Nonlethal damage monk build?

[Rimeheart]

So I mentioned I wanted to make a character that never actually killed any one just did non lethal damage and a friend of mine hinted at build that would output alot of non lethal damage.
He said it was a monk build.

I tried asking him for details but he just smiled... what a tease

So I bring this question to the forum. What is this non lethal damage monk build that supposed put out alot of damage he could have been hinting at?
Note I found the subduing strike feat in book of exalted deeds I assume this is part of it.

[Greenish]

Note I found the subduing strike feat in book of exalted deeds I assume this is part of it.If you have Imp. Unarmed Strike, you get to decide whether you deal lethal or non-lethal damage.


Monk damage boosting usually focuses on increasing your size or your virtual size, since the damage dice scale pretty fast. Most of the serious ones don't take too much (if any) monk levels, though.

[TroubleBrewing]

I think he smiled because the Monk is a bad joke.

EDIT: Gah, swodsage'd by the LAST SENTENCE. :smalltongue:

[Greenish]

I think he smiled because the Monk is a bad joke.You're supposed to laugh at your own jokes.

Or was it that you're not supposed to laugh at them? Eh, I never get that right.

[Rimeheart]

Well part of it was I wanted it to be monk as part of the joke that this character never kills any thing.

[Greenish]

Well part of it was I wanted it to be monk as part of the joke that this character never kills any thing.Pull a Tash or something. Sacred Fist if you don't get Eberron stuff.

[Psyren]

Note I found the subduing strike feat in book of exalted deeds I assume this is part of it.

Subduing Strike is for making ordinary weapons nonlethal. Monks don't need it (for their fists, anyway.)

[Makiru]

Just doing a quick search to confirm my suspicions (don't have CC on me to verify everything, but I'm sure somebody will correct me), I came up with something that might work:

Barbarian 1 (to get Lion Totem/Pounce) / Monk 1 (for Flurry, IUS, the AC bonus, and the bonus feat) / Rogue X

By taking Ascetic Rogue at 3rd level, your unarmed damage will scale on the rogue levels. After that, just take things like Improved Natural Attack and Snap Kick (ToB) to amp up the damage. You can also go back into Monk for whatever reason. (Only one that comes to mind is boosting your flurry amount, which may or may not be relevant)

Is this kinda convoluted? Yes. Would it be easier to do a Tash build? Probably. Do you want to see the reaction on everybody's face when you rage, charge into flanking and flurry for a butt-ton of non-lethal damage dice? I know I would.

[Greenish]

Barbarian 1 (to get Lion Totem/Pounce) / Monk 1 (for Flurry, IUS, the AC bonus, and the bonus feat) / Rogue XSome consider Flurry to be it's own special full round action, in which case it couldn't be used with Pounce. Then you'd need an alignment flip that would remove your ability to Rage (and whirling frenzy is way better than flurry, especially from a one-level dip).


Is this kinda convoluted?Not really. It's a normal ascetic rogue with dip for pounce. :smalltongue:


Do you want to see the reaction on everybody's face when you rage, charge into flanking and flurry for a butt-ton of non-lethal damage dice? I know I would.So why not use tash? I should think damage dice scaling might get you more dice to toss.

[NeoSeraphi]

Just to clarify, the "Tash" that Greenish mentions in his posts refers to a common monk build that involves using the Tashlatora feat from the Eberron book Secrets of Sarlona. You take 2 levels of monk, choosing as your monk feats Monastic Training (Psychic Warrior) and Tashlatora (both of which can replace your 1st and 2nd level monk feats), then take levels of Psychic Warrior for the Wisdom synergy and the nice power list which includes both expansion and various powers that enhance your natural attacks.

The Tashlatora feat allows you to select a psionic class which you have targeted with the Monastic Training feat and allow you to treat levels in that class as if they were monk levels for determining your unarmed strike damage, AC bonus, fast movement, slow fall, and flurry of blows penalties/greater flurry.

Additionally, you can take the feat Beast Claw Strike (if your DM lets you), which will allow you to stack your unarmed strike damage with your claws of the beast damage to put out some serious power per round. (If you increase your size, it will increase the base damage of your claws and the base damage of your unarmed strike, and then you add that higher unarmed strike damage to your higher claw damage.)

[King Atticus]

For a monk build I wouldn't focus so much on non-lethal damage as just taking guys outta combat. You can actually make a cool Monk build that focuses on sundering. Get improved sunder, power attack and eagle claw attack and spend your limited power output just wailing away on the baddies weaponry. Amounts to the same thing (most of the time) as knocking them out does but is actually fun to play.

[Greenish]

You take 2 levels of monkOr one, or none. I prefer one, but two is not bad either.


choosing as your monk feats Monastic Training (Psychic Warrior) and Tashlatora (both of which can replace your 1st and 2nd level monk feats)I don't think Tashalatora can be taken as a monk bonus feat. In fact, I'm quite certain it can't.


then take levels of Psychic WarriorOr Ardent. Or psyrogue (though ascetic rogue, if applicable, would be better). I've heard psion suggested.


The Tashlatora feat allows you to select a psionic class which you have targeted with the Monastic Training feat and allow you to treat levels in that class as if they were monk levels for determining your unarmed strike damage, AC bonus, fast movement, slow fall, and flurry of blows penalties/greater flurry.No fast movement nor slow fall improvements.

[TroubleBrewing]

Get improved sunder, power attack and eagle claw attack and spend your limited power output just wailing away on the baddies weaponry. Amounts to the same thing (most of the time) as knocking them out does but is actually fun to play.

Except when it comes time to loot... :smalleek:

[Greenish]

Except when it comes time to loot... :smalleek:Then you cackle: "Har har har, you poor lil' fools! Fight like me, I've no need for weapons!"

And next time you rest you won't wake up.

[King Atticus]

Except when it comes time to loot... :smalleek:

Yeah, but it shouldn't screw up WBL too badly, I mean how much can 50 shattered sword really be worth? :smallwink:

[TroubleBrewing]

Yeah, but it shouldn't screw up WBL too badly, I mean how much can 50 shattered sword really be worth? :smallwink:

Depends on their enhancement bonuses.

[Xanmyral]

Then you cackle: "Har har har, you poor lil' fools! Fight like me, I've no need for weapons!"

And next time you rest you won't wake up.

Hum. Might wanna be an arctic elf then so you never have to sleep. But then you will be an elf... So maybe sleeping would be a good idea. You could be a dwarf instead though and make their weapons when they whine. Make them give you ale though in exchange.

[King Atticus]

You could be a dwarf instead though and make their weapons when they whine. Make them give you ale though in exchange.

...I really like the premise of a character who is a sunderer by day and a weaponsmith by night. Wonderfully ironic plus your weapons knowledge should be good for some kind of (home brew) sundering synergy bonus :smallbiggrin:

[Xanmyral]

...I really like the premise of a character who is a sunderer by day and a weaponsmith by night. Wonderfully ironic. :smallbiggrin:

Well, dwarves get a plus two to craft when working with metal and/or stone. Craft is a class skill to monks. It can work.

[Fouredged Sword]

There is a good build for monk / rogue / swordsage that uses unarmed strikes to deal non lethal damage with a mix of focused (monk acf) powerattacks and strikes. Double your concentration check is a large amount of non-lethal damage.

It works supriseingly well. Take Ray Reflection in place of evasion for the rogue and the mage slayer line. Be a wizards worst nightmare.

It only dips monk, but I think of it as a monk build becuse that is the flavor.

[Greenish]

Well, dwarves get a plus two to craft when working with metal and/or stone. Craft is a class skill to monks. It can work.I have this awesome picture in my head of a dwarf blacksmith/monk hammering red-hot steel with his fist.

Or maybe with his beard.

[Telonius]

build that would output alot of non lethal damage.
He said it was a monk build.


I am now imagining one of these (http://imabeautygeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/ALOT_Allie-Brosh.jpg)wearing a headband and doing kung-fu.

A little bit more seriously, any melee build that does massive amounts of regular damage can do massive amounts of nonlethal damage. Just add on the "Merciful" enhancement to whatever weapon you're using. It's only a +1 enhancement, and turns all of the damage into nonlethal.

[aquaticrna]

I am now imagining one of [URL="http://imabeautygeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/ALOT_Allie-Brosh.jpg"]A little bit more seriously, any melee build that does massive amounts of regular damage can do massive amounts of nonlethal damage. Just add on the "Merciful" enhancement to whatever weapon you're using. It's only a +1 enhancement, and turns all of the damage into nonlethal.

build an uber charger and put them out for so long that they die of dehydration before they can wake up!

[Greenish]

I am now imagining one of these (http://imabeautygeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/ALOT_Allie-Brosh.jpg)wearing a headband and doing kung-fu.Heh. Though "alot" sounds more like a marine mammal to me.