|
The use of weapons seems to throw a wrench in the concept of flurry to me. A flurry of blow is not specifically hands only, as it includes head, feet, elbow, knee, etc. (hence why the amulet of mighty fists is so expensive) Once a monk wields weapons in each hand, does the flurry damage drop to the base weapon damage?
Lets say a level 16 monk is using a quarterstaff, and he wants to flurry with it. He would take a significant damage loss when compared to unarmed, going from 2d8 a strike for unarmed to 1d4 with the staff, plus this also seems to take away from the idea of doing damage with things other than hands.
It seems that monks are pushed away from any weapon use unless they need to bypass DR.(or be hosed if using a quarterstaff, which cannot have metal RAW)
Is this just how it is if you want to have a weapon monk without any house rulings?
Pretty much. If you want to use a weapon, you lose monk bonus damage. You can intersperse unarmed attacks and any weapon you have, but the weapon would deal damage as normal.
I think this is a bad rule, but its how it currently works. Lots of people think you should scale all monk weapon damage (like me). Unless you want to enchant the weapon to hell and back and need to overcome DR, its not really worth using them.
It seems that monks are pushed away from any weapon use unless they need to bypass DR.(or be hosed if using a quarterstaff, which cannot have metal RAW)
Is this just how it is if you want to have a weapon monk without any house rulings?
The negative side to using a weaopn is lower base damage and the inability to use certain feats (Stunning Fist, etc.) without the Ki Focus weapon enhancement.
The positive side is the ability to use special materials and cheaper enhancement costs than an Amulet of Mighty Fists.
So it's a trade-off.
Lets say a level 16 monk is using a quarterstaff, and he wants to flurry with it. He would take a significant damage loss when compared to unarmed, going from 2d8 a strike for unarmed to 1d4 with the staff, plus this also seems to take away from the idea of doing damage with things other than hands.
A level 16 monk has about 75K gp to spend on weapons. He can spend 80K on an Amulet of Mighty Fists with +4 in bonuses (flaming, shocking, holy say), or he can buy a +1, flaming, shocking, holy, vicious, bane:evil outsiders silver siangham.
That's 2d10 +4d6 (assuming monk's robe) +6 or more = 31, - resistances/not-evil.
Vs. 1d6 + 8d6 + 7 or more = 36.5, - resistances/not-evil/evil-outsider + 3.5 damage to self.
Both seem viable to me. [You can also be more reasonable and have a few separate options.]
Amulet is expensive because of druids and shapeshifting wizards. Monks just more or less got smacked in the underto.
Monks right now are one of the weaker classes. Making them pay extra for weapon enchants is dumb.
I've houseruled the following:
-Unarmed damage is "monk damage." It applies to all monk weapons including unarmed.
-Monks have an unslotted "I am a monk" item that they can enchant as a weapon. Every weapon they use gains those enchantments.
-Monks can choose one weapon - regardless of martial, simple, or exotic - and count that as a monk weapon they have proficiency in along with the others.
Now monks are a master of their various monk weapons, their power is generated from themselves instead of a fancy necklace or weapon, and their training allows them to include one weapon outside of the cliche'd "monk weapons." I've yet to be in any situation where this becomes too powerful - rather, it's just more FUN.
It saddens me that Pathfinder didn't make the obvious Monk fix - apply Monk unarmed damage to Monk weapons or replace Monk weapon damage with Monk unarmed damage.
|
|
Thats what I ruled in the game I am running. armed or unarmed you get the same damage increases. It makes it much more fun since you are equally powerful with or without weapons
I've houseruled the following:
-Unarmed damage is "monk damage." It applies to all monk weapons including unarmed.
-Monks have an unslotted "I am a monk" item that they can enchant as a weapon. Every weapon they use gains those enchantments.
-Monks can choose one weapon - regardless of martial, simple, or exotic - and count that as a monk weapon they have proficiency in along with the others.
I could be wrong, but the rules seem to indicate a monk can just have some part of his body enchanted as a + whatever weapon.
SRD:
"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."
There is also some confusing language in the rules about whether the monk needs to switch weapons when using a flurry attack. I put emphasis on the "ANY combination", rather then on the "as if using 2WF feat", but others read it differently.
SRD:
"When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham) as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat..."
Finally, there is also debate about whether a gauntlet is a separate weapon, even though you make an unarmed strike with it.
Judging by the lack of official response, I'm guessing (and hoping) that something in one of the future books will address these issues.
I would say no on enchanting the monk's actual body. I think that language is referring to using magic fang or magic weapon since the monks fists count as weapons and natual
It is refering to that, as those spells specificaly mention natural or manufactured weapons as the target. A monk can get those spells made permanat on himself as one of the ways to increase his damage. It would never be allowed in my game group though, because we would never stop making "the monk has a +3 body" jokes...