Help with choosing a feat (or two)

[Monk of love]

I finally am resorting to asking because I have scoured all over for a feat that adds damage or attacks to my monk, who is now turning level 3, I would be open to future suggestions for further levels as well, but there is no magical items or prestige classes in the game world.

The rule system is also 3.5 and as I want to continue playing the monk I can't just multi class since it says if you level up another classes level I can't level up monk anymore.

So any feats that could increase damage even in a roundabout way or attacks? Still a bit of a beginner at this..

[VGLordR2]

Superior Unarmed Strike (http://dndtools.eu/feats/tome-of-battle-the-book-of-nine-swords--88/superior-unarmed-strike--2844/) will treat your Unarmed Strike damage as if you were four levels higher.

Carmendine Monk (http://dndtools.eu/feats/champions-of-valor--28/carmendine-monk--292/), among other things, will allow you to increase your Unarmed Strike by one two levels.

I am not 100% sure on this one, but Improved Natural Attack (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Improved_Natural_Attack) could also increase your damage. I could be wrong on this one, though.

[tyckspoon]

but there is no magical items or prestige classes in the game world.


:smallsigh: Eventually, you are going to want to stop playing a Monk. This is not going to end well if this campaign continues (unless your DM is sticking to only non-magic-equipped, basic class humanoid enemies as well, in which case I would heartily suggest investigating other systems- D&D doesn't handle this kind of game especially gracefully.)

That said: Your immediate option is Improved Natural Attack. Eventually you will want Superior Unarmed Strike and Snap Kick, both in Tome of Battle, but they have BAB requirements that prevent you from selecting them now. SUS will probably be your level 6 feat and Snap Kick your level 9.

Edit: Derp, Imp. Natural Attack *also* has a BAB requirement. Yeah, you don't really have any good direct damage options for your feat at this level that I can recall.

[Kelb_Panthera]

No magic items? :smalleek:

Your group is in for a rude awakening. The 3.5 system expects you to have magic items. Without them the system breaks down pretty quick, unless you have other means of getting what magic items provide, which you probably don't have since PrC's are out too.

Are you at least using UA's class based defense bonus variant? Without it you're going to have a really tough time after you get to around level 6, and even then the monster ac will start to quickly outstrip anyone's attack bonus except maybe the full BAB classes.

Good luck.

[gorfnab]

but there is no magical items or prestige classes in the game world.

No magic items...this is one of the few times I would say look into the feat Vow of Poverty from Book of Exalted Deeds.

[Monk of love]

Ah well the only magic people we will be facing (if we encounter them) are warlocks. The game will be running to around level 18 eventually.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

What's the rest of your party like? I can't help thinking that a level 18 Warlock will completely trash a party with no access to detection or flight.

Are Invisible Fist sub levels available? How about Passive Way? Broken Fist Mastery? Knockdown?

[Monk of love]

I am not sure what those are but he decided to allow prestige classes as long as they don't allow us to cast magic, I have 3 other party members, A rogue who focuses on maximizing backstab damage and stealth, a fighter who uses spiked chain to trip people, and one barbarian who is just hack and slash pretty much


I know I have been trying to figure out a way to combat a warlock, but alas to no avail, and due to no magic items I am having to be careful what I choose.

[Ketiara]

Vow of poverty would be a very good bet for your lvl 3 feat.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

I am not sure what those are but he decided to allow prestige classes as long as they don't allow us to cast magic, I have 3 other party members, A rogue who focuses on maximizing backstab damage and stealth, a fighter who uses spiked chain to trip people, and one barbarian who is just hack and slash pretty much


I know I have been trying to figure out a way to combat a warlock, but alas to no avail, and due to no magic items I am having to be careful what I choose.

Look at the Monk's Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1015.0).

Invisible Fist is in Exemplars of Evil and allows you to pick up Invisibility and eventually Blink. It's an ACF though, so it'd require your DM to let you rebuild your character a bit. Passive Way is from UA and the SRD, and again would require your DM to let you change your character. It gets you Combat Expertise and Improved Trip at levels 1 and 2. Broken Fist Mastery I and II are from Dragon 309 and give sizeable bonuses to trip attempts. Knockdown is from Deities and Demigods, and lets you make a trip attempt against any enemy you deal more than 10 damage to. BFM and Knockdown are all 3.0.

If PrCs are in now, Fist of the Forest and one level of Shiba Protector. Kensai could be ok since you're not going to have magic items. If you want to go more battlefield control-y, Monk of the Enabled Hand from Dragon 299 can be good combined with Combat Reflexes, Knockdown and all the various AoO boosters.

Without magic items or size-boosting spells and abilities, you're always going to be quite limited in the damage you deal. Even though it doesn't seem like it, there's really no class more dependent on buffs from spells and items than the Monk. Focus on finding ways to contribute in (and out of) combat that aren't strictly HP damage; that's my advice.

[hoverfrog]

There's a feat from the Eberron Campaign Setting, Monastic Training, that allows you to take levels from one other class and multi-class with monk at no penalty. You can take this as the monk class feat at 1st, 2nd or 6th.

[Monk of love]

There's a feat from the Eberron Campaign Setting, Monastic Training, that allows you to take levels from one other class and multi-class with monk at no penalty. You can take this as the monk class feat at 1st, 2nd or 6th.

What would be a suggested class to do that with? seems like a good idea.

[Urpriest]

What would be a suggested class to do that with? seems like a good idea.

Heck, if you can do that...Tashalatora is a feat from Secrets of Sarlona that lets you advance most of your Monk abilities with a chosen Psionic class. Psychic Warrior is a fairly good one. It has Monastic Training as a prerequisite, so you can take the feat, multiclass as Psychic Warrior, and take Tashalatora so that your fist damage and flurry keep improving.

[hoverfrog]

What would be a suggested class to do that with? seems like a good idea.That's entirely up to you and the kind of character that you want to play. Personally I'd go for Psychic Warrior and then prestige into Fist of Zuoken though I'd imagine that a no magic campaign also means a no psionics campaign.

You could do worse than mix monk and fighter together. If nothing more than just to take loads of feats to boost your monk abilities. Then there's always the Monk/Paladin combo for some really interesting special abilities.

[Monk of love]

That's entirely up to you and the kind of character that you want to play. Personally I'd go for Psychic Warrior and then prestige into Fist of Zuoken though I'd imagine that a no magic campaign also means a no psionics campaign.

You could do worse than mix monk and fighter together. If nothing more than just to take loads of feats to boost your monk abilities. Then there's always the Monk/Paladin combo for some really interesting special abilities.

Ah he is allowing psionics, what kind of play style would a fist of zuoken and psychic warrior be?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Is this perchance a Dark Sun campaign? Just curious.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

If Psychic Warrior is in play then that's what you should do, no question.

[Monk of love]

Is this perchance a Dark Sun campaign? Just curious.

No but it does have some things in common as god's did abandon the world except for one evil god, so far the game has been a blast (my second game with the person running it and both have been great)

I have never actually play a psychic warrior before so I have no clue as to how to, the only thing I have played for the heck of it was a soulknife.

[Urpriest]

Here's a Psychic Warrior handbook. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162701) In general as a Monk/Psychic Warrior you'll be using your Psychic Warrior levels to increase your size and give you new mobility options (short range teleports, extra move actions, etc.).

[Monk of love]

Here's a Psychic Warrior handbook. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162701) In general as a Monk/Psychic Warrior you'll be using your Psychic Warrior levels to increase your size and give you new mobility options (short range teleports, extra move actions, etc.).

Thanks a bunch, this is definitely looking like the best option for me, so take feat, choose psychic warrior but should I at level 4 start advancing it or what.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Thanks a bunch, this is definitely looking like the best option for me, so take feat, choose psychic warrior but should I at level 4 start advancing it or what.

The standard tashalatora setup is monk 2/ psychic warrior 18.

[Monk of love]

Thank you everyone :), definitely going to go the psychic warrior route.