I'm designing a class to replace the monk in my home games. I want something that is mechanically stronger and creates greater verisimilitude in both fluff and cruch than the current pathfinder monk.
The class mixes the practice of martial arts, iron hand conditioning, the cultivation of the spirit through qigong, and glimpses of enlightenment through the contemplation of mystical koans to gain supernatural effects.
I want to post it here, upload it to d20pfsrd.com and release it as an illustrated OGL PDF after I'm finished tinkering with it.
I have most of it done, but I am trying to flesh it out with abilities gained at higher levels. So I ask you Paizonians, what verisimilitude issues crop up when you imagine the base monk in your fantasy setting?
What features does the pathfinder monk already have that you wouldn't want to lose and why?
What cool things do you want a martial artist to be able to do?
I did some re-design work on the monk, feel free to borrow this or use some of my ideas. Oh, and I did some work on a 'mystic' version with more versatile powers.
We're talking about a game where people in full plate fly around smacking dragons the size of 747's with flaming swords, and old guys in bathrobes wiggle their fingers to make things explode. What's verisimilitude got to do with anything?
We're talking about a game where people in full plate fly around smacking dragons the size of 747's with flaming swords, and old guys in bathrobes wiggle their fingers to make things explode. What's verisimilitude got to do with anything?
You confuse verisimilitude with realism. Realism is ridiculous because people in real life do not do those things, Verisimilitude is where the internal logic and consistency dictates that wizards cast one kind of spell, clerics another, fighters don't cast spells and rogues sneak attack.
So monk verisimilitude is broken if monks cast spells, for example, but maintained if they karate-chop golems in two. Neither is realistic, but one is consistent with the paradigm that monks are mystic warriors who can shatter stone with their bare hands while the other is not.
I suppose Archomedes means "associated" when he talks about "verisimilitude". As in, association between fluff and crunch. A class that does, mechanically, the same things that it does in the fluff.
High defenses mobility expert whose focus isn't on damage. Possibly taking the idea of the magus and their sundering of action economy, and applying it to flurry of blows. As a full-round action, move up to half your speed and make a flurry of blows. Plays up the wisdom aspect, possibly even something like the inquisitor's ability, and combined with Exploit Weakness from the martial artist.
Perhaps the option to choose which path to pursue: damage, maneuvers, super maneuverability, resilience, or wisdom.
In all cases, damage nowhere near that of a two-handed fighter or archer.
Dotting for later comment.
MA
My current project is a combat oriented take on the mystical martial artist, intended to replace the monk in my home games called the Ironhand.
Its going to need a bit of polish and ironing but you can check it out if you'd like.
I always appreciate feedback and critique.
High defenses mobility expert whose focus isn't on damage.
Problem with this is that posing like a Power Ranger doesn't do much to the enemy in PF/D&D.
Like the rest of the ideas, and while I agree that damage should not be better than a 2-handed fighter I would like it to be able to visit that playing field.
Personally, one possibility I wouldn't mind seeing is a monk that focused more on debilitating than outright damage. Perhaps expand on the number of negative conditions Stunning Fist has to offer and/or give the other options in the monk's arsenal a bit more development. Melee debilitator is much more unique of a role that melee damage, and really makes the monk's mobility an asset.
Another thing I'd like to see is a bit more expansion on is the various style feats. I personally think it would be awesome if a monk who specialized in Crane Style fought in a very different way than a Tiger Style monk, and both of them were different from the Dragon Style monk. Make the choice of martial arts style as important to the monk as the choice of weapon/combat style is to the other martial classes.
To give an example of what I'd like to see a monk doing in battle:
1st round: Monk does a nerve strike on the enemy frontliner, leaving the bad guy weak and disoriented when the rest of the party hits him.
2nd round: Monk punches the enemy caster in the throat, leaving the caster with a hefty ASF chance on any spells with verbal components.
3rd round: Monk temporarily blinds the enemy archer with an eye gouge.
4th round: Monk breaks the enemy rogue's primary arm as the rogue was about to sneak up on his party's caster.
5th round: Monk chases down a fleeing enemy and takes the bad guy down with a single paralyzing strike.
High defenses mobility expert whose focus isn't on damage.Problem with this is that posing like a Power Ranger doesn't do much to the enemy in PF/D&D.
Monk is honestly the second most played class in my main group (I have no clue why), and that really has never been a problem in the 3 years we've been playing PF.
Except for that monk who decided he was always going to wear a basket over his head. He was mostly useless.
High defenses mobility expert whose focus isn't on damage.Problem with this is that posing like a Power Ranger doesn't do much to the enemy in PF/D&D.
Monk is honestly the second most played class in my main group (I have no clue why), and that really has never been a problem in the 3 years we've been playing PF.
Except for that monk who decided he was always going to wear a basket over his head. He was mostly useless.
I can see why that would be the case, but my point is that the monk has to have something effective built-in, not just assumed that the player will add. What I mean is, monks may be effective with maneuvers, but they do not get any automatically - they get the options of them, but not the maneuvers. Unarmed strike is only effective if you can ramp up either Strength or Dex, and get the best AoMF you can. If you don't do these things, and if you don't choose the maneuvers from your bonus feats...well, you may as well have a basket over your head.
On the flip side, the fighter's weapon training is automatic, as is the ranger's favoured enemy, the barbarian's rage, and the paladin's smite. Even with a klutz choice of feats and mediocre stats, these classes can function.