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Deepbluediver
2011-11-22, 05:19 PM
A note, before we get started.
This is less of a fix than it is a re-build of the entire class. The monk as written was so wonky that no fix I could apply would be good enough.
The monk in the PHB is loaded down with tons of class skills and special bonuses, even if quite a few of them are not as good as they appear at first, and scale poorly. I tried to stick with this format though as my spiritual guide, redesigning and boosting the abilities and bonuses as needed. If I where to take a stab at redesigning the fighter, I would do it very differently.
I'll try to put other notes in spoiler text as I go along so if you find yourself scratching your head going "wtf did he do that?" look around and maybe you can spot an explanation.
I've read virtually every monk fix that I've ever come across, and this probably incorporates bits and pieces of many of them. If something I wrote sounds similar to what you wrote, please take it as flatery rather than insult.

Monk
Alignment
Any lawful.

Hit Points Per Level
4+1d4

Class Skills
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Treat Injury [formerly Heal] (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier.

I've seen plenty of fixes that make the monk a skill-monkey, but I don't really want to do that. I'm ok with him having only a limited number of skill points but plenty of options where to put them, because it forces the monk to choose what they want to tailor their abilities towards.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the monk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Monks are proficient with club, dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, sling, and any other special monk weapons. They are also proficient with bows (both long and short).
Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses her Wisdom AC bonus, as well as her fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

The Monk
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special |Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus|Unarmed Damage|AC Bonus|Speed Bonus

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Bonus feat, flurry of blows, unarmed strike|-2/-2|
1d6|
+1|
+5 ft.

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Bonus feat, evasion|-1/-1|
1d6|
+1|
+5 ft.

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Zen Truth, Detect Chaos|+0/+0|
1d6|
+1|
+10 ft.

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Ki Strike, slow fall 25ft.|+2/+2|
1d8|
+1|
+10 ft.

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Special Ability |+3/+3|
1d8|
+2|
+10 ft.

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat |+3/+3|
1d8|
+2|
+15 ft.

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Wholeness of Body (self), Zen Truth |+4/+4|
1d8|
+2|
+15 ft.

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Diamond body, Slow fall 50ft. |+6/+6/+1|
1d10|
+2|
+15 ft.

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Improved Evasion |+6/+6/+1|
1d10|
+2|
+20 ft.

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+7|
+7|Special Ability, Ki Strike II |+7/+7/+2|
1d10|
+3|
+20 ft.

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+7|
+7|Greater Flurry, Zen Truth |+8/+8/+8/+3|
1d10|
+3|
+20 ft.

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Tongue of the Sun and Moon, Bonus Feat|+9/+9/+9/+4|
2d6|
+3|
+25 ft.

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Wholeness of Body (others)|+9/+9/+9/+4|
2d6|
+3|
+25 ft.

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Slow fall 75 ft., Detect Order |+10/+10/+10/+5|
2d6|
+3|
+25 ft.

15th|
+11/+6/+6|
+9|
+9|
+9|Special Ability, Zen Truth |+11/+11/+11/+6/+6|
2d6|
+4|
+30 ft.

16th|
+12/+7/+7|
+10|
+10|
+10|Ki Strike III |+12/+12/+12/+7/+7|
2d8|
+4|
+30 ft.

17th|
+12/+7/+7|
+10|
+10|
+10|Flawless Body |+12/+12/+12/+7/+7|
2d8|
+4|
+30 ft.

18th|
+13/+8/+8|
+11|
+11|
+11|Bonus Feat, Timeless Body, Slow fall 100 ft. |+13/+13/+13/+8/+8|
2d8|
+4|
+35 ft.

19th|
+14/+9/+9|
+11|
+11|
+11|Greater Flurry, Zen Truth |+14/+14/+14/+14/+9/+9|
2d8|
+4|
+35 ft.

20th|
+15/+10/+10|
+12|
+12|
+12|Limited Perfection, Slow fall any distance |+15/+15/+15/+15/+10/+10|
2d10|
+5|
+40 ft.[/table]

(christ putting that table together was a pain; next time I'm just gonna take a screenshot of my desktop and insert that) Anywho, time to talk philosophy. A monk has one of the worst cases of MAD of practically any class, ever, benefitting substantially from Con, Str, Dex (all the melee stats) plus Wis. I don't think you should need straight 18's in all those to build a decent monk. In fact I tend to prefer my monks to be multi-discinplinary; after all, the monk is training all aspects of both mind and body. So, I have tried to design most of the bonuses and special abilities to benefit or benefit from one of the 4 stats I mentioned, and make sure every stat gets a chance to shine, even at a less-than-stellar level.
I also tried to avoid the monk fixes that basically just let you use your wisdom bonus in place of everything else. Yes it works, but its SO BORING.

AC Bonus (Ex)
When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 1st level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 5th, +3 at 10th, +4 at 15 and +5 at 20th level).
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

[note: bumped this up, slightly. If the monk is gonna be your groups tank, then she needs some way to match the fighters better AC and the barbarians bigger health pool, but unless we want all monks to be untouchable, this isn't the best place to do that, I think]

Fast Movement (Ex)
At 1st level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to her speed, which increases every few levels as shown on Table: The Monk. A monk wearing armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

[note: turned this down a ways, since its rare in my experience that being able to move more than twice as far as normal in a single round of combat is that helpful, but I gave back the chance to crank it up to 11 later on]

Flurry of Blows (Ex)
When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table: The Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. When a monk reaches 4th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 8th level it disappears. A monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.
When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, etc). She may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1½ or ×½) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that she has enough attacks in her flurry of blows routine to do so.
The Two-Weapon Fighting feat does not enable you to add an additional attack when using Flurry of Blows; you are already striking with every available limb.

Greater Flurry
When a monk reaches 11th level, her flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus. When she reaches 19th level, it improves yet again, and the monk gains a 3rd extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

One extra attack wasnt really cutting it for this, so at max level you get 2, which helps differentiate between you and the TWF rogue. We'll address the monks less-than impressive BAB later on.

Unarmed Strike
At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A monk also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Monk. The unarmed damage on Table: The Monk is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.

Bonus Feat
At 1st level, a monk may select any of the following pairs of bonus feats: Improved Initiative and Stunning Fist, Toughness* and Dodge*, Acrobatic and Avoidance*, or Blind-Fight and Negotiator.

At 3rd level, she may select Improved Disarm, Improved Trip*, Improved Grapple, or Improved Aid Another.
At 6th level, she may select Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, or Combat Presence.
At 12th level, she may select Impenetrable Calluses*, Whirlwind Attack, Create Opportunity+, or Leadership.
At 18th level, she may select any feat from the list of Fighter bonus feats or Martial Style feats as her bonus feat.

A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

[Note: I felt it was important to lay out the paths a monk would lean towards starting right at first level; thats why the bonus feats are in pairs. Basically, its easy to see that each pair follows a theme: Defensive melee, Offensive melee, movement and mobility, wisdom and leadership. At later levels you can pick whichever feats you want, but the potential to specialize in a single track is there.
Also, several of these feats are altered from the PHB version or borrowed from dandwiki.com, I've marked these with an (*) and I'll detail what I changed in a seperate post after this one.

ok, yes, giving the monk 3 bonus feats in 2 levels makes it attractive for a quick dip, but thats not my concern; I'm trying to make the monk attractive for a full 20-level run here.]

Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level or higher if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Zen Truth (Ex)
At 3rd level, a monk has begun to decipher the laws and rules that comprise reality. The monk gains +2 Spell Resistance bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from different kinds of magic, depending on which Zen Truth the monk studies. As a monk grows, she may study different Zen Truths or focus on the same one repeatedly.

Clarity- +2 against Arcane spells

Mortality- +2 against Divine Spells

Tranquility- +2 against elemental spells

[I am currently working on a fix for the whole magic system; if you want to use this class before I get it posted, just ignore elemental magic or tweak this build to fit.]

Detect Chaos (Su)
Once reaching 3rd level, a monk can sense disturbances in the natural order of the universe. They can use Detect Chaos as a supernatural ability once per day for every 3 monk levels (caster level equal to the monk’s level).

Slow Fall (Ex)
At 4th level or higher, a monk can land nimbly from a fall or jump without injuring herself. When first using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 25 feet shorter than it actually is. The monk’s ability to slow her fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall) improves every couple of monk levels until at 20th level it mimics supernatural leviatation, and she can fall any distance without harm.

Removed the "be near a wall requirement", which I feal was only added for realism. But we're not going for realism here; at higher levels the monk is practically a supernatural being anyway, so hence the spell-like abilities.

Ki-Strike (Su)
At 4th level, a monk learns to direct and channel latent magical energy to empower her attacks. A monk may direct this energy (called “ki”) when she attacks with any weapon she is proficient with, or with her unarmed strikes. Each use of ki lasts one round, and all attacks made by the monk during that round gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and a +1 bonus to damage rolls. In addition, these attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness. A monk may use this ability in a number of rounds equal to her monk level each day.

At 10th level, these bonuses increase to +4 and +2, respectively. At 16th level, a monk may channel multiple daily uses of ki into a single round, with the bonus effects stacking. A monk may stack a maximum number of her daily uses each round equal to 1 plus her wisdom bonus.

[I felt this was a good place to address the 2 most common complaints I've seen in other monk fixes: monks can't hit stuff at higher levels, and when they can, they barely do any damage to it. The bonuses should take care of most of that, provided you use your ki judicisouly. Also, letting you use it with special monk weapons makes you less reliant on unarmed strikes. The adamanite and lawful distinctions have been let go, since I don't think they added much except complexity. Feel free to add them back in via feats.]

Wholeness of Body (Su)
At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal her own wounds. A monk must meditate (Concentration check, DC 20) for 1 minute, at which point she can begin to heal 1d6 damage per round. A monk can heal for a number of rounds equal to her monk level each day and an additional 1 round per point of her wisdom bonus. A monk can spread this healing out over several uses.

At 13th level, a monk learns to channel her energy to restore a small amount of health to others. A monk may use this ability a number of times per day equal to her monk level, but each target can receive only one use of this healing per day. A monk must meditate for 1 minute before using this ability, and then restores HP equal to 5d6 plus the monk’s wisdom bonus to her target.

Each time someone receives healing from this effect (whether it is the monk or another person) they are allowed to make one additional Save-roll of whatever kind is normally allowed to throw off the effects of one poison or disease.

[Note: a monk isn't a magical healer. This is mostly just for emergencies. Theres plenty of room to buff it up via special monk feats or other classes, if you want.]

Diamond Body (Ex)
Upon attaining 8th level a monk becomes immune to all non-magical poisons and diseases, and gains Damage Reduction 3/magic.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Su)
A monk of 12th level or higher can communicate with any living creature. For any creature or character that speaks the monk’s language, this translates into a +10 bonus to Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks. For any creature that does not speak the monks language, there is a +5 bonus to diplomacy checks, and the monk can easily make simple concepts understood (we are here to help, my companion is hurt, danger is coming!, etc). For animals or other creatures that do not have a language the monk gains a +5 bonus to Handle Animal checks, can understand basic emotions from the creature (hungry, in pain, something big!, etc), and can give basic instructions (calm down, go away, eat this, etc).
[Note: the monk gains no special ability to force the creature to actually follow these directions; its kind of like trying to control an unruly younger sibling.]

[I felt this ability lacked purpose and clarity; also, general usefulness given how many bonus languages your wizard is likely to have. Some hard bonuses and examples of how it might be used can help fix this, and also round out some of the classic monk dump-stats, like charisma.]

Detect Order (Su)
At 14th level, monk can sense the calming effect lawful beings have on the natural order of the universe. They can use Detect Order as a supernatural ability once per day for every 4 monk levels (caster level equal to the monk’s level).

Flawless Body (Ex)
Upon attaining 17th level, a monk becomes immune to all poisons and diseases, even magical ones, and she gains Damage Reduction 5/-.

[This isn't overpowered at this level, right? Given what we're supposed to be fighting by this point I felt it was reasonably appropraite. I also considered fast healing, but that almost totally eliminates the need for Wholeness of Body]

Timeless Body (Ex)
At 18th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. The monk also ages half as quickly as a character of her race normally would, and has a maximum age equal to twice your race's normal max age.
Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when her time is up.

[Yeah, this isn't likely to see alot of use in any one campaign, but its a cool thing to have, especially if you want to design a high-level old-hermit style martial artist. It just can't be the only thing you get at this level]

Limited Perfection (Su)
Upon reaching 20th level, a monk can channel huge amounts of ki energy through herself for a brief boost in power and ability. A monk must meditate for 1 round (concentration check DC25), then can immediately activate this ability.

When doing so, a monk gains a +4 bonus to all ability scores, an additional +5 bonus on any skill check for which the monk has trained ranks, 10% of your max HP as temporary hit points, and a +5 bonus to attack and damage roles. [Note: as you are already channeling massive amounts of energy, you cannot use your Ki-strike ability to further enhance your attacks; attempting to do so would cause your limbs to explode, and not in the good “it deals force damage” kind of way].

This ability lasts for 1 minute (10 rounds), and when it ends you are fatigued. Attempting to activate this ability while fatigued increases its DC check by 5, and when it ends you are exhausted. Attempting to activate this ability while exhausted increases the DC check by 20, and when it ends you die (no saving throw, drop immediately to -10 HP).
You can use this ability once per day per 10 monk levels.

[Hows this for a nice reward for sticking it out with 20 levels of monk? From day one I always was attracted to the idea of a monk being able to temporarily boost their stats like a barbarian, but with a cold, calm fury feel to it, rather than hot-tempered rage.
Also, please feel free to suggest other names. Immediately after being struck with inspiration for the mechanics, any attempts to picture a monk using it where permenantly replaced with a .gif animation of Goku shouting "SUPER SAYAIN MODE!" over and over again; 3 weeks and its still stuck in my head.]


Special Monk Abilities
At 5th, 10th, and 15th level, the monk chooses one of the following special abilities. [Note: Some of these seem like extraordinary abilities and some seem more like supernatural or spell-like abilities, but I’m leaning toward just classifying them all as Extraordinary abilities, for simplicities sake.]

Uncanny Dodge- A monk can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If the monk is 10th level or above, she also cannot be flanked unless the attacker is 4 or more levels higher than the monk.

[Uncanny Dodge is boring, but appropraite. I included it mostly so optomizers have a few straight-forward combat bonuses, if you want to go that route. I promise the rest get more fun from here.]

Monk Armor Proficiency- The monk has learned to wear specially modified armor without inhibiting her other monk attributes. A monk with this ability may take 1 day and 50g worth of thread, leather scraps, and metal fasteners to convert any light armor to special monk armor, that she can wear without losing her wisdom AC bonus, speed bonus, flurry of blows, or any other monk-class features that would normally be lost when wearing armor.
Maximum Dexterity Bonus and Armor Check Penalties Still apply.

Etheral Scouting- By meditating for 1 minute (concentration check DC 25), a monk can separate her spirit from her body and send it into the ethereal plane. While in this state, the monk’s spirit can move in any direction (including up and down) at her base speed (i.e. speed not including monk bonus speed) and pass through solid objects. Sight and sound of objects on the material plane is limited to 60ft, and the monk’s spirit is invisible to anyone on the material plain. While in this state, a monk will know instantly if anything happens to her body (such as taking damage) and knows in which direction her body lies.
A monk can maintain this state for 3 minutes per monk level each day, divided any way the monk chooses.
If she runs out of time before returning to her body, she will be irresistibly drawn back (within one round). If something prevents her spirit from returning to her body, her body will begin to take 1 point of Constitution damage every other round until she expires.

Wall of Will- Through the sheer force of her will, the monk can channel energy to defend herself and repel her opponents. A monk can activate this ability as a free action, and when doing so any person or creature within 5 ft that is no more than 2 size categories larger than the monk is pushed back 5 feet. They must succeed on a balance check (DC equal to 15 plus the monk’s strength modifier) or be knocked prone. For the remainder of the round, nothing magical or mundane can reach or touch the monk, similar to a Wall of Force spell. If the monk meditates after using this ability(concentration check, DC 25) the effect can continue for 2 additional rounds (for a maximum total of 3 rounds). If an opponent cannot be driven back 5 ft (because of a wall or other object is in the way) they instead take 1d6 force damage and are pinned to that object, unable to move.
When activating this ability, a monk may choose to focus the effect in a single direction that extends 15ft in front of her rather than 5 ft all around, and it will affect every creature in that 15ft space.
A monk can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Constitution bonus.

Super speed- A monk may use a full round action to run at 3 times her normal run speed (including monk speed bonus). During any round in which a monk used this ability, she gets an additional reflex save to avoid any traps they would have activated even if the trap would not normally allow a reflex save, and a +10 bonus to any jump check made to move horizontally. Also, any opponent who wants to attack a monk during any round in which she used this ability (including attacks of opportunity)must succeed on an initiative check (basically, just roll for initiative as normal) with a DC equal to 10+ the monks Dexterity score.
In order to start using this ability, a monk must have at least 15 feet of space to run in one direction. While using this ability, a monk may bounce off walls or other solid objects to make a 90 degree turn every 5 feet, or completely reverse direction. A monk cannot use this ability when wearing armor or carrying a medium or heavy load.
A monk can move with super speed for 5 rounds per monk level every day, divided any way the monk chooses.

[If I've done my math right, a monk using this when it first becomes available at 5th level will be running at a little over 50 mph, and a monk at 20th level would be pushing 80. At that speed you can almost beat a wizard with a Sending spell.]

Quivering Palm- When striking unarmed, a monk can make a special attack that disrupts her opponent’s life force, destroying them from the inside. She can use this quivering palm attack a number of times per day equal to 1+ her strength bonus and she must announce her intent before making her attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. The target will take damage each round equal to the monk’s base unarmed attack damage, which no form of damage reduction can prevent. Each time the target takes damage form this attack, they make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the monk’s level + the monk’s Str or Wis modifier) to end the damaging effect. A target may be affected by only one Quivering Palm attack at a time.
A monk may only attempt one quivering palm attack per round, no matter how many other attacks she gets.

Abundant Step- A monk slips between the walls of reality, instantly teleporting as if using the spell Dimension Door (concentration check 25)as a Move Action to any spot that the monk can see (to determine range, the caster level is equal to her monk level). A monk may use this ability only once per round. A monk may use this ability once per day per 5 monk levels, plus a number of times per day equal to her Dexterity or Wisdom bonus (whichever is higher).

Battle Meditation- A monk has learned to channel their energy through others, granting them combat bonuses while the monk herself does not fight. The monk meditates (concentration check, DC 20) granting up to 1 friendly target per monk level within 10ft/level a bonus to AC and attack rolls equal to the monk’s wisdom bonus, and a +2 bonus on all saving throws. Once the monk has been meditating for 2 full rounds, she may continue to meditate as a standard action, but doing anything other than taking a 5 foot step increases the DC by 5. If the monk is attacked while meditating, she may maintain the Battle meditation, but the DC increases by 10, plus 5 more for each additional attacker.

Ki Arrow- A monk may use 1 charge of her ki ability to strike an opponent at a distance. This benefit lasts 1 round per use of ki, and the monk may make her standard attack actions at a distance equal to 20ft+5/HD. This ability may be used while holding a weapon, but the damage is always equal to her unarmed strike damage plus releveant modifiers, (strength, Dex, magic bonuses, etc). When using this ability, you may also use 1 or more additional uses of ki to increase your attack and damage rolls as normally allowed by your level.

Ki-Empowered Spell- A monk may use 1 charge of her ki ability to increase her spellcraft checks for that round. Just as with attack rolls, this bonus starts at +2, increases to +4 at level 10, and multiple uses may be stacked (provided you have a high enough wisdom score) starting at level 16.

[I felt this was a great place to reintroduce some of the less-than stunning monk abilities, boosted and with a limited selection available, so that not every monk feels the same. While I'm sure that a really good player can find ways to break them all, I think I've tried to head off the worst of the abuses or failings. Please drop me a line (PM) if there's anything that you really don't like.]

Deepbluediver
2011-11-22, 05:20 PM
Here are those fixed/new feats I mentioned earlier

Toughness [General]
Benefit: You gain an additional 2 hit points per level.

Special: This feat applies retroactively to all levels gained previously and any new levels you gain in the future.

[I want to meet the designer of the original Toughness; I wonder what kind of person looks at that and thinks to themselves "Yeah, 3 HP, thats worth a feat".]

Dodge [General]
Prerequisite: Dex 13

Benefit: At the start of a round, you designate one or more opponents and receive a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks from those opponents until the start of the next round. The maximum number of opponents you may designate is equal to your dexterity bonus.
A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonuses.

Special: A Fighter may select Dodge as one of his Fighter bonus feats.

Avoidance [Fighter]
You do not provoke attacks of opportunity moving past opponents.

Prerequisite: Dex 15, Base attack bonus +6, Tumble 8 ranks, Dodge, Combat Expertise, Mobility, Spring Attack

Benefit: You do not draw attacks of opportunity for moving through threatened squares.

Special: This feat can only be executed in light or no armor.

Note: This is not considered tumbling. You move at your normal movement rate. This feat does not allow you to move through enemy occupied squares.

Improved Trip [General]
Prerequisites: Combat Expertise.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to trip an opponent while you are unarmed.
You gain a +4 bonus on trip checks, and you may choose to use your Dexterity modifier in place of you Strength modifier.

If you trip an opponent in melee combat, you immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn’t used your attack for the trip attempt.

Normal: Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to trip an opponent while you are unarmed.

Special: At 3rd level, a monk may select Improved Trip as a bonus feat, even if she does not have the prerequisites.

[The original form of this feat also had "Int 13+" as a prerequisite; was there any point to that other than to make this feat harder to get for the classes most likely to use it?]

Impenetrable Callouses [Combat, General]
Description: You have trained, arduously for years to turn your soft and supple skin into an unyielding sheath, which is not dependent on your Constitution. After years of exhaustive training, well, truthfully just a series of savage beatings engendering dense callouses and firm scars, your body has become defensively viable. Almost as if wearing an armor, you absorb and deflect some of the attacks, which could have caused serious damage to you. In the process though, you have caused yourself to look less attractive, but at least in most cases, these callouses and scars do not completely cover your face, aside from a scar here or there your face is recognizable.

Prerequisites: Charisma less than 13.

Benefit: Due to your scars you always gain a natural armor bonus to AC, based on your Base Attack Bonus (as this is a good indicator of how many beatings you've taken) as follows:

{table=head]Base Attack Bonus| Natural Armor Bonus to AC

+0 to +3 | +1
+4 to +7 | +2
+8 to +11 | +3
+12 to +15 | +4
+16 to +19 | +5
+20 and up | +6 [/table]

Special: This ability is reduced by medium or heavier worn armors. Subtract 1 point of natural armor bonus for medium armor and 2 for heavy armor (to a minimum of +0 bonus).
A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

[Ok, this was pretty much the most monk-ish feat I've ever seen. Once reading the description there was no way I could NOT include it.]

Create Opportunity [General, Fighter]
Just when you thought you were as slippery as slippery can be, here comes somebody just a little bit quicker.
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Combat Reflexes, Base attack bonus +3

Benefit: In lieu of ALL your attacks of opportunity for one round, you may make a single attack of opportunity against a target who moves more than 5 ft. and moves through your threatened area in a manner that does not normally provoke an attack of opportunity.

Normal: Tumbling successfully does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Spring Attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the attacker's target. You get no attacks of opportunity against a target with at least 50% cover.

Special: If you have made even a single attack of opportunity since your last action, you may not use this feat, since you can no longer give up ALL attacks of opportunity. If the target has the feat Mobility, the mobility bonus to AC still applies.