I like how the monk is assumed to be able to be a similarly effective tripper to a fighter, similarly consistent with evasion as a rogue, accurate enough to use power attack, and/or tough enough to survive getting close on purpose. This with 3/4 BAB, a mediocre HD, and too much MAD to heavily invest in Str, Dex, or Con.
This. If we're still talking 12th level, you will probably have, at most, a Strength score of 22 (including a +4 item). That's a base modifier of +6, and then you get another +5 from Enlarge Person and a +4 from Improved Trip for +15. White Dragon is Huge (+8) with a +8 Strength Mod (+8) and has 4 legs (+4). That's a +20 mod with no magic whatsoever.
Sure, that's just one monster with a CR of 12, and a very strong one at that. Going through the MM...
Abyssal Greater Basilisk: +15 vs. Trip
Displacer Beast Pack Lord: +20 vs. Trip
11-headed Pyro-/Cryohydra: +18 vs. Trip (same modifier as the Hydras 2 CRs lower)
Kolyarut: +2 vs. Trip (is a caster, however, so tripping him is just going to keep him from running away easily)
Leonal: +8 vs. Trip (but has Polymorph at-will, so could easily transform into something with a significantly higher value here)
I implicitly stated that tripping was not something you would use in all circumstances (certainly not when it would be stupid to attempt, such as against a larger creature). The stated circumstance that I DID provide was against an NPC humanoid, orc to be exact, which you know, one also encounters frequently in D&D. Tripping is most effective against medium-sized enemy casters as it prevents them from getting away and casting. Unless you want to get into action boosting tactics and/or swift teleportation yadda yadda.
In any event, then there were some snide comment about how Monks have MAD, as if MAD were intrinsically problematic under all circumstances, and/or a fighter/barbarian could do it better, or mocking the power attack ability of monk with his mere medium BAB. These comments either failed to read what I wrote and noted about those very subjects or missed the thrust which I have been saying so far, which is (in bullet point form for those too disinterested in reading prose):
- Monks are a capable addition to the party, insofar as they are able to fill the need for a melee based class.
- Discussions about one on one performance of a monk compared to some other player class are usually misleading because party interactions seem to be forgotten.
If you want to talk numbers, I am more than capable of doing so. Here, let us look at this level 12 simple monk build:
Race: Human
Build: Monk 12
Ability Distribution (starting; elite array): STR 15, Dex 14, Wis 13, Con 12, Int 10, Cha 8. 3 Level ups go into strength 3, for a final of STR 18 before buffs.
Magic items: Assume, minimally, +4 to str, +2 to dex, +2 to wis. Monk's belt. Amulet of Natural weapons +2.
Feats (level in super script): Stunning Fist
1, Power Attack
1, Improved Unnarmed Strike
1, Weapon Focus( Unnarmed Strike )
1, Combat Reflexes
2, Vexing Flanker
3, Delay Potion
6, Improved Trip
6, Acrobatic Strike
9, Improved Initiative
12.
Base attack: +9, full attack +9/+9/+9/+4, hasted full attack: +10/+10/+10/+10/+4.
Buffed with flanking bonus, haste, and gear, weapon focus, and ability mods: +21/+21/+21/+21/+16.
Base damage: 2d8+[STR MOD]+2 Enhancement.
Evaluated damage per hit (unnarmed, average): 9+4+2 = 15.
Against a CR 12 opponent (according my Optimization by Numbers thread) AC ranges from an average of 21.8 to a max of 28. HP ranges from 196 to 300 (avg to max). The following assumes we flank the target:
This means the acrobatic strike has 95% chance of success against a maximum AC opponent of CR 12. Against the same opponent the full attack has a 70% chance to hit on the first four and a 45% chance on the the fifth hit. A full attack deals a probabilistically weighted damage against a maximum AC opponent of 48.75 damage. Against average AC opponents it is prudent to use power attack on an acrobatic strike for a penalty of at least 6 to attack (giving +12 damage with a masterwork greatsword), yielding [2d6+12+4 = 23] damage at a +19 to attack (90% success). A full attack on an average AC'd opponent deals a probabilistically weighted damage of 69.
Summary:
1. Against an equal CR opponent of average AC, the monk can deal 69 probabilistically weighted points of damage per round if allowed to full attack, which is 35% of the monster's health. This assumes flanking, but not tripping bonuses. The former being fairly simple to accomplish thanks to 15 ranks in tumble.
2. Against the same equal CR opponent of Average AC the monk can deal 10.5% of the opponent's health in damage (weighted).
3. Against an equal CR opponent of maximum AC, the monk deals 24.8% of it's health in weighted damage on a full attack. The monk can hit such an opponent and deal ~5% of it's total health in weighted damage without a full attack.
%health figures above assume average health of 196 HP.
Conclusions:
1. The basic monk build above is not, by measures of "optimization", something to write home about. However, it does decently well against average opponents assuming you manage to get a full attack in. With a base AC of [10+3+2+2 = 17], he will likely need to use potions or budget more defense items to be secure against the average BAB of +17.
2. A similarly equipped fighter, by virtue of its base attack alone, has a 15% better chance to hit (where applicable; you can't go over 95%). In the case of average AC, this bonus is not relevant. Power attack can convert some of that excess attack bonus into damage, of course, at the assumed rate of 2:1. (Higher rates usually require charging and aren't entirely relevant for discussing full attacks. Charges have their own set of limitations. If you want to talk about pouncing builds... well, you aren't doing that with a straight fighter to my knowledge. If you want to talk about pouncing barbarians, well, then we can all just go ahead and dip barbarian 1 level for that... Just like my monk could easily benefit from a fighter dip without much harm).
Verdict:
Underwhelming? Yeah... I mean, I rarely consider pure class builds in the first place. If you allow me to construct a "mostly monk" build, I guarantee these numbers will improve dramatically. I don't think, however, that the monk can be considered completely worthless.
EDIT: Whoops, looks like I forgot to add in the +4 to STR bonus from a magic item on all of those numbers. Well, there you go, give this guy a bull's strength and I'd say he's got an even greater probability of hitting things and dealing damage. +10% probability to be exact and about +7 more damage (weighted) on a full attack.
