Here are some of my houserules.
I know much of this has been posted and said. Just wanted to add my 2 cents in.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, scimitar, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with unarmed combat devices/weapons such as the gauntlet, elbow/knee spikes and the toe blade.
Flurry of Blows (Ex):
Change the second paragraph to:
When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with weapons he is proficient in. He may attack with unarmed strikes and weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether he wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a weapon he is proficient in as part of a flurry of blows.
Due to the fast and furious nature of the Flurry of Blows, it it harder to connect with a critical strike. All blows made with weapons, while being strong and deadly have a considerable reduction in their ability to deliver truely devastating blows. If the monk decides to use the Flurry of Blows, then all weapons have a threat range of 20, with a critical damage multiplier of x2. If a weapon has a magical ability to increase it's threat range, or the improved critical feat can be applied, then the threat range increases to 19-20. The damage multiplier is always x2 however.
** Myself, like many have always hated that the monk's special ability is limited to stereotypical "monk" weapons. This allows them to use any weapon they want with flavour, but helps to balance it out with regards to "power weapons" and the use of Flurry. Also, this way if the Monk wishes to spend a feat on a weapon, they can still use that weapon (thinking of Jet Li with a long spear).
Unarmed Strike (this is where I get booed)
I think that a Monk actually does too much DICE damage with a punch. I mean 2d10 - sure you can get 20, but you can also get 2. Average is still only 11 points per hit, and you have to rely on magic to increase this average. I know they aren't fighters, but I'd like a way to balance it more, so they aren't doing more damage than a 2 Handed Axe, but at the same time make Str not as important.
Unarmed damage
1st - 4th 1d6 damage
5th - 10th 1d8 damage
11th - 15th 1d10 damage
16th+ 2d6 damage
To balance this out:
Monk Training (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Monk can select one weapon type to focus in. Whenever he attacks with this weapon, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls.
Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th and 19th) a monk becomes further trained in another weapon. He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using this weapon. In addition, the bonuses granted by previous weapons increase by +1 each. For example, when a Monk reaches 7th level, he recieves a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with one weapon, and a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls with the weapon selected at 3rd level.
For the purposes of this ability, unarmed strikes, and the use of weapons/devices that increase unarmed strike attacks and damages are considered one weapon (unarmed attacks, gauntles, knee/elbow spikes, toe blades).
Iron Skin (EX): Instead of taking the Monk's AC bonus (Wisdom Bonus to AC, the increase every 4 levels), AND the Unarmoured speed bonus, the Monk has been trained to harden his skin and reduce the damage of blows. The monk gains Damage Reduction 2/-. This increases to 3/- at levels 5, 4/- at level 10, and 5/- at level 15.
By spending 1 point from his Ki pool, a monk can increase his DR by 2/- for one round.
Monk Feats: Like the Fighter I have some Monk Only Feats:
Improved Iron Skin
- Requires Monk Level 6, Iron Skin ability.
Increases the Monks Damage Reduction by 1.
Greater Iron Skin
- Requires Monk Level 11, Improved Iron Skin Feat
Increases the Monks Damage Reduction by 1, stacks with Improved Iron Skin.
Willow Step
- Requires Monk AC Bonus (Ex)
Increases the Monks AC by 1 if he is unarmoured and unencumbered. This feat may be taken more than once, it's effects stack. This may be taken as a Monk Bonus Feat.
Otherwise the Monk is pretty much the same.
Skester
