A Monk player who took the Vow of Poverty that I game with wants to be able to make "Kamehameha waves" at his enemies, and the GM thought it would be interesting to do for a sort of 'scaling' ability choice, since he will have a major excess of Ki. I looked through the book and there isn't really anything that pointed towards it (that fit what I wanted).
In other words, I want to develop a Ki Blast power for this Monk.
Now, I'm trying to configure some mechanics to propose to the GM on behalf of my Monk friend that are both cool, and fair. My first thought goes toward Breath Weapons and how they function in terms of Race Points, and I figured I could use that as a template to build off of.
A monk with this ability can spend 1 Ki point to perform a Ki Blast. This Ki Blast deals 1D6 points of Force damage against the first single creature in a 30 foot line. The creature may attempt a Reflex save to half the damage. The DC is equal to 10 + half the monk's level + his Wisdom modifier. This also allows for Spell Resistance, the Monk using his class level as his caster level for his Spell Penetration check. The Monk may spend more Ki points to increase the effectiveness of the Ki Blast in a number of ways:
-Empower Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to increase the damage dealt by 1 dice. This option can be applied multiple times.
-Intensify Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to intensify the blast's penetration, increasing the amount of creatures he can affect with his Ki Blast by 1. This option can be applied multiple times.
-Widen Blast: The monk may spend another 2 Ki points to widen the blast's area by 10 feet. For example, the Ki Blast becomes a 15 foot line instead of a 5 foot line. This option can be applied multiple times.
-Extend Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to double the range increment of the Ki Blast. This option can only be applied once.
-Alter Blast: The monk may spend another 2 Ki points to turn the Ki Blast into a cone with half of the distance of the line effect. For example, a 30 foot line becomes a 15 foot cone, a 60 foot line becomes a 30 foot cone, and so on. This option can only be applied once.
Performing a Ki Blast is a Standard Action, though a Ki Blast whose Ki point cost exceeds half of the Monk's Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1) requires a Full-Round Action to perform.
A monk with this ability increases the effectiveness of his Ki Blast. His Ki Blast damage increases to 1D8, he may apply the Extend Blast option twice, and he may alter the element of the Ki Blast to Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire damage for 1 Ki point. A monk must be 10th level and select the Ki Blast ability before selecting this ability.
A monk with this ability further increases the effectiveness of his Ki Blast. His Ki Blast damage increases to 1D10. Furthermore, the Widen and Alter Blast options cost only 1 Ki point to apply. Lastly, the Ki Blast treats creatures as if they do not possess the Evasion feature (though creatures that have Improved Evasion may still make a successful save for no damage). A monk must be 16th level, and select both the Ki Blast and Improved Ki Blast abilities before selecting this ability.
What do you guys think? Too powerful? Too weak? Too try-hard? Some critique and/or constructive criticism would be appreciated.
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Legendary games put out a PDF called Way of Ki, that has the Hadouken feat. it lets you do elemental fist damage at a range. I would reccomend that.
Blood Crow Strike is like a kamehameha. But you need to be level 14 in order to get it as a monk. Unchained monks can get qinggong powers, and there are other powers that are blasts, like Dragon's Breath and Discordant Blast.
Since they're spell-like abilities, they get free scaling with damage as the monk levels up. The Ki Blast you made up doesn't, your player would have to spend tons of ki just to put the blast's damage on par with an even level encounter. I think it's too weak.
My suggestion is to look at the other blast qinggong powers, and reflavor them as force rather than fire and water and whatnot.
Legendary games put out a PDF called Way of Ki, that has the Hadouken feat. it lets you do elemental fist damage at a range. I would reccomend that.
I looked at that feat, and for what it gives, the requirements and such for it are fairly high for a Monk. Not that many Monks have 13 or more Con unless they're built as a tank. Even then, they would rather invest in Wisdom or Strength/Dexterity than Constitution, ironically enough. On top of that, the effect isn't really that great (and it is actually missing text).
@ Castilonium: I tried to make it scale in regards to the Ki Powers, but a character who is a mastery of Ki is the only one who can really make use of this (which is fitting). As it stands, our 3rd level Monk friend has 6 Ki points currently, and he stands to gain 1 (or 2) Ki points each level, and that's not including Wisdom increases and such.
I mean, I could reduce the options needed to make it effective, such as the Intensify Blast, and that would reduce the amount of Ki Points needed to make it worth it by a significant amount.
I'd prefer not to just recycle spells, I'd rather make a unique ability for this sort of thing.
An unchained monk with VoP has a ki pool equal to half their class level + their wisdom modifier + their class level. Sounds like your level 3 monk has 14 wisdom. In order to deal 3d6 damage to a single foe within 30 feet, he'd have to spend half of his ki pool. Not a very impressive result for such a high investment.
Let's look at a level 20 version. Assuming the monk picks up a +6 headband of wisdom and reads a +5 tome, they'll have 10 ki from levels and 7 from wisdom, 20 ki from Vow of Poverty, and possibly 2 more from Extra Ki. 39 ki at level 20. In order to deal 20d10 damage to a single foe (no meta blasts applied), they will need to spend HALF of their ki pool and invest the selection of 3 ki powers. If he didn't have Vow of Poverty, it would be his entire pool. That's an average of 105 damage on a failed reflex save and 52 on a successful one. He's sacrificing the ability to have any wealth or magic items just to increase the number of paltry ki blasts he can do.
I hate to be harsh, but the math isn't on your side. This is very weak. And if you're trying to make this ability unique and distinguished from spells, it's not. It's just a blast spell with no free scaling that requires a lot of metamagic to resemble an actual blast spell.
Edit: Just remembered, he can't get a headband or a tome with Vow of Poverty. So he has 32 ki at level 20, not counting the Extra Ki feat.
Seems to me that this could fall into the same problems as psionics where characters tend to save their abilities and then go super nova and obliterate 1 enemy very hard, like the BBEG of the adventure or session. Idk maybe up the damage a little but put a cap on the number of points spent?
Seems to me that this could fall into the same problems as psionics where characters tend to save their abilities and then go super nova and obliterate 1 enemy very hard, like the BBEG of the adventure or session. Idk maybe up the damage a little but put a cap on the number of points spent?Thank you for pointing out another reason for my post. The Kineticist class has those elements factored in. Now given the rather emotional and charged remarks this may not sit well with everyone. I suggested that it be looked at simce that class establishes a baseline. If one wants to lower or exceed it via house rules that's up to them.
Did not think I had to break it down that far, but guess I was wrong and sorry for that. Hope this helps!
I don't know if you were addressing this at me, but there was no emotion [nor intended charge] in my response to you, I was simply curious if you had read the OP [some people reply to the title, others skim rather than read.]
The OP clearly states this ability is using the monk's extremely limited Ki Pool as its power source.
I was replying to this specifically
"since he will have a major excess of Ki"
Thankfully, this is still a WIP, and we still have a level to play with before this option becomes available, so we have time to fine-tune the tweaks.
A lot of the feedback I've gotten so far says that the damage scale for Ki Point investment seems too much, and looking back, they're right. So I removed the creature limitation features entirely, doubled the damage, and reduced the Widen Blast option to cost only 1 Ki point, though I restricted the damage dice increase to 20 dice total (this won't allow the Monk to 1-shot creatures). Alter Blast still remains at 2 Ki Points since I removed the creature restriction, making this option (now) a very powerful one to apply. I also made the Improved and Greater Ki Blasts function better, and added a Quickened Focus Ki power, allowing it to circumvent the "Requires Full Round Action" clause.
A monk with this ability can spend 1 Ki point to perform a Ki Blast. This Ki Blast deals 2D6 points of Force damage in a 30 foot line. Creatures may attempt a Reflex save to half the damage. The DC is equal to 10 + half the monk's level + his Wisdom modifier. This also allows for Spell Resistance, the Monk using his class level as his caster level for his Spell Penetration check. The Monk may spend more Ki points to increase the effectiveness of the Ki Blast in a number of ways:
-Empower Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to increase the damage dealt by 2 dice. This option can be applied multiple times. Each Ki Blast cannot use more than 20 damage dice.
-Widen Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to widen the blast's area by 10 feet. For example, the Ki Blast becomes a 15 foot line instead of a 5 foot line. This option can be applied multiple times, and can only be selected if the Ki Blast uses a line.
-Extend Blast: The monk may spend another Ki point to double the range increment of the Ki Blast. This option can only be applied once.
-Alter Blast: The monk may spend another 2 Ki points to turn the Ki Blast into a cone with half of the distance of the line effect. For example, a 30 foot line becomes a 15 foot cone, a 60 foot line becomes a 30 foot cone, and so on. This option can only be applied once.
Performing a Ki Blast is a Standard Action, though a Ki Blast whose Ki point cost exceeds half of the Monk's Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1) requires a Full-Round Action to perform.
A monk with this ability increases the effectiveness of his Ki Blast. His Ki Blast damage increases to 2D8, and he doubles the range increment of his Ki Blast (this stacks with the Extend Blast option). He may alter the element of the Ki Blast to Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire for 1 Ki point. Additionally, the monk adds his Wisdom modifier to damage for every 2 damage dice he rolls (this stacks with itself), and to Spell Penetration rolls. A monk must be 10th level and select the Ki Blast ability before selecting this ability.
A monk with this ability further increases the effectiveness of his Ki Blast. His Ki Blast damage increases to 2D10. Furthermore, the Monk must only spend 1 Ki point to apply the Alter Blast option. Lastly, the Ki Blast treats creatures as if they do not possess the Evasion feature (though creatures that have Improved Evasion may still make a successful save for no damage). A monk must be 16th level, and select both the Ki Blast and Improved Ki Blast abilities before selecting this ability.
A monk with this ability no longer needs to spend a Full-Round Action to perform a Ki Blast that costs Ki points more than half of his Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1). A monk must be 8th level and select the Ki Blast ability before selecting this ability.
Let me know what you guys think of the changes.
Still way too weak for its investment cost. A level 6 monk would have to spend 3 ki out of about 10 to deal 6d6 damage in a 30 foot line, while a level 6 sorcerer could do the same with Lightning Bolt in a 120 foot line. The only potential advantage ki blast has over lightning bolt is that the monk could dump all 10 ki points to have a 20d6 blast at level 6. But as the monk levels up, that advantage quickly diminishes and vanishes.
On another note, Alter Blast is pointless if Widen Blast exists. A 15x30 foot line is better than a 15 foot cone.
I think kyrt-ryder's suggestion is best.
Simple answer for your player right here.
Ki Blast: A Monk with this Ki Power can pay 1 ki point as a free action as part of a Flurry of Blows to shoot Ki Energy [Force] at a target within Close Range. These attacks deal damage as the Monk's Unarmed Attack, using the greater of Strength or Wisdom for bonus damage.
Kamehameha: A Monk with this Ki Power can pay 1 ki point as a Standard Action to shoot a blast of Ki at a target within Medium Range as a Ranged Touch Attack. This blast deals 1d6 damage per Monk Level.
By 'charging' the attack as a full round action, he can instead deal 2d4 per monk level.
Blast in tandem with flurry of blows is DBZ-like. Scaling damage makes it useful during the monk's entire career. Charging the blast as a full round action to increase damage is something right out of the show.
Still way too weak for its investment cost. A level 6 monk would have to spend 3 ki out of about 10 to deal 6d6 damage in a 30 foot line, while a level 6 sorcerer could do the same with Lightning Bolt in a 120 foot line. The only potential advantage ki blast has over lightning bolt is that the monk could dump all 10 ki points to have a 20d6 blast at level 6. But as the monk levels up, that advantage quickly diminishes and vanishes.
On another note, Alter Blast is pointless if Widen Blast exists. A 15x30 foot line is better than a 15 foot cone.
I think kyrt-ryder's suggestion is best.
It is relevant to note that for our game, we're using the Inherent Statistic leveling system from Unchained, so the Monk won't be missing out on stats any more than anyone else.
That's what the Improved and Greater Ki Blast powers are for; to keep it relevant throughout the levels. It's supposed to be an option, not a go-to, all-the-time activity like the Sorcerer's Lightning Bolt is. Lightning Bolt caps at 10D6, 15D6 if you want to Intensify it (which won't be extremely useful until endgame anyway). It costs even more for feats like Empower, Maximize, and Quicken, and if the Sorcerer is spending Metamagics on things like that, he might as well be using spells like Meteor Swarm, which provide even better damage scale, better range, better everything. Why does that stupid Sorcerer even have Lightning Bolt when Meteor Swarm is so much better? Because for the level, Lightning Bolt had its purpose. The same concept applies here.
That wasn't the intent I was wanting to get at, and that usefulness diminishes with increased range, but re-evaluating, it appears that too is in excess. So it seems I'll want to get rid of the Widen Blast option also, which can reduce the amount of Ki Points the Monk has to spend.
I mean, I could remove the 20 damage dice limitation, but a lot of damage (such as Falling Damage) doesn't exceed 20 dice, and I don't feel like breaking that RAI with this ability, though if people think it's too damn weak, I can remove that limitation.