Pathfinder Society: Increasing Monk/Inquis damage output

[thugsb]

I've got a Monk3 Inquis2 tripper using unarmed strikes and I'm looking to increase my damage output. In 3.5 it was all about increasing effective size with Gr Might Wallop and Improved Natural Attack. However, as far as I can tell, most of the 3.5 buffs that increased weapon size are not available in PFS. The only think going is Monk's Robe and Enlarge. I've currently got 1d6, 1d8 enlarged. When I buy my Robe in a few more games, it'll go to d10, 2d8 enlarged.

What other ways are there to increase my damage? More attacks are always good, so Vicious Stomp works well. Obviously Magic Fang and Str buffs, but those aren't particularly available. Are there any other ways to increase my weapon size/damage output, or to increase number of attacks/round?

[Krazzman]

Gravity Bow/Strike.

It's a spell that Increases the momentum of YOUR weaponry as if it was 1 size category higher. They should be on the Inquis Spell list, since you can only buff your own weapon with it.

Hope this helps.

[thugsb]

I can only find Gravity Bow (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/spells/gravityBow.html), which only seems to affect ranged weapons. It's also Sor/Wiz and Ranger 1, not Inquis. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm sad it won't help. :(

Another question: Does the Guided weapon enhancement (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapons-non-core/weapon-property---guided) affect Combat Maneuvers (specifically trip attempts)? Thanks!

[thugsb]

Oh, and Krazzman, about your sig: A straight fighter can be good. It just needs this fix (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19573526/Analyzing_the_Fighter_vs._The_Warblade) (keep reading on the 2nd page of the thread too).

[Krazzman]

In our groups? Sadly no.

I tried to introduce ToB and was looked weird upon...even called a powergamer...

Some guys are just accepted as "powergamer" and I am looked weird on if I play together with someone to get a quasi 15-20 x4 crit chance to dash out 8d4+32... with a fighter...on level 5. ( Scythe + Vitalstrike and keen 17-20 x2 weapon + Butterfly sting )

Yeah, our group is a bit weird, that's why my Girlfriend and I are thinking about looking for a PF/DnD3.5 (hell even 4e...) group that plays the game "right".

(Example: My GF games longer than I do. She didn't knew the rules to grapple, Trip, Disarm and Sunder in 3.5 and still PF is vague. Because no one cared to explain, they do OOC conversation and then suddenly they are IC, use a slight amount of metagaming and so on...)

The other spell was Lead Blades, a Ranger 1 spell. (Try to convince your dm to let you get either a usable-magic item to grant you this spell or let it be enchanted to gloves or smth. like that)

Hope this helps.

[grarrrg]

3 levels of Brawler (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/brawler) Fighter get you +1 to-hit and +3 damage. Not to mention the Full-Bab and 2 bonus feats. And if you want to spring for the 4th level of Fighter you can take Weapon Specialization for an extra +2 damage.

[Novawurmson]

How reliably are you hitting targets? Power Attack might be an option.

Also, do you have any archetypes?

[thugsb]

I'm not reliably hitting targets, so PA is out. The character is for PFS play (max lvl 12th, I don't care about anything above that), so GM's can't houserule anything for me.

My build:
Monk 3 (Ki Mystic, Flowing Monk, Vow of Cleanliness, Qinggong)
Inquis 2 (no archetypes!, growth domain)
S15 D14 C12 I13 W20 Ch7, Init+10, Spd30, HP33, AC mid20s.
I intend to take inquisitor the rest of the way, although possibly finish off at 12th with a 4th level of monk.

I actually wield an heirloom (mstwk) double-chained Kama (mainly for reach). I enlarge myself a lot. When I do, on a flurry, I'm at +10CMB to trip (unarmed for Ki Throw) and have just +6 to hit, although hopefully that will be +10 because they'll be prone. I typically want to use my flurry to trip people, and throw them adjacent to me so I get an AoO because of the Vicious Stomp feat. If they stand, I use another AoO for another attack, and if someone attacks me I use an Immediate action to use Redirection and hopefully trip them (and use another AoO if I have any left).

So I'm really hoping to trip 2-3 people each round, and take full advantage of my 3 AoOs. My AoO's also render creatures flat footed for a round. I know I need to get my Dex up so I have more AoOs. :)

However, each hit is pretty pitiful. If I'm enlarged, I do d8+3, otherwise d6+2 (assuming all 3 AoOs hit each round, that's just 22 or 16 damage respectively). And unfortunately, I can't see that going up much as I level. If something has DR 10, I don't do anything.

Featwise, I'm looking at taking Tandem Trip at 6th (to be able to roll twice), 7th is empty, 9th will be Greater Trip (more AoO's needed!!!), not sure about my 2nd teamwork feat, and probably Elemental Fist at 11th. A feat suggestion for my 7th level feat (judgment surge?) and 9th level teamwork feat would be helpful, as well as a better 11th level feat.

Next level I'll be able to afford a +2dex item for another AoO, putting the averages to 30 and 22 (remember, this is best case). At 7th level I'll get 2nd level Inquis spells, allowing Flames of the Faithful to add d6/hit (14/rd) for all combats I manage to cast it (with a high perception, hopefully I'll get it off on surprise rounds). Obviously Judgment can add one or two (when it's not needed for bypassing DR), and Bane will also help at 8th. A Corrosive Amulet of Mighty Fists +0 will help too (another 14/rd).

If only the Guided weapon enhancement was open for Society play, I could get an extra +3 to hit and damage (instead of corrosive).

After all that, I still feel like I'm behind the curve. What else can I do? Thanks!

[Doc Roc]

Please post your stats, full build, and full list of items as you know it so far.

As for fighters, no, they really are that terribad in 3.x. Maybe they're somewhat less awful in 3.P, I don't know yet. But the article you linked is a well noted description of how to fix fighter by rewriting almost forty pages of material.

Broken. You realize it takes more work to fix Fighter than it does to fix Truenamer?

[thugsb]

Haha, it's true. That rebuild changes a decent chunk of the game, and effectively creates a new class. It writes off the fighter to the rubbish bin of history, a worthless class not worth giving the time of day to read.

[thugsb]

Human

Mk1: Com Exp, Com Ref, Imp Trip, Imp U Strike, Flurry, Redirection, AC/CMD bonus
Inq1: Domain (growth), Monster Law, Judgment 1/day, Stern Gaze, 1st Lvl Spells
Mk2: Ki Throw, Evasion, Unbalancing Counter
Mk3: Flowing Dodge, Ki Mystic
Inq2: Vicious Stomp, Cunning Init, Track, Detect Align
Inq3: Solo Tactics, Teamwork: Tandem Trip
Inq4: Judgment Surge???, Judgment 2/day, 2nd Lvl Spells
Inq5: Bane, Discern Lies
Inq6: Gr Trip, Bramble Armor (domain), Teamwork: ???
Inq7: Judgment 3/day, 3rd Lvl Spells
Inq8: Elemental Fist???, 2nd Judgment
Mk4: Ki Pool, Something with Qinggong (likely: Ki Stand or Barkskin)

I'm currently building at 5th level, at which point I have the following equip:
Dusty Rose Ioun (gives +2 CMB/D in wayfinder)
Wayfinder
Headband Wis +2
Amulet Nat Armor +1
Pearl Power 1st (mainly used to get mage armour from party members)
Potions: Enlarge, Shield Faith, Mage Armour
And a few cracked Ioun stones that give +1 to various skills

AC 19 = 2dex+5wis+1nat+1ins
Get +1 dodge for each adj opponent, get +2 if using ComExp, normally get +4 from mage armour, often +2 from shield faith/PfE. So typically mid-20s. Enlarged is -2.

F7 R5 W11
Skills of note: Acro10, Heal10, Most knowledge 10+, Perc14, SM13, Surv12

With CMB or Flurry my BAB is 4, otherwise 3. I can enlarge as Sw for 1rd, 8/day.
Enlarged flurry (tripping unarmed, hitting with mstwk double-chained kama):
CMB (tripping): 10 = 4bab + 3str +2trip +1size -2flurry +2Ioun
Attack: 6 = 4bab + 3str - 1size -2flurry +1heirloom +1mstwk
Damage: d8+3str

Thanks for the help!

[thugsb]

Given my tactic is to trip creatures and take an AoO on them, and given my AoO's render opponents flat footed, I wonder whether there's decent potential for me to increase my damage by doing sneak-attack-like damage. Are there teamwork feats that allow for damage vs flat footed? Or other?

[thugsb]

Weird, I can't find any sneak-attack like damage dealing, except sneak attack itself. Surely there has to be something?

[grarrrg]

Precise Strike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/precise-strike-combat-teamwork): Teamwork feat, low requirements, need to be flanking, +1d6 damage.

[thugsb]

Nothing for flat-footed though? Or extra damage to prone creatures? That's really what I'm looking for. Flanking is less likely, though it is an option.

[thugsb]

Found it. Animal Aspect (Gorilla) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/animal-aspect) increases unarmed damage size. Unfortunately it doesn't fit my build, personal potions can't be made, and my UMD will never be up to it. Ah well.

Litany of Warding will be useful at 10th level to get +2 AoO/s round. Probably worth extending with a MM rod to make it last two rounds. Although maybe the inquisitors spontaneous casting would make this longer than a Sw action cast? The MM rules only address Std action spells (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats), and don't mention what happens to spells that take a Swift action to cast. I'm hoping it doesn't increase casting time, since it doesn't specifically say it does. Is there consensus on this?

Litany of Warding is the only way I've found to increase AoOs/rd allowed, beyond ComRef+dex.

[thugsb]

Yep, you can use MM rods on Swift-action spontaneous spells without affecting casting time. Yay!