Way of the Panmahiast

The Panmahiast is a master of brutal, all-out combat form called Panmahia. The term means, “total fight.” A less violent version, called pankration, is used in the Olympic games. Both styles integrate every resource the Panmahiast has to bear: hands, feet, everything except biting and gouging.

Panmahia techniques blend the best and worst of wrestling and boxing, from uppercut punches to fullpowered kicks, joint locks to chokeholds. There’s nothing a Panmahiast won’t consider. Kicking is an essential part of Panmahia, especially kicks aimed at the abdomen or lower.

Kicks above the belt are used sparingly, usually to incapacitate a foe on the ground.

A long line of legendary Panmahiasts has established a tradition of near-invincibility, including the stories of Arrichion, Dioxxipus, and Polydamos. All three moved beyond wrestling human beings and battled lions and multilimbed monsters. But perhaps the most important founder of Panmahia is Hercules, who knew how to harness his pneuma to break stones with his bare fists and kick through war shields.

Panmahiasts who are starting out will often wander the land, picking up apprentices by displaying feats of strength and agility. They sell their services to those in need, as bodyguards and trainers for soldiers.

Panmahiasts are capable of the most amazing feats of physical skill, from leaping over walls to smashing through doors with their bare fists. They are deadly opponents against monsters, especially bovines and felines.

Panmahiasts value strength and physical prowess.

Athena, Ares, and Zeus are all revered.

Panmahiasts train at a local gym, honing their abilities until they are ready to set out on their own. Some become teachers, others become warriors in their own right. All are dangerous to cross.

The art of panmahia is appealing to those species that disdain weaponry but value strength. Minotaurs and Arimaspoi both make excellent Panmahiasts, but they rarely have the discipline to complete their training. The art is especially appealing to Sparti, who enjoy bringing the full range of their deadly natural weapons to bear.

Bull Wrestling

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain advantage on attack rolls and skill checks against bovines.

Bovines include cows, bison and other herd mammals with udders as well as minotaurs or creatures that exhibit bovine traits like khalkotauro.

Lion Wrestling

At 6th level, you gain advantage on attack rolls and skill checks against felines. Felines include all the great cats (lions, tigers, leopards, etc.) as well as feline humanoids or creatures that exhibit feline traits like khimaira, nemean lions, gryphus, mantikhoras, and sphinxes.

Pneuma Strike

At 11th level, your unarmed attacks are empowered with pneuma. Your unarmed attacks are also treated as silvered and adamantine for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Damoxenus Strike

Starting at 17th level, you can instantly kill another living beast, humanoid, or monstrosity with a single strike. As an action, you touch one creature within 5 feet of you, and you expend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, and it takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

5E RPG: Ancient Adventures. Copyright 2020, Mal and Tal, LLC; Author Michael Tresca.