Like specialist wizards, ranger class-chosen fighting styles (2 handed or ranged), and sorceror heritage choices, can we add a feature that lets monks and fighters choose what their "style focus" is in?
Instead of just choosing alternate bonus feats like improved grapple instead of deflect arrows, can we see something more akin to what was in other 3.5 supplements like quntessential monk, only with more impact on character advancement?
Monks who, for example, focus more on combat could get their damage dice increased earlier, and their speed improvements later (pugilist-like from QM), or they could "delay" certain other class abilities like the "poison/mind affecting spell" resistance.
Also, I would like to see some "martial art style" effects that accumilate when the monk has mastered a certain feat combination or feat tree. The "masteries" from other 3.5 supplements were a really good idea. "Empty hand mastery" was the most useful for a fighting monk, but the "mighty works mastery I and II" could have been changed to make combat maneuvers more effective, a solid choice for a grappling-oriented monk. The DM may require that the monk PC's seek out masters of certain fighting styles and complete training quests or a period of testing before the "style mastery" bonuses kick in. ;)
I'd also like to see some creative write-ups from imaginative players about how "animal styles" like the tiger, crane, and praying mantis would work out. There's a lot of kung-fu themed fantasy that would make the "specialist monk" a very interesting character, and almost every pc monk would have some unique traits. All 16th-level monks would reflect different martial and training philosophies. Some schools could be alignment-specific, for example the Snake Style favors Lawful Evil characters, the while the Iron Hand school is open to all.
Weapon focus and specialization feats could be available as bonus feats for a "punchy" or "wrestler" themed monk, while ki pool powers and supernatural abiliteis would be more limited or come at later levels for a more "physical" kind of monk. Also, there was a set of 3.5 feats that allowed monks to choose a martial weapon from a certain list (I think it was long spear, longsword, and one other) that they could flurry with.
Fighters with style masteries could get some effects like Supreme Cleave, Supreme Power Attack, and a significant bonus to Sunder attacks with "Two handed fighting feats." (previously those feats were part of the Frenzied Berserker prestige class, but I feel like giving single class fighters a "Frenzy" class infringes upon the Barbarian's domain, you know? Fighters' powers come from discipline and focus, barbarians more from primal fury... the yin and yang of combat, in a way). The Frenzied Berserker class feats should be something to aim for as a two handed fighter, since they epitomize the "juggernaut" type of combatant that one would expect from a two-handed fighter.
Fighters who specialize in two-weapon fighting could get some perks reducing off-hand penalties to 0 before other characters like rogues or rangers would, or granting earlier access to the "greater" and "improved" feats, or automatically allowing fighters to wield weapons of the same size in either hand as if the off-hand weapon were light, or allowing fighters their full strength bonus with both primary and off-hand attacks.
Fighters who specialize in weapon-and-shield combat could get bonus dr, extra ac from shields, armed deflection for free, and some other perks.
Fighters could choose "single weapon style" and get a higher dodge bonus to ac, and a free disarm or trip attempt if their opponent misses them in combat (nothing in the offhand allows for a greater opportunity to combine weapon attacks and maneuvers with the free hand).
A style mastery could be chosen at the same time that "weapon training" bonus groups are chosen; he can train further in one weapon group, and pick a fighting style specialty.
I would like to hear some players' ideas on feat-synergy and style-specific bonus packages for monks and fighters. Anyone have ideas?