| 7 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hi, there, Paizo!
I'm writing here to please ask for Ascetic Style to be subject to errata or PFS clarification so it can function as its creator intended and reinstated into PFS, in the following manner:
Choose one weapon with the monk weapon quality. While using this style and wielding the chosen weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects from feats that augment an unarmed strike, as if attacks with the weapon were unarmed attacks.
The necessary errata was bolded.
The reason why this would be extremely welcome is that, while Unchained Monks are a great addition to the game, they have lots of barriers preventing them from using them any monk weapons primarily - namely, reliance on unarmed attacks for Style Strikes and their extra attacks granted by spending ki.
Ascetic Style provides much needed build variety and allows fulfilling typical martial arts fantasies as the bo staff-twirling or jian-dancing mystic.
I think that this changed version of the feat - which doesn't benefit from the likes of the Brawling enhancement or immediately obtain unarmed damage dice on a weapon - would not just be desirable, but also quite balanced.
The change from making its use focused from weapons in the monk fighter weapon group to weapons with the monk weapon quality prevents abuse of monk group weapons with 18-20/2x critical like the urumi.
Comparing an Ascetic Style Monk from a typical Dragon Style Monk, you can see that neither has a major advantage over the other (if anything, the Dragon Style Monk may be a bit ahead in most departments other than crit).
Here is a handy comparison:
Dragon Monk
- 2x STR added on first attack, 1.5x STR added on the rest
- Full unarmed damage dice
- 19-20/2x crit after Imp. Critical
- Other bonuses (charge stuff, bonus to saves, shaken on crit/Stunning Fist use)
- Takes 2 feats to fulfill, complete by level 5.
Ascetic Monk
- 1.5x STR
- Unarmed damage dice -4 or weapon dice. Worst case scenario it's 1d10 base, meaning it has an advantage on dice during early game only.
- 17-20/2x crit with a close quarters weapon, or 19-20/3x crit with a reach one, after Imp. Critical.
- Other very minor bonuses (reach at the cost of worse crit, perhaps a weapon quality)
- Takes 3 feats to fulfill, locks you in on Weapon Focus, complete by level 7.
Please, give this change consideration.
Thank you for your time + attention.
You should post this in PFS general discussion also.
I don't think the monk fighter weapon group is in error. It's a weapon style, and those are meant to work with the fighter weapons groups, not just weapons with a certain quality.
I'd say that the error is putting the Urumi in the Monk Fighter Weapon Group then.
|
I for one look forward to using my Dan Bong as a piercing weapon with Snake Style and my Master of Many Styles. I'm not sure how that would work or if that's why Ascetic Style is not available in PFS but it sounds like a fun combo with Hamatula Strike.
I think the problem is there are so many feats that use IUS as a pre-req that there are some broken combos out there.