How many levels?

[Shadowscale]

With a Tallfellow halfling as the race how many levels of monk would I need to take to qualify for drunken master without any other dips, is there early entry or anything? After these levels I planned to take barbarian, what barbarian would compliment x levels of monk and 10 of DM?

(Not optimal, but fun build. Halfling Viking Tavern Brawler ftw)

[Forrestfire]

You only need two levels of monk, since the first gets you Flurry and the second gets you Evasion.

Monk 2/Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian x/Possible other dips x/Drunken Master X seems like a neat built, because of pounce, flurry, and stagger to have some neat charges (even from melee, since you could stagger backwards and then complete your movement by returning to your previous square). You can flurry on a pounce, after all.

[Shadowscale]

You only need two levels of monk, since the first gets you Flurry and the second gets you Evasion.

Monk 2/Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian x/Possible other dips x/Drunken Master X seems like a neat built, because of pounce, flurry, and stagger to have some neat charges (even from melee, since you could stagger backwards and then complete your movement by returning to your previous square). You can flurry on a pounce, after all.

The character's fluff is however that they don't become chaotic until becoming a DM, any suggestions for dips or anything to take since only two levels of monk should be taken? Thanks for the totem help though, I didn't know which one to take.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, I like fighter 2 / feat rogue 2. This gets you 4 fighter feats and evasion that you can trade for ray reflection (shooting rays back at people who miss you with a ray), or taken in place of that second monk level (monk 1 / fighter 2 / feat rogue 2). Maybe pick up improved trip and disarm, so you can steal your opponents weapons and leave them floored (literally). You can stay lawful, and even fluff it as more martial experience over the more spiritual monk path. I would take a nice monk path that grants useful feats (overwhelming assault) rather than the standard feat options. That should set you down the path of the ubercharger without too much trouble.

NOTE - a drunken master can break any object they can pick up by taking 20 attacks with it. "When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless." Wield an epic artifact of evil.

[Telonius]

Barbarian doesn't have to be Chaotic, just non-lawful. If you take the Monk levels first, then (Neutral) Barbarian, that would be allowed. For the fluff, it could represent a more gradual slide into chaos rather than a sudden snap. (If I were the DM, I'd be fine with it, and prefer it to going from one end of the spectrum to the other in a single level).

[Shadowscale]

Well, I like fighter 2 / feat rogue 2. This gets you 4 fighter feats and evasion that you can trade for ray reflection (shooting rays back at people who miss you with a ray), or taken in place of that second monk level (monk 1 / fighter 2 / feat rogue 2). Maybe pick up improved trip and disarm, so you can steal your opponents weapons and leave them floored (literally). You can stay lawful, and even fluff it as more martial experience over the more spiritual monk path. I would take a nice monk path that grants useful feats (overwhelming assault) rather than the standard feat options. That should set you down the path of the ubercharger without too much trouble.

NOTE - a drunken master can break any object they can pick up by taking 20 attacks with it. "When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless." Wield an epic artifact of evil.
Interesting so, I really wanted to take the first 3 levels of monk, could I maybe take just the rogue levels? Something along the lines of monk 3/rogue 1 Or would I not be able to qualify due to BAB that way. What alternates paths should I take for monk, rogue, and barbarian and where do I find the alternates?


Barbarian doesn't have to be Chaotic, just non-lawful. If you take the Monk levels first, then (Neutral) Barbarian, that would be allowed. For the fluff, it could represent a more gradual slide into chaos rather than a sudden snap. (If I were the DM, I'd be fine with it, and prefer it to going from one end of the spectrum to the other in a single level).

Yeah, I like your thinking, I imagine it would be a getting kicked out of the order thing and slowly changing old ways to become a powerful drunk. Transition from peaceful pacifist to tribal warrior.

[Fouredged Sword]

No bab prereq, but you need 8 ranks in tumble, so that means 5 levels in other classes. I question the need for 3 levels of monk, as still mind isn't a very useful class feature, and the fast movement won't stack with the barbarian class feature you get at level 1 barbarian.

Here is my thoughts.

Monk 1-2 / barbarian 2 / rogue 1-2. You pick up evasion ether from monk or rogue. More rogue or monk is completely up to you, as you are getting 1 feat per level ether way.

Monk fighting styles (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#monkVariantFightingSty les) - I suggest overwhelming assault, as power attack is really nice and improved bullrush mixes well with corkscrew attack from drunken master. You can charge in a curving path while tumbling, ending in a full attack and a free bullrush.

Feat rogue ACF (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue)

Consider a level in thief acrobat to get kip up, IE the ability to stand from prone as a free action, just in case corkscrew attack fails. You can pop back up before the end of your round. You already meet 2/5ths the prereqs, and that first level is nice.

You are going to tank your Wis with drink like a demon, so better to have your AC coming from another stat. Can you get access to battle dancer from dragon compendium? You can get Cha to AC in place of Wis. Better for when you drop your wisdom to 1.

[Shadowscale]

No bab prereq, but you need 8 ranks in tumble, so that means 5 levels in other classes. I question the need for 3 levels of monk, as still mind isn't a very useful class feature, and the fast movement won't stack with the barbarian class feature you get at level 1 barbarian.

Here is my thoughts.

Monk 1-2 / barbarian 2 / rogue 1-2. You pick up evasion ether from monk or rogue. More rogue or monk is completely up to you, as you are getting 1 feat per level ether way.

Monk fighting styles (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#monkVariantFightingSty les) - I suggest overwhelming assault, as power attack is really nice and improved bullrush mixes well with corkscrew attack from drunken master. You can charge in a curving path while tumbling, ending in a full attack and a free bullrush.

Feat rogue ACF (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue)

Consider a level in thief acrobat to get kip up, IE the ability to stand from prone as a free action, just in case corkscrew attack fails. You can pop back up before the end of your round. You already meet 2/5ths the prereqs, and that first level is nice.

You are going to tank your Wis with drink like a demon, so better to have your AC coming from another stat. Can you get access to battle dancer from dragon compendium? You can get Cha to AC in place of Wis. Better for when you drop your wisdom to 1.

I think I'd take kung foo genius to help with being a good skill monkey and just dump wisdom, I'd also try to use an artifact to avoid the tanking ability damage.

since I hadn't planned on barbarian levels until I at least start the dm ones would I just wanna take two monk two rogue and maybe a dip, could I qualify for anything?

[Fouredged Sword]

You are going to tank your int every time you drink like a demon. You eat a -2 to int AND wis to get a +2 bonus to str OR con. You can stack this multiple times, but you are going to be fighting with a 1 int and wis. Spending a feat for Int to AC when not using your key class feature you want to use in every fight is not a great idea.

Now, if you are not going to get CHA to AC, I would suggest you forgo your monk AC bonus and get yourself a mitheral brestplate. Your fighter (or barbarian) level gives you Prof, and you won't get Int or Wis to AC anyway due to drink like a demon. This also prevents you from using flurry of blows, but you can then take any weapon you want for combat, so be a drunken fighter with a greatsword. Drink your Int and Wis into the floor and use that 30 strength score to pound your oponents into the ground. You loose some of the monk like feel, but the drunken raging fighter is a troupe of it's own. Rage + drink like a demon means +24 to your strength score.

Now, the stat reduction is explicitly a penalty, not damage. This is important because a penalty can never reduce the score under 1, so you can drink to your class level cap without problem even if your int and wisdom are lower than the penalty you accrue. Also, if you take ability damage, the penalty still can't take you under 1, so you must take your full attribute in damage before you are incapacitated.

A belt of battle will help you get a move action several times a day, allowing you to drink and charge/full attack in the same round.

For the dip, fighter is good, and barbarian is good. Battle dancer is great. Sorcerer can be used to get cha to AC as well, but there are more hoops to jump through than battle dancer.

Ok, crazy build here for a drunken frenzied berserker ALA the anime Berserk, great for a dragon servant of a BBEG.

I give you Kanith, the beast of broken promises.

Water Orc
Str +4
Con +2
Int -2
Wis -2
Cha -2

1 - Monk 1 - Monk feat (power attack)
2 - Barbarian 1 - Whirling frenzy - Pounce
3 - Fighter 1 - FB(cleave) - Extra Rage
4 - Feat rogue 1 - FB(Improved bull rush)
5 - Feat rogue 2 - FB(Improved Sunder)
6 - Drunken Master 1 - Destructive Rage
7 - Drunken Master 2
8 - Drunken Master 3
9 - Drunken Master 4 - Intimidating Rage
10 - Drunken Master 5
11 - Frenzied Berserker 1
12 - Frenzied Berserker 2 - Shock Trooper
13 - Frenzied Berserker 3
14 - Frenzied Berserker 4
15 - Frenzied Berserker 5 - Combat Brute
16 - Frenzied Berserker 6
17 - Frenzied Berserker 7
18 - Frenzied Berserker 8 - Free feat
19 - Frenzied Berserker 9
20 - Frenzied Berserker 10

Raised from a young age by monks in a monastery, he tried to fit in to the best of his abilities. He trained hard, but he lacked the enlightened mind of his brother monks. He learned the forms for unarmed combat, but he lacked the grace and poise that let them avoid blows (no wis bonus, so no wis to AC). He struggled and never felt he fit in. One day he snapped and lost his cool, attacking another monk (first barbarian level, first rage, transition from LN to TN) and for that he was banished.

He fell into a group of mercenaries, working with his skill in unarmed combat to guard people and caravans. In return they trained him in the sword, in armor, and in all the skills he needs as a merc (fighter level and 2 feat rogue levels), to use his rage as a tool (extra rage feat). He shifts to see the world in terms of what he can get out of it, not about laws and rules (transitions from LN to CN). He gains a new companion, drink. He begins to lose himself to drink. (drunken master levels, rage feats) Drinking to rage and raging to drink. The drink fueled dark rages both destructive and horrifying.

He begins is slide into the dark. He begins to revel in the pain he causes, and drink himself into dark oblivion. He enjoyed his rages without a care for who or what he hurts. He is blinded by drink and rage to the point of evil, sliding down the path of the frenzy. (starts taking levels of frenzied berserker slides from CN to CE and fills out combat brute and shocktrooper).

In the end of the day, he is a broken man. He is barely aware, drinking himself into a feral animal state. He is broken, but all the more dangerous because of it. A broken man is all the more jagged and deadly.

[dextercorvia]

If you are going to wear armor eventually (and give up Flurry anyway, then), there is the Decisive Strike ACF in PHII. It requires you to use a Monk Weapon (Staff can be two handed), but you can wear armor. You take a -2 penalty to attack (Full Round action), all of your damage is doubled until your next turn. Combines nicely with Combat Reflexes and some form of natural reach.

[Fouredged Sword]

He still needs the class feature for getting into drunken master.

[Shadowscale]

I'd be able and am willing to take battle dancer and thief acrobat to make a higher dex build to effectively dump wisdom. What changes would I have to make to the build progression you posted, sorry for being difficult.
I really wanted to still use improvised weapons.
But I need flurry for dm.

[ShurikVch]

Dragon Magazine stuff:
Chaos Monk (DR335 p88) Alignment: CG, CN, CE. Flailing Strike is (arguably) better than Flurry of Blows

Barbarian variant, City Brawler (DR349 p92) Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (with Unarmed Strike only). Only take a –2 penalty on Attack rolls with Improvised weapons

[Fouredged Sword]

The above build is just a cool idea that popped into my head.

If you can take battle dancer, here is my suggested build.

Monk 2 (overwhelming assault, Ray reflection)
Feat Rogue 2 (2 fighter feats in place of 1d6 sneak attack)
Battle Dancer 1 - Cha to AC, does not stack with Wis to AC
Drunken master 10 - Core of the build
Thief acrobat 1 - Stand from prone as a free action
Barbarian 2 - 2 levels for improved trip, whirling frenzy, and
Fighter 2 - Fighter feats for shock trooper.
Marshal 1 - Filler level here, an aura isn't the worst thing you could pick up. Cha to str checks, or dex checks is likely the best option.

The first 5 levels
Here is your core. Monk 2, Feat rogue 2, and battledancer nets you Cha to AC, 4 good feats, evasion, ray reflection, and some solid skills. Take 8 ranks in tumble (prereqs) and the remaining thief acrobat skills. Your stat preferences are Str / Con / Cha / Dex / Int=wis

Levels 6-20
Here you have flexibility. Fill in drunken master with dips at keep places for key abilities. I would get into barbarian as quickly as you feel comfortable, and dip fighter to pick up shocktrooper as soon as you hit +6 bab. Ideally you fit the first barbarian level in before shocktrooper for pounce, but fit it in as desired. Extra rage will give you 3 rages per day, enough for 3/4 combats. If you have a caster who applies haste every combat, normal rage is better, otherwise whirling frenzy is best. The second level of fighter and barbarian can wait until later if desired. After 9th level drunken master, pick up thief acrobat. This will be late in the build, but it's fairly useless until you get corkscrew rush. Marshal can fit wherever. The motivate dex aura will add your charisma to initiative as well as boost your skills a little.

My final build would likely look like the following

Monk 2 / Rogue 2 / Battle Dancer 1 / Drunken master 1 / Barbarian 1 / Fighter 1 / Drunken master 8 / Thief acrobat 1 / Marshal 1 / Fighter 1 / Barbarian 1

This assumes fractional BAB.