| Eacaraxe |
Hello everyone,
I'm a long-time D&D veteran and just recently switched to the Pathfinder system for a Forgotten Realms drow campaign I'm running. The long story short is that I find myself in need to create a Monk archetype for a canonical order of Drow monks (the Blackened Fist to be exact, which I'll just refer to as BF), who fluff-wise and to give some direction with where I want to go mechanically is more a group of assassins and for lack of a better word "diplomats" (for what that's worth in Drow society) than other monastic orders. Rather than muck about with PrC's and cross-classing, I thought it would be more straightforward and simple for character creation to create an archetype, and I'd like to get some feedback on how well it's balanced given my relative inexperience with the Pathfinder system and its balancing.
So, here's what I've come up with. Only abilities that are altered or replaced are mentioned:
- Perform and Ride are replaced by Bluff, Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility) as class skills. Skill ranks per level does not change.
- Flurry of Blows is replaced by Sudden Strike. As a full-attack action, the BF may make a single attack against a target’s flat-footed AC, with a BAB equal to their BF level. If this attack succeeds, the BF adds a number of sneak attack dice equal to one-third their BF level (rounding up, meaning 1d6 at 1st, 2d6 at 4th, and an additional d6 every three levels after) as damage. Sneak attack dice from other sources applies to Sudden Strike as well.
At 8th level, the BF gains the ability to automatically make a grapple check against their Sudden Strike target if the attack succeeds.
At 15th level, the BF gains the ability to Sudden Strike a grappled target in lieu of the standard damage option.
One ki point may be spent to roll against the target’s touch AC instead. This must be announced before the attack roll is made. This replaces the Flurry of Blows ki ability.
- Evasion and Improved Evasion are replaced by Uncanny Dodge and Improved Uncanny Dodge.
- Abundant Step is replaced by Vanish from the Mind’s Eye. BF’s may use Invisibility as a supernatural ability at a caster level equal to their BF level by spending 2 ki points.
- Diamond Soul is replaced by Faerzress Infusion. Divinations made against the BF must succeed a caster level check equal to 15 + BF level in order to locate or detect the BF.
Now, my rationales for these changes for additional guidance.
Considering the order itself focuses more on stealth, politics and assassination than your average monastic order, it made sense to me they'd train acolytes to hit harder, less often in surprise attacks than rain blows upon their enemy. So, sneak attack was something of a given, but instead of letting monks off the leash with bald sneak attack dice (which I've seen enough in games to know is a bad move by a DM) I figured I would work it into a full-round combat action to replace Flurry of Blows as the Monk's signature ability. Fluff-wise, they're opposed to the traditional Drow ways (read, priestesses backed up by arcane caster servants), so it's also natural they'd develop anti-caster techniques. Hence, a full-attack action that lets the Monk "automatically" feint-sneak attack, which at higher levels chains straight into a grapple and from there increased grapple damage.
Given drow already possess substantial spell resistance, I also figured they would focus their training elsewhere from evading area-attacks, namely avoiding assassination and being overwhelmed by numbers themselves. Hence, replacing the evasion series with uncanny dodge. Also, given the focus on stealth and surprise and the omnipresence of magic (and paranoia) in Drow communities, replacing the nigh-useless-to-drow Diamond Soul with a permanent Nondetection effect.
The last ability I've been wrestling with. Dimension Door is great and has many uses, and fits very well with a sneaky hit-hard-and-run Monk, but the permanent Nondetection they get a couple levels later is already pretty powerful. I was tempted to replace that with Hide in Plain Sight, but that would limit the Monk's options for spending ki, so I settled on Invisibility (a weaker effect than Dimension Door or HiPS, but still immensely useful for escape or setting up an ambush).