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I'm wondering if I can use a Monk's Robe to boost the damage I deal with Elemental Fist. For a Monk of the Four Winds, elemental fist damage increases every five levels, and the Monk's Robe allows your unarmed damage to be treated 5 levels higher. I think the robe boost is maybe just intended for the normal unarmed damage, but since the elemental strike damage is part of the unarmed strike (damage is dealt with the unarmed strike damage, success is completely dependent on whether or not the unarmed strike succeeds), I can see a case for the level bonus applying to it as well. I can especially see the case with a Monk of the Four Winds, for whom elemental strike is an integral part of combat.
Let me know what you think. I can see it both ways, but it's not very overpowered, makes sense in a rules sort of way, makes sense in a game-mythology sort of way, and would be an interesting mechanic in-game.
Relevant rule pieces:
Monk's Robe
This simple brown robe, when worn, confers great ability in unarmed combat. If the wearer has levels in monk, her AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher.
Elemental Fist
When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type.
Monk of the Four Winds
A monk of the four winds receives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the monk increases the damage of his Elemental Fist by 1d6 (2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and so on).
I would think you could use it. I suppose it would be up to DM, but if you wanted to add an "extra" bit for the elemental damage, maybe the robe could be red, blue, white, etc for the specific energy damage and maybe cost a little more. Weapon crystals from 3.5 Magic Item Compendium cost 3k and add an extra 1d6 energy to all weapon attacks, so I couldn't see it being too expensive.
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I would think that instead of upping damage, it would instead treat it as stunning fist and give you an extra use out of it. After all, the robes do not raise your effective level for stunning fist effects, only extra stunning fists.
Whole text:
This simple brown robe, when worn, confers great ability in unarmed combat. If the wearer has levels in monk, her AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If donned by a character with the Stunning Fist feat, the robe lets her make one additional stunning attack per day. If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk (although she does not add her Wisdom bonus to her AC). This AC bonus functions just like the monk's AC bonus.
Elemental Fist (Combat)
You empower your strike with elemental energy
Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You may attempt an elemental fist attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A monk of the four winds receives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt an Elemental Fist attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.
Elemental Fist (Su): At 1st level, a monk of the four winds gains Elemental Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the monk increases the damage of his Elemental Fist by 1d6 (2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and so on). This ability replaces Stunning Fist.
I'm wondering if I can use a Monk's Robe to boost the damage I deal with Elemental Fist.
Yes, but only the damage coming from the unarmed strike, not the elemental damage granted by Elemental Fist.
The Monk of the Four Winds increases it's Elemental Fist damage base on Monk Level. The Monk's Robe does not increase Monk Level. Therefore, it does not increase the elemental damage dealt by Elemental Fist.
What it does do, is increase your unarmed damage. So the unarmed damage portion of the Elemental Fist attack would be increased by the Monk's Robe.
For example:
Level 1 monk, without robe, using Elemental Fist: on hit, deal 1d6 (bludgeoning) and 1d6 (fire).
Level 1 monk, with robe, using Elemental Fist: on hit, deal 1d8 (bludgeoning) and 1d6 (fire).
Spoiler:+1 to happler, -1 to my adviceI would think that instead of upping damage, it would instead treat it as stunning fist and give you an extra use out of it. After all, the robes do not raise your effective level for stunning fist effects, only extra stunning fists.Whole text:
This simple brown robe, when worn, confers great ability in unarmed combat. If the wearer has levels in monk, her AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If donned by a character with the Stunning Fist feat, the robe lets her make one additional stunning attack per day. If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk (although she does not add her Wisdom bonus to her AC). This AC bonus functions just like the monk's AC bonus.Elemental Fist (Combat)
You empower your strike with elemental energy
Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You may attempt an elemental fist attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A monk of the four winds receives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt an Elemental Fist attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.
Elemental Fist (Su): At 1st level, a monk of the four winds gains Elemental Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the monk increases the damage of his Elemental Fist by 1d6 (2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and so...
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What if you already have stunning fist on the character (as I do)?
I would think that instead of upping damage, it would instead treat it as stunning fist and give you an extra use out of it. After all, the robes do not raise your effective level for stunning fist effects, only extra stunning fists.
Whole text:
This simple brown robe, when worn, confers great ability in unarmed combat. If the wearer has levels in monk, her AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If donned by a character with the Stunning Fist feat, the robe lets her make one additional stunning attack per day. If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk (although she does not add her Wisdom bonus to her AC). This AC bonus functions just like the monk's AC bonus.Elemental Fist (Combat)
You empower your strike with elemental energy
Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You may attempt an elemental fist attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A monk of the four winds receives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt an Elemental Fist attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.
Elemental Fist (Su): At 1st level, a monk of the four winds gains Elemental Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the monk increases the damage of his Elemental Fist by 1d6 (2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and so...
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What if you already have stunning fist on the character (as I do)?
Well, normally it does nothing for elemental fist. I was just offering the closest that I could see for the monk of the 4 winds, who gives up stunning fist for elemental fist.
I should have prefaced that it is not RAW, just a logical house rule.
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Yeah, I think what you said makes sense though (with elemental replacing stunning). Good call.
What if you already have stunning fist on the character (as I do)?
Well, normally it does nothing for elemental fist. I was just offering the closest that I could see for the monk of the 4 winds, who gives up stunning fist for elemental fist.
I should have prefaced that it is not RAW, just a logical house rule.