UserShadow7989
2014-12-15, 11:06 PM
**Edit: Honestly, this has become a giant mess. I can't recommend using this, and am currently working on a new Monk fix (relatively) from scratch with simpler effects and much needed toning down of the various benefits granted (this is a bit too 'and you have a car! and you have a car! and also a subway sandwich!' with the bonuses and abilities if you get my meaning).**
Monk
"If you're knocked down 7 times, get up 8 times!"
The monk base class gets a great deal of love from the player base, completely opposite to the amount it got from the people who made it. Being one of the weakest classes in the game, its flaws have been discussed so thoroughly and so often that you can make an easy checklist of what the class lacks. This has not gone unnoticed among homebrewers, either— go onto any active forum that involves D&D 3.X discussion and you can't throw a pebble without hitting a fix, or remake, or so on. I did one myself as my first homebrew class. Heck, it's not uncommon to paint the Swordsage from Tome of Battle as a suitable replacement, so arguably even wizards of the coast made their own monk fix!
So why make my own when there's bound to be at least one monk fix for any taste? A few reasons. There's the obvious goal of re-balancing it so it can better contribute to the party. In particular I've always viewed tier 3 as the perfect balance point. I wanted a fix that's close to the original's intended feel, that of a mobile, supernatural fighter who can zip in and out while taking down mooks in short order, but also has room for adjusting to meet less traditional monk fluff.
While there are probably fixes that meet those goals, I felt like I had come up with an approach of my own that's just as valid, and interesting enough to see to completion.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: 4d4x10gp (100gp)
Starting Age: As Core Monk
The obvious change: No alignment restrictions. There are too many examples in fiction of monk-like abilities or techniques belonging to clearly non-lawful folks that a class representing that skill set shouldn't have such a limitation. A class is ultimately crunch meant to be molded into different character concepts, and barring having a dang good reason for the fluff restrictions, there shouldn't be one.
So no 'Ex-Monks' multi-classing or alignment changing restrictions. Again, plenty of 'ex-monks' or disgraced students are redeemed in a story and return to their path, plenty of people continue their training in martial arts after branching out, etc. Not many people enforce the restrictions on this class to my knowledge anyhow.
As for the starting gold, I plan on making the monk a bit more modular, which includes some limited weapon and armor choices for players that aren't complete traps by the monk's nature. One of the failings of the core monk is forcing the crunch to conform to an inflexible yet unfocused fluff that arbitrarily limits character concepts it can support.
Class Skills:
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Auto-hypnosis (Wis)*, Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Iajutsu Strike (Cha)**, Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int)***, Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
*If Psionic Material is in use.
**If Oriental Adventures is in use.
***If Tome of Battle is in use.
The monk was always in an odd position in terms of skills and skill points. Their class skills and mobility almost paint them as secondary skill monkeys or scouts, but with the need to dump Int and Cha (barring the Int-based feats they could take) they rarely had the skill points to capitalize on their half-decent options. More than that, they lacked a few thematic or flavorful skills that'd make some sense.
I don't see the monk doing the rogue's job, even with the tweaks I've made, but with 2 extra skill points, less pressure to dump Int (more on that later), and other options the monk will have, they can certainly be back up for the rogue, or a half-decent scout. If nothing else, there's a few more choices the player can pick from to fluff their character out. No Use Magic Device, though; it was in my old monk fix years back, but I don't feel it fits in hindsight. You've got a few points to grab cross-class ranks, and there are ways to get new class skills if you really want.
For the individual skills added:
Auto-hypnosis - If it's in use, this is a no-brainer. Focusing your mind to overcome physical ailments is right up the monk's alley, and even those who aren't sticking to the paint by numbers style of the original can fit the concept of sheer willpower overcoming physical limitations.
Bluff - I was a bit on the fence with adding this skill, at least at first. I could see some monks or monk-like characters being good at talking people down or otherwise using words to escape a tough situation- I imagine that being the reason for Diplomacy on the core monk's list- but what pushed this over was the link to feinting in combat. It felt like a crime for that ability to be cross class for what is supposed to be a fast-paced martial artist, and how you play it is up to you.
Decipher Script - Another big one- when thinking of the kind of monks you'd see in a fantasy setting, one kind of image that comes to mind is those who collect, pass down, or protect old and/or secret lore. In D&D, attempting to use the class to represent them would mean they cannot read any old scrolls or ancient writings. Now that's not a problem.
Heal - Going with the martial arts side of things, I picture someone so focused on physical fighting being at least half-competent with treating injuries or comprehending the human body. Not everyone, obviously, but I could see at least enough that Heal would make sense as a class skill.
Iajutsu Strike - Not often used since it can be pretty cheese-tastic in play, but if your game uses it, I can't see a monk class not giving the option.
Intimidate - Unlike Bluff, this one stuck out to me right away. Maybe you're breaking away to the more fallen student type, or the arrogant master, or more into the physical brawler, but in many of the interpretations of a bare-knuckle brawler, the ability to stare down your opponents (or attempt to) goes hand in hand.
Knowledge (History) - Same reason as Decipher Script.
Martial Lore - Again, it fits with the way D&D presents the monk class. One could argue that if ToB is in use, Unarmed Swordsage should be your go to. However, for those who want a feel closer to the core monk minus the suck, or aren't as big on ToB as the rest of the table, this class is still an option, as the Swordsage doesn't mimic the exact feel. Not that I don't love Tome of Battle to bits, mind.
Search - If you're going to be a scout, you have to be able to not immediately fall into a spiked pit and set off every alarm in the vicinity. While you can't do much about traps without the disable device skill or trapfinding, you can scout the place out and map out the traps for your friends without being reduced to paste; hell, the rogue won't mind someone who can avoid drawing attention or setting off traps sticking nearby, just in case things go to hell in a hand basket. There are a few options for the monk player to capitalize on this, but that comes later.
Survival - Meant for the hermit who has isolated themselves, the traveling aesthetic who lives off what they can find, or those who have undergone intense wilderness survival as part of their school's teachings.
There's one more skill I'm considering: Sleight of Hand. I'm iffy on it since, unlike Bluff, it lacks direct combat applications outside of epic uses, and fluff-wise, an assassin would be better served with levels in rogue or similar classes. I have a bias towards saying yes to giving a class access to a skill, but I'm worried about going overboard and feel I need to draw the line here. If you have thoughts on the skill selection, please let me know.
The Monk
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Unarmed Damage
AC Bonus
Speed Bonus
1st
+1
+2
+2
+2
Bonus Feat, Combat Art (1/round), Unarmed Strike
+1d6
+0
+0 ft.
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+3
Bonus Feat, Evasion
+1d6
+1
+0 ft.
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+3
Combat Art, Slow Fall
+1d6
+1
+10 ft.
4th
+4
+4
+4
+4
Ki Strike (+1, Penetrate DR/Hardness)
+2d6
+1
+10 ft.
5th
+5
+4
+4
+4
Combat Art
+2d6
+2
+10 ft.
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat, Tongue of Sun and Moon
+2d6
+2
+20 ft.
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Combat Art (2/Round)
+2d6
+2
+20 ft.
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+6
Ki Strike (+2, Ghost Touch)
+3d6
+3
+20 ft.
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Combat Art
+3d6
+3
+30 ft.
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat, Mettle
+3d6
+3
+30 ft.
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
Combat Art
+3d6
+4
+30 ft.
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+8
Ki Strike (+3)
+4d6
+4
+40 ft.
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
Combat Art (3/round)
+4d6
+4
+40 ft.
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat, Diamond Soul
+4d6
+5
+40 ft.
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Combat Art
+4d6
+5
+50 ft.
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+10
Ki Strike (+4, Ignore DR/Hardness)
+5d6
+5
+50 ft.
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Combat Art
+5d6
+6
+50 ft.
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat, Timeless Body
+5d6
+6
+60 ft.
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Combat Art (4/round)
+5d6
+6
+60 ft.
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Ki Strike (+5), Perfect Self
+6d6
+7
+60 ft.
If you don't see your favorite monk ability on the list, don't abandon ship yet! The changes are pretty sweeping from a glance, considering I listed one of my goals as keeping the original flavor of the class available. You can probably guess that it has to do with the Combat Art thing that's listed several times, and even without context, that it's probably like Pathfinder's Rogue Talents or Rage Powers.
That's covered in its own section, and the same goes for the other abilities. In terms of the table itself, Full BAB is something the monk desperately wanted since the day it was printed. Without something like Sneak Attack to compensate for less iterative attacks/less successful hits, or the ability to focus on your attack roll-boosting stat, 3/4ths BAB was just painful.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with clubs, crossbows (light or heavy), daggers, handaxes, javelins, slings, and their own unarmed strike. They are also proficient with all 'monk special weapons', which include kamas, nunchaku, quarterstaves, sais, shuriken, and sianghams, among many more.
Such weapons are noted as monk special weapons in their descriptions, though there are two additions to this list: gauntlets and natural weapons, which for the purposes of this fix, receive the same benefits as the Monk's unarmed strikes. Monks are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
As opposed to the core monk, this monk has a bit more leg room for character concepts and fighting styles. Though the abilities still best fit someone who fights unarmed or unarmored, the relevant abilities have been adjusted to grant lesser benefits when equipped.
The monk special weapons are also not forgotten by the time Ki Strike rolls around, either, making them useful in corner cases if not really that good, and those that used to require the monk gain proficiency are not barred behind the opportunity cost of wasting a feat. Natural weapons were added to the club for more unique racial choices, as it's only natural that they'd be able to refine their use of them same as a human their fists. I'm planning on making ways for the monk to add further weapons to their special monk weapons list, to make the most of that little category.
The bit about gauntlets is a not uncommon ruling and I like the idea of being able to effectively 'enchant' your fists without jumping through hoops or paying for expensive magical items. Especially considering the irony many have pointed out about the monk, the 'unarmed fighter' incarnate, being perhaps the most gear-intensive class in the game if you want it to function remotely well. I'm making efforts to minimize that.
Unarmed Strike (Ex)
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 their hands full. The monk suffers no penalty for striking 'off hand' with an unarmed strike, and may apply their full Strength Bonus to off-hand unarmed strikes, including any other such benefits normally limited to the monk's primary hand.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal, bludgeoning-type damage, but they can choose to deal nonlethal damage, as well as either slashing or piercing damage instead of bludgeoning, with no penalty on their attack roll. They have the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as a manufactured weapon OR a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons, whenever beneficial.
This is the result of precision strikes, careful movement, and refined technique. Consequentially, when making an attack roll or damage roll involving the monk's unarmed strike or a special monk weapon, or when making a(n opposed) Strength check, the monk may utilize their Wisdom modifier in place of their Strength modifier.
A monk also deals more damage with their unarmed strikes than a normal person would, adding the listed bonus damage shown on Table: The Monk. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
A big overhaul from the core version. Among a few minor benefits like a wording change making it RAW for the monk to pair Two-weapon Fighting with their unarmed strikes and letting them circumvent early game slashing and piercing damage reduction, you can now completely cut Strength from your list of necessary attributes in favor of Wisdom. This was a benefit I gave my old monk fix, but for some reason I had put it at 4th level as part of Ki Strike, necessitating you choose between being sub-par at the first three (and most PC-lethal) levels or in the long run.
The other change is a double-edged sword. Rather than slowly increasing your base unarmed damage like in core, the monk's new damage progression adds on to their default unarmed damage. This is an immediately noticeable buff early on, going from 1d6 damage to 1d4+1d6 (or from 1d4 to 1d3+1d6 for small monks) and putting them more in line with other melee classes, but also a minor nerf in respects to the original manner of optimizing monk damage (size increases) in the long run due to having to work with a 1d4 base instead of a juicy 2d6, 2d8, or even 2d10.
I ultimately decided on this method after some consideration, as it brings the optimization floor for the monk up more than it lowers the ceiling, and the monk has some new ways to improve their damage across the board.
AC Bonus (Ex)
When not immobilized or helpless, the monk adds their Wisdom bonus (if any) to their AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 2nd level. This bonus increases by 1 for every three monk levels thereafter (+2 at 5th, +3 at 8th, +4 at 11th, +5 at 14th level, +6 at 17th level, and +7 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed.
This benefit is limited when the monk wears armor, carries a shield, or suffers from encumbrance. When wearing armor or a shield that has a maximum dexterity bonus, the bonus to AC from this effect is limited to the same maximum. When suffering encumbrance, the monk's AC bonus cannot exceed the maximum dexterity bonus for that encumbrance. In the event the monk is both wearing armor and/or a shield with a maximum dexterity bonus and suffering from encumbrance, use the lowest listed maximum.
At higher levels, the bonus from this and your combination of Dex and Wis modifiers would probably outweigh the benefit of armor, but access to magic armor abilities and being open conceptually to armored monks without most of your abilities shutting off can't hurt.
That said, this also presents another option; while a Dex/Con/Wis monk is obviously the standard model, a heavily armed and armored monk relying mostly on Strength and Constitution with a few leftover points thrown at Dexterity and Wisdom is certainly possible, representing more brutish or pragmatic fighters.
Combat Art (Ex)
Whatever their motivation, discipline, or philosophy, a monk refines their body, mind, and soul. This does not directly translate into a desire to fight, but in the case of those who travel the world and meet the monsters covering it, they either learn to defend themselves or find their journey coming to an abrupt end.
Upon first level, and every odd-numbered monk level thereafter, choose 1 Combat Art from the following post that the monk meets the prerequisites for. A number of times per encounter equal to their class level, the monk may perform one of these arts.
Most such arts are Free Actions, or are used to modify another action, allowing the monk to use them repeatedly without obstructing their normal actions for the turn. However, everyone has their limits; they can expend only one use of Combat Art each round, regardless of how many actions they can perform that round. This limit is pushed at 7th level and every 6 levels after, allowing the monk to use Combat Art an additional time per round.
If pressed, the monk may spend an additional use on top of the listed cost of a Combat Art to perform it as an Immediate Action, and/or spend a Move Action to activate a Combat Art they know as if they had spent one use without counting it towards their per round or per encounter limit once per turn.
Lastly, a monk may capitalize on an opening or pause in the heat of battle to refocus. By spending a Full-round action centering themselves, performing a flourish, or similarly non-effecting activity, the monk refreshes their per encounter uses of this ability. They cannot, however, refresh uses of Combat Art in the same turn they have expended uses of Combat Art.
Most Combat Arts are Extraordinary (Ex) abilities, exceptions being noted in their descriptions.
Combat Art is the backbone of this fix, creating options and the feeling of playing the superhuman fighter that the class is made to represent. It is designed to solve the core monk's main issue: few nice abilities, all mutually exclusive in use.
The limitations cover two different scenarios: the per round limit for the pure monk or mostly monk build, ensuring that the player can't abuse sheer volume of free actions to perform 20 attacks on their turn or anything silly like that, and the per encounter limit is to prevent monk dips from becoming a necessity for any martial build; I like the idea of the class being dippable, but not if it invalidates other options.
The once per turn option to give up a Move Action to activate a Combat Art as if spending a use was a later revision, as Levels 3-6 had the issue that Combat Art was meant to prevent: too much to do, not enough to do it with. It won't always be the best option, especially since only effects costing one use can be used this way, but it adds a much-needed amount of versatility to the monk.
Flurry of Blows is re-imagined here as a Combat Art, same for most of the missing abilities. Some alternate class features have similarly been converted into or replaced by such arts.
Bonus Feat
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels after the 2nd, a monk receives a bonus feat representing their mastery of their physical form. The monk may choose from the following list of feats once at each of these levels and receive that choice as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites for that feat: Deflect Arrows, Improved Bullrush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, and Stunning Fist.
Alternately, the monk may choose a single Fighter Bonus Feat instead; they must meet the prerequisites of this bonus feat, but may use their Wisdom attribute score to fulfill a Strength or Intelligence requirement.
Lastly, the monk can select a feat with Stunning Fist listed as a prerequisite, treating their BAB as 8 higher for the purposes of (and ONLY for the purposes of) qualifying for the prerequisites of a feat with Stunning Fist listed as a prerequisite.
Why the monk is so gosh darn dippable, and one of its few saving graces are its bonus feats. Getting Improved Trip without that pesky Int prerequisite is a heck of a good deal, and if you're into Stunning Fist I'll bet you can appreciate the ability to get it right from level 1. However, the bonus feats ended at 6th level, leaving you dry for the remaining 14 levels of the class.
Martial characters always need more bonus feats, so the monk is changed to get a steady supply- you won't have the abundance a fighter has, but you'll have plenty enough to build whatever kind of monk you want.
Then there's the (probably far too) generous conditions. Besides being able to nab fighter bonus feats you meet the prereqs for in place of the monk's humble (and now extended) collection and no longer being forced to pick a fork for each of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th level feats, there's the BIG addition that monks can now use their Wisdom to qualify in place of Strength and Intelligence for the feats picked as their bonus feats from this class.
I think I went overboard here, but it's a chance to really expand the scope of the class while still offering the original flavor to those who enjoy it, and it's one more thing needed to remove strength from a monk's list of 'attributes you need to not suck'.
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, they instead take 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.
No changes needed- it's a good ability, especially so early, and I'd rather not arbitrarily give the monk a better version of Evasion than every other class with Evasion just to keep with the theme of making the class a bit more flexible to concepts. I think it's alright for light/no armor monks to have some stuff that those delving into heavier armors don't, anyways.
Slow Fall (Ex/Su)
From 3rd level onwards, the monk is able to slow their own descent to nullify falling damage at-will. They can utilize this effect by having a sturdy surface or outcropping within reach to slow themselves with, sliding down or bouncing from one outcropping to another as an Extraordinary effect, or focusing their spiritual energy and slowing by seemingly no cause as a Supernatural effect.
This can be used for a fall of any distance, and requires no action on the monk's part. An unconscious monk still benefits from the supernatural version of this ability, as if somehow recognizing the danger despite their condition. The monk can choose not to apply Slow Fall if they wish.
The old version of Slow Fall was perhaps the epitome of everything wrong with the core monk. It seems pretty cool to those who never played before, being able to land from great heights without a scratch, but the lack of practical uses and opportunities for that effect meant it rarely came up- and that's not counting the insultingly small distance you can actually fall safely with it. Over the course of 20 levels, your fluff ability would scale ever so slowly, until at 20th level, you gain the amazing ability to... be inferior to someone with a bargain bin magic item or the ability to cast level 1 spells.
This new version is still pretty much a fluff ability, but the removal of the 'need a wall next to you' condition and the limit to distance means you might get at least some mileage out of it, and if nothing else, a free ring of feather fall that can sometimes work in an anti-magic field is a nifty trick.
Rapid Movement (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, the monk receives an untyped bonus to their speed as shown on table: The Monk. Things that would affect the monk's base speed (such as wearing medium or heavy armor or suffering from encumbrance) are applied after this bonus; essentially, a human monk of 9th level (60 ft. speed) in medium armor would have a movement speed of 45 ft before other modifiers- 3/4ths the sum of their base land speed and this bonus, rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5, for reference.
Rapid Movement counts as Fast Movement for the purposes of effects that modify or require Fast Movement.
Simple changes to make the class more open. First is the ability to use armor and shields with the benefit if you so please. Second is the change to an untyped bonus, meaning the extra movement stacks with other sources.
Ki Strike (Ex/Su)
At 4th level, the monk has learned to channel their ki into their strikes. When performing an unarmed strike or an attack with a special monk weapon, the monk confers a +1 enhancement bonus to that weapon for the duration of the attack. This bonus increases by +1 every 4 class levels after it was first obtained. If the monk is wielding a weapon with an enhancement bonus or is receiving an enhancement bonus to his or her attacks from some other source, the bonus does not stack; instead apply the higher bonus. This is a (Su) effect.
This innate focus grants the monk additional benefits beyond just imitating a magical weapon. At 4th level, the energy from the monk's blows allows them to pierce resilient hide and dense material. A monk performing an unarmed strike or an attack with a special monk weapon can ignore up to their class level in Damage Reduction and/or Hardness for the purposes of that attack, and deals their full damage roll in damage to objects; I.E. a level 4 monk striking a monster with DR 5/- only subtracts 1 damage from each attack made against that monster. This is an (Ex) effect.
At 8th level, the monk's spiritual energy allows them to strike the immaterial, granting their unarmed strike and any special monk weapons they're currently wielding the Ghost Strike special weapon quality. This is a (Su) effect.
Finally, at 16th level, the monk's training has honed their strikes to impossible precision, allowing them to ignore the Damage Reductions and Hardness of they strike entirely and inflict full damage to the target with their unarmed strike and monk special weapons. This is an (Ex) effect.
Note: For the purposes of official material that require Ki Strike (Magic), Ki Strike (Lawful), and Ki Strike (Adamantine), the monk is treated as meeting those prerequisites at levels 4, 10, and 16, respectively. Any alternate Ki Strike prerequisites, such as Holy/Unholy, are treated as being fulfilled upon reaching the level those variations would be available.
The next big overhaul. The original Ki Strike accomplished next to nothing; your unarmed strike (and only the unarmed strike, those who wanted to use monk special weapons had to shell out extra cash) counted as a magic weapon only for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction. There was no bonus to attack or damage rolls, and their fists were as useless against the incorporeal as a commoner's.
They'd eventually pierce DR -/Lawful and DR -/Adamantine (cool!), but that was too limited. Cold Iron, Silver, Good, Evil, Chaotic, Slashing, Piercing, and many more forms of DR exist and are never beaten by your unarmed strike. Your (for the core monk) mere medium BAB progression (and your Flurry of Blows which adds an additional penalty until later) never gets supplemented, barring paying for one of a few possible magic items.
Now they are full-fledged magic weapons, and the benefits extend to monk special weapons. You also get some much-deserved Extraordinary benefits in addition to the scaling enhancement bonus: piercing DR and Hardness of all kinds and eventually ignoring them entirely. Ghost Touch is a minor addition that lets the monk weaponize their Ki mastery to strike out at incorporeal beings.
In short: you're no longer sucking with the thing the class was practically based on in comparison to a fighter who picked up a random magic sword and started swinging, and you have options aside from punching something to death.
Tongue of the Sun and the Moon (Ex)
A monk of 6th level or higher can speak with and comprehend any living creature.
Minor change of also comprehending them, instead of just one-way communication. Major change of 11 levels of waiting cut. A really cool fluff ability, but as a late game benefit it was underwhelming when Comprehend Languages is a 1st level spell.
One could argue that it might not fit the fluff of monk characters trying to break the mold. A fair point, but I figure that given a 6th level character is meant to be far beyond what a real person could accomplish, and how some settings hold 6th level characters to be masters of their fields, it isn't unreasonable for it to be here.
On a positive note, the monk can put its social skills to use now, if the player chooses to go that route. If not, the feature is easy enough to ignore.
Mettle (Ex)
At 10th level and higher, a monk can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. They gain the Mettle class ability as a 3rd level Hexblade (Complete Warrior Pg. 7) or 13th level Crusader (Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, Pg. 11), among others.
If you lack access to these sources, the 10th level monk may gain Improved Evasion as the core monk (see Alternate Class Features in the third post of this topic), or utilize the Pious Templar's version of the effect (see here for details (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040418a&page=2)).
Another big buff was trading out Improved Evasion for Mettle. With a good Reflex Save progression and Dexterity being a focal attribute score, Improved Evasion wasn't nearly as big a boon as its little brother. Mettle, on the other hand, is an amazing ability in any capacity. Con and Wis are also big scores for you, and with good Fort and Will Saves, Mettle lets the monk shrug off some of the more deadly things D&D has to offer.
Diamond Soul (Su)
A monk of at least 14th level receives Spell Resistance equal to 10 + their class level, forcing spellcasters to make a successful caster check against their SR to affect them with a spell or spell-like ability.
As this is the result of precise training and mental fortitude, rather than a natural reflex like creatures who have Spell Resistance as a racial feature, the monk need not spend a Standard Action each round they wish to suppress it. Instead, the monk may choose which spells susceptible to Spell Resistance are allowed to affect them without having to overcome it.
This benefit even extends to Spell Resistance granted by race, feats, or other classes, though not to magic items that would grant it.
It's a level later than before, but the wait is worth it. Where the core monk's SR was the class shooting itself in the foot, barring you from an emergency heal or much needed buffs, now you get to have your cake and eat it too. SR without the drawbacks is a very nice boon at this point in the game, regardless of the fact that any caster worth their salt can dance around it. The last sentence is my hate for overlapping abilities that end up undermining each other- rest assured, you can pick a race with SR and not worry about losing the tastier side of this ability, should your character concept demand it.
Timeless Body (Ex)
Upon attaining 18th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to their ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties they have already taken from aging are removed, but bonuses still accrue.
Further, the monk does not pass away from old age or natural causes, though they are still vulnerable to an unnatural death (such as from damage, poison, or so on), and they can choose to suppress this effect and pass peacefully when it's their time (though it must be a decision made in a clear mind- a dominate person effect or any outside force affecting their thought process in a way to make them choose to exercise this option when they would normally not do so in their situation does not count).
Another fluff ability in the core version, Timeless Body was a tiny (likely never to come up) boon if the character aged after reaching 18th level. So I made this version make the monk immortal instead.
Technically. A monk still bleeds if cut, and they can pass on if the downsides of immortality rear their ugly heads, but the possibility of living for centuries is certainly a fun prospect. Dropping the aging penalties is new, but unless you're starting at 18th level or higher I don't think there's going to be much abuse of it to minmax (and at that point, a bit of age cheese is not gonna be the biggest thing on the block).
Perfect Self (Ex)
At 20th level, a monk has tuned her body with skill and quasi-magical abilities to the point that she becomes a magical creature. From this point on, the monk is treated as either their original creature type OR as an Outsider with the Native subtype, whichever is more beneficial to them. For instance, a foe's charm person does not affect them, though an ally's enlarge person spell can if the monk wishes.
The monk need not eat, sleep, or breathe. They are not susceptible to critical hits, flanking or stunning, nor the negative effects of extreme weather or temperature, due to the changes in- and their mastery over- their biology.
Most strikingly, their arts have become innate to the point that a monk who has achieved this ability treats all of their monk class abilities as Extraordinary effects when it would be beneficial to do so, as they are now an integral part of their self. Lastly, the monk gains DR 10/-, and Energy Resistance 5 against all forms of energy that would harm them.
The new and improved Perfect Self is loosely based on the 3.0 version of the Elemental Savant's own capstone. Overkill on my part, but given this is your capstone, I'm not in a hurry to tone it down. First matter of order was the type shift. While being an outsider protected you to some potentially nasty spells, it also barred you from beneficial ones. Now you count as whichever is more helpful, your original type or Outsider (Native).
The Damage Reduction was also a slap to the face. DR X/Magic is something that anything remotely worth its CR that a 20th level character should be fighting could get past in its sleep. Making it 10/- means it'll get some mileage, and paired with 5 points of resistance against all energy forms, the monk now has some damage protection from their transformation.
The other changes are mostly minor touches. Perma-ring of sustenance with no sleep needed is a nice kicker, though immunity to crits, flanks, and stuns is much more so. The big one- arguably the most powerful part of this capstone- is the change of abilities to counting as Extraordinary when beneficial. An unconventional benefit, and it means a good number of things that could shut down the monk's tricks no longer apply.
Monk
"If you're knocked down 7 times, get up 8 times!"
The monk base class gets a great deal of love from the player base, completely opposite to the amount it got from the people who made it. Being one of the weakest classes in the game, its flaws have been discussed so thoroughly and so often that you can make an easy checklist of what the class lacks. This has not gone unnoticed among homebrewers, either— go onto any active forum that involves D&D 3.X discussion and you can't throw a pebble without hitting a fix, or remake, or so on. I did one myself as my first homebrew class. Heck, it's not uncommon to paint the Swordsage from Tome of Battle as a suitable replacement, so arguably even wizards of the coast made their own monk fix!
So why make my own when there's bound to be at least one monk fix for any taste? A few reasons. There's the obvious goal of re-balancing it so it can better contribute to the party. In particular I've always viewed tier 3 as the perfect balance point. I wanted a fix that's close to the original's intended feel, that of a mobile, supernatural fighter who can zip in and out while taking down mooks in short order, but also has room for adjusting to meet less traditional monk fluff.
While there are probably fixes that meet those goals, I felt like I had come up with an approach of my own that's just as valid, and interesting enough to see to completion.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: 4d4x10gp (100gp)
Starting Age: As Core Monk
The obvious change: No alignment restrictions. There are too many examples in fiction of monk-like abilities or techniques belonging to clearly non-lawful folks that a class representing that skill set shouldn't have such a limitation. A class is ultimately crunch meant to be molded into different character concepts, and barring having a dang good reason for the fluff restrictions, there shouldn't be one.
So no 'Ex-Monks' multi-classing or alignment changing restrictions. Again, plenty of 'ex-monks' or disgraced students are redeemed in a story and return to their path, plenty of people continue their training in martial arts after branching out, etc. Not many people enforce the restrictions on this class to my knowledge anyhow.
As for the starting gold, I plan on making the monk a bit more modular, which includes some limited weapon and armor choices for players that aren't complete traps by the monk's nature. One of the failings of the core monk is forcing the crunch to conform to an inflexible yet unfocused fluff that arbitrarily limits character concepts it can support.
Class Skills:
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Auto-hypnosis (Wis)*, Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Iajutsu Strike (Cha)**, Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int)***, Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
*If Psionic Material is in use.
**If Oriental Adventures is in use.
***If Tome of Battle is in use.
The monk was always in an odd position in terms of skills and skill points. Their class skills and mobility almost paint them as secondary skill monkeys or scouts, but with the need to dump Int and Cha (barring the Int-based feats they could take) they rarely had the skill points to capitalize on their half-decent options. More than that, they lacked a few thematic or flavorful skills that'd make some sense.
I don't see the monk doing the rogue's job, even with the tweaks I've made, but with 2 extra skill points, less pressure to dump Int (more on that later), and other options the monk will have, they can certainly be back up for the rogue, or a half-decent scout. If nothing else, there's a few more choices the player can pick from to fluff their character out. No Use Magic Device, though; it was in my old monk fix years back, but I don't feel it fits in hindsight. You've got a few points to grab cross-class ranks, and there are ways to get new class skills if you really want.
For the individual skills added:
Auto-hypnosis - If it's in use, this is a no-brainer. Focusing your mind to overcome physical ailments is right up the monk's alley, and even those who aren't sticking to the paint by numbers style of the original can fit the concept of sheer willpower overcoming physical limitations.
Bluff - I was a bit on the fence with adding this skill, at least at first. I could see some monks or monk-like characters being good at talking people down or otherwise using words to escape a tough situation- I imagine that being the reason for Diplomacy on the core monk's list- but what pushed this over was the link to feinting in combat. It felt like a crime for that ability to be cross class for what is supposed to be a fast-paced martial artist, and how you play it is up to you.
Decipher Script - Another big one- when thinking of the kind of monks you'd see in a fantasy setting, one kind of image that comes to mind is those who collect, pass down, or protect old and/or secret lore. In D&D, attempting to use the class to represent them would mean they cannot read any old scrolls or ancient writings. Now that's not a problem.
Heal - Going with the martial arts side of things, I picture someone so focused on physical fighting being at least half-competent with treating injuries or comprehending the human body. Not everyone, obviously, but I could see at least enough that Heal would make sense as a class skill.
Iajutsu Strike - Not often used since it can be pretty cheese-tastic in play, but if your game uses it, I can't see a monk class not giving the option.
Intimidate - Unlike Bluff, this one stuck out to me right away. Maybe you're breaking away to the more fallen student type, or the arrogant master, or more into the physical brawler, but in many of the interpretations of a bare-knuckle brawler, the ability to stare down your opponents (or attempt to) goes hand in hand.
Knowledge (History) - Same reason as Decipher Script.
Martial Lore - Again, it fits with the way D&D presents the monk class. One could argue that if ToB is in use, Unarmed Swordsage should be your go to. However, for those who want a feel closer to the core monk minus the suck, or aren't as big on ToB as the rest of the table, this class is still an option, as the Swordsage doesn't mimic the exact feel. Not that I don't love Tome of Battle to bits, mind.
Search - If you're going to be a scout, you have to be able to not immediately fall into a spiked pit and set off every alarm in the vicinity. While you can't do much about traps without the disable device skill or trapfinding, you can scout the place out and map out the traps for your friends without being reduced to paste; hell, the rogue won't mind someone who can avoid drawing attention or setting off traps sticking nearby, just in case things go to hell in a hand basket. There are a few options for the monk player to capitalize on this, but that comes later.
Survival - Meant for the hermit who has isolated themselves, the traveling aesthetic who lives off what they can find, or those who have undergone intense wilderness survival as part of their school's teachings.
There's one more skill I'm considering: Sleight of Hand. I'm iffy on it since, unlike Bluff, it lacks direct combat applications outside of epic uses, and fluff-wise, an assassin would be better served with levels in rogue or similar classes. I have a bias towards saying yes to giving a class access to a skill, but I'm worried about going overboard and feel I need to draw the line here. If you have thoughts on the skill selection, please let me know.
The Monk
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Unarmed Damage
AC Bonus
Speed Bonus
1st
+1
+2
+2
+2
Bonus Feat, Combat Art (1/round), Unarmed Strike
+1d6
+0
+0 ft.
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+3
Bonus Feat, Evasion
+1d6
+1
+0 ft.
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+3
Combat Art, Slow Fall
+1d6
+1
+10 ft.
4th
+4
+4
+4
+4
Ki Strike (+1, Penetrate DR/Hardness)
+2d6
+1
+10 ft.
5th
+5
+4
+4
+4
Combat Art
+2d6
+2
+10 ft.
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat, Tongue of Sun and Moon
+2d6
+2
+20 ft.
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Combat Art (2/Round)
+2d6
+2
+20 ft.
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+6
Ki Strike (+2, Ghost Touch)
+3d6
+3
+20 ft.
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Combat Art
+3d6
+3
+30 ft.
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat, Mettle
+3d6
+3
+30 ft.
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
Combat Art
+3d6
+4
+30 ft.
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+8
Ki Strike (+3)
+4d6
+4
+40 ft.
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
Combat Art (3/round)
+4d6
+4
+40 ft.
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat, Diamond Soul
+4d6
+5
+40 ft.
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Combat Art
+4d6
+5
+50 ft.
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+10
Ki Strike (+4, Ignore DR/Hardness)
+5d6
+5
+50 ft.
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Combat Art
+5d6
+6
+50 ft.
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat, Timeless Body
+5d6
+6
+60 ft.
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Combat Art (4/round)
+5d6
+6
+60 ft.
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Ki Strike (+5), Perfect Self
+6d6
+7
+60 ft.
If you don't see your favorite monk ability on the list, don't abandon ship yet! The changes are pretty sweeping from a glance, considering I listed one of my goals as keeping the original flavor of the class available. You can probably guess that it has to do with the Combat Art thing that's listed several times, and even without context, that it's probably like Pathfinder's Rogue Talents or Rage Powers.
That's covered in its own section, and the same goes for the other abilities. In terms of the table itself, Full BAB is something the monk desperately wanted since the day it was printed. Without something like Sneak Attack to compensate for less iterative attacks/less successful hits, or the ability to focus on your attack roll-boosting stat, 3/4ths BAB was just painful.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with clubs, crossbows (light or heavy), daggers, handaxes, javelins, slings, and their own unarmed strike. They are also proficient with all 'monk special weapons', which include kamas, nunchaku, quarterstaves, sais, shuriken, and sianghams, among many more.
Such weapons are noted as monk special weapons in their descriptions, though there are two additions to this list: gauntlets and natural weapons, which for the purposes of this fix, receive the same benefits as the Monk's unarmed strikes. Monks are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
As opposed to the core monk, this monk has a bit more leg room for character concepts and fighting styles. Though the abilities still best fit someone who fights unarmed or unarmored, the relevant abilities have been adjusted to grant lesser benefits when equipped.
The monk special weapons are also not forgotten by the time Ki Strike rolls around, either, making them useful in corner cases if not really that good, and those that used to require the monk gain proficiency are not barred behind the opportunity cost of wasting a feat. Natural weapons were added to the club for more unique racial choices, as it's only natural that they'd be able to refine their use of them same as a human their fists. I'm planning on making ways for the monk to add further weapons to their special monk weapons list, to make the most of that little category.
The bit about gauntlets is a not uncommon ruling and I like the idea of being able to effectively 'enchant' your fists without jumping through hoops or paying for expensive magical items. Especially considering the irony many have pointed out about the monk, the 'unarmed fighter' incarnate, being perhaps the most gear-intensive class in the game if you want it to function remotely well. I'm making efforts to minimize that.
Unarmed Strike (Ex)
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 their hands full. The monk suffers no penalty for striking 'off hand' with an unarmed strike, and may apply their full Strength Bonus to off-hand unarmed strikes, including any other such benefits normally limited to the monk's primary hand.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal, bludgeoning-type damage, but they can choose to deal nonlethal damage, as well as either slashing or piercing damage instead of bludgeoning, with no penalty on their attack roll. They have the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as a manufactured weapon OR a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons, whenever beneficial.
This is the result of precision strikes, careful movement, and refined technique. Consequentially, when making an attack roll or damage roll involving the monk's unarmed strike or a special monk weapon, or when making a(n opposed) Strength check, the monk may utilize their Wisdom modifier in place of their Strength modifier.
A monk also deals more damage with their unarmed strikes than a normal person would, adding the listed bonus damage shown on Table: The Monk. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
A big overhaul from the core version. Among a few minor benefits like a wording change making it RAW for the monk to pair Two-weapon Fighting with their unarmed strikes and letting them circumvent early game slashing and piercing damage reduction, you can now completely cut Strength from your list of necessary attributes in favor of Wisdom. This was a benefit I gave my old monk fix, but for some reason I had put it at 4th level as part of Ki Strike, necessitating you choose between being sub-par at the first three (and most PC-lethal) levels or in the long run.
The other change is a double-edged sword. Rather than slowly increasing your base unarmed damage like in core, the monk's new damage progression adds on to their default unarmed damage. This is an immediately noticeable buff early on, going from 1d6 damage to 1d4+1d6 (or from 1d4 to 1d3+1d6 for small monks) and putting them more in line with other melee classes, but also a minor nerf in respects to the original manner of optimizing monk damage (size increases) in the long run due to having to work with a 1d4 base instead of a juicy 2d6, 2d8, or even 2d10.
I ultimately decided on this method after some consideration, as it brings the optimization floor for the monk up more than it lowers the ceiling, and the monk has some new ways to improve their damage across the board.
AC Bonus (Ex)
When not immobilized or helpless, the monk adds their Wisdom bonus (if any) to their AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 2nd level. This bonus increases by 1 for every three monk levels thereafter (+2 at 5th, +3 at 8th, +4 at 11th, +5 at 14th level, +6 at 17th level, and +7 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed.
This benefit is limited when the monk wears armor, carries a shield, or suffers from encumbrance. When wearing armor or a shield that has a maximum dexterity bonus, the bonus to AC from this effect is limited to the same maximum. When suffering encumbrance, the monk's AC bonus cannot exceed the maximum dexterity bonus for that encumbrance. In the event the monk is both wearing armor and/or a shield with a maximum dexterity bonus and suffering from encumbrance, use the lowest listed maximum.
At higher levels, the bonus from this and your combination of Dex and Wis modifiers would probably outweigh the benefit of armor, but access to magic armor abilities and being open conceptually to armored monks without most of your abilities shutting off can't hurt.
That said, this also presents another option; while a Dex/Con/Wis monk is obviously the standard model, a heavily armed and armored monk relying mostly on Strength and Constitution with a few leftover points thrown at Dexterity and Wisdom is certainly possible, representing more brutish or pragmatic fighters.
Combat Art (Ex)
Whatever their motivation, discipline, or philosophy, a monk refines their body, mind, and soul. This does not directly translate into a desire to fight, but in the case of those who travel the world and meet the monsters covering it, they either learn to defend themselves or find their journey coming to an abrupt end.
Upon first level, and every odd-numbered monk level thereafter, choose 1 Combat Art from the following post that the monk meets the prerequisites for. A number of times per encounter equal to their class level, the monk may perform one of these arts.
Most such arts are Free Actions, or are used to modify another action, allowing the monk to use them repeatedly without obstructing their normal actions for the turn. However, everyone has their limits; they can expend only one use of Combat Art each round, regardless of how many actions they can perform that round. This limit is pushed at 7th level and every 6 levels after, allowing the monk to use Combat Art an additional time per round.
If pressed, the monk may spend an additional use on top of the listed cost of a Combat Art to perform it as an Immediate Action, and/or spend a Move Action to activate a Combat Art they know as if they had spent one use without counting it towards their per round or per encounter limit once per turn.
Lastly, a monk may capitalize on an opening or pause in the heat of battle to refocus. By spending a Full-round action centering themselves, performing a flourish, or similarly non-effecting activity, the monk refreshes their per encounter uses of this ability. They cannot, however, refresh uses of Combat Art in the same turn they have expended uses of Combat Art.
Most Combat Arts are Extraordinary (Ex) abilities, exceptions being noted in their descriptions.
Combat Art is the backbone of this fix, creating options and the feeling of playing the superhuman fighter that the class is made to represent. It is designed to solve the core monk's main issue: few nice abilities, all mutually exclusive in use.
The limitations cover two different scenarios: the per round limit for the pure monk or mostly monk build, ensuring that the player can't abuse sheer volume of free actions to perform 20 attacks on their turn or anything silly like that, and the per encounter limit is to prevent monk dips from becoming a necessity for any martial build; I like the idea of the class being dippable, but not if it invalidates other options.
The once per turn option to give up a Move Action to activate a Combat Art as if spending a use was a later revision, as Levels 3-6 had the issue that Combat Art was meant to prevent: too much to do, not enough to do it with. It won't always be the best option, especially since only effects costing one use can be used this way, but it adds a much-needed amount of versatility to the monk.
Flurry of Blows is re-imagined here as a Combat Art, same for most of the missing abilities. Some alternate class features have similarly been converted into or replaced by such arts.
Bonus Feat
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels after the 2nd, a monk receives a bonus feat representing their mastery of their physical form. The monk may choose from the following list of feats once at each of these levels and receive that choice as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites for that feat: Deflect Arrows, Improved Bullrush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, and Stunning Fist.
Alternately, the monk may choose a single Fighter Bonus Feat instead; they must meet the prerequisites of this bonus feat, but may use their Wisdom attribute score to fulfill a Strength or Intelligence requirement.
Lastly, the monk can select a feat with Stunning Fist listed as a prerequisite, treating their BAB as 8 higher for the purposes of (and ONLY for the purposes of) qualifying for the prerequisites of a feat with Stunning Fist listed as a prerequisite.
Why the monk is so gosh darn dippable, and one of its few saving graces are its bonus feats. Getting Improved Trip without that pesky Int prerequisite is a heck of a good deal, and if you're into Stunning Fist I'll bet you can appreciate the ability to get it right from level 1. However, the bonus feats ended at 6th level, leaving you dry for the remaining 14 levels of the class.
Martial characters always need more bonus feats, so the monk is changed to get a steady supply- you won't have the abundance a fighter has, but you'll have plenty enough to build whatever kind of monk you want.
Then there's the (probably far too) generous conditions. Besides being able to nab fighter bonus feats you meet the prereqs for in place of the monk's humble (and now extended) collection and no longer being forced to pick a fork for each of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th level feats, there's the BIG addition that monks can now use their Wisdom to qualify in place of Strength and Intelligence for the feats picked as their bonus feats from this class.
I think I went overboard here, but it's a chance to really expand the scope of the class while still offering the original flavor to those who enjoy it, and it's one more thing needed to remove strength from a monk's list of 'attributes you need to not suck'.
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, they instead take 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.
No changes needed- it's a good ability, especially so early, and I'd rather not arbitrarily give the monk a better version of Evasion than every other class with Evasion just to keep with the theme of making the class a bit more flexible to concepts. I think it's alright for light/no armor monks to have some stuff that those delving into heavier armors don't, anyways.
Slow Fall (Ex/Su)
From 3rd level onwards, the monk is able to slow their own descent to nullify falling damage at-will. They can utilize this effect by having a sturdy surface or outcropping within reach to slow themselves with, sliding down or bouncing from one outcropping to another as an Extraordinary effect, or focusing their spiritual energy and slowing by seemingly no cause as a Supernatural effect.
This can be used for a fall of any distance, and requires no action on the monk's part. An unconscious monk still benefits from the supernatural version of this ability, as if somehow recognizing the danger despite their condition. The monk can choose not to apply Slow Fall if they wish.
The old version of Slow Fall was perhaps the epitome of everything wrong with the core monk. It seems pretty cool to those who never played before, being able to land from great heights without a scratch, but the lack of practical uses and opportunities for that effect meant it rarely came up- and that's not counting the insultingly small distance you can actually fall safely with it. Over the course of 20 levels, your fluff ability would scale ever so slowly, until at 20th level, you gain the amazing ability to... be inferior to someone with a bargain bin magic item or the ability to cast level 1 spells.
This new version is still pretty much a fluff ability, but the removal of the 'need a wall next to you' condition and the limit to distance means you might get at least some mileage out of it, and if nothing else, a free ring of feather fall that can sometimes work in an anti-magic field is a nifty trick.
Rapid Movement (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, the monk receives an untyped bonus to their speed as shown on table: The Monk. Things that would affect the monk's base speed (such as wearing medium or heavy armor or suffering from encumbrance) are applied after this bonus; essentially, a human monk of 9th level (60 ft. speed) in medium armor would have a movement speed of 45 ft before other modifiers- 3/4ths the sum of their base land speed and this bonus, rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5, for reference.
Rapid Movement counts as Fast Movement for the purposes of effects that modify or require Fast Movement.
Simple changes to make the class more open. First is the ability to use armor and shields with the benefit if you so please. Second is the change to an untyped bonus, meaning the extra movement stacks with other sources.
Ki Strike (Ex/Su)
At 4th level, the monk has learned to channel their ki into their strikes. When performing an unarmed strike or an attack with a special monk weapon, the monk confers a +1 enhancement bonus to that weapon for the duration of the attack. This bonus increases by +1 every 4 class levels after it was first obtained. If the monk is wielding a weapon with an enhancement bonus or is receiving an enhancement bonus to his or her attacks from some other source, the bonus does not stack; instead apply the higher bonus. This is a (Su) effect.
This innate focus grants the monk additional benefits beyond just imitating a magical weapon. At 4th level, the energy from the monk's blows allows them to pierce resilient hide and dense material. A monk performing an unarmed strike or an attack with a special monk weapon can ignore up to their class level in Damage Reduction and/or Hardness for the purposes of that attack, and deals their full damage roll in damage to objects; I.E. a level 4 monk striking a monster with DR 5/- only subtracts 1 damage from each attack made against that monster. This is an (Ex) effect.
At 8th level, the monk's spiritual energy allows them to strike the immaterial, granting their unarmed strike and any special monk weapons they're currently wielding the Ghost Strike special weapon quality. This is a (Su) effect.
Finally, at 16th level, the monk's training has honed their strikes to impossible precision, allowing them to ignore the Damage Reductions and Hardness of they strike entirely and inflict full damage to the target with their unarmed strike and monk special weapons. This is an (Ex) effect.
Note: For the purposes of official material that require Ki Strike (Magic), Ki Strike (Lawful), and Ki Strike (Adamantine), the monk is treated as meeting those prerequisites at levels 4, 10, and 16, respectively. Any alternate Ki Strike prerequisites, such as Holy/Unholy, are treated as being fulfilled upon reaching the level those variations would be available.
The next big overhaul. The original Ki Strike accomplished next to nothing; your unarmed strike (and only the unarmed strike, those who wanted to use monk special weapons had to shell out extra cash) counted as a magic weapon only for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction. There was no bonus to attack or damage rolls, and their fists were as useless against the incorporeal as a commoner's.
They'd eventually pierce DR -/Lawful and DR -/Adamantine (cool!), but that was too limited. Cold Iron, Silver, Good, Evil, Chaotic, Slashing, Piercing, and many more forms of DR exist and are never beaten by your unarmed strike. Your (for the core monk) mere medium BAB progression (and your Flurry of Blows which adds an additional penalty until later) never gets supplemented, barring paying for one of a few possible magic items.
Now they are full-fledged magic weapons, and the benefits extend to monk special weapons. You also get some much-deserved Extraordinary benefits in addition to the scaling enhancement bonus: piercing DR and Hardness of all kinds and eventually ignoring them entirely. Ghost Touch is a minor addition that lets the monk weaponize their Ki mastery to strike out at incorporeal beings.
In short: you're no longer sucking with the thing the class was practically based on in comparison to a fighter who picked up a random magic sword and started swinging, and you have options aside from punching something to death.
Tongue of the Sun and the Moon (Ex)
A monk of 6th level or higher can speak with and comprehend any living creature.
Minor change of also comprehending them, instead of just one-way communication. Major change of 11 levels of waiting cut. A really cool fluff ability, but as a late game benefit it was underwhelming when Comprehend Languages is a 1st level spell.
One could argue that it might not fit the fluff of monk characters trying to break the mold. A fair point, but I figure that given a 6th level character is meant to be far beyond what a real person could accomplish, and how some settings hold 6th level characters to be masters of their fields, it isn't unreasonable for it to be here.
On a positive note, the monk can put its social skills to use now, if the player chooses to go that route. If not, the feature is easy enough to ignore.
Mettle (Ex)
At 10th level and higher, a monk can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. They gain the Mettle class ability as a 3rd level Hexblade (Complete Warrior Pg. 7) or 13th level Crusader (Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, Pg. 11), among others.
If you lack access to these sources, the 10th level monk may gain Improved Evasion as the core monk (see Alternate Class Features in the third post of this topic), or utilize the Pious Templar's version of the effect (see here for details (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040418a&page=2)).
Another big buff was trading out Improved Evasion for Mettle. With a good Reflex Save progression and Dexterity being a focal attribute score, Improved Evasion wasn't nearly as big a boon as its little brother. Mettle, on the other hand, is an amazing ability in any capacity. Con and Wis are also big scores for you, and with good Fort and Will Saves, Mettle lets the monk shrug off some of the more deadly things D&D has to offer.
Diamond Soul (Su)
A monk of at least 14th level receives Spell Resistance equal to 10 + their class level, forcing spellcasters to make a successful caster check against their SR to affect them with a spell or spell-like ability.
As this is the result of precise training and mental fortitude, rather than a natural reflex like creatures who have Spell Resistance as a racial feature, the monk need not spend a Standard Action each round they wish to suppress it. Instead, the monk may choose which spells susceptible to Spell Resistance are allowed to affect them without having to overcome it.
This benefit even extends to Spell Resistance granted by race, feats, or other classes, though not to magic items that would grant it.
It's a level later than before, but the wait is worth it. Where the core monk's SR was the class shooting itself in the foot, barring you from an emergency heal or much needed buffs, now you get to have your cake and eat it too. SR without the drawbacks is a very nice boon at this point in the game, regardless of the fact that any caster worth their salt can dance around it. The last sentence is my hate for overlapping abilities that end up undermining each other- rest assured, you can pick a race with SR and not worry about losing the tastier side of this ability, should your character concept demand it.
Timeless Body (Ex)
Upon attaining 18th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to their ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties they have already taken from aging are removed, but bonuses still accrue.
Further, the monk does not pass away from old age or natural causes, though they are still vulnerable to an unnatural death (such as from damage, poison, or so on), and they can choose to suppress this effect and pass peacefully when it's their time (though it must be a decision made in a clear mind- a dominate person effect or any outside force affecting their thought process in a way to make them choose to exercise this option when they would normally not do so in their situation does not count).
Another fluff ability in the core version, Timeless Body was a tiny (likely never to come up) boon if the character aged after reaching 18th level. So I made this version make the monk immortal instead.
Technically. A monk still bleeds if cut, and they can pass on if the downsides of immortality rear their ugly heads, but the possibility of living for centuries is certainly a fun prospect. Dropping the aging penalties is new, but unless you're starting at 18th level or higher I don't think there's going to be much abuse of it to minmax (and at that point, a bit of age cheese is not gonna be the biggest thing on the block).
Perfect Self (Ex)
At 20th level, a monk has tuned her body with skill and quasi-magical abilities to the point that she becomes a magical creature. From this point on, the monk is treated as either their original creature type OR as an Outsider with the Native subtype, whichever is more beneficial to them. For instance, a foe's charm person does not affect them, though an ally's enlarge person spell can if the monk wishes.
The monk need not eat, sleep, or breathe. They are not susceptible to critical hits, flanking or stunning, nor the negative effects of extreme weather or temperature, due to the changes in- and their mastery over- their biology.
Most strikingly, their arts have become innate to the point that a monk who has achieved this ability treats all of their monk class abilities as Extraordinary effects when it would be beneficial to do so, as they are now an integral part of their self. Lastly, the monk gains DR 10/-, and Energy Resistance 5 against all forms of energy that would harm them.
The new and improved Perfect Self is loosely based on the 3.0 version of the Elemental Savant's own capstone. Overkill on my part, but given this is your capstone, I'm not in a hurry to tone it down. First matter of order was the type shift. While being an outsider protected you to some potentially nasty spells, it also barred you from beneficial ones. Now you count as whichever is more helpful, your original type or Outsider (Native).
The Damage Reduction was also a slap to the face. DR X/Magic is something that anything remotely worth its CR that a 20th level character should be fighting could get past in its sleep. Making it 10/- means it'll get some mileage, and paired with 5 points of resistance against all energy forms, the monk now has some damage protection from their transformation.
The other changes are mostly minor touches. Perma-ring of sustenance with no sleep needed is a nice kicker, though immunity to crits, flanks, and stuns is much more so. The big one- arguably the most powerful part of this capstone- is the change of abilities to counting as Extraordinary when beneficial. An unconventional benefit, and it means a good number of things that could shut down the monk's tricks no longer apply.