PF Stunning Fist Monk

[Chained Birds]

Though Stun doesn't work on everything, I do want it to work on anyone who can be stunned.

So here is the build so far:
Monk (Martial Artist) 6/ Barbarian (Serene Rager: it's a 3rd party Archetype on the SRD) 2

Oread or Oakling Race (Thanks Grarrrg)

Assuming 20 point buy
Str - 16
Dex - 14
Con - 12
Int - 8
Wis - 18 (20 by level 8)
Cha - 8

Stunning Fist DC
+1 Martial Artist
+5 Wisdom
+4 1/2 level
+2 Serene Rager (Raging gives +4 to Dex and Wis instead of Str and Con)
+2 Mantis Style
+2 Wisdom Bonus Item
+2 Ability Focus
+2 Ki Straps (5000gp thanks NeoSeraphi)

10 + 20 = 30

-- Feats --

1st/ Crushing Blow
B1/ Improved Unarmed Strike
B1/ Stunning Fist
B1/ Improved Grapple
B2/ Dodge
3rd/ Mantis Style
5th/ Ability Focus (Stunning Fist)
B6/ Gorgon's Fist Improved Trip (Because Gorgon's Fist kinda sucks)
7th/ Mantis Wisdom

As a backup for damage output, I have a +1 Guided Brass Knuckle. Wanted to get a Ki Focus Guided weapon, but too expensive at the moment.

So, any suggestions on items, feats, etc. that can boost this up even further; or make better use of the Stunning Fist at higher levels?
Exp: Crushing Blow feat makes SF instead of stunning, lower enemies AC by Wisdom Modifier (7 at the moment). Though it does take a standard action to do this.

Concerning magic items, 3.5 stuff is welcome. 3.5 Feat suggestions are also welcomed, but will probably not contribute much to this build.

[NeoSeraphi]

3.5 magic items- There's an item in the Magic Item Compendium called ki straps. If you wear them on both hands, it increases the DC of your Stunning Fist by 2.

Also, I know you said 3.5 feats aren't going to contribute much, but there is one feat in particular I would take a look at if I were you. It's called Pharaoh's Fist, and it's in Sandstorm. It's the exact same effect as Stunning Fist, except it also forces all creatures adjacent to the one you hit to save at the same DC or be stunned as well. If you can convince your DM to let you treat it as Stunning Fist for the purposes of DC increases, you'd be golden.

[Chained Birds]

3.5 magic items- There's an item in the Magic Item Compendium called ki straps. If you wear them on both hands, it increases the DC of your Stunning Fist by 2.

Also, I know you said 3.5 feats aren't going to contribute much, but there is one feat in particular I would take a look at if I were you. It's called Pharaoh's Fist, and it's in Sandstorm. It's the exact same effect as Stunning Fist, except it also forces all creatures adjacent to the one you hit to save at the same DC or be stunned as well. If you can convince your DM to let you treat it as Stunning Fist for the purposes of DC increases, you'd be golden.

How much do those things go for?

And Pharaoh's fist sounds pretty nifty, though the feat seems to use Stunning Fists as fuel for it's effect. A nice feat none the less.

[NeoSeraphi]

How much do those things go for?

And Pharaoh's fist sounds pretty nifty, though the feat seems to use Stunning Fists as fuel for it's effect. A nice feat none the less.

Yes it does. It's just a pure upgrade to Stunning Fist. You can either Stun one guy now with a punch, or you can spend a feat and stun one guy and his two friends with a single punch. It gives you an AOE attack, no matter how limited or situational it might seem.

Ki straps cost 5000 gp, they take up the Hand slot, and they grant a +2 enhancement bonus to the DC of a Stunning Fist attack or to the DC of any other effect that is generated by expending a daily use of the Stunning Fist feat.

[Chained Birds]

Ki straps cost 5000 gp, they take up the Hand slot, and they grant a +2 enhancement bonus to the DC of a Stunning Fist attack or to the DC of any other effect that is generated by expending a daily use of the Stunning Fist feat.

5000gp, seems like a good investment. And it works with stunning fist related stuff too. Sounds like a solid deal.

[grarrrg]

Monk (Martial Artist) 6/ Barbarian (Serene Rager: it's a 3rd party Archetype on the SRD) 2

Race is a monster PC race from Bestiary 3: Forget it's name, but grants +2 Wis and +2 Str.


You can stack the Invulnerable Rager (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/invulnerable-rager) ACF with Serene.
You trade away Uncanny Dodge, but get DR 1/-.

Your race would have to be Oread (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/monsters-as-pcs#TOC-Oread), or something not on the SRD yet.

As long as your using 3rd party, I HIGHLY recommend going Oakling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/alluria-publishing/oakling) instead.
Same Stat adjusts, get an AC bonus after taking some hits, and has limited self-healing.
The real bonuses are the Racial Feats.
Mighty Oak gives you +5ft. reach (need 6 bab)
One with Wood gives +2 damage with 'all wooden weapons' (considering you are a TREE....)
Thorns only gives +1 damage, but auto-kicks in during a grapple.

[Chained Birds]

I was going to go with Savage Barbarian with the unarmered stuff, though Invulnerable was my second choice.

Oakling is actually one of my favorite races (#1 being Boggle with their rigged feats and being all goblin with an Int bonus), though I stayed on the safe side with a non-3rd party race; the race I chose (soming with a V) also doesn't have an ability racial penalty like Oaklings do.

If given the opportunity, I'd gladly run around as a walking tree of stunning death!

[grarrrg]

though I stayed on the safe side with a non-3rd party race; the race I chose (soming with a V) also doesn't have an ability racial penalty like Oaklings do.

If given the opportunity, I'd gladly run around as a walking tree of stunning death!

Hmm... Must not be on the PFsrd yet then.
The only 2 "V" races there are (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/monsters-as-pcs#TOC-Vanara)
Vanara, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Vishkanya, +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Wis

Neither of which fit the bill.
Oread comes closest with +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha.
There are also the 57 varieties of Tiefling to consider......

[NeoSeraphi]

With the addition of ki straps to your OP build, your Stunning DC comes out to 30, not 28. :smallsmile:

[Chained Birds]

Hmm... Must not be on the PFsrd yet then.
The only 2 "V" races there are (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/monsters-as-pcs#TOC-Vanara)
Vanara, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Vishkanya, +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Wis

Neither of which fit the bill.
Oread comes closest with +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha.
There are also the 57 varieties of Tiefling to consider......

Oakling it is! Oread for games that don't like 3rd party races. I'll have both up there as they have the same racial ability bonuses and penalties.

Could have sworn I saw a V race with those stats... Oh well.


With the addition of ki straps to your OP build, your Stunning DC comes out to 30, not 28. :smallsmile:

Thank you NeoSeraphi... :smallannoyed:

I was on my way back home when I remembered that and was praying that someone didn't notice it before I could change it... You win this round...

[grarrrg]

Oakling it is! Oread for games that don't like 3rd party races. I'll have both up there as they have the same racial ability bonuses and penalties.

Could have sworn I saw a V race with those stats... Oh well.

Well, as long as 3rd party is an option (and you don't mind a LOT of reading...)
Anumus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/alluria-publishing/anumus) and Entobian (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/alluria-publishing/entobian) can have pretty much any stats you'd ever want....
The Ursine Animus would be the best choice.
+2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Improved Grapple as a bonus feat.
+1 to-hit/Damage on one Unarmed strike per round.

And if you haven't noticed it yet, try the first link in my Signature.
I do try to keep it updated.

[mikau013]

As a backup for damage output, I have a +1 Guided Brass Knuckle. Wanted to get a Ki Focus Guided weapon, but too expensive at the moment.


Why Brass Knuckle for dmg? It only deals 1d3 for a medium char? I'd get a better wpn for dealing with dmg reduction etc.

[grarrrg]

Why Brass Knuckle for dmg? It only deals 1d3 for a medium char? I'd get a better wpn for dealing with dmg reduction etc.

Brass Knuckles (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/brass-knuckles)

On the one hand there is this:

Note: Monks are proficient with brass knuckles and can use their Monk unarmed damage* when fighting with them.

On the other hand, there is that:

*Special Note
Monks do not use their unarmed damage when fighting with brass knuckles even though the latest errata did not change or remove the sentence stating they do.


So.... maybe?

[Chained Birds]

I'm going with this Brass Knuckle (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/advancedGear.html).

Monks have it bad already, I don't see the harm in allowing ONE weapon for them to unarmed strike with. Though it still has to be Ki Focus'ed to allow Stunning Fist. I'll just kick people for the Stunning Fist, and punch people for the Guided damage.

[grarrrg]

I'm going with this Brass Knuckle (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/advancedGear.html).

What I linked to is (essentially) the same as what you linked. The PFsrd is the more up-to-date version.
Be aware that it is "pending" errata that you cannot Unarmed Damage with Knuckles.
So while it is not 'yet' official, it is something they are most likely going to do.

[ericgrau]

After you have enough monk and barbarian levels you might as well get rogue for sneak attack. Stunned foes are going to be low AC and denied dex. Just make sure your first hit still has enough attack bonus to land.

As for weapon issues, just stun with a kick and use a masterwork monk weapon for the remaining attacks. Simple, and hey it's a +1 to hit.

[Chained Birds]

What I linked to is (essentially) the same as what you linked. The PFsrd is the more up-to-date version.
Be aware that it is "pending" errata that you cannot Unarmed Damage with Knuckles.
So while it is not 'yet' official, it is something they are most likely going to do.

Meh' the knuckles aren't that big of a deal. They can be replaced with any martial or simple monk weapon of my choosing. It just felt nice hitting people with a Guided Fist!
If the errata is in my favor, it would really be a nice damage boost with a monk belt (as I don't plan on taking anymore monk levels).

[Chained Birds]

After you have enough monk and barbarian levels you might as well get rogue for sneak attack. Stunned foes are going to be low AC and denied dex. Just make sure your first hit still has enough attack bonus to land.

Maybe, but I'm still trying to figure out what Rage Power I should get first, and how many Barbarian levels I'd need as there isn't much payoff to the Barbarian unless you put a good number of levels into it. Looking at 12 for the pounce and upgraded rage (serenity), but that still leaves me with 2 free levels.

Prestige(s) maybe?

Feats are fairly planned out, with some space for miscellaneous, prestige qualifiers (if necessary) or overlooked feats. Priority #1: Finish Mantis Style chain.
I have a feeling that taking the Jawbreaker - Bonebreaker - Neckbreaker line of feats would be pretty useful.