Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Modeztia Jul 14, 2015 14:08:35	Hey, I'm currently starting a 3.5 campaign with some friends and I've decided to tryout something new since Ii've almost always played a ranger-like build. So I'd like some help/suggestions on building a monk flavored PC.   We're starting at 1st Level, and in the long run eventually get to 20. I was thinking him to be able to be the frontman, and be able to control the battlefield since the party is a bard, a cleric, a rogue and a wizard. Making use of Tripping, and maybe Overruninng. But also with a decent damage. DM is open to almost any 3.5 book except Tome of Battle, Oriental A. and Psioncs. But We usually use PHBs and the Complete Handbooks.   Just off the top of my head I should say a was picturing a Cleric/Monk and then looking to RP into a Fist of the Forest/Sacred Fist but am not sure of it. DM gives great importance to RP your character and its growth so it'll be very difficult for a Fighter to suddenly make a cleric dip and so. The race I chose is Lizard Folk of MMI, I'm aware +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int isn't the best, but well I'd like to give it a try. DM accepted taking away its 2 racial HD, but leaving the +1 LA and the rest.   Current Build: Str:15/Dex:14/Con:15/Int:10/Wis:18/Cha:10  (DM point buy variant )   I started with a Lvl 1 Cleric with no deity and Strength and Time domain [These are open to changes, was considering Travel Domain for its feat]. And with Spontaneous Domain Casting Variant (Str)so i can Enlarge myself when it's needed. I have Improved Iniciative(Time Domain feat), and haven't chosen creation feat. BAB=+1(Lizardfolk).   Anyone? Thanks in advance.
#2 StevenO Jul 14, 2015 14:36:11	The general advice for someone looking to go unarmed it to look at the unarmed variation of the ToB's Swordsage.  I see your GM doesn't like ToB for some reason (must not own it) but is ok with other high powered options such as GREAT ability scores (ePB 38) and letting you play an ECL 3 character without the added charge.     Should I point out that unless you are taking the racial HD from the Lizardfolk a Lizardfolk Cleric 1 does NOT have BAB +1 as cleric 1 doesn't boost BAB.  If the DM is generously allowing you to drop the racial HD the Lizardfolk will lose the +1 BAB, 2d8 HD/hp, the +3 REF Save, those (5+INT Mod) skill points, and the "racial bonus feat" listed in the link.  Without the racial HD the Lizardfolk would be giving you this for +1 LA:  +2 STR, +2 CON, -2 INT; speed 30; +5 natural Armor; +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, and Swim checks; the natural weapons and hold breath abilities.
#3 Modeztia Jul 14, 2015 15:10:42	StevenO wrote:
#4 Tempest_Stormwind Jul 17, 2015 11:36:03	Let's put it this way.   You could construct a Rube Goldberg machine of a PC using the Complete books, four different prestige classes, feats from six other books, and orphan a bunch of abilities (i.e. "I can cast one first-level spell using Charisma, so I forget I have that ability") to create a reasonable facsimile of what you want, except it won't be really playable until level 9 to 12 depending on how many feats you need, and the story abilities will be an utter mess since you have to "RP" why you have three different prestige classes.   Or you could argue to use the Tome of Battle, which (in one book) does every bit of the heavy lifting for you, producing a perfectly playable, fun, competitive character at any character level for less effort and less complexity.   This is not just true for monks - it's true for everything that relies on fighting by weapons, by and large. It really is that good and that simple, and the only good reason for not using it is not having the book. If you've got access to it, argue for using it - the argument will take less effort than building what you want without it.   In your case, you've perfectly described a single-class Setting Sun swordsage, who quickly moves about the battlefield and throws his foes around, keeping the damage up while tossing them to the ground far away and blocking/evading things that come his way, especially if they're from attackers that are bigger than him. One class, whose choices are summed up in two words, using one book other than the PHB, and it will be playable from level 1 and very hard to make a "bad" character at any level. Quite a far step away from a Sacred Fist / Fist of the Forest approach, no?     A similar argument exists for psionics, which is better-done (easier to follow, harder to break) than the core PHB magic system. (Honestly, there are fewer problematic psionic powers over the entire edition than there are problematic spells in the Player's Handbook starting with the letter S.) All the basic rules are also free. But psionics is more optional for this specific content, even though it does still help. Most notably with the Tashalatora feat, which converts any psionic class into a monk - in effect using the psychic warrior class (one of the best designed) in place of the monk (one of the worst designed). Incidentally, in 4th edition, the monk was considered psionic, and the "psychic warrior" archetype was expressed as either a monk or a battlemind.   Both the Tome of Battle and psionics (the latter being mostly the Expanded Psionics Handbook, but it does require Tashalatora, a feat from Secrets of Sarlona) are perfect tools for making unarmed combat viable instead of merely "cute". You will have a far easier time convincing the DM to allow either of these or both of them than you will have building an effective martial artist without them.   Modeztia wrote: