Would a Monk//Fighter gestalt be equivalent to a Bo9S character?

[Mr Adventurer]

I mean in terms of power, or Tier.

You'd have to tack on some houserules around allowing Monk abilities in armour. Maybe add that houserule about changing Monk 1/day abilities to 1/encounter instead.

[eggynack]

Almost certainly not as the classes are in the book. A bit more likely with some ACF's, if you stack together some intimidation, some bashing folk through walls, and some occasional invisibility. A bit more likely than that at higher optimization levels, as the optimization range on fighters and monks, monks especially, is a reasonable amount greater than that held by ToB classes. A warblade might just always be better at the floor, in other words, but the monk//fighter has a shot at the ceiling.

[Deadkitten]

It would not have anywhere near the level of versatility that maneuvers grant to martial adepts so no.

Edit: darn almost got there first, better answer though. :smalltongue:

[sideswipe]

a fighter//feat rogue gestalt with 2 flaws could emulate an martial adept quite well. but would only ever gain 5th level manouvers. but would have a lot.

[OldTrees1]

Wait.
A Dragonborn Goliath Monk(Martial, Invisible Fist, Decisive Strike) // Fighter(Zhentarim, Dungeoncrasher) character would probably be near/on par with Bo9S.

A more multiclassed gestalt would be even closer in versatility.

[Gemini476]

a fighter//feat rogue gestalt with 2 flaws could emulate an martial adept quite well. but would only ever gain 5th level manouvers. but would have a lot.

Only if your DM is nice and lets you take Martial Study more than three times and Martial Stance more than once.

[sideswipe]

Only if your DM is nice and lets you take Martial Study more than three times and Martial Stance more than once.

is that actually a limit?

[Karnith]

is that actually a limit?
Yes on the number of Martial Studies/maneuvers you can take, no on the number of Martial Stances/stances you can take. Per the Tome of Battle:

Special: You can take this feat up to three times. Each time you take it after the first, you gain one of two benefits. You can choose a new disciple, gaining one of its maneuvers and its key skill as a class skill, as described above. Alternatively, you can choose a maneuver from a discipline to which you have already gained access by means of this feat. In either case, you must meet the maneuver's prerequisite.

Special: You can choose this feat more than once. When you take this feat again, you gain knowledge of a new stance. You do not have to choose a stance from the same discipline you selected the first time, but you must know at least one martial maneuver from the discipline of the stance you choose.
So you'd only ever get access to 3 maneuvers through feats, and your access to stances would be quite limited.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

a fighter//feat rogue gestalt with 2 flaws could emulate an martial adept quite well. but would only ever gain 5th level manouvers. but would have a lot.

"Class features that two classes share (such as uncanny dodge) accrue at the rate of the faster class."

"Gain: Bonus feats (as fighter)."

You can't get Fighter bonus feats twice on a single character level with a gestalt character. That would be the same as going Sneak Attack Fighter//Rogue and expecting to get double the sneak attack dice.

[Eldan]

Power maybe, Tier never. The difference between Tiers 3 and 4 is versatility. A Tier 4 can often beat a Tier 3 in their specialty, here combat. That's not the point, however.

[Frozen_Feet]

Using only the base classes as found in the PHB or SRD? No. Martial initiators are at the high end of Tier 4 or the very low end of Tier 3. Fighter and Monk are invidually Tier 5s, put together they just barely get to Tier 4.

If you allow all 3.x sources and start stacking ACFs, the answer is "maybe". A tricked-out Monk//Fighter can simultaneously be much better at scouting than martial initiators (due to increased movement speed & Invisible Fist & free Spring Attack line) and out-damaging them by being a better Uber-Charger or out-distancing them by being a better Volley Archer.

If you allow for Pathfinder material, the answer becomes almost certainly yes, because that gives the Monk side access to stuff like Qigong Monk that is almost on par with initiating by itself. Including all ACFs and PF, Fighter and Monk both become Tier 4 classes, "can do one thing decently but not much else", and putting those classes together gets you to Tier 3, "can do a lot of things decently". A Monk//Fighter with PF and all ACFs available is at least on par with a Swordsage.