So I decided to play a master of many styles in a new game and I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what order to pick up feats in.
I've started out with crane style since I can get a pretty cool defensive ability with a human monk at level 1 (Dodge>Crane Style>Crane Wing). The problem is what styles to use and what order to get the feats in.
I was thinking I would use crane, snake, dragon, and panther. I may add a fifth style at the end just because you can use five styles at once for the capstone.
So far, what I've planned looks like this:
H: Dodge
1: Crane Style
1 B: Crane Wing
2 B: Crane Riposte
3: Snake Style
5: Combat Reflexes
6 B: Snake Fang
7: Dragon Style
9: Dragon Ferocity
10 B: Dragon Roar
11: Elemental Fist
13: Panther Style
14 B: Panther Claw
15: Panther Parry
My reasoning is as follows. Master of many styles gives up flurry of blows, making full attacks undesirable. Investing in standard action attacks isn't a good way to put out damage either. That leaves attacking on the opponent's turn.
Snake style allows me to make attacks of opportunity if they attack me and miss. Combined with combat reflexes and high dex, I can basically make a full attack on an opponent if he makes a full attack on me, but every one of my attacks is at my highest BAB. I can also opt to try to shut down an opponent's full attack with a stunning fist on my attack of opportunity.
At 8th level, I can roll dragon style into the mix to get even more strength damage on my attacks. Since I took dragon style, taking elemental fist gives some extra damage to one attack each round.
Panther style comes in last for a couple of reasons. I can't force any enemies to make opportunity attacks when I move by them, and I need a fair amount of movement to really do this well.
I'll probably take monkey style at level 17, simply because going prone next to a group of enemies seems like a good way to draw attacks and make more attacks of opportunity since I'll have the same AC while prone.
Now, with all that said, is there a style combination I'm missing that should be considered? Am I missing out on a lot by putting so many feats into styles?
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It's my opinion that MoMS isn't playable beyond the first 1-6 levels as a straight monk. Monks already have a huge problem on offense, and w/ MoMS you give up your extra attacks and sort of full BAB. Defensive abilities may be neat, but being a turtle never killed anything, without a means to force enemies to attack you they likely won't, and ultimately...a spellcaster can do it better (invis, mirror image, blink, etc..). That disclaimer aside, if you really want to try this, you should be using those bonus feat slots from MoMS as much as possible on high level 2nd-or-3rd-in-the-line feats, not the base style feats. I suggest dropping into Unarmed Fighter for 1 level first.
For example, you could try this start of a build out. I didn't even use Human if you'd like to be an Oread or some other race that buffs 2 important monk stats and penalizes cha or int, instead of human. Monks need 4 good stats, every little bit helps.
Unarmed Fighter 1 / MoMS Qinggong Monk 19
1 Combat Reflexes
1 Imp. Unarmed Strike [Fighter]
1 Crane Style [Fighter]
2 Crane Wing [Monk]
3 Snake Style
3 Snake Fang [Monk]
Unarmed Fighter gives you proficiency with ALL monk weapon group weapons and simple weapons, so use a reach weapon and have unarmed to cover adjacent. Once you reach level 2 and actually need the free hand to use Crane Wing, switch to a nine section chain (my fave for crane style; has the "defending" property), temple sword, or whatever. Or just go unarmed. But I'd suggest the chain or a rope dart just for the extra +1 AC.
I agree with Stream of the Sky on the higher level offense gap.
I have a player that used a MoMS and Unarmed Fighter in a higher level mix than a simple dip. Don't remember exactly the mix.
He is using Mantis, Dragon, Snake but has mixed in the advanced Vital Strike Feats, he hit hard with the Stuning, Dragon, Vital weapon Focused UA strike. He never got to Elemental Fist but that was his intention.
So I'm seriously suggesting Vital Strike for a damage up and it works with Mantis. The Mantis Torment is underwhelming but the base style is not bad.
Your system is cool, but you need a stringently impartial DM, it's hard as a DM to sometimes provoke an AoO when you know it's a suicidal move.
EDIT: This is just my experience with it but, if you go with Panther pursue Spring Attack. It's much safer in the long run in preventing painful flanking situations. Maybe not a big deal for you since you've delayed it till late game.
Higher level advice:
I like Dragon Style and Dragon Ferocity, especially if your DM sees the +0.5x str bonus to damage as having 1.5x str to damage w/ unarmed, and thus uses the 3-for-1 Power Attack ratio, which is IMO how it should be. However, I don't really like Dragon Roar, and Elemental Fist is terribad. I would drop all these from the build. I'm also not a fan of Panther Style, though once you get all 3 it becomes decent. But before then it's pretty poor and it's too easy to defeat by foes just not AoOing you for my liking.
Other styles to consider:
Tiger: Base style feat is nothing special, but Tiger Pounce is amazing. Lets you pursue foes that get away and lets you take PA penalty to AC instead of to hit! This is fantastic for when foes are ignoring you for being a turtle anyway, to draw their ire. Keep in mind, it is a free action to take a hand on or off a weapon. So if using PA, I would suggest two-handing your chain/sword/dart for the 3-for-1 PA ratio and 1.5x str on your turn, then leaving one hand off as you end your turn. You can't use free actions out of turn, so if you want crane wing you need to 1H it for AoOs (or just use unarmed strikes). In any case, Tiger Claw is bleh, use a bonus feat to skip it entirely.
Boar: The base feat is a nice damage bonus, and Boar Ferocity is a free demoralize on every hit w/ unarmed (though it's a free action, so can't on Aoos). Boar Shred is pretty poor, I wouldn't get it.
So, you could either stick w/ Dragon for your 3rd style, or perhaps do Tiger. If you do Tiger, you could either get Tiger Style as your 7th level feat and Tiger Pounce as your Monk 6 bonus feat and just have 2 awkward levels where you have 3 styles but only 2 you can be in at a time, or put it off till level 11 (Ftr 1 / Monk 10). It's rough, getting bonus feats 2 levels apart from when you actually get a new style "slot."
So...perhaps like this if doing Tiger?
Unarmed Fighter 1 / MoMS Qingong Monk (continued)
5 Power Attack
7 Tiger Style
7 Tiger Pounce [Monk]
9 (open)
11 (open)
11 Crane Riposte [Monk]
13 (open) or Panther Style
15 Dragon or Boar Style or Panther Claw
15 Dragon Ferocity, Boar Ferocity, or Panther Parry [Monk]
If doing Dragon as 3rd style, instead it could be like this:
5 Dragon Style
7 Dragon Ferocity
7 Crane Riposte [Monk]
9 Power Attack
11 (open)
11 (open) or Panther Style [Monk]
13 (open)
15 Tiger or Boar Style or Panther Claw
15 Tiger Pounce, Panther Parry, or Boar Ferocity [Monk]
For higher levels, also look at Dazing Assault feat. By taking a -5 to hit, anyone you strike (including AoOs) is dazed for one round if they fail a fort save (DC 10 + BAB). Since all your attacks are at highest BAB, perhaps you can afford this hit by the time you qualify (BAB +12), if not...it should be apparent by then. :)
Monk cannot even take Dim Agility till level 13 and Dim Dervish till level 17. It is a bad feat path for them. It is much better on Magus, Eldritch Knight, Summoner (but either he isn't meleeing, or he's a synthesist and thus has pounce), and/or Horizon Walker. Each of which can start the feat chain ~level 7-9.
And again, I must state my dislike of dragon roar. You're giving up TWO stunning fists for a very small area of unarmed damage + d4 rounds shaken, save reduces to just half unarmed and no shaken. A full BAB class by level 11 could just have Dreadful Carnage and get a free action 30 ft area intimidate check every time they drop someone.
It is not a good feat. There are various ways (Boar Ferocity, Enforcer, Cornugon Smash, the shaken option for stunning fist) to tie a demoralize attempt for free to every attack you make. If you wish to debuff with fear, that is a much better option, IMO.
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And again, I must state my dislike of dragon roar. You're giving up TWO stunning fists for a very small area of unarmed damage + d4 rounds shaken, save reduces to just half unarmed and no shaken. A full BAB class by level 11 could just have Dreadful Carnage and get a free action 30 ft area intimidate check every time they drop someone.It is not a good feat. There are various ways (Boar Ferocity, Enforcer, Cornugon Smash, the shaken option for stunning fist) to tie a demoralize attempt for free to every attack you make. If you wish to debuff with fear, that is a much better option, IMO.
I agree that Dragon Roar/3 level Elemental Style feats are fairly weak for standard action uses, but honestly, it's just a flavor thing. I'd blame Skyrim if Ultimate Combat came out after the game, but I like the idea of a Fus Do Rah, especially if it's Elementally enhanced. Yea assuming the save is failed you'll be lucky to deal 40 damage from the small cone/other effect, but the mental picture in your head doing it is fairly cool.
You are right that Boar works incredibly well with Dragon for the extra bit of rend-like damage and the Intimidations; plus being able to use your unarmed strikes as different weapon times is a nice touch. I also like Mantis Style for the boosts to the Stunning Fist DC and the extra Stunning fist use.
Initially, I didn't have dragon roar or elemental fist in the list, but if you look at the dragon style feats, you get elemental fist as if you were a monk of the four winds, which means its damage scales with level. Unarmed + 5d6 on a roar with no save to reduce the elemental damage isn't great, but it's something, I guess.
I played the character at level 1 yesterday and wound up getting attacked plenty. 32 on 4 tends to force enemies to attack you a lot. Crane wing was a good idea. I took 10 opportunity attacks for one move action, no damage taken.
I see your point about forcing attacks though. I don't know how long it will take for enemies to figure out that attacking me in any way is bad. I don't suppose there's some compulsion effect that would cause enemies to attack me? Attacking the unarmed, unarmored enemy seems like a candidate for mass suggestion, but you really shouldn't even need a spell to make most enemies think this.
I think the previous posters are spot on the MOMS is really a dip archetype and not great as a single-class build. With 3/4 BAB and no flurry you just have a real tough time hitting and doing damage regardless of styles.
That said, 1-3 levels of MOMS is an awesome dip. I'm working on a MOMS 3 / Fighter (Brawler) X build for skull and shackles that I think is going to be killer (haven't played it yet though). The key is to abuse the ability to keep 2 styles active and ignore pre-reqs on the style bonus feats from the MOMS with full fighter BAB + feats (plus the brawler bonuses to close weapons). Im planning on running dragon style + tiger style. The nice thing about the fuse style feature is its usable in armor, unlike flurry, which makes the archetype combine well with fighter/paladin/ranger as the primary class.