. Martial Arts I Martial Arts II.
Unarmed Parry: When you fight defensively, as a reaction you can negate a melee attack by making a successful unarmed attack roll. If your attack roll equals or exceeds the attack roll of the incoming melee attack, the attack is negated. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed, and you take a cumulative -2 penalty to all attack rolls for reach attack roll made since the beginning of your last turn.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II.
UNARMED MASTERY TALENT TREE
You have advanced training in one or more martial art forms and have turned your body into a lethal weapon. Any character can practice these forms, but through dedication and perseverance you have exceeded the abilities of other beings.Flurry of Blows: When you make multiple unarmed attacks as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty to your attack roll by 2. You can take this talent multiple times. Each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty to your attack rolls by an additional 2.
Hardened Strike: If you damage with an unarmed attack a creature or drone that has Damage Reduction, you reduce the value of that Damage Reduction by one until the end of the encounter. Cumulative attacks against the same target do not stack.
Punishing Strike: When you score a critical hit on an unarmed attack, you can make an immediate unarmed attack (in addition to other effects of a critical hit) against a single target within reach. You can use this talent only once per turn and only while wearing light armor or no armor.