RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
In China and other cultures, the martial arts tend to be styled after animals that are venerated and feared. Why has this not been done with PF? For archetypes there is only the Hungry Ghost Monk. I would think with all the fantastic creatures, these would be more prevalent. Especially in Golarion, with monks worshiping deities like Lamashtu, Rovagug, and Achaekek.
No Dragon monks? No Kraken monks? No Unicorn Monks?
No aboleth tie ins? Mind-scared Monk or Monk of the Empty Mind...
The idea was posted many times before and I find it quite stylish but the point is: what do the animal styles do? What can they do what can not be substituted right now, mechanicaly speaking? Plus, such mechanics should have names that tell you what they do, unlike the thousands of 4E powers that have fancy names like "strike of the angry tiger" but you don't have a clue what they actually do
While not full monk archetypes, there are animal based "stances" taught by the Kusari-Gama faction in the faction guide. Things like Wing of the Crane stance, Pearching Raptor stance and Glsring Basilisk stance. These might be close to what your looking for.
|
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
The idea was posted many times before and I find it quite stylish but the point is: what do the animal styles do? What can they do what can not be substituted right now, mechanicaly speaking? Plus, such mechanics should have names that tell you what they do, unlike the thousands of 4E powers that have fancy names like "strike of the angry tiger" but you don't have a clue what they actually do
Looking at your pic, why not...
Boggard Style Monk
1st level Boggard's Breath = gain Hold Breath (Ex) (as boggard)
3rd level Natural Swimmer = gain swim speed (always at base speed - 10 ft.) instead of fast movement
4th level Flesh Mastery - Gills = replace slow fall with a water breathing (Ex) ability for a number hours/day equal to 1/2 monk level, must be used in 1 hr increment (easy to track) and permanent gills at 20th
5th level Boggard's Legs = high jump is equal to 1/2 monk level, but same bonus for swim checks; also a use a ki point for +20 to swim checks for one round and a standard action not consuming extra rd of breath
7th, 11th, 15th, 19th Fast Movement = +10 base speed, later level to make up for natural swimmer and less progression since it counts for 2 movement types
Have more styles based on other creatures, not all would use same scheme to create archetype. Some might even be prestige classes.
In China and other cultures, the martial arts tend to be styled after animals that are venerated and feared. Why has this not been done with PF? For archetypes there is only the Hungry Ghost Monk. I would think with all the fantastic creatures, these would be more prevalent. Especially in Golarion, with monks worshiping deities like Lamashtu, Rovagug, and Achaekek.
No Dragon monks? No Kraken monks? No Unicorn Monks?
No aboleth tie ins? Mind-scared Monk or Monk of the Empty Mind...
Is it necessary (this is not a rhetorical question)? I like the idea but can be it be done with the current monk and just use fluff to describe how the feats and abilities work? I think you could easily mimic this by simply renaming the abilities and taking feats and skills that represent what you are trying to mimic. You may need to use some traits to pick up skills you don't normally have but think mimic the beast you are trying to emulate. If you use the archetypes, does it get easier to do this?
Is it necessary (this is not a rhetorical question)? I like the idea but can be it be done with the current monk and just use fluff to describe how the feats and abilities work? I think you could easily mimic this by simply renaming the abilities and taking feats and skills that represent what you are trying to mimic. You may need to use some traits to pick up skills you don't normally have but think mimic the beast you are trying to emulate. If you use the archetypes, does it get easier to do this?In China and other cultures, the martial arts tend to be styled after animals that are venerated and feared. Why has this not been done with PF? For archetypes there is only the Hungry Ghost Monk. I would think with all the fantastic creatures, these would be more prevalent. Especially in Golarion, with monks worshiping deities like Lamashtu, Rovagug, and Achaekek.
No Dragon monks? No Kraken monks? No Unicorn Monks?
No aboleth tie ins? Mind-scared Monk or Monk of the Empty Mind...
+1
Ultimately, trying to create specific animal styles is going to boil down to creating punching styles, grappling styles, leap attack styles, defensive styles, etc...
You can do all that by taking specific feats and/or archetypes.
Boggard Style Monk
While the feats form a well balanced class, I don't recognize them as a monk battle style, I mean a martial artist performing a monkey style is not necessarily good at climbing, snake battle style means your hands move like snakes but they don't become poisonous...
it sounds more like a shapeshifters ability like the ability of the infiltrator ranger variant.I'd expect stances or attack feats, for example a crane style that focuses on stuff like spring attack or a cat style that combines damage with a reposition maneuver
While the feats form a well balanced class, I don't recognize them as a monk battle style, I mean a martial artist performing a monkey style is not necessarily good at climbing, snake battle style means your hands move like snakes but they don't become poisonous...
it sounds more like a shapeshifters ability like the ability of the infiltrator ranger variant.
I'd expect stances or attack feats, for example a crane style that focuses on stuff like spring attack or a cat style that combines damage with a reposition maneuver
Creature based styles could have a mix of both actually... A snake style that gives more precise attacks and also lets you cover your hands in poison for a special attack... Could be done. Seems interesting but what animals/magicals beasts/vermin/dinosaurs/other would be in the list of styles to create? That list would either be too short and people would complain their favorite monster is not in it, or too long and it would be really hard to create different abilities for each style. There lies the problem.
That list would either be too short and people would complain their favorite monster is not in it, or too long and it would be really hard to create different abilities for each style. There lies the problem.
That's the basic problem as it is with some of the APG variants like the special animal druids - see it that way, we could homebrew quite a list in here and others might contribute to it, creating that too long list - I don't think Paizo will work that much on the monks right now (since they did in the APG)
Plus, some styles could apply to more than one animal/monsterIf faced with planning such a list, I'd start with the chinese zodiac and continue with the magical beast list, adding stuff like manticores, unicorns and windigowaks. Anyone interested in creating such a list in here?
As long as it includes dragons, I'm cool with it.
I believe they are adding in unarmed combat styles in Ultimate Combat.
|
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
That list would either be too short and people would complain their favorite monster is not in it, or too long and it would be really hard to create different abilities for each style. There lies the problem.That's the basic problem as it is with some of the APG variants like the special animal druids - see it that way, we could homebrew quite a list in here and others might contribute to it, creating that too long list - I don't think Paizo will work that much on the monks right now (since they did in the APG)
Plus, some styles could apply to more than one animal/monsterIf faced with planning such a list, I'd start with the chinese zodiac and continue with the magical beast list, adding stuff like manticores, unicorns and windigowaks. Anyone interested in creating such a list in here?
As much as I hate PrC, I could easily work up 3 level prestige classes. By doing it in 3 levels, would encourage/allow players to gain multiple styles. So if the first was taken at level 6, you could have 5 styles by 20th. I would mostly stay away from the Chinese zodiac except for dragon, tiger, snake, ram, and monkey.
Levels would stack with monk for BAB, saves, flurry of blows, unarmed damage, AC bonus, fast movement, and abilities that use your monk level.
Example (forget the boggard style above exists)
Boggard Style
Prereqs: Swim 5 ranks, ki pool
lvl 1 - Punishing Kick feat, Boggard Breath (hold breath as boggard)
lvl 2 - gain swim speed equal to base speed for 1 hr per ki point spent
lvl 3 - Boggard Kick = you can move up to 10 ft after a successful punishing kick, as long as you have movement for the turn. if your punishing kick was part of a full attack action, you can continue the attack action after the move.
Dragon Style (just for Darigaaz the Igniter)
Prereqs: Intimidate 5 ranks, ki pool
lvl 1 - Dragon Sweep Kick (full round action to deal unarmed damage as a monk of 4 levels lower and 1/2 Str modifier to all enemies within reach), +2 on saves vs fear
lvl 2 - gain frightful presence in 10 ft radius for rounds equal to 1/2 monk level for 1 ki point
lvl 3 - Master of the Dragon Sweep Kick (standard action to deal damage equal to monk level and add full Str modifier)
Yays, a present just for me!
In case no one here has yet, check out Ultimate combat now that it's out. Lots of coolness for this there!