Author Topic: [3.5] Another monk fix  (Read 3479 times)

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Prime32

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[3.5] Another monk fix
« on: September 29, 2009, 07:47:38 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N2pPrIxboI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZeD40Rg8A


Work in progress.

Monk

Hit Die: d8

BAB: Average
Saves: Good Fort, Ref and Will

Class SkillsSkill Points at 1st Level:Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Quote
Lv        Class FeaturesKi Strikes known
1Masterwork body, Armour of the Body, Swift move 5ft, Ki Strike0
2Talent1
3Ghost Strike1
4True Body, Swift move 10ft1
5Wholeness of Body 1/day, Talent1
6-2
7Purity of Body2
8True Body, Swift move 15ft, Talent2
9-2
10Wholeness of Body 2/day3
11Talent3
12True Body, Swift move 20ft3
13Diamond Body3
14Talent4
15Wholeness of Body 3/day4
16True Body, Swift move 25ft4
17Talent4
18-5
19-5
20Wholeness of Body 4/day, Perfect self, Swift move 30ft, Talent5
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the crossbow (light and heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, sling and all monk weapons. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.

Monk weapons
Club, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, all natural weapons


Masterwork Body (Ex): A monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. In addition his unarmed strikes are treated as masterwork weapons. He may enchant them by expending gold in a ritual equal to the cost of an item with the desired properties. The enchantments of his unarmed strike are also added to any monk weapons he might wield (enhancement bonuses do not stack).

Armour of the Body (Ex): A monk's body is treated as a suit of masterwork armour which grants a base armour bonus to AC equal to his Wis modifier (light armour if his Wis modifier is 2 or less, medium armour if it is 3-5, or heavy armour if it is 6 or higher). This "armour" has no maximum Dex bonus, armour check penalty or arcane spell failure, does not reduce his speed or count as armour for abilities which require the monk to be unarmoured, and cannot be removed. The armour may be enchanted in the same manner as his unarmed strikes.

Swift Move (Ex): As a swift action a monk can fly 5ft with perfect manouverability, after which he falls. This flight speed increases by +5ft for every four levels he possesses.

Ki Strike: A monk knows a number of techniques called Ki Strikes, which he chooses from the list below. A monk has a "Ki pool" equal to his class level plus half his levels in other classes - most Ki Strikes cost one point of Ki to use.

Talent: At 2nd level and every 3rd level thereafter, a monk gains a talent from the list below.

Ghost Strike (Su): At 3rd level the monk's unarmed strikes, monk weapons and Armour of the Body gain the ghost touch enchantment.

True Body (Ex): At every 4th level a monk may increase or decrease his effective size by one. If he chooses to increase his size, his unarmed strikes deal damage as one size category larger, and grapples, bull rushes, etc. treat him as if he were a creature of that size. If he chooses to decrease his size, his size bonus to attacks and AC is calculated as if he were one size category lower. A monk need not choose the same option each time, and the two paths do not interfere with each other.

Wholeness of Body (Ex): As a move action a monk can gain fast healing equal to his class level for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier. He may use this ability once per day per five class levels.

Perfect Self: At 20th level a monk's type changes to Outsider (native) and he gains DR 10/epic



Talents
Abundant Step (Su): When using Swift Move, you may instead teleport as if by a dimension door spell with a range equal to your Swift Move speed.
A Hundred Thousand Faces (Su): The monk can create an alter self effect at will. He must possess A Thousand Faces to select this talent.
A Thousand Faces (Su): The monk can create a disguise self effect at will.
Body of Adamantine (Ex): The monk's unarmed strikes and monk weapons overcome DR and hardness as adamantine weapons, and he gains DR as if his Armour of the Body were made of adamantine (eg. a monk with Wis 22 would gain DR 3/-). If a monk with this talent wields a monk weapon made of adamantine it overcomes any type of DR. If he wears adamantine armour its DR stacks with the natural DR granted by this talent.
Evasion (Ex): This talent can be selected a second time, in which case it becomes Improved Evasion.
Flight (Su): The monk does not fall after using Swift Move, and he gains a flight speed equal to his land speed with perfect manoueverability.
Decisive Strike (Ex): Whenever he would make multiple attacks against the same target with the same unarmed strike or monk weapon, a monk can instead make a single attack which deals +50% damage per potential attack. This cannot be combined with Flurry of Blows.
Distant Blow (Ex): The monk may make ranged attacks with his unarmed strikes and melee monk weapons. These attacks have a range increment of 10ft. The weapon does not leave the monk's hand - damage is dealt by a shockwave created by his motion.
Fist of the Dragon (Su): As a move action you may infuse your attacks with Ki. Your next attack with a monk weapon or unarmed strike, as long as it is made within 1 round per class level, deals an extra 2d6 points of damage, and all damage dealt by the attack becomes force damage.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Whenever he makes one or more attacks, the monk can make one additional attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon at his highest attack bonus. This cannot be combined with Decisive Strike.
Gale Fist (Su): As a full-round action, a monk can make a single attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon which takes effect in a line. The length of this line is 20ft, +5ft per class level. Creatures in the area may make Reflex saves (DC = 10 + half the monk's class level + his Wis modifier) for half damage. This otherwise functions as a breath weapon, and can be modified by feats which affect breath weapons. The monk must possess Distant Blow to select this talent.
Mettle (Ex): This talent can be selected a second time, in which case it becomes Improved Mettle.
Technique Mastery (Ex): Whenever you perform a technique from the following list you may perform another as a free action: bull rush, disarm, grapple, sunder, trip. For instance, you could disarm two people at once, or knock someone down then grapple him. You may use this ability once per round, and one additional time per round for each time you take it.

Ki Strikes
Darkness Strike (Ex): When making an unarmed strike you may expend 2 points of ki. A creature struck by this attack must make a Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. If it succeeds on its save it is instead dazzled for 1d4 rounds. This ability has no effect on creatures which do not rely on their eyes to see.
Soulwarp Strike (Ex): When making an unarmed strike you may expend 1 point of ki. A creature struck by this attack must make a Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round, and is sickened for 1 round even if it succeeds on its save. This is a necromancy effect.
Stunning Fist (Ex): When making an unarmed strike you may expend 1 point of ki. A creature struck by this attack must make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this ability.
Ghost Step (Su): You may expend 1 point of ki as a move action to become invisible for 1 round, as the invisibility spell.
Healing Touch (Ex): You may use Wholeness of Body with a range of touch as a standard action.
Hurricane Kick (Ex): You may expend 1 point of ki as a standard action to make one unarmed strike against each opponent in reach.
Ki Dodge (Su): As an immediate action you may expend 1 point of ki to gain concealment against 1 attack.
Ki Dodge, Greater (Su): As an immediate action you may expend 3 points of ki to gain total concealment against 1 attack.
Moment of Perfection (Su): You may expend 2 points of ki as a swift action to gain a competence bonus to an ability score for 1 round equal to half your class level.
Smash (Ex): As a swift action you may treat your unarmed strikes as two-handed weapons for 1 round.
Spell Strike (Su): You may expend 1 point of ki while casting a spell with a range other than personal to deliver it through a melee attack as part of the casting. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke an attack of opportunity.


New Feats
Weapon Master
Benefit: You treat all weapons with which you are proficient as monk weapons.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2009, 06:21:43 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

Prime32

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2009, 07:51:19 AM »
Reserved
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

GawainBS

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2009, 11:34:06 AM »
I like it so far, especially Masterwork/Armour of the Body: simple and elegant solution to the biggest detractor of a Monk.

Prime32

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2009, 11:37:50 AM »
I like it so far, especially Masterwork/Armour of the Body: simple and elegant solution to the biggest detractor of a Monk.
If anyone would have a masterwork body it would be the monk. :p Originally they were one class feature, but that made it awkward to refer to the armour by itself.

Note also that you can combine Fist of the Dragon and Gale Fist to create a Kamahamaha. :D
« Last Edit: September 29, 2009, 03:38:54 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

bihlbo

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2009, 03:43:51 PM »
I don't see any penalties for this monk wearing a suit of armor. Did I miss something?
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Flay Crimsonwind

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2009, 01:10:08 AM »
Yeah Bihlbo, but it's subtle; his body counts as a suit of armor.
Quote
A monk's body is treated as a suit of masterwork armour
You can't wear two suits of armor and gain any of the second suits benefits (which in this case will always be the placed armor, as you can't remove it... or can you? :plotting), just like two magic items on the same slot negate one of them. It's in the rules somewhere in the SRD, but I have a test to do, so I'll look it up later unless someone beats me to it.

FotNS is ridiculous, by the by. Also, this would suit a Ranma 1/2 based game very well, if you wanted to take some ideas for Ki strikes (since they even call it Ki in the show).

Operation Shoestring

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2009, 11:03:40 PM »


True Body (Ex): At every 4th level a monk may increase or decrease his effective size by one. If he chooses to increase his size, his unarmed strikes deal damage as one size category larger, and grapples, bull rushes, etc. treat him as if he were a creature of that size. If he chooses to decrease his size, his size bonus to attacks and AC is calculated as if he were one size category lower. A monk need not choose the same option each time, and the two paths do not interfere with each other.


The way this is written it sounds like every four times the monk levels up, he can change his size catgegory by one step permanently.... By level 20, you'll have a colossal monk.

dman11235

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Re: [3.5] Another monk fix
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2009, 02:05:49 AM »
Only for the purposes of certain things.  Which leads me to my first technical gripe: True Body is extremely unbalanced in favor of larger.  Smaller is +1 attack/AC, and larger is more damage, better combat maneuvers (which monks are (supposedly) built for), and no penalties related to those increases.  Not sure what you could do to fix this, but going with larger is hands down better.

All in all I like it.  Questions: does this monk get the unarmed strike advancement?  What about misc. bonus to AC when unarmored?  Why do you have armor categories for the armor class feature, since they don't matter for anything?

Wholeness of Body is much better than the original, but I feel it could still be expanded upon.  You got rid of the misc. immunities, which while it un-cluttered the class, weren't the abilities that were contradictory in most circumstances.

Talents/Ki Strikes are a good idea.  However, some of them are kind of wonky.  Flight is down right overpowered.  Make it require Abundant Step and add a clause that it doubles the AS distance they can teleport and it would be great.  Otherwise you've got flight  as a level 2 ability, and nothing else in the class is on that power level.  I never support Improved Evasion and any cousin to the ability, and feel like they should be eliminated from the game.  Imp Evasion less so than Imp Mettle.  A Thousand Faces seems kind of out of place...  And Fist of the Dragon is underpowered beyond level 2, since the damage doesn't scale, so it's +2d6 damage on the first attack....yeah...  I love Talent Mastery (and want to see more come of it), and Adamantine Body could use some attention (though I found out why armor category matters!  For this!  And this only!).

On Ki Strikes:  This is kind of misleading, since some aren't actually strikes.  Also, is it a default of 1 ki point, or does it have to add a cost for there to be one?  Ki Dodge seems underpowered, and the greater version is definitely so.  3 points?  Of a very limited daily supply?  For Stunning Fist, see me Monk of the Black Panda for my reworking of the Stunning Fist mechanics.  Might help you, might not.

On the MW body/armor thing: I'm not sure I like this solution.  It just seems cop-out-ish.  It works....it's just not pretty...

Finally, you didn't fix the skill issue.
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