Tinkering with an idea and would like opinions

[drakoonity]

So I know that the monk isn't the most powerful class but I love them to death, but I was thinking of an idea that I would like all of yours opinion's on. I'm thinking of doing a multiclassing of monk and mage by level dipping into monk then go full mage, or would there be a far better option to multiclass with the mage?

[Juntao112]

Could you be a bit more specific? For example, what class is the mage and what are the character's goals?

[drakoonity]

I'm leaning more towards wizard or sorcerer, and my goal is I guess being able to help my party like support but also do a good amount of damage.

[CRtwenty]

Go pure Wizard then. A dip in Monk isn't going to really help you that much.

[Jett Midknight]

Monks damage is mediocre enough if you go full progression. Multi-classing is just going to make you melee attacks even weaker, and delay you from getting access to your more powerful spells. Those two classes to me just seem like the last two you would want to multicass.

[drakoonity]

Ok then if I do go full wizard or sorcerer what would be the best sort of spells for me to grab as this would be my first mage and would like to know how to play them pretty well.

[Jett Midknight]

Ok then if I do go full wizard or sorcerer what would be the best sort of spells for me to grab as this would be my first mage and would like to know how to play them pretty well.

Are you looking to have an optimized build, or just a casual, have fun build? Also what types of spells interest you? Necromancy, AoE damage, battlefield control, summoning creatures?

[drakoonity]

I've always wanted to try necromancy but it seems every game we have a cleric so that is kinda thrown out the window, but that never stops me from trying. i would say like a cross between support and either summon creature or battlefield control.

[Jett Midknight]

Probably a more important question is what system are you using? Also are you just starting at level 1? And what are the other members of your party playing?

[BowStreetRunner]

There is a prestige class called Enlightened Fist (CA 34) that combined both monk and arcane caster abilities. If you are interested in a monk-wizard or monk-sorcerer, there are some decent builds utilizing this PrC.

Builds generally take just a level of Monk, a few more levels a Wizard, then jump into Enlightened Fist. They may also go into Abjurant Champion, sometimes even before finishing out Enlightened Fist.

These builds will go in for feats like Superior Unarmed Strike, items like Monk's Belt, and spells like Mighty Whallop.

[Deadline]

If you go with Sorcerer, you can use the Ascetic Mage feat from Complete Adventurer to stack Monk and Sorcerer levels for unarmed damage, and use your Charisma instead of Wisdom for your Monk unarmored AC. It's not a huge boost, but it could be nice.

Also, you could use it with Duskblade, I think. Although the Charisma synergy suffers there.

[nedz]

You should be aware of the Carmendine Monk feat ( Champions of Valor p28)
This allows you to use Int instead of Wis for your Monk features.

[Baldin]

Hey,

Many people, specialy optimizers, dislike monks and often tell you to just roll wizard. As you said, you love them. That should be enough to play them.

Now as for the monk-mage part this is what i would suggest.

As a monk, one of the benefits is adding your wisdom to AC. unfortunately a monk is very MAD(Multiple ability dependant), being a wizard or sorcerer only increases that.

Luckely for you there is a feat called Ascetic Mage in Complete Adventurer. This lets you add your charisma to AC instead of wisdom, and makes your sorcerer class lvls stack to determine Monk AC bonus. And gives you and extra combat option.

Besides this you can also enter the prestige class "Enlightened Fist" from complete arcane. This class lets you advance in spellcasting as wel as in monk ability, and adds some nice extra class features.

Being able to cast arcane spells and add your charisma modifier to AC makes you get a good AC and some evasive spells. Also there are some spells, like chill touch, which can add 1d6 dmg to you attacks.

One of the drawbacks to this build is you low Base attack bonus. You can counter this a bit with spells and other buffs.

I played this once before and, after buffing, i was able to do some nice damage and be able to be the front fighter.

Just play what you like.

cheers
Baldin

[Studoku]

There is a prestige class called Enlightened Fist (CA 34) that combined both monk and arcane caster abilities. If you are interested in a monk-wizard or monk-sorcerer, there are some decent builds utilizing this PrC.

Builds generally take just a level of Monk, a few more levels a Wizard, then jump into Enlightened Fist. They may also go into Abjurant Champion, sometimes even before finishing out Enlightened Fist.

These builds will go in for feats like Superior Unarmed Strike, items like Monk's Belt, and spells like Mighty Whallop.
Complete Divine also has Sacred Fist- a Cleric/Monk PrC. Depends if you're interested in divine casting instead of arcane casting.

[Kelb_Panthera]

For a support caster flavoured wizard or sorcer, google "Treant Monk's guide to playing god" or somesuch.

It's a guide, written by treantmonk, over on the BG boards that gives a pretty comprehensive break-down of what spells are the most effective for supporting the party without stealing the spotlight.

Such a spell load-out is what people are talking about when they use the term "god wizard," as opposed to the "batman wizard" who endeavors to always have the perfect spell to solve the problem at hand, without any concern for making his allies feel superfluous as a result.

[Emperor Tippy]

Do you want to be primarily a monk with some magic support or a mage with some non magical support?

Gray Elf Monk 2/Domain Elf Generalist Wizard 1/ Warlock 1/ Factotum 1/ Enlightened Fist 10/ Factotum 2/ Arcane Trickster 3 (advancing Wizard)
Feats:
1: Kung Fu Genius
1 (flaw): Combat Casting
3: Practiced Spellcaster (Wizard)

Other: Blend Into Shadows.

Items: Novice Shadowhands (use to get into Assassins Stance)

Monk abilities as a level 12 Monk, casts as a 15th level wizard (CL 19), has Swift action Hide in Plain Sight, has a +3d6 sneak attack, and gets Int to all Str and Dex checks.

Particularly good? No, but you can be a decent skirmisher even in fairly high level play.

----
Better is Monk 4/Warlock 1/ Ur-Priest 1/Sacred Fist 10/Shiba Protector 1/Psi Warrior 3

That does what you want and works pretty much entirely off of Wisdom. Wis to Attack and Damage, Wis to AC, Wis for Ur Priest casting, Warlock gives swift action HiPS.

[Gavinfoxx]

I would suggest going divine instead, though Arcane can work:

Passive Way Monk 2/
Mystic 3/
Sacred Fist 10
/X 5 (something that advances casting)

Passive Way monk is in Unearthed Arcana and the SRD (online)
Mystic is in Dragonlance Campaign Setting
Sacred Fist is in Complete Divine

Good things to do with your domain can be found here:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773

Which talks about great options in Complete Champion, for example.

and also the Cleric Handbook will be useful:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1238

Note tippy is saying Monk 4 (something most people don't do), because... well. Ur-priest. They get a spell level each level, they are crazy.

[Emperor Tippy]

Probably would be better to do Monk 2/ Psi Warrior 2/Warlock 1/ Ur-Priest 1/Sacred Fist 10/Shiba Protector 1/Psi Warrior 3

[Gavinfoxx]

His DM banned psionics, for some strange reason. They're probably just intimidated with it, and don't actually know how good it is, or how the rules actually fit fantasy literature BETTER than the rules for wizards and such.

Anyway, if you want a melee tripper with supernatural abilities, you should look at this character I made:

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=427641

[drakoonity]

Well after much pestering on my part he has agreed for me to make a psionic for a different one of our campaigns, but he said that I can only be human and to level him up to level 13. I'm thinking of doing a monk/psychic warrior. So if anyone knows of a quickly build with them it would be greatly appreciated.

[Gavinfoxx]

Passive Way Monk 2/ Psychic Warrior Rest.

Get the feat 'Tashalatora' from Secrets of Sarlona.

Ardent works as well as Psychic Warrior, sometimes better.