Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 moot187 Jul 09, 2009 22:19:59	Ya I want play a monk in a level 7 campaign. (were using 3.5 edition rules) My last charter was pretty crappy and died. So this time around I want make a character that woops ass. So ppl do you know any good monk tweaks?
#2 dark_harrier Jul 09, 2009 23:19:34	What books do you have access to? Doing this in core is going to be, well a mess. I'll try to put one together, core only, standard wealth, 28 point buy. Half-Dragon Human Monk 4 (ECL 7) 33hp (on average) Str 20(4) Dex 15[17](6) (level 4 boost) Con 16(6) Int 12(2) Wis 16[18](10) Cha 10(0) [The number in brackets is the stats after your items. The number in parenthesis is how many points were spent on that stat] Feats Stunning Fist(monk 1) DC 18 Fort save or stun for 1 round Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) (Character 1) Ability Focus(stunning fist)(human) Deflect Arrows(Monk 2) Power Attack(Character 3) Items Amulet of Natural Attacks +1 (5500gp) [See if you can get your DM to cost this amulet like a weapon. This may be tougher to do because you have a full attack of 4 attacks (unarmed, bite, and 2 claws] Bracers of Armor +2 (4000gp) Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4000gp) Gloves of Dexterity +2 (4000gp) 1500gp AC 23 Touch 17 FF 20 Saves Fort +7 Ref +7 Will +8 +2 vs enchantment spells Immunity to sleep, paralysis, and 1 element Darkvision 60ft and low-light vision Attacks Single Attack +9 2d6+6 damage Flurry of Blows +7/+7 2d6+6 damage Full Attack +10 2d6+6 and 2 claws +5 1d6+3 and bite +5 1d4+3 The idea here is to take half-dragon to give you a bit of toughness and to give you a ton of strength (used here mainly to have to buy up one less stat). The immunities will help you out later when casters decide to have their fun, and still having 40ft move speed is handy. The big downside at this point is the low hp, but the breath weapon should be fun, and having AC comparable to the Plate fighter (+2 plate + 12 dex + Amulet of natural armor +1 + Ring of protection +1 = 23). The level 4 boost was to dexterity so you have the prereqisite for snatch arrows and Two-Weapon Fighting if you want them. You probably want to look into Cleave and Great Cleave to be able to land even more attacks. If you really have nothing to do with your feats, Improved Natural Armor (MM) will give you something to look at. This build may not be optimal, but it should be a starting place to look at. Monks are really tough to build, because they want 4 stats. Skills aren't listed here, I'll leave that up to you. If you are rolling, Dex and Wis should be high priorities, then con, then str (half-dragon gives +8 str, which should cover a not horrible roll). The only questionable thing here is if Stunning fist is an ability that can be chosen for ability focus.
#3 moot187 Jul 10, 2009 0:33:21	Hmm this may work. Thanks for the idea. O and just so every 1 knows I have access to all the books. One guy in my party has them all as pdfs. So any one else know a good monk tweak. Hell if you have a realy good tweak for another class im open to suggestion.
#4 sarahrequiem Jul 10, 2009 1:09:05	a good monk? ever tried the swordsage from tome of battle?
#5 moot187 Jul 10, 2009 1:13:19	I have not read that book I believe but I will check it out.
#6 koradzi Jul 10, 2009 1:18:32	I'm a big fan of the Monk/Cleric to Sacred Fist setup, myself; there's something really satisfying about delivering Inflict spells with a Flying Kick. :D
#7 exposed_wires Jul 10, 2009 1:44:07	I just built a Rogue1/Monk4/Thief-Acrobat2 that is a riot. I'm going to get a few more levels of rogue and take the throat punch ambush feat. She can fall 50 feat without taking damage, stand up as a free action and in just one level she will start to gain all these defensive roll abilities and spell reflection. She deals okay damage but is neigh invincible. All of that plus speed bonuses that mean I have a character that is capable of running away from anything!!!
#8 moot187 Jul 10, 2009 1:58:54	Sounds good now I just need to learn how to multi-class.
#9 Jayden Jul 10, 2009 1:59:55	Roll a wizard and flavor his attacks like Hadokens and the like. Monks are pretty terrible when you get right down to it. Or do you mean like... alignment good? I'd try Paladin/Monk. The flavor is easy to work with and the Lawful/ness of both is a good thing to work around.
#10 kelb_havoc Jul 10, 2009 2:04:40	Unfortunately the monk, while one of the cooler concepts IMHO, is one of the more difficult core classes. You have to be really careful when you put it together or you end up shooting yourself in the foot. I suggest you should probably only dip monk for 1, 2, or 3 levels, then round it out with one of the other classes, say fighter for bonus feats and improved BAB, or Cleric to go into sacred fist. Edit: since you've commented that multiclassing is something you're not overly familiar with, forget about fighter. Monk/paladin, or Monk/ranger are pretty solid in core. Monk/Psychic warrior, with tashalatora (sp?) is pretty beastly without much fuss.
#11 divokej Jul 10, 2009 2:19:09	Earth's embrace is a pretty solid feat from Complete Warrior. It's like d12 damage when you pin someone for a round. And then just boost your grapple. You might be able to flurry of blows grapple, and since if you're already grappling you don't need to make attack rolls you can deal some serious damage.
#12 koradzi Jul 10, 2009 2:33:48	Earth's embrace is a pretty solid feat from Complete Warrior. It's like d12 damage when you pin someone for a round. And then just boost your grapple. You might be able to flurry of blows grapple, and since if you're already grappling you don't need to make attack rolls you can deal some serious damage. For even more lulz, make the character sized Large and figure out a way to get him some Sneak Attack dice - since grappled enemies are denied their Dex bonus. Tough to do given alignment restrictions; a Lawful Evil Monk/Ninja could work, if you don't mind dipping into the deep end of the alignment pool.
#13 Zherog Jul 10, 2009 9:13:39	I had a lot of fun playing an aasimar (house ruled to no ECL) paladin 2/monk 11. (that's where the campaign ended.) He had the Saint template and the Vow of Poverty, which was a much bigger challenge than I expected. The very first exalted feat I grabbed from my VoP bonus feats was Intuitive Strike, which allows you to use your Wisdom modifier with unarmed attacks rather than Strength. Overall, the monk class is (in my opinion) a crazy fun idea, but ends up underpowered -- especially if you have a spellcaster in your group who's good at min/maxxing.
#14 Zherog Jul 10, 2009 9:14:51	For even more lulz, make the character sized Large and figure out a way to get him some Sneak Attack dice - since grappled enemies are denied their Dex bonus. Tough to do given alignment restrictions; a Lawful Evil Monk/Ninja could work, if you don't mind dipping into the deep end of the alignment pool. grappled enemies are denied their Dex bonus to those outside the grapple. If the monk is grappling with a bad guy, the bad guy retains his Dex bonus to AC against the monk. The monk's rogue friend, however, can go to town with sneak attack.
#15 koradzi Jul 10, 2009 10:30:15	grappled enemies are denied their Dex bonus to those outside the grapple. If the monk is grappling with a bad guy, the bad guy retains his Dex bonus to AC against the monk. The monk's rogue friend, however, can go to town with sneak attack. Curses, foiled again!
#16 Zherog Jul 10, 2009 12:52:38	It's one of the strengths of the monk class, though. The monk is decently equipped to help the rogue score lots of sneak attack without flanking. Through grapples and Stunning Fist, the monk can simultaneously take a target out of combat for a round or two while making sneak attack life easy for the rogue. In the game with the previously mentioned paladin/monk, we had a rogue/master thrower who tossed daggers all around the battlefield. She regularly tossed a bevvy of daggers at whatever I stunned, scoring loads of sneak attack dice in the process. (my monk constantly lectured her about it, too. :D )
#17 balmas Jul 10, 2009 15:02:47	I'd look into the feat Improved Natural Attack. It scales up the damage of a natural attack (Read, unarmed strike) by one size. So, for this example, you'd have 3d6 damage. Also, it would be cheaper to get a Greater magic weapon Permanenced than to get an amulet of natural attack.
#18 Zherog Jul 10, 2009 15:17:11	However, the greater magic weapon is subject to being dispelled.
#19 balmas Jul 10, 2009 16:59:12	True. Also, I made a mistake, it should be greater magic fang. Monks are difficult characters to play. My advice would be to take stunning fist early. You can't hit anything if you're knocked out. Trip, disarm, grapple, anything to make your enemies less deadly. Also, if you're going to be lawful evil just to get the ninja class, forget it and play an assassin. Death attack AND sneak attack.
#20 divokej Jul 10, 2009 19:00:43	Or play an ooze. ; )
#21 shinkirou Jul 10, 2009 19:14:58	Take one level of monk and the rest levels of a good class but still call yourself a monk.
#22 bigtony Jul 10, 2009 19:23:36	I'll second the early suggestion to try the Unarmed Swordsage. It gets the "Monk" job done quite handily with little fuss. No matter if you do regular monk or an alternative you might look into getting some casting (Jade Phoenix Mage?, Enlightened Fist /w Kung-Fu Genius?) if only for Greater Mighty Whallop. Blam Blam.
#23 Mad_Jack Jul 12, 2009 4:58:39	I'll second the early suggestion to try the Unarmed Swordsage. It gets the "Monk" job done quite handily with little fuss. Definitely. The Shadow Blade feat allows you to add your Dex modifier to your damage with unarmed strikes, very helpful when getting multiple attacks. Also, if you multiclass as a monk, even just for one level, there are a couple of feats in ToB that will help with your unarmed strikes.
#24 calronmoonflower Jul 12, 2009 14:32:10	Personally, I'd recommend using the Enlightened Monk from Dreamscared Press. It fixes some of the problems with the monk. Porting over the monk and monk feats from Pathfinder could also work. However, the greater magic weapon is subject to being dispelled. Necklace of Natural Attacks from Savage Species costs 600 gp more than the weapon enchantments and enhancements and works for a monk.
#25 shadow_viper Jul 12, 2009 18:13:44	Ninjas can be of any alignment.