Gestalt Barbarian/monk

[Shadowscale]

For the first time in a couple weeks I will be a player in a pathfinder gestalt campaign. I was planning on playing an orc as my race with both feral and dayrunner.

I was also planning on using the savage barbarian as my base class and the martial artist monk as my secondary (brawler isn't allowed due to it being new, but everything else from advanced class guide and all first party books are fair game.)

I know this will be MAD, yet I feel like I'll be able to make it work and I was wondering what feats, rage power,s and traits I should take, as well as what magical items I should be on the lookout for, besides the monk cloak, or whatever its called.

I've noticed with the APG, UC, and ACG there are a lot of unarmed feats to take and I don't know which ones are worth taking, I like the idea of all the pummel style feats and every time I attack someone to have a chance to stun them or give other conditions (outside of standard stunnig fist.) ON top of that with the ARG there are a lot of good feats for half orcs and orcs (which orcs can all take) especially if you have the rage class feature.

Thank you in advance, I'm still kinda new to pathfinder and gestalt with every book has been kind of a scramble.

[Hiro Quester]

There is an alignment problem with that combination. Monk has to be lawful, and barbarian non-lawful.

[Shadowscale]

There is an alignment problem with that combination. Monk has to be lawful, and barbarian non-lawful.

Martial artists can be of any alignment.

[AvatarVecna]

Monk (Martial Artist)/Barbarian is a pretty good combo, by virtue of the fact that Monk (Martial Artist) gets immunity to the fatigue condition at level 5, which allows the Barbarian to Rage Cycle. Beyond that...Wis to unarmored AC pairs well with some Barbarian archetypes that hate armor, and Wisdom's the only mental stat that a Barbarian has a real reason to want. All good saves is always nice, and the monk's various additional features pair well with the barbarian.

[Peat]

You will hit like a truck. That much is pretty much given.

I think the real question is "What else do you want this character to be able to do?"

[Shadowscale]

You will hit like a truck. That much is pretty much given.

I think the real question is "What else do you want this character to be able to do?"

I want to know since my feats are limited what feats I should take for monk feats, and what combination of unarmed feats or orc feats I should take for the rest to be the best in combat and healing I can be.

[AvatarVecna]

I'm putting together some general advice, but I have some questions:

1) What level is the game starting at?

2) What level would you expect to get to, assuming your game lasts as long as your group's campaigns usually last?

3) How dedicated are you to your choices (race, classes, archetypes)?

4) What other characters will be in the party (assuming you know)?

5) How is your DM ruling gestalt to work for the following issues:
BAB/Base Save Calculation (I assume you're using fractional calculation, correct?)
Multiclassing
Prestige Classes (Are they allowed? Can you take PrCs on both "sides"? Can you take double progression classes?)
Templates/Races with RHD/LA (Are they allowed? Do they take up one "side", or two?


Your answers will help greatly in determining what the best path forward is.

[Shadowscale]

I'm putting together some general advice, but I have some questions:

1) What level is the game starting at? 3 I believe

2) What level would you expect to get to, assuming your game lasts as long as your group's campaigns usually last? 20 plus mythic most likely

3) How dedicated are you to your choices (race, classes, archetypes)? Pretty dedicated.

4) What other characters will be in the party (assuming you know)?
witch/rogue
paladin/cleric
paladin/unsure
Not sure for the others sorry.
5) How is your DM ruling gestalt to work for the following issues:
BAB/Base Save Calculation (I assume you're using fractional calculation, correct?) better of both.
Multiclassing Not allowed.
Prestige Classes (Are they allowed? Can you take PrCs on both "sides"? Can you take double progression classes?) I believe you can take them, but they're not gestalted.
Templates/Races with RHD/LA (Are they allowed? Do they take up one "side", or two? Not allowed.


Your answers will help greatly in determining what the best path forward is.
Hmm, I supplied some answers hopefully this helps. If not I'll try to get more info.

[AvatarVecna]

No multiclassing. Hrm...

Okay, I'll see what I can think of. What I can tell you right now is that your class features are covering offense and defense fairly well, which leaves your items to cover everything else. WBLmancy will serve you well.

Edit: okay, I'm posting this from my phone, so I'd appreciate it if you excuse any errors. Also, I'll be posting bits and pieces at a time, because my phone hates maintaining edits for some reason and I don't want to type out this whole thing without looking away, and certainly not more than once.

Firstly, above any other advise I can give you, I cannot stress enough how vital it is for you to check out Treantmonk's Monk Guide: he goes into great detail on making a Strength based Monk, which is absolutely what you need to do here.

Secondly, I'll be assuming throughout all of this that your group usually keeps there casters at a reasonable level. If you have to compete with gestalt casters being played to their full potential, you're in for a boring time.

Thirdly, stats: Str>Wis/Con/Dex>Int/Dex. Slashes mean they're roughly equal in general importance. If you want more skills, bump Int; if you just want good intimidation, dump both and take the "Strength replaces Charisma for Intimidation" feat (IIRC Intimidating Presence).

Fourthly, feats. Virtually always vital: Power Attack, Intimidating Presence (If scaring people is your thing), Improved Initiative. Martial Artist lets you count Monk levels as fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for feats; use this to pick up a higher level fighter feat at some point, but there's no feat line good enough that I can recommend diving into it.

Fifthly, flurrying and manuevers: the monk has features that let you act as if you have full BAB for both. THESE ABILITIES DO NOT HELP YOU. You already have full BAB. Flurry lets a normal monk act as if they have full BAB and the TWF feat tree, but only with monk weapons. There's still the advantage of free TWF, but that's only available if you full attack.

Sixthly, rage powers: read through the various PF Barbarian guides out there (google "pathfinder optimization guide compendium", it's got like 4) to get an idea of what you should take. IMO, Reckless Abandon is vital for any Barbarian, including you. I also recommend the Animal totem stuff, for the Pounce ability.

Final thoughts (for now, anyway): you're going to have rock-solid defenses, you're going to be super-mobile, and you're going to hit like a freight train. Until your unarmed strike surpasses your other monk weapons, use your Barbarian proficiency to wield something better for when you can't flurry. Also, ask your DM his opinion on Rage Cycling: some feel it's really cheaty.

[Psyren]

I want to know since my feats are limited what feats I should take for monk feats, and what combination of unarmed feats or orc feats I should take for the rest to be the best in combat and healing I can be.

Wait - healing? What? How do you plan on healing anyone as a martial artist monk/barbarian?

[dascarletm]

Intimidate a cleric to do it for you?

[Shadowscale]

Wait - healing? What? How do you plan on healing anyone as a martial artist monk/barbarian?

orcs feats and the likje give you bonus hitpoiunts per kill.

[Psyren]

orcs feats and the likje give you bonus hitpoiunts per kill.

Which ones? Do they stack?

[Shadowscale]

Which ones? Do they stack?

Born Alone (does not stack) ferocious tenacity gives you some nifty damage reduction to avoid death as well though.

[Necromancy]

Why barbarian / monk exactly? This seems like a character that hits for big numbers but does nothing else worthwhile.

Monks are a favorite gestalt for me, but I have never tried that one

[AincradSurvivor]

There is a third party Barbarian called the Serene Barbarian that goes Serene and increases Dex and Wis instead of Str and Con.
Replaces Rage with Serene but acts as Rage for the effects of Extra Rage and the like. But I don't think it has the same hindrances as Rage but it does make you Fatigued (Makes no sense).