You can increase your defense at the expense of your accuracy.
Prerequisite: Int 13.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the dodge bonus increases by +1. You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon. The effects of this feat last until your next turn.
Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action.
When doing so, he may make one additional attack, taking a –2 penalty on all of his attack rolls, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (he does not need to use two weapons to utilize this ability).
For the purpose of these attacks, the monk’s base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.
At 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows, as if using Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows, as if using Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
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. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.
Unarmed Strike
At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown above on Table: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table: Monk are for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.
I understand generally as a rule bonuses of the same type do not stack. This is repeatedly mentioned in the core rule book around the effects of magic.
As an extension of this bonuses from the same sources do not stack unless otherwise stated.
However the "Dodge" bonus is specified to "always" stack under the description of "Mobility" feat in the Core rulebook.
With a disagreement on the bounds of these general limitations a friend of mine is building monk for an upcoming game using the following logic:
- "Combat Expertise states it can be activated when 'you declare that you are making an attack... with a melee weapon"
- "Monks unarmed strikes are considered manufactured weapons and thus are a Melee weapons"
- "While using flurry a monk's BAB is their level"
Using this reasoning he concludes:
- "Ergo making a flurry as a level 8 monk; I am armed and can activate combat expertise. I receive a +3 to my AC using Combat Expertise, at a cost of -3 to attack since my BAB is +8.
- "Ergo since I can declare 4 attacks I can calculate my sequential attacks at +3/+0/-3/-6 and end the turn with +12AC."
I actually think the first point is accurate. BAB is specifically called out as increasing under Flurry and I while I'm not the GM for this game I also don't see much harm in receiving a traded bonus 1/4th levels early.
However I'm 100% certain the second point in creating a tank-monk is not legal. I've tried to equate this to "power attack" and how the same effect never stacks with itself.
My friend rejects my point stating power attack is worded specifying "all attacks" not "an attack" and he is similarly 100% sure of his correctness as "Dodge bonuses always stack, and I'm always taking the penalty to gain it each time". So I'm putting this up for arbitration of a sort to double check either of our understandings of Pathfinder's rules.
Your BAB is +8 (NOT 8/8/3/3), giving you +3 dodge to AC. NO MORE. The other 8/3/3 are attack bonus to your additional attacks. "When a creature’s base attack bonus reaches +6, +11, or +16, he receives an additional attack in combat when he takes a full-attack action." Pg 11 CRB
Note ADDITIONAL ATTACK, NOT ADDITIONAL BAB.
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A Chained Monk's BAB during a Flurry is equal to its level, so an 8th level Chained Monk can indeed add +3 to their AC (and similarly add +6 for Power Attack).
But you cut out a very important piece of your quote. It is not "declare that you are making an attack... with a melee weapon". It's:
declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon.
That distinction matters, and it's why you can't stack the effects as your friend is asking.
i dont agree that you get the +3, flurry seems clear that only for the purpose of calculating your attack is your BAB higher. The feat checks your real BAB not the attacks BAB (a subtle but important difference in my eyes), so per RAW you only -2 to all attacks and +2 total dodge to AC at level 8.
For the purpose of these attacks, the monk’s base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.
but that being said... I really dont think its unreasonable for a GM to let you use the flurry BAB in a homebrew. :) like seriously, its only another 1 or 2 ac hehe
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i dont agree that you get the +3You do.
Oh nice :D ok then i agree with everything everyone else said :D
Well that settled the misunderstanding. Thanks everyone for clearing that up.