Monk / Druid Advice

[Widjit]

Too many ideas, game next weekend and I think I've settled on my character. I'm re-joining a game at lvl 11. We have a rogue/wich, synthesis summoner, and a fighter.

I'm going with a Monk (Sensei)/ Druid. 4 levels Monk and the rest will be druid. I know it's not optimal but it's going off a picture as inspiration for the build.

http://orig00.deviantart.net/3012/f/2012/036/c/1/pathfinder__herald_of_iror i_by_mikeypetrov-d4os4xc.jpg

So far this is what I have.... Level 1 (Monk 1)- Feat: Improved Grapple Monk Bonus Feat: Snapping Turtle Style Sensei Advice: Inspire Courage (Replaces Flurry of Blows, Fast Movement, and Improved Evasion) Stunning Fist Unarmed Strike

Level 2 (Monk 2)- Insightful Strike (Replaces Evasion and Lvl 2 Bonus Feat)

Level 3 (Monk 3)- Still Mind Maneuver Training Snapping Turtle Clutch

Level 4 (Monk 4)- Ki Pool (Ki Strike) Slow Fall 20' Unarmed Damage 1d8

Level 5 (Druid 1)- Level Feat: Boon Companion Animal Companion: Snapping Turtle (Level 5 With Boon Companion, Bodyguard Archetype)

I would like to focus on buffing the turtle and companions and keeping my grappling as a defensive measure. I'm going to ask the DM if I can take the feat to give the turtle eidilon boons and give him reach (even though it's not allowed) because I can totally see a giant snapping turtle shooting his head out and biting people.

Any suggestions for levels 6-11?

I'm probably going to take Snapping Turtle Clutch as one of the fest but I'm drawing blanks for other ideas to fit in with the theme of this old dwarven monk riding around on his turtle telling people what they are doing wrong. lol

[SmiloDan]

There is a feat that adds +4 to your druid level for the purposes of wildshape, which will help you compensate for your 4 levels of monk. Shaping Focus?

There might be a feat that lets you flurry when wildshaped. There are a ton of grappling feats, too. You might want to bump your animal companion's Int to 3, and give it and you some Teamwork feats.

EDIT:

You can also focus on Stunning Fist, and coordinate with the Rogue/Witch to debuff like crazy, especially if it is an Unchained Rogue with Debilitating Strike and the witch has Evil Eye and Misfortune. That can make it easy for the Fighter and Summoner to whale on the BBEG.

[Grandlounge]

A few ways to go with these builds.

4 monk 4 druid then all monk. These are often grapple builds but don't have to be. Tetori, manuever master or master of many styles are top choices for these. Sohei has some nice synergy if you want to use a weapon.

UnMonk 1 Druid x. This gives your druid a bit more punch without give up much casting. It works really well with primate and elemental forms two handing a resizing weapon.

Shaping focus, Monastic Legacy are two helpful feats.

If you want to flurry and not worry about polymorph nature fang will give you a nice accuracy, damage and sneak attack boost.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I would go with a Druizilla Build. I'd take 1 level in Barbarian for 12 hp at level 1 or a level in Brawler for 10. I'd take 4 levels in Druid and get Shaping Focus and Natural Spell. With Shaping Focus, up to 4 nondruid levels count as Druid Levels for the purpose of Wildshaping, allowing you to Polymorph into Huge Animals 24hrs/day, and that's all you need.

I'd ask a The GM about his take on the rules before picking my favorite animals.

Giant Octopus: 7 Tentacle Attacks all with Grab and Constrict + a Bite, so like 14 attacks for starters. Aquatic, which means you can breathe water, but if I were running the campaign, I would rule that you'd lose the ability to breathe air.

Allosaurus: 2 Claws and a Bite, size Huge

Megaraptor: only Size Large, but 2 Claws, 2 Talons, and a Bite.

Triceratops: Size Huge, only a Gore, but a most impressive Gore.

Quetzacouatlus: only a Bite Attack, but you can fly!

You can use Barbarian Rage Powers to grow a Bite Attack and 2 Claws or a Gore Attack, which means you could Wildshape, go into a Rage, and then become a Triceratops with Claws, a Bite, and a Gore.

You could also take a level in White Haired Witch and get a Hair Attack for any of your 'Shapes. You can also get a Gore Attack with a Helm of the Mammoth Lord or an Animal Mask. An Animal Mask might give you a Bite Attack, so can a Ring of Ratfangs.

Another idea I like a lot is to take levels in Warpriest and take Weapon Focus for your favorite attacks, which means you do Sacred Weapon Damage instead of your regular Natural Attack Damage which then sizes up to your Animal Size. You can cast Strong Jaw on yourself or use the Wand so your attacks do even more damage.

You might be a Human, and with levels in Brawler and/or Fighter, take Martial Versatility, which means you only need to take Weapon Focus for a single Natural Attack, and it will apply to all of them regardless of which 'Shape you pick.

I think that Brawler/Druid/Fighter/Warpriest might be the way for your to go because your party doesn't have a Cleric.

Something like

1Brawler1:
2B1Druid1
3B1D2
4B1D3
5B1D4: Natural Spell
6B1D4Warpriest1: Weapon Focus Unarmed Strike
7B2D4W1: Shaping Focus
8B2D4W1Fighter1
9B2D4W1F2: Martial Versatility Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization Unaremd

Maybe Barbarian at level 1, then the level in Warpriest, after 4 levels in Druid, then 4 levels in Fighter and/or Brawler, then the rest in Warpriest.

You will be a passable healer, have lots of utility and be literally a force of nature in melee with likely a dozen attacks/round that do 3d6 at least + other bonuses.

[Grandlounge]

Just a heads up megaraptor is not a legal form it is templated. If you want a single big attack Behemoth hippo is better than the triceratops as you don't get powerful charge. You also get a better move speed and a swim speed.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Grandlounge wrote:

Just a heads up megaraptor is not a legal form it is templated.

It's not legal for PFS, but the OP is not playing PFS.

Widjit wrote:

game next weekend and I think I've settled on my character. I'm re-joining a game at lvl 11. We have a rogue/wich, synthesis summoner, and a fighter.

Which Animals he can 'Shape into and how that will be handled is up to the OP's GM. Just like

I wrote:

I'd ask a The GM about his take on the rules before picking my favorite animals.... Aquatic, which means you can breathe water, but if I were running the campaign, I would rule that you'd lose the ability to breathe air.

Huh,

Grandlounge wrote:

If you want a single big attack Behemoth hippo is better than the triceratops as you don't get powerful charge. You also get a better move speed and a swim speed.

Hippos don't have a Swim Speed, but their Bite does more damage than the Triceratops Gore. Behemoth Hippos look better at first blush. Although one of the ideas I was sharing had to do with gaining Natural Attacks from both Wild Shape and Barbarian Rage Powers. And you see, you can get a Bite through a Rage Power. You can get Claws through Beast Totem, and you can get Gore through Demon Totem, but you can't get Claws and Gore because you can't take both Beast and Demon Totems. So I was thinking you could be a Triceratops with a Gore, Claws, and a Bite.

[Grandlounge]

From the polymoph section

"Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature."

Megaraptor is made from adding templates to Deinonychus. It can't be used without gm fait.

"Conversely, you can either increase the deinonychus to Large size and its Hit Dice to 8 or simply apply the giant and advanced simple templates to create a formidable megaraptor."

Good call on the hippo. I accede tally clicked on the 3rd party link.

[Grandlounge]

If you want to stack attacks

Deinotherium
Elephant

Both the above offer a slightly worse gore but get a slam too.

Or buy a helm of the mammoth lord and pick a form with other attacks.

[Taenia]

Keep in mind that any ability that grants your normal form a natural attack is lost when you wild shape. You need to use feature that the barbarians grow claws when you rage, putting on a helm of the mammoth lord after your wild shape or use the prehensile hair hex to animate your hair.

[Grandlounge]

Most of the above is correct I'm unsure about most of what the helm offers becuase they are constant and constant effects from items that are not armor and shilds transfer to the new form.

[Taenia]

I asked about this one and specifically for the Helm of the Mammoth Lords the description says you get to attack with the horns on the helm. If the helm merges you don't have access to the horns, therefore can't make attacks. So you would have to put it on the form, assuming it has head slot available, and then you can use it.

One note in PFS, grab a Squire vanity. They carry and help you put on armor, so they can put on your barding or stuff like the helmet.

[Grandlounge]

Good call