Monk / Psi Warrior Build

[Kesnit]

I will be joining a 3.5 group in the near future. The group has been playing together for years, but this is my first time with them. (I know most of them outside of the group.) The group are all pretty-low op. (2 of the PCs are a Favored Soul/Ranger, a Fighter/Cleric. )

I've never played a psionic character, and have always liked the idea of unarmed combat. So I decided to build a Monk 2/Psychic Warrior 5. Help on the build is greatly appreciated.

Stats will be rolled with the DM. Focusing on STR, CON, and WIS. (The DM allows Monks to wear armor without losing the WIS to AC and Monk AC boost, so long as they also have a class that has training in the armor. Since PW get armor, I'm going to dump DEX and wear armor.)
Skills: Sense Motive, Autohypnosis. Concentration. Psicraft 4.
Race: Human, Synad, or Half-giant.

Leveling
Level 1: Monk 1. Feat: ??. Improved Grapple (Monk bonus feat) (If Human: ??)
Level 2: Monk 2. Monastic Training (Monk bonus feat)
Level 3: Monk 2/PW 1. Tashalatora. PW Feat: ??
Level 4: Monk 2/PW2. PW Feat: ??
Level 5: Monk 2/PW3
Level 6: Monk 2/PW4. Improved Manifester
Level 7: Monk 2/PW5: PW feat: ??


Feats I am considering
Invest Armor
Half-giant Thunderer (if I take that race)
Blind Fight
Extend Power
Speed of Thought --> Psionic Charge (I know Speed of Thought does not work with heavy armor, but it is a requirement for Psionic Charge.)
Psionic Fist
Psionic Meditation
Stand Still
Unavoidable Strike
Clever Wrestling
Close Quarters Fighting
Earth's Embrace
Eyes in the Back of Your Head


Powers known.
I get 5. These are the ones I am considering.
1st: Hammer, Claws of the Beast, Expansion, Grip of Iron, Inertial Armor. Precognition (Offensive and Defensive).
2nd: Dimension Swap, Dissolving Touch, Energy Emanation, Psionic Lion's Charge



Any source is allowed, but I only have access to some books. (PHB, DMG, MM I-V, Fiend Folio, Completes). Neither I nor the DM have TOB, so PLEASE do not recommend Swordsage.

[Gigas Breaker]

Linked power from complete psionics is really good. Manifest a swift action power like psionic lions charge linked with another power and save your actions! Inertial armor seems a waste if you are going to be wearing armor. Stand still without a good dex and combat reflexes ehhhhhhh. Consider bestial claws power and later vampiric claws as secondary natural attacks with possibly multiattack.

Edit: If you do go with Half-giant check with your dm if powerful build increases your unarmed and natural attacks.

[Rubik]

Linked power from complete psionics is really good. Manifest a swift action power like psionic lions charge linked with another power and save your actions!Likewise, find a power you don't mind manifesting frequently (such as Synchronicity) and use the Metapower (Linked Power/Synchronicity) feat to save you extra power points with every buff round you use.

Saving pp is a major concern for psychic warriors, so make judicious use of low-augment powers and items such as power stones.

[Kesnit]

Linked power from complete psionics is really good. Manifest a swift action power like psionic lions charge linked with another power and save your actions!

Hmm... That would work.


Inertial armor seems a waste if you are going to be wearing armor.

Wouldn't they stack? I could wear (say) +1 plate (for a total of +9AC), but then activate the power and turn it into +4 plate (for +12AC)?


Stand still without a good dex and combat reflexes ehhhhhhh.

That thought crossed my mind, which is why I included it on the "thinking about" list. I wanted other people's opinion on it before putting it in the build.


Consider bestial claws power

I had Claws of the Beast, but removed it for Hammer (1d8 vs. 1d6). I just noticed Hammer only lasts 1 round. So yeah, Claws of the Beast would be better. Edited OP to make change.


Edit: If you do go with Half-giant check with your dm if powerful build increases your unarmed and natural attacks.

I hope he will, since that one major reason Half-Giant is an option.


Likewise, find a power you don't mind manifesting frequently (such as Synchronicity) and use the Metapower (Linked Power/Synchronicity) feat to save you extra power points with every buff round you use.

According to Complete Psi, that's a Psion/Wilder power, not a PW one.

[Rubik]

According to Complete Psi, that's a Psion/Wilder power, not a PW one.Yes, but one of the great things about psionics is the easy access to other power lists through research, Expanded Knowledge, etc. If there's one power good enough for a psywar to spend an E.K. on, it's Synchronicity. Extra actions are always sexy, and reducing PP costs through Metapower is excellent, too.

[Gigas Breaker]

Wouldn't they stack? I could wear (say) +1 plate (for a total of +9AC), but then activate the power and turn it into +4 plate (for +12AC)?

Bonuses (boni?) of the same type don't stack. Inertial armor provides an armor bonus same as your armor. Force screen however provides a shield bonus to AC and would be added.

[Kesnit]

Bonuses (boni?) of the same type don't stack. Inertial armor provides an armor bonus same as your armor. Force screen however provides a shield bonus to AC and would be added.

So why does wearing Bracers of Armor increase armor class, even when wearing armor? (i.e. Wearing +2 Bracers and Leather armor would give a +4 to AC - 2 from the Bracers and 2 from the Leather Armor). Or is this something my groups have always done wrong?

[Gigas Breaker]

So why does wearing Bracers of Armor increase armor class, even when wearing armor? (i.e. Wearing +2 Bracers and Leather armor would give a +4 to AC - 2 from the Bracers and 2 from the Leather Armor). Or is this something my groups have always done wrong?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm


Armor Bonus
An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or
magical effect that mimics armor. Armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to
Armor Class (even with natural armor bonuses) except other armor bonuses.

[Rubik]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htmThere're only two exceptions where armor bonuses stack with other armor bonuses to AC, and that's because they're spelled out as such. The first is the chahar-aina, from Oriental Adventures, and that's because it basically increases the armor bonus for medium armor. The other is the dastana bracers, from the Arms & Equipment Guide, which should probably be considered a type of shield, but isn't.