Monk Fighting Style Feat Choices (Getting improved trip and Stunning Fist)

[sage20500]

I'm currently working on building a Monk2/18 Psy War, trying to find out if there is a way where I can get both Stunning Fist and Improved Trip within the 2 level dip, without also having to get Combat Expertise. I know you can at level 1 substitute your monk feat out for Stunning Fist, but if you do I'm not sure if your still allowed to continue on with the Monk Fighting Style acf. Anyone have any ideas aside from Wolf Totem Barbarian? Trying to avoid having to come up with backstory for how I went from Monk to Barbarian to Psy War instead of just progressing from Monk to Psy War naturally.

[Extra Anchovies]

The Hin Disciple substitution levels (downloadable here (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a)) change the bonus feat selection to Underfoot Combat or Stunning Fist at 1st level and Combat Reflexes or Improved Trip at 2nd level. They're also Faerun-specific and only open to halflings, though, so you'll need to talk to your DM if you want to use it with a different setting or species.

[Godskook]

Its easier to explain Barbarian->Monk->Psychic Warrior than Monk->Barbarian->Psychic Warrior, if that helps.

RAW, you can't abandon a UA fighting style. They're "preselected".

[Fizban]

A barbarian that becomes lawful loses their ability to rage, so they'd need two alignment shifts instead of one. I also don't see why barbarian->monk would be easier to explain anyway.

[torrasque666]

A barbarian that becomes lawful loses their ability to rage, so they'd need two alignment shifts instead of one. I also don't see why barbarian->monk would be easier to explain anyway.
Easier to explain the shift as calming down, introspection, training, and reflection (monk), and from that come enhanced mental abilities (psychic warrior) than going from training, to raging, and back to an ordered mind.

[animewatcha]

Dragon 310 or so has martial monk. Gain intimidate, lose knowledges and 1 skill point per monk level. Can take fighter bonus feats without prereqs ( continued cheese including taking epic fighter bonus feats ) at 1, 2, and 6.

[A.A.King]

Its easier to explain Barbarian->Monk->Psychic Warrior than Monk->Barbarian->Psychic Warrior, if that helps.

RAW, you can't abandon a UA fighting style. They're "preselected".

Actually, you can abandon a UA Fighting style:



A monk can abandon her fighting style by selecting a different bonus feat at 2nd or 6th level; however, if she does so, she loses the bonus on skill checks gained at 1st level and never gains the bonus ability of the fighting style (even if she meets the prerequisites).

you just can't switch to a different Fighting Style.

Hin Disciple Substitution levels (or a very Generous DM) are the only RAW way to get both Stunning Fist and Improved Trip as Monk Bonus feats on the same character. (outside of Dragon Magazines maybe, but those are usually not on the table)

[Fizban]

Easier to explain the shift as calming down, introspection, training, and reflection (monk), and from that come enhanced mental abilities (psychic warrior) than going from training, to raging, and back to an ordered mind.
That's what I was expecting, but you've skipped the fact that if he remains lawful he can't rage, half the point of Barbarian, and also that Psywar has nothing to do with an ordered mind-that would be Psion. XPH proper says they tend towards chaotic alignments, with the suggestion that many come from psychic communes and go Psywar because they find the regimen unappealing.

So monk->barb-> psywar fits the fluff as well as having fewer alignment shifts to justify. You have a guy who was bored of being a monk, left to get his rage on, then found his inner psychic and waddya know it all worked together.

I would also point out that Expertise is a perfectly fine feat, particularly if you an ignore the int requirement. The biggest problem with monks as far as I'm concerned is the lack of AC: all else can be optimized or cheesed out of, but an unarmored character simply cannot compete (even with magic, unless you're an Abjurant Cheeselord). Expertise is a boon to any AC build, since if you can actually get your AC high enough for them to miss more often than they hit, an extra +5 can drop that from 50% to 25%, or from 30% or less to the flat 5% or a natural 20. Blah blah things that don't use attack rolls, most stuff does and Expertise lets you go from getting hit to getting hit way less whenever you need it.

All of that said, the point of Barbarian was to get Improved Trip without Expertise and with the Passive Monk you lose Stunning First to get both of those, so my two bits don't really go together.