Sumotori (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Sumo as represented here is a mix of the old and the modern, of reality and legend. It has little direct relationship to the sport of sumo as practiced today.

Sumo is was originally a ceremonial form of combat, originating in religious dance. Top-ranking practitioners live heavily regulated lives of practice, ritual, competition, and diet. As they advance in ability, this training makes them grow heavier, increasing to as much as triple their normal weight. Despite its religious side, sumo is also a performance style heavily involved with gambling and practiced by yakuza and others who wish to be a living arsenal without carrying any actual weapons.

As a fighting technique, sumo relies on fast strikes delivered at short range, fast but short charges, holds, and throws.

Class Information

Alignment: Any lawful

Hit Die: d10.

Starting Wealth: 1d6 × 10 gp (average 35 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The sumotori's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local)(Int), Knowledge (religion)(Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Sumotoris are proficient with the club, dagger, dan bong, fighting fan, hanbo, handaxe, heavy mace, greatclub, kerambit, thorn bracer, quarterstaff, short sword, tetsubo, and wakisazhi. Sumotori have no special training with monk weapons. Sumotoris are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor or using a shield, a sumotori loses his way of the body AC bonus, as well as his flurry of blows ability.

Way of the Body Conditioning (Ex)

The sumotori lives on a special diet and spends countless hours conditioning her body to resist the heaviest of blows. As long as she is not wearing any armor or using a shield, a sumotori gains a circumstance bonus to natural armor and CMD equal to her Constitution modifier. This bonus increases by 1 for every four sumotori levels, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. This replaces the monk's AC bonus.

Gentleman of Strength (Ex)

Sumotori live a life even more bounded by rules than most monks. Part of this regimen is ritual "combat" against spirits as a part of ritual, and living their lives according to rituals. As a result, sumotori are accustomed to dealing with spirits and the supernatural, and have strong Will saves.

As a result of this training and diet, a sumotori increases about 20% in weight per point of Constitution bonus. This weight increase does not penalize the sumotori physically, but gives a -1 penalty on Disguise checks equal to the sumotori's Constitution bonus unless the appearance assumed is similarly heavy and can have other social consequences (requiring special furniture and the like).

This replaces purity of body and timeless body.

Grappling Mastery

A sumotori gains the following feats as bonus feats at the listed level, ignoring all prerequisites. If the sumotori already knows one of these feats, he gains a combat feat he fulfills the prerequisites for instead. This replaces fast movement.

1: Improved Grapple
3: Grabbing Style
6: Greater Grapple
9: Grabbing Drag
15: Grabbing Master

Bonus Feats

At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a sumotori can select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list: Blind Fight, Body Shield, Felling Escape, Limb-Twisting, Stunning Pin, Under And Over.

At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Improved Body Shield, Jawbreaker, Pinning Knockout, Sleeper Hold.

At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list: Neckbreaker, Pinning Rend, Snoutgrip.

A sumotori need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them. This is a modification of the monk's bonus feats.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 2nd level, a sumotori can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A sumotori with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.

If a sumotori already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead. This replaces evasion.

Style Strike (Ex)

At 5th level, a sumotori can learn one type of style strike. Whenever he makes a flurry of blows, he can designate one of his unarmed strikes as a style strike. This attack is resolved as normal, but it has an additional effect depending on the type of strike chosen. At 9th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a sumotori learns an additional style strike. He must choose which style strike to apply before the attack roll is made. At 15th level, he can designate up to two of his unarmed strikes each round as a style strike, and each one can be a different type. The sumotori can choose from any of the following strikes. This is a modification of the monk's style strike ability.

• Close Strike: A fast attack at short range that surprises the opponent. The sumotori makes his attack against the foe's flat-footed AC. The opponent must be adjacent, even if the sumotori has a natural reach. Creatures with the uncanny dodge class feature or a similar effect cannot be caught flat-footed by this style strike.

• Defensive Spin: The sumotori spins about, confounding his foe. If the attack hits, the sumotori gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC against any attacks made by the target of the style strike until the start of his next turn. This bonus does not stack with itself. The sumotori must attack with a fist to use this style strike.

• Foot Stomp: The sumotori stomps on a foe's foot, preventing the opponent from escaping. If the attack hits and the sumotori ends his turn adjacent to that foe, the foe's movement is restricted. Until the start of the sumotori's next turn, the target of this attack can move only in such a way that the space it occupies is adjacent to the sumotori. Alternatively, it can attempt a combat maneuver check (against the sumotori's CMD) as a standard action to break free. This strike does not work against foes that cannot be tripped. The sumotori must attack with a kick to use this style strike.

• Grabbing Slap: The sumotori slaps and grabs an opponent in one move. If the attack hits, the sumotori can make a free grapple check to start, escape, or maintain a grapple (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). A grabbing slap does damage as an unarmed strike, it does not deal grapple damage.

• Hammerblow: The sumotori links his hands together, swinging both arms like a club and dealing tremendous damage. If the attack hits, the sumotori rolls his unarmed strike damage twice, adding both rolls together before applying Strength and other modifiers to the damage. This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. The sumotori must attack with a fist to use this style strike, but must have both hands free.

• Head-Butt: The sumotori slams his head into his enemy's head, leaving his foe reeling. If the attack hits and the foe is of the same size or one size smaller than the sumotori, the sumotori can make a free combat maneuver check against the target of this strike (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). If the foe is not of the same creature type as the sumotori, the sumotori takes a –8 penalty on this check. If the check is successful, the target is staggered for 1 round. Creatures without a discernible head are not affected by this style strike (subject to GM discretion). The sumotori must attack with a head-butt to use this style strike.

• Knockback: The sumotori attempts to knock his foe back with a powerful push. If the attack hits, the sumotori can make a free bull rush attempt against the target of this strike (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). This bull rush attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The sumotori must attack with a body tackle to use this attack.

• Lift: The sumotori attempts to lift his opponent, overturning the the opponent and knocking them down. If the attack hits, the sumotori can make a free trip attempt against the target of this strike (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). This trip attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The sumotori must attack with a fist to use this style strike.

• Shattering Smash: The sumotori delivers a massive strike that can penetrate defenses. If the attack hits, it bypasses any damage reduction or hardness possessed by the target of that attack.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 9th level, a sumotori can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another sumotori the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more sumotori levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum sumotori level required to flank the character. This replaces improved evasion.

Giant in the Ring (Ex)

At 12th level, the sumotori is considered one size category larger than her actual size for the purpose of who she can use combat maneuvers and style strikes against. At level 18, this size increase is two categories. This does not affect her damage, DMB, CMD, or natural reach; it only changes her size for the purpose of determining what options she has in combat.

Spirit Warrior

At 13th level, the sumotori can fight spirits even when they want to avoid combat. Her unarmed attacks (including grappling and combat maneuvers) and her natural armor gains the ghost touch special quality. This replaces tounge of the sun and moon.

Feats

The following feats are useful to sumotori.

Grappling Charge (Combat)

You can make a rush and grab a foe.

Prerequisites: Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit: You can combine a charge with a grapple combat maneuver, gaining a +2 bonus on the CMB to grapple, but suffering a -2 penalty on your Armor Class until the beginning of your next round.

Improved Body Shield (Combat)

You cover behind those you grapple.

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Body Shield, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +9.

Benefit: You gain cover against opponents not involved in the grapple as long as you are grappling or grappled and not pinned. You do not suffer a penalty to Armor Class for being prone while grappling.

Limb Grab (Combat)

You can grapple a foe if you are in that foes natural reach.

Prerequisites: Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +12.

Benefit: When you are within the natural reach of an opponent, you can make a grapple combat maneuver against that opponent according to the normal rules, even if the opponent is out of your reach. If successful, you can either move adjacent to the opponent or pull the opponent adjacent to you, as you choose.

Limb Twist (Combat)

You twist your opponent asunder.

Prerequisites: Strength 13+, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike

Benefit: You ignore damage reduction when inflicting unarmed damage with a successful grapple check.

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