Martial Mystic

A martial arts expert who channels inner life-force (Chi). Mystics focus on controlling their body to the fullest, producing seemingly magical effects without casting spells. They wear no armor but add full level to Defense.

Stats

| | | |---|---| | Life | 5 + Level (6 at L1) | | Attack bonus | +½L to melee and ranged | | Defense bonus | +L (no armor required) | | Armor allowed | None | | Weapons allowed | Light weapons (staff, sickle, club, dagger, nunchaku), sling, quarterstaff | | Saves as | Rogue |

Unarmed Fighting

Martial mystics do not suffer the usual −2 penalty for unarmed combat. The −1 for using a light weapon still applies. They may also kick: kicks attack at +1, but a roll of 1 on the Attack roll means the mystic loses their balance and cannot attack next turn.

Chi Points

At the start of every adventure, the martial mystic receives Level + 2 Chi points. Chi is spent one point at a time to trigger special abilities during the adventure. Spent Chi is recovered through one hour of undisturbed meditation.

Chi Abilities (1 point each)

1. Energy Fist — counts as a magic attack, can hit insubstantial or magic-only creatures. Add +L (not ½L) to this unarmed attack. Lasts the current turn only.
2. Destroy Object — instantly destroy one wooden item (door, chest, shield, pole, etc.) or deal up to 3 damage to a wood creature. Costs one action.
3. Break Free — automatically escape chains, ropes, shackles, or magical restraints. Costs one action.
4. Evade — leave melee without suffering a free attack.
5. Auto-Defend — spend before rolling to automatically pass one Defense roll (cannot roll first and then spend Chi on failure).
6. Project Life Force — lose 1 Life to heal 2 Life for a friend, remove poison, cure temporary blindness, or remove 1 Madness point. Cannot target self.
7. Parry Ranged — parry an incoming ranged attack and reflect it back at the attacker (+½L to hit).
8. Incapacitate — on a successful Defense roll, spend Chi to immediately attack at −1 and bind the attacker (minions or bosses at ≤½ the mystic's level only; not weird monsters, swarms, elementals, etc.).
9. Non-Lethal Combat — for this encounter, all kills become knock-outs (creature is incapacitated, not dead). Does not work on undead, oozes, elementals, or creatures without a nervous system.
10. Interrogate — once per adventure, use pressure-point technique on a prisoner (must be able to communicate) to gain 2 Clues via a search roll.
11. Akashic Focus — allot 6 Chi points before the adventure begins (they cannot be spent on anything else). Gain access to either one Expert skill you don't know (usable once) or one spell from any list (usable once, then forgotten).

Spell Use from Scrolls

Mystics can cast scrolls and magic items as if they were first-level casters (add +1 to the roll regardless of actual level).

Expert Skills

From Four Against the Abyss: Acute Hearing, Combat Acrobatics, Deadly Strike (bare hands only), Double Attack, Impervious, Poison Resistance, Quick Footed, Spot Weakness (bare hands only), Withstand Pain.

From Concise Collection of Classes: Catch Projectiles, Flurry of Blows, Quivering Palm.

Role in the party

Extremely durable front-liner who never wears armor. The Chi pool replaces spell slots — spend carefully. The Energy Fist makes the mystic invaluable against magic-only creatures when the party has no magic weapons. The life-transfer ability is a secondary healing source.