Monk Variants

[inexorabletruth]

Anyone know of a monk variant (not homebrewed) that focuses on support, healing, or buffing?

I know this is an odd question. I know I'm basically talking about a Cleric or Bard, but this is for a Monk campaign where you have to play a monk. I'm looking for something that will either prevent allies from taking damage, or provide healing for them when they do (one or the other).

[Larkas]

Ehm, Unarmed Swordsage with access to Devoted Spirit and/or White Raven? ...Yeah, I know, definitely not the answer you were looking for, just though I should throw it out there :smallfrown:

[LeshLush]

Partially charged wands and cross-class ranks in UMD?

[Salanmander]

Do you have to play a mono-class character? Sacred Fist is a pretty good prestige class that dual-advances cleric and monk, so you could build a support monk that way. The monk side will mainly be putting a more defensive and mobile chassis on your cleric.

[inexorabletruth]

We can multi-class, but we have to remain mostly monk. Here's the problem. Once you take a non-monk level, you can't take any more monk levels, by RAW. However, Sacred Fist sounds like a PrC for Monks, but it happens to require some ranks in a divine class. I could probably take my Cleric dip when I'm ready to meat PrC requirements.

Thanks!

[Larkas]

We can multi-class, but we have to remain mostly monk. Here's the problem. Once you take a non-monk level, you can't take any more monk levels, by RAW. However, Sacred Fist sounds like a PrC for Monks, but it happens to require some ranks in a divine class. I could probably take my Cleric dip when I'm ready to meat PrC requirements.

Thanks!

Or you could take the required Cleric levels before taking Monk levels.

(Who uses those multiclassing rules for Monks and Paladins, anyways? :smalleek: )

[inexorabletruth]

We agreed to a rules heavy system.

[Andezzar]

Taking a level in Sacred Fist allows you to again continue as a monk. If you take that class make sure to agree with your DM that text takes precedence over table. The text says the sacred fist advances his divine spellcasting at every level as if he had gained a level in his casting class. The table has no advancement on levels 4 and 8.

Why are you forced to use mostly the monk class?

[Squidfist]

We can multi-class, but we have to remain mostly monk. Here's the problem. Once you take a non-monk level, you can't take any more monk levels, by RAW. However, Sacred Fist sounds like a PrC for Monks, but it happens to require some ranks in a divine class. I could probably take my Cleric dip when I'm ready to meat PrC requirements.

Thanks!


Don't forget about the Ascetic feats, which are made to allow for open cross-classing with monk. Ascetic Rogue for example, allows you to cross class between rogue and monk freely, and counts your rogue levels towards unarmed damage increase, and increases the DC of your stunning fist when combined with a sneak attack.

[GeekGirl]

If your DM is open to Eberron feats, you could take Monastic Training. It lets you pick a class and multiclass freely with it. It is in the Eberron campaign setting book.

[Waker]

Aside from taking the aforementioned PrC, there is the Sensei archetype from PF. It is a Monk who has Bardic Performance.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/sensei

[Unusual Muse]

Holy Monk, from Dragon 310, may freely cross-class with paladin and gets Aura of Courage, Smite Evil, and Turn Undead.

[Psyren]

Aside from taking the aforementioned PrC, there is the Sensei archetype from PF. It is a Monk who has Bardic Performance.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/sensei

Combine with Qinggong and you can share buffs with the party.

[animewatcha]

Let's ask this question. What books and sources are you allowed? Drag mags allowed? Stuff like that.

[inexorabletruth]

All WoTC published materials are in the mix. This is good stuff. Thanks for all the help! :smallbiggrin:

[animewatcha]

Then, when choosing the race for your monk, keep on mind possible paragon choices ( Unearthed Arcana and they can go right back into monk ). Can do arcane schooling for most buffs provided everyone is okay with 'pooling' for scrolls and such. Cloistered cleric 1/Holy monk X. Cloistered cleric using something like Rebuke dragons instead of normal TU undead. RebuDra counts as TU for purposes of feats and such. You can have get 2 pools of TU for... Divine Feats. If you find a way around skill rank requirements ( 8 ranks of heal for Complete Divine - Sacred Healing ), can buff/heal/support a bit via burning turn undead attempts.

[Lans]

Partially charged wands and cross-class ranks in UMD?

Also their is an vecna worshiping varient that gives skill focus and +1/2 level to UMD :smallsmile:

[Deth Muncher]

Partially charged wands and cross-class ranks in UMD?

You're a bad person and should feel bad.

There's the aforementioned feats that let you freely multiclass with Monk and one other class, so no worries about the rules heavy system - though you DO burn a feat.

Personally, I'd say go for the Tattooed Monk PrC from Oriental Adventures. (Not sure if there's been an update to it, so the 3.0 version should still be legal.) The Arrowroot tattoo, for example, lets you heal your allies for up to Wisdom mod x your level's worth of HP per day, sort of like the Paladin's Lay on Hands. The Butterfly tattoo lets you add up your total tattoos and add them to your Wisdom score, which helps with that aforementioned healing. The Chrysanthemum tattoo heals you a number of HP = your level for each hour you're in the sun. The Falcon makes you immune to Fear, and grants bonuses on fear effects to allies within 10ft. The Nightengale lets you heal your own HP, up to twice your level. And so on and so forth - page 49 of Oriental Adventures is where you'd want to look. On a related note, you could pay to have some Psionic tattoos (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#scribeTattoo) scribed on you, which you could activate for buffs, healing, etc.

EDIT: Also, if you want to be Healy McMonkenstein, I'd say grab a Belt of Healing, since that gives you free heals to hand out throughout the day.

[T.G. Oskar]

Also their is an vecna worshiping varient that gives skill focus and +1/2 level to UMD :smallsmile:

Actually, it's a variant that worships Wee Jas. It's essentially one of the fighting styles of Unearthed Arcana that replaces your feats for Skill Focus (UMD) and has as a main bonus getting half of your class level as a bonus to UMD. It's phenomenally well if you mix with the Apprentice (Spellcaster) feat at 1st level, as then you get far more UMD that you can possibly muster.

[Andorax]

A useful note on the Monk multiclassing rules.

While you can't go back to the actual Monk class when you jump ship (in many cases), you can spend those 5-10 levels in the PrC working on qualifying for the next Monk-like PrC.


To the original point:

Dragon 314 has the "Masters of the Four Winds" article...four multi-progression variation PrCs.

Master of the North Wind fuses Monk and Druid (Climb 10, 3rd level divine spells, Ki Strike magic, ability to change shape into a flying critter). Advances the normal Monk stuff, 9/10 casting, 1/2 wildshape progression, can spend a wildshape to become gaseous, and gets the Air domain.

Master of the West Wind fuses Monk and Cleric (climb 10, 3rd level divine, Ki strike (magic), turn undead).
Advances normal monk stuff, 10/10 casting, 1/2 turn undead, and the Air Domain.


Monk 4/Cloistered Cleric 2 gets you into Sacred Fist.
3 levels of Sacred Fist gets you into Master of the West Wind.
...
Profit.

[manyslayer]

Personally, I'd say go for the Tattooed Monk PrC from Oriental Adventures. (Not sure if there's been an update to it, so the 3.0 version should still be legal.)

Complete Warrior, page 82. I'm not sure what all they changed, if anything.

[Andorax]

Did some more research:

Dragon Magazine 346 article (Sacred Enforcers, class acts article):

3rd level Monk ACF that gives up still mind in order to be able to mix monk, cleric and paladin freely.

At 4th, ACF to trade Ki Strike and Improved Evasion for smiting enemies of the faith.

At 7th, ACF to trade Wholeness of Body for Wholeness of Others (same ability, but use only on others, not on self)


Dragon Magazine 358 article (Franciscian Friar "style"):

Give up your 1/2/6 bonus feats, must have 4 ranks heal and survival by 6th level. Gain +2 to heal and Self-Sufficient feat at 1st, Vow of Chastity at 2nd and Diehard at 6th. At 6th, can cast cure light wounds, purify food and drink and remove disease each 1/day at 1/2 Monk CL.


In the Eberron setting, you can play a Dragonmarked Halfling Monk from house Jorasco and have some feat-granted healing abilities.

[Salanmander]

Dragon Magazine 358 article (Franciscian Friar "style"):

Give up your 1/2/6 bonus feats, must have 4 ranks heal and survival by 6th level. Gain +2 to heal and Self-Sufficient feat at 1st, Vow of Chastity at 2nd and Diehard at 6th. At 6th, can cast cure light wounds, purify food and drink and remove disease each 1/day at 1/2 Monk CL.


In the Eberron setting, you can play a Dragonmarked Halfling Monk from house Jorasco and have some feat-granted healing abilities.

Wow...I appreciate what they were trying to do there...but that's impressively bad. Who thought cure light wounds 1/day at level 6 was even relevant?

[mootoall]

Partially charged wands and cross-class ranks in UMD?

I was looking for the "like" button on this one. Good show.