Need some help with my first time monk D&D 3.5

[Zeldote]

So, i started this Adventure with some friends a while ago (5 or 6 sessions) and i haven't been able to do much in fights and stuff, mostly because of that -2flurry of blows and low basic attack bonus, most of what i've done so far is tanking a bit while everyone else do their work.

I'm level 3 monk thinking about becoming a drunken brawler, but i'd really like some sugestion since everything im seeing about monks isn't good at all.

Some help on how to make some difference in fights would be more then welcome, (what talents to get, if i should get some more levels in other classes and stuff like that).
I don't know what if u guys need any more info, but anyways, I'm thanking in advance for any help i get.

[GilesTheCleric]

Are you beholden to playing a Monk, or are you after the concept of "monk"? Both can be made to work, but they're (mostly) different suggestions.

[Zeldote]

Are you beholden to playing a Monk, or are you after the concept of "monk"? Both can be made to work, but they're (mostly) different suggestions.

Giles,
I'd like to maintain my unarmed strike , hitting with my hands but hitting hard, but would like to know some combos, some optimizations on how to make the most of it, i don't necessarily have to level just a monk. Does that answer your question?

[Extra Anchovies]

The monk honestly doesn't have much it can do well. Unarmed doesn't have much support in 3.5 in general, really, but the monk class in particular is a jumble of abilities that don't go well together. The optimization community generally considers monk to be rarely worth taking past second level, and never worth taking past sixth level.

If you're familiar with the Psionics system, there's a feat called Tashalatora that lets your levels in a chosen psionic class stack with monk levels for AC bonus, flurry of blows, and unarmed damage. I would recommend asking your DM if you can do some retraining, to pick up Monastic Training (a prerequisite for Tashalatora that can be taken as a monk bonus feat) at 1st or second level, swap your most recent level of monk for one of Psychic Warrior, and change your third level feat to Tashalatora. Psychic Warrior uses Wisdom for their psionics, so it synergizes well with the AC bonus, and they get a lot of really nifty self-buff abilities.

[GilesTheCleric]

Giles,
I'd like to maintain my unarmed strike , hitting with my hands but hitting hard, but would like to know some combos, some optimizations on how to make the most of it, i don't necessarily have to level just a monk. Does that answer your question?

It certainly does, thank you. There's a number of methods of accomplishing those goals; ExtraAnchovies's suggestion is one of the best. I'll list a few other methods, and see which ones you cathect with most.


natural attacks, probably with size increases; can be accomplished without magic. This approach lends itself to "hit a whole bunch of times for a moderate amount of damage each"
taking IUS, then buffing yourself with items and spells to hit harder and more accurately
becoming a bear, a bear-human, or a human-bear (replace "bear" with your favourite giant murder creature)
using ToB strikes to have a set of abilities beyond "smack it", "grapple it", "sunder it"
investing heavily into one or more of grappling, charging, bullrushing, tripping, or disarming
asking Rubik how you can use the monk class to command angels to dance on the heads of pins for you. Your foes might have heard you were coming into town and booked it preemptively
forcing enemy casters to roshambo rather than being able to use their spells


Generally, increasing your size is a good way to be a better monk. Your unarmed damage goes up dramatically (12d6 or 24d6 after six increases, I think?). Attempting to play without magic items is tricky (going without armour is fine, but all of the other slots [belt, amulet, vest, etc] will help you greatly). Finding ways to hit your foes often, and to add debilitating effects on hit doesn't hurt (Ravages from BoED, or enchanting your IUS as if they were magic weapons).

ExtraAnchovie's suggestion of getting into psionics will help you to get things like Psionic Expansion, which iirc gives you two size increases unlike the single one increase from Enlarge Person.

Edit: I'll probably leave the specifics of these different methods to other posters who are more familiar with specific monk options; I only know enough to make rough builds for each of these, with little to no optimization that's not just general op.

[Grod_The_Giant]

What books are available? The best martial artist in the game is probably the unarmed-variant Swordsage, from the Tome of Battle-- he gets the monk's unarmed strike, and access to a wide variety of martial arts techniques that are sorta-kinda-not-really like spells. Those maneuvers range from purely mundane-- throwing enemies, attacking touch AC, dealing bonus damage, and so on-- to wuxia magic like teleporting through shadows and firebending. You'll do fine damage, have plenty of tricks up your sleeve, and won't need too much external work to stay relevant.

If you want something simpler/closer to core, a Barbarian might be your best bet. Take Improved Unarmed Strike as a normal feat and just swing your fists around in a rage, power attacking as normal. If possible, see if your DM will let you make two-handed unarmed strikes, Shatner-style (You may need the Hammer Fist feat (appears in a few places, including Dragon Compendium and Races of Faerun)). If not, go two-weapon fighting. The Fist of the Forest class (Complete Champion) is 100% designed for an unarmed Barbarian-- you get Con to AC, improved unarmed damage, and unarmed-strikes-as-magic-weapons. Until that point, you might use ACFs like Whirling Frenzy (Unearthed Arcana; make extra attacks in a rage-- aka Flurry of Blows), Wolf Totem (Unearthed Arcana; gets Improved Trip as a bonus feat), and Spirit Lion Totem (Complete Champion; lets you full attack on a charge) to pump up your effectiveness.

The Monk/Psychic Warrior combo also works really well, although that's more of a mystic wuxia-type martial artist.

[Zeldote]

Thank you guys, that helped a lot.
Im gonna give a look at the books, and talk to my DM, so we can see what to do. I may be updating u guys later on what happened!
If i have any more questions i'll come back :D
Thanks again and keep playing people !

[Grod_The_Giant]

Anytime. Welcome to the Playground!