I have a campaign waiting on the monk before we can start because one guy wont play anything but a monk.
I want to start soon but I really dont want to leave him out.
This will be my first campaign that isnt premade, so I wanted to stick with 4e because Its easier to DM than 3e. (I Think)
The Monk is rumored to be in Player's Handbook 3.
Yeah, and it's all but confirmed as a Ki Striker.
For now you can use the dual-wield ranger build, making his unarmed strikes 1d10 weapons with a +3 proficiency bonus, and +3 to AC (no armour).
Likely with previews in Dragon as early as November 2009.
And a 3rd party publisher has already released unarmed fighters in the Advanced Player's Guide.
So when the hell is the monk gonna make it to 4e?
I have a campaign waiting on the monk before we can start because one guy wont play anything but a monk.
I want to start soon but I really dont want to leave him out.
This will be my first campaign that isnt premade, so I wanted to stick with 4e because Its easier to DM than 3e. (I Think)
Your options are:
a) Start your campaign without the player (who sounds too whiney to play with anyways)
b) Wait until 2010 to start the campaign
c) Reflavor another class as a monk. Ranger has already been suggested, but I think Rogue would also work well.
Another book, Forgotten Heroes: Fist, Fang and Song also have a 4E version of the Monk.
There are also a few fan-created Monk classes floating around somewhere on the internet.
If your player insists on playing an official WotC Monk he'll have to wait until 2010.
I'm going to go with the two-weapon Ranger unarmed.
seems like it will work until i can get the book.
This is not so much an issue with the Wizards reflavor, as it was only intended to be a quick fix anyways. But with an actually published book such as the APG, it really confuses me.
The issue with either the Wizards-suggested reflavor of the ranger or the Martial Artist class in the APG is that they'll suck later on in the game due to a lack of enhancement bonus.
You could give an extra +1 virtual enhancement bonus for every 5 levels.
they'll suck later on in the game due to a lack of enhancement bonus.
Unless you make a magic item that is identical to the weapons, but goes on the hands, or affects unarmed attacks, or something to that effect. After all, the DM going "outside core" has already demonstrated a capacity for adjusting things to fit his game.
And of course, there is always the option of having the monk actually use a weapon.
And as far as the monk actually using a weapon, at least in terms of the APG, the martial artist's extra damage feature is the ability to, once per round, snap off an unarmed strike as a minor action. Using a weapon would not alleviate that issue.
The problem it has is though is that it lacks magical weapons. There are a couple of solutions to this. You can say that a monk may automatically treat a quarterstaff as a double weapon, or reflavor the flail to be a nunchaku. Reflavoring the flail does mean the monk will be able to dual wield nunchucks, but D&D monks are crazy magic men who punch through steel with their bare hands.
A second solution, which is my personal choice, would be to allow the monk to enchant his own body as if it were a weapon (if you have to, say the body counts as a club or mace for what type of enchantments can be used, but letting the monk choose any enchantment he wants isn't unbalancing. Plus, it allows a monk to have flaming fists, icy feet or a vorpal headbutt, which is awesome). The monk should be allowed to enchant the right side of his body and the left side of his body as if each were a separate weapon. This can be explained as magical tatoos, inherent magical power from channeling Ki or that the party wizard is just that damn good at enchanting things.
As for defenses, a Monk can still wear cloth armor and a neck slot item.
+3 1d10 unarmed attacks also seem about right, or +2 1d12
This creates the smallest mechanical discrepancy between the monk and a ranger while still re-flavoring it for kung fu madness.
If you want to borrow more from the 3e monk, consider also giving the character +1 speed instead of prime shot and the weapon ability, and the unarmed attacks would each be +3 1d8 weapons. Something might still be missing in terms of a bonus, but I'd have to test this out before I could spot it.
+3/1d6/Off-Hand/High Crit...good, solid weapons that work great with the Tempest Fighter's mechanics.
If wearing Chain Mail bothers you, just remove Armor Proficiency and add "When wearing Cloth or No Armor and not wearing a shield, gain +3 Armor Class Bonus". This will force you to prioritize Dex, which is appropriate for a Monk and synergizes mechanically with a Light Blade Fighter.
The Tempest Fighter is the most "Strikerish" Fighter in print.
Of course, this is all moot if your friend/player chooses to cross his arms, pout, and cry like a little kid because his favorite class is not "officially" out yet.
My solution to magic item issue -- provide loot for the monk in the form of 'ritual texts/scrolls' that explain, flavored however you like, how to channel mojo through the fists or feet, effectively treated as adding magic item effects to said limb. Make the class cloth only, adding wisdom and dex to ac, and otherwise allow cloth armor enhancements as normal. You might also consider allowing normally leather or hide specific enhancements for the monks cloth armor, just stick with the cloth AC.
+3 1d10 unarmed attacks also seem about right, or +2 1d12
This creates the smallest mechanical discrepancy between the monk and a ranger while still re-flavoring it for kung fu madness.
If you want to borrow more from the 3e monk, consider also giving the character +1 speed instead of prime shot and the weapon ability, and the unarmed attacks would each be +3 1d8 weapons. Something might still be missing in terms of a bonus, but I'd have to test this out before I could spot it.
This, my friend, is pure genius. Especially the magic scrolls as weapons idea. Pure flippin' genius. Im stealing it.
Ranger Class Feature
Fighting Style
If you choose the following Fighting Style class feature, you lose the Prime Shot class feature.
Brawler Fighting Style: You focus on fighting unarmed and either lightly armored or completely unarmored. While wearing cloth armor or no armor you gain a +3 bonus to Armor Class. In addition, your unarmed strikes have a +3 proficiency bonus and deal 1d10 damage.
Unarmed Feats
Heroic Feats
Martial Artist
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Str 13
Benefit: When you are not wielding a melee weapon in either hand (unarmed) and you make an unarmed attack, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with your main hand.
Ironhand Block
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: While you are not holding a weapon in either hand you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC and Reflex defenses.
Paragon Feats
Knockdown Blow
Prerequisites: Str17, Dex 15
Benefit: If you score a critical hit with an unarmed attack or a weapon from the unarmed weapon group, you knock the target prone.
Epic Feats
Unarmed Mastery
Prerequisites: Str 19, Dex 19
Benefit: When you make a melee attack with a weapon from the unarmed weapon group, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
level 1
Human, Fighter
Build: Tempest Fighter
Fighter Talents: Tempest Technique
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 9.
Starting Ability Scores
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 9.
AC: 17 Fort: 17 Reflex: 14 Will: 13
HP: 27 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 6
TRAINED SKILLS
Heal, Intimidate, Athletics, Endurance.
FEATS
1: Weapon Focus (Unarmed)
1: Two-Weapon Fighting
POWERS
1, At-Will: Dual Strike
1, At-Will: Cleave
1, Encounter: Spinning Sweep
1, Daily: Harrier's Ploy
1, At-Will: Footwork Lure
ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Chainmail, Spiked gauntlet (2)
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
I like this even though it is not a striker.
- Attack roll is +7 and damage is fairly reasonable at 1d6+8.
- While he is in chainmail, you could refluff that or even go with the suggestion of cloth with a bonus (perhaps a bonus from Wisdom while in cloth).
- While in chain he is not as fast (5 speed rather than 6), he gains some of that back through powers with shifting or position swapping.
- Many powers that knock down or push or slide or whatever. All these things strike me as very martial artist.
- One could also do this using the battlerager fighter build for a different look. Raw power behind the fists along with incredible endurance.
The ranger is a good choice too if you wish to be more of a striker type of martial artist. I'm beginning to wonder if something like this might not work in the same format as the gladiator was presented; as a multiclass chain of feats.
I like this...I like it a lot! Well done! I just might have to introduce this in one of my next games.
Seems good, mouthymerc, but doesn't Tide of Iron require you to have a shield equipped?
Yeah, it does. I wasn't looking at the prereqs too closely. My bad. Swap it out with either Cleave or Reaping Strike then.
Yeah, and it's all but confirmed as a Ki Striker.
For now you can use the dual-wield ranger build, making his unarmed strikes 1d10 weapons with a +3 proficiency bonus, and +3 to AC (no armour).
the advanced players guide has a workable monk also
Not a very zen attitude at all.
Wow. He wouldn't be playing in my games if he was going to be like that.
true , at least this thread has remonded me that I want to make a tempest fighter staff master.. or maybe a ranger on on the char builder tonight.
It is basically a pair of hand wrappings that is enchanted as a magic weapon.