draco_nite
2010-05-21, 05:49 AM
This is a monk build which plays with the monk's size and takes advantage of the fact that unarmed strike is a natural weapon.
28 Point Build
Starting Abilities
Str: 16
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 10
Wis: 14
Cha: 8
We pick changeling (Monster Manual III) as our race, giving us the shapechanger subtype that we need for the Warshaper (Complete Warrior) prestige class later on. We also apply the Half-Minotaur (Dragon Magazine 313) template, altering our starting abilities:
Str: 20
Dex: 12
Con: 16
Int: 8
Wis: 16
Cha: 8
LA +1
Large Size
Bonus Feat: Track
+2 Natural AC bonus
Darkvision 60'
+10' Movement
Scent ability
+2 to Listen, Search, and Spot
+4 to escape a maze spell (lol)
1d8 gore attack
This build can go one of two ways. If your campaign allows psionics, your first feat should be Wild Talent, to qualify for the Fist of Zuoken (Expanded Psionics Handbook) prestige class. Otherwise, you should take Endurance to qualify for the Tattooed Monk (Complete Warrior) prestige class. As for skills, be sure to take nine ranks of Concentration or eight ranks of Knowledge (Religion) to qualify for Fist of Zuoken or Tattooed Monk, respectively.
As for your monk bonus feats, you should take Improved Grapple if you want Tattooed Monk, otherwise, it doesn't matter which feat you choose.
At this point, I would like to point out that you should either have a wizard/sorcerer/whatever friend that is able to cast Enlarge Person on you, so that you can grow to Huge size. The reason for this is so that you can do more unarmed damage, as well as gain a larger reach. If you don't have a friend who can do this, however, invest in some potions of Enlarge Person. At first level, we can do 2d6 damage with an unarmed strike, and 3d6 damage at 4th.
At 6th level, we take Improved Natural Attack (Monster Manual I) and apply it to our unarmed strike, allowing us to treat it as though it were one size larger. RAW, this is allowed, because a monk's unarmed strike counts as a natural weapon and a manufactured weapon. At this point, we can do 6d6 damage with an unarmed strike.
At 7th level, we stop taking levels in monk and start taking levels in Warshaper, and only take four levels in it. The key feature of the Warshaper is Morphic Weapons, which allows us to grow a natural weapon. If, however, our form already has said weapon, it counts as though it were one size category larger. So, we grow an unarmed strike. Wait, our form already has an unarmed strike, so that means that it deals damage as though it were one size category larger. This puts our unarmed strike damage at 6d6. Yes, we're now at colossal damage, folks.
Other benefits of the Warshaper prestige class include a permanent +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, +5' to our reach, Fast Healing 2, and the ability to heal 10 points of damage with a DC 20 Concentration check, which are also REALLY nice.
At 9th level, we take the feat Superior Unarmed Strike (Book of Nine Swords), which allows us to deal unarmed damage as a monk of four levels higher. This puts our unarmed damage at 6d8. This makes up for the four levels of Warshaper we took.
Now that we've taken all four levels of Warshaper (the 5th level sucks, at least for us,) we can now start taking levels in Monk again.
...is what I'd like to say, but Monks have this really pointless restriction which prevents us from taking levels in Monk ever again once we take levels in another class. However, we can do the next best thing, and take levels in prestige classes which grant us the monk bonus to AC, movement speed and that yummy unarmed strike damage. Take your last 10 levels in Fist of Zuoken or Tattooed Monk (or whatever other PrC gives you monk abilities, just make sure to take feats/skills so that you qualify). Personally, I would recommend Fist of Zuoken, so that you can use the Expansion power to increase your size without having to rely on some wizard or the potions he brews for you (and, of course, for the uber hax that psionics itself brings.)
As for ability score increases, be sure to put at least one point into Wisdom if you're going Fist of Zuoken (to manifest those 5th level powers), otherwise, I'd put it into Str, Con, or Wis.
Your unarmed damage will cap out at a whopping 12d8 per attack, which is an average of 54 damage per strike, not counting bonuses from strength, items, or permanent greater magic weapons cast on you.
Notes: I calculated the huge, gargantuan, and colossal unarmed damage with the chart on page 28 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
28 Point Build
Starting Abilities
Str: 16
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 10
Wis: 14
Cha: 8
We pick changeling (Monster Manual III) as our race, giving us the shapechanger subtype that we need for the Warshaper (Complete Warrior) prestige class later on. We also apply the Half-Minotaur (Dragon Magazine 313) template, altering our starting abilities:
Str: 20
Dex: 12
Con: 16
Int: 8
Wis: 16
Cha: 8
LA +1
Large Size
Bonus Feat: Track
+2 Natural AC bonus
Darkvision 60'
+10' Movement
Scent ability
+2 to Listen, Search, and Spot
+4 to escape a maze spell (lol)
1d8 gore attack
This build can go one of two ways. If your campaign allows psionics, your first feat should be Wild Talent, to qualify for the Fist of Zuoken (Expanded Psionics Handbook) prestige class. Otherwise, you should take Endurance to qualify for the Tattooed Monk (Complete Warrior) prestige class. As for skills, be sure to take nine ranks of Concentration or eight ranks of Knowledge (Religion) to qualify for Fist of Zuoken or Tattooed Monk, respectively.
As for your monk bonus feats, you should take Improved Grapple if you want Tattooed Monk, otherwise, it doesn't matter which feat you choose.
At this point, I would like to point out that you should either have a wizard/sorcerer/whatever friend that is able to cast Enlarge Person on you, so that you can grow to Huge size. The reason for this is so that you can do more unarmed damage, as well as gain a larger reach. If you don't have a friend who can do this, however, invest in some potions of Enlarge Person. At first level, we can do 2d6 damage with an unarmed strike, and 3d6 damage at 4th.
At 6th level, we take Improved Natural Attack (Monster Manual I) and apply it to our unarmed strike, allowing us to treat it as though it were one size larger. RAW, this is allowed, because a monk's unarmed strike counts as a natural weapon and a manufactured weapon. At this point, we can do 6d6 damage with an unarmed strike.
At 7th level, we stop taking levels in monk and start taking levels in Warshaper, and only take four levels in it. The key feature of the Warshaper is Morphic Weapons, which allows us to grow a natural weapon. If, however, our form already has said weapon, it counts as though it were one size category larger. So, we grow an unarmed strike. Wait, our form already has an unarmed strike, so that means that it deals damage as though it were one size category larger. This puts our unarmed strike damage at 6d6. Yes, we're now at colossal damage, folks.
Other benefits of the Warshaper prestige class include a permanent +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, +5' to our reach, Fast Healing 2, and the ability to heal 10 points of damage with a DC 20 Concentration check, which are also REALLY nice.
At 9th level, we take the feat Superior Unarmed Strike (Book of Nine Swords), which allows us to deal unarmed damage as a monk of four levels higher. This puts our unarmed damage at 6d8. This makes up for the four levels of Warshaper we took.
Now that we've taken all four levels of Warshaper (the 5th level sucks, at least for us,) we can now start taking levels in Monk again.
...is what I'd like to say, but Monks have this really pointless restriction which prevents us from taking levels in Monk ever again once we take levels in another class. However, we can do the next best thing, and take levels in prestige classes which grant us the monk bonus to AC, movement speed and that yummy unarmed strike damage. Take your last 10 levels in Fist of Zuoken or Tattooed Monk (or whatever other PrC gives you monk abilities, just make sure to take feats/skills so that you qualify). Personally, I would recommend Fist of Zuoken, so that you can use the Expansion power to increase your size without having to rely on some wizard or the potions he brews for you (and, of course, for the uber hax that psionics itself brings.)
As for ability score increases, be sure to put at least one point into Wisdom if you're going Fist of Zuoken (to manifest those 5th level powers), otherwise, I'd put it into Str, Con, or Wis.
Your unarmed damage will cap out at a whopping 12d8 per attack, which is an average of 54 damage per strike, not counting bonuses from strength, items, or permanent greater magic weapons cast on you.
Notes: I calculated the huge, gargantuan, and colossal unarmed damage with the chart on page 28 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.