Mid-High level monk builds

[Peter J]

I'm currently working on a Monk of the Sacred Mountain build that uses Dragon style to buff damage and allow me to take Elemental fist. I'm up to 10th level in my plans, but not sure where to go from there.

1. Dodge
1. Ironhide
2. Improved Grapple
3. Dragon Style
5. Dragon Ferocity
6. Improved Disarm
7. Elemental Fist
9. Power Attack
10. Medusa's Wrath

Two extra attacks at your highest bonus make taking Medusa's Wrath a no-brainer for a 10th level monk. The problem is how to use it, since you have to be attacking an opponent who is either dazed, flat-footed, paralyzed, staggered, stunned, or unconscious. I've been trying to think of the best ways to do this, and here's what I've come up with so far:

Staggering Fist. At 12th level, Stunning Fist can instead stagger for 1d6+1 rounds.

Shattered Defenses. Using Dragon Ferocity, your critical hits leave the target shaken. Unfortunately you need to take the fairly useless (for a monk) Dazzling Display feat too.

Critical Focus-Improved Critical-Staggering Critical. While the pre-reqs are a damage increase, you can't get Staggering Critical until 19th level.

Dazing Assault. Also straightforward, but that -5 to hit sucks.

Are there also any other feats that are indispensable for a mid-high level unarmed monk? I'm especially curious about Hammer the Gap, is it worth it for a flurrying monk?

[Argus The Slayer]

Hammer the Gap isn't worth spending a feat on.

Elemental Fist doesn't do much for me: I think there are better options out there for your feats.

Medusa's Wrath can work in the same round you stun your opponent, as long as they are stunned before you take the Medusa attacks. Strike w/ Stunning Fist on your first Flurry attack and drop the target quickly. Not really a huge issue if they don't fall after your first Flurry, as long as you have successfully Stunned them, so they can't full attack you on their turn. Pick your targets carefully: the big, muscle-bound Barbarian with the huge CON probably isn't your best Stunning Fist/Medusa target.

Mantis Style gives a nice +2 bonus to your Stunning Fist DC, but you'll want to consider taking Combat Style Master to switch between Mantis and Dragon Styles as a free action.

Staggering Fist would fit great into your concept. Dazing Assault would pretty much suck for a Monk, IMO. I high level, attack-focused Fighter might be able to pull off a -5 effectively, but not too many others would be able to make that work.

I like Improved Trip better than Disarm: that +4 to hit is a pretty big deal for landing your smaller Flurry attacks.

Stun on the first hit, trip on the next one (or two, if you don;t succeed on the first try): they can't AoO you on the Trip attempt because they're stunned. You are effectively at least +6 to attack on the rest of your attacks (-4 AC for prone, -2 AC **PLUS no DEX bonuses** for stunned). A lot of those little attacks should hit, right?

[Peter J]

I went with Elemental Fist because of the bonus it gets from Dragon Ferocity, allowing the damage to scale like I was a Monk of the Four Winds.

Going the Critical Focus->Staggering Critical route puts me at:

1. Dodge
1. Ironhide
2. Improved Grapple
3. Dragon Style
5. Dragon Ferocity
6. Improved Disarm/Trip
7. Elemental Fist
9. Power Attack
10. Medusa's Wrath
11.
13. Critical Focus
14. Improved Critical
15.
17.
18.
19. Staggering Critical

Three feats left, plus another free one at 18. Weapon Focus would be a good idea, anything else?

[Argus The Slayer]

Deflect Arrows and Toughness are solid defensive picks. I would take Weapon Focus earlier: probably a lot more bang for your buck than Ironhide or Dodge during your early career.

[Peter J]

I'm currently planning on Monk of the Sacred Mountain, so I'll pick up Toughness for free.

The way I see it, monks want to stand still so they can flurry, so I might as well go with abilities that reward me for doing so. If I'm going to be in melee, I want some decent AC. Which is why I went with Ironhide. My current plan is to go half-orc, swapping Ferocity for sacred tattoo (+1 to all saves) and intimidating with rock climber (+1 Climb/Acrobatics) Both make sense for a mountain monk, right?