Let's build a: Far Strike Monk!


Advice

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Alright, so the release of the Far Strike Monk surely comes as great news to many people, particularly that one guy wanting to make a Shuriken build.

So I've been looking at this and wondering how to best build it.

That I know of, it stacks with no other archetypes other than Qingqong,

Clearly, its main advantage over Zen Archer is access to Shot on the Run and early entry to the ki focus train, allowing for ranged Stunning Fists.

I was thinking that an interesting build would be to go full Wisdom with Ki Diversity, using Elemental Fist for extra damage and one of the Elemental Fist Styles to boost this. Probably Marid, as entanglement will allow you to kite enemies around easily.

Any ideas?

Scarab Sages

It's proficient in all thrown weapons, so I'm thinking an Aklys would work well. It's a 1d8 weapon, it has a thong so you don't need to carry a ton of them, and you can make trip attacks with it without a feat.

Also, the class modifies flurry so you can only flurry with thrown weapons, but it doesn't state you have to actually throw them. You could make a melee build around using trident, harpoon or other 1d8/x3 thrown weapon.


Damage dice don't matter, you can give it your unarmed strike damage.

That'd be a nice idea to make a Trident melee build!

Scarab Sages

Secret Wizard wrote:

Damage dice don't matter, you can give it your unarmed strike damage.

That'd be a nice idea to make a Trident melee build!

It costs ki to give it your unarmed damage, so it's not something you can have up all the time, even if you took ki leech with qinggong.

Grand Lodge

Holy Hell this archetype is amazing!

Grand Lodge

I would probably build something like this:
20pnt buy

Xb= Bonus Feat.
Xmb= Monk Bonus Feat
Xcb= Class-Fixed Bonus feat

Human
14,17,14,10,14,8

1. Close-Quarters Thrower
1b.Weapon Focus: Dagger
1mb.Dodge
1cb.Quick Draw
1cb. TWF*** (flurry of blows)
2. Point Blank Shot
3. Deadly Aim
4cb. Shot on the Run
5. Piranha Strike
6mb. Improved Precise Strike

Pretty much after this I see it being wide open. I would definitely take the river rat trait for +1 to dagger damage.


Imbicatus wrote:
Secret Wizard wrote:

Damage dice don't matter, you can give it your unarmed strike damage.

That'd be a nice idea to make a Trident melee build!

It costs ki to give it your unarmed damage, so it's not something you can have up all the time, even if you took ki leech with qinggong.

That's why I mentioned Ki Diversity and going with Wisdom rather than STR/DEX.

Quote:

I would probably build something like this:

20pnt buy

Xb= Bonus Feat.
Xmb= Monk Bonus Feat
Xcb= Class-Fixed Bonus feat

Human
14,17,14,10,14,8

1. Close-Quarters Thrower
1b.Weapon Focus: Dagger
1mb.Dodge
1cb.Quick Draw
1cb. TWF*** (flurry of blows)
2. Point Blank Shot
3. Deadly Aim
4cb. Shot on the Run
5. Piranha Strike
6mb. Improved Precise Strike

Pretty much after this I see it being wide open. I would definitely take the river rat trait for +1 to dagger damage.

I think that's alright but I'd rather see a full Strength build with Belt of Mighty Throwing and some Wis for AC and DCs?

You could probably go Two-Handed Thrower too.

Scarab Sages

You can't take weapon focus at one, you don't meet the BAB requirement. Also, by using daggers instead of shuriken, an akyls, or rope dart you are going to have problems with enchanting them. You'll need to eventually invest in a blinkback belt, which locks out stat enhancement belts.


Well, Greater Belt of Mighty Hurling has the STR-to-attack for thrown weapons AND adds returning AND grants a Strength bonus, so you eventually get the full monty.

That being said, a Rope Dart is a great option for sure.

Scarab Sages

The returning property is pretty terrible though. You have to stand still, and don't get the weapon back until the beginning of your next turn, so you still need to enchant multiple weapons.

The more I think about it, an Aklys, Rope Dart, or Suriken is almost mandatory once you get past level 5 unless you get a blinkback belt.

The best option IMO is be an aklys. The trip at range is a good option to mix into a flurry if you need it, and as a light melee weapon weapon you can enchant it with agile for Dex to Damage and you can go Dex/Wis without needing STR. It also leaves your belt slot open.


Seeing how you can only flurry of blows with monk weapons that only gives us Wushu Dart, Shuriken and Rope Dart as viable throwing options. Narrow choices.


Read the archetype son


Yeah, where?

Scarab Sages

Ranged tactics toolbox. Or here here.

Dark Archive

A 2 level Ninja Dip would actually be awesome because you could then grab flurry of stars to spend a swift action and a ki point(which you would get from cha, wis and +1/2 wis if you grabbed extra rogue talent(ki pool)) to get +2 shuriken and hasted with a ki spent you get your total attacks up to +16/+16/+16/+16/+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1 at 20th(das 11!) Albeit with pretty low attack bonus so you need good items and buffs to hit with all of them and do relevant damage.


You can't add WIS and CHA to ki pool, you can only pick one statistic. The ki pool is shared and you cannot double up on the extra attack.

Scarab Sages

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I just had another thought, slings are in the thrown weapon group and are considered thrown weapons. This might be a good option to build a halfling warslinger.

Dark Archive

Secret Wizard wrote:
You can't add WIS and CHA to ki pool, you can only pick one statistic. The ki pool is shared and you cannot double up on the extra attack.

I admit you're right about the Ki pool, which is unfortunate. I wasn't doubling up on the extra attack though, I'll lay out the attacks for you:

+16(Base)/+16(Flurry)/+16(Flurry of Stars)/+16(Flurry of Stars)/+16(Ki Point)/+16(Haste)/+11(base)/+11(Flurry)/+6(Base)/+6(Flurry)/+1(Base)

And I would build it other than the Ninja 2 dip for mobility, and stealth. With feats used to grab some cool ninja and rogue tricks like Kamikaze, and especially pressure points(if you can get sneak attack that's a lot of str or dex damage with all those attacks), shadow clone, vanishing trick, maybe snap shot. This archetype has awesome mobility, some of the best I'd say and using that in combination with stealth and invisibility could really throw opponents off(especially with the ability to throw shuriken around corners which is just plain cool)

Grand Lodge

Imbicatus wrote:
I just had another thought, slings are in the thrown weapon group and are considered thrown weapons. This might be a good option to build a halfling warslinger.

+10 on this. That has been a dream of mine for years now.


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Though pricy, a dagger of doubling seems like a good investment. Works well with the river rat trait and Pharasma's deific obedience.

I think one of my next characters will be a sylph far strike monk with the racial feat which grants flight (based on her monk-enhanced land speed!), a dagger of doubling and the Unfolding Wind style chain from Inner Sea Combat (great for a thrower, though feat intensive!).


Imbicatus wrote:
I just had another thought, slings are in the thrown weapon group and are considered thrown weapons. This might be a good option to build a halfling warslinger.

They're in the weapon group, but is that the same thing as saying that they're a thrown weapon?


Nope. Not a thrown weapon.

"Thrown Weapons: Daggers, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, and nets are examples of thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons)."

"Projectile Weapons: Blowguns, crossbows, shortbows, slings, longbows, and halfling sling staves are examples of projectile weapons—weapons that launch ammunition at a target. Most projectile weapons require two hands to use (see specific weapon descriptions). A character cannot apply his Strength modifier on damage rolls with a projectile weapon unless it's a sling or a specially built composite shortbow or composite longbow. If the character has a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when she uses a bow or a sling."

It's a shame. It would have been quite a fun idea. Some GM's in home games might allow it anyway.

Grand Lodge

Two-Handed Thrower, Spear Chucking Far Strike Monk sounds pretty cool.

Scarab Sages

Avoron wrote:

Nope. Not a thrown weapon.

"Thrown Weapons: Daggers, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, and nets are examples of thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons)."

"Projectile Weapons: Blowguns, crossbows, shortbows, slings, longbows, and halfling sling staves are examples of projectile weapons—weapons that launch ammunition at a target. Most projectile weapons require two hands to use (see specific weapon descriptions). A character cannot apply his Strength modifier on damage rolls with a projectile weapon unless it's a sling or a specially built composite shortbow or composite longbow. If the character has a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when she uses a bow or a sling."

It's a shame. It would have been quite a fun idea. Some GM's in home games might allow it anyway.

Are you sure?

Strength (Str)

Strength measures muscle and physical power. This ability is important for those who engage in hand-to-hand (or “melee”) combat, such as fighters, monks, paladins, and some rangers. Strength also sets the maximum amount of weight your character can carry. A character with a Strength score of 0 is too weak to move in any way and is unconscious. Some creatures do not possess a Strength score and have no modifier at all to Strength-based skills or checks.

You apply your character's Strength modifier to:

Melee attack rolls.
Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon, including a sling. (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only half the character's Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive 1–1/2 times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
Climb and Swim checks.
Strength checks (for breaking down doors and the like).


Net and trident. 'Nuff said.


It seems that the general rule is that slings are projectile weapons, not thrown weapons, and the specific rule is that slings count as thrown weapons for the purpose of adding your strength modifier to damage.


Imbicatus wrote:
I just had another thought, slings are in the thrown weapon group and are considered thrown weapons. This might be a good option to build a halfling warslinger.

The biggest problem with that is this FAQ. Because of the wording here and the wording used in both Ammo Drop and Juggle Load, there's not currently any RAW way to reload a halfling sling staff as less than a move action. (Rapid Reload only works with crossbows.)

Before you invest too much time in that particular build, just make sure ask your GM whether you can reload a sling staff more than once a round.

Then there's the whole "thrown vs projectile" weapon issue. The are described as projectile weapons, but then they're included in the thrown group for weapon training.
If slings and sling staves are thrown weapons, then you can use Close Quarters Thrower to avoid provoking in combat, and they have a max range of 5 x Range Increment. If they're projectile weapons, then you need Point Blank Master to avoid provoking in combat (which requires 4 levels of Fighter or 2 levels of Ranger), and they have a max range of 10 x Range Increment.

Grand Lodge

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You could just throw Clubs.

Cheapest thrown weapon in the game.


blackbloodtroll wrote:

You could just throw Clubs.

Cheapest thrown weapon in the game.

Wooden stakes! ;)

Contributor

Avoron wrote:
It seems that the general rule is that slings are projectile weapons, not thrown weapons, and the specific rule is that slings count as thrown weapons for the purpose of adding your strength modifier to damage.

That may be true, but slings are in the thrown weapon group, which means the monk is proficient with them.

Silver Crusade

What about throwing bolts? It says in the feat Throw Back Arrows that you can throw back caught bolts so can a monk throw bolts? I'm wondering because if you use Splitting Bolts you would do a lot of damage the more creatures there are attacking. I think you can even make the bolts so they don't break and can be reused.


I have this urge to make a goblin far strike monk with the Burn! Burn! Burn! and Concentrate Splash Weapon feats. It'd need a couple of levels in underground chemist rogue to be able to flurry alchemists fire.

Is this urge insane? If so, is it insane in a good way or a sad way?


throw anything makes everything throwable xD

Chakram and bolas (and potentially spiked bolas) are something I sooo want..

this will be a very dipable or straight up class I might go for.. probably dip as i'm a utility fiend


Could you synergize this with the Rock Throwing Stone Oracle ability? :)

Silver Crusade

Can you weapon focus and weapon specialize in Bolt?

Grand Lodge

poundpuppy30 wrote:
Can you weapon focus and weapon specialize in Bolt?

Not without a two level dip into Ranger.


Hmm... what about mixing it with Alchemist?

Sovereign Court

Can a Far Strike Monk Flurry of Blows with Two-Handed Thrower? Does Two-Handed Thrower override the FoB text?

Two-Handed Thrower wrote:

You hurl weapons with both hands and with great force, sometimes using a whirling technique to send your weapon flying through the air at tremendous speeds.

Prerequisites: Str 15.

Benefit: Whenever you use two hands to throw a one-handed or two-handed weapon, you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus. Using two hands to throw any weapon requires only a standard action for you. If you also have the Quick Draw feat, you can throw two-handed weapons at your full normal rate of attacks.

Normal: You add your Strength bonus on thrown weapon damage, regardless of available hands. Throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action.

Flurry of Blows wrote:
A monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands.


I'm going to assume FoB overrides it, considering there are pretty much 0 ways to get 1.5 STR to FoB aside from Dragon Style, and even then it's limited and weird with Ferocity.


Frosty Ace wrote:
I'm going to assume FoB overrides it, considering there are pretty much 0 ways to get 1.5 STR to FoB aside from Dragon Style, and even then it's limited and weird with Ferocity.

The text isn't substantially different between the feats. I don't see how one would work and the other not.

"Whenever you use two hands to throw a one-handed or two-handed weapon, you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus."

"Further, you can add 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus on the damage roll for your first unarmed strike on a given round."

Neither mentions flurry...


a FS Monk can only FoB with Thrown Weapons only. If your GM allows other weapons to be thrown by you with appropriate feats like Throw Anything to do a FoB in a bar room with mugs of ale or Two-Handed Thrower to hurl a Greataxe or something it's up to him.

But no, Two-Handed Thrower wouldn't override the FS Monk's FoB strength bonus up to 1.5x, it's just one of the up/downsides to FoB.

Scarab Sages

Eigengrau wrote:

a FS Monk can only FoB with Thrown Weapons only. If your GM allows other weapons to be thrown by you with appropriate feats like Throw Anything to do a FoB in a bar room with mugs of ale or Two-Handed Thrower to hurl a Greataxe or something it's up to him.

But no, Two-Handed Thrower wouldn't override the FS Monk's FoB strength bonus up to 1.5x, it's just one of the up/downsides to FoB.

There are thrown weapons that are two-handed. The Spear for example.


Imbicatus wrote:
Eigengrau wrote:

a FS Monk can only FoB with Thrown Weapons only. If your GM allows other weapons to be thrown by you with appropriate feats like Throw Anything to do a FoB in a bar room with mugs of ale or Two-Handed Thrower to hurl a Greataxe or something it's up to him.

But no, Two-Handed Thrower wouldn't override the FS Monk's FoB strength bonus up to 1.5x, it's just one of the up/downsides to FoB.

There are thrown weapons that are two-handed. The Spear for example.

Yes, I know, that's why I mentioned a non-thrown weapon that was 2-handed. A FS Monk can't just throw any weapon and call it a thrown weapon for FoB purposes.


How about a greatsword with the throwing enchant ;)


graystone wrote:
How about a greatsword with the throwing enchant ;)

Possibly but you wouldn't be doing it every round.


As a random, nebulous concept, how does a viking half orc Fighter with Orc Fury Style sound? That's a lot of bang for your intimidating buck.


Frosty Ace wrote:
As a random, nebulous concept, how does a viking half orc Fighter with Orc Fury Style sound? That's a lot of bang for your intimidating buck.

Depends heavily on the campaign/adventure path. In many, an Intimidation Deity character will wreak havoc. In a few ... not so much.


Frosty Ace wrote:
As a random, nebulous concept, how does a viking half orc Fighter with Orc Fury Style sound? That's a lot of bang for your intimidating buck.

Oops. Wrong topic. Hahah

Grand Lodge

Tank INT, grab Throw Anything, and use sling staffs as your thrown weapons.

Instructions unclear, works anyway.


Well, since I absent mindedly bumped this topic and have this Archetype on my brain , any thoughts on getting Ace Trip at level 2? It offers a nice level of utility, but pushes to much back when I think about it.

Have an idea for the character's build. Feedback​ is appreciated. I'm imagining a human would look something like this

20PB:
Str:14
Dex:16+2
Con:12
Int:10
Wis:15 (Bump at 4)
Chr:07

Feats:

Lvl1: Distance Thrower
Lvl1 Monk bonus: Far Shot
Human Freebie: Precise Shot
Far Strike freebie: Quick Draw
Lvl2: Point Blank Shot
Lvl3: Weapon Focus (???)
Lvl5: Iron Will (Filler really)
Lvl6 Monk Bonus: Improved Precise Shot
Lvl7: Martial Focus
Lvl9: Ricochet Toss

Don't have anything else. The idea is to always be throwing. Level 1 has you throwing Shuriken 30 ft, Spears at 60 ft and Chakrams at 90 ft with no penalty. One more penalty is only one hit to accuracy.

The goal is the get a baller chakram and harpoon/trident/spear (For CQC). Thinking about perhaps another race (Half orc or Dwarf) for save purposes. I'd forgo PBS for Far Shot in that case. A Dwarf could grab steel soul at 5 actually. Less Dex (1 point till 4) for better con and way better save.

Dwarf PB:
Str:14
Dex:17
Con:12+2
Int: 10
Wis:14+2
Chr:07-2

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