Drunken Master

Martial arts students face a bewildering array of martial arts schools, each with its own adherents and detractors. However, few schools are as unusual—or as controversial—as drunken boxing. By weaving and staggering about as if inebriated, drunken boxers avoid many blows. Likewise, their stumbling, lurching attacks catch their opponents off guard. Moreover, when they actually imbibe alcohol, drunken masters can perform truly prodigious feats of strength and bravery. This ability garners a drunken master little respect among adherents of other martial arts schools, because drunken boxing exacts a toll on its users. Drunken masters may remain intoxicated for hours after a fight, and they are often found half-asleep in taverns, mumbling incoherently. This flies in the face of other schools’ ascetic principles. Members of rival schools must be wary—they never know when the tipsy lout at the bar is just a harmless thug, and when he is a nigh-unstoppable drunken master.

<php>echo “<b>Base Attack Bonus:</b>”;</php> +5
<php>echo “<b>Skills:</b>”;</php> Acrobatics (5 ranks)
<php>echo “<b>Feats:</b>”;</php> Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Unarmed Strike
<php>echo “<b>Special:</b>”;</php> Must be chosen by existing drunken masters and survive a night of revelry among them without being incarcerated, poisoned, or extraordinarily embarrassed

<php>echo “<b>Hit Dice:</b>”;</php> d10
<php>echo “<b>Armor Proficiencies:</b>”;</php> None
<php>echo “<b>Weapon Proficiencies:</b>”;</php> None
<php>echo “<b>Skill Points/Level:</b>”;</php> 4 + Int
<php>echo “<b>Class Skills:</b>”;</php> Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Deception (Cha), Insight (Wis), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Trade (Int)

<php>echo “<b>Drunken Ki (Ex):</b>”;</php> A drunken master’s body handles alcohol differently from other people. He can drink a tankard of ale, a bottle of wine, or a corresponding amount of stronger alcohol as a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Every bottle or tankard of alcohol he consumes grants him one drunken ki point. The drunken master can have a maximum number of drunken ki points equal to his Con modifier plus an additional 1 for every odd level of drunken master he possesses (1st, 3rd, 5th, and so on). These drunken ki points last for 1 hour or until spent, whichever is shorter. As long as the drunken master has at least 1 drunken ki point, his Strength is increased by 2, and his Wisdom and Intelligence are reduced by 2 points each. Drunken ki can be spent to use the following abilities:

• <php>echo “<i>Drunken Fist (Ex):</i>”;</php> Whenever an opponent misses the drunken master with a melee attack, the drunken master may spend 1 drunken ki point as an immediate action to make an unarmed melee attack against that foe, dealing an additional 2d6 damage on a successful hit.
• <php>echo “<i>Stagger (Ex):</i>”;</php> By spending one drunken ki point as a free action, any threatened squares the drunken master move through on his turn do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

<php>echo “<b>Tavern Brawler (Ex):</b>”;</php> A drunken master gains the Always Armed feat for free at 1st level. If the character already possesses the feat, he may instead choose any other combat feat for which he meets the prerequisites. Additionally, the drunken master can treat improvised weapons as if they were martial arts weapons, and may use his unarmed damage die in place of the improvised weapon’s damage die when rolling for damage.

<php>echo “<b>Monk Training:</b>”;</php> A drunken master’s class levels stack with his monk level when determining his unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus.

<php>echo “<b>Swaying Waist (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 2nd level, a drunken master knows how to weave and bob during an attack, making him more difficult to hit. The character gains a +1 dodge bonus to his AC as long as he has at least 1 point of drunken ki.

<php>echo “<b>Drunken Resilience (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 3rd level, a drunken master gains DR 1/- as long as he has at least 1 point of drunken ki. The DR increases to 2/- at 6th level, and 3/- at 9th level.

<php>echo “<b>Spirited Brew (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 4th level, the drunken master can spend 1 drunken ki point as a swift action to gain temporary hit points equal to the drunken master’s character level + his Con modifier. These temporary hit points last for as long as the drunken master has at least 1 point of drunken ki or for 1 hour, whichever is longer.

<php>echo “<b>Improvised Weapon Expert (Ex):</b>”;</php> A drunken master of 5th level or higher can use long improvised weapons (such as ladders) as reach weapons according to their length, and improvised weapons with many protrusions (such as chairs) can be treated as disarm weapons, providing a +2 bonus on Combat Maneuver Checks made to disarm an enemy. Finally, large objects with broad, flat surfaces (such as tables) can be upended to become improvised tower shields.

<php>echo “<b>Corkscrew Rush (Ex):</b>”;</php> A drunken master of 7th level or higher can perform a special maneuver in which he leaps forward, twisting his body in midair as he attempts to head-butt an opponent. The drunken master must spend 1 drunken ki point as part of a charge attack to perform this maneuver. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 4d6 damage, and the target must make a Fort save (DC 10 + 1/2 the drunken master’s character level + the drunken master’s Wis modifier) or be stunned and staggered for 1 round and staggered the following round. If the attack misses, the drunken master lands prone in front of the opponent.

<php>echo “<b>Liquid Courage (Su):</b>”;</php> At 8th level, a drunken master is immune to fear as long as he has at least 1 point of drunken ki.

<php>echo “<b>Firewater Breath (Su):</b>”;</php> At 10th level, a drunken master can take a drink and expel a gout of alcohol-fueled fire in a 30-foot cone, dealing fire damage equal to 1d6 per character level plus the drunken master’s Con modifier. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the drunken master’s character level + the drunken master’s Wis modifier) halves the damage. Using this ability is a standard action that consumes 2 drunken ki points.

<php>echo “<b>Enlightenment Through Drink (Ex):</b>”;</php> After many nights of excessive drinking, brawling, and revelry, the drunken master finally uncovers the true meaning behind his discipline. At 10th level, the drunken master ignores the Wisdom and Intelligence penalties suffered through his drunken ki ability.