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I've thought about it for a while, and I believe that one reason there has been so much controversy over monks is that they are a fill in class. It would be great if they had their own niche. I have played around with the idea for some time, and in my House Rules, monks are given the position of "Stun-Gun." There are many archetypes, and the monk fits partially into many. Why not give it its own? This is one version I've been working on for a while, and I think the ideas here have some merit. There are still fixes to be made. Stunning fist would need to affect more creature types for example.
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Monk
Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Special Strike, Fighting Style I, Stunning Fist, Unarmed Strike
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Fighting Style II, Evasion
3rd +2 +3 +3 +3 Intuitive Melee OR Intuitive Ranged
4th +3 +4 +4 +4 Soul Strike (+1), Slow Fall OR Speed Climb
5th +3 +4 +4 +4 Stun Feat, Still Mind
6th +4 +5 +5 +5 Fighting Style III
7th +5 +5 +5 +5 Stun Feat, Purity of Body
8th +6 +6 +6 +6
9th +6 +6 +6 +6 Stun Feat, Improved Evasion
10th +7 +7 +7 +7 Soul Strike (+3, Lawful)
11th +8 +7 +7 +7 Stun Feat
12th +9 +8 +8 +8 Abundant Step
13th +9 +8 +8 +8 Stun Feat, Diamond Soul
14th +10 +9 +9 +9
15th +11 +9 +9 +9 Stun Feat, Quivering Palm
16th +12 +10 +10 +10 Soul Strike (+5, Lawful, Adamantine)
17th +12 +10 +10 +10 Stun Feat, Timeless Body
18th +13 +11 +11 +11
19th +14 +11 +11 +11 Stun Feat, Empty Body
20th +15 +12 +12 +12 Perfect SelfWeapon and Armor Proficiencies
Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light, heavy), dagger (punching)*, gauntlets* (using standard gauntlet damage), handaxe, javelin, kama*, quarterstaff*, shuriken*, siangham*, sickle*, and sling. She may use weapons marked with an asterisk (*) as part or whole of a Flurry of Blows. The monk is proficient with light armor, however when wearing any heavier armor or shields, she loses many of her abilities. When wearing armor heavier than light or carrying a medium or heavy load, the monk loses her AC bonus, Fast Movement, and Special Strike.AC Bonus (Ex)
When unencumbered and not wearing heavier than light armor, the monk may add her wisdom bonus to AC. This bonus applies even against touch attacks and when the monk is flat-footed. The bonus does not apply when the monk is immobilized or helpless, carrying a medium or heavy load, wearing heavier than light armor, or when she carries a shield.Improved Speed (Ex)
Monks retain the same speed progression as in the PHB.Special Strike
At first level, the monk learns to perform either a Flurry of Blows (PHB) or a Decisive Strike (PHBII). If Flurry of Blows is chosen, the ability improves to Greater Flurry at level 11 (PHB). The ability also improves at level 8 to allow the monk to perform the first two attacks in a flurry as pert of a charge instead of only a single attack. At level 3, Flurry of Blows improves to negate the standard limit of one Stunning Fist attempt per round. The monk may make as many attempts as she desires, within her limit of uses, in a round. Thus, a level 15 monk with eight Stunning Fist attempts remaining may perform five attempts (the number of attacks she may perform in her flurry). The following round, the monk may only perform three attempts even though she may make five attacks. The standard Stunning Fist limitation is lifted only when performing a Flurry of Blows or a Partial Flurry of Blows.Fighting Style
The variant in the Unearthed Arcana that affects levels 1, 2, and 6.Stunning Fist
The monk receives Stunning Fist as the feat at first level. The DC to save against any stunning fist attempts increases by one for every two attempts the monk retains, to a maximum of +5. For example, if a monk has 7 stun attempts remaining and attempts a stunning attack, her total attempts in reserve fall to 6 and she receives a +3 to the DC of the attempted stun. A monk may also attempt to regain stun attempts by making a Soul Check (1d20 + Wisdom Modifier + Monk Level) against a DC equal to 10 + the number of stuns left to regain. For example, if the monk's normal maximum number of stuns in reserve is 7, and she only has 3 attempts remaining, the DC to regain one stun would be 14. The monk may make as many attempts to regain her stunning fists per day, however, each check requires one minute of meditation.Unarmed Strike
The monk retains the same unarmed damage progression as in the PHB.Evasion (Ex)
This grows to Improved Evasion at level 9.Intuitive Melee OR Intuitive Ranged
The monk may chose to apply his wisdom to melee attack instead of strength, OR the monk may add wisdom to ranged attacks instead of dexterity.Soul Strike (Su)
A monk’s unarmed strike progress as listed for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. At level 16, the monks unarmed strikes are treated as adamantine for the purposes of overcoming hardness as well as overcoming damage reduction.Slow Fall OR Speed Climb (Ex)
The monk may choose to learn either Slow Fall as in the PHB or Speed Climb as per the Ninja in Complete Series. Both have the standard progression as listed in their appropriate source.Stun Feat
At 5th level and every second level there after, to level 19, the monk may select a feat from the following list: Eagle Claw, Fists of Iron, Freezing the Life Blood (Must have two already), Pain Touch, Weakening Touch, Extra Stunning, Axiomatic Strike, Increase Max DC Bonus by 1, Distant Touch (Must already have Pain Touch and two others), Falling Star Strike, Hickory Punch (Link punch damage into one damage for purposes of damage reduction calculation – Costs one stun attempt for each linked attack).Still Mind (Ex)
The monk gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells of the enchantment school.Purity of Body (Ex)
The monk gains immunity to all diseases, except for supernatural and magical ones. The monk also gains immunity to all poisons.Abundant Step (Su)
The monk can slip between spaces as if using the dimension door spell. Her caster level for this effect is one half her monk level. This ability has no limit on the number of attempts per day; however to use it, the monk must expend 4 stun attempts.Diamond Soul (Su)
The monk receives a spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10. The monk receives a bonus +1 to her SR for every 5 stun attempts she has in reserve. This bonus has a maximum of +5.Quivering Palm (Su)
The monk must declare her attempt by expending 7 stun attempts. If the monk strikes successfully, and the target takes damage, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the monk may attempt to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to her monk level. The monk wills the target to die (free action), and if the target fails a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 monk’s level + wisdom modifier) it dies. For every 5 stun attempts the monk has in reserve, the DC for the save increases by +1, to a maximum of +3. If the save is successful, the target is no longer susceptible to that particular quivering palm attack, but it may be targeted in the future. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this attack.Timeless Body (Ex)
The monk no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties she already has taken remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when her time is up.Empty Body (Su)
The monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state, at the expense of two stun attempts, as though using the spell etherealness. The monk must expend one stunning fist attempt at the end of her turn each additional round she wishes to remain ethereal.Perfect Self
The monk becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as an outsider for the purposes of spells and magical effects. The monk also gains damage reduction 10/+5 and Chaotic. Unlike other outsides, the monk may be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is long and thick, but if it helps the Pathfinder RPG at all, I'll be very happy. I am really looking forward to this RPG. I love what I've seen already.
TwinSteel
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You're right, Monks do fit several archetypes. But I don't regard them as a "fill in" class. Monks are my preferred class.
Neither have I ever considered the "stun-gun" role for my Monks - none of my Monks have ever used Stunning Fist!
Not that I don't see merit in your efforts, but as with other classes, I think Monks can follow different paths.
Other roles I see Monks fulfilling include:
- Combat movement specialist - fast movement, jump, tumble, avoiding AOOs, abundant step, limited teleport (su);
- Pacifist - diplomacy, non-lethal combat, avoiding confrontations (high saves, evasion, deflect arrows);
- Martial artist - unique weaponry, training and maneauvres, maybe some Wuxia flavour
I'd like to see different paths developed for Monks with these other clearly defined roles.
Pacifist - diplomacy, non-lethal combat, avoiding confrontations (high saves, evasion, deflect arrows);
We're moving to the opposite direction with Pathfinder. Diplomacy was removed from monk class skills.
Martial artist - unique weaponry, training and maneauvres, maybe some Wuxia flavour
Fighters were always better martial artists than monks. Also, we're moving to the opposite direction with Pathfinder. Fighters now have (monk) weapon training as a class feature.
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Pacifist - diplomacy, non-lethal combat, avoiding confrontations (high saves, evasion, deflect arrows);We're moving to the opposite direction with Pathfinder. Diplomacy was removed from monk class skills.
I hadn't noticed that. What was the justification for it? This seems the Monk is *losing* some of his niche :-( Pacifism was a large roleplaying appeal for my Monks, inspired by their ability to deal non-lethal damage, and Diplomacy certainly plays a role in Pacifism.
Martial artist - unique weaponry, training and maneauvres, maybe some Wuxia flavourFighters were always better martial artists than monks. Also, we're moving to the opposite direction with Pathfinder. Fighters now have (monk) weapon training as a class feature.
I dunno. I still think the Monk could do with access to a Wuxia style feat tree and/or class abilities via his Ki pool. Not every Monk would want or take them, but they'd be available for Monks who wish to develop in that direction. Like doing crazy things with Jump/Tumble/Flurry/weapon training etc.
Or maybe just save the Wuxia stuff for the Oriental sourcebook :-)
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I see what you're looking for in a monk.
# Combat movement specialist - fast movement, jump, tumble, avoiding AOOs, abundant step, limited teleport (su);
# Pacifist - diplomacy, non-lethal combat, avoiding confrontations (high saves, evasion, deflect arrows);
# Martial artist - unique weaponry, training and maneauvres, maybe some Wuxia flavour
I see all of these as totally compatible with Stunning Fist. It's not a trade off, both parts are improved by the combination.
Combat Movement allows the monk to approach enemies quickly and efficiently. Once in range, they can disable the enemy and allow the other members of the team to close the distance and participate in the brawl.
Stunning an opponent and capturing him is a great option when deadly force isn't desired.
Martial Arts are the origin for most aspects of the monk. Stunning Fist is no exception. Martial arts, especially unarmed styles, would benefit form the ability.
Monks benefit greatly from Stunning Fist, but the aren't the only ones. The entire party benefits from a member that can quickly and effectively disable an opponent. It is for these reasons that I believe such refocusing of the class would benefit the party, the player, and the game.
TwinSteel