looking for help with Unleashed Monk

[VilleVicious]

So I'm helping one of my players to build a monk for PFS play. We started with a basic monk (melee oriented), but then unleashed one came out, and as as we near the end of the level 1 important question rises:

Is there any reason to not rebuilt the character as a unleash monk instead?

Most of the advice (class guides etc) are for the ol monk, but has the change been so big that all of the advice is outdated? Some builds of course can't be done at the moment because they rely on alternative archtypes but is the baseline tips on attributes and feats still current enough?

[Secret Wizard]

You may want to keep the vanilla monk if you intend to use an archetype. Zen Archer, Sensei, Sohei, manoeuvre master and master of many styles are still good options.

If your goal is to use the monk as a melee focused battler, no frills... Yeah, go Unchained.

Some tips:

1. You don't depend on Pummeling Style as much as the regular monk - you got Flying Kick. Feel free to use another style.

2. You have proficiency in all monk weapons and can do 1.5x damage with weapons wielded in two hands, so using a weapon is a possibility, though you still need to use unarmed strikes for style strikes.

3. Will is no longer a good save, but you should have good Wisdom anyway. Try getting Iron Will if you have a free feat early on.

4. Power Attack went from being a ridiculous proposal to a must.

5. Constitution plummeted in value. Before, 14 was the baseline. Now, with higher hit dice and full evasion benefits, you can do with a 12.

[Charon's Little Helper]

If he's not one of the archetypes Secret Wizard mentioned - or Drunken Master (And Master of Many Styles is an amazing dip - but a weak archetype on its own) - combined with Qinggong - he should probably retrain as an Unchained Monk.

Pretty much what Secret Wizard said on tips - though of course #4 is moot if he's a dex monk as you don't qualify. But the 1.5x Str made strength based weapon monks pretty appealing - though of course your defenses would suffer a lot.

[Secret Wizard]

Charon's Little Helper wrote:

If he's not one of the archetypes Secret Wizard mentioned - or Drunken Master (And Master of Many Styles is an amazing dip - but a weak archetype on its own) - combined with Qinggong - he should probably retrain as an Unchained Monk.

Pretty much what Secret Wizard said on tips - though of course #4 is moot if he's a dex monk as you don't qualify. But the 1.5x Str made strength based weapon monks pretty appealing - though of course your defenses would suffer a lot.

You'd be surprised. The free feats/money in comparison to the DEX build keeps them even.

The DEX build's power was Pummeling Charge over Dragon's Ferocity for more mobility, and more build points to put into CON. Both are now less of an advantage.

[Charon's Little Helper]

Secret Wizard wrote:

The DEX build's power was Pummeling Charge over Dragon's Ferocity for more mobility, and more build points to put into CON. Both are now less of an advantage.

I'm with you - for the unchained monk they're much more equal choices. I still prefer dex - but I tend to build all of my characters with more of a tilt towards defense than most people do. *shrug*

[DM_Blake]

Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the monks of war!