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Hi!
I am building an Unchained Monk, straight up. I'd like some advice on which Feats to take at 1st level.
The character is human,a nd is more STR heavy:
16 STR
14 DEX
14 CON
12 INT
14 WIS
8 CHA
The PC is now 2nd level, and since this is PFS I can retrain anything. Should I sacrifice some CON for extra STR? I am not interested in dropping INT.
I am not interested in "old monk" archetypes currently, and I am not planning to buy the ACG, so brawler is not a choice either.
Right now I have a +5 to hit at level 2. Maybe Weapon Focus? Toughness if I lower CON?
Any ways to bump AC outside wands of mage armor? I could take a caster level (magus?) and get access to shield sacrificing some BAB...
I want a strong build (not hyper-optimized) that draws on as few books as possible, though I can use CRB, APG, UC and Unchained as my "primary" choices.
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Unchained monks need exactly two stats: Str and Wis (unless they're trying for a Dex build). These, however, they need as much as they can get of. If you have access to the Advanced Race Guide, I'd recommend using the dual talented human race option and move your stats around like so: Str 15 (+2 racial), Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 14 (+2 racial), Cha 8. If you don't have the ARG, then I'd rearrange to end up (after mods) at Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 8.
Dodge is a good generic monk bonus feat, and Toughness will help with hit points, but you can skip it if you want to (put your favored class bonus in your hit points for sure, though). Snapping Turtle Style can get you a shield bonus to AC, but in general Strength-focused monks will likely want Dragon Style, so that might not be a good long-term solution for you. If you're planning to grapple, on the other hand, it will work better.
Either way, you'll want Ultimate Magic, for access to the qinggong ki powers, specifically barkskin as a spell-like. You have to wait til 4th level to get it, but it'll take care of most of your AC concerns all by itself.
If you are going to multiclass, 1 level of kensai magus (especially for a weapon-monk) would be pretty valuable, giving you +1 AC, shield, Weapon Focus and wand access to several other spells, plus the arcana pool for limited weapon-buffing.
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Well, considering Unchained monks can get 1.5 str while flurrying, I would say an 18 in str is something you should build around if you're not going with a dex build. A level in an arcane casting class is nice at low level before you can reliably use UMD, with mage armor, shield and enlarge person being some clear choices for spells known.
Also, if you're not going with an unnarmed monk, I'd strongly consider the 7 branch sword. While enlarged you'll be dealing 2d8 plus 1.5 str plus maybe power attack for a likely ~15-18 damage, twice a round while flurrying.
Agreed on Dual Talent.
You will have lower accuracy, but your several iteratives will make up for it.
Get a Ki Focus weapon so you can use the extra Flurry of Blows attacks with it, ASAP. I recommend using the Sansetsukuon.
If you go with a 2H weapon or 1H in two hands, get the Crane Style line so you can boost your defenses drastically.
If you go with unarmed strikes, Dragon Style is your friend.
Thanks for the input!
I don't have the ARG, but if I got it I could build a tengu like I've been wanting to. Dual Talent is powerful.
As for building towards high STR and WIS, that's definitely my intention. Would ideally put all my stat advancements there and focus on items to boost them.
Mostly interested in going unarmed, but will carry weapons to deal with DR issues at lower levels. I've looked at Dragon Style, and it seems like a solid line.
As for Ultimate Magic, that's another one I'd have to buy, but it's high on my list since I also want to play a full magus at some point.
Must you take the Qinggong archetype to use those ki powers, or can they be selected normally? Not that taking the archetype should be a problem for the Unchained Monk, though many other archetypes famously don't work that with it.
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Unchained monks have access to the qinggong monk powers as ki powers automatically - I guess you could say that every unchained monk is a qinggong monk, more or less. However, I'm pretty sure that PFS requires you to have UM to use options from it, even if they "come from" a different book, like Unchained.