Monk - now good at what he's supposed to be good at.

[KaeYoss]

I'm playing a monk in a campaign at the moment, and have come to the conclusion that the monk still doesn't work as it should.

While I must agree that it's been made worse by a strong focus on undead enemies (90% or so of the fights are against undead) which negates the use of stunning fist and scorpion style feats, this also shows that the monk is the new rogue - while rogues can now work equally well against most enemies, the monk gets a big hit if he's faced with undead.

The monk should be really good (i.e. about as good as a focussed fighter) when it comes to combat manoeuvres, but this is just not the case! If they want to go all the way with several combat manoeuvres, they need to invest in intelligence and take combat expertise before they can get Greater (Combat Manoeuvre such as Trip). Since 2/3 of the Manoeuvres that work with a flurry are Combat Expertise based, this hurts especially (and generally limits your choices).

And this "the monk has medium BAB, but counts as full BAB for some things" is complicated and problematic, since you're screwed if you have to move and attack (or use feats like scorpion style) - which goes against the attempts to make the game more mobile.

So therefore I shall attempt to make the monk work not only as an acrobat, but also as a martial artist.

The actual changes follow in the next post.

[KaeYoss]

General Class changes:

HD: Monks get d10

BAB: Monks get full BAB.

Proficiencies:

When wearing armour (and so on)...., add The monk takes a penalty to attack rolls, CMB and CMD equal to half his level (rounded up).

Flurry of Blows:

Flurry of blows works with unarmed strikes, the weapons that are on the list of weapons the monk class is proficient with, as well as any other special monk weapon (temple sword comes to mind)

As before, all attacks use the full strength bonus (no more, no less) for damage, but this also explicitly applies to power attack

The ability explicitly grants a number of bonus feats. You don't need to meet the prerequisites, but you can only use those feats (and any feats you get via normal feat slots that use one of these feats as a prerequisites, as usual) with flurry of blows (i.e. with eligible weapons)

Feats: 1st level: Two-Weapon Fighting, Double Slice (it more or less was there, anyways, why not let them use it to qualify for more feats?); 6th level: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting; 11th level: Greater Two-Weapon Fighting.

Bonus Feat:
The following feats are added to the bonus feat list:

1st: Agile Manoeuvres, Combat Expertise

6th: Greater Grapple

10th: Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, Greater Trip.

Combat Insight (Ex) - New ability, granted at 1st level
A monk can use Wisdom in place of Intelligence to qualify for Combat Feats. (Combat Expertise and follow-ups)

Manoeuvre Training
Since monks now get full BAB, this works differntly now:
Monks may add their Wisdom bonus instead of their Strength bonus to CMB.

High Jump
Add the following abilities to High Jump:
By spending one ki point as a swift action, the monk can also perform a special high jump:

If the monk makes a high jump within 10 feet of a wall, the DC for the high jump is only 2 per foot (i.e. half as high as normal, since the monk can jump against the wall and jump further up from there)

If the monk makes a high jump while between two parallel vertical surfaces that are within 10 feet of each other , the DC for the high jump is only 1 per foot (same as far jump, as you can repeatedly jump from one wall to the next)

Every 5 levels after 5th, the starting distance and distance between walls increases by 5 feet.

Abundant step
Dimension Door's restriction that you cannot take any other actions after the spell do not apply to abundant step.

Perfect self
Add the following:
Whenever the monk uses abilities that take a swift action and cost ki points, he can use two such abilities at once (or the same ability twice where applicable) and only pay for the more expensive ability.

New: Talisman of the Monk
Slot: neck.
Base price: 500 gp.

When wearing this item, the character's unarmed strikes count as a masterwork weapon, graining a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls.
This item can also be enhanced just like a melee weapon. All enhancements placed on the talisman affect all unarmed strikes. Such enhancements cost 50% more than usual (i.e. enhancement bonus squared X 3000gp).

This item does not enhance natural attacks.

Talisman of the Monk +1: 3500gp
Talisman of the Monk +2: 12500gp
Talisman of the Monk +3: 27500gp
Talisman of the Monk +4: 48500gp
Talisman of the Monk +5: 75500gp
Talisman of the Monk +6: 108500gp
Talisman of the Monk +7: 147500gp
Talisman of the Monk +8: 192500gp
Talisman of the Monk +9: 243500gp
Talisman of the Monk +10: 300500gp

Talmisman of the Monk (Special Material). Talismans of the Monk made of special materials are available, too, for the following base prices.

Adamantine: 4500gp

Iron, Cold: 550gp (a magic version of this costs an extra 3000gp)

Mithral: 1000gp

Silver, Alchemical: 700gp

[Remco Sommeling]

to be clear, I don't like monks and never will probably, I generally dont like my players wanting to play a monk, but wont ban it per definition something about kicking and punching everything they see that is not humanoid seems a bit silly in my imagination.

anyway you have some nice ideas, I like the Combat Insight and the talisman of the monk in particular, high jump has some merrit as well.

nice post

[Zen79]

I like the goal that monks should be the best class concerning combat maneuvers.

[Cartigan]

Remco Sommeling wrote:

to be clear, I don't like monks and never will probably, I generally dont like my players wanting to play a monk, but wont ban it per definition something about kicking and punching everything they see that is not humanoid seems a bit silly in my imagination.

As opposed to chopping up anything with a sword that isn't humanoid?

[KaeYoss]

Remco Sommeling wrote:

to be clear, I don't like monks and never will probably, I generally dont like my players wanting to play a monk

I don't like my players to disagree with me in anything, or let me pay for the Pizza/Pasta/Big Hunk of Meat I eat at the gaming table, but you can't have everything.

Remco Sommeling wrote:

something about kicking and punching everything they see that is not humanoid seems a bit silly in my imagination.

Well, they kick and punch stuff that is humanoid, too.

And other classes are similar: Fighters: slice and dice everything they see. Sorcerers: spell-blast everything they see....

Monks are also about knowing yourself, finding enlightenment, do some crazy acrobatics stuff, being invulnerable against tons of things. And, of course, taking weapons away from things, beating things down upon their backs, touching things in inappropriate places, pushing things around, and walking over things.

The class's concept is quite nice I think. Not for everyone, that's sure, but I think that's mainly because it doesn't fit too well with the rest of the classes and many would probably just want some brawler class. The hitting part never bothered anyone - anyone that liked to play the game, anyway, the rest was busy biting kine.

[KaeYoss]

Remco Sommeling wrote:

nice post

Oh, with all the pouncing on your pouncing on the poor, violent monks, I forgot about that.

Thanks for saying so.