Shrinemaiden

Alignment
Any lawful.

Hit Die
d8.

Class Skills
The shrinemaiden's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), 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 shrinemaiden.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Shrinemaidens are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor and medium armor.

Shrinemaidens are not proficient with shields.

Shining Crescent (Su)
As a standard action, a thoroughly trained shrinemaiden may unleash a crescent-shaped wave of energy from the end of her melee weapon when attacking. Attacking this way functions as a ranged touch attack using Strength and can hit enemies from a distance of 25 feet plus 5 feet for every additional shrinemaiden level. The damage from this attack is equal to 1d6 points of force damage per shrinemaiden level, plus her Wisdom bonus (if any).

At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the shrinemaiden may use shining crescent one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: The Shrinemaiden, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level. However, using the technique expends a lot of energy, so it may not be used in the same encounter more than once.

At 8th level, the wave becomes powerful enough to damage all enemies in a line, and at 12th level, it is sent out horizontally and widens as it travels, damaging enemies in a cone-shaped area of effect.

Combat Stance (Ex)
At 3rd level, a shrinemaiden can employ different combat stances to fight offensively or defensively depending on the situation.

Normal
The normal stance is the stance a shrinemaiden is in by default when not using any other stance, and the only stance available to her before 3rd level. It offers no bonuses, but it is the only stance in which a shrinemaiden may use shining crescent, or any spells she might have.

Switching from the normal stance to another stance and vice versa is considered a swift action, however, switching from hasso to seigan or from seigan to hasso in one round is considered a standard action.

Hasso (Ex)
An aggressive stance in which the shrinemaiden wields a two-handed melee weapon with heavy emphasis on attack. In this stance, she will receive a +1 competence bonus to her damage and a +2 competence bonus to her attack rolls.

Seigan (Ex)
A stance in which the shrinemaiden wields a two-handed melee weapon defensively to parry incoming blows. In this stance, she will have a +2 dodge bonus to her Armor Class and damage reduction of 1/-.

Iainuki (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, a shrinemaiden can deliver a dashing slice attack as a full-round action once per day. Using this technique allows her to move, strike a foe, and continue moving in the same direction, provided that the total distance moved is not greater than her speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender she attacks, though it might provoke attacks of opportunity from other creatures, if appropriate. The attack itself is treated as a standard melee attack at her highest base attack bonus using her weapon's base damage formula, but it is treated as having a doubled critical threat range. In addition, critical hit rolls are automatically successful, so a threat is treated as an automatic critical hit.

This attack is also considered to be a coup de grace against a helpless opponent.

Improved Combat Stance (Ex)
At 7th level, a shrinemaiden becomes more specialized in her combat stances. Utilizing the hasso stance will increase her competence bonus to damage to +2, and the competence bonus to her attack rolls to +3.

In the seigan stance, her dodge bonus to Armor Class increases to +3, and her damage reduction increases to 2/-.

Combat Stance Mastery (Ex)
At 11th level, a shrinemaiden has completed her stance training. In the hasso stance, her competence bonus to damage increases to +3, and the competence bonus to her attack rolls to +5. Additionally, she will be allowed to make an extra attack at her full base attack bonus per round when using the full attack action.

When using the seigan stance, her dodge bonus to Armor Class increases to +5, and her damage reduction increases to 3/-. Additionally, she is treated as having the evasion class feature, noted below.

Evasion (Ex)
Starting at 11th level, in the seigan stance, a shrinemaiden can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the shrinemaiden is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless shrinemaiden does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Code of Conduct
A shrinemaiden must be of lawful alignment.

Additionally, a shrinemaiden's code requires that she swear an oath of fealty to her shrine, wherein she must respect and follow the directives of the shrine's master, the one whom she serves, or any other in a position or rank above her own. She must, to the best of her ability, protect the shrine, its members, and its ideals, with force if necessary. She must also take an oath of celibacy upon entering into her service.

If the shrinemaiden is in the direct service of a shrine's master or another high-ranking official, she may be allowed to ignore the orders of those that are of a lesser position or rank than her master is, but of higher position or rank than she is. This type of shrinemaiden is always expected to act in the way that she feels would best benefit, serve, and protect her master.

Breaking either oath will result in the loss of a shrinemaiden's title, status and position, and she will no longer be able to progress any farther in levels as a shrinemaiden. Depending on the exact circumstances, she may be expelled and banned from entering the shrine, or any associated shrines.

Ex-Shrinemaidens
A shrinemaiden who becomes nonlawful or breaks either of her oaths cannot gain new levels as a shrinemaiden but retains all shrinemaiden abilities.

A shrinemaiden who loses her status because of outside factors beyond her control (such as her shrine being destroyed) may continue to gain levels as a shrinemaiden, and depending on the exact circumstances (such as the shrine's leadership becoming corrupt and turning against their teachings), may be absolved of her oaths as well. She must still remain lawful to continue gaining further levels, however.