Primordial Spirit

There is one practice that humans invented that elves liked and gave it their own spin: the Search for inner strength. As humans built monasteries in high mountains, elves retreated into the deepest parts of the forest, looking for the inner energy in the environment where they are most comfortable.

The Quintessential Elf

Author Alejandro Melchor
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

The truths that they discovered led them to develop their own martial art, drawing power from their links to the primordial energies of nature. Primordial spirits move and fight like the elements themselves, moving like the winds and striking with the strength of the earth. They live ascetically in the wilderness, with great oak trees serving as the walls to their monasteries, where they do not have to try to imitate nature’s Balance in elaborate gardens, since it is all around them.

Elven monks are rare given the free-spirited nature of the race, but those few developed a unique elven fighting style, and are the prime candidates to become primordial spirits. fighters who wish to expand their horizons seek out the primordial masters, as do the rangers and druids that feel the power of nature inside them as well as outside.

Some clerics worshipping nature and war can feel compelled to follow their deities’ tenets in a more personal way, while rogues make full use of their agility and skill if they take the time to follow the primordial inner paths. The primordial way of the elements has wood elves as its primary followers, while grey elves appreciate its ascetic practice and search for perfection. High elves show little interest in unarmed combat and wild elves get exasperated quickly. If sea elves and drow have their own versions of martial arts they remain unknown.

Primordial spirits found as Non-Player Characters are wanderers, searching for ways to perfect their technique and understanding of nature’s way, and will often stop and debate philosophy with other travellers who show an interest. As part of a monastery, the primordial spirits are patient and sometimes even condescending with visitors and potential recruits.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

Race: Elf or half-elf.
Base Attack: +5 or higher.
Skills: Concentration 5 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks, Wilderness Lore 5 ranks.
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike and Weapon Finesse (unarmed).

Class Skills

The primordial spirit’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dexterity), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (Arcana) (Intelligence), Listen (Wisdom), Profession(Wisdom), Search (Wisdom), Spot (Wisdom), Tumble (Dexterity) and Wilderness Lore (Wisdom).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier

The Primordial Spirit
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+0	+2	+2	+2	Earth form defence
2	+1	+3	+3	+3	Rock strike
3	+2	+3	+3	+3
4	+3	+4	+4	+4	Water form defence
5	+3	+4	+4	+4	Wave attack
6	+4	+5	+5	+5	Wind form defence
7	+5	+5	+5	+5	Cloud kick
8	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6
9	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Fire form defence
10	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Flaming fist

Class Features

• Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Primordial spirits are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armour nor with shields. Note that armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour, equipment, or loot carried.
• Earth Form Defence (Ex): The primordial spirit learns to be as steadfast as the earth. When the character uses the attack action or full attack action in melee, he can take a penalty of as much as -5 on his Dexterity modifier (affecting Armour Class and Dexterity-based attacks) and gain the same number (up to 5) as a damage reduction rating. The changes to the Dexterity modifier and the damage reduction last until the character’s next action.
• Rock Strike (Ex): At 2nd level, now that the character has trained to take a hit, he reverses his learning to attack, gaining the Power Attack feat for free even if he does not meet the Strength prerequisite. He gains no additional benefit if he already possesses the feat.
• Water Form Defence (Ex): The primordial spirit flows like water around the battlefield. By taking a -5 penalty to his attack rolls during a round, the character has a chance to avoid damage. When he takes damage from a melee attack, he can roll a Reflex save (DC equal to 10 + damage dealt) and, if successful, he takes only half damage and takes a five-foot step in any direction without drawing an attack of opportunity, even if he already moved that round. The character must be aware of the attack and not be flat-footed.
• Wave Attack (Ex): Once per round, the character can choose not to do a normal attack and instead use his opponent’s strength against him. The character must be attacked first, meaning that he has to delay his action in the initiative order if he rolled high. He then rolls a Reflex save (DC equal to the opponent’s attack roll) and, if successful, he trips his attacker, projecting him to the square behind the character’s position, or the one to his left or right (character’s choice). The character must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed in order to use this ability, and he must have at least one hand free.
• Wind Form Defence (Su): The best way to defend from an attack is not to be there. Once per day per three primordial spirit levels, the character can become incorporeal for one round as a move-equivalent action, letting all attacks pass through him harmlessly. He can still be damaged by +1 or better magical weapons as well as by spells.
• Cloud Kick (Ex): Once per round, if the primordial spirit attacks an opponent successfully with an unarmed strike, he has two choices: he can use the strength of the kick to push himself backwards a distance equal to half his movement rate, or he can strike with a follow up kick with the same attack bonus as his original attack.
• Fire Form Defence (Su): The character has learned enough about channelling the energy of nature that he can cause this energy to combust around him. Once per day, the primordial spirit can surround his body with a fiery nimbus that deals a number of points of fire damage equal to his Wisdom score to any creature attacking him with natural weapons. This damage is reduced by half if the opponent is attacking with normal melee weapons, and negated if the weapon has a reach of 10 feet or more. The primordial spirit can keep this aura up for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution modifier.
• Flaming Fist (Su): Three times per day, plus one per Wisdom modifier, the primordial spirit can imbue his unarmed attacks with the raw energy of nature as a free action. His attack can harm creatures with damage reduction, with his hands or feet counting as a magical weapon with a bonus equal to the character’s Wisdom modifier. This bonus only applies for the purpose of harming a creature with damage reduction and does not apply to attack or damage rolls. The energy discharges when the character hits successfully.
• Multiclass Note: monks can gain levels as primordial spirits and still be able to advance as monks.