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I have been reading over the forums about how bad the elemental fist archetype is and poorly worded and some of the rules are for it. as someone who likes the archetype but knows its limitations do to the way it was wrote, i think a few things could be changed so the archetype flows better and is more versatile. As It stands there are some major drawbacks without making up for it in the trade offs. and i believe some very minor tweaks could make this a viable archetype.
Elemental Monk
Alignment: An elemental monk must be true neutral.
This replaces the monk’s alignment requirement.
Elemental Strike (Ex)
An elemental monk gains Elemental Fist as a bonus feat, even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites. She does not have to select an element; instead, each time she hits with an Elemental Fist attack, she can choose acid, cold, electricity, or fire for the type of the additional damage granted by that feat.
This replaces all of the monk’s bonus feats and stunning fist.
Genie Style (Ex, Sp)
At 2nd level, as a swift action an elemental monk can gain the benefits of one of the following style feats, based on one of the five types of genies. When she does so, she automatically enters that feat’s stance: Djinni Style, Efreeti Style, Janni Style, Marid Style, or Shaitan Style.
At 6th level, while the elemental monk is using a genie style feat, she also gains the benefits of a feat from the following list, as appropriate for that style’s feat path: Djinni Spirit, Efreeti Stance, Janni Tempest, Marid Spirit, and Shaitan Skin.
At 10th level, while the elemental monk is using a genie style feat, she also gains the benefits of a feat from the following list, as appropriate for that style’s feat path: Djinni Spin, Efreeti Touch, Janni Rush, Marid Coldsnap, and Shaitan Earthblast.
At 18th level, when the elemental monk gains the benefits of Djinni Spirit, Efreeti Stance, Marid Spirit, or Shaitan Skin, her elemental resistance from that feat instead becomes immunity to that element, as long as she is not denied her Dexterity bonus to AC. While she is using Janni Style, she gains the effects of enlarge person or reduce person (her choice), even if she is not humanoid. This is a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the elemental monk’s level.
This replaces evasion, purity of body, and diamond body. (For an unchained monk, this replaces the 10th-level ki power instead of diamond body.)
Elemental Precision (Ex)
At 10th level, instead of treating her unarmed strikes as lawful for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction, an elemental monk overcomes all damage reduction of creatures with the air, earth, fire, or water subtypes except DR/— and DR/epic.
This alters the monk’s ki pool.
Planar Guide (Sp)
At 14th level as a standard action, an elemental monk can spend 1 ki point to transport herself and up to seven additional willing creatures, as per the plane shift spell, to one of the four Elemental Planes. Each additional creature increases the cost by 1 ki point.
First off the ability Elemental Strike gives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat without prerequisites and everything else in this ability is not useful because that's how the ability works normal. as it stands elemental fist is very under powered as it is, it also reduces the capabilities of the class. also the wording of this ability make me think elemental fist was mistaken for something else. how i would fix this is make it similar to when many people suggest as an alternative.
Elemental Strike (Ex)
An elemental monk can imbue his natural attacks with an energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire, as a swift action. Causing them to deal damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type for 1 rounds. These attacks count as elemental fist attacks as the feat. Elemental strike can be used a number times per day equal to the elemental monks level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk. Feats that add addition attempts of elemental fist also add additional uses of elemental strike. Elemental strike count as having the feat elemental fist for all perquisites needing the feat.
The next part of the archetype many people seem to have trouble understanding is the Genie Style ability. and i think this can be solved very easily.
Genie Style (Ex, Sp)
At 2nd level, an elemental monk gains Djinni Style, Efreeti Style, Janni Style, Marid Style, and Shaitan Style as bonus feats, even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites. when a elemental monk is using a genie style feat, they may activate Elemental strike as a free action, but must chose the energy type effected by the style feat. this still take 1 use for elemental strike.
At 6th level, the elemental monk gains Djinni Spirit, Efreeti Stance, Janni Tempest, Marid Spirit, and Shaitan Skin as bonus feats.
At 10th level, the elemental monk gains Djinni Spin, Efreeti Touch, Janni Rush, Marid Coldsnap, and Shaitan Earthblast as bonus feats.
At 18th level, when the elemental monk gains the benefits of Djinni Spirit, Efreeti Stance, Marid Spirit, or Shaitan Skin, her elemental resistance from that feat instead becomes immunity to that element, as long as she is not denied her Dexterity bonus to AC. While she is using Janni Style, she gains the effects of enlarge person or reduce person (her choice), even if she is not humanoid. This is a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the elemental monk’s level.
This replaces evasion, purity of body, and diamond body. (For an unchained monk, this replaces the 10th-level ki power instead of diamond body.)
Now i believe these two changes would definitely clear up a lot of the problems this archetype has. but i would also like to make two addition suggestions. Elemental Precision say the elemental monk overcomes all damage reductions of creatures with the air, earth, fire, or water subtypes except DR/— and DR/epic. i think it should also state from all sources of damage from the elemental monk. as its stated, only his unarmed strike overcomes these damage reductions. but Djinni Spin, Efreeti Touch, Janni Rush, Marid Coldsnap, and Shaitan Earthblast do not count as unarmed strike, they only deal unarmed damage so they would not overcome this damage reduction.
Next i think the elemental monk should gain Elemental Blast Ki power at some point in its progression and let the energy type be based of the elemental strike energy type. this power seems to fit the archetype very well and would be a great capstone.