Monk's Ki Strike Power Is Unclear

[zer0darkfire]

The monk class feat "Ki Strike" on page 99 is listed as a power that you gain access to as well as a pool of Spell Points. It also states that "this power is a type of special spell you can cast by spending Spell Points". However, there is no cost listed for how many Spell Points you are to spend to use Ki Strike.

Is this ability intended to cost 1 spell point per use?
Free to use and just intended to be a gateway feat to other Spell Point feats?

[zer0darkfire]

For readers, this was resolved in the recent errata, Ki Strike costs 1 point to use. Read the errata for exact details, thanks!

[Vahnyu]

Sadly, as its non-heightenable, and no word was made about that, this renders Ki Strike entirely useless come level 4+ (if it weren't already nearly useless from level 1).

Multiclassing as Cleric gives you access to Bless and Heroism, both superior options to Ki Strike, for the cost of 2 class feats minimum, 5 if you wanna max out your spellcasting in Cleric. This leaves you with 6 class feats that you can invest on the superior Ki powers (Wholeness, Blast, Wind Jump, Empty Body, and Abundant Step), along with Ki Strike which is effectively a Feat Tax.

At level 20, you'd have: Wisdom 20 [16 base, +2,+1,+1,+0 from level up] + 2[Headband of Inspired Wisdom], for a total of 16 Ki Points [+6 from WIS, +2*5 from Class Feats], as well as: 2 1st level spell slots, 2 2nd level spell slots, 2 3rd level spell slots, 2 4th level spell slots, 2 5th level spell slots, 2 6th level spell slots, 1 7th level spell slots, and 1 8th level spell slot.

Heroism at 8th is a 10-minute +3 increase to all of your attacks, instead of a one-off +1 increase to a single attack. Bless is only for 1 minute, and only for +1 increase to attacks, but it's also an aura effect, affecting both you and your allies. These two ensure that your attack bonus will be as high as possible for long bursts, saving you your precious Ki points for more important stuff (like self healing, AoEs, the occasional flight spell) of which you'd have 8 castings minimum.

(Also, as Ki Strike grants a conditional bonus, it neither stacks with Bless nor Heroism, making it rendering it completely obsolete).

[Razata]

Ki Strike is what gives you your Ki Pool. The Ki Strike Power isn't even worth throwing on your character sheet:(.

[Vahnyu]

Exactly.

[zer0darkfire]

Could ki strike be changed to be "roll twice and take the better result on the attack roll"? That seems pretty decent for a single spell point.

[Xenocrat]

zer0darkfire wrote:

Could ki strike be changed to be "roll twice and take the better result on the attack roll"? That seems pretty decent for a single spell point.

No, because it's the same as True Strike, a 1st level spell. The design goal for powers is that they be more powerful than cantrips but less powerful than spells.

They are clearly dedicated to succeeding at one of these goals.

[ikarinokami]

to be fair, while I would never waste a class feat on ki strike. +1 is not a minor a bonus. however the ki pool feat tax should give you more. perhaps the option to increase your ac. or give access to critical feats.

[Themetricsystem]

Ki needs to become a basic Class Ability for Monk. Once they do that it will allow them to let Ki Strike to do something useful, I'm hoping for a damage die bump personally for a Ki point.