[PF] Martial Bard

[Chained Birds]

Is there anyway to make a decent Bard who can fight like a monk (as in unarmed fighting and/or using Styles)?

I really have no idea how to do this so any ideas would help me out greatly.

[Feralventas]

That depends on what you mean by "monk". Unarmed fighting is a feat and a belt away. Flurry of blows is slightly harder, but I think UC or APG has a feat to treat half your non-monk levels as monk levels for several monk features. Sensei Monk archetype gets inspire courage for a monk that plays like a bard; stack on Qungong archetype for "spells" if you like and cross-class Perform.

Sensei Monk dip with feats noted above, then Dervish Dancer Bard will give you a very nice attack-move pattern in place of flurry of blows.

Kensai Magus for Int monk with combat spells rather than party buffs.

[Chained Birds]

All I'm really looking for is a way for a bard to be able to fight unarmed against enemies of an equivalent CL to his level.

I guess to put some initial boundaries on this idea:
- Lvl 6-7
- Point Buy 20
- WBL as either Lvl 6 or 7 (depending on what is needed)
- Has to be able to use music as a weapon or buff/debuff
- Must prioritize Unarmed Strike for Melee Offensive or use some abilities that make him/her look Monk-like when in combat.

[ngilop]

its actually rather easy, get a high wisdom get a monk belt be human put your first few feats in unarmed fighting so you can get supreme unarmed fighting. ( it gives medium non-monks small monk unarmed damage progression)

pick spells known that duplicate monk abilities only better
I.E.
feather fall> slow fall
dimension door>abundant step
expedious retreat> fast movement
Tounges> tongue of the sun and moon ( and what 14 or so levels earlier..?)
etc.

well i guess no dimenson door for level 7 but...

as you can see you are already a better monk that a monk with few feats and a certain spell selection,, the monk belt is just gravy on teh mashed potatos :)

[grarrrg]

...I think UC or APG has a feat to treat half your non-monk levels as monk levels for several monk features.

If the feat you are thinking of is the feat I am thinking of, then it ONLY counts for Unarmed Damage.

Monastic Legacy (www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/monastic-legacy-combat)
It requires Still Mind which comes at Monk 3. And if you plan on going to level 20, then you should take Monk 4 as well.

As for the Sensei (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/sensei) archetype that gets Inspire Courage.
BUT it loses a LOT of other "typical" Monk features, AND it uses WIS as the Performance base, so it wouldn't fit the best as a Bard-dip.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Must he fight unarmed? You said just look "monk-like". The Dawnflower Dervish gets a self-only inspire courage at double bonus, and the ability to use dex for attack and damage -- but only with scimitar and only when fighting with one hand empty.

Since you're forced to keep an open hand anyway, it's beneficial to pick up Crane Wing (requires IUS, Dodge, and Crane Style). You would not fight unarmed (you could...but the whole point of DD Bard is to turn str into a dump stat to reduce MAD), but you'd have IUS, and would use your hand to deflect attacks. You could also pick up Deflect Arrows, too.

[Chained Birds]

I am familiar with Dervish Bards and stuff, but I always wanted a Musical Martial Artist who goes around fighting off bad guys with his/her bare hands while still being able to make some great music that inspires everyone around him to do better.

So is 4 levels Monk (Taking the Monastic Legacy + Monk Robes) the best way to make my Bards Unarmed Strikes Matter? It seems like a good enough exchange but what is the best monk archetype to go with it / best bard archetype?