The hand of frost is a rare breed. Some come from the great cities under the glaciers of the north others are called to places of frost to face there destiny. Many hand of frosts scour the snowy areas of the world attempting to help travelers in need; others are as cold as the ice they emulate. Many monks follow the ways of ice as do some rangers and barbarians. The next most common classes are sorcerer and wizard. Some clerics of ice gods do attempt to become hand of frosts. Most other classes are unheard of.

     Hit Die: d8

Requirements
To qualify to become a hand of frost, a character must meat the following requirements.
     Base attack bonus: +4
     Balance: 8 ranks
     Wilderness Lore: 8 ranks
     Feat(s): Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (unarmed)
     Special: Purity of body.
     Special: Must make a journey to the great glacier and survive 3 nights without heat.

Class Skills
The Hand of Frost's class skills are:
Balance, Climb, Hide, Intuit Direction, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Wilderness Lore.

     Skill Poins at Each Level: 4 + Int Modifier.

Class Features
Below are the class features of the Hand of Frost prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The hand of frost gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Endure Cold: A hand of frost may ignore the first 5 points of cold damage in any given round. This includes damage from spells and exposure. This is a supernatural ability.

Ice Walk: The hand of frost may walk across solid sheets of ice with no worries of slipping. For all intents and purposes he treats ice as normal dry ground. This is a extraordinary ability.

Force of the Glacier: The hand of frost gains the improved bull rush feat for free. He does not need to fill the normal prerequisites.

Path of Ice: This spell-like ability lets the hand of frost coat a 10 foot x 10 foot portion of ground with ice. The ice lasts for a number of rounds equal to the hand of frosts level. All creatures caught within the area of effect must make a reflex save each round to stay afoot. The hand of frost also receives a +4 on his check for resolving bull rushes well on the ice. He can perform this spell-like ability once for every three hand of frost levels.

Strength of Ice: The hand of frost may call upon the strength of ice a number of times equal to 1 + his con modifier per day. Strength of ice gives the hand of frost a natural armor bonus equal to his con modifier for a number of rounds equal to his hand of frost level. This is a supernatural ability..

Cold Subtype: The hand of frost takes on the characteristics of a cold subtype creature. He has cold immunity and takes double damage from fire except on a successful save. This supernatural ability supersedes the endure cold ability.

Winters Touch: A number of times indicated in the chart per day a hand of frost can attempt a winters touch. He must designate the attack prior to resolving success. If he misses the use is expended. On a successful unarmed attack that does damage, the hand of frost does an additional 1d10 points of cold damage. Additionally the target must make a Fortitude save DC equal to 10 + hand of frost lvl + wis modifier. Failure indicates the cold has frozen the target solid for 1d4 rounds. This effect is similar to a hold person and has no other detrimental effects. This is a supernatural ability.

Winds of the Frozen North: Once per day, the hand of frost can breathe forth a cone of cold as if he was a sorcerer of his current hand of frost level. This is a spell-like ability.

Shatter Hand: This attack is quite fearsome indeed. Any time a creature falls victim to Winters Touch the hand of frost may attempt this attack. As a full round action the hand of frost strikes a stress point on the frozen creature. If the creature fails a Fortitude save vs. DC 10 + hand of frost level + wis modifier it shatters. This attack causes instant death. Creatures immune to critial hits cannot be affected. It is a supernatural ability.