|
Hey again, with another homebrew Archetype for the Unchained Monk. I really am looking for something making the class further sturdy and think Ive found it in Stalwart & Invulnerable. This archetype is slightly weaker to blasty mages but better vs multiple weaker foes.
Archetype: Resilient Bulk Monk
Lose:
Stunning Fist & all its conditions,
Lower Unarmed Strikes damage to 1d4.
Evasion Lvl 2 & Improved Evasion Lvl 9.
Style Strike lvl 9.
Delays Wisdom to AC & CMD til lvl 2.
Exchanges Ride Skill with Survival.
Exchanges Good Reflex progression with good Will Save progression.
Exchanged 1d10 HP progression with 1d8 HP progression but gain Invulnerable.
Gains:
Invulnerable: Gain +1/2 Level to DR.
Bulk up: Increases Strength Score by +4 but decreases AC by -2, lasts 2+2xLvl+Con Mod rounds per day, activates by a free action, user is fatigued for twice the duration being in Bulk Up, cant Bulk up whilst fatigued, exhausted or in Armor. Bulk up does not benefit from Rage powers, and neither stacks the bonuses nor duration with Rage.
Muscled Resilience: Whilst in no Armor and unencumbered, gain DR equal to half your Strength Bonus. Stacks with Invulnerable.
At 9th level gains 'Stalwart'; A Resilient Bulk Monk can use mental & physical resiliency to avoid certain attacks. If she makes a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a halved damage on a successful save, she instead avoids the damage entirely. This ability can only be used if the Monk is wearing no armor.
So how is it? Too powerful? I like the Combo of Bulk Up and Muscled Resilience but is it too cheesy or unreal?
Looking forward to hear your comments
It is a bit much. If you take a look at the Ironskin Monk (Hobgoblin archetype), you'll see you're giving far more than should be given. Here's a suggested re-make...
Notes: This is balanced. Every other level is extreme... I mean, an Invulnerable Rager is the only archetype that gets the /2, and he gives up some really great defense to do that... You could replace the "At 8th level, and every 4 monk levels thereafter" with "At 6th level, and every 2 monk levels thereafter", but as a GM I would not allow it unless you did some really fancy convincing...
Notes: I don't think this is thematic for the archetype, I'm just writing it in a more sensible manner. The archetype is about soaking damage, it would make a LOT more sense if this boosted constitution instead of strength. They key note here though is that it uses "morale bonus", which prevents the need to explain that it doesn't stack with rage.
Muscled Resilience... no, this goes too far. In truth, the every 2 levels is too much already, going further would be unacceptable.
So, you get what you want, mostly... with a lot less sacrificed. I think any GM worth his salt won't let you get past DR 5/- as a monk, except via something like Mythic.
As for these:
Exchanges Ride Skill with Survival.
Exchanges Good Reflex progression with good Will Save progression.
Exchanged 1d10 HP progression with 1d8 HP progression but gain Invulnerable.
I agree with skills, I disagree with saves (unless you can find an archetype that shows it's been done before), and I disagree with HP progression... especially that... you're supposed to be a tank, keep the HPs.
|
|
It is a bit much. If you take a look at the Ironskin Monk (Hobgoblin archetype), you'll see you're giving far more than should be given. Here's a suggested re-make...
Notes: This is balanced. Every other level is extreme... I mean, an Invulnerable Rager is the only archetype that gets the /2, and he gives up some really great defense to do that... You could replace the "At 8th level, and every 4 monk levels thereafter" with "At 6th level, and every 2 monk levels thereafter", but as a GM I would not allow it unless you did some really fancy convincing...
Initially, I used the drop in HP to justify DR but this would definitely work, at 4th level and every 4 levels onward...
Notes: I don't think this is thematic for the archetype, I'm just writing it in a more sensible manner. The archetype is about soaking damage, it would make a LOT more sense if this boosted constitution instead of strength. They key note here though is that it uses "morale bonus", which prevents the need to explain that it doesn't stack with rage.
Ki Muscle
At 4th level, a Muscle Monk gain the ability to use Ki Muscle, granting a +4 Morale bonus to strength for 1 minute in exchange of 2 ki points.
This ability replaces her lvl4 ki-power.
Muscled Resilience... no, this goes too far. In truth, the every 2 levels is too much already, going further would be unacceptable.
How is this?
Strength of GymnasticsA Muscle Monk gains the means to further evade attacks through Gymnastic flexibility, she adds half her Strength mod to AC whilst unencumbered & unarmored.
This replaces the Iron Muscle Monks' first level bonus feat.
...
I like the possibility.
Upon reaching 10th level, the monk adds to her choices the ability to use her evasion and improved evasion for either willpower saves or fortitude saves. She may choose this a maximum of twice allowing her to use the evasion and improved evasion for both.Thanks for such a great reply
I couldn't find any strong Will Save Monks with the exception of the standard non-unchained Monk, so I guess I'll have to drop that approach.
On a tangent, I suppose a Paladin could qualify for Stalwart, somehow.
I like the name Iron Muscle Monk, seems fit.
|
|
Those are good pointers, they are intended to be as unavailable as possible to multiclassing etc to prevent shenanigans.
Both Iron Muscle Monks' Stalwart and Strength of Gymnastics is meant to only work under the conditions of her other abilities.
"She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load."
Ki Muscle
At 4th level, a Muscle Monk gain the ability to use Ki Muscle, granting a +4 Morale bonus to strength for 1 minute in exchange of 2 ki points.
This ability replaces her lvl4 ki-power.
The problem with this is that it's far more powerful than a single ki power. It's +2 to hit/damage, and you're replacing a utility for an offensive. If you feel it's too much of a loss to lose Style Strike, you're still better replacing the Style Strike given at 5th level, than to replace a Ki Power. And even then, I'd allow a +2 Strength in place of a Style Strike, which can be taken twice for a total of +4 Strength at the loss of 2 Style Strikes. Just my opinion.
A Muscle Monk gains the means to further evade attacks through Gymnastic flexibility, she adds half her Strength mod to AC whilst unencumbered & unarmored.
This replaces the Iron Muscle Monks' first level bonus feat.
A feat (Dodge, Improved Natural Armour, Etc) grants +1 AC, it's obvious this is a strength-build archetype, so this is worth 2 to 5 feats (or more, since getting Strength to 30 isn't that difficult in the upper echelons of levels, especially since you already grant +4 in your previous feature). And while I realize there are a few broken builds out there that make this seem weak (Synthesist), homebrew should not, in my opinion, exceed the power levels of core... we do homebrew to give players a chance to play something thematic to them, not power boost (at least in my gaming world).
I like the name Iron Muscle Monk, seems fit.
A name is just a name... if you like it, absolutely keep it. That being said, it feels like the word Muscle was just thrown in there to justify strength boosts (which is not a terrible thing, it's surely better than "Telekinetic Invisibility" for Kineticist, the worst justification for Invisibility I've ever seen in my life..). If you want to keep with the feel of it without making it seem blatant, maybe call it Iron Bear Monk. Something that screams muscle without being obvious. ;)
|
|
Ki Muscle
At 4th level, a Muscle Monk gain the ability to use Ki Muscle, granting a +4 Morale bonus to strength for 1 minute in exchange of 2 ki points.
This ability replaces her lvl4 ki-power.The problem with this is that it's far more powerful than a single ki power. It's +2 to hit/damage, and you're replacing a utility for an offensive. If you feel it's too much of a loss to lose Style Strike, you're still better replacing the Style Strike given at 5th level, than to replace a Ki Power. And even then, I'd allow a +2 Strength in place of a Style Strike, which can be taken twice for a total of +4 Strength at the loss of 2 Style Strikes. Just my opinion.
A Muscle Monk gains the means to further evade attacks through Gymnastic flexibility, she adds half her Strength mod to AC whilst unencumbered & unarmored.
This replaces the Iron Muscle Monks' first level bonus feat.A feat (Dodge, Improved Natural Armour, Etc) grants +1 AC, it's obvious this is a strength-build archetype, so this is worth 2 to 5 feats (or more, since getting Strength to 30 isn't that difficult in the upper echelons of levels, especially since you already grant +4 in your previous feature). And while I realize there are a few broken builds out there that make this seem weak (Synthesist), homebrew should not, in my opinion, exceed the power levels of core... we do homebrew to give players a chance to play something thematic to them, not power boost (at least in my gaming world).
A name is just a name... if you like it, absolutely keep it. That being said, it feels like the word Muscle was just thrown in there to justify strength boosts (which is not a terrible thing, it's surely better than "Telekinetic Invisibility" for Kineticist, the worst justification for Invisibility I've ever seen...
I like the name Iron Muscle Monk, seems fit.
Inspirational,
I think the name would change to..Iron Gorilla Monk
Gorilla physique:
An Iron Gorilla Monk treats her carrying capacity as tripled whilst having atleast 1 ki point.
This replaces her level 4 ki-power.