Hap Hazard's page

Am I correct in assuming that you can't apply a meta magic feat to a domain slot if it's a spell that's not on your spell list normally?

e.g. A cleric with the Fire domain can't extend his domain slot for Heat Metal?

Hap

What do you think about this...

Elven Monk 16/Duelist 4

Very easy to get the pre-reqs into Duelist.
Serious combat maneuver monks have a 13 int anyway so a high int shouldn't be an issue.

Duelist abilities are highly synergistic with monk requirements.
Canny Defence (+4 AC)
Improved Reaction (+2 Init)
Improved Mobility (+4 AC v's AoO)
Parry (Nice in certain situations and you have lots of attacks anyway when you flurry)
Combat Reflexes
Grace (+2 Reflex saves)

and here's the really interesting bit. You can use a Siagham, flurry and precise strike as it's a piercing weapon light weapon and, given you're a monk, you won't be attacking with your other hand but a foot, elbow etc.

Cheeky as hell but I think it would work.... :)

Hap

I'm playing around with a Ftr/Monk build (to be posted shortly).

If a character has monk levels AND the TWF feats can they make their off-hand atacks with legs, head, elbows etc (as they're a monk) or does TWF specifically tie a character to the use of the off-hand weapon slot (i.e. the hand or what's in it) for the off-hand attack?

Hap

I'm starting a monk in Pathfinder and, as always, am looking for a slightly different approach. I like the idea of having the character have flexibility without using lots of feats whilst maximizing the potential of the basics (damage, lots of hits, mobility).

The rest of the party includes a fighter, rogue, wizard, bard and druid. Not all are present every time we play.

It's a 15 point buy...

Human Monk
Str 18
Dex 14
Con 13
Int 7
Wis 14
Chr 7

Feat Progression

1 Toughness
1 Weapon Proficiency: Guisarm
1 Improved Grapple
2 Combat Reflexes
3 Power Attack
5 Cleave
6 Improved Disarm
7 Great Cleave
9 Lunge
10 Medusa's Wrath
11 Improved Critical
13 Weapon Focus: Unarmed
14 Spring Attack
15 Improved Sunder
17 Critical Focus
18 Improved Bull Rush
19 Staggering Critical

I want to be able to trip, disarm, grapple and sunder (in particular) but I didn't want to compromise on Strength, nor spend too many feats on improved xxx so i could add some other interesting feats to the character.

The basic principle here is using the Guisarm to attack from range to avoid AoO until Lung kicks in and I can use Flurry with a 10ft reach. Eventually the character takes Improved Sunder as unarmed damage and adamantine fists is very nice for sundering.

The biggest issue here is AC (I can just about live with the puny skill allocation), especially when cleaving or lunging but I intend to use the fighter and later the druid as protection wherever possible :)
His damage output should be pretty impressive and even without the Improved feats he should have a good chance of most combat manoeuvres working. Great Cleave is going to make me a target at times but the combination of a reach weapon and unarmed attacks should give me some protection with AoO as enemies move in.

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (in which case simply direct me to the thread please) but is there clarification anywhere on whether using lunge to make combat maneuvers means your target doesn't get an AoO if they don't have reach?

E.g. I have lunge but not improved trip and attempt a trip against an enemy 10 ft away....

Ta

Hap

I've been looking at creating a monk like melee combatant using more traditional melee class lvls such as Fighter and Ranger.

One of the things I've noticed is that, really, unless you want to pursue the Greater version of the feats there's not a lot of point taking the improved feats if you use a reach weapon (and quick draw).

At reach your opponent can't strike you with an AoO and you can drop the weapon to avoiding screwing up.

An added benefit to this in a points buy campaign is that you don't have to 'waste' points on Int.

Hap

I'm starting a monk and am looking at the pros/cons of the combat meneveurs and their respective feat trees. For the moment lets forget stats (I was considering a low int which would preclude the top tier of the combat-expertise sub feats).

Bull Rush

I like the idea of this CM but it's pretty situational and there seem better choices.

Disarm

Pretty powerful for a monk as you have a decent chance of taking your opponents weapon and at the very least they'll provoke an AoO if/when they pick it up.

Grapple

A great way of taking one creature (like a spellcaster) out of the combat but potentially not the fastest way to take down an opponent and you're more vulnerable to other attacks made against you.

Overrun

More or less redundent with Acrobatics?

Sunder

I actually really like this. At low levels it's going to be tricky to make it work against heavy armour or metal weapons but it will still be effective against wooden shields, leather/hide armour and wooden-hafted weapons. At higher levels it seems peretly feasible to be able to destroy/break even metal armour and, with Greater Sunder, carry over some damage to your oppponent too.

Trip

Good for keeping your opponent to one attack a round and for that AoO when they get up (if they get up). Greater Trip adds that little bit more with an AoO as they go down. Do you really need the Greater version of the feat however?

Feint

Going to be hard to make this work effetively with a Monk I think. Better options elsewhere.

Hap

I'm about to start playing a Monk at 1st level in a new Pathfinder campaign. I've been deliberating over starting stats for a while now, see-sawing between a complete min-max (whatever that means for a Monk) and a more even spread.

Here's where I've got to;

Human Monk Lvl 1

Str 13
Dex 18
Con 14
Int 7
Wis 14
Chr 7

Feats: Agile Maneuvers, Improved Grapple, Weapon Finesse, (Combat Reflexes at 2nd, Power Attack at 3rd).

Skills: Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth

A few thoughts...

Being Human

Lots of debate here but I still think the best choice for a Monk since 1/2 orcs changed from Beta. I like the idea of a Dwarf Monk and you get an intereting stat-array with 15 points but I wanted an 18 dex and that isn't easy with a dwarf.

Dex-based

I can never quite get my head around the str-based approach. In theory it looks appealing but you just give up too much focused on str rather than dex when it's only 1 feat for weapon finesse.

Other stat blocks

The main alternative is 13, 18, 10, 7, 16, 7 for the extra point of wis and subsequent +1 DC for Stunning fist etc. The 'min-max' approach by the way was 10,20,11,7,14,7 which is great for landing a punch but lacking in most other areaa, especially damage.

Haphazard