PFS Saurian Nagaji druid, should i cross class monk after 6?

[Evilserran]

Playing PFS with a nagaji druid level 3 atm.
18,14,14,5,14,11 for stats

Feats = Improved unarmed strike and dragonstyle
Traits= indomitable faith and reactionary

currently wearing darkleaf cloth lamellar with clw and infernal healing wands.

I am wondering if its worth cross classing into monk? I have the correct alignment, but with only +2 in wis atm, is it truly helpful? Bonus to saves would be nice, but the loss of a bab could hurt...

If i were to cross class into monk, any specific archtype that would be best? why? Thanks for your time folks!

[RainyDayNinja]

I assume you're playing some kind of unarmed melee build then? Really, you're almost certainly better off sticking with Druid for the higher spell levels and scaling wild shape. A single level of monk for Wis to AC while wild-shaped and 2 bonus feats (if you retrain your current IUS to something else) could be a good deal.

[Rycaut]

If you do multiclass look at the Shaping Focus feat. Which is best if you take 4 level of other classes.

If you have the books you should look at the unchained monk. It doesn't get the will save boost of the regular monk but it it a full BAB class, has a much simpler flurry mechanic (make an extra attack at your full attack bonus when doing a full attack flurry of blows)

Three levels would get you a ki pool, evasion, +3 BAB, a bunch of feats a fourth level which I would recommend would get you a ki power of your choice, a further AC boost, still mind and a speed boost. Oh and the ability to fatigue with your stunning fist though your DC for that will be low. A bunch of options for the ki power - I would consider either deny death (qinggong monk power - auto stabilize and can spend ki to self heal) or empty body (takes 3 ki and a move action but 4 mins of being ethereal is a get out jail free ability though wild shape will often be as good or better). Lots of other options for ki powers though as a Druid some are less valuable.

I think the unchained monk has become a very solid dip for many builds - full BAB plus free extra attacks that stack with haste as well as a lot of extras (not to mention a ton of feats). If you have good wis, don't wear armor and plan on fighting unarmed or with monk weapons it is a fantastic option.

[Taenia]

Going monk depends entirely on which direction your character is going.

With the recent errata on Wild Armor it takes a large investment in Dex/Wis to make the Monk/Druid AC viable and very difficult on a Str build. You are probably better off sticking druid and grabbing Wild Full Plate defensive wise.

Offensively the change to Feral Combat Training makes the big damage hits interesting but doesn't help as much with the multiple attack builds like pouncing cats or dinosaurs. However turning into an ankylosaurus and flurrying with your tail for multiple hits and stun attempts can be worthwhile and a lot of fun, though it will be based on Wisdom rather than Strength.

I would consider monk on a more dex/wis based druid build or one that is focusing on flurry with a big single attack (especially nice with vital strike and strong jaw) otherwise the loss of armor plus lack of stat support are going to hurt you defensively.

[Evilserran]

errata on wild armor? can you specify or link?

[Evilserran]

my issue with the wild full plate option is the price, thats a +3 armor, not exactly cheap with the limited funds in PFS... I could grab a dex or wisdom item and bump the monks bonus ac up higher (would be a 4 right now) which would be cheaper in the long run i think, as well as apply the bonuses to my skills, saves and spell casting. Is that not more viable?

[Taenia]

Here is the

FAQ:

Wild armor and other transforming armor: When I use a wild armor and gain the armor’s benefits, what restrictions, if any, apply to me? In general, when I transform with a polymorph effect and some of my gear melds into the form, what restrictions do I have for melding with large amounts of heavy gear? What about other types of transforming armor?
If you were in medium or heavy load from encumbrance before transforming, you continue to take those penalties in your melded form. Otherwise, ignore the weight of melded items and calculate your encumbrance in your polymorphed form entirely based on non-melded items. When wearing melded armor and shields, if you gain no benefit from the melded armor, you still count as wearing an armor of that type, but you do not suffer its armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, or arcane spell failure chance. If you do gain any benefits (as with the wild property), then you do suffer the armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, and arcane spell failure chance. This also applies to all other situations where you or an armor transform: you always count as wearing an armor of that type, and if you gain any benefit at all from the armor (such as mistmail), you apply the armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, and arcane spell failure chance.

So it would be 19300 + Heavy Armor Prof feat for +1 Wild Dragon Hide Fullplate. This will grant you +10 armor with a max dex of +1.

Right now you are adding +2 from dex and would add +2 from monk with lets say dodge as a bonus feat for another +1. This is +5 total, lets say you get a dex belt, wis headband a dusty rose ioun stone and a jingasa so the same gear is getting you up to 16 dex/16 wis +3 addional ac of +9. If you can get mage armor you are at +13 vs. the +11 from the armor but have to spend resources/time to get mage armor up and the last two items can be purchased after the armor as well.

Now you turn into any large animal, you dex drops by 2 and you take a size penalty to AC. For the wild plate character, your ac doesn't change since you had more dex than you needed before, but the monk now loses 1 ac dropping to +12 vs. +11 of the Wild armor. If you go huge this balances out as both sides lose dex bonus to AC.

So which to play:
Monk gains 1 - 2 pts of AC, +saves, flurry, monk AC bonus

Staying druid loses one feat (armor prof) gains 1 caster level, 1 level of animal companion, more spells and druid abilities

so this depends entirely on how you want to play your druid. Just to give you some idea I have the following PFS "druid":

Talan Druid 10/Unchained Monk 3/Urban Barbarian 2
Rasp Cave Druid 11
Raek Druid 4/Warpriest 2/Urban barbarian 2/MoMS 1
Statler Blight Druid 11/Monk 1 (Mostly caster, Whirlwind fun build)
Zja Druid 3/Monk 1

So as you can see I like monk/druid but I tend to build them as Dex builds rather than as strength builds, Rasp is my only Str druid at the moment. I do have another one planned out that will be a Str based Leshy Warden that turns into a Sargassum fiend to be an awesome grappler.

[Rycaut]

Boosting your WIS if you go multiclass Druid/Monk will be one of the best things you can do - it will:

- add to your AC
- add to you spell's DC
- may add bonus spells
- boost your WIS skills (which include useful for nearly everyone skills like Perception)
- boost your WILL saves
- add to your KI pool if you have one (if you go Unchained monk you get your Ki pool earlier and it is both more useful and likely going to feel too small

I'll also note that you are likely approaching the point where unless you have a remarkably high AC small boosts to your AC won't keep up with monster's to-hit's at higher levels. This makes non-AC means of avoiding being hit all the more important. Not that you should ignore your AC but as higher levels I think focusing too much on it is counterproductive - better to be mobile, hit really hard or have other means of protecting yourself (miss chances for example).

Also I would note that the Monk's boosts to AC apply to TOUCH AC which also becomes increasingly important at higher levels as more and more enemies have means of making touch attacks - often hitting for a lot of damage and usually oher effects.

I would also note that Druid's don't have heavy armor proficiency (and the errata as noted mentions that with wild armor you will still get the dex penalties, speed penalties, arcane armor casting penalties and non-proficiency penalties if an armor is enchanted to continue to give you a benefit when polymorphed - i.e. wild (which I'll also note is a +3 ability so in PFS play you need to be able to purchase a +4 armor to consider using it.

[Evilserran]

so yes it seems to wildarmor would provide more ac in the long run, but the monk wouldgive medium ac as well as extra bonuses to other stats,and allow the money to be spent elsewhere,so i think i shall indeed multiclass, will have to buy the unchained book.

[Rycaut]

don't forget that Paizo's PDF's are a very good deal if money is a concern ($9.99 for all hardcover books in PDF form)

[Evilserran]

yes i generallygo digital, so if something happens, i can always getanother copy.