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Looking for some help building a Gnome character who fights unarmed and is Strength based instead of Dex.
Character concept is a mashup of Master Shifu from Kung Fu Panda, Master Roshi from Dragonball, and Pai Mei from Kill Bill. Small Gnome character with a classic fu manchu beard and kung fu robes, who looks unimpressive until he rips off his robe and is insanely jacked underneath, then proceeds to stomp the people who underestimated him.
I was thinking either pure monk, or maybe some combination of Monk + Barbarian Dedication, or Barbarian + Monk Dedication. Not sure if there are any other classes or combinations that might work for this.
Maybe doing Mountain Stance and totally ignoring Dex? Or would I be better off with a different option?
16 Str starting out isn't as optimal as most other races could get, but I think I could live with the slight ding to performance.
Anyone have any thoughts or advice?
Thanks
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You can use the flaw rule to make your gnome have 18 STR, just take it twice on Charisma or some other stat that you don't really mind.
Mountain Stance is solid, you will want some a boost in dex at lvl 5 and 10 though because the dex cap of the stance increases with two other feats from that stance.
Gnome can get a familiar with one ancestry feat, you could get a turtle inspired by Master Roshi of Dragon Ball.
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You can be an 18 Strength Gnome at level 1 using the Optional: Voluntary Flaws sidebar in Chapter 1: Introduction / Character Creation / Step 6 Determine Ability Scores, but it effectively reduces your overall scores (+2 to one stat in exchange for -2 to 2 stats): Basically, you need to put your level 1 'free' stat boost into Strength and use the Voluntary Flaw rule to add another +2 'free' boost (since one of the boosts is actually removing your 'flaw', it doesn't actually count as a boost so you can essentially apply two at this step.
This should leave you with a 12 Strength, 10 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 10 Intelligence, 10 Wisdom, 12 Charisma, and a pair of 2 point flaws to assign as you'd like. Assuming you'll put these flaws in your mental stats, you could end up with Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16 or Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14 as either a monk or barbarian (or you could go with a Dex 10 and boost improve your mental stats a bit).
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16 starting strength is perfectly acceptable. Which is "optimal" starting, 16 or 18, is up for debate. Due to the wonky way ability scores go up, if you start with a 16 you can have better overall stats at levels 5-9 and 15-19 than the guy who started with an 18. Anyway, that's a whole nother discussion, the point is 16 strength is a perfectly viable choice.
Note that monk no longer has any restrictions regarding armor or shields, you just don't come with armor proficiencies built in (take champion dedication if you want to go that route). Mountain stance + shield seems to be a popular choice among theory crafters on the boards here.
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I had envisioned this character as an unarmed and unarmored build, which is why Monk was my first choice. Barbarian was my second thought, since it can be decent with unarmed as well.
I'm just not sure about mixing the 2, or which one to take first if I do mix them, which feats to take, etc.
I was thinking either Monk first, so I can get flurry early in the game, or just going pure monk. Not sure if the Barbarian dedication would be worth it for rage or not.
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This character will be for Pathfinder society play, which I believe doesn't allow the optional flaws system.
Why do you believe that?
1. Ability Scores
Generate your Pathfinder Society character’s ability scores using the method detailed on page 20 of the Core Rulebook. Your character may also take two additional ability flaws to gain one additional ability boost as described in the Voluntary Flaws sidebar on page 26 of the Core Rulebook.[/qupte
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Here is what I have come up with so far
Gnome, Umbral heritage for darkvision, Gnome Obsession for the racial feat
Monk, to get flurry and the Mountain Stance feat right away
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 (with the 2 optional flaws going into Cha and the bonus going into Str)
That should get me through my first couple games...once I hit level 2, I don't know if I should take the Barbarian dedication, stick with pure monk, or maybe wait til 4 to grab the Barb dedication so I can take Stunning Fist at 2.
Thoughts?
It's been that way since release.
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Barbarian Dedication isn't spectacular for Monks.
Between needing an action to get into your stance as well as Rage, and trading off AC for what isn't a lot of extra damage, Barbarian isn't great.
Pure Monk is probably more than fine.
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I really wouldn't take barbarian dedication, it's a hassle and monk feats are better for you.
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Yea...I'm noticing the Barbarian dedication might be more of a hindrance than a help...+2 damage and -1 AC for rage, which will take me an extra action to activate...and none of the other Barbarian feats are really calling out as must haves for this guy.
I'm thinking something along these lines for feats
1: Mountain Stance
2: Stunning Fist
4: Brawling Focus -or- Stand Still
6: Mountain Stronghold
8: Brawling Focus -or- Stand Still (whichever I didn't take already)
10: Wind Jump?
12: Stance Savant?
14: Mountain Quake (If PFS2 ever goes this high)
No sure about General and Skill feats...any suggestions?
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Note that Wind Jump requires you to already have a Ki spell. I think Winding Flow is the choice pick at 10.
Stance Savant at 12 is still good. Getting into Mountain Stance during initiative is really important.
For general feats you probably want Fleet, Incredible Initiative, and Diehard.
For skill feats, it depends on what skills you want. Titan Wrestler is a must for Athletics builds.
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That's what I get for being lazy and using Archives of Nethys instead of my book...AoN doesn't list any pre-reqs for Wind Jump.
For general feats, I was thinking maybe Canny Acumen (Perception), Fleet, and Incredible Initiative...I looked at Diehard and Toughness...but they both felt a bit underwhelming.
Skill feats...maybe focus on Athletics and Intimidation related stuff?
That's what I get for being lazy and using Archives of Nethys instead of my book...AoN doesn't list any pre-reqs for Wind Jump.Uh...yeah, it does.
Prerequisites ki spells
Uh...not for me
The prereqs are listed in the feat.
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Which is part of the problem, as I was jumping back and forth between the forums, some of the guides people have posted, and direct descriptions of the ability. Which is my own fault, as I initially said. I also partly blame AoN for their layout...and also Paizo for theirs...as even in the book, you can miss things like that if you don't look at all 3 places it is referenced in the core book, only 1 of them lists the pre-reqs.
How have they lost restrictions regarding armor?
Dost thou speak of the forbidden 2e heresy?
Monks don't have in chassis armor class restrictions. Instead they have restriction in some stances only but the pure monks don't have armor proficiency progression (only unarmored) so armored monks are "just" bad using armor, not prohibited. This allows many classes to take monk and martial artist archetypes without worry too much about armor.
About shields. Every class in the game can use shields. There's no proficiency associated so anyone can Rise a Shield. But the Shield Block reaction is a little more restricted. Only some classes have it into the chassis but all others can take it via general feat easily.