I've been working diligently on a character who's concept I've fallen in love with - an Azata-blooded Aasimar Dervish of Dawn with a two level dip in Master of Many Styles to take the Crane Style line. What's got me torn is when to take the dip...
At the moment I'm staring at two side-by-side builds which use similar attributes and similar feats, but the feats are shuffled based on whether I take those two Monk levels at 2nd & 3rd or at 16th and 17th.
On the one hand, it seems like the ability to negate an attack every round and have superior overall defense from the start (Evasion, bump in saves, etc.) would be ideal, but on the other hand, not only does my accelerated advancedment through doubled-up bardic performance slow but so does my spell progression. I wonder if my defenses wouldn't be adequately tended by my getting earlier access to spells like Cat's Grace, Mirror Image, Blur, Dance of a Hundred Cuts, etc. and by the fact that I'd be better able to take down my foes.
The character is intended to be played 1st - 17th or so and will be the secondary frontline combatant, healer and face.
Early dip progression (2nd & 3rd):
Maestro of the Society
Magical Knack
Feats:
1st - Dervish Dance
1st - Dodge
2nd - Improved Unarmed Strike
2nd - Crane Style
3rd - Crane Wing
3rd - Skill Focus: Knowledge - Arcana
5th - Arcane Strike
7th - Eldritch Heritage: Arcane Bloodline (Arcane Bond)
9th - Weapon Focus: Scimitar
11th - Power Attack
13th - Crane Riposte
15th - Critical Focus
17th - Quicken Spell
19th - Staggering Critical
Later dip progression (16th & 17th):
Maestro of the Society
Indomitable Fatih
Feats:
1st - Dervish Dance
1st - Power Attack
3rd - Skill Focus: Knowledge - Arcana
5th - Arcane Strike
7th - Eldritch Heritage: Arcane Bloodline (Arcane Bond)
9th - Weapon Focus: Scimitar
11th - Dodge
13th - Critical Focus
15th - Quicken Spell
16th - Improved Unarmed Strike
16th - Crane Style
17th - Crane Wing
17th - Crane Riposte
19th - Staggering Critical
Part of me even questions the need for the dip if taken later, since I'll be able to cycle through Performance as a swift action to take advantage of Inspire Greatness and Inspire Heroics... but that Crane Riposte is so very nice.
I'm torn - early defense that pays dividends throughout the build or better offense and accelerated spell progression from start to finish?
I didn't look at the builds, but there is really no need to. I don't see the point in dipping into Monk at the very end of your campaign. If you dip at all, I'd do it as early as possible to benefit from the Crane Style feats. Really, you would only need a one level dip. The second level would just give you a free feat versus another level of performance and spellcasting. However, since you would have two medium bab classes, waiting to meet the bab prerequisites for the feats might also not be worth it. Still, if you are set on having the feats at all, I'd say do it as soon as possible.
Maybe no dip at all? You could just take the prereqs since you seem to be doing so anyway. You'd just have to wait to hit +5 BAB.
Either take the master of many styles to take advantage of not needing the prereqs or to use more than one style at once. Otherwise, couldn't you just dip fighter?
And I vote for the early dip proggresion
Note: You do not have to take dodge as a prereq for the master of many styles feats.
But I do have to take it eventually for Crane Riposte, don't I?
Maybe no dip at all? You could just take the prereqs since you seem to be doing so anyway. You'd just have to wait to hit +5 BAB.
Either take the master of many styles to take advantage of not needing the prereqs or to use more than one style at once. Otherwise, couldn't you just dip fighter?
Two levels of Monk gives me Improved Unarmed Strike as well as the two bonus feats needed for Style and Wing... I took Dodge so that I could eventually take Riposte.
Two levels of Fighter still wouldn't give me the feats I needed, but I am still considering it - Four levels of Fighter would do it, as well as opening up Weapon Specialization and, if I went Weaponmaster, Weapon Training at 3rd which in turn makes Gloves of Dueling a viable option.
I'm just trying to figure out how to order things and even if I should. I'm not really a fan of Bard spells after 4th level so I'm not worried about high-level spells, but do want to gain lower level spells as quickly as possible - ideally I'll have one good pre-combat buff, either Allegro, Cat's Grace or Dance of a Hundred Cuts available as I'm not expecting many opportunities to sit there before combat and layer spell upon spell on. Also the three Bardic Performances - Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness and Inspire Heroics - all have their benefits doubled and by 15th level (of Bard) I'll be able to flip through them with a swift action, full attacking with Courage (for instance) with a +8 attack/+8 damage buff and then switching to Inspire Heroics for a +8 AC/+8 saves before my turn ends, only to switch back when my turn begins the next round. Or I could regularly refresh Inspire Greatness to replenish 4d10+4 temporary hit points every round...
Perhaps I'm trying to do too much - what I'm trying to figure out is if the early and on-going benefits of Crane Wing (and Fighting Defensively) are worth putting off for multiple levels all of those other options.