Zuoken (Greyhawk Action)
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| Greyhawk Action! |
The prophet of mastery among the Baklunish, Zouken is an ideal for all seeking perfection, especially in the arts of war and psychic powers.
Zuoken (zoo-OH-ken) is an ascended martial artist in the service of Xan Yae. He was a Baklunish man of unremarkable appearance, but had achieved the highest level of skill in edel ("gift of fate," psionics), and da'shon ("falling hail," a complicated form of unarmed combat practiced by one of Xan Yae's sects). His symbol is a striking fist. In 505 CY, he stopped manifesting to his faithful; investigation has revealed that his essence is held somewhere in the central Flanaess; his followers continue to seek the exact place so that he may be freed.
To learn da'shon is to be on the path to perfection, for the use of weapons is a hindrance to the ability of mankind to attain the goal; once the goal is reached, one can use such things without fear of losing sight of perfection. One must strive to achieve the pinnacle of physical and mental ability. One must pursue harmony to achieve perfection, so every issue must be considered from both sides so that a balance may be struck between the two, allowing a harmonious resolution.
Zuoken's clerics teach da'shon and the way of Zuoken and Xan Yae. They wander the land to accelerate their physical and mental advancement, undergo many tests of hardship within and outside their temples in the pursuit of perfection, search for their god's prison, and attack monks of the Scarlet Brotherhood when encountered. As aging and infirmity are concerns for those who perfect their bodies, they care for the elderly to acclimatize themselves with its changes. Although Zuoken is confined in some way, his clerics receive their spells normally.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Weapon: Unarmed strike (gain Improved Unarmed Combat feat).
Symbol: A striking fist.
Pathfinder Domains
Healing (Restoration), Knowledge (Memory), Strength, Protection (Defense), War (Tactics).
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Over the course of 1 hour, spend an equal amount of time practicing with a weapon or your unarmed strikes, reading any text that you have never read before, and braiding a length of hair while contemplating the mysteries of the multiverse. Hang the length of hair around your neck when your obedience is complete and wear it for the rest of the day. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on all Knowledge checks.
Evangelist or Feat
- Expansive Knowledge (Sp) mage armor 3/day, fox’s cunning 2/ day, or archon's aura 1/day
- Inevitable Fist (Su) For a number of rounds per day equal to your Hit Dice, you can infuse your limbs with the power of perfection. Your unarmed strikes deal damage as if you were one size category larger, and gain the axiomatic or holy magic weapon quality (your choice when activating the ability). Activating or dismissing this ability is a free action, and the rounds don’t need to be consecutive.
- Runic Form (Sp and Su) Nine runic tattoos appear on your body, three for each of the three disciplines of Zouken: mind, body, and spirit. As a standard action (unless otherwise noted) you can discharge the power stored in a tattoo. Once spent, a tattoo’s power returns gradually over the course of 1 week. The tattoo powers are as follows:
Body Tattoos: Two contain cure serious wounds, which you can use as a spell-like ability. One contains restoration, which you can use as a spell-like ability.
Mind Tattoos: Two can each be discharged as a swift action to allow you to reroll a saving throw against an enchantment spell or effect. You must use this ability before you learn the result of your save, and you must take the second result, even if it is lower. The third can be discharged to grant you a +4 sacred bonus to Wisdom for 1 minute.
Spirit Tattoos: Two allow you to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. The third allows you to gain spell resistance equal to 10 + 1 for every Hit Dice you possess for 1 minute.
Exalted
- Cloud the Mind of the Unwary (Sp) hypnotism 3/day, daze monster 2/day, or suggestion 1/day
- Illusion of Separation (Su) Up to three times per day, when you can cast a spell with a range of touch, treat it as having a range of close instead.
- Walk Above the Earth (Su) You hover several inches off the ground as if levitating. This doesn’t affect your speed, and makes you immune to most kinds of difficult terrain, traps triggered by pressure, and potentially other effects. You can levitate over solid surfaces only, so you fall if you step off a cliff or over a liquid. You can, however, raise or lower yourself as levitate. If you make an attack while hovering, you are not subject to the attack and damage penalties listed in the levitate spell description. However, if you move yourself higher in the air using a move action, you become subject to the attack and damage penalties until you return to the ground.
Sentinel
- Masterful Warrior (Sp) true strike 1/day, false life 2/day, or haste 3/day
- Secrets of the Enemy (Ex) The knowledge you’ve gained over the years regarding different creatures lets you strike your foes with unerring insight. As a standard action, you can study your opponent during combat, a task which requires you to succeed at a Knowledge check related to the enemy’s type (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 99). The DC is equal to 10 + your opponent’s Hit Dice. If you succeed at the check, you gain a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against that enemy. If you fail at the Knowledge check, you may try again with another action, but all subsequent attempts to use this ability against the same enemy take a cumulative –2 penalty.
- Perfection of Form (Ex) You develop your body to such a degree of physical perfection that you become almost untouchable by the ravages of toxins and disease. You gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on saving throws against poison, magical and supernatural diseases, and spells and effects that cause ability damage, ability drain, or negative levels. You also become immune to nonmagical diseases.