CLASS SKILLS
The monk’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the monk.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, short sword, shortspear, shuriken, siangham, sling, spear, and any weapon with the monk special weapon quality. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.
AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is f lat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk can select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list: Blind-Fight, Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, Mobility, Nimble Moves, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Agile Steps, Gorgon’s Fist, Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, Greater Grapple, Greater Trip, Spring Attack, and Wind Stance.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list: Critical Focus, Improved Critical, Lightning Stance, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Whirlwind Attack.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action.
When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality.
He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects).
At 11th level, a monk can make an additional attack at his highest base attack bonus whenever he makes a flurry of blows. This stacks with the first attack from this ability and additional attacks from haste and similar effects.
A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.
Stunning Fist (Ex): At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw still negates the effect.
At 4th level, the monk can choose to make the target fatigued.
At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute.
At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds.
At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target.
At 20th level, he can paralyze the target for 1d6+1 rounds.
The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature fatigued by Stunning Fist cannot become exhausted if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration.
Unarmed Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks can be with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk can make unarmed strikes with his hands full.
There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk can apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
A monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, although he can choose to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty on his attack roll. He can make this choice while grappling as well.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table above. The unarmed damage values listed on the Class Features Table above are for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage. See the table below:
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk succeeds at a Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk gains a bonus to his land speed, as shown on the Class Features Table above. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.
High Jump (Ex): As long as a monk or 3rd level or higher has at least 1 point in his ki pool (see below), he adds his level as a bonus on all Acrobatics checks to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when attempting Acrobatics checks to jump.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, the monk gains an additional +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks to jump for 1 round.
Ki Pool (Su): At 3rd level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk’s ki pool is equal to his monk level + his Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. At 3rd level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as cold iron and silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness. At 19th level, a lawful good monk treats his unarmed strikes as good weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction, while a lawful evil monk treats his unarmed strikes as evil weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. A lawful neutral monk must choose whether his unarmed strikes will be considered good or evil (once this decision is made it cannot be changed).
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk can make one additional unarmed strike at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack. This bonus attack stacks with all bonus attacks gained from flurry of blows, as well as those from haste and similar effects.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, a monk can grant himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC until the end of his next turn.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk can grant himself a sudden burst of speed. This increases the monk’s base land speed by 30 feet for 1 minute.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk can increase the save DC of his stunning fist by +4. The monk must declare that he is spending the ki point before the opponent rolls his saving throw versus Stunning Fist, but he may wait until after he has confirmed that the attack has struck the foe.
A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels. The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Ki Powers (Su): At 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, a monk can select one ki power. These powers allow the monk to perform amazing feats of mystical power and acrobatic prowess by expending points from his ki pool. Once a ki power is selected, it cannot be changed. Some ki powers require the monk to be of a specific level or higher before they can be chosen. Unless otherwise noted, a monk cannot select an individual ki power more than once.
Abundant Step (Su): A monk with this ki power can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. The monk’s caster level for this effect is equal to his monk level.
Normally, he cannot take other creatures with him when he uses this ability. However, by spending 1 additional point from his ki pool, a monk may take one willing creatures with him.
A monk must be at least 8th level before selecting this ki power.
Cobra Breath (Su): Whenever a monk with this ki power is struck by an attack that deliver poison, he can (as an immediate action) spend 1 point from his ki pool to channel and then release that poison as a ranged touch attack against a single foe within 30 feet (treat this attack as an attack of opportunity). If the attack hits, the foe must succeed at a saving throw (using the poison’s original DC) or suffer the poison’s effects, even if it was not originally a contact poison.
If the monk chooses to spend an additional ki point (for a total of 2), then the DC of the poison is increased by +2.
A monk must be at least 10th level before selecting this ki power.
Diamond Mind (Su): By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk with this power can suppress a fear effect affecting him as if using remove fear, using his monk level as his caster level.
He can spend 2 ki points to activate this ability even when frightened or panicked.
A monk must be at least 6th level before selecting this ki power.
Diamond Resilience (Ex): By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, the monk gains DR 2/-. This DR lasts for 1 minute.
At 14th level, the damage reduction granted by this ki power increases to DR 4/-; at 18th level it increases again to DR 6/-.
A monk must be at least 10th level before selecting this ki power.
Diamond Soul (Ex): A monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action to gain spell resistance equal to his monk level + 10. This spell resistance lasts for a number of rounds equal to the monk’s level.
The monk can choose to spend an additional point from his ki pool when activating this power to increase the conferred spell resistance by +4.
A monk must be at least 12th level before selecting this ki power.
Elemental Fury (Su): A monk who selects this ki power must select one type of energy: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. The monk can expend 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action to imbue his unarmed attacks with this energy, causing them to deal 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 his monk level.
A monk must be at least 6th level before selecting this ki power.
Elemental Burst (Su): A monk with this ability can spend 4 ki points to unleash a gout of energy in a 20-foot burst, centered on the monk. All creatures within the burst (except the monk) take 20d6 points of damage of the same type as the monk’s elemental fury ki power. A Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + his Wisdom modifier) halves the damage.
A monk must be at least 18th level and must possess the elemental fury ki power before selecting this ki power.
Empty Body (Su): A monk with this ki power gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness, using his monk level as his caster level. Using this ability is a move action that consume 3 points from the monk’s ki pool. This ability affects only the monk and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal.
A monk must be at least 14th level before selecting this ki power.
Feather Balance (Ex): A monk with this ability can spend 1 ki point as a swift action to achieve perfect balance. While this is active, the monk treats any Acrobatics attempt made to balance as if he had rolled a 20. This ability lasts for 1 minute.
Formless Mastery (Ex): A monk with this ability varies his styles, never repeating the same move twice and capitalizing on the weaknesses of an opponent’s style. As long as he is not using a Style Stance (see Style Feats) and the monk has at least one point remaining in his ki pool, he gains the following bonuses against any opponent employing a Style Stance: a +4 dodge bonus to AC, a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls, and a bonus equal to his monk level on damage rolls.
A monk must be at least 6th level before selecting this ki power.
Inner Peace (Sp): A monk with this ability can spend 1 ki point as a swift action to bestow a +1 enhancement bonus on his unarmed strikes. This bonus lasts for 1 minute.
At 8th level, and every four levels gained as a monk thereafter, this enhancement bonus increases by an additional +1, to a maximum enhancement bonus of +5 at 20th level.
Insightful Wisdom (Su): A monk with this ability can spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to give another ally within 30 feet just the right word of advice to prevent disaster. If the ally can hear the monk, she can reroll a single attack roll or saving throw. The ally must take the second result, even if it is worse.
A monk must be at least 8th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Blocker (Su): A monk with this ability can spend 1 ki point as a free action before making an unarmed strike against a foe. If the attack hits, the monk can interrupt the target’s flow of ki. If the monk successfully damages the target of his attack, that opponent’s cost to activate abilities with ki increases by 2 ki points for 1 hour.
If the monk spends 2 points from his ki pool, he can use this ability to affect the target’s arcane pool, arcane reservoir, grit points, inspiration, or panache points instead of its ki pool. The effects of this ability do not stack, but multiple hits increase the duration by 1 hour for each hit.
A monk must be at least 10th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Guardian (Su): As an immediate action before he rolls a saving throw against a targeted effect that also targets other allies or an area effect whose area includes other allies, a monk with this ability can spend any number of ki points and designate a number of adjacent willing allies equal to the number of ki points spent. The monk rolls one saving throw for each designated ally, using his bonus instead of the ally’s. For each successful saving throw, the corresponding ally treats the effect as if that ally had succeeded at the saving throw, and for each saving throw failed, the corresponding ally treats the effect as if that ally had failed the saving throw.
If the monk fails any of the saving throws (including his own original saving throw), the monk treats the effect as if he had failed the saving throw.
A monk must be at least 6th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Hurricane (Ex): As a full-round action, a monk with this ability can spend 4 points from his ki pool to move up to twice his speed. At any point in that movement, the monk can make his normal attacks from flurry of blows, regardless of the distance that he has moved or between any two (or more) chosen targets. However, the monk must move at least 10’ between each attack that he makes and he may not attack the same foe twice in a row (he may attack one foe multiple times, but only if he moves ‘back-and-forth’ between that foe and at least one other opponent).
For example, an 11th level monk has a movement of 60’ and a flurry of blows attack routine of +11/+11/+11/+6/+1 (without spending a point of ki). By activating Ki Hurricane, the monk can move up to 120’ while still making up to five separate attacks on up to five separate opponents. He might (as an example) move 30’, hit one opponent at +11, then move another 20’ and strike a second foe (at +11) before moving 15’ to hit a third (at +11) and then 15’ again to strike the second again (at +6), before moving 25’ to hit a fourth opponent (at +1) and then using the last 15’ of movement to move away from all foes.
A monk using this ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity due to movement.
A monk must be at least 10th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Metabolism (Su): A monk with this ability uses his ki to control his metabolism. As long as he has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool, the monk needs to eat and drink only 1/4 as often as normal, needs only 2 hours of sleep each night (including to replenish his ki pool), and can hold his breath for up to 1 hour per point of Constitution.
As a move action, he can spend 1 ki point to enter a state of suspended animation, falling unconscious and appearing dead to all senses. At the time he enters this state, he indicates a preset period of time or a triggering condition, after which he awakens.
Ki Mount (Su): A monk with this ability can spend 1 ki point as a standard action to grant 2 temporary hit points per monk level he possesses to his mount for 1 hour per monk level. As long as the monk and his mount are adjacent or the monk is mounted, the mount shares the benefits of whichever of the AC bonus, evasion, high jump, improved evasion, ki strike, perfect self, and still mind abilities the monk possesses.
A monk must be at least 6th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Range (Su): A monk with this ability increases the range increment of any thrown monk weapon by 20 feet, so long as the monk has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool. Apply this benefit before doubling the range increment with the Far Shot feat.
Ki Visions (Su): A monk with this ability often sees visions of spirits or hears the voice of his departed mentor in his dreams. On any given night during which the monk dreams, he can use this ability to gain the benefits of a divination, as per the spell. In order to use this ability, a monk must have at least one point of ki remaining in his ki pool before his sleep and he must sleep (uninterrupted) for at least 2 hours.
A monk must be at least 10th level before selecting this ki power.
Ki Volley (Su): When a targeted spell or spell-like ability fails to overcome the monk’s spell resistance from diamond soul, he can spend 2 ki points as an immediate action to send that spell back at its caster as though he were under the affect of spell turning (as per the spell).
A monk must be 16th level or higher and possess the diamond soul ki power before selecting this ki power.
Light Steps (Ex): A monk with this ki power can move effortlessly across nearly any surface. As long as the monk has at least one point remaining in his ki pool, he ignores all difficult terrain.
In addition, if the monk activates the feather balance ki power, he can cross any solid surface while that power is active, even if it would normally not support his weight. This does not allow him to walk on liquids.
A monk must be at least 6th level and have the feather balance ki power before selecting this ki power.
One Touch (Ex): As long as he has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool, as a standard action, a monk with this power can make an unarmed strike against a foe as a touch attack. He adds 1/2 his monk level as a bonus on the damage roll. He can spend 1 ki point to double this bonus for that attack.
A monk must be at least 12th level before selecting this ki power.
Qinggong Power (Su): A monk with this power selects any of the qinggong monk ki powers for which he qualifies based on his monk level. A monk can select this ability multiple times. Each time, he must select a different qinggong monk ki power.
Any ki power or class feature listed in this revised class that is duplicated (in part or whole) by an existing qinggong ki power must be used rather than the ones listed on the older archetype.
Water Sprint (Su): A monk with this ki power can spend 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action to gain the ability to walk on water, as if under the effects of water walk. Once activated, this ability lasts for 1 minute per monk level.
A monk must be at least 6th level and have the feather balance ki power before selecting this ki power.
Wind Jump (Su): A monk with this ki power can spend 1 point from his ki pool as a move action to grant himself a fly speed (with perfect maneuverability) equal to his speed. He must end his movement each round on solid ground (or some other surface that can support his weight) or fall as normal. Once activated, this ability lasts for 1 minute.
A monk must be at least 8th level and have the feather balance ki power before selecting this ki power.
Still Mind (Ex): At 4th level, a monk gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
In addition, the monk receives a +2 insight bonus on all Will saving throws. At 5th level, and every five levels gained as a monk thereafter, this bonus increases by an additional +1 to a maximum insight bonus of +6 at 20th level.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Style Strike (Ex): At 5th level, a monk can learn two types of style strike.
Whenever he makes a flurry of blows, he can designate one of his unarmed strikes as a style strike. This attack is resolved as normal, but it has an additional effect depending on the type of strike chosen. At 9th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk learns an additional style strike. He must choose which style strike to apply before the attack roll is made.
At 9th level a monk can designate up to two of his unarmed strikes each round as a style strike. The monk must choose a different style strike for each attack.
At 13th level a monk can designate up to three of his unarmed strikes each round as a style strike. The monk must choose a different style strike for each attack.
At 17th level a monk can designate up to four of his unarmed strikes each round as a style strike. The monk must choose a different style strike for each attack.
Defensive Spin: The monk spins about, confounding his foe. If the attack hits, the monk gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC against any attacks made by the target of the style strike until the start of the monk’s next turn. This bonus does not stack with itself, but does stack with the +4 dodge bonus to AC gained via spending ki (see ki pool above).
Elbow Smash: The monk follows up a successful attack with an additional rapid strike. If the attack hits, the monk can make an additional attack using the same attack bonus as the successful attack at a –5 penalty. If this second attack hits, it deals damage as normal, but all of the damage is nonlethal.
Flying Kick: The monk leaps through the air to strike a foe. Before the attack, the monk can move a distance equal to his fast movement bonus. This movement is made as part of the monk’s flurry of blows attack and does not require an additional action. At the end of this movement, the monk must make an attack against an adjacent foe.
This movement can take place either before or between any of a monk’s normal flurry of blows attacks. This movement provokes an attack of opportunity as normal.
Foot Stomp: The monk makes a deep muscle strike, preventing the opponent from escaping. If the attack hits and the monk ends his turn adjacent to that foe, the foe’s movement is restricted. Until the start of the monk’s next turn, the target of this attack can move only in such a way that the space it occupies is adjacent to the monk.
Alternatively, it can attempt a combat maneuver check (against the monk’s CMD) as a standard action to break free. This strike does not work against foes that cannot be tripped.
Hammerblow: The monk focuses his concentration and ki dealing tremendous damage with one attack. If the attack hits, the monk rolls his unarmed strike damage twice, adding both rolls together before applying Strength and other modifiers to the damage. This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
Head-Butt: The monk strikes a cluster of vulnerable nerves on his foe, leaving that opponent reeling.
If the attack hits and the foe is of the same size or one size smaller than the monk, the monk can make a free combat maneuver check against the target of this strike (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). If the foe is not of the same creature type as the monk, the monk takes a –2 penalty on this check (-4 for Outsiders, -8 for Aberrations. Undead and constructs are unaffected by this style strike).
If the check is successful, the target is staggered for 1 round. Creatures without a discernible head are not affected by this style strike (subject to GM discretion).
Knockback Kick: The monk attempts to knock his foe back with a powerful blow. If the attack hits, the monk can attempt a free combat maneuver check against the foe (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). If the check is successful, the foe is knocked 10 feet directly away from the monk. This distance increases by 10 feet for every 5 by which the check exceeds the foe’s CMD, to a maximum distance equal to the monk’s fast movement bonus.
This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the monk, although it does from any other creature adjacent to the foe’s path of forced movement. The foe stops moving if it strikes another creature, barrier, or otherwise solid object. The creature is not knocked prone by this movement.
Leg Sweep: The monk attempts to sweep his foe’s leg, knocking the opponent down. If the attack hits, the monk can make a free trip attempt against the target of this strike (using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe). This trip attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Shattering Punch: The monk delivers a brutal strike that can penetrate defenses. If the attack hits, it bypasses any damage reduction or hardness possessed by the target of that attack.
Spin Kick: The monk spins about, delivering a strike his foe did not expect. The monk makes his attack against the foe’s flat-footed AC. Creatures with the uncanny dodge class feature or a similar effect cannot be caught flat-footed by this style strike.
Slow Fall (Su): At 6th level, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall (tree branches, vines, etc.; any objects that can be used to slow a monk’s fall) can use it to slow his descent, so long as the monk has at least one 1 ki point remaining in his ki pool.
When he uses this ability, he takes no damage from the fall (as if using feather fall), but he must be adjacent to a wall (or other objects) for the entire length of the fall (although this can be used to reduce the damage from a fall if only part of it is adjacent to some object).
Wholeness of Body (Su): A monk of 7th level or higher can heal his own wounds as a swift action. By spending 1 point from his ki pool, he can heal an amount of damage equal to 3d6.
At 9th level, and every odd level gained as a monk thereafter (11th, 13th, etc.), the amount of damage healed increases by +1d6 (to a maximum of 9d6 at 19th level.
If the monk spends an additional point of ki when activating this ability (2 total), he adds his monk level to the die result to determine the total amount of damage healed.
Alternatively, a monk may instead heal ability damage instead of normal hit point damage. By spending 2 points from his ki pool as a full-round action, the monk may heal 3 points of ability damage that he has suffered. The monk may split this healing among multiple damaged ability scores as the monk desires.
At 9th level, and every odd level gained as a monk thereafter (11th, 13th, etc.), the amount of ability damage healed increases by +1 (to a total of 9 points at 19th level.
Diamond Body (Su): Starting at 8th level, a monk gains immunity to all poisons.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on successful Reflex saving throws against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on failed saves. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): At 11th level, a monk can understand and speak with any living creature, as if under a permanent tongues effect.
Flawless Mind: At 13th level, a monk gains total control over his mental faculties. Whenever he attempts a Will save, he can roll twice and take the better result. If he fails a Will saving throw against a spell or effect that has a duration longer than 1 hour, the monk can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each hour to end the effect.
Quivering Palm (Su): At 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. To use quivering palm, a monk must have at least 2 points remaining in his ki pool. The monk makes an attack (this can be a single attack, part of a flurry of blows, or a charge, but quivering palm cannot be combined with a style strike, see above). A monk may attempt only one quivering palm attack each day (but see below).
The monk must declare (before making an attack roll) that the chosen attack will be a quivering palm strike. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the attack hits and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds.
Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at any time within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action); unless the target succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies.
If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it can still be affected by another one at a later time.
A monk can have no more than one quivering palm in effect at one time. If a monk uses quivering palm while another is still in effect, the previous one is negated.
The monk can, after the attack successfully strikes the monk’s foe, but before damage is rolled, spend 1 or 2 points from his ki pool as an immediate action to increase the save DC of the quivering palm attack. Each ki point spent raises the DC by +2 (to a maximum increase of +4 to the save DC for spending 2 points).
At 17th level and again at 19th level, the monk gains a second (and third, respectively) daily use of this ability.
Timeless Body (Ex): At 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk undergoes a transformation. For the purpose of spells and magical effects, he become a native outsider and gains Damage Reduction 10/chaotic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
Finally, the monk gains the ability to enter a state of perfect calm. During this time, the monk can take no actions, but he does regain ki at the rate of 1 point per 10 minutes spent at calm. He cannot use this ability to gain an amount of ki in excess of his maximum.
Okay, then. I’ve finally had a chance to go over the class in detail (thanks to Jonathon Wilder, above). There are good things . . . and there are not-so-good things.
First off, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. I do not like the diminished Will save. I understand why the developers felt it was necessary, but frankly it deprives the Monk of one of its core abilities and (even worse, in my own humble opinion) leaves a gaping hole between the descriptive monk text and what you actually get.
I do like the increase in BAB; rather than the ‘virtual’ BAB of the Core Monk, this does make it easier to make standard-action attacks and Attacks of Opportunity without suffering from a lower attack bonus; plus the ability to take (some) combat feats earlier is quite good.
And I do indeed understand the reasoning behind the increase to a d10 hit die. However (and y’all knew this was coming), I think that perhaps Paizo missed an opportunity here to do something different. Personally, I would have kept the d8, making the Unchained Monk a little more ‘fragile’ than the Core Fighter/Ranger/Paladin (much less the Barbarian) as a trade-off for his movement and fast striking (i.e., multiple attacks on a full-attack) abilities. Still, we are just talking about an average of 1 hit point per level, so it isn’t something I can really complain about (but I will mention it).
Onwards and upwards!
Class Skills: Unchanged. I would have liked to see Diplomacy or Linguistics added to the class list (both being thematic for monastic characters), but nothing really to gripe about (or to celebrate!).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Adding all weapons with monk special quality was nice. Otherwise unchanged from the Core class.
AC Bonus: Unchanged. As a side-note, the Unchained Monk’s CMD just got about a five point boost over all 20 levels, making it far harder for someone to use a combat maneuver against a monk! I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but good luck trying to trip or grapple an Unchained Monk!
Bonus Feat: Unchanged. Once again, I feel that there was a missed opportunity to add to the Feat List. As it is, the list is very limited and there are still regrettable . . . gaps which make it difficult to get certain feats later on (Greater Trip and Greater Grapple, for example).
Flurry of Blows: Ahhh. Now this I can say, with no exaggeration, is a most welcome and valued change. First of all, there is no longer a -2 penalty (across the board) on Flurry attacks. Second, it is finally separated from Two-Weapon Fighting in both design and execution (and cannot stack with TWF). Third, I like the concept of returning to the 3.5 version of Flurry (with all bonus attacks at the Monk’s highest BAB with an additional attack coming in at 11th level).
Unfortunately, I have some questions as well!
Flurry of Blows:
When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus from this ability, and from haste and similar effects.)
First off, right off the bat, it kind of jumps out at me that this is missing (from the Core Monk):
Quote:
A monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.
There has been a good deal of rejoicing over that Unchained Monk’s can now get 1.5x Str-mod in damage with Two-Handed Weapons . . . but by the text, it also appears that if a Monk is wielding two weapons, he gets 0.5x Str-mod with his off-hand weapon as well. Furthermore, there is no longer any provision for substituting disarm, sunder, and trip in place of an attack. The natural weapons part is pretty well covered by the “does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so” line in the Unchained Monk.
Some will argue that we don’t need that bit of text, because the off-hand is addressed in Unarmed Strikes (see below) . . . unfortunately that applies ONLY to unarmed strikes and NOT with weapons.
Was this deliberate? Or an oversight? If deliberate, it pushes the Unchained Monk towards using a single, larger weapon (i.e., temple sword, quarterstaff, etc.) rather than two smaller, lighter weapons.
Stunning Fist: Unchanged.
Unarmed Strike: Mostly unchanged. But one question: does the Unchained Monk’s unarmed damage increase at the same rate as the Core Monk? That information wasn’t posted and the text about differing damage for Small and Large sized monks was removed.
Evasion: Unchanged.
Fast Movement: Unchanged.
Ki Pool: Moved from 4th level to 3rd. And lost two of the basic ki abilities (+4 AC dodge bonus and +20’ movement) to the new Ki Powers (see below). Many folks have already addressed the rather small size of the pool, so I’m not going to beat a dead horse here. Moving on.
Ki Powers: Ah, our first NEW ability. I am going to explore the various Powers here in detail, so bear with me. But first, the basics. The Ki Powers are much like Rage Powers or Rogue Talents in that the Unchained Monk is able to select one at 4th level, then one additional every even level thereafter (6th, 8th, etc.). This gives the Unchained Monk a total of NINE Ki Powers by 20th level.
Unfortunately, many of the former abilities were turned into selectable Ki Powers. Including two basic uses of the Ki Pool (see above). If you are attempting to recreate the Core Monk by selecting the powers it used to have . . . you can’t. There are TEN that were removed (including the +4 dodge bonus to AC and the speed increase) and you only have NINE slots.
Not good.
Also, the expenditure cost of some of these is really, really, REALLY freaking HIGH. Which combined with the shallowness of the Ki Pool rather limits the Unchained Monk’s options.
Abundant Step: Unchanged from the Core Monk, BUT able to get it four levels earlier (8th instead of 12th).
Cobra Breath: A new power and one that turns being poisoned into an offensive ability. Some people will like it; for myself, it is kind of meh. One of the few that doesn’t cost additional ki.
Diamond Body: Ouch. The original Diamond Body was total immunity to ALL poisons and was always on. Yes, you can now get it three levels early (8th instead of 11th), but it affects only ONE toxin and you have to spend ki (as a standard action) in order to have a chance to neutralize that poison (as per the spell). I do not like this change, not one little bit.
Diamond Mind: An excellent power. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite make up for the decreased Will save (see above).
Diamond Resilience: DR/- is always good. And this lasts for 1 minute and scales. Pretty slowly, but it scales. I’ll give it a thumb’s up.
Diamond Soul. Spell resistance. Either the bane of a Core Monk or a loved power (depending on your game). You can get this one early (by one level, 12th vs. 13th), but now you have to spend 2 ki (and a swift action) to activate for a number of rounds equal to your monk level. I’m torn. The point cost is kinda high, but no longer having a barrier vs. spells your party casts on you is also good.
Elemental Fury: What is this? Dragonball Z? It is not my cup of tea, but if you like having elemental damage on your unarmed strike, this is the power for you.
Elemental Burst: Oh, and now we can do massive AoE energy damage (at 18th level) by spending FOUR points of ki. Not in my vision of the monk at all. But if it floats your boat . . . go for it.
Empty Body: And wailing and gnashing of teeth began. There is apparently a typo which some folks have taken quite badly. They left out a line saying that you must be 16th level to select this power. Some folks apparently thought it would be appropriate to have etherealness at 4th!! Otherwise the same as the Core Monk, just available early (16th vs. 19th).
Feather Balance: I like it! Unfortunately, it is rather limited for selection as one of only NINE ki powers that you will ever receive.
Formless Mastery: We’ve discussed this one ad naseum, already. Maybe it would have been good if you could still select Style feats (just not being in a Stance while using the Power) . . . but as is, I doubt ANYONE will take it. And there is another type, it should be available at 6th level not 7th.
Furious Defense: The former AC boost from Ki Pool! However, it is now an immediate action (not swift), but lasts only until the end of your next turn. Sigh. I’d just have left it as part of the ki pool myself.
High Jump: We used to get this one at 5th level for free. Now we have to pick it. Bummer.
Insightful Wisdom: I do like this power. Being able to grant an ally the ability to reroll a missed attack or saving throw is pretty darned nifty! Unfortunately, it costs 2 ki every time you use it and it burns your immediate action.
Ki Blocker: How often do you fight monks? Or ninjas? Are you REALLY going to spend one of your precious few Ki Powers on something that makes those guys have to pay slightly more ki for the next hour? And spend more and make magi and gunslingers and swashbucklers spend a extra point? I didn’t think so.
Ki Guardian: Good concept . . . poor execution. The point cost is rather high (if you are protecting the whole party) and if you fail a SINGLE save, than YOU are affected as if you failed YOUR saving throw.
Ki Hurricane: Rock you like a hurricane! Good concept. I like the idea, but the point cost is EXTREME. At 11th level, it will cost you FIVE points of Ki (SEVEN if you spend a point to gain an additional attack on your flurry) to move and attack with all of your flurry attacks!! And you will provoke AoO’s from moving!!
Ki Metabolism: I like it. Very thematic and (for once) there is no exorbitant point cost. One question: there seems to be no UPPER limit on the amount of time one can spend in suspended animation . . . was this deliberate? A 4th level monk could (conceivably) hibernate for a thousand years (or a million)?
Ki Mount: Monks have mounts now? Pass.
Ki Range: Good power, although situational. Don’t like the point cost though; it should have been (in my opinion) “as long as you have at least 1 point remaining in your ki pool, you increase the range increment of any thrown monk weapon by 20 feet.” THAT would have been worth it.
Ki Visions: Thematic. Not sure how useful, but thematic. The cost is rather high, though.
Ki Volley: Who needs a ring of spell turning? Not this guy! Unfortunately, you have to be 16th level to select this (which is a shame because the cost is pretty much where I’d put it at 2 ki per use).
Light Steps: Love this power! Excellent job, guys.
One Touch: And this one is pretty good as well. As long as you have at least 1 point in your pool, you can make a standard action attack against any opponent as a touch attack, adding ½ your monk level in bonus damage!! Very nice. Even though it comes in late (12th level).
Qinggong Power: Pick any existing qinggong power and it is yours. However, if the same power is repeated in Unchained, you must use the Unchained version!! Barkskin ahoy!
Quivering Palm: Just why? Why the changes? You get it one level later, it takes a standard action, and you have to spend FOUR freaking ki!!
Slow Fall: Another one that we all used to have. Sure, it is better (maybe, since you have to be adjacent to a wall (not vines, not trees, not anything similar, but a wall) the entire length of your fall of benefit. Oh, and you have to spend ki.
Sudden Speed: Definitely better since it lasts for a minute and adds 30’ as opposed to 20’. Still would have rather left it as a basic part of the pool, though.
Water Sprint: Another good one. I would have thought that Feather Balance would have been a pre-req . . . but maybe that is just me.
Wind Jump: Very useful. I’m not one of these, “it’s fly but not really, so I’m mad as heck and not gonna take it anymore” people. For what you pay, it is a cool and useful power.
Wholeness of Body: As opposed to this. Too little healing for too much cost, same as the Core Monk. Sigh.
Still Mind: Unchanged from the Core Monk, but you get it a level later (4th instead of 3rd).
Purity of Body: Unchanged from the Core Monk.
Style Strike: And we have a winner!! I like this a lot. It adds thematic goodness and options to the monk and ensures that unarmed combat is always going to be the monk’s thing. I don’t like all of the Styles, but that is personal preference. Good job.
Improved Evasion: Unchanged from the Core Monk.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon: Dropped from 17th level to 13th level!! Otherwise unchanged from the Core Monk. I like this.
Timeless Body: Unchanged from the Core Monk.
Flawless Mind: If you fail a Will save, roll again and take the better result!! If it has a duration of 1 hour or more, than get a save every hour! It is great . . . but you don’t get it until 19th level.
Perfect Self: Mostly unchanged. However, they added a ki recharge ability (1 point per 10 minutes of meditation . . . well, they say calm, but I think they meant meditation). Which is wonderful . . . if it didn’t show up at 20th level.
Overall, I believe that I agree with Dabbler and the others. Combat damage got a boost (a big one), but (almost) everything else was weakened, resulting in a class of about the same general power level as the Core Monk. Some of the things that I consider basic thematic concepts were pushed away and the Unchained Monk is weaker for it.
For my own game, I am probably going to add back in the constant powers it used to have, change the d10 back to a d8, and give it a good Will save. I like the idea and the concept, but the devil is always in the details and man, there is a lot of deviltry at work at here!
Still, there are many things that I do like . . . scratch that, that I LOVE. The folks who worked on this had many original ideas (Style Strikes and some rather cool Ki Powers, for example) that deserve to be part and parcel of the class. It just . . . well, to me it seems more of a Brawler archetype (in places) than a Monk.
Which is disappointing.
But don’t worry, Paizo. I’m still going to buy the book when it arrives at my local bookstore.
I think that the Monk Variant Multi-Class gave unarmed strike (Fairly sure someone mentioned that)... but I don't know if it does anything to shore up you're defense.
It gives you unarmed strike at 3rd level, as a monk 2 levels lower.
It gives you a +3 dodge bonus to AC at 15th level, which of course is way too late to plan your build around.
When your opponents attack in the dead of night when you are asleep and not wearing armor?
No. That's why all of my armored characters have a chain shirt (with armor spikes) by level 3 at the latest. It's their PJs.
Yeah, that is one rule that I (and my group) toss right out the window. You do NOT sleep in metal armor. Or studded leather. Much less anything with armor spikes. Same with swimming in plate . . . ain't gonna happen.
I think that the Monk Variant Multi-Class gave unarmed strike (Fairly sure someone mentioned that)... but I don't know if it does anything to shore up you're defense.
It gives you unarmed strike at 3rd level, as a monk 2 levels lower.
It gives you a +3 dodge bonus to AC at 15th level, which of course is way too late to plan your build around.
Guys, it isn't always about the builds. Haven't you ever played in a game where the party gets split up? When your opponents attack in the dead of night when you are asleep and not wearing armor? Been through a scenario when you don't have access to your weapons or magic items?
I have. Plenty of times.
Being able to punch like a monk of just a few levels beneath yours, having flurry of blows, getting a +3 dodge bonus to AC, and gaining a ki pool are all good things for when the unexpected happens. And if I am reading these posts right, the VMC (variant multi-class) Monk doesn't require you to be lawful to gain those abilities.
Wait, which of the four of us is in love with the bard and the barbarian? This is actually the first time I've heard of that. I thought the general wisdom was that we were in love with the wizard and the arcanist?
As to the monk, if it was Reflex, then people would be complaining (rightly) that the evasion ability has become much weaker, since you get no use out of it if you fail a Reflex save. If it was Fortitude, it would be that a monk's body is perfected, a weapon, and that failed Fort saves can kill you or turn you stone. I know this because these are the discussions we had when Jason came in floating various options. We said all of these things, including the things on this thread about meditation and the mind when the option was Will. In the end, I'm glad he picked Will and not the others. Evasion still works, and the d10 hit dice means you can drop your Con and have the same number of hit points but Wisdom is still as important as ever, so mechanically I'd rather have weak Will progression and have a solid but not stellar Will instead of a horrifically low Fort (and thematically, weak Fort made the least sense of the three). So Jason definitely didn't make the decision flippantly; of all four classes, the monk took him the longest (he thought it would be the summoner) and went through the most iterations.
The thing is, ever since 1E, the monk has represented mental fortitude. Back in 'ye olden days', remember that the monk specifically gained an ability that gave him a 'virtual' 18 in Intelligence (and this was the days of 3d6, no rerolls, in order) against Psionic Blast and other Telepathic attacks.
Of course, with the ability score requirements (quite steep) and difficulty in play (duels to determine whether or not you could advance a level), few played a monk. "He's Got a Lot to Kick About", the Dragon Magazine article, expanded the monk by four levels, beefed him up to a d6, and revamped a number of other abilities. Plus delayed (by four levels) the whole having to fight to gain your title thing.
That class was far more playable (although it still required pretty good stat rolls . . . Str, Dex, and Wis of 15, Int 12, and Con 11, if I am remembering right) and it was the first monk class that I (personally) played when I started with D&D.
I've been through the 'death of the monk' 2nd Edition, then rejoiced when it came back near the end of 2E and shouted hallelujah when it appeared in 3E. The 3.5 version corrected a number of things, and then I switched to Pathfinder.
Don't get me wrong, Mark. I love the game. I'm not going to quit playing or buying the stuff Paizo puts out because I disagree with a few things they do with the monk. But it does seem (to me, perhaps to others) that folks in the company almost wish the monk didn't exist.
It breaks the rules and doesn't fit the mold. And you can't just put it in a single niche.
So it gets good things, and then those get 'revised' into meh things. We had this big (HUGE) blowup last year when it came down from on high that you couldn't flurry with a single weapon!
Jason reversed course on that and fixed a few problems at the time. Did it solve everything? No.
That is why we older gamers (older fans) were so excited about the Unchained Monk! We were hoping beyond hope that it would address MAD in some way, that it would fix the disconnect between moving fast (and hitting fast) and the gap between a standard attack and the (all-but-stationary) flurry of blows. That the monk, a Core Class would finally gain enough ki points in their pool to use their abilities as many rounds per day as a bard can rage or the bard can sing!
And some of those things Unchained does. Others it doesn't. But frankly, having the class give up what has been one of the CORE ABILITIES of the class since 1E to pay for a small increase in flurry (2 points), a moderate increase in standard attacks (5 points over 20 levels), and an average of 1 extra hit point per level (d10 HD vs. d8) . . . many of us are just literally face-palming.
Do they get it? we ask? And yeah, some do. Some don't. But the published version makes it look like the 'some don't' won out . . . again.
I'll play the game. I'll buy the products. But I am so disappointed in the class. That is not to say there are NO good things. There are plenty of them. Just not enough to stand out against the bad . . . or the ugly.
I think I know why the developers dropped it. It would have been too good of a dip in canon (not variant) multi-classing. Dip two levels of Unchained Monk and get +2 BAB, 2d10, multiple feats, and +3 to all Saves!! Yeah?
Unfortunately, I think they missed an opportunity here. I mean how they kept Still Mind exactly the same (but pushed it back to 4th level):
Quote:
A monk gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
If they had done this instead:
Quote:
A main gains +1 bonus on all will saving throws. When the character gains 7th level as a monk (and every three levels gained as a monk thereafter) this bonus increases by +1 to a maximum of +6 at 19th level.
In addition, a monk gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. This ability stacks with the bonus listed above.
it might well have not sparked this debate. Four levels is a LOT for folks looking to dip. It would be a delayed good Will save, but that I could live with.
And if doing that was still too much, then I wouldn't mind dropping the hit die back down to a d8. Making the class even less attractive as a dip.
Fighters, with Weapon Training, are able to fight well and fight consistently where other classes tend to have similar/greater/lesser bonuses only situationally. I agree, the fighter could use two more skill points. But, with everything else (Stamina, combat tricks, background skills) that is included in Unchained, I'd play a fighter (a straight fighter) in a heartbeat.
Okay. With folks getting their first looks at Unchained, I have decided to start a new thread where we can discuss the Unchained Monk.
Whether for good, for bad, for the big things, or the little things, this is the place to let it all hang out.
For myself, I haven't seen the PDF yet. I will be getting the book (and the PDF), but I am not a subscriber, so I've got to wait. Sigh. BUT, from what folks have said . . . I'm torn.
Some things look good. Very good. I like the change to flurry of blows (mostly, I need to read it carefully to make certain) no longer having a penalty AND the UM having full BAB. I like the concept behind the additional ki powers, but dislike that the ki pool remains so small. I like the new Styles (flying kick alone promises to be awesome and I cannot wait to see (or hear) about the others).
I'm not sure, however, that bumping up the hit die to a d10 was needed . . . especially with the Will save being reduced to poor. Now, Mark Robert Jordan has said (in the BIG Pathfinder Unchained thread) that there are several new powers feeding off of Still Mind that make the monk resistant to will effects. If so, that is good. I just hope that they do not cost ki, considering how small our pool already is.
Anyway, I am going to reserve opinion until I actually get the book (or PDF) and sit down and READ the class and new abilities several times.
But until then, feel free to post your own thoughts, opinions, and critiques.
MA
EDIT: It was actually Robert Jordan who told us about Diamond Mind and Flawless Mind, not Mark. Sorry about that, Robert.
Back on topic . . . monks with high ability scores are FAR easier to play starting right out of the gate. In a recent thread asking "What Would You Do with Perfect Ability Scores?", I posted the following (well, I did change one feat, ditching Improved Initiative for Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike, and fixed the bonus on skills . . . after I forget to add the +3 class skill bonus in the other thread, oops):
master arminas wrote:
Well, let's take a look at a starting (1st level) character with all 18s (before racial modifiers), shall we?
Except for the touch AC (18, 19 w/Dodge) and the fact that he has three good saves at +6, he's really not out-of-line for a 1st level character. His normal and flat-footed AC are comparable to someone in armor, his attacks are right about the same as a Fighter, Ranger, Barbarian, or Paladin . . . when he isn't flurrying or they aren't using a masterwork weapon (which most players WILL have sometime before 2nd level!); his damage is comparable to a fighter using a short-sword; he has a lot of skills . . . but still not as many as a human Rogue or Bard. His Initiative is pretty good (+4), but a 1st level Rogue, Bard, or Ninja could beat him handily if they take the right feat (and even if they don't, some of them should have a 20 Dex starting, which is +5 by itself)!
Name: Horatius
Class: Monk
Race: Human
Level: 1st
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 171 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Religion: Irori
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background: No one knows of the parents of Horiatus. As a babe mere weeks old, he was left in the dead of night at the gate of a local monastery; the monks took him in and raised him as their own adopted child. From early on in life, it was apparent that Horatius was special. Keen of mind and strong of body, his wit and charm and dexterity endeared him to the monks who trained and taught him. Many in the community in which he grew to adulthood believed him to be the child of a God . . . in other places, and other times, such adoration could have pushed Horatius to become selfish, intent only on his own personal gain.
But the monks of Irori taught the child well. He learned compassion and empathy alongside of the martial arts for which the Monastery was famed. In his 18th spring, Horatius set forth to discover his purpose in the world . . . and possibly whom his parents actually were (and why he was left on the threshold of the monastery). Eager for adventures to prove his worth (to himself, not others), Horatius hopes to find a cause larger than himself to serve.
Ask yourself . . . would you allow this character to join a party built with a 20-point buy? And would he not fit in with nary a whisper if the other players had no clue that his (base) stats were 18s across the board?
Yeah, the core monk is one of the weaker classes and MAD exasperates that, especially in lower level games. But, the higher the monk can get his stat array, the better it becomes. Even this array (equal to a 102-point buy (!!!)) isn't all that out-of-line with a party of 20- or 25-point buy characters.
At least in my opinion.
Sure, instead of putting the +2 human bonus in Intelligence (to boost skills), a more optimizing player might put it in Strength (boosting attacks and damage), Dexterity (if he takes Weapon Finesse to boost AC, Reflex, and attacks), or Wisdom (to boost Will and AC); all of those options boosting certain skills (and lowering others, c'est la vie). But hey, I like skills. That may just be me.
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2 years, 5 months, and 25 days. You necro-ed this thread after that long? AFTER the 'clarification' and rewrite of Crane Wing which caused such a ruckus on these boards just a few months back. IN GOD'S NAME WHY?
Am I mistaken, or does the monk actually get 3 Standard actions AND a move action (with no provocation of AoO's no matter where they move to)? Seems like you NORMALLY get 1 Standard and 1 Move in a round. SO if this is just replacing the 1 Standard, you still get the other Move. So you COULD take 4x move actions (since standards can be converted to moves).
Damn. It can be read that way, and I have never seen it until now. Perhaps we need to make a thread asking to FAQ that question.
Yeah, but I will say that the ki COST for Slow Time is simply outrageous . . . SIX points!!! At 12th level, you have a total of 6 + Wisdom modifier.
Three or even four would have been reasonable (since the cost of the HIGHEST ki power the core monk has [Empty Body, equal to a 7th level spell] is three); two would have made it too good. But SIX?
A standard 12th level monk could take a 5' step and flurry, getting an attack routine of +10/+10/+5/+5/+0 (with perhaps 1 more +10 if he spends ki).
A monk of the four winds using Slow Time could take a 5' step and attack three times at +9. Not a good trade, eh? BUT, the Mot4W can use VITAL STRIKE with all three of those attacks if he so wishes.
So that standard monk will have five or six attacks, only the first two or three of which will be at a higher attack bonus (and then by just 1 point), while the third and fourth attacks are 4 points less and the fifth attack is NINE points less. Each attack will do 2d6 damage, plus any Strength modifiers or magic.
The Mot4W will have three attacks at +9 each, dealing a base 2d6 damage, plus an additional 2d6 damage from Vital Strike, plus any Strength modifiers or magic. If he has to spend ki, then rather than an extra attack, he can get a +4 dodge bonus to AC for that round.
Well, let's take a look at a starting (1st level) character with all 18s (before racial modifiers), shall we?
Except for the touch AC (18, 19 w/Dodge) and the fact that he has three good saves at +6, he's really not out-of-line for a 1st level character. His normal and flat-footed AC are comparable to someone in armor, his attacks are not as high as a Fighter, Ranger, Barbarian, or Paladin, he has a lot of skills . . . but still not as many as a human Rogue. His Initiative is pretty darn good (+8), but a 1st level Rogue, Bard, or Ninja could beat him if they take the right feat!
Name: Horatius
Class: Monk
Race: Human
Level: 1st
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 171 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Religion: Irori
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background: No one knows of the parents of Horiatus. As a babe mere weeks old, he was left in the dead of night at the gate of a local monastery; the monks took him in and raised him as their own adopted child. From early on in life, it was apparent that Horatius was special. Keen of mind and strong of body, his wit and charm and dexterity endeared him to the monks who trained and taught him. Many in the community in which he grew to adulthood believed him to be the child of a God . . . in other places, and other times, such adoration could have pushed Horatius to become selfish, intent only on his own personal gain.
But the monks of Irori taught the child well. He learned compassion and empathy alongside of the martial arts for which the Monastery was famed. In his 18th spring, Horatius set forth to discover his purpose in the world . . . and possibly whom his parents actually were (and why he was left on the threshold of the monastery). Eager for adventures to prove his worth (to himself, not others), Horatius hopes to find a cause larger than himself to serve.
Hello, all. This one has taken some time and it has been awhile since I lasted updated it. But now, I've got full compliance with the post-blog Monk and added a few new bells-and-whistles to the Tattoos themselves.
Good question. A lot of people want to see OPTIONS in the various character classes for Pathfinder. So, at its heart, this is just a monk with options. You've got the bare bones of what it is to be a monk . . . and then every single level he gets to pick a Tattoo of Power to activate. Each Tattoo has a different effect; some are limited use per day, while others are always active. Some duplicate existing monk abilities, while others are spell-like abilities.
THE POUCH OF INFINITE STARS Aura: Moderate conjuration
CL: 6th
Slot: None
Price: 13,000 gp
Weight: 2 lb
Description: This leather pouch is designed to worn on a belt. Unremarkable in appearance, it is actually quite heavily enchanted. Upon looking into the pouch, it appears to contain ten shuriken. The wearer may draw and throw them as needed. The magic of this item then becomes readily apparent. At the start of the wearer's next turn, the pouch once again refills with ten new shuriken! The bearer of this item never need fear running out of throwing stars so long as he wears this item. Shuriken removed from the pouch vanish after one round, whether or not they are thrown or if they strike a target.
Twice per day, the bearer of the pouch may utter a command word as a swift action. After doing so, any shuriken he draws from the pouch possess a +2 enhancement bonus. This effect lasts until the start of the possessers next round. A few rare pouches only possess a +1 enhancement bonus, but also provide a +1 special weapon property, such as distance, flaming, frost, or seeking. Such pouches of infinite shuriken never possess the returning property.
CONSTRUCTION Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, abundent ammunition, magic weapon*
Cost: 6,500gp
*Pouches of infinite stars with a special weapon property, such as the pouch of infinite flaming stars or the pouch of infinite seeking stars add the spell listed in the special weapons property to the requirements listed above. See Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions (pg. 461-463) in the Core Reference Document for exact details.
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This is a thread for a simple question that has arisen time and time again:
When a character or creature is wearing an Amulet of Mighty Fists and attempts a grapple maneuver, does the enhancement bonus of the AoMF (if any) add to the character's roll to perform the grapple?
If it does, then does the enhancement bonus (if any) also apply to the character resisting a grapple maneuver?
I post this because the question keeps on popping up in thread after thread, and nowhere have I (with my admittedly weak search-fu) been able to find an answer from the developers. I, for one, would like to see the issue settled once and for all with a simple answer: YES or NO.
If you feel the same way, please click FAQ and here is hoping that we will finally receive an answer.
Post your own opinions and thoughts below, if you like.
They could have added a size restriction (ala Deflect Arrows). Something like, "You can only deflect an attack from a creature no more than one" (or two, perhaps) "size categories larger than you. For example, a medium-size Fighter may use Crane Wing to deflect a single attack from a creature of Large-size or smaller; he may not deflect an attack from a Huge, Gargantuan, or Colossal creature."
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Doesn't he lose his Class AC bonus (including Wis to AC), fast movement, and flurry of blows when using a shield? Ring of force shield works just like an actual shield except you can turn it on or off just about at will. It doesn't matter if it is zero ACP or weightless; it is still a shield, right?
That gives you an AC (at 16th level) of 36/29/30, when the average attack bonus of CR16 monsters is +26 with average damage of 80. Even with 171 hit points, three hits and you are GONE.
Never mind that this build illustrates what I and others have said for years: your options to build a monk do not resemble (in the slightest) monks of myth and legend. Permanent enlarge person? Jacking Strength up to 30 (with a Dex [after enhancement] of just 18). Yes, in Pathfinder, Hulk can Smash! But monks ain't supposed to be Hulk.
EDIT: And man, you are screwed if you fight inside an Anti-Magic Field. THAT will put your Dex at 12 and your Wis at 16 . . . giving you an armor class of 18/18/14 (before Dodge)! Never mind finding a room at an Inn to sleep or a chair to sit in (because of that permanent enlarge) or buying clothing. Heaven help you if you go on a dungeon crawl with narrow corridors and tunnels.
The campaign was getting close to its conclusion. Sandy (the girl who played Sonandra) had been hired out of state; Steve’s wife had received a new posting at Fort Carson and HE would be moving soon. We knew there were only a handful of epic adventures left in this campaign, and they proved well worth our attention.
So there the party was, back in Nevond Nevnend, and things were looking bad. The Church United was falling apart, and both sides were eager to come to blows and settle old scores. And only Sonandra and I stood in their way. Oh, she pleaded with Arminas to change sides, to be reborn into the light and stand tall in the grace of Heironious—but that wasn’t Arminas. That wasn’t who he was.
That night, after Arminas retired and after falling asleep he awoke.
But instead of a dark bedroom in Maklin’s palace, he stood in mighty temple. It was round, with a vaulted ceiling suspended on marble pillars marching around the perimeter. Surrounding the sunken floor where Arminas stood, there were tables of carved stone, and seats—all sized for Titans, and each marked with the holy symbol of one of the Gods. And he was alone.
There were no doors; there were no windows. No torches, but the chamber was illuminated in a clear soft light.
“Ah, you are aware of your surroundings; that is good,” cackled a harsh voice. Arminas turned and he saw Hextor leaning against one of the tables, the six armed giant with two arms crossed over his chest.
“My Lord,” I said. And Hextor frowned.
“You do not prostrate yourself before me, mortal? Such spirit, such fire. I admire that. Why have you forsaken me, Arminas?”
“I have not, my Lord. I serve the Church of the Twins—as you have commanded.”
Hextor spat. “That congregation has outlived its usefulness. It is time for the Church United to end. My servant Stannis has informed you of this, but you fail him and you fail ME. Cast aside your oath to Heironious and I shall restore you to my service—and I shall deliver unto you Stannis for all of the crimes he has committed against your family. I reward well those who choose to serve me.”
“Forgive me, my Lord,” Arminas said quietly, “but my Oath—that I took at your direction—binds me no longer to you alone. My Oath is to the Twins, and you cannot compel me to break it.”
“I CANNOT COMPEL YOU? You foolish maggot! I am Hextor, I own your SOUL! Swear anew your faith to ME, shatter this Oath to the Twins and I will not send you screaming into my domain to suffer for all of Eternity!”
Now, I don’t know what Steve was expecting; perhaps he thought I might quail against this threat. Perhaps not. He was usually a step or two ahead of us—but I played the role I had chosen to the end.
“No. I shall not break my Oath, freely given. Not even at your command, my Lord. And should you continue to command me otherwise, then it is YOU, o Champion of Law, o Dark Prince; it is YOU who have broken your Oath to ME.”
“You are the Oath-Breaker here, my Lord. By your own words, my bond to you is now severed—be gone, and trouble me no further.”
Well, that was the wrong thing to say to a God. Arminas was flung across the temple and slammed into a pillar. Hextor was FURIOUS, to say the least.
He summoned forth a bolt of lightning in one arm and drew back. “Then your Oath shall die with you!” he screamed and he hurled the bolt towards me.
But it didn’t hit. Hextor snarled and looked around the chamber, and then he wilted. He cowered. And a voice spoke from the air. “So judged. His soul no longer belongs to you.”
Hextor began speaking in a language Arminas couldn’t understand, but it sounded as if he was pleading someone that Arminas couldn’t perceive. But his words got weaker and weaker, and finally Hextor turned back to me. “This is not finished, mortal,” he snarled. “I shall be waiting for you.”
And he vanished.
“Bravo. Bravo!” boomed a third voice, a voice that Arminas had heard before on the Isle of the Damned and again before his wedding ceremony. He turned and there stood Heironious, clad in his shining mail. “My brother does not warrant such loyalty to an ideal—you stand on the edge of redemption, Arminas tar Valantil. Swear yourself to my service alone, and you will earn a place in the ranks of my knights.”
Oh boy.
“Together, Arminas, we can vanquish Hextor’s religion from your land and free your people of their servitude. After all, I am the God of honorable warfare, of just conflicts for the right causes. What better cause tham to free your people from their enslavement at the hands of my brother’s priests? Join ME, swear your Oath to ME, and we will cast aside this farce of Church which has bound my plans for too long.”
Were they all blind?
“You claim a difference between yourself and Hextor—and yet, you plot and scheme as much as He. You engineer the formation of a Church—a Church which you, my Lord, swore into being as a means to fight the Plague which we have now vanquished. It is an oath that you would now ignore solely because it has proven to be inconvenient in your war against Hextor!”
“Inconvenient? No child. There is more here at stake that you realize. Good and Evil are preparing for a final conflict, and I shan’t be yoked with Evil. Swear allegiance to me, end this Church, and you will have my promise that Hextor shall never touch your undying soul.”
“A yoke that you willingly put around your neck, my Lord. No. Demand this of me and you as well shall be an Oath-breaker, Lord of Honorable Battle! You seek to circumvent your oath through loop-holes and the shredding of the SPIRIT of your own words; you seek to buy my loyalty with the promise of you protection. I need no such protection from a false God who lies. May a pox lie upon both you and your brother—with whom you are far closer in spirit than you care to admit to yourself!”
Now Heironious grew wrathful. I seem to have a knack for pissing off Gods.
But he didn’t attack me. He glared at me. “So be it. You refuse my protection; you shall not have it. You refuse my offer of redemption; you shall be cast into the pit of Hell upon your death. You refuse to serve under my guidance in this Our War upon Evil; then my champion will finish you.”
He stopped and looked over his shoulder, and his expression dropped, his complexion turned to ash, as a third God appeared. Lendor, the head of the Suel pantheon.
“Your threats are pointless, Heironious. He belongs to neither of you—and his Oath is no longer binding. You and your brother are once more free to deal violence upon each other, and your followers the same.”
“And him?” Heironious asked, pointing to me. "You will claim him then?”
“I claim him not. For he belongs only to himself. His fate is in the hands of neither you nor your brother.”
Heironious nodded and turned back to Arminas. “Know this, Arminas tar Valantil. Despite what is to come, you shall not enjoy the fruits of your labors.”
And he left. And Arminas stood there with Lendor.
“Why?” he asked the God.
“Despite your past deeds, you know what is important to your own self. You know yourself. You held to your Oath despite all that the Gods themselves did to persuade you to break it. And for that, I grant you freedom from the oaths that you have sworn, and the freedom to make your own choice on what lies ahead. Take that freedom, child of Suel; take it, live your life, and depart from this hallowed place.”
And so Arminas did. He woke in his bed back in Maklin’s palace, and he cast aside his holy symbol. Never again would he wear the symbol of any god or goddess, nor would he bow his head or bend his knee towards them. Lendor he respected, but did not worship. But he would be the target of Hextorian wrath to the end of his days.
The following day, Arminas told his companions of what had transpired in the night. Sonandra was crushed that he had rejected the offer of Heironious for Arminas to take up arms at his side—at her side.
“I don’t understand,” she wailed. “We have been through so much together—we have accomplish great things together. Why are doing this?”
Arminas looked at her with pity. “I cannot worship him—he is an Oathbreaker.”
“I gave up my life for you; my family has been made paupers because of you. You betray us!”
“Would you have back your life, Sonandra?”
“Yes! And we can regain it together, Arminas,” she pleaded. “Join us. Heironious will forgive you. I-I . . .” she looked down at the floor in character. And she grinned at us players in game! “Damn it, I love you!”
We all smiled. And, well, I couldn’t resist. “I know. But my dear, I have never loved you. Everything I have done has been out of duty. But I give you one final gift. As the last man who held onto his Oath to the Church of the Twins, by the laws that the Church encoded, I hereby, in front of these witnesses, and sight of all of the Gods, do divorce you. Live your life. Reclaim your life.”
We had one last game session the week afterwards. We didn’t game that session, but Steve gave us our future history.
Maklin ruled Tenh justly, living to the ripe old age of 97. He was remembered fondly by his people, and he had five strong children that unified that realm, tying together the various baronies into a strong central government under his firm rule. He remained friends with Arminas to his last days and supported the campaign that Arminas waged against the Theocracy.
Sonandra gave up the sword and retired to a quiet nunnery in Urnst. She renounced her remaining wealth, giving it to the poor and at long last gained peace.
Loeweinbrough found the glory that he had been seeking, becoming a renowned knight errant on a hundred different battlefields. He fought off every assassination attempt by the Guild and died in his sleep at the age of 68, being the most unusual and ineffective Grandfather of Assassin’s in Greyhawk history.
Jaspar returned to Greyhawk City where he became the Guild-master of the Nighthawks, a thieves’ guild that controlled the streets and alleys where the Watch did not dare patrol. He amassed wealth and notoriety and died many years later in a hot-tub he was sharing with six lady halfling concubines.
Clement decided to journey eastward with Arminas. Together they fought against the Theocracy until at long last the Hextorians were defeated and driven from the Pale. He may have had moral qualms about how Arminas accomplished things, but he respected Arminas for holding to his given word. Although he tried to convert Arminas to the faith of St. Cuthbert, he knew it was a forlorn hope.
Sakura as well journeyed with his friend and fought in the Palish Wars. True to the end, he died only a week before victory was declared. Arminas honored his friend, who perished in battle and invited his family to come to the Pale and live in peace.
As for Arminas himself? He did free his people. He drove the Hextorians from the Pale and tore down the Theocracy. He repaid Stannis in full for all his evil, and he assumed the ancient throne of Wintershaven as Prince Regent. But his story did not end there.
For the final words spoken by Heironious were not bluster, but rather prophecy. On the morning after his coronation, Arminas was stolen away by powerful summoning magic, and taken to a world far distant from Oerth, a world in need of heroes. He never saw his homeland again. But he remained Arminas until the day he died.
And of his tales in that distant place? That my friends, is another story.
For five years, I played in this campaign. It was my first campaign an, to this very day, it remains my favorite. I was honored to have such an excellent DM and wonderful friends and gamers who made all of our characters come to life.
May you and your games be as fun and as memorable as this one was for me.
Arminas took the freshest two steeds we had used to travel to his family’s former holdings in the early hours of the morning. He left behind a note explaining that he could not, in good conscience, ask the party to accompany him to confront Bishop Stannis. I bid them a fond farewell, and I mounted up and rode hell-for-leather for the capital city of Wintershiven.
By dawn I had arrived in the capital, just as the eastern gates were being opened. Knowing me, the guards allowed Arminas to pass and he galloped through the still empty streets all the way to the Cathedral. Every bit as grand as the Prelate’s Cathedral in Midmeadows, this structure had been the heart and soul of the Hextorian Church for nearly a century. Oh, there was a token adornment to the ‘Twins’ here and there, but at its core this mighty temple was devoted to Hextor, and to him alone.
Up flights of stairs Arminas rushed, and he barged into the private quarters of Bishop Stannis; second only to the Prelate in authority. And he was expecting me.
He offered Arminas wine and breakfast, but the monk refused. And that was when Stannis stood and looked out over the slowly awakening city below.
“See the realm at our command, Arminas,” he said, passing his hand over the city. “The threat has receded after our priests activated the artifact you and your companions retrieved. And with Corrian dead, the threat that Iuz poses is no longer as grave. You have done well, my dark knight.”
He paused and cocked his head. “The time has come to sever the ties of this farce of a church united. Our differences are too profound, too ideologically dissonant to remain tied together. Both sides want this—just as we find the philosophy of Heironious naïve and foolish, so too he hates and fears us. They are preparing a first strike against us here, in our homeland. They are preparing to march upon us in open war. And it will be our Church, our Church that shall prevail.”
Arminas stood still, his face fixed without any outward sign of emotion.
“You, my child, you play a great role here. So long as you and your wife hold to your vows, our Gods are bound to the oaths they have sworn—when you live true to your oath, their United Church still exists, and other powers will hold them to their sworn word.”
Still Arminas did not react.
“You must renounce your ties to the Church of the Twins. Break your oath, and the ties that bind us shall be severed. Come now, it will not be held against you, my champion. Simply swear your allegiance to Hextor alone, and all shall be forgiven.”
Arminas smiled and he took a goblet of wine from the table and drank down a swallow. “All will be forgiven in the eyes of Hextor. Just as he forgave you when you slaughtered my family—my father. Just as he did when you enslaved my people against your own laws.”
Stannis chuckled. “Lies, Arminas. It is all lies. Your companions seek to deceive you; your people live as free landholders as they have for centuries.”
Arminas reached down and pulled a sack from his belt and emptied a dozen signet rings—the rings of the overseers at his family’s holdings—onto the table. Stannis jerked and stared at Arminas.
“No, my Lord. You lie. I have seen the farms; I have seen my people wallow in their misery; I have heard the truth with my own ears. And I will have it from you.”
“You thought perhaps that this Church runs on charity and kindness, Valens? We must be strong, and the weak shall serve us forever!” he shouted.
“YES. Your father was an enemy of the state and of the Church, and for that he died. We ensured that you would live, however, and come to love to the Church, to one day lead your people to their rightful place among the strong in the service of the Tyrant of Hell! Now renounce your oath and pay your homage to Hextor! I command you!”
“No.”
“NO?”
“No,” answered Arminas again. “I shall hold my oath, and it will bind you and our God. I will not break it at the command of a treacherous priest who knows no honor.”
Stannis nodded slowly. “I always thought that you might someday become a problem. Take him,” he said as he suddenly vanished from sight, uttering his word of recall.
A dozen guards leapt into the room, but Arminas was already out the window, slow falling down the side of the Cathedral tower, and he landed in the courtyard. Where dozens—scores—of temple guardsmen emerged and alarm bells pealed out their summons. Arminas was getting ready for the fight of his life—perhaps the final fight of his life—when suddenly a fireball hurtled through the open gate in the walls that surrounded the temple grounds and exploded in their midst.
And through that gate rode my companions. It was a hard fight, but we got clear and across the river, where Maklin (now an NPC) gave us shelter. And it was there in Tenh that we discovered that Stannis had spoken at least one truth—the Heironians wanted us to break our oaths as well. The moment of decision had arrived for Arminas.
Well. That information was certainly a shock. And Arminas wasn’t the only member of the party to receive suspect info from Corrian (may he rest in peace . . . oh, who am I kidding?). Of course, he could have been lying, but . . . he was convincing. We bid Maklin a fond farewell, and received fresh steeds for the journey back to the Pale.
Bruce (Maklin’s player) had been offered a job out of state, so he was leaving our merry not-so-little band of adventurers. The rest of us, however, had a date with destiny. We rode East from Nevond Nevnend to the city of Atherstone, killing another a dozen assassins that continued to plague us. This time around, we crossed the main bridges at the Pale’s capital city of Wintershiven, and then instead of travelling straight to Midmeadows in the south we pressed east some more, past the township of Dawnin, heading towards the Old City of Wintershiven.
You see, when the Hextorians took over the Pale almost a century before Arminas was born, the Old City was sacked. Rather than rebuild the ruins (at the time), the Hextorians instead built a new and modern city on the banks of the Yol, naming it Wintershiven as well. Now, by this time, the Old City ruins had been (mostly) cleared and were home to a small, but thriving community. But our destination wasn’t the Old City; rather we were headed to a small lake on one of the many tributaries of the Yol.
The lake on whose shores Arminas’s family had built their vineyards. My; excuse me, ARMINAS’s father had been the head of the House of Valens, a minor Suel noble house that had fled the Cataclysms centuries before. The Suel who had settled the Pale were never much taken with religion of any sort—most of their gods had clearly failed to present the destruction of their Empire in the West after all. And Father had been a leader to whom the common Suel of the Pale had looked for guidance.
All of which led Arminas to believe that Corrian’s tale could indeed be (might be) true. And if so, he needed to unearth that truth, regardless of the cost. Of course, the estates were now Church property, since I (Arminas) could not own property as a monk. What we discovered there was shocking. And I say that as Arminas with all that he had been through.
The Suel on the estate were not mere serfs—the Pale had never had such a tradition. Our people were (had once been, anyways) free landowners, not servants. But here, on the palatial grounds where the manor had been rebuilt, they were more than serfs—they were slaves. Condemned to such by the Church that I had served, against the laws that Church claimed to uphold. We had been blind to the corruption of the Church before this; strike that.
Arminas had been blind to the corruption. Before now, he had spent his entire life in one monastery cell after the next, travelling only where he had been directed by the Church to accomplish its goals. All the while he had been told time after time that it was for a better tomorrow for the people—the Suel—of the Pale. His people. Never before had Arminas strayed from the course that the Church had cunningly guided him, and he realized now that outside the clean shining cities and majestic temples and serene monastic fortresses, the true plight of his suffering people.
And Arminas grew angry.
The overseers, of course, were not keen on allowing us access to the lands and people. But Arminas only stared at them, and presented his holy symbol. He then asked them if they truly wished to stop agents of the Church from our appointed duties in a voice that dripped with menace. I then, as a matter of fact, simply described to those overseers exactly what I and my companions would do to them should they attempt to get in our way.
(In fact, after the game, Steve said that when I soft that softly and my voice dropped an octave and rumbled in my chest that HE got a chill.)
Of course, that pissed off Sonandra even more, but she too was concerned with the well-being of the people—the slaves—who awaited us. Sakura (god bless him!) only asked me whether I wanted them (the overseers) roasted slowly or quickly with his magics, and even Jaspar got into the swing of things, licking his dagger’s blade as he drooled.
The Overseers let us pass.
The manor was nothing like I had remembered it. Oh, the dimensions were the same, and it had the same granite foundations and lower floors as I pictured it. But the simple, warm, comforting home of my childhood was transformed. It was filthy, unkempt, and in disrepair. The overseers apparently could not be bothered to maintain the domicile. But they had young girls scantily clad aplenty; young slaves they kept locked into their apartments.
We toured the fields, where all but the most basic tools were denied to my people. Who dug into the earth with a trowel and not a shovel. Who weeded with their hands and not a hoe. Who wore rags and went shoeless and stank of poverty and hopelessness.
None would speak to us, but Arminas set his jaw and he continued on. Until at long last, he heard a faint voice—an old and familiar voice.
“Young master?”
It was my father’s youngest armsman, Sir Deleon, the man who had taught Arminas the first basics of swordsmanship when he was a child. He was now a withered old man, his back bent under the years, his teeth missing. It was not right. Deleon was a member of our household—an honored servant who had guarded the House of Valens. And one that the Church had told Arminas had perished in the attack by bandits years before.
Deleon told Arminas the truth at long last—and it was indeed as Corrian had said. The Church had used me as a fool; as a token representative of the Suel, while my people were being held in slavery and abuse. As a player, I was not surprised by this—I knew my alignment going in. But Arminas was surprised and shocked.
He crucified the overseers on the estate and threw open the silos ordering all the slaves to take what they could and go. Sonandra protested—and Arminas slapped her. I admit, he lost his cool, and that didn’t even include his proclamation, “Wife, OBEY THY HUSBAND!”
Oh, she was pissed.
They left Arminas alone after that, and he stood there on the edge of his father’s vineyards watching the overseers slowly die. The party didn’t depart completely; instead they set about making the manor habitable. Only Sakura came out to stand beside me—and he never asked me a single question.
He only said, “We will stand—or die—alongside you. It is your choice.”
And in those words, I could hear the laughing voice of Heironious from the Isle of the Damned.
We spent a week in Redspan and other than the four assassination attempts on Grandfather Loeweinbrough (none of which succeeded), our stay was relatively uneventful. Maklin did meet Baron Fell’s daughter, and I remember Steve describing her when she lowered her veil (remember, it was 1990): ‘Bruce, remember Risky Business? The prostitute played by Rebecca de Mornay? Well, she looks just like her at age 17, only virginal. She is demure, and quiet, but her eyes promise passion like you have before experienced.’
Needless to say, Maklin was quite pleased with his betrothal after all. Especially after Baron Fell commented that she had been specially trained and prepared in the Arts of Pleasure for her wedding night over the course of several years by the Sisters of Myhriss, the Goddess of Love, Romance, and Beauty. Bruce leaned across the coffee table we rolled dice on and told me, ‘I owe you one; I owe one a big one.’
Sonandra was still pissed at Arminas (what else was new?), especially when I made the comment, ‘That is what if wife is supposed to be.’ She knocked me in the back of my hand (the player actually did that!) and then decided to give him the silent treatment. It didn’t get any better when she received an urgent sending from her family in northern Urnst. You see, she and I were married under the laws of the Church of the Twins, and the Church leaders (yep, Bishops Stannis and Tomas) had ruled—in our absence—that since Church law stated that the wife’s property became that of the husband, and since as a monk of the Twins I was forbidden from owning property other than what I could carry on my person, ALL of Sonandra’s possessions were now part and parcel of the Church to dispose with as the Church leader’s deemed appropriate.
They sold her lands, her home, her art works, her clothing; they cleared out her bank accounts; they fired the servants who had worked for her family for generations; they evicted her father and mother from the properties they had bequeathed to their daughter (for tax purposes). Oh, her family still had money, but they had given the most valuable part of their lands into the keeping of their paladin daughter, since paladins didn’t pay taxes to the Urnst government.
And—of course—she blamed Arminas. Me.
Needless to say, we were all becoming rapidly disillusioned with the Church, which was how Steve wanted it.
Concluding our business in Redspan, we moved out across the central highlands of Tenh to confront Corrian in the capital of Nevond Nevnend. The trip took a couple of weeks, and with the exception of several assassination attempts on Loeweinbrough (poor guy couldn’t catch a break), it was mostly without incident. By the time we arrived at N2, he was so flustered and paranoid that he wouldn’t approach a beggar without a weapon drawn—and he paid several thousand gold for a magic goblet that automatically detected poison on any liquid poured within it.
N2 was a major city; nothing like Greyhawk City, of course, but still a large and robust community of more than seventy thousand souls. We all got just a little bit concerned when we were able to pass through the city gates without incident, and still more when we weren’t molested by the Guard or the Watch.
And got really spooked with Corrian’s herald arrived and invited us to join him in the Palace.
We knew it was a trap, but we were heroes by the Gods and Goddesses! So we went, but we went with our eyes open and ready. Corrian was ready to make us an offer, he said, from the high throne on which he sat, surrounded by clerics and guards and fell beasts from the depths of the Abyss. He wanted Maklin to publicly renounce his claim to the throne and leave Tenh willingly. In return, he would spare our lives and leave us be—and he offered a pile of treasure as well.
Well, we weren’t having any of that! After all, his treasure would be ours once we put paid to the man, and none of us trusted him and his Iuzian advisors. And so, the fight was on.
It was a doozy, let me tell you. This one fight through the palace took an entire eight-hour game session to run from start to finish. By the time it was over, Sakura and Clement (our St. Cuthbert priest) were completely out of spells and we were all low on hit points. But we came, we saw, we kicked their ass right off that throne.
Finally, it was just the seven of us (Arminas, Maklin, Sonandra, Loeweinbrough, Clement, Sakura, and Jaspar [the halfling thief]) and Corrian. He had been badly injured, and was trying to crawl away from us, and begged—pleaded—with us to spare his life. We refused (and not even Sonandra protested this killing after seeing the depths of his evil and depravity).
And that is when it happened. Steve launched into a final monologue, and he revealed many plot threads and hinted at things yet to come. We all received information that we found disquieting, but Arminas was perhaps the most shocked.
You see, Corrian revealed that it had not been bandits that slaughtered his family while he was a child: it had been done by the Hextorian Church at the direction and order of none other than Stannis. Stannis (and his superiors) felt that Arminas’s father (never a true believer in Hextor) would pose a threat to their rule, so they were the ones who had him killed. I had grown up believing the lies of those who had brutally killed my family, and then I had served them.
Arminas did not take this well; he didn’t in fact believe it! (Remember, he was a fanatical follower of the Church when we first met him.) But Corrian only laughed at me, and he prophesized that I would indeed discover the truth for myself, discover just how far that I had been betrayed by those to whom I had given my Oath.
And I killed him for it. Arminas grabbed Corrian and snapped his neck. But the words of that old man would haunt him (me) until the end of the campaign.
The Duchy rejoiced at the news of Corrian’s death, and within three weeks, the Barons of Tenh had assembled for Maklin’s coronation and wedding. He assumed the throne, and he pledged to rebuild the Kingdom into a force for Good throughout the North. He forgave the Baron’s their debts, he proclaimed amnesty for all those Corrian had unjustly imprisoned, and he ordered all priests of Iuz and the lower planes put to the sword.
To his companions, he gave many gifts, among them he named us as Knight-Captains of the Halberdier Guards of Tenh—the elite order of knights that traditionally served the Grand Duke.
Thus it was that Arminas tar Valantil became Sir Arminas. Still plagued by Corrian’s final words, I asked Maklin to hold in his treasury the portions of the spoils that he had showered upon me and Sonandra, so that the Church of the Twins could not seize them. That proved to be a wise act by the escalating events that later took place.
Well, we left behind the Wode of Dead Fey and at long last (4 years of gaming) we set foot on the soil of the Duchy of Tenh. Strangely enough, Quentin Sackripper decided that the party was no longer a friendly environment for a practical-joker, so he left our company when we ran across a small gnomish village. (The player had another, more serious character he wanted to try.)
Thus it came to pass that Sakura, a Wu Jen from the distant West, joined our intrepid group. Sakura would become Arminas's closest friend and ally in the party, since in the wake of the Pixie Genocide, relations between him and the good-aligned members had chilled. And were decidedly worse with his malcontent bride of a paladin.
Tenh was . . . a sad country. There are no better words to describe it than that. Formerly a bulwark against the Bandit Kingdoms and the realm of Iuz, a staunch defender of the passes against the Northern Barbarians of Stonehold, the realm had fallen into a malaise, a depression, a sadness.
Corrian, the unlawful Archduke who had usurped the throne from our own ranger Maklin, had grown more and more paranoid. And he had instituted a most bitter and hated regime. We heard tales that the Baron of Redspan had denounced the Grand Duke and was soon to be attacked by pretender. So off to Redspan we went!
The city was in a state of siege by Corrian's army and it took us the best part of a month to find a way in. Redspan was one of the jewels of the Duchy, a mighty city-fortress perched on the banks of the Artonsamay River. An ancient bridge of red stone crossing to the south bank gave the city (and the Barony) it's name.
Well, we evaded the besieging army and entered the city, and proceeded to an audience with Baron Fell, to convince him to declare for Maklin.
It was a memorable experience in the Baron's throne room. Fell was not at all pleased with the idea of restoring Maklin to the throne--he wanted it for himself. But then I pointed out that even if he overthrew Corrian (unlikely, but still) he would have to content with the Barons of Stroun, Braycott, Watton, Tolran Hill, Narleon, Calbut, High Hadley, Harpender, and Atherstone: none of which would be willing to put an 'equal' on the ancient throne of Nevond Nevnend.
No, Arminas said, you have too many enemies, Your Grace to hold together the Duchy. But your grandson might well sit on the throne in your stead.
Maklin jerked upright when I said this, but Arminas pressed on.
You, Your Grace, have a daughter of marriagable age; Maklin will need a wife. If you declare for him, he would agree to a betrothal, with a wedding to follow once he ascends to the throne.
Bruce--the fellow playing Maklin--his jaw just dropped. And he began to sputter, but I pressed on ahead anyway.
His Grace, the Archduke Maklin, would recognize your support for his claim against the pretender as your daughter's dowry, my Lord. Which would save a good deal of Redspan's treasury.
The party was dying, even as Maklin was sputtering. And Steve was smiling.
Finally, Fell agreed to the deal: on one condition. We would have to lead his army to victory and break the siege outside the walls. I assured him that this would NOT be a problem.
Once we (the party) were alone, I got it from all sides.
Maklin: You gave up my dowry! And promised that I would marry a girl I have never before seen!
Loeweinbrough: We have to fight an entire army! Are you insane?
Sonandra: You shushed me! You shushed me right in front of the Baron! And you practically SOLD that girl to buy Fell's support for Maklin!
Well, I did shush her; her Charisma might have been high, but she was never good at talking people into things (or out of things). And I KNEW she was about to put her foot into her mouth over (another) forced wedding. So I deserved that one.
I just asked my fellow players, what other choices are there? We are in Redspan, we are being besieged as well. Can you, Sonandra, or you Loewinbrough, just ride off and let the city be sacked? Can you, Maklin, afford NOT to gain whatever support you need to overthrow your mad uncle BEFORE he utterly ruins your kingdom?
I am telling you, I got haughty and my feather's rumpled over how I had worked Fell into supporting us, and then the party complains about it! Talk about a bunch of ingrates.
And then Sakura spoke up. He didn't agree with my methods, (he said with a wink at me) but he agreed with my premise. We needed Fell and Redspan's soldiers. It was a small price to pay to free the Duchy. Of course, Maklin could always give up his quest to regain the throne, if he thought it was too hard for him to complete.
Oh, that did it. The guy playing Maklin huffed and puffed a little bit more, but he came around. And even Loewenbrough finally agreed that the glory he could gain on the field of battle was a reward in and of itself. Of course, Sonandra was still pissed at me, but then she had been for the past two years! What else was new?
Next day, we took to the field, the seven of us at head of a hundred knights and five hundred men-at-arms wearing Redspan livery. Against an army numbering nearly a thousand.
"You know," Maklin said, "it sure would be nice to have an army of Undead right about now."
"No, my Lord soon-to-be Grand Duke. That would only rob you of the glory you will earn this day. Have faith, be stout, and we shall prevail," Arminas answered.
The plan was for Maklin to lead the men-at-arms in defending against Corrian's army, Loewinbrough to command the knights in a massive charge, and for Sakura to teleport the rest of us (Arminas, Sonandra, the halfling thief, and the cleric of St. Cuthbert) directly atop of their command post.
Ah, it was a glorious battle, my friends. And between me, the thief, and Sonandra, we cut the head from their army, even as Lowenbrough began his charge against the levies and Maklin and Sakura were wasting Corrian's knights that had charged the defenses! I won't bore you with the full tale of the fight, but by nightfall they were in complete rout, running for home with their tails between their legs!
Knights and men-at-arms are little use against 11th, 12th, and 13th level characters after all. Especially when those characters have their own fodder supporting them.
So, Baron Fell of Redspan declared for Maklin, and the campaign to liberate the Duchy was well underway.
We easily crossed the Yol (well, it wasn’t easy, but we managed) and entered the majestic and magical Phostwood. Even Arminas was struck by the natural beauty of those woods. The Phostwood was a very special place, you see. The leaves of the trees there were natural phosphorescent, like fireflies. When disturbed, each leaf would begin to softly glow, increasing from a barely perceptible illumination to shining as bright as a candle, and then dimming again. And not just a single color, but an entire spectrum of light. Even the wind would cause this, painting the nocturnal woods with a constantly shifting tableau of painted light.
Suffice to say, the woods were stunning, and we were all moved.
But the damned forest had a pixie problem. It was infested with the things. And like all pixies everywhere, the fey were practical jokers in the extreme. We tried to avoid them, but no. We tried to reason with them, but no. And they had a particular dislike for Arminas.
You see, pixies don’t like evil critters or characters, not one little bit. I discovered this the hard way as we traveled for five days through the Phostwood with those little winged SOBs buzzing around my head. For four days, Arminas (and I) bit his tongue as the rest of the party was pretty well ignored by those delightful, joyful faeries. Until he woke up after the party camped for the night and discovered that the pixies had stripped him of his clothing in the night. Every stitch. Oh, they had left my clothes, folded up nice and neat at the end of my blanket—filled with itching powder. And all the changes of clothing I had also had itching powder.
The kicker was I had been painted blue over every single square millimeter of my body. A pale baby blue, with bright crimson lines drawn around the perimeter of my eyes, lips, and various other bodily orifices. My hair had been bleached white, and my fingernails and toenails painted pink.
For once in his life, the gnome was utterly speechless. It was the rest of the party that was laughing their butts off. Mine was just freezing off (did I not mention it was the middle of winter?).
Arminas’s patience had utterly and finally run out. With those winged devil-impish faerie-folk. I took a deep breath and wrote Steve a short note, passed it across to him with a serene look on my face: and he burst out laughing. And the party began to look worried.
He asked me, you are really going to use this here? Now? For this?
And I said hell yes.
At which point, my companions began to sweat, and Quentin blurted out, ‘You can’t burn the whole forest down, lad! It’s a priceless treasure!’
‘No burning, Quentin,’ I answered.
Earlier, I told you that Steve had given me the artifact the Eye of Vecna. And how it let me see perfectly in darkness of any type. Well, it had other powers too, including one power that I could only use once in my lifetime. I was cashing that one in.
Arminas closed his eyes, and cleared his mind; he stood nude (and blue) in the middle of the camp, and he concentrated, and he concentrated. And he unleashed the evil that was contained within that eye that roiled up within him. The party watched in horror as Arminas screamed, and one eye (the Eye of Vecna) opened and shot a red beam into the sky, and then the lights went out in the Phostwood.
The wind stopped. The birds and animals and insects grew silent. And from the soil of the earth around Arminas, shadowy spectres and wraiths and shadows emerged—dozens, scores, and then hundreds. Needless to say, the party was now standing back to back with drawn weapons.
Arminas at last stopped the primal scream that had emerged and he stood straight and tall (and naked and blue). One of the red-eyed wraiths floated over and bowed low. “How may we serve you, Master?” he hissed.
“Bound to Vecna in life you were, bound to his relic in death you are. I bear that relic. And I command you, in his name, and in my own—Arminas tar Valantil, Master of the Eye—go forth and slay every pixie and brownie and sprite and other faerie folk that inhabit these woods, the Phostwood. Leave not the shelter of these trees and harm no others by my command. But slay the fey!”
At which point Quentin piped up, “You can command an army of undead to kill fey? That is SO cool! Hey, wait! I am technically a fey!”
“Other than my companion. Are these instructions understood?”
“Yes, my master. And when the fey are slain?”
“Then I release you from your oath. Do as you will, excepting only this: you shall not harm me, or any of those who travel with me.”
The wraith bowed low. "It shall be as you command, Master."
The party watched in horror, as the incorporeal creatures darted into the woods, and horrifying screams of the faeries surrounded us on all sides. Sonandra was aghast, and asked me why?
I gestured at my body, and said the little bastards had it coming.
It took three weeks for the paint to wear off. Those little butterfly winged imps. But Arminas got the last laugh out of that one. And on that day, every faerie who did not flee the Phostwood was slaughtered where he or she flapped his or her little wings.
Needless to say, the journey from Midmeadows after the wedding was a tense one. Most of the party had the good sense to keep their mouths shut, but they all still had smiles on their faces (mainly happy that it had not been them the Prelates had selected). All but my gnome buddy. He couldn’t shut up about the wedding and the wedding night and kept pestering us both with questions. He finally did quit the wisecracks after Sonandra dumped him in a horse trough at the next way stop.
Quentin Sackripper (I kid you not, here) was the character’s name. He was a gnome illusionist who wielded a light pick and had a nasty habit of aiming at larger creature’s crotches. Unlike many arcane wielders of magic, Quentin had few qualms about getting up close and personal in combat—I think he rather enjoyed it, despite his low hit points. He was an irascible old coot, and had a kind of perverse sense of humor, one that was witty and caused a smile or a chuckle when he used it on NPCs, but one that stung a bit when used on the players.
Marlyn (no relation to Maklin)—our half-human, half-elf, half-fox Druid—parted ways with us soon after we left the city, and the last we ever saw of him was when he took off chasing a rabbit deeper into the forest on the edge of the Nutherwood. The player had just graduated from graduate school and was moving away, but we had a new guy to replace him. This fellow brought in a neutral cavalier by the name of Sir Loeweinbrough (and, yes, it was pronounced exactly like the brand of beer).
He had never played before, but he was game for anything—unfortunately he shared with the player of the gnome a low sense of humor. He was also destined for greatness—but not in the way one might think. More on this later.
First off, we had to find a way into the Duchy of Tenh. Corrian’s army had all of the river crossings between the Pale and Tenha watched closely—so those were right out. Especially since Lowenboob, the cleric of St. Cuthbert, and Sonandra were not especially stealthy. But the Yol River, while not as mighty as the Artonsomay, was no a placid stream lightly crossed.
Thankfully, Maklin was a Ranger and he knew that section of the river well. The plan was we would proceed down to Hatherleigh, get a good’s night rest, and then head out cross-country through the Nutherwood and try to cross at a little known ford into the Phostwood. From that point on, we would be on Tenha soil, but the Phostwood was little guarded since formed armies could not easily pass through the thick forest.
We rode for a few days (what, you think monks run everywhere? Believe you me, I rode a horse whenever I could!) until we arrived at the city of Hatherleigh just before dusk. The guards let us pass without incident and we traveled through the town until we came upon the first inn that we saw. Sir Loew spotted a shop and decided he had to make a last minute purchase before the woods and the river crossing, so he left us—we told him we would arrange for his room. Good manners, you know.
We get into the inn (and I can’t remember the name to save my life) and arrange for some rooms—at which point Quentin can’t keep his mouth shut any. And asks for the honeymoon suite for the wedded couple. Since Hatherleigh was still in the territory of the Pale controlled by the Church, we knew we had to—for appearances sake—stay in the same room, but I swear, if evil glares could kill the paladin would have fallen again.
Being the gallant gentleman that I was (who said that evil characters can’t possess both style and substance? Huh?), I took her bags up while she and rest of the group were looking over the evening fare. BAD MISTAKE.
No sooner had I opened the room and stepped inside, Arminas was attacked by three assassins. Two of them couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, much less me. Heh. But the third! That was a different story, and he hammered me hard. I went from having sixty-odd hit points to fourteen in a single hit! (And that part I remember crystal clear!).
Arminas was in over his head, and he (I) knew it. So I back pedaled out of the room, jumped over the banister, and landed—bleeding like a stuck pig—on the common room floor below. While the party just looked at me, and then looked up, and they blanched. It was like that scene from Kill Bill. Every door upstairs opened, and a flood of masked men stormed down the stairs, weapons raised.
Maklin took a second to look at me again, and asked, ‘What the hells did you do this time?’
Sonandra, god bless her paladin soul, simply drew her holy sword and said, ‘No one but me kills my souless husband.’
Not exactly the words of adoration and loving content I had hoped to hear, but then again I was gurgling on my own blood bubbling into my lungs, while the cleric just shook his head and hit me with a Cure Serious.
This was a tough fight and it took every bit of our resources—especially since Lowenboob was still at the bloody store! But finally, we had the upper hand and the three surviving assassins broke through the door. We pursued, of course, and a hundred feet down the street Sir Loew was at long last riding up to the inn.
He blinked, taking in the blood on us, and the three masked men running away, and holding his packages like a shield, he lowered his lance and charged. (We helped by singing the Budweiser jingle as he ran them down). At the last minute, the leader turn and threw a poisoned dart—that hit his horse! The horse went down, Sir Loew went over the pommel, his lance hit the leader, skewered him, stuck in the ground, and Sir Loew went a pole-vaulting over the heads of the remaining two assassins! Wow. We actually applauded, and then he got up, drew his sword, and hissed. “I am Sir Loweinbrough, Knighted in battle; you have killed my horse—now prepare to die.”
But the assassins were starting at their dead leader in horror, and then they bowed in unison to Sir Loeweinbrough, shouting out, ‘You killed the grandfather! Long live the grandfather! Command us, grandfather!’
Yep. Sir Lowenboob had just put paid to the Grandfather of Assassins. And by the rules of the Assassin’s Guild, he was now their leader. Well, after we stopped laughing, we tussled up the two survivors, and took them and the leader (the ex-grandfather, rather) back into the inn for some questioning.
Turns out that we were all their targets—but they had explicit orders to kill three of us even if it meant the rest got away: Maklin, Sonandra, and myself. Only the grandfather (former grandfather) knew who had hired them, and we found no more clues on the bodies. Then one of the surviving assassins, looked straight at Sir Loew, and told him to spend his final days well.
What? Our cavalier asked.
He was then told that by killing the Grandfather of Assassins he had become the Grandfather of Assassins. And that the only way some other assassin could claim the title and resume rule of the guild was by assassinating him. He had just become the most wanted man in the Flaness. You should have seen his face fall. As a cavalier he was in it for the glory, and now as stories of his deeds spread, so to would the assassination attempts come faster and faster. Finally, he was able to blurt out the words, ‘oh bloody hell.’
Well, the prisoners having no further use, I went ahead and quietly and painlessly relieved them of their lives. At which point the guards arrived on scene. To find us, bloody and battered standing amid an abattoir of bodies and carnage.
In the process of being questioned, our gnomish friend (always ready to torpedo us even more) blurted out, ‘you should really ask the new Grandfather of Assassins there about this. He’s their leader, now.’
And would you know—the guards looked at ME?
But they were then quickly corrected, and simply stared at the shining, upstanding cavalier knight who was now the leader of all assassin’s across the Flaness—at least until they could kill him.
Maybe Steve actually took pity on us, but he didn’t have the guards arrest us and throw us into a dungeon. They accepted our story, led us to a second inn, and we were–finally—able to get some sleep.
For once, we had an uneventful three weeks in the voyage from Greyhawk City to Radigast City in the County of Urnst, where the party was met by Bishop Stannis and Bishop Tomas of the Church of the Twins. Well, we were ready and waiting for our adventures to continue—but we also were worried. You see, Maklin (our ranger) was the rightful heir of the Duchy of Tenh. That was where we wanted to go, in order for our companion to regain his throne.
His uncle (Corrian) had killed Maklin’s father and forced the young man into exile years before Arminas ever joined the campaign. But, if there was one thing that the Church of the Twins wanted it was to keep upheavals to a minimum in the region. That had now changed.
Stannis and Tomas debriefed us, and congratulated us on recovering the rod, although they were both miffed at how long it had taken us to do so. That attitude did not go over well with even the good or neutral members of the group, much less with me. But they continued headlong, recognizing that it wasn’t our fault. And they wanted us to travel to Midmeadows, on the border of the Pale, Urnst, and Nyrond for a religious ceremony, despite more urgent matters pressing.
You see, Corrian had gone around the bend while we were trapped on the Isle of the Damned. Never a very stable personality, he had become increasingly paranoid and frightened of Maklin’s return (which he should have been). And in response to that (mostly) imagined threat, he had instituted a reign of terror which would have made the inhabitants of Rauxes blanch. Furthermore, he had begun extending feelers to Iuz, threatening the entire region with the addition of an extremely volatile and warlike demi-god who wanted nothing more than see the Church of the Twins weakened and thrown down.
And so, the Church United gave us our marching orders to restore the throne of Tenh to Maklin and remove Corrian from the throne. By peaceful means if possible, and with extreme prejudice if not (I was in favor of the latter, as were any members of our group with two brain cells). After we travelled to Midmeadows for a ceremony deemed crucial to the success of the Church.
So, we made our way north along the Artonsomay River and then across the rolling hills and mostly open plains to Midmeadows.
This mighty city had become the home of the Church of the Twins, lorded over by the dual Prelates of the Church. We were greeted as heroes, with fanfare and a parade, and we all wondered just what boot Steve was about to drop on our heads.
Finally, we were admitted to the presence of the Prelates, along with their Bishops Stannis and Tomas. The future of the Church was in jeopardy, they explained. United to deal with the threat posed by Iuz, the Church was fractured between the Hextorian and Heironians factions. And those factions were poised to tear the Church asunder, even as the critical events loomed on the horizon to come. But the prelates had come to a decision; one that would serve to unite both branches of the Church.
As the Church had united spiritually, it symbolically needed to unite physically. And as the heroes of Church, and champions of its cause, we had been selected. For the Hextorian sect, I was chosen. And for the Heironian sect, Sonandra was tagged as it.
The two of us would wed, thereby uniting the Church in truth. Apparently, symbolism was as important as substance to matters of spirit and magic.
Our jaws dropped. Not just mine and the young woman playing Sonandra, but everyone’s at the table. We asked Steve, out of character, if he had lost his mind.
And then he asked us, in character (!!), were we going to refuse our duty on behalf of the Church we had both rendered an oath to serve?
Well, Arminas was many things, but an oath-breaker, no. Still, he (me) was not at all happy. And Sonandra? She was pissed. It took an avatar of Heironious appearing before she finally agreed to the 'request'.
The next game session was taken up by the wedding. Talk about a miserable bride and groom. Our wishes had nothing to do with it; the entire ceremony was conducted by the Church. And so, after several hours of preaching and dull rites, we were wed; with the promise that in the morn we would be allowed to leave for Nevnond Nevend, the capital of Tenh.
But before that, we would have to consummate the marriage.
Arminas and his reluctant bridge retired to the chambers prepared—and our friend the gnome illusionist (who found the entire situation hilarious) had offered to cast a scrying protection upon us both. But the bedchamber wasn’t empty. There were observers from the hierarchy of the Church, who proceeded to inform us that the consummation would have to be witnessed.
Oh, man, was she royally and truly pissed off. At which point, Arminas smiled, and put his arm around one of Midmeadow’s senior Bishops, and proceeded to reason with him. The Prelates could very well enough ask their Gods if the marriage had or had not been properly completed, true? And were the clergy present actually questioning our sworn words?
He didn’t disagree, but stated that the law required the marriage be witnessed. Arminas nodded, and then shoved the fat bastard out of the window; we fifteen stories above ground in a tower. “Does anyone doubt that he is now dead?” Arminas asked. “By Hextor and Heironious both as my witness, I will make anyone else who remains in room as dead as he is, if they remain for one more minute. LEAVE.”
And for once, the paladin didn’t criticize me for resorting to violence. Heaven’s (and Hell's) be praised.
The clergy left in a huff, and soon enough afterwards the deed was done. It would be the only time we shared a bed in the marital (as opposed to martial) way. Although Arminas was admonished for his extreme actions against the clergy, he was forgiven by the Prelates, who admitted that the priests had exceeded their authority.
And on the next morning, we departed for the Tenha border. Later, the marriage would lead to the creation of still more difficulties for the party—but that, my friends is another story.
By the time we finally found that blasted rod and journeyed across the Isle of the Damned to the vampire infested ruins, we were all getting bloody tired of the place. We hadn’t been able to go to a store in nearly two years of real time! Our gear was as mismatched as any D&D group had ever seen, and none of us had any underwear that wasn’t ragged, worn thin, and darned with thread gathered from sources best not mentioned. Heh. Not to mention the lack of good quality ale or other drink.
But we were in our prime, 10th and 11th level characters (thank God, Steve didn’t freeze my advancement since wasn’t a monk of sufficient level on the Isle for me to beat and earn my new levels!), and we knew that once we defeated this hive of Undead, we could finally go home! Sleep in a real bed, eat a home cooked meal, spend some quality with a busty wench, smash a magistrate’s face into pulp . . . ah, forget I said that last.
So we get to the ruins, and did I mention that Steve was a penultimate bastard?
The thing was a maze, a labyrinth—complete with sliding sections of wall that quickly managed to split us up. We were screwed.
Arminas wound up by himself, and while wandering through the ruins trying to link back up with the others, he ran in the head vamp—and his minion vamps. Oh joy.
But the guy wanted to talk. See, it turned out that they had been watching us (via scry) for most of the past year, and the leader had decided that Arminas would make a wonderful addition to ranks of Undead henchmen. Well, since we were talking (and not getting level drained!) I decided to keep them talking, by nodding my head and making agreeable sounds every now and then. But finally we came to the crux of it: and their leader asked me if wanted to join his merry little band of blood-suckers.
Arminas (being really smart and wise with stats of Int 15 and Wis 15) snorted, and said that it was well-known that the vampire created by another was bound to it, as the servant to his master. He said the offer had merit, but do you really expect me to bow down and serve you?
The leader laughed, and he answered by saying that my character would indeed make a very good addition to the coven. He offered another way of becoming a vampire that would leave me free-willed; and then he grew very stern, and said time is running short—make your choice.
Well, I might have been playing an evil character, but even so I knew far better than to accept this type of a deal. I kindly refused, saying that I had urgent matters of vengeance which to mete out back in Greyhawk City; I then thanked him for his kind and generous offer, and asked if h would be so nice as to point out the direction to the closest exit?
That didn’t go over very well, and they grew their fangs and claws and began to close in on poor old Arminas. But you see, Arminas had one thing they didn’t expect: a sun-globe. Several weeks earlier, we defeated a small tribe of stone giants who were guarding the tunnels into the mountain where the rod (that damned rod!) was hidden. It was a good fight, but at the end we were the ones left standing, not the giants. After dividing up the spoils, we set up camp for the night (needing to replenish spells and hit points before going underground), and Arminas took one of the watches.
One of the gifts of the Eye of Vecna was ultra-vision (remember, 1st edition!). So he could clearly see things as he slowly circled the camp of sleeping adventurers. About fifty yards from the fire, I spotted a crate hidden amongst some bushes. There were torn and tattered clothes, a few mundane weapons, a bottle of brandy, and something Steve called a sun-globe. He warned it could only be used once, but that I would know when I needed to use it.
Truer words were never spoken.
Arminas whipped out the globe and uttered the command word, and suddenly real daylight appeared around him. Oh, those vamps were pissed! Two of them were too slow, and they burnt into ash, but the leader and the others managed to get out of range—not without being burned. And began yelling for reinforcements.
I remember Steve turning to me and asking, what are you going to do now? You have nine rounds until it is extinguished.
The answer was a simple one: run like the wind.
But then he told me that the daylight had revealed an open door on the opposite side of the room: and past it was a chamber filled with swords. And I could hear both Hextor and Heironious whispering in my head—there, go there!
Did I tell you that Steve was a right bastard?
So, I went into the room, and found there seven swords, one of which glowed. And I heard those voices in my head again saying you shall need these as well, my champion. Yeah, yeah, yeah; so I spent three full rounds shoving swords (luckily sheathed swords) into my bag of holding, and then I started to run, vamps chasing after me the whole bloody way.
But I was a monk, and faster than them, and I took random turns whenever a corridor opened up. Had to make about a half-dozen saves along the way as I set off trap after trap, but somehow I didn’t fail. But then it happened. I had taken a wrong a turn and wound up in a dead end corridor, just as the sun-globe sputtered and died.
Above me was a shaft, but I could hear the hell-demons behind me. So, I set down the bag, took out the swords, and picked up the one that was glowing. Now, Arminas was a monk, and monks normally can’t use swords: but Steve said this was a special sword. A sword that gave me proficiency with it. And a most lovely and wonderful blade it was indeed.
So here they came, all fangs and claws and burnt skin and looking to suck my levels away. And then it happened.
Arminas heard a voice from above yell out ‘make room’, and the paladin who absolutely hated my guts jumped down and lifted another sword from the pile. And she tore into that pack of vamps like nothing I had ever before seen. And then the ranger, the halfling thief, the cleric of St. Cuthbert—all of the rest of the party was there. And I attacked right alongside of them.
It was a bitter fight, but Steve had a sword designed specifically for each of us: all seven. We all lost a level or two, but when the fight was finished, we had enough XP to put us back where we were. And for 1st edition, that wasn’t bad.
We found the portal and activated it, and then we went through it.
And appeared in the study of a small manor-house in Greyhawk City. With Mordy sitting in an easy chair, his feet propped up on a chest full of our old gear. He smiled and he got up and said, well done! And I broke his jaw.
Best natural 20 I have ever rolled. The rest of the party was aghast as I beat that mage senseless, and bloody, and unconscious and then DEAD. And then the simulacrum I destroyed turned back into ice and began to melt. Oh, I hated Mordenkainen (and Steve).
At that point, a magic mouth popped open and gave a little speech, yada, yada, yada, on how happy he was that we had recovered the rod and that as reward, we could have back everything the city had taken from us. No, there was no need for us to thank him in person; that’s what the mobile ice sculpture had been for. And we didn’t have to give him the rod, because he had already teleported it away. Gee, thank you Mordy. Thank you a lot.
Substitute thank for a word beginning the letter F and you might understand how all of us (except maybe the paladin) felt.
Turns out, he wasn’t a complete bastard, since he had the presence of mind to draw up several baths, had servants ready to serve us food, had soft, warm, comfortable beds . . . it was heaven after our travails.
But Arminas wasn’t quite done in Greyhawk City; he had another errand to run that night before he could relax.
That magistrate. The miserable SOB who rail-roaded him into two years of exile. And gouged out one of Arminas’s eyes.
So I paid him a visit, and he wasn’t a happy person by night’s end. Next morning, the party didn’t make any noises about the early edition of the Greyhawk Daily Ledger having as its headline SHOCKING MURDER OF CITY MAGISTRATE! Strangely enough, not even the paladin ever asked me the question—they avoided the subject.
Two days later, we left behind the City of Greyhawk, sailing back across the Nyr Dyv for home. Little did we know then, what would await us there. To include wedding bells and a nuptial feast for two very unwilling participants.
Shortly after the Untouchables scene, Arminas’s group managed to find and recover the item we had quested for over the past year. Finally, we thought, we could return home to the Duchy of Tenh and kick the butt of one character’s uncle who had stolen the throne and exiled our buddy, a NG ranger. Boy, were we ever wrong.
Upon our return to Greyhawk City, we were arrested on charges of multiple murders. Needless to say, the entire party took turns staring at ME. I had to remind them that I had been with them outside of the city when these murders took place. Confident that things would get cleared up, we went into custody with the guards and suggested that they speak with Mordenkainen, who had dispatched us on the last leg of our quest.
Well, there we were, with all of our gear taken away (the guards were kind enough to leave us with our normal clothing, so we didn’t have to wear prison raiment) and we were tough enough and scary enough that the other prisoners left us alone. Mostly. Like I said, our paladin was a lady, and that seemed to bring out the worst in our fellow inmates. But, three dead attempted rapists later (have I said how much I enjoy playing a monk because he can’t be disarmed?), the rest of them left us alone. But, unfortunately, those three deaths would be added to our list of crimes (and man-o-man was the party mad that I didn’t just subdue the thugs; but hey, nobody rapes someone Arminas knows in front of Arminas—no one.).
We could have broken out, and our new thief halfling thief (the previous thief having died in the Cairn Hills) suggested that we do just that—but we pretty confident that Mordy would sort things out for us.
Next morning, we are taken before a magistrate and put on trial. The trial was short, sweet, and to the point, and they had witnesses that testified against us. We got more and more uneasy, but then Mordy was called to the stand and to our utter horror, he told the court he had never before laid eyes upon us—and left.
We weren’t allowed to testify; we couldn’t present evidence; we were railroaded into a conviction. And, of course, it didn’t help when I promised the magistrate that once we managed to escape, I would be finding out who framed us and would pay a special visit to his home to show my displeasure of this miscarriage of justice. We were found guilty of the crimes (which we had not committed) and sentenced to exile. That wasn’t so bad, was it?
It was.
Our counsel told us that we would be transported to the Isle of the Damned, a lonely island far out in the middle of the Solnor Ocean. The Isle was protected by a one-way teleportation barrier that extended far out to sea, and was surrounded by a massive storm that circled the Island for miles—and never quit raging. The waters were filled with were-sharks and sahuagin and razor-sharp coral reefs. It was a place where Greyhawk City sent those prisoners too dangerous to keep in its dungeons.
Now that was a horse of a different color. The guards came back into the courtroom, and all of us were paralyzed by magic, as they proceeded to brand each of us on the right shoulder with the glyph for murderer. Since Arminas had been so (un-)wise as to actually threaten the magistrate, they also burnt out his right eye. And then we were teleported away.
We reappeared on a sandy beach, all seven of us together (the ranger, the paladin, the halfling thief, myself, the cleric of St. Cuthbert, a half-elf druid/MU, and the gnome illusionist). And with us there was a crate. Opening the crate, we discovered several suits of studded leather armor, chain mail, an assortment of weapons, three holy symbols, and two spellbooks. And a parchment letter from Mordy.
"You have my apologizes for the deceptions and for the trials which you must now undergo. It has come to my attention, however, that the final key in the grand scheme which you have been investigating lies upon the Isle of the Damned. While I am well capable of traveling there and retrieving the item, it would consume time that I cannot spare from other duties. I have chosen the seven of you to retrieve this item (followed by a long description of exactly what we were looking for). Once you have discovered the rod, journey to the ancient ruins overlooking the escarpment on the north face of the Isle. Within, you will find the means to escape the Isle and return to Greyhawk City. The portal will only function should one of your number possess the rod. I await your return—M."
The dirty rat. And at that point, the parchment burst into flames, so that we would have no evidence of the Archmage’s intervention. The SOB.
NONE of the gear was magical in any way. So here we were, 8th and 9th level characters, trapped on this island and having to undertake yet another quest to gain our freedom. But we weren’t alone. Oh, no. Remember, the Isle of the Damned was Greyhawk City’s exile prison. No, it was filled with cutthroats and murderers and rapists and the worst of the worst criminal elements. And it was divided up into different gang territories.
We tried to get off (the Isle, stop thinking those dirty thoughts!) via magical means, but our druid/MU tragically discovered just how effective the teleportation barrier was when he attempted to cast that spell. He vanished and then reappeared—fused with his fox familiar. So, from that point on, our druid was a half-human, half-elf, half-fox druid/magic-user who had a bushy red tail, a fox’s whiskers, an elongated snout filled with sharp teeth, fur covering half his body, and a rapidly deteriorating mind! He was a hoot!
It took us two bloody years of campaigning to find that damned rod and make our way to the ruins!
Along the way, the paladin and Arminas (in character; as players we were good friends) found their relationship growing more and more strained; especially after we discovered the Eye of Vecna. And since I had an empty eye socket . . . well, you can guess what happened next. She was getting more and more agitated with how my particular brand of diplomacy went: if some bandit gang attacked us, they died. All of them, their heads impaled on stakes to warn the other bandits not to trifle with us; even those who surrendered.
She really had a problem with that. I pointed out to her that—unlike us—the other denizens of the Isle had committed heinous crimes and were sent here as justice. They were the real condemned criminals and their lives were forfeit under all systems of justice in the Flaness. And the rest of the party agreed, the more so after most of bandit gangs began to leave us alone. But then we found the Eye and I popped it into place.
And she immediately attacked me! Well, after the party restrained her, I began to taunt her, asking why she, a Paladin of Heironious no less, would attack a person who posed no threat to her, who aided her, who had not betrayed her? Who fought at her side, who had prevented her rape? Who watched over her while she slept? And attacked, with lethal force, no less, for making use of an item that would drive any other member of the group towards evil. "I", Arminas said, "am already evil, and I have no qualms about using this artifact to aid us in leaving this horrid, diseased, dirty little island in the middle of nowhere". Arminas asked her, "Where is the justice in your actions, Sonandra? What would the Archpaladin, the Valorous Knight, her own sworn deity, make of such actions by his champion?"
And she—the player—was so mad that she blurted it out then and there. "I don’t give a damn what He wants! I’ll see you dead, you evil bastard!"
And then her eyes went wide (the player’s) and she started to back-track, but Steve was having none of that. An Avatar of Heironious suddenly appeared in the stroke of a lightning bolt (gods not being subject to the teleportation barrier, after all) and frowned upon his champion, his paladin. Needless to say, he was not pleased. He lectured her, and he reminded her that I was just as much a part of the Church of the Twins as she was—and he told her that her actions required punishment. She was stripped of her power’s as a paladin then and there.
But then his stern gaze softened. And he told her that one transgression, even one of this magnitude, would not end his love for her. She would be given an opportunity to atone, to redeem herself in his eyes. And he told us what Mordy (that rat-fink bastard!) had not: the ruins were protected by a band of vampires!
They guarded not only the portal, but an ancient sword, a holy sword. He then charged her to find and recover the sword and to dispatch the Undead—and if she was successful, he would restore to her those powers he had just stripped away. And then before he left, he turned a stern glare in my direction and chastised me for provoking her! Arminas merely bowed and said, forgive my Lord, I was unaware that simple speech was an adequate provocation for a lethal attack. And he frowned. "Soon", he said, "the Church United would find its usefulness at an end, and then I (Arminas) would be forced to choose the side on which I would stand". And he glowered at me: "if you choose wrong, then my champion will end your evil ways."
And he left.
So, we would spend another year (in real-life) searching the Isle, and then assaulting the vampire stronghold in the ruins to earn our freedom. But that, my friends, is another story.
Evil campaigns can be difficult, for all of those reasons discussed above. I have never played in a ‘pure’ evil campaign such as Way of the Wicked. However, the very first character I ever played in AD&D (a monk fellow by the name of Arminas) was Lawful Evil in a most good/partly neutral party; one that furthermore included a Paladin of Heironious in the ranks. Our DM (a great games-master named Steve Baker) and I sat down several hours before the game started and, as it was the very first time I had ever played D&D, we went over a few things.
He asked me to take a quick look at the book, and upon seeing the monk, I wanted to play one. No, I didn’t have to play him from 1st level, but Steve let come in with XP one level below that of the players: 7th. This was back in the heady days of 1st edition, so he had me roll 3d6 in order—but, he told me since I wanted to play a monk, my stats would either what I rolled or the minimum allowed for the class. Well, between some good rolls and bumping scores up to the minimum, I had a really good character by the time we finished with THAC0 and AC and saves and my attacks and damage and hit points and all that jive.
And then he asked me what alignment I wanted to play. Well, I started to answer ‘good, of course’, but then I asked him what alignment do you think I should play? He got a grin on his face, and explained to me that the group was currently a quest for the Church of the Twins: a forced amalgamation of the clergy of Heironious (LG) and Hextor (LE). Half the party was good and devoted to Heironious; the rest was neutral, with a thief and a cleric of St. Cuthbert (LN). He said that any of the three alignments could fit, but that he would like to see a Hextorian join the party—if I was up to the task of playing it well. After which, he explained to me that Lawful Evil was a lot like Darth Vader.
Hey, it was 1986 and I was a freshman in college.
I jumped on it with both feet. We spent the next hour finishing up the details of the character (his height, weight, racial ethnicity [Arminas was a Suel], and bit of character background). I determined that Arminas was an orphan who had been raised by a local monastery in his home of the Theocracy of the Pale (which in Steve Baker’s world was run by the Hextorians, not the Pholtans! Take that you intolerant light-bringers!) as a ward of the Church of Hextor. His path was not that of the clergy, but instead that of a monk.
By the time I joined the party, Arminas had progressed to the point where he was a major trouble-shooter of the Church: in a very literal fashion (ok, ok, trouble-beat’em-‘til-they-cry-for-uncle-and-beat ‘em-some-more). And he was very religious. Oh, you should have the faces on the folks I would be gaming with that night when Steve introduced me—and my character and the Holy Symbol of Hextor that he wore openly around his neck.
And even before I could make my introductions, the Bishops (11th level NPCs) of Hextor and Heironious walked up, I handed over my holy symbol was released from my vows to Hextor. I then took vows to the Church of the Twins and received my new holy symbol (basically a combination of H's&H’s symbols). And the party was then told I was the representative of the new Church hierarchy. Well, they were pretty much rattled, and since Steve didn’t let us share our character sheets, they had no idea what level I was or what my stats were or what my alignment was (although they could pretty well guess the last!).
We loaded upon a sailing ship that was taking us across the Nyr Dyv to Greyhawk City. I was paired up with the LN cleric of St. Cuthbert and by the end of that first session had him terrified of me. See, Arminas used a kusari-gama (basically a sickle on the end of a 5’ long weight chain); and I practiced my katas in our cabin. Swinging that razor sharp sickle over and over again inches above the cleric’s nose as he lay on his bunk. And Steve was in on it as well! He loudly announced that since the ship was moving, I would have to take a -2 on my To-Hit rolls—and if I rolled a 1 or a 2, I would hit the cleric. (Before hand, I had told him I intended to be very careful and Steve secretly gave me a +4 bonus for doing so, but we didn’t the others!)
The player, not the character, but the player was sweating bullets, especially when I announced that I rolled a ‘3’. Steve smiled and asked ‘before or after the -2?’ And he began to breath again when I said ‘after’.
On the first night of our voyage, Arminas found the thief rummaging through his belongings. The thief turned around and held up a magical dagger that Arminas had been given by the Church—and announced that since he could better make use of it, it was now his. This thief was a real tough guy, played by a very good role-player with whom I was friends. I nodded, and asked him if he was certain he was going to take what was rightfully mine—and he said yep. What’re ya going do about it? Cry to the paladin?
At that moment, I was so happy that I had selected a Lawful Evil alignment. I let the thief leave with the dagger and then I made a plan. Next session, I shared it with Steve before the game began and he burst out laughing.
You see, for that edition, monks had speak with animals. So, I made friends with the rats, and the seagulls and the ship’s cats. I fed them, and I talked to them, and I convinced them that the thief was their mortal enemy. Within a week, I had managed to talk them into driving the thief out of his mind. When he went above the decks, the seagulls began to scream and flap around his face (and firing projectiles at him, the type of projectiles that came out of their rear, if you know what I mean). The rats chewed up his bedroll, his straw mattress, his pack, his spare clothing. The cat’s gave birth in the mess and sprayed his face at night while he tried to sleep.
And I? I began spreading a rumor throughout the crew that the thief was obviously cursed by the Gods—otherwise why would the animals be treating him such? Soon, he became a pariah. His food had rat droppings and cat urine in it; he couldn’t bathe on deck without getting covered in seagull guano. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t rest. The crew avoided him like the plague and muttered about throwing the 'Jonah' overboard to appease the Gods. My character literally drove his insane.
And then, I told him a tale: I was protected from thieves by the powers of my Gods. And all of this was the result of a curse from him stealing from me. He begged me to lift the curse, and offered back my dagger. I refused, saying that he had wanted the blade and the blade he now had. He offered me his ring of protection as well, and I smiled and agreed to lift his curse. The very night before we docked in the City of Greyhawk.
Guy had a nervous tick about setting foot on boats ever since and never, ever stole from me again.
Several months later (and after I had gained a new level by defeating an 8th-level monk master, woo-hoo!), we were busy getting into the meat and potatoes of our quest. And we found that we had several prisoners who were not cooperating and answering our questions. We needed their information, but they wouldn’t talk.
Enter me.
I offered to get them to talk, and that divided the party along alignment lines. The paladin refused to hear of torture, but the many of the rest knew we had to get the info. Finally, the paladin extracted a solemn oath from me that I would not torture the poor saps. I agreed, having just seen ‘The Untouchables’.
Demanding absolute solitude from the rest of the party—except for my two closest allies (the LN cleric of St. Cuthbert and a N gnome illusionist), I revealed my plan. The prisoners were tied to their chairs, while the cleric and illusionist began to interrogate them. Then I came in, slapping them around a little, and taking out a sharp knife. They got holier-than-thou, and forced me from the room. So I went outside, and right on cue, the illusionist said ‘oh my god, the other prisoner is out back!’
I slapped the corpse around a bit, making sure that the chair could be seen from inside the hut. And then, I said, tough guy, huh. You don’t want to talk? You don’t want to talk! And I took out the knife, and began to cut away fingers and the dead man’s nose and ears—as the illusionist created the most vile high-pitched screams anyone had ever heard. And then, I cut out the corpse’s tongue and hacked off his head.
Drenched with blood, I stormed back in—and right on cue, the cleric of St. Cuthbert said, I ain’t gonna stop him, not now, not when he is filled with blood lust. And he walked out. So there I was, holding a severed head, covered head-to-toe in blood, and both of the prisoners began begging me to listen to them as they spilled their guts.
Now the paladin was mad as Hades and drew her sword on me, swearing to run me through for breaking my oath—when the gnome said ‘he didn’t torture anyone; hell, he didn’t touch a living soul once.’
And the cleric confirmed it.
It was the game that was perhaps the most fun-filled I have every played in. Because I remembered two very important rules for playing evil: don’t do it to your fellow players unless they really deserve it (and even then, keep it non-lethal), and always keep your word so they know they can trust you, even if they hate your character’s guts. By following those two simple rules I was able to play Arminas until he reached 14th level in ’94. And I enjoyed every minute of it, along with the people with whom I played. He never betrayed them, and he never broke his sworn word, although he was a right bastard at times. His evil he reserved for his foes that deserved it, not for his own companions.
And that, my friends, is the key to playing evil well.
Chasuble of Fell Power Aura: moderate necromancy
CL: 10th
Slot: Chest
Price: 20,000 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
Description: This heavy vestment is similar to other types of chasuble worn by many clergy over their normal robes and raiment. Although the exact appearance varies, a typical chasuble of fell power is usually crafted from crimson or scarlet cloth, backed by a lining of black silk, and sewn with intricate arcane and eldritch symbols in either gold or silver thread. When this garment is worn by a Warlock, and the Warlock use his eldritch blast modified by an invocation that allows a saving throw, the wearer gains a bonus of +2 to the save DC (this bonus does not stack with that granted by the Ability Focus feat).
Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Items, eldritch blast Cost: 10,000 gp
Warlock’s Scepter Aura: moderate necromancy (+1, +2, and +3), strong necromancy (+4, +5, and +6*)
CL: 10th (+1, +2, and +3), 12th (+4), 15th (+5), 18th (+6*)
Slot: None (held)
Price: 5,000 gp (+1), 14,000 gp (+2), 29,000 gp (+3), 50,000 gp (+4), 77,000 gp (+5), 110,000 gp (+6*).
Weight: 3 lbs.
Description: This light mace is constructed from cold iron, with a handgrip of wrapped leather bindings and features an enhancement bonus of between +1 and +5. Many of these weapons have a sculpted head that resembles the skull of some creature. The warlock’s scepter grants its enhancement bonus not only on attack and damage rolls made with the weapon itself, but also on all attack and damage rolls made for spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and invocations that require a ranged touch attack. To gain this bonus the weapon must be firmly grasped in one hand. This is a continuous effect and requires no activation.
Furthermore, the warlock’s scepter allows a Warlock to expend one of his spell slots as a swift action in conjunction with his use of the eldritch blast class feature. By expending a 1st or 2nd level spell slot, a Warlock may add +1d6 damage to his eldritch blast. By expending a 3rd or 4th level spell slot, a Warlock may add +2d6 damage to his eldritch blast. By expending a 5th or 6th level spell slot, a Warlock may add +3d6 damage to his eldritch blast. The damage type is the same as that of the Warlock's eldritch blast, i.e., if the Warlock uses brimstone blast to cause fire damage when using this feature of the warlock's scepter, the bonus damage dice also inflict fire damage.
A warlock’s scepter may be upgraded to add additional weapon properties, but the cost to do so is calculated at 3,000 gp x (the total bonus of the enhancements and special weapon properties added together) squared, plus 2,000 gp (for the cold iron material). For example, a +2 frost warlock’s scepter will cost 29,000 gp (3,000 gp x 3 (effective total bonus) x 3 = 27,000 gp + 2,0000 gp = a total of 29,000 gp). A warlock's scepter may not exceed a total bonus (enhancement AND special weapon properties) of +6, compared to a conventional magic weapon which may attain a total bonus of +10.
Only light or one-handed bludgeoning weapons may be enchanted as a warlock's scepter.
Construction Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Items, eldritch blast, magic weapon, caster level must be three times that of the bonus granted (minimum 10th)
Cost: 2,500 gp (+1), 7,000 gp (+2), 14,500 gp (+3), 25,000 gp (+4), 38,500 gp (+5), 55,000 gp (+6*).
NOTE: *Total enhancement bonus cannot exceed +5; a +6 warlock's scepter must have one or more special weapon property or properties that equal or exceed a +1 bonus equivalent.
I have DMed for, played alongside of, and played as several paladins. The good ones (and I hope I was one of those) did not see their Code of Conduct as restrictions; they saw it as how their lives should be lived.
For example, I once played an 8th level (2nd edition) Paladin named Sir Reynard d'Montaigne. A friend of mine played my identical twin brother, a Chaotic Good ranger, Jean-Paul. Our DM laughed when we said we wanted to play twins--with the same array of stats. And he agreed that we could.
Sir Reynard was not an in your face, you better repent because I detected evil kind of paladin. He did not do Good because his Code required him to. He did good because he wasGOOD. He spent his time off assisting the local friars at the church, making certain that no one in the community was going hungry, checking in on invalids. He didn't berate someone for doing something against his code. Because people are not perfect; people make mistakes. And not everyone is cut out to be a paladin.
He did not kill out of vengeance, but when the sword was the only answer, he would draw his weapon. He would accept surrenders, and do his best to see that justice was carried out. But he didn't put himself as judge, jury, and executioner. Not to say that any evil villan with a sob story could pull the wool over Reynard's eyes: he wasn't a fool.
But he would investigate claims of extenuating circumstances, he would get the clergy to question the prisioners under truth spells, he went the extra mile to ensure that his good acts were not preverted for evil means. His brother took a different path--and that was all right. Not everyone in the world is prepared to walk the road a paladin must.
He made the party mad as all Hells a time or two, especially when he would not let them slaughter orc children in a nursery. But, in the end, they knew they could trust him and they did. We were a party, and it was all good--even when they (or ME) screwed up.
I guess, the best advice I can give for someone playing a paladin is much the same advice I would give to someone playing an evil character in a good party: don't be a dick about it.
Simple, to the point, and covers just about all of it.
Master Arminas
Or to put it another way:
Quote:
Why Lawful Good is the Best Alignment
I am a stalwart, honorable, champion of light and justice. I do not attempt to force others to my philosophy, but I lead through example. I show everyone that doing the right thing is always the best course of action. I am true to my word, I can be trusted in all things. Sadly, while I understand the reasons behind many who feel that they must break the laws of God and our Liege, there are other ways, other methods. Punishment for transgressions must be firm, but fair, and I shall tolerate no harsh treatment of those in my custody. There are those who must pay the ultimate price for their actions, but I can not and shall not turn to acts of evil in order to punish them.
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Okay. Here is the question: now that the Amulet of Mighty Fists has seen a reduction in its price (and cost to craft), will there be any errata issued on the Bodywraps of Mighty Strikes to reduce their price?
The reason that I ask this question is because of the weird manner in which the Bodywraps function; only granting their enhancement bonus on a set number of individual attacks in a round depending on the BAB of the wearer. Yet, the Bodywraps are priced higher than a weapon with an equivalent enhancement bonus.
From the FAQ:
Quote:
The design team has decided to reduce the price of this item. The new prices are as follows: 4,000 gp (+1), 16,000 gp (+2), 36,000 gp (+3), 64,000 gp (+4), 100,000 gp (+5).
.......
This makes this item priced a bit more competitively for monks and creatures that rely on natural attacks.
This answer originally appeared in the 12/4/12 Paizo blog. The next printing of the Core Rulebook, NPC Codex, and Ultimate Equipment will be updated with this information.
—Pathfinder Design Team, 03/01/13
And for the Bodywraps:
Quote:
Price: 3,000 gp (+1), 12,000 gp (+2), 27,000 gp (+3), 48,000 gp (+4), 75,000 gp (+5), 108,000 gp (+6), 147,000 gp (+7).
And weapon prices from the Core Rulebook:
Quote:
Price: 2,000 gp (+1), 8,000 gp (+2), 18,000 gp (+3), 32,000 gp (+4), 50,000 gp (+5), 72,000 gp (+6), 98,000 gp (+7).
Let's look at these numbers for a moment, considering just the basic +1 versions (the numbers get worse for the Bodywraps as the enhancement bonus increases):
+1 AoMf . . . 4,000 gp. Good for ANY number of attacks made in a round with Natural Weapons or Unarmed Attacks.
+1 Weapon . . . 2,000 gp. Good for ANY number of attacks made in a round with a specific manufactured weapon.
+1 BWoMS . . . 3,000 gp. Good for 1-4 attacks only in each combat round, depending on BAB (0 to +5 is 1 attack, +6 to +10 is 2 attacks, +11 to +15 is 3 attacks, +16 to +20 is 4 attacks) with Natural Weapons or Unarmed Attacks.
Am I the only one for whom this makes little sense? Will there be any change to the Bodywraps in light of the recent changes to the Amulet?
EDIT: Feel free to add your voice to the question by clicking on the FAQ button at the right of the original post.
Okay. Here we are again. No, this not about spaying or neutering the monk, but transforming the class into a solid contributor to the party.
I have given much thought as to what a monk really needs and then whittled it down to the bare basics. Here is my view of what would make the monk into a competitive class; your own opinion may well vary from mine. :) No worries, just let me know what you think.
I deliberately went with a minimalist approach this time. Unless it is listed below, no current ability of the monk is changed. And with each, my reasoning for the change is listed. Changes are bolded . . . as are the names of ability in question. The monk still gets everything at the same level. I think you fellows and gals can figure it out.
Enjoy . . . and feel free to critique and criticize to your heart's content.
MA
Weapon Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the brass knuckles, cestus, club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, quarterstaff, shortspear, sword sword, sling, spear, and with any weapon with monk listed as a special property.
REASONING: A common fix on the boards. The unarmed fighter gets it; why shouldn't the monk?
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list:
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Gorgon's Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Greater Grapple, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical, Medusa's Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.
At 14th level, the following feats are added to the list: Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, and Greater Trip.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Reasoning: No longer do you need that Int 13 to get Greater Trip. It just makes sense to me.
Ki Pool (Su): At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 1/2 his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike.
At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Furthermore, when using ki strike the monk can use his Wisdom modifier instead of his Strength or Dexterity modifier on attack rolls with his unarmed attacks.
At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as cold iron and silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Furthermore, when using ki strike the monk can add 1/2 his Wisdom modifier (round down) on damage rolls with his unarmed attacks. The monk still adds his Strength modifier on damage rolls with his unarmed attacks.
At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk can do one of the following:
*Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack, or
*Move 20' as part of the same swift action used to activate this ability; when a monk activates this ability and either performs a charge or makes a full-attack, the monk's base attack bonus is equal to his monk level for this attack or attacks (as per flurry of blows, see above), or
*Give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest of meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
As the monk advances in level, he gains access to new uses of his ki pool, as detailed below.
REASONING: Okay. This is the big one. First off, starting at 4th level, a monk can use Wisdom for attack rolls instead of damage on unarmed attacks only. This will prevent the ability from being an easy dip for a Cleric or Druid, and since it applies only to unarmed attacks, isn't THAT great for a Cleric (a Druid on the other hand . . .). And starting at 10th level, the monk gets to add 1/2 his Wisdom mod to damage . . . plus his Strength mod. This should FIX the problems a monk has with attacks and damage.
The second change is another big one: moving 20' as part of the same swift action of spending ki? This will let monks to make short-range pounches and alleviates some of the disparity between a monk's abilities.
Catfall (Ex/Su): At 4th level or higher, a monk always lands on his feet after a fall (but not when deliberately tripped); this part of the ability is exceptional in nature. In addition, a monk is capable of falling great distances without harm. When this ability is first gained, the monk may spend 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action to reduce the damage taken from a fall by 4d6.
For each additional level gained thereafter as a monk, the falling damage is reduced by an additional 1d6, to a maximum reduction of 20d6 for a 20th level monk, allowing a monk of such high level to fall any distance without suffering harm. A monk using this ability is not slowed when falling, nor does he require a wall or other surface within arm’s length; this part of the ability is supernatural. NOTE: This replaces Slow Fall.
REASONING: Now it is worth keeping. You don't have to have a wall handy, but is now based on an expendable resource . . . ki.
Acrobatics (Ex): At 5th level, a monks adds his level to all Acrobatics checks. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks for 1 round. NOTE: This replaces High Jump.
REASONING: Monks are tumbling fools . . . but only got bonuses on Jump? Not anymore.
Wholeness of Body (Su): At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a standard action, he may heal 4d6 points of damage. The amount of damage healed increased by an additional 1d6 at every odd level gained thereafter as a monk (9th, 11th, 13th, etc.) to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level.
By spending 2 points from his ki pool, a monk can instead use this ability as a swift action.
REASONING: Damage healed is more random, but averages higher. Plus, by spending MORE ki, you can use this ability in combat as well as the paladin laying on of hands.
Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level or higher, a monk can magically slip between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, with the following exceptions: using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is equal to his monk level. He may take up to two additional creatures with him using this ability by spending 2 additional points from his ki pool for each creature transported. He may take additional actions remaining after using this ability, as if he possessed the feat Dimensional Agility.
At 16th level, he may activate this ability on a charge instead of a move action, as if he possessed the feat Dimensional Assault. When a monk activates this ability, the monk's base attack bonus is equal to his monk level for this attack only (as per flurry of blows, see above).
REASONING: These two feats SHOULD have been part of the monk class all along. Note that the monk doesn't ACTUALLY have the feats; so if he wants Dimensional Dervish and the rest, he has to select Agility for real. And now the monk can actually rescue someone . . . at a STEEP cost in ki.
Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level +10 against any spell that lacks (harmless) in its saving throw. In order to affect the monk with a spell (or spell-like ability), a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance. As an immediate action, the monk may spend 1 point from his ki pool to gain a +4 bonus on his spell resistance for 1 round. The monk may voluntarily lower his spell resistance as a standard action; doing so lasts for one round. On the next round, his spell resistance automatically regains effect (unless the monk spends another standard action to lower it again).
REASONING: Made it an ability, not a LIABILITY like the original. Mostly.
Well, that's it. Just those changes and the monk (I believe) will come into his own as a solid class. Tell me your thoughts. Share. You know you want to. :)
Monk: Does the extra attack from spending ki as part of a flurry of blows stack with the extra attack from haste?
Yes. The extra attack described in the ki pool ability doesn't say it works like haste, nor does it say that it doesn't stack with haste, so the monk would get two additional attacks (one from spending a ki point as part of a flurry, one from haste).
—Pathfinder Design Team, yesterday
Wow. The extra attack from spending ki stacks with haste. Some will hate this ruling, others will look for way to exploit it, but I am glad that some issues are being addressed.
Okay, so here is probably the one thousandth and sixty-sixth (or is that sixty-SITH?) monk revision to hit these boards. Chime in and let me know how this one meets the goals to make the class a solid player in the game, and not a wanna-be.
MA
The Pathfinder Monk, version 1066!
For the truly exemplary, martial skill transcends the battlefield: it is a lifestyle, a doctrine, a state of mind. These warrior-artists search out methods of battle beyond swords and shields, finding within themselves weapons that are just as capable of crippling or killing as any blade. These monks (so called since they adhere to strict martial disciplines and ancient philosophies passed down through the generations since the mythical War between Law and Chaos) elevate their bodies to become weapons of war. Monks tread the path of discipline and self-enlightenment, and those with the will to endure that path discover within themselves not what they are, but what they are meant to be.
Role: This version of the monk class is, first and foremost, a skirmisher, a scout, a light fighter who relies on his innate abilities and ki to achieve literally inhuman results. He eschews clumsy armor and random weapons to instead achieve greatness through his own inner will and strength. His endurance and ability to sustain hardship is legendary, rivaled only by the toughest of barbarians and most skilled of rangers. His combat ability with attacks, damage, and maneuvers comes close to equaling more marital classes, yet he is more than merely a fighter. Wise beyond his years, the monk’s senses are keenly honed and he possesses an extensive array of techniques that permit him to accomplish acts that normally can be done only by a practitioner of magic. The varied selection of skills and talents that the monk has at his disposal make a valued member of any adventuring party.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Hit Die: d8.
BAB: Full
Good Saves: Fort; Reflex; and Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex); Climb (Str); Craft (Int); Diplomacy (Cha); Escape Artist (Dex); Intimidate (Cha); Knowledge (Any) (Int); Linguistics (Int); Perception (Wis); Perform (Cha); Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex); Sense Motive (Wis); Stealth (Dex); and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, quarterstaff, shortspear, short sword, sling, and spear. Furthermore, monks are proficient with any weapon with the monk special quality.
Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.
Body and Soul (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk gains a +1 inherent bonus to his lowest ability score. If the monk has two or more ability scores that are equally low, he may apply this bonus to the ability score of his choice.
At every level gained as a monk thereafter, the monk may assign another +1 inherent bonus to his lowest ability score (or his choice of an ability score of two or more are equally low) or instead increase any already assigned inherent bonus by 1. The monk may not exceed a +5 inherent bonus with any of his ability scores; he must always assign this inherent bonus to his lowest ability score, except if that ability score has already received +5 in inherent bonuses or if two or more ability scores qualify as the lowest.
Inherent bonuses received through the use of spells or magic items such as wish or various manuals or tomes are not so limited to the lowest ability score of a monk, but the character must still abide by a maximum limit of +5 inherent bonuses on any one ability score.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels gained as a monk thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list: Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, and Scorpion Style.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Blind-Fight, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Mobility, Snatch Arrows, and Vital Strike.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list: Greater Blind-Fight, Greater Grapple, Greater Sunder, Greater Weapon Focus, Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, and Spring Attack.
At 14th level, the following feats are added to this list: Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, and Greater Trip.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon (club, dagger, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, as well as all other weapons with monk special quality not listed) at his highest base attack bonus. A monk takes a penalty of -2 on the attack roll of all attacks made during a flurry of blows and any attacks of opportunity that he may make during the same round he uses a flurry of blows, as well as all combat maneuvers made during that round. This penalty does not increase if the monk wields a one-hand weapon in his off-hand.
A monk using flurry of blows may make all of his attacks (the normal as well as the additional attack(s) from this ability) with just one weapon chosen from those above, or with two weapons. He may substitute an unarmed strike for any number of his attacks during a flurry of blows. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers as part of a flurry of blows.
Starting at 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows; the second additional attack is made at the highest attack bonus -5 (before applying the -2 penalty given to all attacks made during a flurry of blows).
At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows; the third additional attack is made at the highest attack bonus -10 (before applying the -2 penalty given to all attacks made during a flurry of blows).
A monk applies his normal full Strength modifier to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with a flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands; i.e., a monk does not apply one-half Strength for using an off-hand weapon or one and one-half Strength for using a two-hand weapon, regardless of how the weapon is wielded. A monk using the Power Attack feat during a flurry of blows treats all weapons, regardless of how they are wielded, as one-handed weapons wielded in a single hand, for the purpose of determining the bonus damage granted by that feat.
A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.
Intuitive Defense (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed.
The benefits from this class feature only apply if the monk is wearing no armor and is not carrying a medium or heavy load.
Stunning Fist (Ex): At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, and every four levels gained as a monk thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his stunning fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw still negates the effect.
At 4th level, he can choose to make the target fatigued.
At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute.
At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds.
At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target.
At 20th level, he can paralyze the target for 1d6+1 rounds.
The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (for example, a creature sickened by a 8th level monk’s stunning fist cannot become nauseated if he is struck again), but additional hits do increase the duration. Creatures may be affected by multiple effects, if the monk successful strikes them and they fail their saving throw (for example, a creature sickened in one round can be stunned (or fatigued, if the monk prefers) the following round). In this case, both effects apply fully to the target creature.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be performed with fist, elbows, knees, feet, and head. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural attacks (including the bonus attack granted by the spell haste).
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, with a Medium monk dealing 1d6 points of damage. A Small monk deals 1d4 points of damage, whereas a Large monk deals 1d8 points of damage.
At 10th level, and again at 20th level, the damage a monk deals with his unarmed strikes increases: Medium monks deal 1d8 damage at 10th and 2d6 damage at 20th, Small monks deal 1d6 damage at 10th and 2d4 damage at 20th, and Large monks deal 1d10 damage at 10th and 2d8 damage at 20th.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Fleet: Starting at 2nd level, a monk gains Fleet as a bonus feat. This increases his base speed (for his race) by +5 feet. This increase in speed is not an enhancement bonus. This benefit only applies if the monk is wearing no armor and is not carrying a medium or heavy load.
At 4th level, and every even level gained thereafter as a monk, the monk gains this feat again. Its benefits stack, to a maximum speed increase of +50 feet at 20th level.
Size Matters Not (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a monk is treated as one size category larger than his natural size whenever he performs a combat maneuver—but only when he attempts to perform a combat maneuver on a creature larger than himself.
At 8th level, a monk is treated as two size categories larger when he performs a combat maneuver, but only against creatures at least two size categories larger than himself.
At 14th level, a monk is treated as three size categories larger when he performs a combat maneuver, but only against creatures at least three size categories larger than himself.
Still Mind (Ex): A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against all mind-affecting spells and effects. Starting at 10th level, if the monk fails a saving throw against mind-affecting spell or effect, he may (as a free action) attempt to save at the start of his next turn on the following round against the same DC; a success on this second save attempt will immediately end the mind-affecting spell or effect.
Ki Pool (Su): At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy that he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk’s ki pool is equal to his monk level + his Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. When a monk’s unarmed strikes are imbued with ki (i.e., when he has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool), his unarmed strikes gain a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls (but not damage rolls) and are treated as magic weapons for all purposes, including bypassing damage reduction and striking incorporeal creatures.
Ki strike improves as the character gains additional levels as a monk. At 7th level, his unarmed strikes have a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls only, and are also treated as cold iron or silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 10th level, the enhancement bonus on his unarmed strikes increases to +3 and they are treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 13th level, his unarmed strikes have an enhancement bonus of +4 and are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
At 16th level, his unarmed strikes gain an enhancement bonus of +5 and overcomes all alignment based damage reduction.
At 19th level, a monk’s ki strike increases the critical threat range and multiplier to 19-20/x3 for his unarmed strikes (this increase with stack with the improved critical feat, if the monk has already or at some time later selects that feat for his unarmed strike).
By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus when he performs a flurry of blows attack (see above). He may instead spend 1 point when he is charging, using the Spring Attack feat, or moves 10 feet or more in a round to gain one additional attack at his highest attack bonus. This additional attack must be made with an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon and suffers the same -2 penalty given under flurry of blows (and all attacks of opportunity and combat maneuvers performed in the same round also suffer the same -2 penalty). The additional attack granted by spending a point of ki does not stack with that provided by a speed weapon or by the spell haste.
In addition, the monk can spend 1 point to gain any of the following effects:
1. A +20’ enhancement bonus to his speed for 1 minute.
2. To take a second 5’ step in a round where he has already taken a 5’ step.
3. To gain a +4 bonus to the saving throw DC of his Stunning Fist ability for 1 attack (this option must be used before the attack is rolled); this use also applies to his Quivering Palm ability, once the monk gains the use of that class feature.
4. To gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume point from his ki pool as he gains levels.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Catfall (Ex/Su): At 4th level or higher, a monk always lands on his feet after a fall (but not when deliberately tripped). In addition, a monk is capable of falling great distances without harm. If the monk is within arm’s reach of a wall, a curtain, a tree, a cliff, etc., etc., etc., the monk may slow his fall and reduce his damage by 4d6. For each additional level gained thereafter as a monk, the falling damage is reduced by an additional 1d6, to a maximum reduction of 20d6 for a 20th level monk, allowing a monk of such a level to fall any distance without suffering harm—as long as he is within arm’s reach. This part of the ability is exceptional in nature.
If the monk is NOT within arm’s reach of a means of slowing his fall, he may spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to reduce the damage taken from a fall by 4d6. For each additional level gained thereafter as a monk, the falling damage is reduced by an additional 1d6, to a maximum reduction of 20d6 for a 20th level monk, along a monk of such a level to fall any distance without suffering harm. A monk using this ability is not slowed when falling, nor does he require a wall or other surface within arm’s length; this part of the ability is supernatural.
High Jump (Ex): At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Monastic Weapons Training (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a monk gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls (but not damage rolls) made with unarmed strikes, special monk weapons, and simple melee or thrown weapons. Every six levels gained as a monk thereafter (12th and 18th), this bonus increases by an additional +1.
A monk also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with unarmed strikes, special monk weapons, or simple melee or thrown weapons, as well as any grapple checks which he makes. When wielding a special monk weapon, this bonus also applies to a monks Combat Maneuver Defense against disarm and sunder attempts.
Wholeness of Body (Su): At 7th level and higher, a monk can heal his own wounds. By spending 2 points from his ki pool as a swift action, the monk will heal a number of hit points of damage that he has suffered equal to his level as a monk plus 4d6. This ability cannot be used on others. The amount of damage healed increases by +1d6 for every odd level gained as a monk thereafter (i.e., 5d6+9 at 9th level, 6d6+11 at 11th level, etc.), to a maximum die of 10d6+19 at 19th level (but 10d6+20 at 20th level).
Starting at 14th level, a monk using wholeness of body can instead spend 2 ki points as a swift action to instead heal ability damage or drain that he has taken. The monk heals the same amount as given above; but this amount can only be applied to ability damage or drain. This ability cannot be used on others. The monk may split this restoration between as many ability scores as he chooses, but no score can be raised above its normal maximum value. Any excess ability score damage or drain restoration is lost.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Diamond Body (Su): At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.
Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is equal to his monk level.
Normally, he may not take other creatures with him when he uses this ability. However, if monk spends 2 additional points of ki for each willing creature he touches (to a maximum of two), he may transport those as well. Unlike the spell, using this ability does not end the character’s turn.
Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level +10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, a monk can gain a +4 bonus to his spell resistance for 1 round.
Quivering Palm (Su): Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll.
Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at a later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger form that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time.
A monk can have no more than 1 quivering palm in effect at one time. If a monk uses quivering palm while another is still in effect, the previous effect is negated.
At 16th level, a monk may make additional quivering palm attacks by spending 2 points from his ki pool on each attack after the first made in a single day.
Timeless Body (Ex): At 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with and understand any living creature.
Empty Body (Su): At 18th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool. This ability only affects the monk and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal.
Walk Between Worlds (Su): Starting at 19th level, a monk gains the ability to plane shift, as per the spell. Using this ability requires 10 minutes of meditation and consumes 4 points from his ki pool. Normally, this ability only affects the monk, but by spending 4 points of ki per additional person, he may transport willing creatures with him.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical affects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/chaotic and magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
EX-MONKS
A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk, but retains all monk abilities.
I do listen to the constructive critcism of others. And I thank all of you that offered such. Here is the revised version of my new take on the monk, incorporating some of the suggestions that you made.
First off, I ditched the Monastic Skill Training and instead just went ahead and gave 6 skill points. I also added Diplomacy and Linguistics to the class skill list. Yes, it is now simpler, but I think that the player will just select the skills that most benefit him. How many monks do you see that take Perform, for example? Or Craft?
Second, I restored Stunning Fist to 1st level and pushed Fast Movement back to 3rd.
Third. I eliminated the 1st level bonus feat. He still gets five (2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th) and that should be enough.
Fourth. I changed fast movement slightly to explain WHY it isn't a supernatural ability.
Fifth, I clarified somethings in ki pool.
Sixth, reworked Wholeness of Body again, which uses the same progression as Cleric channeling (for those who say nothing rounds up).
And last, I cleaned up some of the text, but without major alterations (a word here and there).
Hope that works a little better.
MA
The Pathfinder Monk: A New Take (Version 1.01)
For the truly exemplary, martial skill transcends the battlefield—it is a lifestyle, a doctrine, a state of mind. These warrior-artists search out methods of battle beyond swords and shields, finding weapons within themselves just as capable of crippling or killing as any blade. These monks (so called since they adhere to ancient philosophies and strict martial disciplines) elevate their bodies to become weapons of war, from battle-minded ascetics to self-taught brawlers.
Monks tread the path of discipline, and those with the will to endure that path discover within themselves not what they are, but what they are meant to be.
Role: Monks excel at overcoming even the most daunting perils, striking where it’s least expected, and taking advantage of enemy vulnerabilities. Fleet of foot and skilled in combat, monks can navigate any battlefield with ease, aiding allies wherever they are needed most.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Base Attack Bonus: Full.
Hit Die: d8.
Good Saves: Fort, Ref, and Will.
CLASS SKILLS
The monk’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier (but see monastic skill training, below).
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the monk.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear.
Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities (see below).
AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he uses a shields, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon (club, dagger, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, and siangham) as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
Unlike Two-Weapon Fighting, a monk may make all of his attacks (normal as well as the additional attack(s) from this ability) with just one weapon chosen from those above, or with two weapons. When using two weapons (or a double weapon), a monk may choose which weapon to use when making any individual attack. He may substitute an unarmed strike for any number of his attacks during a flurry of blows.
A monk takes a penalty of -2 on the attack roll of all attacks made during a flurry of blows and any attacks of opportunity that he may make during the same round he uses a flurry of blows, as well as all combat maneuvers made during that round. This penalty does not increase if the monk wields a one-hand weapon in his off-hand.
Starting at 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows, as if using Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisite for the feat.)
At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows, as if using Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
A monk applies his full Strength bonus (his Strength modifier) to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with a flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk using the Power Attack feat during a flurry of blows treats all weapons, regardless of how they are wielded, as one-handed weapons wielded in a single hand, for the purpose of determining the bonus damage granted by that feat.
A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers as part of a flurry of blows.
A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.
Stunning Fist (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, and every 4 levels gained as a monk thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw negates the effect. At 4th level, he can choose to make the target fatigued. At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute. At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds. At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target. At 20th level, he can paralyze the target for 1d6+1 rounds. The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by Stunning Fist cannot become nauseated if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration of the effect.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be performed with fist, elbows, knees, feet, and head. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural attacks (including the bonus attack granted by the spell haste).
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table 3-9: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table 3-9 is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed strikes, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table 3-10: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.
Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, and every four levels gained thereafter as a monk, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be chosen from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to this list: Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to this list: Greater Grapple, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.
At 14th level, the following feats are added to this list: Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, and Greater Trip.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Fast Movement (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, when a monk is not wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, his base speed is increased by 5 feet. This ability does not stack with the fast movement granted by virtue of taking levels as a Barbarian (it overlaps, with only the higher bonus applying). Except as stated above, this is otherwise identical to the benefit granted by the Fleet feat and thus stacks with any enhancement bonus to the monk’s speed.
At 6th level, and again at 9th level, and every three levels gained as a monk thereafter, the monk's speed increases by an additional +5 feet (to a maximum bonus of +30 feet at 18th level).
Still Mind (Ex): A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. This bonus increases to +4 upon reaching 10th level as a monk and again to +6 at 17th level.
Ki Pool (Su): At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy that he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk’s ki pool is equal to his monk level + is Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. At 4th level, ki strike allows a monk’s unarmed strikes to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and striking incorporeal creatures. Ki strike improves as the character gains additional levels as a monk. At 7th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as cold iron or silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 10th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus when he performs a flurry of blows attack (see above). He may instead spend 1 point when he is charging, using the Spring Attack feat, or moves 10 feet or more in a round to gain one additional attack at his highest attack bonus. This additional attack must be made with an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon and suffers the same -2 penalty given under flurry of blows (and all attacks of opportunity and combat maneuvers performed in the same round also suffer a -2 penalty). The additional attack granted by spending a point of ki stacks with that provided by a speed weapon or by the spell haste.
In addition, the monk can spend 1 point to gain a +20’ enhancement bonus to his speed for 1 round. He can spend 1 point to take a second 5’ step in a round where he has already taken a 5’ step. He can spend 1 point to gain a +4 bonus to the saving throw DC of his Stunning Fist ability for 1 attack (this option must be used before the attack is rolled); this use also applies to his Quivering Palm ability, once the monk gains the use of that class feature. Finally, a monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume point from his ki pool as he gains levels.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Catfall (Ex/Su): At 4th level or higher, a monk always lands on his feet after a fall (but not when deliberately tripped); this part of the ability is exceptional in nature. In addition, a monk is capable of falling great distances without harm. When this ability is first gained, the monk may spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to reduce the damage taken from a fall by 4d6. For each additional level gained thereafter as a monk, the falling damage is reduced by an additional 1d6, to a maximum reduction of 20d6 for a 20th level monk, along a monk of such a level to fall any distance without suffering harm. A monk using this ability is not slowed when falling, nor does he require a wall or other surface within arm’s length; this part of the ability is supernatural.
High Jump (Ex): At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Monastic Weapons Training (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a monk gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls (but not damage rolls) made with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons. Every four levels gained as a monk thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th), this bonus increases by an additional +1.
A monk also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with unarmed strikes or special monk weapons, as well as any grapple checks which he makes. When wielding a special monk weapon, this bonus also applies a monk’s CMD against disarm and sunder attempts.
Wholeness of Body (Su): At 7th level and higher, a monk can heal his own wounds. By spending 2 points from his ki pool as a swift action, the monk will heal 4d6 points of hit point damage that he has take. This ability cannot be used on others. The amount of damage healed increases by +1d6 for every odd level gained as a monk thereafter (i.e., 5d6 at 9th level, 6d6 at 11th level, etc.), to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level.
If the monk instead spends 3 points from his ki pool to activate this ability, he may add his Monk level as a bonus to the amount of healing rolled.
Starting at 14th level, a monk using wholeness of body can instead spend 2 ki points as a swift action to restore 3d6 points of ability damage that he has taken. This ability cannot be used on others. The monk may split this restoration between as many ability scores as he chooses, but no score can be raised above its normal maximum value. Any excess ability score damage restoration is lost.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Diamond Body (Su): At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.
Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is equal to his monk level. He may take other creatures with him when he uses this ability. Unlike the spell, using this ability does not end the character’s turn.
Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level +10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance. Once per round, as a free action that the monk can take even when it is not his turn, he may voluntarily lower his spell resistance in order to receive a single spell (typically from an ally, but it is possible for the monk to be tricked and receive a harmful spell). An unconscious monk retains his spell resistance and cannot voluntarily lower it, however a deceased monk is no longer so protected.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, a monk can gain a +4 bonus to his spell resistance for 1 round.
Quivering Palm (Su): Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at a later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger form that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. A monk can have no more than 1 quivering palm in effect at one time. If a monk uses quivering palm while another is still in effect, the previous effect is negated.
At 16th level, and every level gained thereafter, a monk may make additional quivering palm attacks by spending 3 points from his ki pool on each attack after the first made in a single day.
Timeless Body (Ex): At 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with and understand any living creature.
Empty Body (Su): At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool. This ability only affects the monk and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical affects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/chaotic and magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
EX-MONKS
A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk, but retains all monk abilities.
Okay. The blog Monkeying Around has been out for a while now, so here is my thoughts on how the monk can be brought fully up to speed and equal to the other martial classes. It incorporates everything that Jason and his team have worked on with a few other ideas. Let me know what you think.
MA
The Pathfinder Monk: A New Take
For the truly exemplary, martial skill transcends the battlefield—it is a lifestyle, a doctrine, a state of mind. These warrior-artists search out methods of battle beyond swords and shields, finding weapons within themselves just as capable of crippling or killing as any blade. These monks (so called since they adhere to ancient philosophies and strict martial disciplines) elevate their bodies to become weapons of war, from battle-minded ascetics to self-taught brawlers.
Monks tread the path of discipline, and those with the will to endure that path discover within themselves not what they are, but what they are meant to be.
Role: Monks excel at overcoming even the most daunting perils, striking where it’s least expected, and taking advantage of enemy vulnerabilities. Fleet of foot and skilled in combat, monks can navigate any battlefield with ease, aiding allies wherever they are needed most.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Base Attack Bonus: Full.
Hit Die: d8.
Good Saves: Fort, Ref, and Will.
CLASS SKILLS
The monk’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier (but see monastic skill training, below).
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the monk.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear.
Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities (see below).
AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he uses a shields, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every four levels gained thereafter as a monk, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be chosen from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to this list: Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to this list: Greater Grapple, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.
At 14th level, the following feats are added to this list: Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, and Greater Trip.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Fast Movement (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk gains a bonus of +10’ to his movement. At 7th level, and again at 14th level, this bonus increases by an additional +10’. This bonus is not an enhancement bonus and it applies to all movement modes that the monk may possess (including those granted by spells). A monk wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon (club, dagger, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, and siangham) as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
Unlike Two-Weapon Fighting, a monk may make all of his attacks (normal as well as the additional attack(s) from this ability) with just one weapon chosen from those above, or with two weapons. When using two weapons (or a double weapon), a monk may choose which weapon to use when making any individual attack. He may substitute an unarmed strike for any number of his attacks during a flurry of blows.
A monk takes a penalty of -2 on the attack roll of all attacks made during a flurry of blows and any attacks of opportunity that he may make during the same round he uses a flurry of blows, as well as all combat maneuvers made during that round. This penalty does not increase if the monk wields a one-hand weapon in his off-hand.
Starting at 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows, as if using Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisite for the feat.)
At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows, as if using Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
A monk applies his full Strength bonus (his Strength modifier) to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with a flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk using the Power Attack feat during a flurry of blows treats all weapons, regardless of how they are wielded, as one-handed weapons wielded in a single hand, for the purpose of determining the bonus damage granted by that feat.
A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers as part of a flurry of blows.
A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.
Monastic Skill Training: At 1st level, a monk must choose two skills in which he does not possess skill ranks from the following list: Craft (any), Diplomacy, Knowledge (any), Linguistics, and Perform (any). This choice cannot be altered once made. These two skills become class skills for the monk and the monk gains 2 bonus skill ranks that must be applied the chosen skills. Each level gained as a monk thereafter, the monk gains 2 additional bonus skill ranks that must be applied to these skills.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be performed with fist, elbows, knees, feet, and head. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural attacks (including the bonus attack granted by the spell haste).
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table 3-9: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table 3-9 is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed strikes, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table 3-10: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Still Mind (Ex): A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. This bonus increases to +4 upon reaching 10th level as a monk and again to +6 at 17th level.
Stunning Fist (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, and every 4 levels gained as a monk thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw negates the effect. At 4th level, he can choose to make the target fatigued. At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute. At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds. At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target. At 20th level, he can paralyze the target for 1d6+1 rounds. The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by Stunning Fist cannot become nauseated if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration of the effect.
Ki Pool (Su): At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy that he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk’s ki pool is equal to his monk level + is Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. At 4th level, ki strike allows a monk’s unarmed strikes to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and striking incorporeal creatures. Ki strike improves as the character gains additional levels as a monk. At 7th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as cold iron or silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 10th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, his unarmed strikes are also treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus, but only with unarmed strikes or when wielding a special monk weapon that can be used in a flurry of blows (see flurry of blows above). In addition, he can spend 1 point to gain a +20’ enhancement bonus to his speed for 1 round. He can spend 1 point to take a second 5’ step in a round where he has already taken a 5’ step. He can spend 1 point to gain a +4 bonus to the saving throw DC of his Stunning Fist ability for 1 attack (this option must be used before the attack is rolled); this use also applies to his Quivering Palm ability, once the monk gains the use of that class feature. Finally, a monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume point from his ki pool as he gains levels.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Catfall (Ex): At 4th level or higher, a monk always lands on his feet after a fall (but not when deliberately tripped). In addition, a monk is capable of falling great distances without harm. When this ability is first gained, the monk may spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to reduces the damage taken from a fall by 4d6. For each additional level gained thereafter as a monk, the falling damage is reduced by an additional 1d6, to a maximum reduction of 20d6 for a 20th level monk, along a monk of such a level to fall any distance without suffering harm. A monk using this ability is not slowed when falling, nor does he require a wall or other surface within arm’s length.
High Jump (Ex): At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Monastic Weapons Training (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a monk gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls (not damage rolls) made with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons. Every four levels gained as a monk thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th), this bonus increases by an additional +1.
A monk also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with unarmed strikes or special monk weapons, as well as any grapple checks which he makes. When wielding a special monk weapon, this bonus also applies a monk’s CMD against disarm and sunder attempts.
Wholeness of Body (Su): At 7th level and higher, a monk can heal his own wounds. By spending 2 points from his ki pool as a swift action, the monk will heal 1d6 points of hit point damage for every two monk levels he possesses (round up, to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level). If the monk instead spends 3 points from his ki pool to activate this ability, he adds his Monk level as a bonus to the amount of healing rolled.
Starting at 14th level, a monk using wholeness of body can instead spend 2 ki points as a swift action to restore 1 point of ability damage he has suffered for every two monk levels he possesses (round up, to a maximum of 10 at 19th level). The monk may split this restoration between as many ability scores as he chooses, but no score can be raised above its normal maximum value. Any excess ability score damage healing is lost.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Diamond Body (Su): At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.
Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is equal to his monk level. He may take other creatures with him when he uses this ability. Unlike the spell, using this ability does not end the character’s turn.
Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level +10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance. Once per round, as a free action that the monk can take even when it is not his turn, he may voluntarily lower his spell resistance in order to receive a single spell (typically from an ally, but it is possible for the monk to be tricked and receive a harmful spell). An unconscious monk retains his spell resistance and cannot voluntarily lower it, however a deceased monk is no longer so protected.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, a monk can gain a +4 bonus to his spell resistance for 1 round.
Quivering Palm (Su): Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at a later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger form that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. A monk can have no more than 1 quivering palm in effect at one time. If a monk uses quivering palm while another is still in effect, the previous effect is negated.
At 16th level, and every level gained thereafter, a monk gains one additional daily use of this ability.
Timeless Body (Ex): At 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with any living creature.
Empty Body (Su): At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool. This ability only affects the monk and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical affects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/chaotic and magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
EX-MONKS
A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk, but retains all monk abilities.
I think the body-wraps were a nice idea, poorly executed. The concept is, give an item that is cheaper than the AoMF, but make it deliver less than a full weapon does. Cool so far, but making it only apply to some attacks is a bad way of doing it as it makes it useless for some attacks. You could, for example:
Allow it to apply only weapon properties, not bonuses to hit & damage (which is the most important feature of magic weapons), or
Allow it to apply a bonus to hit only, not damage (cool for monks, as they get scaling damage anyway).
Either option works great for monks, less great for classes trying to outdo monks (which is already easy enough by using brass knuckles or gauntlets), doesn't make the AoMF redundant, and yet delivers less than a weapon. The current system is clunky, and deliver relatively more for non-monks than for monks.
Well reasoned, Dabbler. I like that idea of ONLY applying weapon properties, not enhancemnt bonues.
Monks already have pseudo- (or virtual) full BAB on flurry of blows (basically any full-attack) and combat maneuvers (from 3rd level onward with maneuver training).
Giving the class actual full BAB would only help on attacks of opportunity and when moving. It would also correct the problem that you are more accurate when you flurry than when you take a single attack. That one change probably needs to happen if flurry is going to remain as is.
Six skill points instead of four. Perhaps tried to a monastic skill training ability where you pick two skills at 1st level and then get an additional skill point every level thereafter that only applies to those two skills.
Next on the list, I'd like to see a mechanism for getting at least one additional attack when moving. Something like: "When moving 10' or more, charging, or using the feat Spring attack, a monk may, as a swift action, spend 1 point from his ki pool to gain one additional attack at your highest attack bonus. This additional attack, and all other attacks made in the same round, suffer a penalty of -2 on attack rolls."
Not as good as pounce, but it would give some synergy to the monk's abilities.
Change slow fall to be just like feather fall, except that you don't slow down. Sort of like the psionic power cat fall. Make the monk spend a ki point as an immediate action to actvate it.
Wholeness of body truly sucks. I mean, take a look at the Paladin's lay on hands and compare the two. Make it a swift action for 2 ki that heals the monk of 1d6 points of damage for every 2 monk levels. Done.
To really make monks unarmed combat and fast attack specialists, add weapon training for attack rolls and combat maneuvers only. Just like the fighter weapon training, but it doesn't apply to damage, only on attack rolls and combat maneuver checks. Make it work only with special monk weapons and unarmed strikes. Heck, since it is changed, I wouldn't even mind if a monk couldn't use gloves of dueling with it. Name it monastic weapons training or something.
I'd really like to see an item that adds enhancement bonus to unarmed strikes only, but that won't happen, especially since they have already changed the AoMF.
MAD remains an issue, and I am not sure how exactly to address it, not without creating even more issues. Wisdom on attack rolls might be an answer, but the Weapon Finesse monk still suffers from MAD, so it might not be the answer. This one is difficult to get around without throwing the game for a loop, so I'll let it be for the time being.
And last, but not least, add to the text under the brawling armor special property, "this property can also be added to bracers of armor."
Late last week, we posted up a few quick FAQ issues to resolve some problems involving the monk. There has been a lot of discussion on the monk on the boards, and while it has taken us a while to come up with some solutions, we have made a few simple changes to address these concerns. I wanted to take this blog post to review these changes and to announce a few more.
Flurry of Blows: We have decided to reverse a previous ruling (that came from this very blog) that stated you needed to use two weapons when using flurry of blows (or a combination of weapon attacks and unarmed strikes). You can now make all of your attacks with just one weapon, or substitute any number of these attacks with an unarmed strike. Of course, if you have a pair of weapons and want to keep using both of them, that still works as well.
Ki Pool: Monks typically have problems bypassing DR with their unarmed strikes, forcing them to rely on weapons to deal with many forms of DR. We have decided to add a new ability to the Ki Pool monk class feature. At 7th level, a monk's unarmed strikes count as cold iron and silver for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction, so long as he has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool.
Amulet of Mighty Fists: On Friday, we posted up a FAQ that stated that the enhancement bonus from an amulet of mighty fists does allow natural attacks and unarmed strikes to bypass damage reduction if the enhancement bonus is at least +3 (as with other weapons, see page 562 of the Core Rulebook). In addition, we have decided to adjust the price of the amulet of mighty fists. The new prices are as follows: 4,000 gp (+1), 16,000 gp (+2), 36,000 gp (+3), 64,000 gp (+4), 100,000 gp (+5). Accordingly, the costs to create these amulets are also reduced to the following: 2,000 gp (+1), 8,000 gp (+2), 18,000 gp (+3), 32,000 gp (+4), 50,000 gp (+5). This makes this item priced a bit more competitively for monks and creatures that rely on natural attacks. I should note that this change will be reflected in future printings of the Core Rulebook, Ultimate Equipment, and the NPC Codex.
Well, that about wraps up our current thoughts on the monk. Thanks to all the folks on the boards that provided us with feedback on this class.
