Mynchen, A Pathfinder 1st Edition Class in 2 paragraphs and 1 sentence
Posted by Owen K.C. Stephens
Quick Base Classes are a design challenge to build a new character class (in this case, for Pathfinder 1st edition) using elements from existing classes, but doing so in a way that produces a very different play experience. I did a bunch of Quick Base Classes back in 2015 (specifically focusing on those I could create with “two paragraphs and one sentence”), but never got around to using the wealth of material that came out for PF1 later to make new versions. So, here’s a new Quick Base Class, designed to create a very different kind of supernatural martial artist.
Mynchen

Mynchen are spiritualists and combatants who depend not on speed of sinew or might of muscle, but on mental focus and mystic power gained through mastery of their own body and mind. In many regions, mynchen gather in holy orders that act as a check on the might or more traditional military forces, and accept the physically weak, slow, or frail into their orders to train them to impact the material world through insight and personal conviction rather than muscle and agility. The mynchen uses the hit dice, proficiencies, base attack, base saves, class skills, skill points, unarmed strike, AC bonus (including Wisdom to AC), fast movement, starting wealth, and starting age as an unchained monk. She gains ki strike as an unchained monk at the same levels, but rather than lawful at 10th level her attacks gain her own alignment (and becomes a force effect if she is neutral). A mynchen treats her mynchen level as her monk level for all prerequisites.
The mynchen gains the spirit fighter class feature. This allows her to add her Charisma modifier to her hit dice gained from the mynchen class, rather than Constitution. She may also choose to add her Cha rather than Con to her Fortitude and rather than Dex to Reflex saves. A mynchen may add her Wisdom modifier rather than Strength to melee attack and damage, her Cha rather than Dex to ranged attacks (and to damage if she could normally add her Str or Dex), and her Cha rather than Dex to AC — for multiclass mynchen she cannot apply more of her Cha or Wis bonuses to these than her mynchen class level. At 1st level the mynchen gains the spirit fist class feature, which works as the mesmerists’ hypnotic stare, except it affects the first creature each round the mynchen hit and damages with a unarmed, natural, or weapon attack. The mynchen also gains painful stare, and bold stare at 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter. At 1st level, 2nd level, and every other level thereafter, the mynchen gains the mind over body class feature, which acts as mesmerist tricks. She uses her mynchen level as her mesmerist level, can only target herself with her tricks, and can implant a trick in herself as a move action. At 5th level, the mynchen’s unarmed, natural, and weapon attacks gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage. This increases by +1 every 4 levels.
The mynchen gains no other features.
Expanded Post: Although part of the point of this exercise was to make a class in two paragraphs and one sentence, I went ahead and presented it in a more traditional form, with a class progression table and such, exclusive for my Patrons. So…
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About Owen K.C. Stephens
Owen K.C. Stephens Owen Kirker Clifford Stephens is a full-time ttRPG Writer, designer, developer, publisher, and consultant. He's the publisher for Rogue Genius Games, and has served as the Starfinder Design Lead for Paizo Publishing, the Freeport and Pathfinder RPG developer for Green Ronin, a developer for Rite Publishing, and the Editor-in-Chief for Evil Genius Games. Owen has written game material for numerous other companies, including Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games and Upper Deck. He also consults, freelances, and in the off season, sleeps. He has a Pateon which supports his online work. You can find it at https://www.patreon.com/OwenKCStephensPosted on January 21, 2022, in Game Design, Pathfinder Development and tagged Game Design, gaming, Geekery, Hybrid Classes, Pathfinder First Edition, PC Options, QuickBaseClass. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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