Cel'Daren's page

True Round 1: I cast Planeshift to move myself to my Permanent Greater Demiplane with the "Timeless" quality in relation to Magic.

True Round 2: I cast Time Stop. Due to the "Timeless" quality of my Demi Plane the effect is permanent until I choose to remove it. The entire universe stands still, except for me.

Apparent Round 3-30: I realize I no longer have just 30 rounds in which to deal with this problem, and calm myself down by brewing up a nice hot cup of tea, since anything I carried with me at the casting of Time Stop was also affected and every wizard is prepared to prepare tea.

Apparent Round 31-??: Anything I want. I could choose to research a specific high level spell in order to handle the problem such as "Mass Call Object", in order to bring all of the missiles to my Demiplane where I can deal with them by merely petrifying them or transmuting them into something interesting like flora for my Demiplane.

True Round 3: I dispel my Time Stop effect and wait for the world to realize that it's entire stock of Nuclear weapons has effectively ceased to exist. I probably take steps to protect myself since apparently now everyone on Earth is going to realize that magic is a thing now, and things are going to go to hell in a hand basket no matter what I do anymore.

So the Paladin cannot dress himself/herself, chew his/her fingernails, eat, look at people, contemplate their navel, or a million other actions that have no Good/Evil consideration?

I reject your definition of a Paladin. That thing couldn't reasonably exist, even in DnD. Even the Archons would fall short of such morality if there weren't allowed to commit acts that had no moral impact such as farting, scratching an itch, noting that succubus is really sexy even if she was totally evil, or even posting on this forum.

Cel'Daren wrote:

I'm not claiming to be good. I'm claiming to be neutral.

There was a freaggin' PALADIN IN THE GROUP!!!!

Good for him. He committed a Neutral act. Why should it affect his alignment again?

EDIT: Ninja'ed by Rynjin. Well played Sir!

I got to about post 200 before I stopped reading and realized this thread convinced me to Houserule that Detect Alignment spells don't ping just because someone is THINKING along a certain alignment at the time, it will only ping due to actions the creature has taken.

Seems like it would save a hell of a lot of bickering if everyone just knew that when someone pinged evil on a Detect Evil, you knew they had already done some horrible things.

Oh and personally. Killing the evil Dwarves was a Lawful Neutral act in my opinion. They were sent there to kill the leader of the cult by their accepted commander/leader/whatever. Their actions were done with the intent to further the goal they had been given by their accepted leader, and their intent was not to harm obviously innocent people but beings who have been deemed acceptable targets via their Detect Evil.

Vutava wrote:

HWalsh wrote:

So in the case of a LE...

"You see someone being mugged, the mugger asks you to help him."

You're done.

You fall.

There is no way out.

You have to follow the law, so you can't help the mugger. However you cannot perform a non-evil act. So you can't do nothing (that's good as you are refusing to help a criminal) you can't save the civilian (that's good) you can't demand the victim to promise to pay you to help (that's blackmail and is non-lawful) and you can't help the mugger because while that's evil, its not Lawful.

You have no real option here.

You could kill the mugger for breaking the law (assuming in your example that mugging is illegal) and then arrest the victim for disturbing the peace.

Doesn't work. In killing the mugger, for breaking the law, you performed a good act because you still saved the victim. Instant fall. It doesn't matter that you arrest the other guy, you still have to run, shell out a ton of GP to get the atonement.

No disrespect but I wouldn't touch a game like that with a twenty foot pole. I am here to have fun, and that seems a rather pointlessly restrictive setup just waiting to punish someone just for trying to play the concept they have in their head.

For the record I believe the Anti-Paladin class also includes a clause stating that evil does not care about the method, only the result. An Anti-Paladin is fully capable of committing a "good" act in the pursuit of greater evil. This clause is in reference only to the good/evil axis, not the Law/chaos axis, so I don't see why a Lawful Evil Anti-Paladin would be incapable of committing a good act while pursuing a greater evil, or indeed holding up the Laws or Oaths they are sworn to regardless of their good/evil ramifications.

In the end the game is only what you make of it. If you are enjoying such a restrictive setup for Paladins, then great for you. Dont go judging people on how they enjoy playing a less restrictive version of a Paladin in their game.

Instead of 6 stats, drop it down to 4 maybe?

Vigor
Coordination
Cognizance
Presence

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Vigor is the combination of both Strength and Constitution. It measures a character's ability to both generate and withstand physical forces. This ability is important for everyone, but is especially so for any character that engages in melee combat, such as fighters, monks, paladins, barbarians, etc etc. This ability determines the maximum amount of weight a character can carry, and a bonus increases a character's hit points. Incorporeal Undead lack a Vigor score, and rely on their Presence instead. A character with a Vigor score of 0 is dead.

You apply your character's Vigor modifier to:
Most Melee Attack Rolls,
Damage rolls when wielding a melee or throwing weapon,
Each roll of a hit die,
Fortitude Saving Throws,
Climb and Swim skill checks.
Strength checks (knocking down doors, etc)

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Coordination is a combination of Dexterity and Wisdom. It measures a character's ability to control their own movements and manipulate physical objects with finesse. This ability is important for anyone seeking to excel with ranged or dual melee combat. A character with a Coordination score of 0 is incapable of moving and essentially paralyzed.

You apply your character's Coordination modifier to:
Ranged Attack Rolls,
Finessed Melee Attack Rolls,
Armor Class, provided the character can react to the attack
Reflex Saving Throws,
Acrobatics, Craft, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Profession, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks

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Cognizance is a combination of Intelligence and Wisdom. It measures a character's ability to learn, use logic, and intuition. This ability is important to everyone, but is most important to Wizards and Monks because it effects their Spellcasting and Ki abilities respectively. A character with a Cognizance score of 0 is incapable of perception or thought and is unconscious.

You apply you character's Cognizance modifier to:
The number of skill points gained each level, though your character always gets at least 1 skillpoint per level.
Disbelief Saving Throws*,
Appraise, Heal, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Survival checks.

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Presence is a combination of Wisdom and Charisma. It measures a character's willpower, luck, divine-favor, self-confidence, and ability to influence others. It is important for many classes including most Divine Spellcasters, Bards, Sorcerers, and Rogues. A character with a Presence score of 0 is unable to stir themselves to action and stand helpless unless directed by another being. For undead creatures their Presence also represents their unnatural lifeforce and an undead creature with a Presence score of 0 is destroyed.

You apply your character's Presence modifier to:
The number of bonus languages your character starts with.
Will Saving Throws,
Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Linguistics**, Perform, and Use Magic Device checks

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Essentially you drop Wisdom and Constitution, and fold their effects into the other abilities. Having Constitution apart from Strength, and having Wisdom apart from Intelligence, never made sense to me personally. The strongest people in the world also tend to be the most durable, and I'm pretty sure that line of logic follows into Pathfinder. Whoever heard of a sickly giant, anyway? No one, they're all big and brawny, and thus durable creatures by default.

With these changes suddenly Presence, which is what is replacing Charisma, is a very important statistic for just about everyone to have. Actually it seems like it becomes almost too important. Thoughts?

*Disbelief would have to be made different than normal Will Saves, for the occasions when a spell is designed to trick, dupe, or manipulate a target through false sensations like illusions rather than trying to overpower their minds. Any class with Perception or Sense Motive as a Class skill (I.E. Everyone but Fighters, Sorcerers, and Wizards) should have a High Progression with this save.

** Language is really just a tool created to help influence others, and should be tied to a person's presence than their intelligence. Sure an intelligent person can learn to speak a lot of languages, as shown by their higher skill points they can invest into the skill, but only a truly sociable person tends to have the talent to effortlessly learn new languages.

Here's a couple ideas for what could happen to a person wishing for more wishes:

A. 2d4+1 Efreet are summoned onto the scene as if freed from an Efreeti Bottle, but there is an 80% chance that each of the Efreeti are insane and immediately attack the wisher and only them then disappear after their death, a 10% chance that each of the Efreeti will grant 3 Wishes then disappear, and a 10% chance that each of the Efreeti will serve the wisher for 10 minutes then disappear. At least one of the summoned Efreet must grant wishes, although the impending death of the wisher may hinder their efforts to do so.

B. The wish granting being or object (excluding an Efreeti) asks "Are you sure you wish for this?". The wisher only is granted an impromptu Knowledge (Planes/Arcana/Religion) check with a minimum DC of 20. If they succeed or exceed the check, they learn the following:

DC 20: It's known that very bad things happen to those who try and cheat by wishing for more wishes.

DC 25: Very long ago in a rare show of unity, all wish-granting creatures set up a method to curse those who try to wish for more wishes.

DC 30: In a single stroke of genius, the ancient Djinn coerced a mortal into wishing that those who wish for wishes were instead cursed, and that those who wished for the previous wish or this wish to be undone to instead be cursed. No one has yet devised a method to undo these two wishes.

If the wisher continues with their wish, or an Efreeti is the wish granter, the wisher is instead immediately afflicted with a random curse as Bestow Curse, and their magical gear is either transformed into a cursed version of itself, or is rendered non-magical, as appropriate.

127. As a small-time yet attractive thief on the streets you've always complained how you just needed a good opportunity and you'd show the world! Now you've just inherited leadership of the Thieves Syndicate from your "Uncle" (insert stereotypical Italian mobster name here], who seems to have literally picked you out of a crowd. Suddenly surrounded by hundreds of followers who feel you're not up to the task to leading the Syndicate but obeying out of loyalty to their late leader, the matter is made worse by the letter of inheritance revealing the real purpose of the Syndicate: To maintain the balance of the Underworld, both figuratively and literally, and prevent Those from Below from conquering the Surface.

Add in to the mix one of the most powerful Paladins in the world, a woman strong on righteous vengeance and weak on mercy, wanting the Syndicate destroyed and her very attractive squire joining the attempt; as well as a Mage and Priest twin sibling duo who think they're destined to help save the world! Can you keep Those from Below from destroying everything you know and love, or will the world be crushed under their boot?

Monk

For some perfection is merely an ideal that is unattainable. For others it is something that can be found through mastery of the world around them. But to some it is neither. Some know that perfection can be found within. Enter the monk, warrior-adepts who search out methods of mastering themselves through martial prowess and devoted introspection, finding weapons and powers within themselves just as capable of crippling or killing as any blade or spell. 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.
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Role: A Monk's power comes from within themselves, their amazing abilities derived from intense study and introspection, no two monks harnessing quite the same abilities. This tends to make monks some of the most self-reliant and varied individuals around, and they can fill many roles. From standing toe to toe with the most brutal of enemies, dancing across the battlefield like the wind, or lending aid to fallen allies, Monks make a great addition to any party.
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Alignment: Any lawful.
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Hit Die: d8.
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BAB: Medium
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Good Saves: Fort; Reflex; and Will
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Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex); Climb (Str); Craft (Int); Diplomacy (Cha); Escape Artist (Dex); Heal (Wis); Intimidate (Cha); Knowledge (Any) (Int); Linguistics (Int); Perception (Wis); Perform (Cha); Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex); Sense Motive (Wis); Stealth (Dex); and Swim (Str).
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Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
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Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the handaxe, short sword, and any weapon with the monk special quality. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields and indeed lose many of their class benefits while wearing any.
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Philosophy of the Elements (Ex): At 1st level the monk must choose a philosophy that represents her perspective of the world. This choice not only affects what kind of martial artist the monk is but much of what they define themselves as at their core, and is a deeply personal choice for an individual. The choices are represented by the four classical Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water), which the monk chooses one. This choice is permanent and cannot be changed.

• Air: The monk that chooses the Philosophy of Air is like a leaf on the wind, moving with the same effortless grace and being just as hard to catch. Relying primarily on Dexterity, a monk of Air dances across a battlefield, avoiding every strike while delivering their own with pinpoint precision.

• Earth: The monk that chooses the Philosophy of Earth is like the mountains, taking whatever the world throws at it with stoic calm and infinite patience. Relying on Constitution first and Strength second, an Earth monk holds the line and soaks up punishment that would cripple lesser creatures before delivering their own strikes.

• Fire: The monk that chooses the Philosophy of Fire is like a raging inferno, burning everything in their path with impunity. Relying primarily on Strength a Fire monk strides across a battlefield mowing down foes with powerful strikes and unrelenting brutality, woe be unto one who crosses them.

• Water: The monk that chooses the Philosophy of Water is like the oceans, completely calm on the surface and hiding mysteries within their depths. Relying on Wisdom first and Dexterity second, a Water monk takes in the whole situation at a glance before using their mystical prowess to effortlessly deal with the puzzle, whether it be a mage's fireball or a wave of powerful fighters.

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AC Bonus (Ex): At 1st level a monk gains a special ability based on their choice from Philosophy of the Elements, most focused on pure defense, while Fire monks already begin to distinguish themselves as powerful offensive combatants.

• Air. When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds 1-1/2 his Dexterity bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD instead of the normal Dexterity bonus. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by another +1 at 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th level, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.
  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 carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

• Earth. When unarmored, the monk adds his Constitution 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 another +1 at 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th level, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.
  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, or when he carries a shield.

• Fire. When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds 1/2 his Strength bonus (if any) to his Attack Bonus and his CMB in addition to the normal Strength bonus. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by another +1 at 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th level, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.
  This bonus to AC applies 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 carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

• Water. 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 another +1 at 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th level, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.
  This bonus to AC applies 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 carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

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Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat chosen from the Combat feat list that they meet the requisites for. In addition, at 7th level a monk adds their monk level -6 to their effective Fighter level for purposes of applying for feats such as Weapon Specialization.
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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 different condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition is chosen each time the monk uses Stunning Fist, 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 choose to make the target sickened for 1 minute.
At 12th level, he can choose to make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds.
At 16th level, he can choose to 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. Finally Air monks, Fire monks, or Earth monks use their Dexterity, Strength, or Constitution instead of their Wisdom to determine the DC to resist their Stunning Fist, respectively.
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Unarmed Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's unarmed attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, feet, and even their head. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. A monk may use Two Weapon Fighting while completely unarmed if they so choose, treating their unarmed strike as two different weapons for this purpose. 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 weapons.
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown above on Table: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table: Monk is 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 Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage on the table given below.
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Martial Arts (Ex): When unarmored and either unarmed or wielding special monk weapons a monk fights as if his base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus. Furthermore, the monk can choose to specialize in a specific style of combat. The monk must be unarmed (or wielding a special monk weapon) and unarmored to gain the bonuses from the combat style. The styles of combat are shown as follows:

• Cobra Strike: Followers of this style of combat strike like vipers, crossing a battlefield in a moment to deliver solid strikes that can finish a fight before it truly begins. A monk learning the Cobra Strike style gains the Spring Attack feat as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
  At 5th level, the monk deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on the first attack whenever she charges or uses the Spring Attack feat; this damage increases by another d6 at 10th, 15th, and 20th level.
  At 10th level, the monk gains the ability to make a single extra attack at their full attack bonus while using Spring Attack or charging.

• Empty Stance: Followers of this style of combat focus on denying the advantage of enemies whenever they use combat maneuvers, or move too nearby. A monk learning the Empty Stance style gains Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a cumulative +2 bonus to their CMB and CMD for Disarm and Trip Combat Maneuvers.
  At 10th level, if the monk succeeds on an attack of opportunity, they may elect to deal no damage but instead daze the opponent for 1 round. A Fortitude save (DC=damage dealt) negates the effect.

• Open Palm: Followers of this style of combat focus on their unarmed strikes to the exclusion of other weapons. A monk learning the Open Palm style increases their unarmed strike damage as if they were one size category larger, this stacks with size increasing effects like Enlarge Person.
  At 5th level and every five levels afterward, the monk deals 2 extra points of damage when making unarmed strikes. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
  At 10th level, the monk gains the Vital Strike feat, and for qualifying for the Improved or Greater Vital Strike feats the monk uses their Martial Arts BAB.

• Flurry of Blows: Followers of this style of combat deliver hits at high speeds, delivering two hits for an opponent's one. A monk learning the Flurry of Blows style is able to make a single extra attack at their highest attack bonus as part of any attack action, including standard, full round, or a special action such as Spring Attack or Charging. You take a -2 penalty on all attack rolls for the round.
  At 5th level, and again at 15th level, the penalty to attack bonus for using Flurry of Blows is reduced by 1.
  At 10th level, the monk may make a second extra attack at their highest attack bonus when using Flurry of Blows.

• Invisible Eye: Followers of this style specialize in fighting against the unseen. A monk learning the Invisible Eye style gains Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a +1 bonus to their AC and on attack rolls against opponents they cannot see normally.
  At 10th level, whenever a monk is forced to roll for concealment, she rolls three times and chooses the best result: if the monk bypasses concealment on all three rolls, the creature becomes outlined, as if affected by Faerie Fire, for 1 round (only once per round). This is an Extraordinary effect.

• Meditation of War: Followers of this style fight battles in their mind, seeking the correct course of action to land a devastating strike that can end the battle in a single blow. A monk learning the Meditation of War style treats their monk level as five levels higher to determine the DC, number of uses, and extra options when using Stunning Fist.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a +1 bonus to the Stunning Fist DC.
  At 10th level, a creature that succeeds on the saving throw against the use of Stunning Fist by 4 or less is still dazed for 1 round.

• Overwhelming Assault: Followers of this style go in all-out offense, pressing the advantage delivered by a brutal offensive. A monk learning the Overwhelming Assault style gains Power Attack as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a +1 bonus on all Bull Rush and Overrun Combat Maneuvers, and ignores 1 point of hardness when making a Sunder Maneuver, this latter effect stacks with Ki Strike.
  At 10th level, for every point of BAB sacrificed while using the Power Attack feat, the monk deals 2 points of damage instead of 1 when using an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon (regardless of being a light, one-handed or two-handed weapon); furthermore, for the purposes of Power Attack the monk uses their Martial Training BAB.

• Passive Way: Followers of this style of combat fight defensively, preferring counter attacks to be their most devastating technique. A monk learning the Passive Way style gains Combat Expertise as a bonus feat.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a +1 insight bonus on AC when fighting defensively, using the total defense maneuver or the Combat Expertise feat.
  At 10th level, if the monk following this style fights defensively, uses the total defense maneuver or the Combat Expertise feat, any creature that attacks her provokes an attack of opportunity.

• Vicious Grip: Followers of this style of combat prefer to hold their opponents into a grapple, halting their movement and slowly crushing them. A monk learning the Vicious Grip style gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
  At 5th level, and every five levels afterward, the monk gains a +2 bonus on her CMB and CMD for Grapple Maneuvers and damage dealt while grappling.
  At 10th level, the monk is treated as one size larger when performing a Grapple Maneuver (gaining the appropriate bonus on opposed grapple checks), which stacks with any other ability that increases size (such as the enlarge person spell).

At 10th level the monk chooses a second Martial Art, but treat their monk level as 9 less for purposes of gaining level dependent bonuses from it. At 20th level they gain a third Martial Art, but treat their monk level as 19 less for purposes of gaining level dependent bonuses from it.
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Way of the Elements (Ex): At 2nd level the monk begins to perceive some of the secrets that their philosophy holds. Depending on the choice that they made for Philosophy of the Elements they gain bonuses.

• Air: A monk of Air, when attacking with unarmed strikes or special monk weapons, may use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for their Attack Bonus and CMB.

• Earth: A monk of Earth gains adds 1-1/2 their Constitution modifier to their HP and Fortitude save instead of the normal bonus.

• Fire: A monk of Fire, when attacking with unarmed strikes or special monk weapons add 1/2 their Strength modifier to all damage rolls, this bonus is in addition to any other damage, but is not multiplied on a Critical Hit.

• Water: A monk of Water, when attacking with unarmed strikes or special monk weapons, may use their Wisdom modifier instead of their Strength modifier for their Attack Bonus and CMB.

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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.
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Slow Fall (Ex): At 2nd level or higher, a monk learns how to absorb the impact when falling great distances, lessening the damage they take from falling. When first gaining this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. Every level past 2nd increases the distance he can fall without damage by 10 feet, until at 20th level he can fall any distance without taking damage. A helpless monk cannot gain the benefit of this ability.
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Teachings of the Beasts (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk expands their vision of life by emulating the traits of animals. Their studies teach them useful skills as they continue on their path towards perfection.
The monk may choose between one of the following animal-related abilities, and each time they choose an ability they gain the skill bonus. At 6th level and every three levels afterward, the monk may choose the same ability to improve their bonus or choose a new ability. The monk may gain further benefits if they progress through the same path more than once.

• Clever Monkey: The monk gains a +2 bonus on all Climb checks and the trap sense ability as a rogue. Every time they chooses this ability, their bonus to Climb checks increase by 2 and their trap sense bonus increases by 1.

• Devious Predator: The monk gains a +2 bonus to Stealth check. A monk may move up to half their land speed + 5 feet for every time they select this choice and take no penalty.

• Elegant Crane: The monk gains a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. For every time this ability is chosen the monk learns to speak and write a new language of their choice (as if they had spent a rank in Linguistics; once this choice is made, it is permanent and may not be changed).

• Faithful Hound: The monk gains a +2 bonus on all Perception checks. If they choose this ability two times, they gain the Scent ability. If they choose this ability three times they gain the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability, except a rogue must be four levels higher than their monk level plus levels in any other class that grants uncanny dodge.

• Graceful Swan: The monk gains a +2 bonus on all Swim checks. If they select this choice three times they can hold their breath much longer. When holding their breath, the monk adds their Swim score to the check; may make Swim checks instead of Constitution checks after said period, and they may battle underwater without losing rounds of air.
  
• Leaping Dragon: A monk gains a +2 bonus on all Acrobatic checks. If they choose this ability twice they can add this bonus to damage rolls made while charging if they perform an Acrobatics check as part of their movement. If they choose this ability three times or more, when making an Acrobatics check for a high jump, the number of feet they may leap is double the normal amount.

• Patient Tortoise: The monk gains 5 hit points and a +1 bonus on their CMD each time they choose this ability. If they choose this ability twice they improve their natural armor bonus by +1. If they choose this ability three times they improve their natural armor by another +1.

• Sagacious Owl: The monk gains a +2 bonus on two different Knowledge skills. If they choose this ability twice they may use their Wisdom modifier in place of their Intelligence modifier when making Knowledge checks. If they choose this ability three times they gain the lore ability (as the loremaster class ability) except that the bonus is 1/4th of their monk level.

• Tenacious Badger: The monk gains a +2 bonus to their Intimidate checks. If they choose this ability twice they can apply this bonus to their damage rolls when under 50% of their total HP. If they choose this ability three times they can enter a rage (as the barbarian's class feature) for a number of rounds equal to 4 + their Constitution modifier.

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Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, an unarmored and unencumbered monk gains a +10 ft. bonus to their base land speed, and at 6th level and every 3 levels afterwards this boost increases by +10 ft. A monk that follows the way of Air or Water gains a further +10 ft. bonus to base land speed, while a monk that follows the way of Earth has a movement bonus of 10 feet less (and thus instead gains this ability at 6th level). Earth monks may carry a medium or heavy load and can still use this ability.
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Still Mind (Ex): A monk of 3rd level or higher gains half their monk level on saving throws to resist mind-affecting spells and effects. At 15th level the monk also gains immunity to mind-affecting spells and effects.
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Ki Pool (Su): At 4th level, a monk begins to gain control of their own inner energy, or Ki. They can use this Ki to perform a number of supernatural abilities, ranging from sudden bursts of speed and walking on thin air to cleansing their allies and creating a rock hard defense.
They gain a number of Ki points equal to their monk level + their Wisdom bonus (if any). Monks of Air, Earth, or Fire can instead add half of their Dexterity, Constitution, or Strength bonus (if any) if the bonus would be higher.
Ki abilities can only be used if the monk is unarmored and unencumbered, and not carrying a shield. An Earth monk can carry a medium or heavy load without penalty to this ability. Unless otherwise noted all abilities are activated as Swift actions and last for a number of rounds equal to half the monk's level.

• AC Bonus – The monk can spend a Ki point to gain a +4 Dodge bonus to their AC.

• Martial Arts – The monk can spend a Ki point as a free action once per round to make a single extra attack at their highest attack bonus as part of another attack action.

• Fast Movement – The monk can spend a Ki point to move up to their total land speed. A monk of Air also gains concealment, as if affected by a blur spell, for the round when they activate this ability.

• Ki Strike / Magic – When the monk gains the Ki Strike ability the monk may spend two Ki points to further enhance their unarmed strike. Treat as a Greater Magic Fang spell with the monk using their monk level as their caster level.

• Ki Strike / Lawful – When the monk reaches 10th level they can spend two Ki points to grant their unarmed strike the Axiomatic weapon special ability.

• Slow Fall – When the monk gains the Slow Fall ability the monk may spend a Ki point as an immediate action to gain the effect of a feather fall spell.

• Athletic Mastery – When the monk gains the Athletic Mastery ability the monk can spend a Ki point to gain a +20 bonus to their Acrobatics, Climb, or Swim skill for one round.

• Unhindered Stride – At 5th level, a monk may spend a Ki Point to ignore any effects that hamper or impede movement, as if having a freedom of movement spell cast upon themselves, until the next round. At 14th level, the effect lasts instead for a number of rounds equal to half their class level. A monk following the way of Air or Water doubles the duration of this ability.

• Wholeness of Body – When the monk gains the Wholeness of Body ability the monk can spend a Ki point to instantaneously refill their Healing Pool. Any excess points gained this way are immediately used to heal the monk. Earth monks gain an extra point of healing per monk level when using this ability.

• Path of Enlightenment – See Path of Enlightenment ability.

• Resilient Body – When the monk gains the Resilient Body ability they can spend a Ki point to have their elemental resistance increases by 10 points for a number of rounds equal to their class levels for all resistances they have gained from that ability.

• Way Between the Ways – See Way Between the Ways ability.

• Touching the Ripples – When the monk gains the Touching the Ripples ability they can spend a Ki point in order to increase their blindsense and blindsight range by 30 feet each. If the monk does not yet have blindsight they instead gain blindsight to 30 feet.

• Diamond Body – When the monk gains the Diamond Body ability they can spend two Ki points in order to increase their protection by one step. (I.E. From DR 10/Magic and Chaotic to DR 15/Adamantine and Chaotic) Earth Monks at 20th level or higher instead increase their protection to DR 30/Epic and Adamantine

• Abundant Step – When the monk gains the Abundant Step ability they can spend two Ki points to slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, except they use it as a move action and can use any remaining actions afterwards. Their caster level for this effect is one-half their monk level (rounded down). A monk that follows the way of Air instead uses their full monk level for this ability.

• Diamond Soul – When the monk gains the Diamond Soul ability they can spend a Ki point to add their Wisdom modifier to their spell resistance. Air, Earth, and Fire monks use half their Dexterity, Constitution, and Strength instead, respectively.

• The Ways Unite – When the monk gains the Ways Unite ability they can spend three Ki points to gain access to an ability they did not choose to receive at 15th level.

• Timeless Body – When the monk gains the Timeless Body ability they can spend three Ki points as an immediate action to ignore the effects of any spell that affects the passage of time, but only for themselves. For example, a monk that uses this ability may ignore the effects of temporal stasis, and may act as normal while under a time stop spell cast by another.

• Empty Body – When the monk gains the Empty Body ability they can spend two Ki points to assume an ethereal state, as though using the spell etherealness.

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Ki Strike (Su): At 4th level a monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered by Ki. As long as at least one Ki point remains in a monk's Ki pool they gain this benefit. At 4th level attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
At 7th level their unarmed attacks are also treated as Alchemical Silver and Cold Iron for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
At 10th level, their unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
At 13th level, their unarmed attacks are also treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
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Athletic Mastery (Ex): At 5th level, a monk adds half of his monk level to all Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim checks. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics, and can always choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while performing a Climb or Swim check.
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Wholeness of Body (Su): At 6th level or higher, a monk learns how to heal their wounds with the potential of their own bodies. As a standard action the monk can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to their class level times their Wisdom modifier. Monks of Air, Earth, or Fire can instead use half of their Dexterity, Constitution, or Strength bonus (if any), respectively. They may choose to spend all of their points at once or spread it out over several uses, but they refill their healing pool after 8 hours of rest.
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Path to Enlightenment (Su): At 6th level the monk chooses a "Path" to follow. This Path grants their the ability to harness their power to advance their cause. Once a Path is chosen, the decision is permanent and may not be changed.

• Path of Harmony: A monk that chooses this Path exudes an aura of peace that makes it hard for anything to attack them. Treat as a permanent Sanctuary spell-like ability but the DC is 10 + 1/2 the monk's class level + the monk's Wisdom modifier. Air, Earth, or Fire monks can instead use 1/2 of their Dexterity, Constitution, or Strength modifier in place of their Wisdom. If the monk does something that would normally end the effect, it is instead suppressed until combat has ended.
  By spending a Ki point as a standard action, the monk may emit a burst of healing that cures all allies within 30 feet a number of hit points equal to 3d8, plus another d8 for every two class levels after 6th level.

• Path of Dominance: A monk that chooses this path gains a variant of the Frightful Presence ability, with a range of 30 ft. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the monk's class level + the monk's Wisdom modifier. Air, Earth, or Fire monks can instead use 1/2 of their Dexterity, Constitution, or Strength modifier in place of their Wisdom. In addition this ability can affect creatures with up to +2 HD or levels more than the monk.
  By spending a Ki point, whenever the monk makes a successful attack the enemy must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to their frightful presence ability) or become fatigued. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to their class level.

• Path of Equilibrium: A monk that chooses this path is treated as if it were either good or evil for purposes of spells and effects, whichever is more beneficial to the monk at the time.
  By expending a Ki point the monk can attempt a melee touch attack and if it succeeds the target is subjected to a targeted Dispel Magic effect using their monk level as the Caster Level.

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Resilient Body (Su): At 7th level, a monk is capable of using their teachings to stave off the effects of the elements. They gains resistance 5 to the energy type related to their choice of elemental way (Air=electricity, Earth=acid, Water=Cold, Fire=Fire).
At 11th level, their resistance with the energy type related to their elemental way increases to 10, and they gains resistance 5 against all other energy types except sonic.
At 14th level, their resistance with the energy type related to their elemental way increases to 20, and they increase their other three resistances to 10.
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Deadly Weapons (Ex): At 8th level, when using a special monk weapon the monk deals damage with the weapon as if they were using an unarmed strike, but of a monk of their level -3. Additionally when using any thrown weapon their range increment is equal to 50 ft. if it doesn’t have that range increment already; and every 4 levels after the 4th, the range increment increases by 10 ft.
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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.
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The Way Between the Ways (Su): At 9th level, the monk gains a special abilities that they spend Ki to use. The abilities are based on their Elemental Philosophy and their Path to Enlightenment choices. The monk needs only to follow the indicated element and/or the indicated path to use these abilities. All abilities last for a number of rounds equal to half their character level unless otherwise stated. All saving throw DCs are based on saving throw DC of the Stunning Fist feat (10 + 1/2 the monk's class level + the monk's Wisdom modifier and are modified by spells or effects that improve Stunning Fist.

• Aligning the Heavens: All allied casters within 30 feet of the monk gain a +1 Channeling bonus to their caster level. This does not apply to spell-like or supernatural abilities. All allies gain +2 Channeling Bonus to their CMB and CMD. The monk does not benefit from this ability. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Water or the Path of the Equilibrium.

• All-Consuming Flame: As part of a melee attack or when activating the benefit of the Path of Dominance, the monk may force the target to succeed on a Reflex save or catch fire, except the damage increases by 1d6 points of damage for every 3 class levels. This ability works regardless of whether the target can normally catch fire or not. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Fire or the Path of Dominance.

• Dance of the Clouds: All allies within 30 feet of the monk gain concealment, as if they were under the effect of a blur spell. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Air or the Path of the Equilibrium.

• Calming Waves: The monk can grants a lesser restoration spell on all allies within 30 ft (or as part of the healing burst ability of the Path of Harmony). At 14th level the monk can spend two Ki to grant a restoration spell instead. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Water or the Path of Harmony.

• Grasp the Earth Dragon: All allies within 30 feet of the monk gain immunity to daze, stun and sleep. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Earth or the Path of the Equilibrium.

• Lifting the Veil: The monk grants a remove blindness/deafness spell on all allies within 30 ft (or as part of the healing burst ability of the Path of Harmony). To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Air or the Path of Harmony.

• Porous Soul: Then activating the benefit of Path of Dominance, a failed save also causes the target to take a -1 penalty to Armor Class and Fortitude saves for every 3 class levels. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Earth or the Path of Dominance.

• Restoring the Balance: The monk grants a remove curse spell cast by a cleric of their class level on all allies within 30 ft (or as part of the healing burst ability of the Path of Harmony). At 14th level the monk can spend 2 Ki to grant a Break Enchantment spell instead. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Fire or the Path of Harmony.

• Static Charge: When touching an enemy or activating the benefit of Path of Dominance, a failed save also causes the target to take a -1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls, as well as all saves against stun, for every three levels. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Air or the Path of Dominance.

• The Receptive Earth: The monk grants a remove disease and neutralize poison spell on all allies within 30 ft. (or as part of the healing burst ability of the Path of Harmony). To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Earth or the Path of Harmony.

• Fiery Spirit: All allies within 30 feet of the monk gain a +2 bonus on all attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks as if they received the benefit of a the Heroism spell except the bonus is untyped. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Fire or the Path of the Equilibrium.

• Winter's Chill: When touching an enemy or activating the benefit of Path of Dominance, a failed save also causes the target to take a -1 penalty to all damage rolls and Reflex saving throws for every 3 levels. To use this ability, the monk must follow the way of Water or the Path of Dominance.

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Touching the Ripples (Ex): At 10th level, a monk gains the blindsense ability with a radius of 30 ft and sound-based. At 18th level the monk gains permanent blindsight to 30 feet and their blindsense increases by 30 ft. A monk that follows the way of Water can use these abilities regardless of whether they can hear or not, and in a void. A monk that follows the way of Earth also gains tremorsense to the same distance as their blindsense.
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Diamond Body (Ex): At 11th level, a monk’s skin becomes unnaturally resilient. They gain damage reduction 5/Magic or Chaotic. At 15th level it becomes DR 10/ Magic and Chaotic, and at 20th level it becomes DR 15/Adamantine and Chaotic.
An Earth monk instead gains DR 10/ Magic and Chaotic at 11th level. DR 15/Adamantine and Chaotic at 15th level. Finally they receive DR 20/Epic and Chaotic at 20th level.
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Abundant Step (Ex/Su): At 12th level or higher, the monk can move up to half their land speed as a free action once per round. They may not use a 5-foot step in the same round they use this ability. Their movement while using this ability is affected as usual, except they do not provoke an attack of opportunity when moving out of a threatened space. A monk of Air who uses this ability gains concealment for the round, but if they activate their special ability from Fast Movement along with this ability they instead receive total concealment, as if affected by the Displacement spell, for the round. The Total Concealment is a supernatural effect.
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Diamond Soul (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to their current monk level + 10; monks following the way of Water gain spell resistance equal to their current monk level +15 instead. The user can lower or raise their spell resistance as an immediate action.
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The Ways Unite (Su): At 15th level, a monk chooses one of the following abilities that are usable as long as they have at least one Ki point in their Ki pool.

• Way of the Conqueror: The monk while fighting unarmed or with a special monk weapon can choose to resolve a single attack as an appropriate touch attack (Unarmed or wielding a special monk melee weapon for a melee touch attack; a ranged special monk weapon for ranged touch attack). The monk must declare the use of this ability before they make their attack roll

• Way of Denial: The monk ignores immunities to various conditions (such as daze, energy drain, instant death and so on), but the creature holding immunity to such moves gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to 15 - the monk's Wisdom modifier (monks of Earth or Fire use Constitution or Strength, respectively), to a minimum of +0.

• Way of Embodiment: The monk gains the ability to absorb their primary element. Whenever they would receive damage, they instead heal one-third of the damage they would have otherwise taken (thus, the monk that chooses Fire that would normally take 18 points of fire damage would instead heal 6 points). If the monk gains an elemental subtype that matches their primary element, they may ignore any weakness from said subtype (thus, a monk with the fire subtype following the Way of Fire ignores weakness to cold damage).

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Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to their ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that they have already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when their time is up.
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Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with any living creature.
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Empty Body (Su): At 19th level, a monk treats their unarmed strike or special monk weapon as having the Ghost Touch special weapon quality.
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Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. Their creature type changes to Outsider, they gain Darkvision to 60 feet (If they didn't have such already), gain proficiency with all martial weapons, they no longer need to sleep or eat (Although they may if they desire), and they no longer age. Their appearance changes to an idealized form of their original body based upon their personality. For purposes of being raised from the dead the monk is treated as having the Native Subtype. Finally, the monk also gains a special ability based on their choice of philosophy:

• Path of Harmony: Regeneration 5 (Chaotic).

• Path of Dominance: Whenever the monk rolls a natural 20 to threaten or confirm a critical hit, the victim must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk's class level + the monk's Wisdom modifier; monks of Earth or Fire use Constitution or Strength, respectively) or die. Creatures immune to instant death instead take an extra 100 points of damage.

• Path of Equilibrium: The monk is equally healed by positive or negative energy, and is treated as having the most beneficial alignment whenever a spell or effect depends on one. In addition, they are immune to energy drain, but this does not prevent them from losing a level from a Resurrection spell or similar effect.

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Mastery of Ki (Su): At 20th level, a monk’s mastery of Ki reaches a pinnacle. They may reduce the cost of all abilities that require daily uses of their Ki Pool by one, to a minimum of one. In addition, they do not lose their supernatural abilities if their Ki Pool is completely expended.
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Ex-Monks
A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk but retains all monk abilities.

You read the sign posted up over yonder. For whatever reason, whether it be boredom or genuine interest, you've decided to go and investigate what the sign told you. A few minutes of asking around about the subject and you're pointed in the direction of a library; a beautiful creation of white marble and clean bronze that towers over the surrounding buildings. It is obviously a major center of learning in the city.

Going inside, you're met with an absolutely huge room lined wall to wall with books! Shelves three stories high rest against the outer wall of the building, and small shelves make dozens of long rows. Each could easily contain thousands of books. You notice dozens of tables and chairs set up in an area closest to the entrance to the building, directly in front of you. Dedicated scholars hunched over their books take many of the seats, but there is one table that is more a counter, raised up a little higher to gain attention. A woman who is so obviously a librarian sits there, smiling over at you, waiting for you to approach.

Another minute or two asking about the sign earlier, and you're pointed to the edge of the tables, to a lone figure sitting by himself. As you approach you realize he is writing, not reading. As you continue to get closer you note his white hair and black skin, a bit of worry forming in the back of your mind. You get close enough to look at his ears. Pointed. When the Drow sits up to look at you his red eyes are apparent. No, wait. Half-Drow. Your keen senses can tell that he's too heavily built, his pointed ears not sharp enough, his face too kind. He beckons you over, taking in your features and deducing you're here for him. When finally you stand nearby he speaks...

Alright, so my little bit of fun there aside, you should be able to guess what this is here for. I've made a rewrite of the monk class, and I'm looking for reviews, advice, and play-testing by the people here. Now let's be clear. This is a full on rewrite, not a quick fix. It's not even a rewrite that respects existing pathfinder content. It's a complete overhaul that works only for itself, merely being tied to the core pathfinder rule-set. At least that is what it is right now. For it to be something better I need your help. I am not particularly good at balancing a class, and so despite me tinkering with this remake for a while I've hit a point where I don't feel confident in my ability to refine it any further.

What I had tried to do with this remake was to address the problems of the monk in a very direct way.

The primary problem with the monk that most people cite, at least from what I have gathered from reading the forums here, is that they're MAD. Multi-ability-dependent. Essentially this means they need a lot of high scores in order to be effective at what they're supposed. Their special abilities use a different score than what they attack and even what they defend with, meaning that unless you win the dice lotto and roll four eighteens you'll be lacking in some area. This was a major consideration for me, which I attempted to remove via giving them a class feature at 1st level that defines their main stat, and this choice stays true to them all the way through 20 levels.

Another problem was that there wasn't a specific thing the monk was really supposed to dominate at. While they gained a host of abilities that would designate them as martial characters, their d8 HP dice and medium BAB progression made them not the best front line fighters. This goes back to that class feature I gave them at 1st level, as it gives them a semi-specific area of combat to focus in.

Now, the problem that I personally feel is the reason monks are considered low powered is the fact that, unlike EVERY other base class in the book, Monks had little to no choice. Every class gets a great deal of choice when it comes to selecting their class abilities. Barbarians have rage powers, Fighters have their impressive selection of feats to choose from, Rogues have their talents, heck even Paladins can choose their mercies, divine bond, and which spells to prepare. Of course, any caster class gets that huge option, while clerics also get domains, Druids get their Nature bond (and even what wild-shape to assume counts to me), and Bards get to choose which performances to use at any given time.

What do monks get for choices? A VERY limited amount of bonus feats, a very limited amount of Ki powers, and some extra choices when using Stunning Fist, which I am told isn't very good because it has two ways to fail. Either miss your opponent, or have them make their Fort save. Considering monks are a medium BAB class with no way to self buff their attack bonus, one could say this is almost useless in a fight.

So monks lack the kinda of choices that you'd base an entire character on, unlike many of the other classes. They're given their niche, which nobody can agree on what it actually is, and are stuck there. I decided to fix this by giving them choices. Many choices. Perhaps too many choices. You'll all be the judge of that.

One last thing I want you to remember before I present the rewrite. This is a Work In Progress. It is not a finished creation. It is not balanced, it has not been tested, and it certainly shouldn't be taken as anything more than Homebrew. While my goal is to eventually have this be something everyone can agree upon and like, and perhaps even be considered as a resource for Pathfinder 2nd Edition in the future, I know that is very far off, and is going to take a lot of work to get to that point.

So without further ado, my WIP Monk Rewrite...

*twitches in the corner* Did he do it yet? Can I see? Tell meeee...

Seriously, I so want to know how this went.