Opinion Wanted: Is a Monk's Belt unbalanced? Specifically for a monk?

[Watcher]

The Monk's Belt seems to generate a lot of questions. I tried doing some searches on a few boards, and usually the discussion is about the benefits that a Monk's Belt confers to the non-monk..

I am adding a Monk to my Runelords game (11th level). With his equipment allowance, he'd like to buy a Monk's Belt. He's concerned about the item being unbalanced.. and at a glance I can see why.

I just wanted to get some opinions on the subject. He'd have to buy it at the price, out of his starting equipment budget.

Thanks in advance!

DMG p. 248
Belt, Monk's: This simple rope belt, when wrapped around a character's waist, confers great ability in unarmed combat. The wearer's AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If donned by a character with the Stunning Fist feat, the belt lets her make one additional stunning attack per day. If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th level monk. The AC bonus funcitons just like the monk's AC bonus.
Moderate transmuation; CL 10th; Craft Wonderous Item, righteous might or Tenser's transformation; Price 13,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

[hogarth]

Unbalanced? Most of the time it gives:

+1 Stunning Fist attempt
+1 AC
+2 unarmed damage (on average, not counting size increases or Improved Natural Attack)

...for 13,000 gp. That doesn't seem unbalanced to me. At some levels it's better (e.g. at level 7, a monk gets +2 AC and +2.5 average damage), but that's hardly earth-shattering either (IMO). I'd much, much rather have a Belt of Giant Strength +4 for almost the same cost.

[Watcher]

hogarth wrote:

Unbalanced? Most of the time it gives:

+1 Stunning Fist attempt
+1 AC
+2 unarmed damage (on average, not counting size increases or Improved Natural Attack)

...for 13,000 gp. That doesn't seem unbalanced to me. At some levels it's better (e.g. at level 7, a monk gets +2 AC and +2.5 average damage), but that's hardly earth-shattering either (IMO). I'd much, much rather have a Belt of Giant Strength +4 for almost the same cost.

I see your point.

It would bump the unarmed damage from 1d10 to 2d8 however.

[hogarth]

Watcher wrote:

It would bump the unarmed damage from 1d10 to 2d8 however.

And next level it will bump the unarmed damage from 2d6 to 2d8. 20% of the time you get a bigger-than-average damage bump (since damage increases every 4 levels and the belt gives you 5 levels).

[Watcher]

hogarth wrote:

And next level it will bump the unarmed damage from 2d6 to 2d8. 20% of the time you get a bigger-than-average damage bump (since damage increases every 4 levels and the belt gives you 5 levels).

I see.. The next time the Player levels without the Belt, they're doing 2d6 anyway... So it looks like a big bump *right now* at 11th level, but not so much in one more character level..

Thanks!

[Luna eladrin]

And do not forget that at that level other characters can probably deal a lot more damage than the monk.

[Kamin_Majere]

The monks belt is fine.

Its just like the monk... a hodge podge of abilities that seem good on paper but never really transfer into what you expect in play.

It is actually priced a bit high in my opinion. 10K for the thing is more than enough. Its useful at some levels, but more often than not its a +1 AC +1/+2 Damage Item. So while nice isnt anything game breaking.

Between the Belt and the Feat that lets you be treated as a monky 4 levels higher (for unarmed strike damage) I cant tell you how many Monk players I've had that thought they rocked until 11th level and then realized they would never really get any better.