nonsi
2012-12-29, 04:36 AM
.
We all know that despite its many features, in practice, the Monk is probably the second weakest official base class (right after the Soulknife).
I also don’t need to tell you all about the magnitude of Monk fixes out there.
I actually haven’t had plans of dealing with the Monk, but Zman's Monk Fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265340) has stirred something in me, because it was the first time that I saw a decent start for fixing the Monk that uses the core class as a baseline.
Using the following distinction of levels of power (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?206323-E6-The-Game-Inside-D-amp-D) and what I know of class balance, I tried to spread the Monk’s abilities (feature-wise) to keep up with the pace of the game at all levels.
I also paid attention not to let personal taste affect this proposed fix and narrowed down things to practicality. For instance, I don’t care for Tongue of the Sun and Moon, but it doesn’t interfere with anything, so I kept it as it is.
The general aim here is, as usual for me, tier-3.
I’m presenting here only the changes I found appropriate to the core Monk.
Whatever’s not specifically (or only partially) addressed here, it is to be taken from the core class as given.
As a general guideline regarding the Special Column’s content:
- Features with no changes from the core class are presented in normal text.
- Features with some changes and core features that need no further explanations (e.g. Uncanny Dodge) are bolded.
- Features with massive changes (Ki Strike) and entirely new features (Ascetic Athleticism, Freedom of Movement...) are bolded, underlined and italicized
Table: The new monk
{table=head]Level|Special|AC Bonus|Unarmored Speed Bonus
1st|Bonus Feat, Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Ascetic Athleticism|
+0|
+0
2nd|Bonus Feat, Evasion|
+1|
+5
3rd|Uncanny Dodge, Still Mind|
+1|
+5
4th|Ki Strike (magic, Wis-bonus alternative), Meditation|
+2|
+10
5th|Purity of Body, Dedicated Dodge|
+2|
+10
6th|Bonus Feat, Mercurial Stride|
+3|
+15
7th|Wholeness of Body, Ki Strike (material, 1H, Crit I)|
+3|
+15
8th|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Tempered Body|
+4|
+20
9th|Improved Evasion, Offensive Mobility|
+4|
+20
10th|Ki Strike (alignment, Wis-bonus accumulation), Denying Assault|
+5|
+25
11th|Diamond Body, Greater Flurry|
+5|
+25
12th|Bonus Feat, Abundant Step|
+6|
+30
13th|Diamond Soul, Ki Strike (damage type, Ghost Touch)|
+6|
+30
14th|Freedom of Movement, Touching The Ripples|
+7|
+35
15th|Quivering Palm, Retributive Flurry|
+7|
+35
16th|Ki Strike (any, 2H, Crit II), Boundless Reach|
+8|
+40
17th|Diamond Resilience, Tongue of the Sun and Moon|
+8|
+40
18th|Bonus Feat, Temporal Ki Surge|
+9|
+45
19th|Empty Body, Diamond Essence|
+9|
+45
20th|Perfect Self, Ki Strike (all)|
+10|
+50
[/table]
Alignment: No restriction (see Ki-Strike below).
Class Skills: Add Autohypnosis (XPH, p.36), Lucid Dreaming (MotP, p.203) and Spellcraft as class skills.
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int-mod (x4 at 1st level)
Monk Weapons: Monks may flurry with Dart and Shuriken. Further, monks add their Dex-bonus when calculating attack rolls & damage scores when attacking with Dart and Shuriken.
Feature Descriptions
Unarmed Strike
In addition to the details presented in PHB:
1. For all intent and purpose, a Monk is considered to possess the feat Improved Unarmed Strike.
2. The Monk's unarmed damage applies to all Monk weapons.
3. When fighting unarmed or when using Monk weapons, a monk gains a +1 bonus to all opposed combat checks (Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Grapple, Overrun, Trip and Sunder) – offensive as well as defensive. For every 4 Monk levels past 1st (5, 9, 13...), this bonus increases by an additional +1.
Flurry of Blows (Ex)
A monk may use a standard, full, or charge attack to strike with a Flurry of Blows.
Ascetic Athleticism (Ex)
Monks are capable of incredible feats of athleticism and add their Monk level to any Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Move Silently, Swim and Tumble check.
Unarmored Speed Bonus (Ex)
With level advancement, monks develop lightning quick reactions and become exceptionally agile.
Using this ability, a monk within arm’s reach of a solid vertical surface/object can use it to slow her descent and reduces any fall damage she would’ve taken by 1d6 per 5ft granted by her Unarmored Bonus Speed (down to zero).
Furthermore, if the vertical surface is in any way scalable, the monk may make a Climb check with -10 to her DC check at the beginning of her fall and another attempt every 30ft thereafter.
Bonus Feat
At levels 1 and 2nd, and at every level divisible by 6, a monk can select any Fighter Bonus feat.
The Monk needs to meet the prerequisites as normal to select these feats with the exception of Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip and Stunning Fist.
Still Mind (Ex)
A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
Starting at 10th level, the monk’s mind is strong and disciplined enough to gain total immunity to fear, charm and compulsion effects and a +2 bonus to all other Will saves.
Ki Strike (Su)
At 4th level, monks receive the single most iconic and most influential of all of their abilities.
When fighting unarmed or when using Monk weapons, the monk receives a plethora of benefits.
- At 4th level, a monk’s attacks are empowered with Ki. The monk’s attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of bypassing DR. The monk may now choose to add her Wis-bonus to attack rolls instead of Str/Dex (melee/range) and to damage scores instead of Str.
- At 7th level, a monk’s attack may count as any specific material. This however is not automatic. At the beginning of an encounter with an unknown opponent, this ability is inactive. Once the monk has made a successful attack against a target that has DR/[material], the monk’s strike is partially blocked by the target’s DR. From there on, the monk may augment her strike’s Ki to ignore the target’s DR/[material]. Shifting Ki in such a manner to adapt to opponents is a swift action. The monk’s strike now counts as 1-handed weapon for all purposes that favor this category over small weapons (e.g. Disarm, Sunder etc). Finally, the monk’s critical threat range and critical multiplier improve (19-20/x3 when fighting unarmed – calculate separately for each Monk weapon). This does not stack with feats that enhance critical threat/multiplier.
- At 10th level, having battled many denizens of outer worlds and transcending her own inherent view of existence, a monk’s unarmed attack may count as fused with any single alignment, using the mechanics defined for Ki Strike (material). The monk may now add her Wis-bonus to attack rolls and damage scores on top of her Str/Dex bonuses.
13th: The monk’s attacks now counts as Piercing / Slashing (on top of bludgeoning), using the mechanics defined for Ki Strike (material) and Ki Strike (alignment). The monk’s attacks now also count as having the Ghost Touch property.
- At 16th level, there’s no DR type a monk cannot adapt to, except DR/-. The monk’s unarmed strike now counts as 2-handed weapon for all purposes that favor this category over small weapons (e.g. Disarm, Sunder etc). Finally, the monk’s unarmed critical threat range and multiplier improve yet again (18-20/x4 when fighting unarmed – calculate separately for each Monk weapon). This does not stack with feats that enhance critical threat/multiplier.
- A 20th level monk knows how to fuse her unarmed strike with fluctuating energies. The Monk’s attacks now completely ignore DR. Furthermore, the monk now effortlessly maintains Ki and has it active at all times.
Meditation (Ex)
All monks meditate, both as a way of recovering from the rigors of their intense physical workouts and as a means of pursuing ultimate enlightenment.
When a monk meditates, she lets her conscious mind slumber, while her unconscious spirit roams ancient paths, seeking out the truths of those who came before.
Though initially, entering a meditative state requires long periods of preparation, by the time a monk hits 4th level, meditating becomes as simple a matter as breathing.
The long hours of practice grant the monk bonus ranks, in both Autohypnosis and Concentration, equal to a maximized C-C skill.
- The monk may now mimic Elven meditative rest instead of sleep for 1 hour, by making a Concentration check vs. DC 15. A monk who successfully meditates for eight hours straight gains all the benefits of a full day’s rest.
- Elven monks have their meditative rest requirement cut down to 2 hours a day.
A monk cannot benefit from the above more than once per day, but may make multiple attempts within the same day period and may benefit from normal rest as well.
If the monk takes damage or is moved for any reason while meditating, she loses 1 hour worth of meditation.
Purity of Body (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases including supernatural and magical diseases.
Dedicated Dodge (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains the ability to evade with seemingly supernatural skill. At the beginning of her turn, she may decide to refrain from action (including AoOs, swift & immediate actions and 5ft-steps) and instead add her Monk level as a Dodge bonus to her Reflex saves and dodge AC until the beginning of her next turn.
When performing Dedicated Dodge, a monk is limited to moving up to her modified speed during her turn.
Mercurial Stride (Ex)
A 6th level monk may ignore all forms of difficult terrain that don’t require skill checks or saving throws to pass through, though areas magically altered to slow movement still function.
She may also make any number of turns when charging, and can incorporate Balance checks, Climb checks, Jump checks, Swim checks and Tumble checks into her movement (including when charging).
She may also run across water or up walls, provided her movement is no less than 50 and she makes a DC 25 balance check.
Wholeness of Body (Su)
At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal her own wounds.
She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to her (permanent Wis-bonus) X (monk level) each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses.
A monk, using this ability, may trade HP healing to negate certain conditions.
She may remove:
- Ability Damage / Dazzled / Fatigued / Shaken / Sickened at a rate of 1 per 5 HP
- Dazed / Diseased / Staggered at a rate of 1 per 10 HP
- Exhausted / Frightened / Nauseated at a rate of 1 per 15 HP
- Blinded / Deafened / Poisoned / Stunned at a rate of 1 per 20 HP
- Ability Drain / Paralyzed at a rate of 1 per 30 HP
- Negative Levels at a rate of 1 per 40 HP.
Using Wholeness of Body is a swift action.
All of the above can be done at any desired combination, so long as the monk has HP left to heal.
Tempered Body (Ex)
By 8th level, a monk's own body has changed and now counts as manufactured.
The monk now gains DR 1/- per 4 Monk levels.
Also, experience has granted her new insights regarding the potential of Ki and how it can be harnessed for her benefit in new and unique ways.
Through elaborate rituals that involve meditation, precious materials and inner Ki-channeling, a monk may fuse her body with magical powers, as if possessing Craft Magic Arms and Armor (limited to her body and unarmed strikes), simultaneously treating her body as a single weapon and a single armor for the purpose of this feature. A monk that’s wearing armor (for whatever reason) loses her armor associated enhancements until the armor is un-donned.
A monk's caster level for the purpose of self enhancements equals her Monk class level, and she needs not know a spell in order to apply an appropriate enhancement, but she does have to make a DC [25 + spell-level] Spellcraft check for an enhancement to succeed.
Unlike when creating magical items, such process does not impose an XP toll on the monk.
There are, however, certain weapon enhancements that may not be applied to monks' unarmed attacks. A monk's unarmed strike can only be enhanced by magical powers that affect either a weapon's wielder or a weapon's targets. So, enhancements such as Dancing, Sizing, Spell Storing or Brilliant Energy are inapplicable for monks' unarmed strike. The same trail of thought should be applied regarding armor enhancements.
Special: A monk of higher level than 8th can also aid the efforts of other monks and bestow magical Ki powers upon them, as long as the receiving monk is of at least 8th level.
Special: A monk that’s brought down below 8th level by energy drain does not lose existing enhancements, but such powers are postponed until the monk once again reaches 8th level, where her body is able to channel Ki to benefit from them.
Special: A monk may purge no-longer-desired enhancements, spending 1/2 the time and cost they took to be imbued, but with no chance for failure.
Offensive Mobility (Ex)
A 9th level monk is able to move about the battlefield in a manner that others cannot emulate.
She may take a 5ft-step after each successful attack roll.
Furthermore, if she has not used up all of her allowed movement when making a charge attack, she does not have to end her movement right there and may complete her movement distance after she’s finished her attack sequence.
Denying Assault (Ex)
A 10th level monk's ability to react improves to inhuman levels.
The monk may spend a swift action to postpone any immediate action done by a creature in response to her attacks, until after she has completed her attack sequence.
Diamond Body (Ex)
At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds. The monk also becomes immune to stunning, petrifaction and magically induced blindness/deafness.
Abundant Step (Su)
By 12th level, a monk has learned the secret of magically slipping between spaces as part of her movement.
The monk may cover certain distances when she’s phased, thus can ignore physical barriers, moving at any direction in this fashion (horizontal as well as vertical), driven by her force of will. The distance that a monk can cover in this fashion cannot exceed twice her current movement speed.
For each 5ft traveled in such manner, access to this ability is denied for 1 round. For each Monk level beyond 12th, this denial period is reduced by 1 round.
Note: This is not teleportation. The monk is phased, not plane-shifted, so spells like Wall of Force and Prismatic Wall/Sphere affect her normally, but Dimensional Anchor and Dimensional Lock do not prevent the use of this ability.
Diamond Soul
SR = Monk level + 10 + Wis-bonus.
A monk may, as a free action, allow spells to automatically bypass her SR (usually when originating from allies). To do so, a monk must be aware of the incoming spell.
Freedom of Movement (Su)
At 14th level and on, a monk continuously benefits from Freedom of Movement spell effect.
Touching The Ripples (Ex)
The monk’s senses become so attuned that she can feel what’s happening around her.
Starting at 14th level, a monk benefits from Blind Sense as well as Tremor Sense, out to 30ft + 5ft per level beyond 14th.
The monk also senses phased and ethereal creatures and objects with this ability.
Quivering Palm (Su)
This ability is usable once per day.
Furthermore, a monk needs not gambit her Quivering Palm by announcing before making an attack roll and may choose to apply it only upon successful hit.
Quivering Palm affects all living creatures - including oozes and plants, because it directly assault's the target's life force.
Quivering Palm is an instantaneous effect - it cannot be postponed for a later time.
For each 4 levels above 15th, a monk gains one additional daily use of Quivering Palm.
Retributive Flurry (Ex)
A 15th level monk's understanding of her martial arts is now perfected.
From this point and on, whenever the monk is entitled to an AoO, she may retaliate in a blinding speed and make a FoB attack.
Boundless Reach (Ex)
This ability is an evolution of Abundant Step.
A 16th level monk has the ability to slip extraordinarily between planes and dimensions, in a way that no magical effect can contain or block.
The monk always returns to the plane from which she originated when executing Boundless Reach.
The monk may now, instead of moving, affect thrown Monk weapons to bypass obstacles on their way to their targets for one round. A monk cannot apply Boundless Reach both to herself and to her thrown weapons in the same combat round.
Diamond Resilience (Ex)
By 17th level, your body is so strongly controlled that you can endure almost anything.
She gains immunity to death effects and she no longer automatically fails her saving throws on a natural 1, though you may still fail such rolls normally.
Temporal Ki Surge (Su)
By 18th level, a monk has learned the secret of channeling Ki power to haste herself to godly speed as a once-per-hour swift action.
This acceleration allows the monk to take an extra full-round action (essentially doubling her action allotment).
Activating this ability comes with a price though. During the next round, the monk is fatigued and all benefits from Ki-Strike are suspended.
Diamond Essence (Su)
By 19th level, your essence is beyond the comprehension of most mortals and beyond the sway and detection of nearly all magic.
You gain the benefits of a Mind blank effect at all times.
Furthermore, once per day, as a free action, you gain the benefits of a Foresight spell effect.
Perfect Self
The monk’s quest for physical, mental and spiritual perfection is finally complete.
The monk:
- Receives a +2 perfection increase to all her ability scores.
- Gains DR 10/-. This DR is applicable to damage from any attack, not just physical attacks.
- Gains immunity to critical hits and death from massive damage.
- Gains Blind Sight instead of Blind Sense ability. Touching The Ripples otherwise remains unchanged.
- No longer ages. She remains in her current age category forever.
Ex-Monks
No such thing as Ex-Monk.
New Feats
Dispelling Strike
Requirements: Monk 7th, Stunning Fist
By spending 2 uses of Stunning Fist point as a free action, you can generate a touch-based Dispel Magic effect.
starting at level 13, by spending 4 Ki points as a free action, you can generate a touch-based Greater Dispel Magic effect.
Hydra's Toxin
Requirements: Monk 10th, Stunning Fist
By spending 3 uses of Stunning Fist as a swift action, you can force an opponent that you hit to immediately make a Fort save (DC 10 + ½ HD + WIS-mod) or be afflicted with either the Burning Blood toxin (1d6 Constitution damage) or the Freezing Blood toxin (1d6 Dexterity damage).
Ki Slash
Requirements: Monk 6th, Stunning Fist
By spending 2 uses of Stunning Fist, the Monk may, as a standard action, swing a slashing weapon (including natural attack) and convert a physical attack into a 60ft line / 30ft arch (effectively a cone) / 15ft hemisphere force effect that would deal the same amount of damage as his physical attack would to anyone in the AoE.
Targets in the AoE that are able to see the monk perform this attack and are not flatfooted are entitled to a Ref save vs. DC equal to the monk's attack roll to take 1/2 damage.
Knockback
Requirements: Stunning Fist, Improved Bull Rush
By spending 1 use of Stunning Fist as part of an attack, a successful strike bull rushes the target, does not provoke an AoO, and you do not move from your square along with your target.
Path of Spiritual Chains
Requirements: Monk 10th, Stunning Fist
The monk's attacks cannot be resisted by magical effects.
By expending 3 uses of Stunning Fist , for 1 round per 3 Monk levels, the monk's touch neutralizes (but doesn't cancel) the effect of Freedom of Movement or similar abilities when initiating a grapple and prevents a grappled creature from teleporting or escaping to another plane, as if under the effects of a Dimensional Anchor spell.
Walking Mediation
Requirements: Monk level 6th, Autohypnosis 5, Concentration 8
A monk who has mastered the art of meditating without moving can also learn how to enter a meditative state that allows him to speak, to observe the world around him and to move as normal. This state of enlightened awareness, at once travelling the earth and the realms of the mind and spirit, is known as the art of Walking Mediation.
Entering a state of walking meditation requires 10 minutes of preparation, and a DC 25 Concentration check.
- The monk adds his Wisdom modifier to his initiative checks.
- While not engaged in combat, running or other intensely straining activities, the monk is considered to be fully resting, for all intents and purposes.
Upon sustaining damage of any sort, the monk Walking Meditation state is lost until initiated once more.
The following conditions also negate Walking Meditation: Confused, Dazed, Disabled, Fascinated, Frightened, Paralyzed, Shaken, Sickened, Stunned and Unconscious (or any of their more severe steps).
Special: 6th level Elven monks gain this feat as a bonus feat upon meeting the skill rank requirements.
.
We all know that despite its many features, in practice, the Monk is probably the second weakest official base class (right after the Soulknife).
I also don’t need to tell you all about the magnitude of Monk fixes out there.
I actually haven’t had plans of dealing with the Monk, but Zman's Monk Fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265340) has stirred something in me, because it was the first time that I saw a decent start for fixing the Monk that uses the core class as a baseline.
Using the following distinction of levels of power (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?206323-E6-The-Game-Inside-D-amp-D) and what I know of class balance, I tried to spread the Monk’s abilities (feature-wise) to keep up with the pace of the game at all levels.
I also paid attention not to let personal taste affect this proposed fix and narrowed down things to practicality. For instance, I don’t care for Tongue of the Sun and Moon, but it doesn’t interfere with anything, so I kept it as it is.
The general aim here is, as usual for me, tier-3.
I’m presenting here only the changes I found appropriate to the core Monk.
Whatever’s not specifically (or only partially) addressed here, it is to be taken from the core class as given.
As a general guideline regarding the Special Column’s content:
- Features with no changes from the core class are presented in normal text.
- Features with some changes and core features that need no further explanations (e.g. Uncanny Dodge) are bolded.
- Features with massive changes (Ki Strike) and entirely new features (Ascetic Athleticism, Freedom of Movement...) are bolded, underlined and italicized
Table: The new monk
{table=head]Level|Special|AC Bonus|Unarmored Speed Bonus
1st|Bonus Feat, Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Ascetic Athleticism|
+0|
+0
2nd|Bonus Feat, Evasion|
+1|
+5
3rd|Uncanny Dodge, Still Mind|
+1|
+5
4th|Ki Strike (magic, Wis-bonus alternative), Meditation|
+2|
+10
5th|Purity of Body, Dedicated Dodge|
+2|
+10
6th|Bonus Feat, Mercurial Stride|
+3|
+15
7th|Wholeness of Body, Ki Strike (material, 1H, Crit I)|
+3|
+15
8th|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Tempered Body|
+4|
+20
9th|Improved Evasion, Offensive Mobility|
+4|
+20
10th|Ki Strike (alignment, Wis-bonus accumulation), Denying Assault|
+5|
+25
11th|Diamond Body, Greater Flurry|
+5|
+25
12th|Bonus Feat, Abundant Step|
+6|
+30
13th|Diamond Soul, Ki Strike (damage type, Ghost Touch)|
+6|
+30
14th|Freedom of Movement, Touching The Ripples|
+7|
+35
15th|Quivering Palm, Retributive Flurry|
+7|
+35
16th|Ki Strike (any, 2H, Crit II), Boundless Reach|
+8|
+40
17th|Diamond Resilience, Tongue of the Sun and Moon|
+8|
+40
18th|Bonus Feat, Temporal Ki Surge|
+9|
+45
19th|Empty Body, Diamond Essence|
+9|
+45
20th|Perfect Self, Ki Strike (all)|
+10|
+50
[/table]
Alignment: No restriction (see Ki-Strike below).
Class Skills: Add Autohypnosis (XPH, p.36), Lucid Dreaming (MotP, p.203) and Spellcraft as class skills.
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int-mod (x4 at 1st level)
Monk Weapons: Monks may flurry with Dart and Shuriken. Further, monks add their Dex-bonus when calculating attack rolls & damage scores when attacking with Dart and Shuriken.
Feature Descriptions
Unarmed Strike
In addition to the details presented in PHB:
1. For all intent and purpose, a Monk is considered to possess the feat Improved Unarmed Strike.
2. The Monk's unarmed damage applies to all Monk weapons.
3. When fighting unarmed or when using Monk weapons, a monk gains a +1 bonus to all opposed combat checks (Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Grapple, Overrun, Trip and Sunder) – offensive as well as defensive. For every 4 Monk levels past 1st (5, 9, 13...), this bonus increases by an additional +1.
Flurry of Blows (Ex)
A monk may use a standard, full, or charge attack to strike with a Flurry of Blows.
Ascetic Athleticism (Ex)
Monks are capable of incredible feats of athleticism and add their Monk level to any Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Move Silently, Swim and Tumble check.
Unarmored Speed Bonus (Ex)
With level advancement, monks develop lightning quick reactions and become exceptionally agile.
Using this ability, a monk within arm’s reach of a solid vertical surface/object can use it to slow her descent and reduces any fall damage she would’ve taken by 1d6 per 5ft granted by her Unarmored Bonus Speed (down to zero).
Furthermore, if the vertical surface is in any way scalable, the monk may make a Climb check with -10 to her DC check at the beginning of her fall and another attempt every 30ft thereafter.
Bonus Feat
At levels 1 and 2nd, and at every level divisible by 6, a monk can select any Fighter Bonus feat.
The Monk needs to meet the prerequisites as normal to select these feats with the exception of Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip and Stunning Fist.
Still Mind (Ex)
A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
Starting at 10th level, the monk’s mind is strong and disciplined enough to gain total immunity to fear, charm and compulsion effects and a +2 bonus to all other Will saves.
Ki Strike (Su)
At 4th level, monks receive the single most iconic and most influential of all of their abilities.
When fighting unarmed or when using Monk weapons, the monk receives a plethora of benefits.
- At 4th level, a monk’s attacks are empowered with Ki. The monk’s attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of bypassing DR. The monk may now choose to add her Wis-bonus to attack rolls instead of Str/Dex (melee/range) and to damage scores instead of Str.
- At 7th level, a monk’s attack may count as any specific material. This however is not automatic. At the beginning of an encounter with an unknown opponent, this ability is inactive. Once the monk has made a successful attack against a target that has DR/[material], the monk’s strike is partially blocked by the target’s DR. From there on, the monk may augment her strike’s Ki to ignore the target’s DR/[material]. Shifting Ki in such a manner to adapt to opponents is a swift action. The monk’s strike now counts as 1-handed weapon for all purposes that favor this category over small weapons (e.g. Disarm, Sunder etc). Finally, the monk’s critical threat range and critical multiplier improve (19-20/x3 when fighting unarmed – calculate separately for each Monk weapon). This does not stack with feats that enhance critical threat/multiplier.
- At 10th level, having battled many denizens of outer worlds and transcending her own inherent view of existence, a monk’s unarmed attack may count as fused with any single alignment, using the mechanics defined for Ki Strike (material). The monk may now add her Wis-bonus to attack rolls and damage scores on top of her Str/Dex bonuses.
13th: The monk’s attacks now counts as Piercing / Slashing (on top of bludgeoning), using the mechanics defined for Ki Strike (material) and Ki Strike (alignment). The monk’s attacks now also count as having the Ghost Touch property.
- At 16th level, there’s no DR type a monk cannot adapt to, except DR/-. The monk’s unarmed strike now counts as 2-handed weapon for all purposes that favor this category over small weapons (e.g. Disarm, Sunder etc). Finally, the monk’s unarmed critical threat range and multiplier improve yet again (18-20/x4 when fighting unarmed – calculate separately for each Monk weapon). This does not stack with feats that enhance critical threat/multiplier.
- A 20th level monk knows how to fuse her unarmed strike with fluctuating energies. The Monk’s attacks now completely ignore DR. Furthermore, the monk now effortlessly maintains Ki and has it active at all times.
Meditation (Ex)
All monks meditate, both as a way of recovering from the rigors of their intense physical workouts and as a means of pursuing ultimate enlightenment.
When a monk meditates, she lets her conscious mind slumber, while her unconscious spirit roams ancient paths, seeking out the truths of those who came before.
Though initially, entering a meditative state requires long periods of preparation, by the time a monk hits 4th level, meditating becomes as simple a matter as breathing.
The long hours of practice grant the monk bonus ranks, in both Autohypnosis and Concentration, equal to a maximized C-C skill.
- The monk may now mimic Elven meditative rest instead of sleep for 1 hour, by making a Concentration check vs. DC 15. A monk who successfully meditates for eight hours straight gains all the benefits of a full day’s rest.
- Elven monks have their meditative rest requirement cut down to 2 hours a day.
A monk cannot benefit from the above more than once per day, but may make multiple attempts within the same day period and may benefit from normal rest as well.
If the monk takes damage or is moved for any reason while meditating, she loses 1 hour worth of meditation.
Purity of Body (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases including supernatural and magical diseases.
Dedicated Dodge (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains the ability to evade with seemingly supernatural skill. At the beginning of her turn, she may decide to refrain from action (including AoOs, swift & immediate actions and 5ft-steps) and instead add her Monk level as a Dodge bonus to her Reflex saves and dodge AC until the beginning of her next turn.
When performing Dedicated Dodge, a monk is limited to moving up to her modified speed during her turn.
Mercurial Stride (Ex)
A 6th level monk may ignore all forms of difficult terrain that don’t require skill checks or saving throws to pass through, though areas magically altered to slow movement still function.
She may also make any number of turns when charging, and can incorporate Balance checks, Climb checks, Jump checks, Swim checks and Tumble checks into her movement (including when charging).
She may also run across water or up walls, provided her movement is no less than 50 and she makes a DC 25 balance check.
Wholeness of Body (Su)
At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal her own wounds.
She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to her (permanent Wis-bonus) X (monk level) each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses.
A monk, using this ability, may trade HP healing to negate certain conditions.
She may remove:
- Ability Damage / Dazzled / Fatigued / Shaken / Sickened at a rate of 1 per 5 HP
- Dazed / Diseased / Staggered at a rate of 1 per 10 HP
- Exhausted / Frightened / Nauseated at a rate of 1 per 15 HP
- Blinded / Deafened / Poisoned / Stunned at a rate of 1 per 20 HP
- Ability Drain / Paralyzed at a rate of 1 per 30 HP
- Negative Levels at a rate of 1 per 40 HP.
Using Wholeness of Body is a swift action.
All of the above can be done at any desired combination, so long as the monk has HP left to heal.
Tempered Body (Ex)
By 8th level, a monk's own body has changed and now counts as manufactured.
The monk now gains DR 1/- per 4 Monk levels.
Also, experience has granted her new insights regarding the potential of Ki and how it can be harnessed for her benefit in new and unique ways.
Through elaborate rituals that involve meditation, precious materials and inner Ki-channeling, a monk may fuse her body with magical powers, as if possessing Craft Magic Arms and Armor (limited to her body and unarmed strikes), simultaneously treating her body as a single weapon and a single armor for the purpose of this feature. A monk that’s wearing armor (for whatever reason) loses her armor associated enhancements until the armor is un-donned.
A monk's caster level for the purpose of self enhancements equals her Monk class level, and she needs not know a spell in order to apply an appropriate enhancement, but she does have to make a DC [25 + spell-level] Spellcraft check for an enhancement to succeed.
Unlike when creating magical items, such process does not impose an XP toll on the monk.
There are, however, certain weapon enhancements that may not be applied to monks' unarmed attacks. A monk's unarmed strike can only be enhanced by magical powers that affect either a weapon's wielder or a weapon's targets. So, enhancements such as Dancing, Sizing, Spell Storing or Brilliant Energy are inapplicable for monks' unarmed strike. The same trail of thought should be applied regarding armor enhancements.
Special: A monk of higher level than 8th can also aid the efforts of other monks and bestow magical Ki powers upon them, as long as the receiving monk is of at least 8th level.
Special: A monk that’s brought down below 8th level by energy drain does not lose existing enhancements, but such powers are postponed until the monk once again reaches 8th level, where her body is able to channel Ki to benefit from them.
Special: A monk may purge no-longer-desired enhancements, spending 1/2 the time and cost they took to be imbued, but with no chance for failure.
Offensive Mobility (Ex)
A 9th level monk is able to move about the battlefield in a manner that others cannot emulate.
She may take a 5ft-step after each successful attack roll.
Furthermore, if she has not used up all of her allowed movement when making a charge attack, she does not have to end her movement right there and may complete her movement distance after she’s finished her attack sequence.
Denying Assault (Ex)
A 10th level monk's ability to react improves to inhuman levels.
The monk may spend a swift action to postpone any immediate action done by a creature in response to her attacks, until after she has completed her attack sequence.
Diamond Body (Ex)
At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds. The monk also becomes immune to stunning, petrifaction and magically induced blindness/deafness.
Abundant Step (Su)
By 12th level, a monk has learned the secret of magically slipping between spaces as part of her movement.
The monk may cover certain distances when she’s phased, thus can ignore physical barriers, moving at any direction in this fashion (horizontal as well as vertical), driven by her force of will. The distance that a monk can cover in this fashion cannot exceed twice her current movement speed.
For each 5ft traveled in such manner, access to this ability is denied for 1 round. For each Monk level beyond 12th, this denial period is reduced by 1 round.
Note: This is not teleportation. The monk is phased, not plane-shifted, so spells like Wall of Force and Prismatic Wall/Sphere affect her normally, but Dimensional Anchor and Dimensional Lock do not prevent the use of this ability.
Diamond Soul
SR = Monk level + 10 + Wis-bonus.
A monk may, as a free action, allow spells to automatically bypass her SR (usually when originating from allies). To do so, a monk must be aware of the incoming spell.
Freedom of Movement (Su)
At 14th level and on, a monk continuously benefits from Freedom of Movement spell effect.
Touching The Ripples (Ex)
The monk’s senses become so attuned that she can feel what’s happening around her.
Starting at 14th level, a monk benefits from Blind Sense as well as Tremor Sense, out to 30ft + 5ft per level beyond 14th.
The monk also senses phased and ethereal creatures and objects with this ability.
Quivering Palm (Su)
This ability is usable once per day.
Furthermore, a monk needs not gambit her Quivering Palm by announcing before making an attack roll and may choose to apply it only upon successful hit.
Quivering Palm affects all living creatures - including oozes and plants, because it directly assault's the target's life force.
Quivering Palm is an instantaneous effect - it cannot be postponed for a later time.
For each 4 levels above 15th, a monk gains one additional daily use of Quivering Palm.
Retributive Flurry (Ex)
A 15th level monk's understanding of her martial arts is now perfected.
From this point and on, whenever the monk is entitled to an AoO, she may retaliate in a blinding speed and make a FoB attack.
Boundless Reach (Ex)
This ability is an evolution of Abundant Step.
A 16th level monk has the ability to slip extraordinarily between planes and dimensions, in a way that no magical effect can contain or block.
The monk always returns to the plane from which she originated when executing Boundless Reach.
The monk may now, instead of moving, affect thrown Monk weapons to bypass obstacles on their way to their targets for one round. A monk cannot apply Boundless Reach both to herself and to her thrown weapons in the same combat round.
Diamond Resilience (Ex)
By 17th level, your body is so strongly controlled that you can endure almost anything.
She gains immunity to death effects and she no longer automatically fails her saving throws on a natural 1, though you may still fail such rolls normally.
Temporal Ki Surge (Su)
By 18th level, a monk has learned the secret of channeling Ki power to haste herself to godly speed as a once-per-hour swift action.
This acceleration allows the monk to take an extra full-round action (essentially doubling her action allotment).
Activating this ability comes with a price though. During the next round, the monk is fatigued and all benefits from Ki-Strike are suspended.
Diamond Essence (Su)
By 19th level, your essence is beyond the comprehension of most mortals and beyond the sway and detection of nearly all magic.
You gain the benefits of a Mind blank effect at all times.
Furthermore, once per day, as a free action, you gain the benefits of a Foresight spell effect.
Perfect Self
The monk’s quest for physical, mental and spiritual perfection is finally complete.
The monk:
- Receives a +2 perfection increase to all her ability scores.
- Gains DR 10/-. This DR is applicable to damage from any attack, not just physical attacks.
- Gains immunity to critical hits and death from massive damage.
- Gains Blind Sight instead of Blind Sense ability. Touching The Ripples otherwise remains unchanged.
- No longer ages. She remains in her current age category forever.
Ex-Monks
No such thing as Ex-Monk.
New Feats
Dispelling Strike
Requirements: Monk 7th, Stunning Fist
By spending 2 uses of Stunning Fist point as a free action, you can generate a touch-based Dispel Magic effect.
starting at level 13, by spending 4 Ki points as a free action, you can generate a touch-based Greater Dispel Magic effect.
Hydra's Toxin
Requirements: Monk 10th, Stunning Fist
By spending 3 uses of Stunning Fist as a swift action, you can force an opponent that you hit to immediately make a Fort save (DC 10 + ½ HD + WIS-mod) or be afflicted with either the Burning Blood toxin (1d6 Constitution damage) or the Freezing Blood toxin (1d6 Dexterity damage).
Ki Slash
Requirements: Monk 6th, Stunning Fist
By spending 2 uses of Stunning Fist, the Monk may, as a standard action, swing a slashing weapon (including natural attack) and convert a physical attack into a 60ft line / 30ft arch (effectively a cone) / 15ft hemisphere force effect that would deal the same amount of damage as his physical attack would to anyone in the AoE.
Targets in the AoE that are able to see the monk perform this attack and are not flatfooted are entitled to a Ref save vs. DC equal to the monk's attack roll to take 1/2 damage.
Knockback
Requirements: Stunning Fist, Improved Bull Rush
By spending 1 use of Stunning Fist as part of an attack, a successful strike bull rushes the target, does not provoke an AoO, and you do not move from your square along with your target.
Path of Spiritual Chains
Requirements: Monk 10th, Stunning Fist
The monk's attacks cannot be resisted by magical effects.
By expending 3 uses of Stunning Fist , for 1 round per 3 Monk levels, the monk's touch neutralizes (but doesn't cancel) the effect of Freedom of Movement or similar abilities when initiating a grapple and prevents a grappled creature from teleporting or escaping to another plane, as if under the effects of a Dimensional Anchor spell.
Walking Mediation
Requirements: Monk level 6th, Autohypnosis 5, Concentration 8
A monk who has mastered the art of meditating without moving can also learn how to enter a meditative state that allows him to speak, to observe the world around him and to move as normal. This state of enlightened awareness, at once travelling the earth and the realms of the mind and spirit, is known as the art of Walking Mediation.
Entering a state of walking meditation requires 10 minutes of preparation, and a DC 25 Concentration check.
- The monk adds his Wisdom modifier to his initiative checks.
- While not engaged in combat, running or other intensely straining activities, the monk is considered to be fully resting, for all intents and purposes.
Upon sustaining damage of any sort, the monk Walking Meditation state is lost until initiated once more.
The following conditions also negate Walking Meditation: Confused, Dazed, Disabled, Fascinated, Frightened, Paralyzed, Shaken, Sickened, Stunned and Unconscious (or any of their more severe steps).
Special: 6th level Elven monks gain this feat as a bonus feat upon meeting the skill rank requirements.
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