Shadow Monk (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Shadow monks embrace that which other fear. By overcoming their own fear of the unknown and unseen, they gain power over it.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: shadow monk.

Build Class: monk.

Role: Shadow monks are scouts extraordinaire but also warriors and mystics, able to shift from one role to another in the blink of an eye.

Alignment: Any lawful. Shadow monks seem mysterious to outsiders and their rules hard to fathom, but the monks themselves know better.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Features

The shadow monk has all monk class features, except as follows.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

A 3rd level shadow monk can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of an area of dim light, a shadow monk can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow. This replaces maneuver training.

Darkvision (Ex)

At 3rd level, a shadow monk gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If she already has darkvision, the range increases by 30 feet. This replaces the speed increase gained from at level 3.

Shadow Ki (Sp)

At 6th level a shadow monk can spend points from his Ki pool to use spell-like abilities. The caster level of these abilities is the shadow monk's class level, and the saving throw DC is Wisdom-based. This replaces the speed increase gained at level 6.

This allows the use of silent image as a spell-like ability, as long as she has one or more points remaining in the shadow pool.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 7th level, a shadow monk cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A shadow monk with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.

If a shadow monk already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Shadow Jump (Su)

At 9th level, a shadow monk gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a shadow step spell. A shadow monk can jump up to a total of 40 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 40 feet or four jumps of 10 feet each. Every three levels higher than 4th, the distance a shadow monk can jump each day doubles (80 feet at 12th, 160 feet at 15th, and 320 feet at 18th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment. This replaces the speed increase gained from at level 9, 12, 15, and 18.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 12th level and higher, shadow monk can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the shadow monk by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has shadow monk levels.

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

Slippery Mind (Ex)

At 13th level, a shadow monk becomes resilient to enchantment spells. This functions as the rogue's advanced talent of the same name. This replaces diamond soul.

Shadow Master (Su)

At 10th level, whenever a shadow monk is in an area of dim light, she gains DR 10/— and a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws. In addition, whenever she successfully scores a critical hit against a foe who is in an area of dim light, that foe is blinded for 1d6 rounds. This replaces perfect self.

Table: Shadow Monk

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus
1st	+0	+2	+2	+2	Bonus feat, flurry of blows, stunning fist, unarmed strike	–1/–1	1d6	+0
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Bonus feat, evasion	+0/+0	1d6	+0
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Hide in plain sight, darkvision, still mind	+1/+1	1d6	+0
4th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft.	+2/+2	1d8	+1
5th	+3	+4	+4	+4	High jump, purity of body	+3/+3	1d8	+1
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	Bonus feat, shadow illusion, slow fall 30 ft.	+4/+4/–1	1d8	+1
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Ki pool (cold iron/silver), uncanny dodge	+5/+5/+0	1d8	+1
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Slow fall 40 ft., shadow powers	+6/+6/+1/+1	1d10	+2
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Improved evasion, shadow jump 40 ft.	+7/+7/+2/+2	1d10	+2
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Bonus feat, Ki pool (lawful), slow fall 50 ft.	+8/+8/+3/+3	1d10	+2
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Diamond body	+9/+9/+4/+4/–1	1d10	+2
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	improved uncanny dodge, slow fall 60 ft., shadow jump 80 ft.	+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d6	+3
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Slippery mind	+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d6	+3
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Bonus feat, slow fall 70 ft.	+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d6	+3
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9	Shadow jump 160 ft., quivering palm	+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3	2d6	+3
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Ki pool (adamantine), slow fall 80 ft.	+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4/–1	2d8	+4
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Timeless body, tongue of the sun and moon	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5/+0	2d8	+4
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Bonus feat, slow fall 90 ft., shadow jump 320 ft.,	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d8	+4
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Empty body	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d8	+4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Shadow master, slow fall any distance	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3	2d10	+5

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Fast Movement (all)
• Maneuver Training
• Wholeness of Body
• Abundant Step
• Diamond Soul
• Perfect Self