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Hello fellow gamers!
Since the release of the ACG [and more specifically, their Brawler class], I have been thinking about how a martial class could use being designed towards something other than standing still and doing as much HP damage as physically possible. Especially the monk, who despite being the 1 class in the game who is arguably the worst when he moves is flavored to be a mobile combatant. So, after a bit of thinking, I came up with the
Focused Strike:A Focused Striker has trained to spot his gaps in his opponent's defenses gains a +1 on attack and damage rolls, and to the DC of his Stunning Fist feat whenever he makes a single attack, as opposed to a full attack. At 6th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, he gains another +1 on attack and damage. In addition, at 4th level he gains the Exploit Weakness ability like a Martial Artist, but may not increase his AC with this ability. This ability replace Flurry of Blows
Maneuvering Strike:A Focused Striker gains any Improved Combat Maneuver feat at first and 2nd level without needing to meet the prerequisite. He also is treated as having the Combat Expertise feat and an Intelligence Score of 13 for the purpose of qualifying for any combat feats. In addition, from 4th on, he may make any 1 combat maneuver he possess the Improved Combat Maneuver feat any time he does damage to a target with his Focused Strike class feature. This ability replaces the Monk Bonus feats gained at levels 1 and 2.
Ki Pool:A Focused Striker may spend 1 Ki point as a swift action to gain an additional +2 attack and damage rolls. This ability replaces the ability to gain an additional attack in Flurry of Blows.
Versatile Strike:A Focused Striker has trained himself to do as much as possible with each blow. He gains the feats Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, and Greater Vital Strike at levels 6, 11, and 16 respectively. In addition, he may combine Vital Strike with any ability he has that makes a single attack roll and uses a standard action or full round action [such as using the Scorpion Style feat or making a Charge]. At 11th level, a Focused Striker may combine 2 effects that require a standard action and a full round action into the same one [such as Combining the Scorpion Style feat and a Charge] with each other. When doing so, he uses the longest action time spent [a full round action in the case of using Scorpion Style and Charging]. The number of abilities effected increases by 1 for every 5 levels after 11 the Focused Striker possesses, and may always be combined with Vital Strike. This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 6th level and every 4 levels after that.
It looks interesting and I'll take a more careful look after dinner.
Quick comment though: the BAB bit is awkward.
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It looks interesting and I'll take a more careful look after dinner.
Quick comment though: the BAB bit is awkward.
Yeah, I'm thinking about a way to re-word it. I'd just give it full BAB, but I don't want this to turn out to simply be better off full attacking each round, because that is just plain boring and uncreative. Perhaps like this:
Base Attack Bonus:A Focused Striker's BAB is equal to his class level, but unlike normal, he only gains additional attacks at levels 8 and 15, instead of at 6, 11, and 15. This replaces the normal Base Attack Bonus advancement. For the purposes of attacks gained through multiclassing, treat the Base Attack Bonus as that of a normal monk.
I'd suggest using the following for Focused Strike:
Focused Strike: A Focused Striker has trained to spot his gaps in his opponent's defenses. As a standard action, a focused striker may deliver a single melee attack using his monk level in place of his base attack bonus. A monk may add half his monk level (minimum 1) to the damage dealt by a focused strike.
Additionally, the monk gains a bonus on Sense Motive checks and Reflex saves against that opponent equal to 1/2 his monk level until the start of his next turn.
I'll have to think more about the rest of it, but hope that helps and if not, at least inspires.=)
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I'd suggest using the following for Focused Strike:
Focused Strike: A Focused Striker has trained to spot his gaps in his opponent's defenses. As a standard action, a focused striker may deliver a single melee attack using his monk level in place of his base attack bonus. A monk may add half his monk level (minimum 1) to the damage dealt by a focused strike.
Additionally, the monk gains a bonus on Sense Motive checks and Reflex saves against that opponent equal to 1/2 his monk level until the start of his next turn.I'll have to think more about the rest of it, but hope that helps and if not, at least inspires.=)
Interesting. I think I'll build off of that like this:
Focused Strike: A Focused Striker has trained to spot gaps in his opponent's defenses. As a standard action, a focused striker may deliver a single melee attack adding 1/4 his monk level to attack and damage[minimum 1], and to the DC of his stunning fist. Additionally, the monk gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his monk level on Sense Motive checks and Reflex saves until the start of his next turn. At 6th level, he gains the Exploit Weaknesses ability of a Martial Artist, but may only do so as part of a Focused Strike, and can use it as a free or swift action. The bonuses from Focused strike apply to any additional ability that requires an attack roll [such as the Combat Maneuver from Maneuvering Strike]. This ability replaces Flurry of Blows.
I really want to give the Exploit Weaknesses ability because it is incredibly fitting thematically, and pretty nice mechanically. I also want to add to the DC of stunning fist and to attack rolls to help fix the monk's problem with hitting things and succeeding on Stunning Fist, since SF is one of the big effects the Focused Striker can add onto an attack, and unlike a normal monk, Focused Strikers only get 1 shot per round, instead of 2-8 of them. I still get a feeling like I might need to remove something else, but am unsure as to what.
The Rogue could also use this kind of mechanics. He is more efficient when full-attacking...but need to flank to use his main damage ability. This is the same problem : built to use mobility, but only efficient when standing still.
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The Rogue could also use this kind of mechanics. He is more efficient when full-attacking...but need to flank to use his main damage ability. This is the same problem : built to use mobility, but only efficient when standing still.
Interesting. How does this sound?
All the abilities fit together in a clumsy way. I've seen homebrew monk archetypes before that replaced flurry of blows with the vital strike series.