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Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-08, 12:51 AM
This is an idea I've had kicking around, so I thought I'd toss it out and see what people thought. Questions and/or comments are welcome.
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Master of Styles

A master of styles is a powerful martial artist who has mastered a variety of different combat styles in their entirety.
HD: d8.

REQUIREMENTS
BAB: +5.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana or religion) 10 ranks.
Special: Must have acquired the special ability of a monk style.

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+2|Continued training, style training I
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+3|Style training II
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+3|~
4th|+4|+4|+4|+4|Style training I
5th|+5|+4|+4|+4|Style training II
6th|+6|+5|+5|+5|Style training III
7th|+7|+5|+5|+5|~
8th|+8|+6|+6|+6|~
9th|+9|+6|+6|+6|Style training III
10th|+10|+7|+7|+7|Style mastery[/table]

Skills: As the monk.
Class Features:
Continued Training: A master of styles continues to improve his unarmed damage, unarmored speed, and unarmored AC bonus as if he was a monk.
Style Training I: At the 1st and 4th levels, a master of styles selects a new style. He gains a +2 style bonus to the appropriate skill and the 1st level bonus feat of that style. He is not required to meet the prerequisites of the feat.
Style Training II: At the 2nd and 5th levels, a master of styles gains the 2nd level bonus feat of the style he is currently studying. He is not required to meet the prerequisites of the feat.
Style Training III: At the 6th and 9th levels, a master of styles gains the 6th level bonus feat and the special ability of a style he is currently studying. He is not required to meet the prerequisites of the feat, or of the special ability.
Style Mastery: At 10th level, a master of styles gains increased benefits from all the styles he has learned according to the following list:
Cobra Strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#cobraStrike): A master of styles receives a +4 dodge bonus from his Dodge feat.
Denying Stance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#denyingStance): When fighting defensively or using the Combat Expertise feat, you gain a +4 bonus on grapple checks and disarm attempts.
Hand and Foot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#handAndFoot): You gain a +4 bonus on attacks of opportunity made against an opponent attempting to bull rush or trip you, and a +8 bonus on Dexterity or Strength checks to avoid being tripped or bull rushed.
Invisible Eye (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#invisibleEye): When unarmed and fighting defensively, using Combat Expertise, or using the total defense action, increase the dodge bonus to Armor Class that you gain from using that tactic by 4.
Kazejutsu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): When using the Spring Attack feat, you provoke no attacks of opportunity and can make a full attack, and gain a +10 style bonus to damage when you do so.
Mind and Fist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): You do not lose psionic focus by using Psionic Fist, Greater Psionic Fist, or Unavoidable Strike until you successfully strike an opponent. In addition, you gain a +10 style bonus to damage when you do successfully strike an opponent while using Psionic Fist, Greater Psionic Fist, or Unavoidable Strike.
Overwhelming Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#overwhelmingAttack): If you have used Intimidate to demoralize your opponent at any time within the previous 10 rounds, you gain a +8 bonus on Strength checks made to bull rush or overrun that opponent.
Passive Way (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#passiveWay): You gain a +8 bonus on Strength checks made to trip an opponent who is denied his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.
Rushing River (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): You gain a swim speed equal to your land speed and can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to 10 times your Constitution score. Also, you gain the benefits of a freedom of movement effect, but only when you are underwater.
Sleeping Tiger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sleepingTiger): Once per round, when an opponent would be denied his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, the monk deals an extra 2d6 points of damage with a melee attack made with a light weapon. Any creature immune to sneak attacks is immune to this ability.
Striking Viper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): You gain the skirmish ability, as per the Scout base class (CAdv). Whenever you move at least ten feet in a round, all your attacks during that round deal an extra 1d6 points of damage, and you receive a +1 competence bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn. At 12th and 18th monk levels, the extra damage increases by 1d6, and the competence bonus to AC increases by 1. This ability stacks with any skirmish abilities gained from other classes. Your master of styles levels count as monk levels for the purposes of this ability, and your skirmish ability improves by +1d6 and +1.
Undying Way (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#undyingWay): When fighting defensively, using Combat Expertise, or using the total defense action, the monk gains damage reduction 2+X/-, where X is the penalty you are taking to your attack bonus.
Way of Fire (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): By spending 3 stun attempts, you can cast burning hands as a spell-like ability. The save DC for this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Wisdom modifier, and your caster level equals the sum of your monk and master of styles class levels. Also, the damage cap no longer applies to this ability.
Way of the Giant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30848): Your reach increases and you gain bonuses to bull rush, disarm, overrun, and trip attempts as if you were two size categories larger, but only when fighting unarmed.
Way of the Mountain (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10643#9): When overrunning opponents, you trample them, gaining two free unarmed attacks against each trampled opponent.
Way of the Poison Dart Frog (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30848): You treat the light crossbow as a special monk weapon. Also, you gain the ability to deflect or catch a number of projectiles per round equal to double your Wisdom modifier. You can immediately load a light crossbow and fire it when you catch a crossbow bolt.These abilities replace the special abilities normally granted by each style.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-09, 10:56 AM
Bump, bump, bump the uncritiqued homebrew.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-13, 10:06 AM
....Uh, huh? You're giving 'em a bonus feat EVERY LEVEL?

You're basically TRIPLING the class features of the Variant Monk. I don't see how this is in any way balanced...Full BAB, full saves, feats every level, three special abilities which are better than the variant ones, and those progressing Monk features? (-.-)

It's the feats which really get to me. That's more than Fighters get.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-13, 10:27 AM
Ok, back down to 3/4 BAB. And the prerequisites could do with some stiffening up.

Well, monks are often derided as the 2nd weakest class, and you have to remember that the Master of Styles doesn't get the freedom of choice that a fighter does in his feat selections. And as for progressing monk features, keep in mind all the cool monk stuff that the Master of Styles is giving up.

Also, I think you might be getting confused by the list of enhanced special abilities that stem from the MoS's capstone ability at 10th. I can see your point that the benefits might be too powerful, but in that case I'd like to have another "capstone" to replace it with.

MandibleBones
2007-01-13, 10:53 AM
I agree, Iames - though I'm glad you changed it back to 3/4 BAB. It's nowhere near as unbalanced as many prestige classes I've seen in published WotC swag :)

Needs more fluff, though.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-13, 11:08 AM
Combine Kazejutsu, Striking Viper and Way of the Mountain, taking Improved Overrun with your non-class feats (easy with Way of the Mountain's Power Attack bonus feat), and I think we've got a serious balance issue here even with the 3/4 BAB...

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-13, 11:21 AM
Hmm. Not sure you can use overrun with Spring Attack, actually, but okay.

What do you guys suggest?

Ultimatum479
2007-01-13, 12:32 PM
No, but you can use Skirmish with both Spring Attack (as you probably intended) and the Overrun/Trample of Way of the Mountain (as you probably didn't intend). Really, the Overrun/Trample thing with two immediate unarmed attacks (the new special ability of Way of the Mountain) is too painful. Knocking them prone is already bad enough both because of the +4 to melee attacks against them and because of the AoO which standing provokes, which is why overruns don't normally deal damage for balance purposes. So with Way of the Mountain, you get two unarmed attacks against them with an overrun, each at +4 because they're prone. Unarmed attacks, of course, are more painful here because you're a monk, so this is already worse than a trample in two ways. But for a third...since you're moving a minimum of 10 feet to overrun your opponent, you also do an extra 1d6 damage to him, possibly up to 3d6, due to Striking Viper. You're also adding to your AC in so doing, so, along with your uber Monk AC that you already have, you don't really have to be too worried about moving out of range of a counterattack at that point. Thus, you end your movement right next to him so that you can do an Attack of Opportunity when he stands up. Of course, until your next turn, the round is still going, which means the extra damage from Striking Viper applies to the AoO as well...Pain. And this would all be a moot point if the Overrun missed, but that's not as likely to happen since you can easily afford to spend a feat taking Improved Overrun, considering the massive number of feats you get from this class already...

I wouldn't reduce your BAB from full, as that screws up a Monk's Flurry of Blows. I just think there are way too many feats here. Unless someone who's good at class balancing comes along, the only thing I can suggest is reducing it to two styles instead of 3.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-18, 02:00 PM
Reduced it to 2 styles and restored the BAB to full. Any more comments?

And bump.

Hario
2007-01-18, 03:56 PM
Uh undying way grants DR 8/- WTF? sure its taking a complete defencive action but the monks are usually already tanks, mix that with VoP for insane defence and most monks won't ever get hit ever, especially with the SR... ugh.. Maybe make it DR 5/- max, that's what the barbarian gets after 20 levels...

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-18, 04:08 PM
Oh, yeah. That great SR that fails to protect the monk roughly 50% of the time, since any caster of her level, even one who hasn't pumped their CL in various ways, only needs to roll a 10 or better to succeed.

Your point about the DR is well taken, however. I've changed it to be 2+whatever attack penalty you're taking.

edit: Wow, what is it about this thread? It makes me snarky for some reason. Sorry about that.

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-18, 05:44 PM
It could be because a great idea is getting shot down continuously, which doesn't happen on these threads very often. I like the class though, and it requires seventh level...interesting. I'd like to playtest that in the near future, but I don't have access to anything outside core books and maybe Oriental Adventures if I call a favor in. What books are those in?

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-18, 06:52 PM
Which books are what in?

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-19, 11:35 AM
...the bonus feats for several of your styles. Fiery fist for example.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-19, 05:02 PM
Yeah, sure. I'm pretty sure all the non-core feats in there are from the XPH, Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer, or the PHBII. Except for that one that I homebrewed. In fact, I'll give you links if you'll gimme a sec.
Defensive Strike (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Defensive_Strike,all)
Fiery Fist (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Fiery_Fist,all)
Fiery Ki Defense (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Fiery_Ki_Defense,all)
Improved Toughness (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Improved_Toughness,all)
Psionic Fist (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Psionic_Fist,all)
Speed of Thought (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Speed_of_Thought,all)
Two As One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28003#5) (a homebrewed feat, but I included it for the sake of completeness)
Unavoidable Strike (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Unavoidable_Strike,all)
Weakening Touch (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Weakening_Touch,all)

Hannes
2007-01-19, 05:05 PM
Hint hint hint the Über Leet Haxor style xD

Lord Iames Osari
2007-01-19, 05:18 PM
Oh, shush. I'm too lazy to link to every feat in existence.