Well, the most obvious thing is that you're giving up a defense based on mobility with one that's based on surviving lots of hits.
By level 20, he'll have 20 free extra HP, +5 AC, and DR 4/-. That's not terribly bad.
Yar.
What is your definition of good?
Instead of evasion you gain Toughness as a bonus feat plus Natural Armor +1. You still keep your monk bonuses to AC. You also eventually gain DR/- (that means the damage from every attack that is not magical is reduced).
You also cannot be forcibly moved if you don't want to be. When you decide to stand your ground, nothing can bull-rush you, nothing can push you, nothing can drag you, nothing can reposition you, and nothing can trip you either. And this improves, to the point where nothing can magically move you either (ie: teleport. Even being charmed or someone using suggestion or geas and asking/telling you to move fail at moving you) unless you want to be moved.
That is huge.
And what do you lose for this? Evasion (makes sense, you are a rock, not a jiggling noodle); high jump (again, makes sense, you are a rock, not a pogo-stick), and slow fall (you are a rock, not a leaf on the wind). The slow fall replacement is also mechanically good, as how often do you think you will need it when NOTHING CAN FORCIBLY MOVE YOU?
Sure, pit-fall traps become an issue, but traps can be dealt with in other ways than marching directly into them.
Everything else about the monk that is awesome is still kept and is still awesome.
In the end, I say: go for concept, not crunch. If you embrace your concept, the rest will follow (mileage may vary depending on GM's and playstyle).
~P
You know it actually seems "By RAW" that if someone destroyed the ground from under you it wouldn't force you to move. Imagining that seems kinda intimidating, none shall pass!
Here's my Monk of the Sacred Mountain at level 5. The plan is to pick up Improved Bull Rush at 6, and maybe Improved Overrun at 7. I'm also toying with the idea of Improved Ki Throw. Combined with Greater Bull Rush, you could trip someone, throw them at someone else and have the second target provoke AoOs when they are pushed back. As an added bonus, it lets you fully utilize the bull rush line of feats, while still gaining the benefits of iron limb defense. It would have been really beautiful with Greater Trip but, alas, that's not a realistic option.
Obsidian
Male Oread qinggong monk of the sacred mountain 5
LN Medium outsider (native)
Init +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
--Defense--------------------------------
AC 17, touch 16 flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis, +1 natural, +1 dodge, +1 class)
hp 51 (5 HD; 5d8+15+5)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +7
Resist acid 5
Immune disease
Defensive Abilities bastion stance, iron limb defense
--Offense--------------------------------
Spd 40ft.
Melee unarmed strike +7 (1d8+4/x2)
or flurry of blows +7/+7 (1d8+4/x2)
Special Attacks flurry of blows, stunning fist, power attack (-1 hit/+2 dmg), ki pool: 5
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +4)
1/day — magic stone
--Statistics-----------------------------
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+11 grapple, trip); CMD 26 (28 vs grapple, trip)
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Stunning Fist, Power Attack, Dodge, Toughness, Defensive Combat Training, Improved Trip (Improved Bull Rush(6th), Improved Overrun(7th))
Skills Acrobatics +10(5), Climb +8(1), Escape Artist +6(1), Perception +11(5), Ride +6(1), Sense Motive +7(1), Stealth +10(5), and Swim +8(1)
Languages Common, Terran
Gear adventurering gear
SA elemental affinity, unarmed strike, fast movement, maneuver training, still mind, ki pool (5 pts), purity of body
Ki Powers (barkskin(7th))
I'm playing a Monk/Sorcerer at the moment at took monk of the sacred mountain and love it. Seeing how my monk is afraid of heights I thought it made perfect sense. I have a 21 AC when I stay in one place and can boost that up to 25 AC with a ki point. It kind of rocks.
Shiny. Now, does anyone know the Orc word for "Avalanche"? Cuz that's what I'm thinking for a name. :)
I'm gonna go with WAAAAAGH!
Yar.
What is your definition of good?
Instead of evasion you gain Toughness as a bonus feat plus Natural Armor +1. You still keep your monk bonuses to AC. You also eventually gain DR/- (that means the damage from every attack that is not magical is reduced).
You also cannot be forcibly moved if you don't want to be. When you decide to stand your ground, nothing can bull-rush you, nothing can push you, nothing can drag you, nothing can reposition you, and nothing can trip you either. And this improves, to the point where nothing can magically move you either (ie: teleport. Even being charmed or someone using suggestion or geas and asking/telling you to move fail at moving you) unless you want to be moved.
That is huge.
And what do you lose for this? Evasion (makes sense, you are a rock, not a jiggling noodle); high jump (again, makes sense, you are a rock, not a pogo-stick), and slow fall (you are a rock, not a leaf on the wind). The slow fall replacement is also mechanically good, as how often do you think you will need it when NOTHING CAN FORCIBLY MOVE YOU?
Sure, pit-fall traps become an issue, but traps can be dealt with in other ways than marching directly into them.
Everything else about the monk that is awesome is still kept and is still awesome.
In the end, I say: go for concept, not crunch. If you embrace your concept, the rest will follow (mileage may vary depending on GM's and playstyle).
~P
Charm and compulsion effects would move you, because they make you decide to move. But otherwise, I agree. A very solid archetype. Pun intended.
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The thing that I've seen that bugs me about Sacred Mountain is that your Natural Armor bonus, while okay early, REALLY sucks later on.
An Amulet of Natural Armor is always a pretty standard (required), great way to help out a PC as his levels increase, but since it won't stack your Monk has essentially traded Evasion for Toughness -- NOT Evasion for Toughness & Natural Armor!
Nat Armor +1 at higher levels is pathetic.
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The thing that I've seen that bugs me about Sacred Mountain is that your Natural Armor bonus, while okay early, REALLY sucks later on.
An Amulet of Natural Armor is always a pretty standard (required), great way to help out a PC as his levels increase, but since it won't stack your Monk has essentially traded Evasion for Toughness -- NOT Evasion for Toughness & Natural Armor!
Nat Armor +1 at higher levels is pathetic.
Um Why wouldn't it stack, You natural armor bonus becomes +1 instead of 0, The Amulet is an Enhancement bonus to Natural armor, Mean it would stack on top...besides this char has Barkskin so everythings cool.
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Barkskin and the Amulet won't stack with the Natural Armor from Sacred Mountain, nor with each other.
Amulet of Natural Armor +3 on a Sacred Mountain Monk means the Monk's Natural Armor bonus is +3.
is the sacred monk ac an enhancement to natural aromr? if not it should stack
edit. they do stack. natural armor stacks with spells that enhance it. a creature that has +1 natural armor wearing an amulet of NA+3 has 4 NA
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Nope, You are incorrect my friend I shall point out
Stuff
The enhancement bonus provided by barkskin stacks with the target's natural armor bonus, but not with other enhancement bonuses to natural armor. A creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0.
And because The Amulet is made from barkskin it seems to follow the rules
The monks NA is untyped. So it stacks.
The thing that I've seen that bugs me about Sacred Mountain is that your Natural Armor bonus, while okay early, REALLY sucks later on.
An Amulet of Natural Armor is always a pretty standard (required), great way to help out a PC as his levels increase, but since it won't stack your Monk has essentially traded Evasion for Toughness -- NOT Evasion for Toughness & Natural Armor!
Nat Armor +1 at higher levels is pathetic.
While I am still on the fence about the ruling of natural armor and amulets of natural armor not stacking. I have to disagree with the statement that an amulet of natural armor is required. In my experience most people forgo the amulet of Natural armor and go with the amulet of mighty fist at higher levels.
And those people are foolish, when they could get the same (or better) effects with Brass Knuckles, and cheaper.
Amulet of Mighty Fists is vastly overpriced for the purposes of enhancing unarmed strikes.
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Nope, You are incorrect my friend I shall point out
Stuff
** spoiler omitted **And because The Amulet is made from barkskin it seems to follow the rules
barkskin and the amulet dont stack, but either 1 stacks with a creatures natural armor. since a monk doesnt have an enhancement to natural armor its legit.
Yar.
As has been said by others: the monk's natural armor bonus is untyped, while an amulet of natural armor is an enhancement bonus, thus: they stack.
Charm and compulsion effects would move you, because they make you decide to move.
Not once you get to 16th level. bastion Stance makes you immune to even this. LINKY
... At 16th level, he is immune to any attempts to force him to move, even mind-affecting and teleportation effects.
Bolding is mine. With regards to charms and compulsions (which are mind-affecting effects) it is not the monk deciding to move, it is someone else trying to decide FOR YOU to move.
EDIT: even your wording works for this immunity. They "make" you decide to move. That is synonymous with "force" you to decide to move, which at 16th level, Bastion Stance prevents.
~P
Yar!
Now, does anyone know the Orc word for "Avalanche"? Cuz that's what I'm thinking for a name. :)
Now that I think about it, is there a good English to Orcish translator anywhere on the intertubes?
What type or Orcish? Tolkien Orcish? WoW Orcish? Or some other fantasy Orcish dialect?
I've come across a few sites that describe them in my time, but not any full-on electronic translators. Only sites that describe the ins and outs of grammar, syntax, spellings, and common word equivalences.
~P
And those people are foolish, when they could get the same (or better) effects with Brass Knuckles, and cheaper.
Amulet of Mighty Fists is vastly overpriced for the purposes of enhancing unarmed strikes.
Not if you want to use anything other than your fists to fight. With brass knuckles, you need to use those all the time. With the Amulet, you can use your feet, elbow, head, butt, etc to fight.
Ever wanted to have a monk who fought by buttslamming his enemies? Give him an Amulet of Mighty Fists (Flaming, Holy).
Sit on your enemies for great justice!
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And much as I'd prefer to have that freedom in describing my attacks, it has virtually no mechanical effect, and is not worth paying 2.5 times as much.
Which is why I, as a DM, allow monks to enhance their unarmed strike directly.
Yar.
A few examples:
Tolkien-esque/Black-Speech: “Thrak-búbhoshdug”, roughly meaning “to bring a great filth”
Tolkien-esque/Black-Speech:“Zaghmat” roughly meaning “Mountain pass death”
Fan based Orcish (possibly from Ultima): “Rung” or “Rungal”, meaning “Avalanche”
WoW: “Oshu’Kagh”, meaning “Mountain Runs”
~P
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And much as I'd prefer to have that freedom in describing my attacks, it has virtually no mechanical effect, and is not worth paying 2.5 times as much.
Which is why I, as a DM, allow monks to enhance their unarmed strike directly.
i think AoMF is much better suited to creatures with claw/claw/bite or a bunch of other natural attacks
I am not 100% sure how legal it is, but because some of the abilities require you to start and end your turn in the same square (though not stay there all turn) the dimensional feat line worked really well for my Monk of the sacred mountain. Jump around attacking enemies and providing flanking for your allies, and then return to the point you originated from.