Yorei-Ryoushi

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks

Feats: Iron Will

Summary

Rare in Rokugan, the yorei-ryoushi are those samurai who have devoted their lives to eliminating the threat posed by spirit beings who enter the mortal realm. Ravenous gaki, mischievous bakeneko, or somber yoreim it matters little to the yorei-ryoushi. Each poses its own dangers to the people of Rokugan and none will be tolerated.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Martially inclined warriors looking to banish the spirits

Source: Magic of Rokugan

Game Rule Information

The Yorei-Ryoushi has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Strength or Dexterity for hitting the spirits, constitution for whethering the storm

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Yorei-Ryoushi's class skills are Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Yorei-Ryoushi.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Yorei-Ryoushi is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light armor

Sense Spirit Sp: Although not necessarily drawn from the ranks of shugenja, the yorei-ryoushi are trained in the basics of mystic perception. Beginning at the 1st level, the hunter may detect spirit entities exactly as if he had cast the Sense Spirit spell as a sorcerer with a caster level equal to his level in this class. This is a spell-like ability, usable at will.

Immunities Ex: From their acceptance into the ranks of the yorei-ryoushi, hunters are trained to steel their minds against the spirits they face. The hunter is immune to mind-altering, fear, charm, paralysis, or sleep effects from any creature with the undead or spirit types.

Disrupt Essence Su: Yorei-ryoushi are taught methods to disrupt the energies of spirit beings. Beginning at 2nd level, the ryoushi gains a +1-competence bonus for attack and damage rolls against any creature with the spirit subtype or any undead creature possessing the incorporeal subtype. This bonus is only gained with the use of a specific type of weapon (i.e. katana, tetsub, longsword) which the hunter must choose when the benefit is first gained. This bonus increases by an additional +1 every 2 levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th.) This ability does not allow the ryoushi to affect incorporeal opponents unless he also possesses the ghost touch ability.

Ghost Touch Ex: By channeling his inner energy, the ryoushi can affect even those spirits that remain incorporeal. Beginning at 3rd level all the ryoushi's unarmed attacks or attacks with small melee weapons inflict normal damage on an incorporeal opponent. At the 7th level the ryoushi learns to extend this effect to larger weapons and can inflict normal damage on a target with any Medium sized melee weapons. A spirit being dispatched with a ghost touch attack may not return to the physical world until double the normal regeneration time has passed.

Spirit Sword Ex: Yorei-ryoushi are trained to react instantly to the presence of their foes, striking without foe or reservation. When fighting spirits, the hunter always gains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even when caught flat footed or struck by an invisible attacker. Additionally, the hunter may automatically make an attack of opportunity when any spirit or undead moves into his threatened area.

Spirit Sight Sp: As time progresses, the detection abilities of the ryoushi increase. Beginning at the 7th level, the ryoushi may gain the benefits of Spirit Sight as if it were cast by a 16th level sorcerer once per day. This increases to twice per day at 9th level.

Banish Spirit Sp: With this, the most powerful of the yorei-ryoushi's abilities, the hunter can return any one spirit being from whence it came. Whenever the hunter rolls a critical success on any attack or damage roll against a spirit or outsider, the entity is automatically banished to its native realm. As per the ghost touch ability, this doubles the length of the time required before the entity can return to the physical world. Undead creatures struck with a critical success are destroyed instantly. This ability may only be used if the hunter is striking with the weapon type chosen for the disrupt essence ability.

Table 1-1: Yorei-Ryoushi Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+0	+0	+2	Sense spirit, immunities
2nd	+2	+0	+0	+3	Disrupt essence +1
3rd	+3	+1	+1	+3	Ghost touch
4th	+4	+1	+1	+4	Disrupt essence +2
5th	+5	+1	+1	+4	Spirit sword
6th	+6	+2	+2	+5	Disrupt essence +3
7th	+7	+2	+2	+5	Ghost touch, spirit sight 1/day
8th	+8	+2	+2	+6	Disrupt essence +4
9th	+9	+3	+3	+6	Banish spirit, spirit 2/day
10th	+10	+3	+3	+7	Disrupt essence +5