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Telonius
2010-04-01, 10:31 AM
Yes, another Monk thread. I've noticed a very interesting strategy that might give Monk a much-needed power boost. All it requires is some levels of Truenamer and a skip into Enlightened Fist.

As a Monk2/Truenamer3/Enlightened Fist, the character will know its own personal Truename. He'll automatically succeed on the check whenever he tries to make it. This will give rise to some interesting options. Two Utterances - Seek the Sky and Knight's Puissance - can let the Monk fly, as well as give him +5 to attack and damage (putting him on par with full BAB classes, and allowing him to reach flying foes). Another (Transmute Weapon) can make his Flurry of Blows a cold iron, adamantine, or silver weapon. Thwart the Traveler can prevent dimensional travel. Unlike most casters, there is no limit on the number of times this character can cast an Utterance in a day. As long as he makes his check - which should be fairly easy since he'll be using all kinds of magic items to boost it - he can keep it up. All of that taken together gives the Monk a very good chance at doing what he's actually supposed to do - be a Wizard-killer.

Mongoose87
2010-04-01, 10:35 AM
If this is as good as it sounds, I just don't know what to think. It's like mixing crap with pee and getting orange soda.

PhoenixRivers
2010-04-01, 10:36 AM
Wait a minute...

Let me get this straight.

We're giving monk an upgrade by using...

Truenamer?

kamikasei
2010-04-01, 10:37 AM
April Fools'?

(I'm guessing the Achilles' heel here is the penalty for repeatedly using the same utterance?)

Telonius
2010-04-01, 10:39 AM
April Fools'?

(I'm guessing the Achilles' heel here is the penalty for repeatedly using the same utterance?)

:smallbiggrin:Was hoping it would be up there for longer. Not to mention the fact that Truenamer doesn't actually cast spells, making it ineligible for Enlightened Fist.

The Shadowmind
2010-04-01, 10:39 AM
Got Fooled.

Optimystik
2010-04-01, 11:36 AM
:smallbiggrin:Was hoping it would be up there for longer. Not to mention the fact that Truenamer doesn't actually cast spells, making it ineligible for Enlightened Fist.

You should've kept running with it, I'm sure you'd have caught a couple more pages' worth of flies. :smalltongue:

Kesnit
2010-04-01, 11:55 AM
:smallbiggrin:Was hoping it would be up there for longer. Not to mention the fact that Truenamer doesn't actually cast spells, making it ineligible for Enlightened Fist.

That was my thought.

Other than that, how bad is the build? It sounds crazy (Mongoose put it better than I could), but if it work...

Flickerdart
2010-04-01, 12:13 PM
The Monk could never hit the DCs because of the MAD, he'd be worse than a straight Truenamer. There IS a Monk/Truenamer PrC in Tome of Magic, but it doesn't progress Truenaming and is pretty bad all in all.

Telonius
2010-04-01, 12:19 PM
Even if it worked as advertised as far as the Truespeak check goes, you'd still need to figure out a way to bump your Truenamer level up to 18 at least, in order to get Greater Knight's Puissance. (Practiced Spellcaster, maybe?)

You'd also have the normal problems of "Paranoid Wizard who prepares contingencies for everything." Such as, "If any Truenamer who knows Thwart the Traveler comes within 500 feet of me, teleport me to my pocket dimension and nuke him from orbit."

Draz74
2010-04-01, 12:23 PM
:smallbiggrin:Was hoping it would be up there for longer.

Sorry, I thought "April Fool's!" as soon as I saw the word "Truenamer." :smallwink:


The Monk could never hit the DCs because of the MAD, he'd be worse than a straight Truenamer. There IS a Monk/Truenamer PrC in Tome of Magic, but it doesn't progress Truenaming and is pretty bad all in all.

Disciple of the Word? It's not really a Truenamer PrC at all. It uses the Truespeak skill, but that's no reason to dip Truenamer. (If anything, it's a reason to dip Factotum. :smalltongue:)

It is a pretty terrible class, though, as its class features lack punch, and Intelligence is normally something of a Monk dump stat.

Not to mention it's clearly poorly edited, since it explicitly states that it does and doesn't progress the Monk's flurry of blows progression. :smallyuk:

Blackfang108
2010-04-01, 12:35 PM
Sorry, I thought "April Fool's!" as soon as I saw the word "Truenamer." :smallwink:



Disciple of the Word? It's not really a Truenamer PrC at all. It uses the Truespeak skill, but that's no reason to dip Truenamer. (If anything, it's a reason to dip Factotum. :smalltongue:)

It is a pretty terrible class, though, as its class features lack punch, and Intelligence is normally something of a Monk dump stat.

Not to mention it's clearly poorly edited, since it explicitly states that it does and doesn't progress the Monk's flurry of blows progression. :smallyuk:

Errata states that it DOES. They even say "oops"

Flickerdart
2010-04-01, 12:51 PM
By the by, when was Tome of Magic published? Maybe Truenaming was an April Fool's joke.

Starbuck_II
2010-04-01, 12:53 PM
Yes, another Monk thread. I've noticed a very interesting strategy that might give Monk a much-needed power boost. All it requires is some levels of Truenamer and a skip into Enlightened Fist.

As a Monk2/Truenamer3/Enlightened Fist, the character will know its own personal Truename. He'll automatically succeed on the check whenever he tries to make it.


Even if you know your truename you have to make check. Otherwise Truenamers would never fail vs themselves, but their can.
It takea a +2 DC to make your own truename but you get +4 to skill (over all +2 bonus).

InkEyes
2010-04-01, 01:14 PM
By the by, when was Tome of Magic published? Maybe Truenaming was an April Fool's joke.

Amazon says March 14, 2006, so it could be considered early an April Fools gag. Personally, I think it was just a celebration of the nearly unheard of March Celebration of "Publish-A-Book-Without-Editing-or-Playtestingmas."


Fun fact: 8/15 Amazon reviewers gave Tome of Magic a 5-star rating.