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Max Caysey
2015-08-18, 03:22 PM
The Mixed Martial Artist is a fighter, who combines unarmed strikes, with wrestling to take down, thrash and submitting his opponents. Therefor the mixed martial artists combines technique and strength a new level and fuses strength with finesse. Hit dice: d8

Requirements
To qualify to become a mixed martial artist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (Unarmed), Improved Grapple and Improved Trip

Class Skills
The mixed martial artist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features: All of the following are class features of the mixed martial artist’s prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Due to the mixed martial artists undivided focus on hand-to-hand combat, he only retains proficiency in dagger, quarterstaff and unarmed attacks, and thus loses any other weapon proficiencies he might have had before entering this prestige class. Nor is he proficient in any form of armor or shield.

Monk Abilities: A mixed martial artist has the unarmed damage, AC bonus, flurry of blows and speed of a monk with as many levels as her mixed martial artist levels plus her monk levels.

Class Abilities:
Level Base Attack Bonus Saving Throws Class Abilities
1 +1 2/2/2 Improved Technique
2 +2 3/3/3 Powerful Strikes
3 +3 3/3/3 Dominant Takedown
4 +4 4/4/4 Deadly Grapple
5 +5 4/4/4 Submission Hold

Improved Technique (Ex): With strenuous training, comes greater technique, which in turn enables the mixed martial artist, to combine strength and finesse. This allows the mixed martial artist to add his Dex modifier to all checks concerning Bullrush, Disarm, Grapple and Trip.

Powerful Strikes (Ex): The added training and thus improved technique results not only in added finesse, but also in the ability to hit hard. The mixed martial artist gains weapon specialization (unarmed), as a bonus feat, without needing to meet the requirements.

Dominant Takedown (Ex): Ground fighting is important to a mixed martial artist as it is one of his primary talents. When the mixed martial artist becomes third level, his training allows him to take down his opponents more easily and to devastating effects. He gains a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. Whenever he successfully trip an opponent, that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity from the mixed martial artists. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Trip and improved technique.

Deadly Grapple (Ex): Due to the mixed martial artist’s increased technique, finesse and takedown ability the mixed martial artist has learned to leverage a creature's weight against itself. Attacks made while grappling, using unarmed strikes, deal damage as if the strike, and thus the mixed martial artist, is one size category larger than he actually is.

Submission Hold (Ex): The added focus and training in takedowns and grapple enables the mixed martial artist to make his technique work for him, ending fights quickly by submission. At fifth level, he receives chokehold, as a bonus feat, without having to meet the requirements.

Troacctid
2015-08-18, 05:13 PM
I like Improved Technique. I suspect the class will be an attractive dip for Monk-types, just to add Dex to stuff.

Losing proficiencies is somewhat problematic and confusing. I don't think there's any other class that does that, and it doesn't really make sense, either, to lose proficiency with something you already knew how to use. If you really want that restriction, I would say instead that the class abilities only function while unarmored, similar to Monk abilities.

It is unfortunate that the class, despite being designed to make you better at tripping and grappling, doesn't do much to help you trip or grapple a lot of the most common foes that an adventurer will face—namely, foes of larger size categories. Without some ability to help you punch above your weight class, it isn't giving grapplers what they really need in order to be reliably useful.

Razanir
2015-08-19, 05:41 PM
I would increase the hit dice to d10, but that's just because I like PF's system of tying the hit dice to your BAB. (Poor=d6, Average=d8, Good=d10, Barbarian=d12)

Don't remove proficiencies. Literally no other class does that, and it's particularly unfair if I used a feat to get it. (In addition to just being unrealistic) If you really want a restriction, I'd take Troacctid's advice and have it only apply unarmored.

I might move Powerful Strikes to Lv 1, and replace it with grappling a size larger. Maybe another size larger with Deadly Grapple. (Or as a second capstone)

Don't just copy Flurry of Blows. At the very least, let them activate it as a standard action. It's not an issue with your class, but with the Monk you're copying from. It gives you extra speed, but penalizes you for using it by not letting you use flurry. I recommend jiriku's fix, which really just removes the clause that you have to use a full round action and lets you flurry on any attack action. (And maybe copy his Unarmed Strike progression as well)


Flurry of Blows (Ex): When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy when performing an attack or a full attack action, or as part of a charge. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus columns on Table: The Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 9th level it disappears.


Greater Flurry: When a monk reaches 11th level, her flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus

And finally, remember to include a clause saying "A monk who becomes an MMA fighter may continue advancing as a monk". I can't stand the multiclass rules on monks and pallies and normally ignore them, but they exist.

Melcar
2015-08-21, 03:43 PM
I think its ok.

I agree on the "dont remove the proficiency" part and also on the "give it more bonus to grapple". Mayby the ability to grapple larger opponents. Mayby just one size.

Max Caysey
2015-08-23, 04:27 PM
Thank you all for your comments.

I will remove the proficiency-loss of other weapons, I can see how that would make little sense.

I will also consider improving the grapple ability of the class, by maybe either giving him a flat bonus or make him able to grapple one size larger than normal.


I have a question about the Base Attack... Is full BAB too much or do you guys think it appropriate?


Again thanks and feel free to add any thoughts!