Author Topic: Monk's Handbook  (Read 280375 times)

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Endarire

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #120 on: February 18, 2009, 09:50:52 PM »
I advise a Ghoul Gauntlet (DMG2) so you can hit things as a la wraithstrike since your hand is incorporeal, though certain AC bonuses still apply to your victim.  If your DM lets you, customize this gauntlet into boots, a headband, or whatever for maximum touchiness!

Also, Belt of Battle (MIC) gets you +2 initiative and an extra full round action 1/day as a swift action, all for about 12K!
« Last Edit: February 18, 2009, 09:53:41 PM by Endarire »
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Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

Endarire

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #121 on: February 19, 2009, 11:01:23 PM »
Shou Disciple gets me the damage of a level 15 monk as a level 10 character assuming I have a Monk level.  MonkX/Shou5/Fist of the Forest3 gets me the damage of a level 20 Monk as soon as level 12.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

dman11235

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #122 on: February 24, 2009, 12:20:23 PM »
No it doesn't.  Shou Disciple only advances monk unarmed damage, I don't remember anything about it advancing it further than the levels you have.  So a monk 6/SD 5 would have the unarmed damage of a level 11 monk.  And FotF just ups the base damage, so that doesn't affect effective level at all.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #123 on: February 24, 2009, 04:08:01 PM »
No it doesn't.  Shou Disciple only advances monk unarmed damage, I don't remember anything about it advancing it further than the levels you have.  So a monk 6/SD 5 would have the unarmed damage of a level 11 monk.  And FotF just ups the base damage, so that doesn't affect effective level at all.
Actually, SD either advances unarmed monk damage, or gives you 2d6 base unarmed damage, whichever is higher. The base damage for a 15th level monk is 2d6. So he's right.
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dman11235

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #124 on: February 27, 2009, 02:06:23 AM »
Ah, then it's still off, though, since it's not 15th level monk damage, but 2d6 base, and doesn't need any monk levels.  The distinction is important, since you wouldn't be able to add, say, a Monk's Belt and get the 2d8 base.
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Legion

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #125 on: May 28, 2009, 04:37:23 AM »
Where is the Fist of the Forest-CC from?

Solo

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #126 on: May 28, 2009, 04:50:55 AM »
It starts with a  "C" and ends with a "-omplete Champion"

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

The_Shaman

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #127 on: June 30, 2009, 08:01:15 AM »
Ah, then it's still off, though, since it's not 15th level monk damage, but 2d6 base, and doesn't need any monk levels.  The distinction is important, since you wouldn't be able to add, say, a Monk's Belt and get the 2d8 base.

True. It could still be handy, though.

By the way, has anyone tried a Primeval monk? While the PrC is slightly harder to enter than Bear Warrior, imo it has better features and more choice. Something like monk 2/wildshape ranger 5 / fist of the forest 3/Primeval 10 could make you quite the beast. Wildshape ranger can be useful to get you more uses of primeval form, but if you don't care about it I guess you can nix 2 levels of it and add 2 deepwarden levels.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #128 on: July 01, 2009, 02:30:21 AM »
Serene Guardian - Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde
You can enter at level nine, and it'll do half progression on your flurry, AC bonus, and unarmed damage.  You might want to delay entering for a level to get improved evasion - your choice.
Full BAB, good reflex and fort saves. 
The resonance abilities are decent (though, to be honest, resonance is much better accumulated by rapid-chucking splash weapons).  The fact that resonance points never go away is useful for dealing with recurring opponents, and your special abilities don't have silly per day or per week restrictions. 

Most of the resonance abilities are mildly useful, but one in particular is incredibly good.

The eighth level ability lets you spend a swift action to bestow no-save confusion on anyone you have hit multiple times in a round.  If you can't do that with a BAB of 14 at level 16, you're hopeless.  The duration is very low, but hey, it works at any range, and it's a 70-90% chance of wasting an opponent's next few actions (or even better, turning them against their own party). 

Either way, it makes flurrying shuriken almost useful.  DR will still kill you, though, so keep a supply of different energy splashes as backup just in case.  I'd recommend liquid salt (sandstorm), since practically nothing has dessication resistance.  I'm sure the party caster can hook you up. 

Of course, a full BAB guy could enter earlier, and replace the partial monk progression with a fighter bonus feat.
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sir_argenon

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #129 on: August 02, 2009, 07:14:57 PM »
dman, or anyone else that agrees with his assessment of fist of the forest...i would really like to know where you get the idea that you go up dice instead of following monk progression with its unarmed damage.  nowhere in its text does it say that. please explain..  below i have quoted the text from the class ability in the CC.

Quote
Unarmed Damage (Ex): Your unarmed attacks deal more
damage than usual. At 1st level, you deal ld8 points of damage
with each unarmed strike. When you attain 3rd level, this
damage increases to 1d10 points. See the monk class feature
(PH 41). If your unarmed attack already deals this amount of
damage, increase the base damage to the next step indicated
on the monk class table.

cru

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #130 on: August 03, 2009, 09:03:57 AM »
My reading:
A Monk 8 with 1d10 unarmed strike damage enters FotF.
At FotF1, her unarmed damage already deals more than 1d8, therefore, the damage increases to next step: 2d6.
At FotF3, again, her damage increases to the next step indicated on the monk class table: 2d8.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm#tableTheMonk

sir_argenon

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #131 on: August 03, 2009, 10:18:36 AM »
cru, i agree with your reading...

but maybe im wrong, but it seems that dman is reading that you go up a "dice size" from FotF.. meaning you go from d6, to d8, to d10 etc... like the draconic initiate prc in the Draconomicon allows you to do.....and that i really dont see...

mlenehan1

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #132 on: August 27, 2009, 09:44:09 PM »
Hey all,
I'm thinking about creating a Monk for an upcoming campaign and am looking for a little advice.  We will be starting at 10th level.  Here's what I've got so far.
Human
Monk 6 / Fighter 2 / Sun Soul Monk 2

Stats:
Str: 18
Dex: 18
Con: 16
Int: 13
Wis: 17
Cha:11

Feats:
(Monk bonus) Improved Unarmed Strike
1) Improved Initiative
(Human bonus) Athletic
(Monk bonus) Stunning Fist
(Monk bonus) Combat Reflexes
3) Combat Expertise
6) Superior Unarmed Strike
(Monk bonus) Improved Trip
(Fighter bonus) Improved Grapple
(Fighter bonus) Improved Disarm
9) Improved Natural Attack

Now a few questions:
As the equivalent of an 8th level Monk combined with SUS and a Monk's Belt I would do the Unarmed damage of a 17th level Monk (2d8) then INA would bump that up to 3d8.  Am I correct in this assumption?



Solo

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #133 on: August 28, 2009, 10:18:39 AM »
Get rid of Atheletic.

SUS and Monk's Belt may not stack. Ask your DM for clarification.

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

mlenehan1

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #134 on: August 28, 2009, 10:38:03 AM »
Unfortunately Athletic is required for Sun Soul Monk, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered with it.

Solo

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #135 on: August 28, 2009, 02:24:51 PM »
Ah. Well, as long as you have Improved Trip, you might as well try to squeeze in Knock Down (It's in the SRD under the Divine section as a General feat.)

It gives you a free trip attempt every time you deal more than 10 damage to someone. Synergizes well with Improved Trip, which gives you a free attack when you trip someone.

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #136 on: August 28, 2009, 06:28:25 PM »
Solo do you know what book that was published in, Deities and Demigods i presume.

I'm currently playing a monk who would use it but my DM wants anything in game to be in dead tree format so the SRD doesn't count.
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Solo

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #137 on: August 28, 2009, 06:57:41 PM »
The feat is from Sword and Fist as well as Deities and Demigods. It was reprinted in the 3.5 so it is valid SRD material.

You'll probably want to get rid of Improved Disarm, btw, as two handed weapons are hard to disarm, and many enemies do not have weapons.

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

mlenehan1

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #138 on: August 29, 2009, 12:12:14 AM »
Oh well, Monk's belt and SUS don't stack, so I guess Ill need another feat to replace SUS.  Gotta settle for 3d6 instead of 3d8 damage, darn.

Sinfire Titan

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Re: Monk's Handbook
« Reply #139 on: October 03, 2009, 10:38:06 PM »
Quote

Isn't worth a damn thing if Incarnum is allowed. Midnight Dodge>>>>>>>>>>Dodge. +1-+5 AC, easily +2 at the level you get it (Azurin). Or even +3 if you care about it (which you shouldn't). Requires Con 13 and Dex 13, but is anywhere between equal and 5 or more times better than normal Dodge (because, you know, bonus Essentia). Seriously, if you need Dodge for a build, and are playing a Human, play an Azurin and take Midnight Dodge instead. You get double the feat (and more if you know what you are doing).

Desert Wind Dodge deserves mention. As does Stormguard Warrior (seriously, Monks+Stormguard Warrior=Oh Shit!).

Quote
Law Devotion: A pretty significant boost to either AC or attack.  Not bad.  Better with a cleric dip, grabbing Knowledge Devotion and Air Devotion as well.  Or travel devotion.  Or animal devotion.  Mmm, animal devotion.  Consider this a review of all domain feats.  Those not mentioned=not worth it.  So they get mentioned: protection is decent, and trickery is abusable.  Not as much for you as a monk, but still abusable.

I mentioned this in the Crusader's Handbook: RAW, you can flip the benefit every time you take an action (any action at all, even talking). If you aren't AoO-based, take an immediate or free action at the end of your attacks this round to flip it to AC.


I can post a review of the Skarn Sub levels for you if you would like. Also, are there any Monk ACFs/Substitution Levels that seem really good that you would auto-include in a Monk fix?

Quote

Please mention the restrictions on Sacred Fist. Besides Alignment, Sacred Fists are not allowed to use manufactured weapons. Its easily overlooked, but it is there. In fact, IIRC all PrCs in CD have some sort of Code like that.
Quote

Worth noting is that this class has serious synergy with the Belt of Battle and Decisive Strike ACF. Swift action: Move action. Move action: +8 Str. Full Round action: DS for extra damage. Multiple Belts can be used for this trick.


Quote
Monk of the Enabled Hand-drg 299: A 3.0 class that is worth 3 levels: make an AoO against someone who hits you in combat.  Also stacks for just about everything important with monk levels.

Damn I'm editing a lot today. Updated in the Dragon Compendium. You take a -5 on the AoO, but it triggers on Touch attacks too.

@Psionic Fist: Warmind is a good option too.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2009, 11:08:58 PM by Sinfire Titan »


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