Proud Grognard |
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Greetings dear co-forumites,
I am not a monk savant by any stretch of imagination. I know that there have been a billion threads about the (non)usefulness of monks. I also know that there have been very sophisticated and complex fixes on the class.
For myself, however, I am a fan of simple fixes, even if they miss some of the finer points. Thus, I would like to propose some specific alterations to the class to make it more easy to compete, power-level-wise, and I would like your opinion on that.
As far as I can see, monks have two main problems (notice, I said main, not only): They have terrible MAD and their abilities tend not to synergize all that well. The following proposal wants to address this and also rectify the fact that monks seem to get irrelevant abilities at high levels. The main changes are:
1) Flurry of blows is a standard action
2) The calculate AB and damage with Dex and Wis.
3) The ki pool does more things
4) Bonus feat have been expanded and moved to appropriate levels.
5) Abilities have been tweaked a bit.
This makes the monk the maneuver master in all levels, and also the guy that hits you fast and hard and then moves away. He is also the guy (or gal) who is really tough to pin and grapple.
This also means that most archetypes need a bit of tweaking, but not much.
How do you think it fares?
New proposal
Whenever no explanation is given, it is assumed that the ability stays the same. I also wrote the following in short format, with the assumption that the reader has some familiarity with the system.
Skills, Skill points, WPs, HD, Saves : The same
1st) Zen combat, martial arts training, bonus feat, flurry of blows, stunning fist, Unarmed Attack Damage (UAD) 1d6
2nd) Bonus feat, evasion, (UAD)1d6
3rd) Fast movement +10ft, still mind, (UAD)1d6
4th) Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft., (UAD)1d8, AC +1
5th) Zen acrobatics, purity of body, (UAD) 1d8
6th) Bonus feat, slow fall 30 ft., fast movement +20 ft., (UAD)1d8
7th) Wholeness of body, (UAD)1d8
8th) Improved blind fight, Slow fall 40 ft., (UAD)1d10, AC+2
9th) Improved evasion, Fast movement +30 ft, (UAD)1d10
10th)Bonus feat, slow fall 50 ft, (UAD)1d10
11th)Diamond soul,(UAD)1d10
12th)Abundant step, slow fall 60 ft., Fast movement +40 ft, AC+3, (UAD) 2d6
13th)Elemental fist, (UAD) 2d6
14th)Bonus feat, slow fall 70 ft. (UAD) 2d6
15th) Quivering palm, Fast movement+50 ft, (UAD) 2d6
16th)Ki pool (adamantine), slow fall 80 ft., AC +4, (UAD) 2d6
17th)Timeless body, Greater blind fight, (UAD) 2d8
18th)Bonus feat, slow fall 90 ft., Fast movement+60 ft, (UAD) 2d8,
19th)Empty body, (UAD) 2d8
20th)Perfect self, slow fall any distance, AC +5, (UAD) 2d10
Zen Combat (Ex)
The monk is trained to use his opponent's force against him and to act at the exact appropriate time necessary. The monk uses his Dex mod instead of his Str mod to calculate his AB and his Wis mod instead of his Str mod to calculate damage, for all monk weapons, unarmed combat (including flurry of blows) and CMB.
Martial arts training (Ex)
Due to intensive training, the monk 's BAB is equal to a fighter 's, for the purpose of calculating his CMB and his flurry of blows AB only.
Flurry of blows (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a standard action. When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon. Both attacks take a -2 penalty to hit. As said earlier, for the purpose of these attacks, the monk's 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. Flurry of blows can be also used in any case that a single attack is specified in a feat or ability 's description (Spring Attack etc) and for the maneuvers disarm, sunder and trip.
At 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows. The first two attacks are at-2 penalty and the third at -7.
At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows. The first two attacks are at-2 penalty, the third at -7 and the fourth at -10.
A monk applies his full Wis bonus (see Zen Combat) to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.
Bonus feats (Ex)
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list:
Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Drag, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Improved Reposition, Improved Sunder, Scorpion Style, Mobility, Stand Still and Throw Anything.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Gorgon's Fist, Greater Disarm, Greater Drag, Greater Feint, Greater Grapple, Greater Reposition, Greater Sunder, Greater Trip, Sidestep, Spring Attack, Combat Patrol, Landing Roll, Passing Trick, Steady engagement.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Improved Critical, Medusa's Wrath, Snatch Arrows, Improved sidestep, Whirlwind attack.
At 14th level, the following are added: Cockatrice strike .
For the purpose of qualifying for feats, the monk is considered to have all prerequisite feats of the bonus feat he chooses.
Slow fall (Ex)
At 4th level or higher, a monk takes damage from a fall as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is (notice the absence of walls here!). The monk's ability improves with his monk level until, at 20th level, he can fall from any distance without harm.
Ki pool (Su)
At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 1/2 his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. Ki strike improves with the character's monk level.
At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. His hands and feet can also be enchanted as weapons. This usually takes the form of magical tattoos.
At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as cold iron and silver weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can do one of the following:
Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack.
Increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round.
Give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Add his Wis mod to his SR, if he has any.
Add +2 to any skill roll that is based on Dex, Str or Con, for a minute.
Forfeit any of his extra attacks to do an extra die of damage in one of his main attacks, as if using the Vital Strike feat, for one minute. For anyone attack he forfeits, he adds one die to one of his main attacks (not all of them).
Add 1 plus 1 for every five levels he has, to his attack and damage rolls for a minute. (5th level)
Add +2 to his CMB for 1 round per level. (6th level)
Add +2 to his AC for 1 round per level. (7th level)
By spending 2 point from his ki pool, a monk can do one of the following
Make an additional Stunning Fist attack (5th level)
Change the saving throw needed to resist his Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm attacks from Fort to Will. (9th level)
Make an additional Quivering Palm attack. (15th level)
Make an additional Elemental Fist attack. (13th level)
Add his level to all his attack rolls for the next round. ( 8th level)
Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Zen acrobatics (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks (not only jumps). In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks for 1 round.
Wholeness of Body (Su)
At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice his monk level by using 2 points from his ki pool. Also, if he spends a whole day meditating and if he has at least one ki point, he or she doubles the recovery rate of hit points and ability damage.
The monk also gains immunity to all poisons.
(This has been merged with Diamond Body and expanded a bit)
Diamond Soul (Ex)
At 11th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance. The monk can lower his SR as an immediate action.
Elemental fist (Su)
At 13 level, a monk picks one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. The monk must declare that he is using this feat before he makes the attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). He may attempt an Elemental Fist attack once per day for every four levels he has attained , and no more than once per round.
Special: A monk who had picked Elemental Fist as a feat earlier, can attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk. In that case, at level 13, the damage of Elemental Fist becomes 2d6.
Quivering Palm (Su)
Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day plus once more per day at levels 16th, 18th and 20th. He must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk's level + the monk's Wis modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. A monk can 1 quivering palm in effect at levels 16th, 18th and 20th.