Bronze Age Unarmed Monk VoP

[Timballisto]

I'm making a character for a campaign that takes place in a low-magic Bronze Age style world. This campaign will include two players that have never played a tabletop RPG before. It will be an all Human party.

Here are some of the house rules for character creation/progression: Starting array of 18, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, for abilities. A +2 to one ability at creation. Fighter feat progression, everyone gets a feat at 1st level and every even-numbered level thereafter. +2 to two abilities at 4th level, 8th level, etc. No racial restrictions for prestige classes and most feats (within reason). No tier one or tier two casters. Almost everything else is allowed, eg: setting specific books, different forms of magic like pact magic, psionics, and incarnum.

The DM has allowed me to use whatever alternate class features I want, and is ok with me having Vow of Poverty from level one. I know a lot of people say VoP isn't worth it, but I like it for the roleplay challenge, and some of the benefits are nice. I'll be using the Stormwrack monk acf to replace Slow Fall with Water Step. I'll be using the monk acf from UA, fighting styles, to replace the monk bonus feats. My plan is to do monk until I can get into Fist of the Forrest, finish out FotF then go into Deepwarden for three levels (two is enough, but I like the animal messenger), after that, I'll dip a level of Shiba Protector from OA for the Wis mod to attack and damage, I don't know what to do after that.

I'm looking for help to find better choices for classes/PrC's/feats to make a decent unarmed holy monk. I'm experienced enough to not outshine the other players and make it all about my munchkin, that wouldn't be fun for anyone and I want the new players to have a good time. I also want to show them some of the stranger, or less stereotypical roleplay choices you can make in tabletop games.

Here is my build so far:
1. Monk 1
lvl 1 Feat: Sacred Vow
Human Feat: Vow of Poverty
Bonus Exalted Feat: Touch of Golden Ice
Bonus Monk Feat: Power Attack (ACF: Fighting Styles)

2: Monk 2
lvl 2 Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike
Bonus Exalted Feat: Intuitive Attack
Bonus Monk Feat: Endurance (ACF Fighting Styles)

3: Monk 3

4: Monk 4
lvl 4 Feat: Great Fortitude
Ability Score increases: +2 to Con and Wis
Bonus Exalted Feat: Gift of Discernment

At level four, this would be the current Ability scores: STR 10, DEX 16, CON 20, INT 14, WIS 20, CHA 10.

I've only really built out to level four because we'll be starting the campaign at that level and we'll probably only be meeting once a month, so I have a lot of time to iron out and finalize my build. At this level I've already qualified for Fist of the Forest (except for the BAB) and am well on my way to qualifying for Deepwarden. I don't like the feat tax for getting into Shiba Protector, but I think their No Thought is worth it. The game begins Friday the 27th, so I'm basically ready, I just need to come up with some backstory. Thanks in advance.

[TheIronGolem]

I know a lot of people say VoP isn't worth it, but I like it for the roleplay challenge, and some of the benefits are nice.
In a low-magic campaign, the Playground's usual arguments against VoP don't apply. In fact, it's the one time when VoP really is as strong as it appears at first blush.

[Timballisto]

I'm thinking that I should change the ability score increases. Put my at-creation +2 into STR and one of my level 4 increases into STR as well. While having higher hp is nice, the CON to AC doesn't come in till later. On the other hand, it would be kind of funny for my Unarmed Strike damage to be just a d8, no modifier.

[Metahuman1]

I might suggest the Tashlorana Feat and taking Psi-warrior after the first 2 levels.

Or swordsage form Tome of Battle with the Unarmed variant.

Or maybe a Binder with the right Vestiges and feats? Just to throw alternatives out there.


That said, some feats I can recommend that work because of the relaxed restrictions. Fairy Mysteries Initiate. Keen Intellect, and either Carmadine Monk or Kung Fu Genius. In combo, these three feats mean you can all but Dump Con and Wisdom in favor of Intelligence. If you can use the affiliation rules form the Players handbook 2, make an affiliation, your martial school or something, and have them let you use Int on for Saves in place of Con and your golden. (An aside, if you decide NOT to use Kung Fu Genius/Carmadine Monk + Keen Intellect to Dump Wis, consider 1 level of Shiba protector if possible to get Wis to hit and damage in addition to Str. Which Synergises well with either Decisive Strike by getting multiplied like your Strength Damage, or Flurry by getting added to every hit. )

Hammer Fist is a dwarf only feat that's worth a look as it gives you 1.5 Times Str mod to damage with unarmed strikes. Doesn't combine with Flurry of Blows, but it DOES combine With Decisive Strike AFC, so, worth a thought there. Decisive Strike works best if you use Combat Reflexes and Karmatic Strike and/or Robilars Gambit to get lot's of Attacks of Opportunity incidentally. As you get higher levels it can also Synergize well with Pounce and with the Elusive Target feat.



I would also strongly suggest dipping at first level into Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian anywhere form 1-3 levels. If you only go for 1 or 2 levels, just take the Cityscape variant to allow you to trade Ride as a class skill for tumble, and take Spirit Lion Totem and Wolf Totem at first and second levels respectively. (Use a monk variant to get a feat other then Improved Trip at Monk 6 if you take that second Barbarian level. Or use PHB 2's retraining rules to get it turned into another feat. I like Knockdown from the SRD myself, especially for Decisive Strike build but it's still good on a flurry build.) If you take the 3rd level, you'll want to have taken the Able Learner feat at first level, and maxed ranks in Survival. Take the Trap Killer AFC cause awesome, you'll find it in Dungeon Scape. Don't worry about Rage it's useless since Monk is Lawful. (In fact maybe ask the DM if you can have Trap Killer as a first level alternate to Rage so you can hurry into Monk.) The end result is some nice In-combat Buffs (Though with Desive Strike the benefits of Pounce will be, still strong, but delayed till you get to higher levels, and if you go the Karmatic Strike route, your gonna loose not all but some of the benefits of Improved Trip bonus feat. Not enough that it's not worth it, but some. ) and if you go all 3 levels, you get some extra out of combat utility. And since the Barb levels start and finish before Monk levels start, you can fluff it as "In my past.".

The Snap Kick, Stone Power and Superior Unarmed Strike feats form Tome of Battle are feats you really want regardless of most everything else.


That's really all I got right now.