Chain fighting Monk?

[zauriel56]

I was looking at the monk's vows and noticed the vow of chains, and thought "How cool would it be to have a monk that walked around with chains all over his body but could use them as a weapon?" Have him say his chains represent his cumbersome past, but he as learned to utilize it or something. Still working on the cool line. I'm just wondering what his build would be? I was think about a half-orc fighter with the chain fighter race trait and unarmed fighter archetype so he would have proficiency in it. Then take levels of monk, with combat expertise tree feats. This isn't meant to be optimized, just flavorful.

[Aazen]

Monk of the Empty Hand would strike me as the most useful.

[Kazaan]

Another option is Maneuver Master. Flurry of Maneuvers doesn't include the same "Monk weapon only" restriction that Flurry of Blows does so you can make a FoM with any weapon from chains to scythes to dwarven axes.

[Jaatu Bronzescale]

Half Orc:Chain Fighter racial trait would work along the same thematic line. grants flail and heavy flail proficiency, makes dire flail and spiked chain martial.

[lemeres]

Part of me wants to think of how to use these as improvised garrotes. Because there would have to be a reason someone wanted him chained up in the first place.

[Rashagar]

You can also take a level in cleric, worship zon-kuthon, and aim for the feat Crusader's Flurry. Would let you use flurry of blows with spiked chains.

[lemeres]

Here is an interesting feat for you: Cornugon Shield. You can get a +1 shield bonus (+2 when fighting defensively) with a spiked chain. Not much, but hey, monks can use every bit they can get, no?

[Mechanical Pear]

That is a neat concept.

Maneuver Master and Monk of the Empty Hand both alter Still Mind (or removes, whatever), and I believe you need Still Mind to pick up vows.

[lemeres]

Wait...would a spiked chain be treated as a quarterstaff if it was an improvised weapon? Weird...

Well, you could get that Crusader's Flurry feat by level 3 if you went monk, cleric, fighter (needed since you need both weapon focus, which you cannot take at level 1 with a 3/4 bab class, and another feat) I find that it tends to take until that level for the best monk themes can be actually used. Pity.

[blackbloodtroll]

Choose a Deity with the Spiked Chain as a favored weapon, take a single level Cleric Dip, take the Crusader's Flurry feat.

Flurry with Spiked Chain.

[Bertious]

Monk 2 Crusader Cleric of (god who's favored weapon you want) will net you crusders flurry at 3rd level due to the bonus weapon focus from crusader cleric.

[blackbloodtroll]

Zon-Kuthon, Nergal, Yhidothrus, and Vorasha all have the Spiked Chain as their favored weapon.