Sacred Fist

Description
Sacred Fists are independent organizations found within many temples. Their ascetic members have turned their divine magic inward, bringing their bodies and wills into harmony. Sacred Fists have forsworn the use of weapons and heavy armor. They consider their bodies and minds gifts from their deity, and they believe that not developing those gifts to their fullest potential is a sin. Spellcasting does not dishonor them or their deity. Sacred Fists are strong in faith, will and body.

Clerics are excellent candidates for Sacred Fist orders. Paladins may also choose to join them, but are seldom comfortable surrendering the trappings of their calling. Fighters, rogues, bards and even ex-monks may make good candidates, provided they have enough levels in a class that grants divine spells. Druids occasionally find the class's combat skills useful, but sorcerers and wizards find little to interest them.

Requirements

 * Base attack bonus: +4 (note: +8 BAB is required for stunning fist, or 1st level Monk)
 * Skill ranks: Lore: Religion 8
 * Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Combat Casting
 * Spells: Able to cast 1st-level divine spells

AC bonus
When unencumbered, wearing no or light armor and not using a shield a sacred fist gains a +1 AC bonus. This increases to +2 at level 5 and +3 at 10.

Sacred Fist Code of Conduct
Sacred fists have vowed to refrain from using weapons. Whenever a sacred fist equips any weapon they suffer a -8 attack penalty.

Note: As of v1.12, this penalty also applies to Wild Shape.

Fast movement
At level 3 a sacred fist gains a +10ft speed bonus. At level 6 this becomes +20ft, at 8th +30ft. Wearing medium or heavy armor or encumberance disables this bonus. If the sacred fist also has monk levels then the levels stack for the purpose of determining the speed bonus.

Sacred Fist fast movements works even in light armor, unlike Monk which only works in no armor (robes).

Spell progression
When a new sacred fist level is gained, except at 4th and 8th level, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a sacred fist, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Unarmed damage
A sacred fist's unarmed damage follows the same progression as monk. If the sacred fist also has monk levels then the levels stack for the purpose of determining the damage.

Sacred flames
At 4th level, a sacred fist may use a standard action to invoke sacred flames around his hands and feet. These flames add to the sacred fist's unarmed damage. The additional damage is equal to the sacred fist's class levels plus his wisdom modifier (if any).

Half the damage is fire damage(rounded up), and the rest is sacred energy and thus not subject to effects that reduce fire damage. The sacred flame lasts for 1 minute and can be invoked once per day. At 8th level, sacred flames can be used twice per day.

Note: as this damage is applied to the character, it (ironically) affects any worn weapon, and is not subject to damage resistance.

Uncanny Dodge
At 6th level, the Sacred Fist retains any Dexterity bonus to AC when flat-footed or when struck by an invisible attacker.

Inner armor
At 10th level, a sacred fist may use inner armour once per day. This provides +4 sacred bonus to AC, +4 sacred bonus to all saves, 25 spell resistance for a number of rounds equal to his wisdom modifier.