Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Blindberzerker 05-20-05, 11:37 AM	hi everyone. Small demand and help regarding a build that I am to start. We are going to start a very short but intense series of adventures and for once we are going to take some old forgotten characters and bring them up to the 20th level. I had originally created a Githzerai Monk / Psion (Nomad) who turned out to be extremely poor...unbalanced, unreliable...I must admit it was my first go at Psionics (even our first go within a campaign) and it was quite a failure. Being slightly more familiar now I am to start him completely from zero and hoped to get a few recommandations and advices on its creation. Unfortunately, though we are playing with the current edition, we've lost track on Psionics which means that for the core basis we will be strictly using the 3.0 edition (but the new psionic prestige classes will be 3.5) I had in mind two paths: 1) MONK / PSION (Nomad) / ELOCATOR 2) MONK / PSION (Nomad) / PSIONIC FIST These two prestige classes where pointed to me by some other members of this forum and I must say that they do go well with such a character. The only dilemmas now...how many level to invest and I haven't made up my mind how this character will definitely be specialised...a pure hitter, a smooth mix between the different classes or simply profit from the numerous advantages and abilities granted by the Monk class while strictly using and depending on psionic powers :( Has anyone of you ever created such a character and (the obvious question) has it been successful ? We have a wide liberty regarding items (let's not get mad but we don't have our hands completely tied) so I hope to find nice combinations of magic and psionic items to buff him and counterbalance any major weaknesses. Thanks for the information, critics and details :)
Khazra Reborn 05-20-05, 12:00 PM	take only 3 monk levels (minimum) & use items to boost monk abilities. Im not sure but isn't fist of zuoken prc a kind of EK advance 2 things class as opposed to the monk with added psionic abiltes type psionic fist? I quite like monk5/psionic fist10/pyrokineticist5 flaming fists are cool!
Iaimeki 05-20-05, 04:45 PM	For what it's worth, the new psionics rules are in the SRD: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35. (More convenient hypertext version: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/home.html). Generally, the way to do the psionic monk is to go monk/fist of zuoken.
catharz 05-20-05, 05:40 PM	Part of the problem is that Githzerai are inherently unbalanced, having a fairly high LA. But if you are going to play a Githzerai, and you want to play a psionic monk, there are some other issues to be dealt with. First and foremost, Mon/Psion is generally a very bad combination. Monk requires Strength, Dexterity, Constitition, and Wisdom. Psion requires Inteligence. However, if you can get rid of one of those stats from the order of importace, you can make a decent character. The easiest way to do this is by dropping Psion from the equation. Use Psychic warrior instead. Monk 2/Psychic warrior 4 ain't bad. Monk 2/Psychic warrior 2/Fighter 1/Warmind also isn't bad. You could probably combine that with Elocater without too much trouble. Mnk 2/PW 2/Ftr 1/Warmind 5/Elocater 7 is a pretty cool build IMO, snagging Capricious step, Flanker, Sweeping strike, and 10th-level Warmind manifestation plus Teleport, Planeshift, and Dimension door. Which makes for a respectable Monk/Nomad. Then just grab 3 levels of a +1 BAB class (assuming you ever make it past 17th level...). The other option is Kung fu genious, a feat from Dragon 319. It switches monk abilities from Wisdom to Inteligence, making psion viable.
PhaedrusXY 05-21-05, 12:46 AM	First and foremost, Mon/Psion is generally a very bad combination. Monk requires Strength, Dexterity, Constitition, and Wisdom. Psion requires Inteligence.He's using 3.0 psionics rules, for which each of the disciplines relied on a different attribute. The Nomad (psychoportation) relies on Dexterity, so his MAD from multiclassing isn't as bad as you're thinking. The actual MAD from just being a 3.0 psion can be quite high, however, if you want to use powers from a range of different disciplines. Here is a post I copied down about playing a grappling psywarrior using 3.0 rules. I don't have any 3.0 psionic builds that I saved, and I am not going to dedicate the time necessary to relearn the rules for it. The 3.5 ones are alot better. Sorry... My favorite PsiWar build is the "HP supersoaker" Basically build him around WF/WS Claws. A level of monk isn't a bad thing to add to this at all if want to work it in. A monk level makes justifying the OA feats below more reasonable as well. Then, once you get your 3rd level powers (7th PsiWar I think) he's fully ready to rock. It all comes down to this combo: Biofeedback (Improved if possible) + Enlarge (poly self later) + Animal Afinity (used on Str) + Claws of the Vampire. Add whicheve other tweaks you can, but these are the big ones. Also take the Improved Grapple and Earth's Embrace Feats from OA if they're available. But they're not required. You convert your Str bonus or 2x your Str bonus in damage done to you into subdual damage. Then you grapple and rip the guy a new one with the claws of the vampire. You should have very good grappling abilities from size, skills, and boosted strength. You heal yourself the amount of damage you inflict with each strike. And when you are healed you ALSO heal that much subdual damage. So you hit someone for 15, you heal 15 HP AND 15 Subdual on yourself with that strike. Even if you are getting out-damaged 2 to 1, you still keep par and they're (hopefully) not healing the damage you inflict. Earths Embrace from OA, if available, make this incredibly deadly since it does auto-crits in grapples. As long as he can grab onto foes with decent HP, this guy is practically unkillable. And even if the opposition gangs up on the PsiWar to kill him, they probably only knock him out thanks to the biofeedback. Meanwhile the rest of your party is doing it's own horriffic things to the bad guys...
Piraatje 05-21-05, 07:09 AM	3.0 psionics was ... nasty. Nomads were actually the weakest discipline of all, and multiclassing a psion hurts immensely. Nomads have NO damaging powers, and psions are in general very bad at outputting damage via powers. I'd go for the Monk / Psionic Fist (dont bother with base psionic classes to play a monk-like psion). The psionic fist uses the PsW list, which is arguably the list you want to have as a "psionic monk". Statwise, get 14 strength. Githzerai is an outsider. You will absolutely RULE melee once you get polymorph, since you can shape into the uber celestial forms. Depending on startlevel, dump dex (you'll be polymorphed anyway). Con is always usefull for more hp, wis is your casting stat as psionic fist (as well as the stat you'll still use in polymorph). Add int & cha as desired.
Blindberzerker 05-27-05, 05:18 AM	many many thanks to all. with so many things I don't know where to start :D I'll see if the below is suitable or not and will make changes and modifications according to your advices and suggestions. Monk 2 / Psychic Warrior 12 / Elocator 4 Hopes this proves to be strong and reliable enough though :confused: we shall see as they say ;) Thank you very much everyone, the help has been very appreciated. Kind regards B.B