Gurus of this philosophy believe that a person must be free to follow the direction of their own inner motivations. These gurus are often free-spirited creatures who travel wherever the wind takes them and often seek to emulate the wind in their fighting techniques, choosing weapons and techniques that twist and flow like the wind itself.
Vayist Abilities
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Vayist gains proficiency with the following weapon groups: Monastic, Thrown.
Aether Ties
By taking 1 point of essence burn as a free action, a vayist can infuse the air himself around with a rarified form of essence and send it flowing across the battlefield towards a particular target. The vayist chooses one target within 60 feet and creates a bond that lasts for a number of rounds equal to the vayist’s Wisdom modifier. As long as this bond is active the targeted enemy takes a –2 penalty to all attack rolls that do not include the vayist as a target.
Whenever an affected enemy misses the vayist or makes an attack that does not include him as a target, the vayist recovers 1 point of essence burn.
The vayist gains a dodge bonus to his armor class and a competence bonus on reflex saving throws equal to the number of aether ties he currently has in effect against all attacks made by enemies not currently affected by this ability.
The vayist can have one aether tie active at a time, plus one additional aether tie for every 5 levels he possesses, but each tie must be activated and paid for separately.
Aether Infusion
At 4th level the vayist becomes particularly adept at using essence to become one with the air around him, manipulating it to enhance his attacks and defenses and obscure him from his enemies.
By taking 1 point of essence Burn as part of a ranged attack, the Vayist can increase the range increment of any ranged weapon he wields by 10 feet, plus an additional 10 feet at 13th and 19th level (to a maximum of an additional 30 feet). This effect lasts for 2 rounds, and the Vayist gains a +2 competence bonus on all attack rolls made with weapons affected by this ability.
By taking 2 points of essence burn, the vayist can surround himself with a whirlwind of air that obscures him from view, protecting him as though he were affected by a blur spell for 3 rounds.
By taking 4 points of essence burn, the vayist can use mirror image as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level.
Leaf on the Wind
At 7th level, the vayist has learned to always keep his composure and his feet whenever life, or an enemy, knocks him down. By taking 1 point of essence burn, he can stand up from prone as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. He can perform this action even when it’s not his turn.
Alternatively, he can use this ability to reduce the damage from any fall as though it were 10 feet less per point of essence in his essence Pool, regardless of whether that essence is assigned to other abilities. Essence currently unavailable due to essence burn is not counted when calculating this total.
Revitalizing Breath
At 10th level, a vayist can breathe new life and energy into their companions. Once per day, a vayist can take 5 points of essence burn to cast breath of life as spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level.
Breath of the East Wind
At 13th level the vayist’s ability to disperse his essence into the air around himself grants him new and potent abilities. By taking 1 point of essence burn as a swift action, the vayist can use alter winds, centered on himself, as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level. This effect always moves with the vayist.
By taking 4 points of essence burn as a swift action, the Vayist can use air walk on himself as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level. This ability cannot be used to affect anyone other than the vayist.
Finally, the vayist can take 5 points of essence burn as a full round action to use river of wind as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level; when the vayist uses this ability he can choose to disperse his physical form and become one with a roaring current of air, instantly transporting himself to any square within the abilities area of effect.
Roaring Gale
At 16th level, the vayist may take 4 points of essence burn as part of a full round action to make one attack against each enemy within the first range increment of a ranged Philosophy weapon he possesses. When the vayist makes an attack with a Philosophy weapon while using this ability, the weapon teleports back to his grasp immediately after the attack is resolved.
Perfect Independence
At 19th level the vayist benefits from a continuous freedom of movement effect.