[3.5/PF] Character Optimization Help! (Yep, Its a monk.)

[WeeFreeMen]

Good evening playground. I come to all of you once again for advice.

I will be playing a PC in one of my friends upcoming games after this summer but seeing as I have nothing to do, I want to get him built now. So without further ado, lets get to work.

1) The Character:
Augustus Cornelius Terranis - a monk in the middle ages heavily devoted to faith and learning as well as teaching others. He was visited by a foreign monk from the far east one day which instilled in him Shinto beliefs. He strives to mold the old teachings together with the new teachings and found a new religion, one that combines Law and Country. He is the bishop of his current faith and after learning for several months from the foreign monk has learned to defend himself from anything his adventures will test him with (Read: Knows Kung-Fu).

2) The Stats / Mechanics:

Ok, I rolled the following: 18, 16, 16, 15, 14, 14
His race MUST be Human, this is the DMs call and is required for the setting.
-We are using PF Races, so any stat gets +2, plus the bonus feat as norm.
His classes MUST be Monk (for 4 levels) and Shinto Monk (from OA; for 10 levels).
-I require this for the characters backstory and also, I just really wanna play a monk. Now now Playground, Ive been around long enough to know how you guys feel about Monk, rest assured I am prepared. This campaign setting is also Very Very Low Magic. As in, if someone can cast prestidigitation, he is probably ruling over a kingdom.

I would like to focus on being as Non-Lethal as possible, instead focusing on CC tactics, such as Grappling, Stunning, Disarming, Tripping, etc. Remember, Augustus is first and foremost a man of the cloth (and Lawful Good to boot).

The campaign will be UP TO LV14 which gives me just enough room to max out Shinto, which is perfect.

Feats will be 2 at lv1 (Standard + Human) on-top of the ability to take up to 2 Flaws and 2 Traits (Pathfinder ruling).
Assume any and all Pathfinder and 3.5 material is valid ( I don't wish to use Vow of Poverty Antics, I know how strong it is in Non-Magic and I don't want to even bother with it, that being said, other Exalted Feats are ok as long as they have Opt purposes.)

Somewhere around lv9, I can expect to gain the Saint template, the DM has allowed this and will back it up ingame.


tl;dr: Please optimize me a lv4Monk/10 Shinto Monk (ECL14) while focusing on Non-Lethal Tactics. Im asking for Feats and Skill point suggestions as well as any neat Monk tricks anyone has up their sleeves.

Feats I had in Mind (In relative Order):

Lv1: Ability Focus: Pharaoh's Fist / Falling Star Strike
Monk Bonus 1: Pharaoh's Fist (Sandstorm)
Monk Bonus 2: Pain Touch (Complete Warrior)
Lv3: Improved Natural Attack (SRD)
Lv5: Falling Star Strike (Oriental Adventures)
Monk Bonus 6: Freezing the Lifeblood (Oriental Adventures)
Lv7: Fists of Iron (Complete Warrior)
Lv9: Snap Kick [ToB]
Monk Bonus 10: Medusa Wrath [PF-SRD]

[Woodzyowl]

I would refer you to this build (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ultimate_Monk_%283.5e_Optimized_Character_Build%29 #OA_progression_.28some_3.0E_rules.29), but it is not exactly following your progression. Not to mention it is messed up a bit at the beginning. However, this place is my favorite monk resource (if a bit cheesy), so if you have not made the monk yet, read this page over (yes, it's long) to get some ideas for damage-optimized monks.

[Mojo_Rat]

I don't know the oa monk, but if it is Pf...

18 str 16 dex 16 wisdom 15 con 14 int 14 Cha.

given I do know Pf monk, but not the oa one.


put your racial bonus to str and put all your stat boosts but one to str. since you get 3 for lvl 14 and 5 over the characters life the odd one can go to con.
your three control methods are grapple trip disarm. you also want medusas wrath. ( assuming I haven't mixed the name with the gorgon one, it gives you two free unarmed strikes on a at Ned feared flatfooted or otherwise move hampered opponent)

never ever do a single strike, either trip them disarm them or grapple them, make sure you understand the positioning and combat maneuver rules. with haze on you can move behind enemy lines grapple an opponent then move him away while grappling him faster than some of your enemies can move.

basically the key to an effective Pf monk is system mastery. you can do good damage if you remember str is your primary attack.

by lvl 14 you should have a cmb of +21 or so and disarm with a +3? sai for +28 I think ( enhancement bonus, imp disarm sai get bonus I think) with similar Bonus


anyhow I hope this helps.

[WeeFreeMen]

Thank you both.
currently, im memorizing the PF Comabt maneuver rules as suggested.