is it too good to be true.

[The Reverend]

Can you guys check me on this character design, I haven't found a reason it won't work.

monk multiclass with fighter to get polearm momentum. Background is gritty seargent with that I choose glaive proficiency. I using a lightning glaive and with my mark of storm feat it allows me to push one with lightning or thunder damage. Two magical items that each give me an extra push or slide: gauntlets of the ram and cleats.
The monk powers I'm interested in are close blast implement powers meaning every enemy in the blast, if I hit them they slide three and with polearm momentum end prone.

Can anyone spot holes with this?
I plan to use this setup to heard and hinder enemies toward our fighter and barbarian and away from our squishes.

Thanks

[Drglenn]

Technically that works, but I'd say that the lightning weapon's at-will doesn't affect implement powers.

[artstsym]

Actually, the lightning weapon's power would work, as per the rules compendium (actually the PHB, but the RC backs it up): "Like other powers, magic item powers often have keywords, which indicate the powers' damage or effect types. When using a magic item power as part of a racial power or a class power, all the keywords of the item's power and the other power apply." Despite the fact that the attack won't deal any lightning damage, because the lightning weapon's power has the lightning keyword, so will all of the attacks he makes using it. Thus, mark of storm will apply to all attacks he makes using the lightning weapon as an implement.

I wanted to find a hole in this, but it actually works out just fine.

Some might argue that the powers actually deal lightning damage (from the enhancement bonus or whatever), but I'm content to simply state that it adds the lightning keyword to the power, which is all it needs to work.

[NecroRebel]

Some might argue that the powers actually deal lightning damage (from the enhancement bonus or whatever), but I'm content to simply state that it adds the lightning keyword to the power, which is all it needs to work.

I'm pretty sure that using powers through a ____ weapon or other item that changes damage types does completely overwrite the former damage types and keywords. I don't have the Rules Compendium to check, but the errata for PHB1 states the following:


If the damage types in a power change, the power
both loses the keywords for any damage types that
are removed and gains the keywords for any damage
types that are added (the poison keyword is removed
from a power only if that power neither deals poison
damage nor has any nondamaging effects). For
example, if a wizard casts ray of frost through a flaming
staff and uses the staff ’s ability to change the
damage to fire, ray of frost gains the fire keyword and
loses the cold keyword for that use, since the power is
dealing fire damage instead of cold damage. That use
of the power can therefore benefit from effects, like
feats, that affect fire powers, but not from effects that
affect cold powers.”

[The Reverend]

Mmmmarvelous. I have an at will close burst 2 that will work great with this. Every hit ends with the enemy three squares closer to the fighter and prone.



.....this will work great till .my dm starts using enemies designed to counter me. I guess that in itself is a sign of success

[tcrudisi]

Can you guys check me on this character design, I haven't found a reason it won't work.

Can anyone spot holes with this?
I plan to use this setup to heard and hinder enemies toward our fighter and barbarian and away from our squishes.

It works. Note that it's not nearly as powerful as when used on the charop boards. Why? Because you are a striker, not a defender.

You've slid the monsters 2-3 squares and knocked them prone. Now what? Now they stand up and charge someone, possibly a squishy. When a Fighter does it, the target will get a -2/-3 penalty to attack something else, since the Fighter is not a viable target. (Note: they would slide it 1 square away so the Fighter itself cannot be charged.)

A lot of times you aren't going to have the Fighter close enough for your plan to work. If he's not close enough, someone will get charged. As a monster, I'd much, much rather attack the Barbarian than the monk anyway. (Typically, Barbarians have bad defenses and Monks have great defenses.)

Just to point out what you are giving up: 1. Unless you are Iron Soul, you give up a lot of hit points. If you are Iron Soul, you give up a mostly inconsequential +2 to some random skill. 2. a free attack every combat. 3. +1 AC/Ref. (Note that 2 and 3 can change, I just picked common items to represent the hand and feet slot.)

[The Reverend]

Character is an iron soul. how would I be giving up an attack? an doesn't standing up blow your move action ?

[DragonBaneDM]

Character is an iron soul. how would I be giving up an attack? an doesn't standing up blow your move action ?

It does, but they could always just charge whoever they wanted afterwards as a standard action because you're too far away to make an OA or II against them.

[tcrudisi]

Character is an iron soul. how would I be giving up an attack? an doesn't standing up blow your move action ?

You are wearing Gauntlets of the Ram. That means there are several things you can't wear that you would normally love to have as a striker: Gauntlets of Blood and Strikebacks, for example.

Standing up blows your move action, but charging is a standard action that allows you to move before taking a MBA (must move at least 2 squares).

I'm just wanting to forewarn you that, while this combo is potent, it's not so cheesy that I would be upset if a player used it in one of my games. (It is that cheesy when a Paladin does it.) It has drawbacks when a striker uses it in that the striker is giving up damage to gain some control. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that you are making yourself a bit weaker at your primary job. That's something that should always be heavily considered before doing.

[The Reverend]

AAh, I understand what you are saying, but with this monk I'm not going for a pure striker. Our party is changing composistion due to in game events. I used to run the cleric, but they needed someone who could be there every game to play it.

elf ranger, kalashtar healic cleric, elf druid, warforged fighter, Human Barbarian.

we lost our wizard and as i understand it our druid didn't build a pure controler and she is also prone to not coming. So I like monks and whats more when i play monks the Dice gods always seem to shine on me. One play session my DM checked my dice because all my rolls were high or 20s. So Im going for a Striker that dabbles in controller. I thought about playing a Bard, but frankly the handbook is 5 times as big as all the others. Thought playing a Six String Samurai would be awesome or maybe Bill S. Preston Esquire.