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After the excellent rage point's pool and rage powers, we now have the ki pool and ki powers. Superb job, Jason. I took the liberty to rearrange the rules very slightly to provide a bonus at level 1. And I very badly need better names for the previously unnamed 4th level powers.
At 1st level (1), a monk’s gains a pool of ki, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats called ki powers. The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation. A monk’s ki pool is equal to one half his monk level plus his Wisdom modifier. Unless otherwise specified, activating a ki power is a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels.
Ki Strike (Su): The Ki strike power allows the monk to overcome certain types of damage reduction The monk doesn't need to spend points from his ki pool, but he must have at least 1 point in his ki pool to make a ki strike.
* At 1st level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as slashing, piercing or bludgeoning weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. (2)
* At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic 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.
Level 4
* Lightning Strike (Su) (4): For each point spent from his ki pool, (3) a monk can make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack.
* Form of the Cheetah (Su) (4): He can spend 1 point to increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round.
* Form of the Mongoose (Su) (4): A monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Level 5
* High Jump (Su) (4): By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.
Level 7
* Wholeness of Body (Su): A monk can heal his own wounds as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to his monk level by using 2 points from his ki pool.
Level 12
* Abundant Step (Su): A monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action thatconsumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is 1/2 his monk level.
Level 19
* Empty Body (Su): A monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool.
Comments[
(1) and (2) I made the ki pool available at level 1 and introduced a new type of ki strike which allows to overcome damage reduction against slashing, piecing and bludgeoning types of damage. This reduces the monks reliance on weapons and makes him more useful to the party while eliminating the "golf-bag syndrome"
(3) I removed the limit on the number of attacks in a flurry. Considering the low number of ki points, I don't expect the monk to go crazy and spend everything in one attack without a very good reason.
(4) I would love to have suggestions for better names for these abilities.
Thank you, oh thank you, oh thank you!!!
I have been mulling this over for the last couple of days now and was about to post something similar when I stumbled over this post. Your proposal is close to what I was going to, but you added some things, and I like your way much better than what I was thinking of.
I would, however, like to add two more powers.
Elemental damage: 8th level. The monk can add d6 elemental damage, of choice, cold, fire, acid, etc. for a cost of 2 ki points for 1 round.
Holy/Unholy damage: 10th level. The monk can add d6 positive/negative damage for a cost of 2 ki points for 1 round. LG - Holy, LE - Unholy, LN - choice at 1st using, but then it is set.
-- david
Papa.DRB
I was pretty happy with the A3 monk, but these are really good suggestions! Consider me in agreement. (I still wish they got unarmed damage when using monk weapons, though. I hate for them to be required to be unarmed.)
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Thank you, oh thank you, oh thank you!!!
I have been mulling this over for the last couple of days now and was about to post something similar when I stumbled over this post. Your proposal is close to what I was going to, but you added some things, and I like your way much better than what I was thinking of.
I would, however, like to add two more powers.
Elemental damage: 8th level. The monk can add d6 elemental damage, of choice, cold, fire, acid, etc. for a cost of 2 ki points for 1 round.
Holy/Unholy damage: 10th level. The monk can add d6 positive/negative damage for a cost of 2 ki points for 1 round. LG - Holy, LE - Unholy, LN - choice at 1st using, but then it is set.
(blush, blush and re-blush)
I'm glad my tweaking makes sense. :-)
I like the elemental and holy/unholy damage ki powers very much. These round up the monk's versatility and reduce even further the golfbag syndrome.
I'd love to have Knowledge (religion) as a class skill to support flavourwise the holy/unholy damage and I'd let him access that before or after level 10 to avoid granting him lawful (ki strike) and holy damage at the same time.
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I love the tweakings you have made, especially regarding the extra attack from flurry of blows, and I strongly support them. I also like a lot the ideas from Papa-DRB.
I suggest a couple of clarifications/changes:
- unarmed strikes as magic weapons: in the light of the new DR rules, a better specification of "how much magic it is" the monk's unarmed strike, would be useful against confusion and rules-lawyering (even if it sounds obvious). Are they just +1 weapons? Do/Could they get better with level/ki points involved?
- ki points/pool at level 1: slide it to level 2. It is more consistent with the standard progression (half the monk level), and it stresses the fact that 1st level characters are just novices, with limitations. Having right from the start the ability to just ignore DR from weapon types is a bit too much, IMHO.
- positive/negative energy or holy/unholy damage: pump the requirements to 3 ki points. While it is consistent with the class theme and it adds a nice boost to flexibility, it also strains a bit towards superpowers. A character could also choose at 8th level to switch the elemental damage (and its costs) for the positive/negative/holy/unholy energy damage (and the upgraded costs) if his background is more appropriate for a religious order - rather than a nature-attuned one.
Thusly at 8th level a monk can have elemental energy for 2 ki points, and positive/negative energy at 10th level for 3 ki points, OR at 8th level he has positive/negative energy for 2 ki points and elemental damage at 10th level for 3 ki points.
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I love the tweakings you have made, especially regarding the extra attack from flurry of blows, and I strongly support them. I also like a lot the ideas from Papa-DRB.
Cheers!
- unarmed strikes as magic weapons: in the light of the new DR rules, a better specification of "how much magic it is" the monk's unarmed strike, would be useful against confusion and rules-lawyering (even if it sounds obvious). Are they just +1 weapons? Do/Could they get better with level/ki points involved?
When I was looking at the ki pool, I wasn't aware of the re-added DR rules. I'd assume they are just "magic weapons" i.e. +1 and would stop at that. I guess he'll still need to find cold iron and silver weapons to go werepixie hunting. :-)
- ki points/pool at level 1: slide it to level 2. It is more consistent with the standard progression (half the monk level), and it stresses the fact that 1st level characters are just novices, with limitations. Having right from the start the ability to just ignore DR from weapon types is a bit too much, IMHO.
I guess Alpha 3 has the ki pool kick in at level 4, just like spellcasting for rangers and paladins. I still like the ki pool available at level 1, but your remarks made me tone it down and also made me notice that my initial tweak contained an error. An unarmed strike deals already bludgeoning damage.
Looking at the complication brought about by the background requirements (emphasis on nature vs religion) and the holy/unholy weapon cost, I've added holy and unholy as the 20th level ki strike, just when he becomes an outsider.Updated tweaks
At 1st level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as slashing or piercing weapons for the purpose of overcoming the first 2 points of damage reduction.
* At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and as slashing or piercing weapons for the purpose of overcoming the first 5 points of damage reduction.
* At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and as slashing or piercing weapons for the purpose of overcoming the first 10 points of damage reduction.
* At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness. His unarmed attacks are also treated as slashing or piercing weapons for the purpose of overcoming the first 15 points of damage reduction.
* At 20th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as holy weapons if the monk is LG or as unholy if the monk is LE for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. His unarmed attacks are also treated as slashing or piercing weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
[..]
Level 8
Elemental strike (Su): He can spend 2 points to deal 1d6 points of fire, cold, electricity, acid or sonic damage with each successful hit for one round.