Archai
2014-05-09, 06:25 PM
Hello all!
This is my first post, and I wanted to share a monk fix that I created. I have searched and searched the web, but I haven't really found one that I agree with. The one that came closest was dman11235 's monk fix. After viewing his, I decided I wanted to make my own using his version as a base template. I kept some of his ideas, modified some, and added some of my own. My goal in my monk fix was to improved the class, but not stray to far from the original material and idea in the 3.5 player's handbook.
Anyroad, I know I might be beating a dead horse here, but I would really appreciate if you read over it and gave me your honest opinion, and maybe some suggestions. I would greatly appreciate it.
(I don't have time to format this post at the moment, so I am just copying and pasting from a word file.)
Here it is.
Monk Variant Class:
Class Skills
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d8
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement, martial art and ki strike abilities.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Monk. The unarmed damage on Table: The Monk is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.
Armor Bonus: A monk gains a bonus to his armor class equal to his Wisdom modifier. In addition, he gains a bonus as listed on the class table. This is an untyped bonus, and applies even when flat-footed and against touch attacks. The monk loses this bonus while he is helpless, immobilized, wears any armor, uses a shield, or carries a heavy or medium load.
Martial Art (ex): A monk chooses from the following martial arts when he first takes this class. The choice cannot be changed once made. He can use these abilities with any melee weapon he is proficient with. A monk loses these abilities while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load and must use a full attack action to strike with a martial art attack, except where otherwise noted.
Flurry of Blows: A monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Variant Monk Class table. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. At 6th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 11th level it disappears. At 16th level, his last attack (5th attack) in his flurry of blows gains a +5 increase. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1½ or ×½) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands.
Decisive Strike: Instead of additional attacks, a monk makes one attack that deals greater damage. Using your highest base attack bonus but taking a –2 penalty on this attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals x1.5 of the total damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn). At 6th level, this increases to double damage. At 11th level, it does x2.5 damage. At 16th level, it does triple damage. If you use this strike to deliver a stunning attack, increase the save DC to resist the stun by 2. At 6th level, the penalty on the attack roll lessens to –1, and at 11th level it disappears.
Intuitive Touch: This monk shifts his focus from doing more damage to specializing in other melee techniques. He adds his wisdom modifier in addition to his strength modifier for grappling, disarming and tripping attempts. The grapple, disarm or trip attempt must be made as a full-round action in order to gain the wisdom bonus. At 11th level, a monk can do this as a standard action.
Bonus Feat: At levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18, a Monk gains a bonus feat, chosen from the following list. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Run, Stunning Fist, & Weapon Focus (unarmed strike or grapple)
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk gains an enchantment bonus to speed, as shown on the variant monk table. A monk in armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.
Ki Strike (ex): A monk’s unarmed strikes are empowered with ki. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load.
At 3rd level a monk uses the Wisdom modifier instead of Strength modifier on attack and damage rolls made with unarmed strikes.
At 5th level, all of a Monk's unarmed strikes are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming DR.
At 7th level, you can opt for your unarmed strikes to deal your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage as a swift action. Once you make this choice, your unarmed strikes continue to deal the chosen damage type until you use another swift action to change it.
At 9th level they count as both aspects of his alignment for the purposes of overcoming DR.
At 11th level they are treated as being enchanted by Ghost Touch.
At 13th level they count as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR.
At 15th you can opt for your unarmed strikes to deal your choice of fire or cold damage as a swift action. Once you make this choice, your unarmed strikes continue to deal the chosen energy type until you use another swift action to change it to another energy type (or back to normal). This does not grant the monk immunities to these energy types.
At 17th level they count as all mundane substances for the purposes of over coming DR, and they deal normal damage to all inanimate objects.
Abundant Step (ex): Monks have trained themselves to move so quickly and with such precision that no effort or force is wasted. Starting at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, this training allows them to move across steadily more difficult surfaces that would otherwise be nearly impossible. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield, or carries a medium or heavy load.
At 4th level, Monks can move over difficult terrain with no penalty. They can also move over branches, fences, thin ice, the shoulders of a crowd, and other stiff objects that could not normally hold their weight, without needing to make a balance check.
At 8th level, monks now have a swim and climb speed equal half their speed with the following exception to the climb speed: monks can run up smooth (not climbable) surfaces at his climb speed for a number of consecutive rounds equal to their Dexterity modifier. At the end of this time, if they are not upright on a solid, horizontal surface, they fall.
High and long jump range is doubled. A monk can do standing jumps with no penalty (the high and long jump DC’s do not double without a running start). However, a monk can only long jump up to a maximum of his speed. This also means a monk can long jump or high jump off of walls he is climbing, depending on the angle of the jump. A long jump can be horizontal or descending, and a high jump is ascending. At the end of a long jump, he immediately starts descending if still in mid-air, gaining 5ft. distance for every 10ft. fallen until he hits the ground. At the end of a high jump, he falls straight down if still in mid-air.
At 12th level, monks cannot be magically slowed or hindered, as if under the freedom of movement spell.
At 16th level or higher, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, except as noted here. The distance traveled is 5' per class level. The caster level for this effect is one-half the monk level (rounded down). A monk can use this ability a number of times equal to his monk level per day.
At 20th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute per monk level per day, as though using the spell etherealness. He may go ethereal on a number of different occasions during any single day, as long as the total number of minutes spent in an ethereal state does not exceed his monk level.
Slow Fall (ex): At 5th level, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. Whenever a monk falls (within reach of a wall), he takes no falling damage upon landing, regardless of the distance fallen.
Wholeness of Body (ex): At 7th level, a Monk gains the ability to heal his own wounds. As a standard action, he can heal an amount of damage equal to his class level times his wisdom modifier a number of times per day equal to his constitution modifier. At level 15 he gains fast healing 1, or his existing fast healing increases by 1.
Deep Perception (ex): At 9th level, a Monk's connection to the world around him deepens. He gains blindsense out to 5 feet. As he increases in level, his perception abilities strengthen, and this range increases by 5 ft. per class level beyond 9, to a maximum of 60 ft. at level 20. At 17th level, he also gains blindsight out to half the distance of his blindsense (round down).
Diamond Body (ex): At 11th level, Monks gain immunity to poisons of all kinds, as well as immunity to all diseases, not including supernatural and magical diseases.
Diamond Soul (su): At 13th level, Monks gain spell resistance equal to 10 + class level + their wisdom modifier.
Quivering Palm (su): Starting at 19th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load.
Timeless Body (ex): At 19th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Perfect Self: A 20th level Monk has so attuned himself with the underlying flows of the world around him that he becomes a part of them. His type changes to outsider, with subtypes based on the aspects of his alignment. He also gains DR 10 overcome only by weapons that oppose either aspect of his alignment. He also gains darkvision out to 60 ft. if he doesn’t already have it. Like other outsiders, the monk no longer has to eat or sleep, but can choose to do so if he wishes. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
I would also like to note that I was thinking it might be smart to ban the Ki Focus weapon enchantment from the DMG when using this monk variant. What do you think? Thanks! :smallsmile:
This is my first post, and I wanted to share a monk fix that I created. I have searched and searched the web, but I haven't really found one that I agree with. The one that came closest was dman11235 's monk fix. After viewing his, I decided I wanted to make my own using his version as a base template. I kept some of his ideas, modified some, and added some of my own. My goal in my monk fix was to improved the class, but not stray to far from the original material and idea in the 3.5 player's handbook.
Anyroad, I know I might be beating a dead horse here, but I would really appreciate if you read over it and gave me your honest opinion, and maybe some suggestions. I would greatly appreciate it.
(I don't have time to format this post at the moment, so I am just copying and pasting from a word file.)
Here it is.
Monk Variant Class:
Class Skills
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d8
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement, martial art and ki strike abilities.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Monk. The unarmed damage on Table: The Monk is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.
Armor Bonus: A monk gains a bonus to his armor class equal to his Wisdom modifier. In addition, he gains a bonus as listed on the class table. This is an untyped bonus, and applies even when flat-footed and against touch attacks. The monk loses this bonus while he is helpless, immobilized, wears any armor, uses a shield, or carries a heavy or medium load.
Martial Art (ex): A monk chooses from the following martial arts when he first takes this class. The choice cannot be changed once made. He can use these abilities with any melee weapon he is proficient with. A monk loses these abilities while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load and must use a full attack action to strike with a martial art attack, except where otherwise noted.
Flurry of Blows: A monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Variant Monk Class table. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. At 6th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 11th level it disappears. At 16th level, his last attack (5th attack) in his flurry of blows gains a +5 increase. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1½ or ×½) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands.
Decisive Strike: Instead of additional attacks, a monk makes one attack that deals greater damage. Using your highest base attack bonus but taking a –2 penalty on this attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals x1.5 of the total damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn). At 6th level, this increases to double damage. At 11th level, it does x2.5 damage. At 16th level, it does triple damage. If you use this strike to deliver a stunning attack, increase the save DC to resist the stun by 2. At 6th level, the penalty on the attack roll lessens to –1, and at 11th level it disappears.
Intuitive Touch: This monk shifts his focus from doing more damage to specializing in other melee techniques. He adds his wisdom modifier in addition to his strength modifier for grappling, disarming and tripping attempts. The grapple, disarm or trip attempt must be made as a full-round action in order to gain the wisdom bonus. At 11th level, a monk can do this as a standard action.
Bonus Feat: At levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18, a Monk gains a bonus feat, chosen from the following list. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Run, Stunning Fist, & Weapon Focus (unarmed strike or grapple)
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk gains an enchantment bonus to speed, as shown on the variant monk table. A monk in armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.
Ki Strike (ex): A monk’s unarmed strikes are empowered with ki. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load.
At 3rd level a monk uses the Wisdom modifier instead of Strength modifier on attack and damage rolls made with unarmed strikes.
At 5th level, all of a Monk's unarmed strikes are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming DR.
At 7th level, you can opt for your unarmed strikes to deal your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage as a swift action. Once you make this choice, your unarmed strikes continue to deal the chosen damage type until you use another swift action to change it.
At 9th level they count as both aspects of his alignment for the purposes of overcoming DR.
At 11th level they are treated as being enchanted by Ghost Touch.
At 13th level they count as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR.
At 15th you can opt for your unarmed strikes to deal your choice of fire or cold damage as a swift action. Once you make this choice, your unarmed strikes continue to deal the chosen energy type until you use another swift action to change it to another energy type (or back to normal). This does not grant the monk immunities to these energy types.
At 17th level they count as all mundane substances for the purposes of over coming DR, and they deal normal damage to all inanimate objects.
Abundant Step (ex): Monks have trained themselves to move so quickly and with such precision that no effort or force is wasted. Starting at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, this training allows them to move across steadily more difficult surfaces that would otherwise be nearly impossible. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield, or carries a medium or heavy load.
At 4th level, Monks can move over difficult terrain with no penalty. They can also move over branches, fences, thin ice, the shoulders of a crowd, and other stiff objects that could not normally hold their weight, without needing to make a balance check.
At 8th level, monks now have a swim and climb speed equal half their speed with the following exception to the climb speed: monks can run up smooth (not climbable) surfaces at his climb speed for a number of consecutive rounds equal to their Dexterity modifier. At the end of this time, if they are not upright on a solid, horizontal surface, they fall.
High and long jump range is doubled. A monk can do standing jumps with no penalty (the high and long jump DC’s do not double without a running start). However, a monk can only long jump up to a maximum of his speed. This also means a monk can long jump or high jump off of walls he is climbing, depending on the angle of the jump. A long jump can be horizontal or descending, and a high jump is ascending. At the end of a long jump, he immediately starts descending if still in mid-air, gaining 5ft. distance for every 10ft. fallen until he hits the ground. At the end of a high jump, he falls straight down if still in mid-air.
At 12th level, monks cannot be magically slowed or hindered, as if under the freedom of movement spell.
At 16th level or higher, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door, except as noted here. The distance traveled is 5' per class level. The caster level for this effect is one-half the monk level (rounded down). A monk can use this ability a number of times equal to his monk level per day.
At 20th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute per monk level per day, as though using the spell etherealness. He may go ethereal on a number of different occasions during any single day, as long as the total number of minutes spent in an ethereal state does not exceed his monk level.
Slow Fall (ex): At 5th level, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. Whenever a monk falls (within reach of a wall), he takes no falling damage upon landing, regardless of the distance fallen.
Wholeness of Body (ex): At 7th level, a Monk gains the ability to heal his own wounds. As a standard action, he can heal an amount of damage equal to his class level times his wisdom modifier a number of times per day equal to his constitution modifier. At level 15 he gains fast healing 1, or his existing fast healing increases by 1.
Deep Perception (ex): At 9th level, a Monk's connection to the world around him deepens. He gains blindsense out to 5 feet. As he increases in level, his perception abilities strengthen, and this range increases by 5 ft. per class level beyond 9, to a maximum of 60 ft. at level 20. At 17th level, he also gains blindsight out to half the distance of his blindsense (round down).
Diamond Body (ex): At 11th level, Monks gain immunity to poisons of all kinds, as well as immunity to all diseases, not including supernatural and magical diseases.
Diamond Soul (su): At 13th level, Monks gain spell resistance equal to 10 + class level + their wisdom modifier.
Quivering Palm (su): Starting at 19th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the monk’s level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. A monk loses this ability while he wears any armor, uses a shield or carries a medium or heavy load.
Timeless Body (ex): At 19th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.
Perfect Self: A 20th level Monk has so attuned himself with the underlying flows of the world around him that he becomes a part of them. His type changes to outsider, with subtypes based on the aspects of his alignment. He also gains DR 10 overcome only by weapons that oppose either aspect of his alignment. He also gains darkvision out to 60 ft. if he doesn’t already have it. Like other outsiders, the monk no longer has to eat or sleep, but can choose to do so if he wishes. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
I would also like to note that I was thinking it might be smart to ban the Ki Focus weapon enchantment from the DMG when using this monk variant. What do you think? Thanks! :smallsmile: