I know this may of been discussed before but I'd like a few opinions.
Getting ready to start a new home brew and we are all debating classes. I think I am going to give a monk a try (yeah, I am a sadist) and I have been debating a level dip. Ihave no illusions I would be on par with a fighter or anything. rally just looking for something different that is not totally terrible.
I am usually a single class guy so it's a little unnatural for me =)
I have been thinking of teo options...
A monk with a 1 level dip into sorc for Shield and Enlarge person. mage armor is also a possibility. Yes, need a buff round or two but this seems like it would help both survivability and damamge. With a 12 Chr I would get 4 lvl 1 spells.
I have also considered a more dual class Monk/Rogue to take advantage of precision damage. I've looked at the math and I am not sure it will really work well. maybe take the Rogue to 3 for an additional 2d6 precision damamge. Looks semi-effective when combined with Flurry.
I'd like some comments/feedback on the idea with the "ZOMG. MONKS ARE TOTAL FAIL" trolls please => Both seem OK on paper but I am nto sure they will play out well.
The Empyreal bloodline from Ultimate Magic lets you use Wisdom instead of Cha for all your spellcasting needs.
Well first of all if you want to do this I recommend taking a look at the Empyreal bloodline from ultimate magic. It would allow you to use wisdom instead of charisma for your sorc casting.
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A dip in Sorcerer can be very beneficial. I would recommend the Empyreal bloodline which lets you use Wisdom as your casting stat, so you don't have to worry about having a high Charisma. :-D
I've always wondered if the one level dip into sorc was worthwhile.
What you gain (Assuming you optimize with the Empyreal bloodline).
Hard Benefits
+2 Will
4x 0 level spells (consider touch of fatigue, detect magic, and light [if human] )
Shield Spell (4 AC for 1 minute)
Enlarge Person (Bigger fists, more strength, less AC, reach)
(The ability to cast either of those above in any combo 3x per day.)
A several times x day but 1x per person 1d4 healing ray...
Soft Benefits
+2 knowledge religion, +2 heal, and some new class skills in appraise, bluff, fly, intimidate , know arcana, spellcraft, and UMD.
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Assuming you go Monk at 1st for the 2 HP and Sorc at 2nd....
.. you do gain a spell that lasts a minute to give you reach and damage, but you slow down your own BAB/feat/unarmed damage/flurry progression.
(I wont mention the capstone simply because no one ever gets those anyway.)
I personally think your better off as a regular monk to be honest. You can replicate both of those boons from an allied spellcaster. You can also buy them lvl 1 pearls of power to make sure they keep the slot readied for you.
I like the idea of a monk sorcerer, if only because both feel like natural warriors and it gives a cool vibe to your character. That said, I think they solved that issue with the Quinggong Ki Monk.
If you really feel the need for real magic, I think splashing a Shaman Druid with a domain and not an animal companion will work better. It may not be the same feel, but lately my image of a druid is more Udyr or a Feral Druid from WoW instead of Grandpa in a green robe.
If you do this, you'll want Mage armor. It's hours, not minutes, and most importantly, can also be cast on others when needed, including familiars, animal companions, rescued princesses, etc.
Remember, you only really need a 12 CHA here. Or use Wisdom, which is just better. And double check, but I'm pretty sure you can be an Empyreal/ Quiggong monk.
A bit more information I should of included....
Currently, we are RAW only. So, no Bloodlines, etc... We may include some other books for this next run but we are still unsure. Most of our group is old school and a bit slow to adopt newer material.
My main point of decision was what 2 sorc spells. I had originally thought Shield/Mage Armor. After looking at it for a bit I deciced to go with Enlarge person for the Reach/Damage and picking up Combat reflexes at some point.
I figured a wand of mage armor is fairly inexpensive and becaue it is an hour per level it's much less situational. There is also the possibility of gettig Bracers of Armor at some point but noting will replace the "Shield" Spell for all intensive purposes.
Sorcerer bloodlines are a part of the Pathfinder core rulebook. Do you maybe mean to archtypes and class variants?
If so it's still perfectly fine, but I would recommend a 3 or 4 level dip as opposed to 1 at that point, as the versatility from multiple levels helps blunt the loss of immediate power.
Then my advice is to look at the bloodlines for sorcerers and find one that is conceptually fun. Screw the powergame.
After that, consider the spells..
Shield, Mage Armor, Enlarge Person, Magic Missile (better than a shuriken), True Strike (for assuring your stunning fists), Chill Touch or Shocking Grasp (Pre-load your damage. Cast the spell then move in for your punches. One of them gets a nice 4d6 damage boost. Chill touch spreads it out over 4 attacks and possibly does STR damage as well.)
AS for the 2nd level spell, there's a bunch of good ones. Ghoul Touch, Invis, Scorching Ray, Mirror Image, Darkness (and you take blind-feats), Blur, etc.
If you absolutely just want a 1 level sorc dip and nothing else, stick with Shield and Enlarge Person. Its more combat and still a net gain defensively. Just know that unless you have a high charisma you can only pull both off in one combat for the day.
Lesser meta magic rod of quicken, expensive for you, maybe. 1round for buffing, certainly... But I would buy pearls of power for your caster.
Then there is a ring of shield, and potions of Mage armor. And shield of faith maybe?
Cross blooded empyreal dragon monk! Dragon disciple PrC... Has this been done? Blow your wis through the roof, and you can keep up with sorc saves and monk-y goodness.
Go half elf with ancestral arms in an exotic monk reach weapon. Net your AoOs and step back to cast for a great action economy character.