Maneuver Master Monk with Armor

[jmclaus]

If I multiclass into fighter and MM, will I still get the Flurry of Blows ability while wearing armor? Monk says that FoB is lost while wearing armor, as well as the standard penalties for wear non-proficient armor, but does this still occur if I am using a class with proficiency?

[Gaekub]

This is a point of contention. Strictest RAW says its fine, but ask your GM. If you're playing PFS, bring another character, because you are begging for table variation.

[c873788]

You can't lose the Flurry of Blows ability as a MM Monk as you didn't have it to begin with. MM Monks replace Flurry of Blows with Flurry of Maneuvers at 1st level. So from a RAW perspective, I think you might be able to get away with wearing armor.

[MechE_]

The Maneuver Master Monk's Flurry of Maneuvers ability lacks the same verbiage stating that you cannot utilize it while wearing armor that is present in Flurry of Blows. Hence, by RAW, you can utilize Flurry of Maneuvers while wearing armor.

I, personally, do not feel this was intended as the original author of the Sohei monk archetype (which also can utilize it's flurry while wearing armor by the RAW) stated that it was explicitly NOT his intention to allow them to flurry while wearing armor, however the limiting wording is not present for the Sohei either, so by RAW (rules as written), you can do so.

Is it WRONGBADFUN to use Flurry of Maneuvers while wearing armor? Probably not, as it's difficult to make the monk into the same dominant force a barbarian or fighter can be with some fairly simple rage power / feat selections. However, I personally don't think it was the intention of the rules to allow it, and thus I avoid it.

There's my 2cp

[Avatar-1]

Did a proper ruling ever get worked out for this?

Need to know for PFS.

[Kazaan]

The passage restricting using FoB with armor is found in your weapon and armor proficiency block rather than the actual FoB block. In the case of maneuver master, the clause from weapon and armor proficiency restricts FoB, but FoM is a different ability that functions differently, giving you bonus maneuvers rather than bonus attacks as if using TWF and the penalties are adjudicated differently, the stacking penalties being applied to more than just the progressive bonus maneuvers. So, strictly speaking, a Maneuver Master can use FoM in full-plate with a tower shield and also isn't restricted to just Monk weapons.

In the case of Sohei, he gets an all new weapon and armor proficiency block that lacks the restriction on armor with FoB so he no longer has a restriction on it. Regardless of what the original designer says, by RAW, a Sohei can flurry in armor barring an errata to add back in the FoB + armor restriction. Also see Titan Mauler for cases where RAW trumps "original intent" by archetype writer and that RAW is even backed up by the dev team (as clarified by FAQ in this example).