Kung-Fu Joe's page

A monk and a fighter in full plate have the same AC eventually (Fighter in full plate +6, +3 Proficiency, the Monk +6 Dex, +3 Proficiency), but how do Monks keep up with armour potency runes?

Bracers of Armor, I'd think.

Problem with MC Fighter as Paladin is the Dedicaiton does practically nothing.

The Dedication doesn't really help most of the martial classes. A Monk who MC's Fighter isn't likely to wield most of the weapons or any of the armor that the Dedication opens up to him. A Rogue doesn't really gain much from the Dedication, either, except maybe access to the Main-Gauche, which could be interesting. Barbarian's don't benefit much from the Dedication, either.

The Dedication is a feat tax which opens up great martial options for other classes. Arguably, great enough that it's well worth taking for quite a number of build concepts.

EDIT: Honestly, if the Dedication was more useful (say, granting the Attack of Opportunity class feature instead of Fighter Proficiencies) then I think it would be a no-brainer for pretty much EVERY martial class to MC Fighter.

We were looking at ways to increase damage by way of class features, and you simply can't do anything until level 14.

...or you could Multiclass Fighter to pick up Double Slice and other useful martial feats.

Seriously, it's starting to look like Multiclass Fighter is ANYONE'S best option if they want to play a martial style character. Unless they are already playing a Fighter.

Flying Kick (empirically worse than Sudden Charge, by a disgusting margin)

Honestly, multiclassing Fighter seems eminently better than playing within one's class options in a number of cases.

A Monk might want to multiclass Fighter for access to Double Slice and Sudden Charge. With DS on the front-end, FoB gets much better; and as you mentioned, Sudden Charge is just objectively better than Flying Kick.

A Rogue might multiclass Fighter for Double Slice and Crushing Grab. Double Slicing with Sneak Attack is a beautiful thing, and Crushing Grab is just objectively better than Unbalancing Blow or simply relying on Feint. Sudden Charge is an obviously fantastic option for Rogues, as well, considering their Surprise Attack feature.

A Barbarian might Multiclass Fighter for Double Slice, which is objectively better than Swipe.

Et cetera, et cetera...

I think the big question should be whether to boost these similar-but-inferior feats for other classes, or whether to nerf the similar-but-superior feats for Fighters. Otherwise, I'm expecting we're gonna see a looooooot of Fighter-multiclassing in Playtest.

Not sure if it was mentioned, already, but...

pg 60, under the Sensei's Mystic Wisdom:
"This ability replaces the bonus feats at 6th, 12th, and 18th level."

Monks do not get a bonus feat at 12th level. Should be either 10th or 14th, instead.

For the Falconer archetype-- there is no mention of the Effective Druid Level in the Feathered Companion class feature. While one might take this to mean that druid level is equal to ranger level, what happens when the Ranger turns level 4 and acquires Hunter's Bond?

I can see three situations being equally likely.

1) The Ranger's effective druid level remains equal to ranger level, and the bird gets full HP. (which is, I'm sure, the preferable option for those of us desiring to play a Falconer).

2) The Ranger's effective druid level becomes ranger level -3, as per Hunter's Bond. Or, perhaps, the Ranger's EDL is always ranger level -3, with a minimum of 1. At Ranger-level 4, the bird gets full HP for its current hit dice, but does not improve until the Ranger's EDL rises beyond what the bird currently requires. (Seems possible, but having 3 levels of an animal companion which doesn't improve seems a bit bogus).

3) The Ranger's EDL starts equal to Ranger level, but drops when the Ranger gets Hunter's Bond, at which point the bird gets full HP but regresses its BAB, Saves, etc. to the EDL 1 level. (This would be pretty awful.)

IMO there is no reason to make new classes to the extent that paizo has gone. Honestly, you want to make a samurai, make a fighter give him a katana and some cool looking eastern armor and take feats and traits that compliment the class or take a rogue and take exotic weapons proficencies and stealthy feats and call him a ninja? If paizo was really interested in allowing people to customize thier characters why not expand the feats, traits, equipment, archetypes ect... to define who thier characters are instead of handing out a book that gives everyone the same cookie cutter experience of being a samurai or a ninja or a gunslinger and limiting the imagination of the player. IMO making more classes doesnt allow your character to become any more unique, all it serves is to water down the class selection and hamper the average player's ability to customize thier character and make them unique.

anyway thats mostly the reason why I stick to the core classes. All I am looking for is something in society play that was there before and is not now (rules for posions in society play).

I don't quite understand your complaint.

Ultimate Combat DOES expand the feats, traits, equipment, and archetypes available-- rather considerably, as I understand it-- as well as adding an entirely new base class, and two new alternate classes. The claim of a "cookie cutter" experience for a Samurai, Ninja, or Gunslinger doesn't hold water, either, as these classes all receive a number of archetypes, as well. Sure, a fighter or cavalier could make for a passable samurai. But how would an archetype for a Samurai have been any better than the alternate class we received?

I really don't understand how having less options would make things more unique.