Yep, don't want to get on your nervs but I made some thoughts about the monk. My main thing was, that it's stupid to say, that the monk is sooo supernatural. In my opinion a monk seeks inner balance of body, mind and soul and the universe and god and so on. So his Ki-Pool should represent this balance and using Ki points should mean to disturb this. So I changed the Ki Pool and meanlined the monk feats. I don't know how to get a table in here, so at first here are the descriptions of the changed stuff. Deleted are: Still mind, purity of body, wholeness of body diamond body, diamond soul, timeless body.
I took some aspects of Dabblers rework of the monk: http://www.mediafire.com/view/rk8z6uuw061zb0p/Monk%20Amendments.pdf.
Some feats are on different level now, I will make a Google document, where you will see everything. For now, here are the new/changed feats!
The insight bonus mentioned above is equal to the AC bonus!!!
Thank you for comments!
The reworked Monk
Unarmed Strike
The same as Errata +
A monk’s unarmed strike treats the hardness or damage resistance (of any type) of a target as less by one point for every level of monk the character possesses.
Bonus Feat
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list:
Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Gorgon's Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.
At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Improved Critical, Medusa's Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.
He can also choose a combat style feat of his choise.
A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Ki-Pool
At 2th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, indicator of the monk's training in discovering the secret of live. It represents the ability of the monk to hold his inner balance of body, mind and soul. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to his monk level + his Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least a number of Ki-Points equal to his wisdom modifier he is able to use his inner power to get effects represented in the abilities Diamond Body, Diamond Mind and Diamond Soul (see below).
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike (see below).
If needed, he can leave his status of great inner balance, he can let his supernatural energy outburst to accomplish amazing feats.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can do one of the following:
Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus, or
Increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round, or
Give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Ki-strike
A monk uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.
A monk may choose to use their Wisdom bonus rather than their strength or dexterity bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike.
Greater Ki-strike
At 5th level the monk adds his insight bonus to attack and damage throws as from the spell greater magic fang.
Diamond Body
At 4th level a monk gets an insight bonus as seen in the table: The monk to every throw for a skill with the DEX or WIS modifier. He adds his WIS modifier and his insight bonus on saving throws against poison, deseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, and magic aging.
Diamond Mind
At 8th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance. This resistance can be stopped as a free action and reentered as a swift action.
Diamond Soul
At 12th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds and ability damage as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to his double monk level by using 1 points from his ki pool. He can heal 1 ability point equal to 1/3 of his monk level by using 2 points from his ki pool.
Think of it as an early alpha version!!
Here is the Link to the PDF with the very first version of the table:
Monk overhaul
As long as he has at least a number of Ki-Points equal to his wisdom modifier he is able to use his inner power to get effects represented in the abilities Diamond Body, Diamond Mind and Diamond Soul (see below).
Most abilities get better with higher stat modifiers. The way this is worded you actually hurt yourself a little bit with a higher wisdom modifier. You essentially gain an extra ki point that can't be used or your abilities turn off.
Ki-strike
A monk uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.
A monk may choose to use their Wisdom bonus rather than their strength or dexterity bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike.
Ah. A mandatory two level dip into monk for any melee class. Turns wisdom into a super stat. Gives plus to hit, damage, AC, will saves, and all that stuff from Diamond Body (though diamond body is a fourth level ability to be fair).
Might want to rethink this. The way to fix the monk is to lessen MAD, but you've almost totally eliminated it and gone too far. Not to mention the level dipping for all the great effects. You can do two levels as this monk and then break off to the class you want to play.
1. Yeah, I thought a lot about the Ki-Point-thing. I guess it's okay though because you should think about it as a emergency reserve. After all it's a fluff and atmosphere thing, because don't forget you get your whole monk levels added to Ki-points, not the half. So it should not be often that one harms the last points available.
So for example Lvl 4, let's imagine you have a WIS-mod of 3. A normal monk will have 3+2 Ki-Points, to bypass DR he should only use 4. With my monk he will have 3+4 Ki-Points, where 3 should remain, so he should use 4. And he has his emergency reserve, for example, the enemy has just view HP left, but the monk also, so he gives up his bonus to skills and rescue throws to make the additional attack, that he can also use without the flurry, so higher attack. It's a bit dramatic and so as mentioned more fluff than anything else. But a nice monk-ish flavor, in my opinion!
2. Yeah true! Maybe I remove the WIS-possibility, so the monk remains on 2 Abilitys in general, DEX and WIS.
1. Yeah, I thought a lot about the Ki-Point-thing. I guess it's okay though because you should think about it as a emergency reserve. After all it's a fluff and atmosphere thing, because don't forget you get your whole monk levels added to Ki-points, not the half. So it should not be often that one harms the last points available.
So for example Lvl 4, let's imagine you have a WIS-mod of 3. A normal monk will have 3+2 Ki-Points, to bypass DR he should only use 4. With my monk he will have 3+4 Ki-Points, where 3 should remain, so he should use 4. And he has his emergency reserve, for example, the enemy has just view HP left, but the monk also, so he gives up his bonus to skills and rescue throws to make the additional attack, that he can also use without the flurry, so higher attack. It's a bit dramatic and so as mentioned more fluff than anything else. But a nice monk-ish flavor, in my opinion!2. Yeah true! Maybe I remove the WIS-possibility, so the monk remains on 2 Abilitys in general, DEX and WIS.
Honestly, I'm starting to think the monk can't be fixed. It's fundamentally broken. The way that stats work in Pathfinder hurt it at every level. Every stat, except Cha, has so many factors tied into them. When you add class features that change the primary function of a stat it creates a ripple effect through the whole game.
If you power it up altogether then it becomes a class that people will only want to dip into for a level or two. If you grant bonuses to fix it at higher levels then those early levels are going to suck. There's just not a good, clean work around.
The class needs to be redesigned from the ground up, but it has so many 'sacred cows'. If you pull the focus from Wis then people will complain about it losing the spiritual flavor. If you pull focus from Dex then what happens with it's AC, reflex saves, and initiative? Not to mention all the problems with unarmed strikes.
I think the whole Martial System needs an overhaul then!
It's true that the whole discussion about Martials not doin' great stuff and Wizards and guys are God-like makes me also tired. Added to that the many threads about "Monk is not doin' damage, and ain't doin something right overall" and "rogues are so completely useless because who cares about skills" will not be fixed if whe stay at the d20 system, except it is changed to it's basics. Go through the forums and collect all great stuff that fans have as homebrew ideas, it will be tons. Why not make a poll about the most important changes to system that would make it balanced? I guess Paizo would get a huge sympathy boost if they make the game a bit more community based!
Looking through this, some comments:
Ki-Pool
At 2th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, indicator of the monk's training in discovering the secret of live. It represents the ability of the monk to hold his inner balance of body, mind and soul. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to his monk level + his Wisdom modifier.
As long as he has at least a number of Ki-Points equal to his wisdom modifier he is able to use his inner power to get effects represented in the abilities Diamond Body, Diamond Mind and Diamond Soul (see below).
As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike (see below).
If needed, he can leave his status of great inner balance, he can let his supernatural energy outburst to accomplish amazing feats.By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can do one of the following:
Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus, or
Increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round, or
Give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
It's a big change, having this available at 2nd level. I don't have a problem with it, just pointing out that this is not a simple tweak that is easy to impose on the monk.
Ki-strike
A monk uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.
A monk may choose to use their Wisdom bonus rather than their strength or dexterity bonus for attacks made with special monk weapons, combat maneuvers, or with the monk’s unarmed strike.
I like this. Using monk level instead of 3/4 BAB for monk weapons is a good move. I think some thought should be given to flurry of blows given this change.
Greater Ki-strike
At 5th level the monk adds his insight bonus to attack and damage throws as from the spell greater magic fang.
Problem with this is, he's always going to be +1 behind everyone else. By 16th level everyone will have a +5 weapon, this monk will have a +4 weapon. Otherwise, pretty simple and easy to apply.
Diamond Body
At 4th level a monk gets an insight bonus as seen in the table: The monk to every throw for a skill with the DEX or WIS modifier. He adds his WIS modifier and his insight bonus on saving throws against poison, deseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, and magic aging.
I like this way of doing Diamond Body. I think it's a lot for 4th level though.
Diamond Mind
At 8th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance. This resistance can be stopped as a free action and reentered as a swift action.
With saves boosted, do you need SR at all?
Diamond Soul
At 12th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds and ability damage as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to his double monk level by using 1 points from his ki pool. He can heal 1 ability point equal to 1/3 of his monk level by using 2 points from his ki pool.
I like that this now heals ability score damage. I think it should be available as a swift action, though.