Refinement of the Flesh

Cultivation

Physical Purification

Level

1

Muscle is the most honest thing a mortal owns: exactly as large as the work done to make it, and no larger.

Upon taking this feat, to gain its benefits, you must spend at least 400 hours, within 6 months, working with heavy stones and engaging in heavy exertion in order to increase your strength. Every day for each of your three meals you must eat an enormous amount of meat, marrow, and spiritually enhanced grains and beans that cost no less than 500 gp (in total over the training period).

At the end of the 400 hours you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. Without the food, the DC is 20. With GM permission you may undergo a different form of training. Failure deals 1d6 Strength damage and wastes the attempt; you may begin a new attempt at any time by resuming your training.

By doubling the amount of time and/or wealth required, the DC of the save can be lowered by 2 per doubling (you may not double the wealth required if you are not using herbs to begin with). This doubling, unlike most Pathfinder doubling, is exponential (doubling twice results in a fourfold increase, not a threefold increase).

You may also increase the HD of your Heart Demon by 1d3 and the Heart Demon’s minimum HD by 1 to gain the benefits immediately, with no check or preparation required.

On success the muscle reknits over a single night with a sound like creaking rope, and for a week you constantly sweat a greyish grease that smells of cooked flesh.

You gain the following benefits:

Your Strength increases by 2. If the bonus from Skillful also applies to Strength, the two together raise it no higher than a +2 modifier.

You never cramp, pull a muscle, or stiffen after exertion, and you are never sore the next day. You can sleep soundly on bare stone. You no longer gain weight unless you want to. Your muscle mass reflects your strength, but your physical build is controlled by you, and by undergoing 200 hours of physical training, you may reshape your musculature to your liking (no saves or unusually expensive food is required).