[3.5] Suggestions for a monk/tattoo user or a monk/magic user build.

[Incarnate]

Hey there good people of GiantITP.

I have player who've expressed that he wants to play some kind of monk with spellcasting, but where the spellcasting is being "channeled" through his attacks and would have a "visual" feel to it. The only thing I can think of here is the Arcane Channeling class ability from the Duskblade - which has nothing to do with a monk. The Tattoed Monk from Oriental Adventures isn't one he's interested in. So does there exist a class or some kind of build where this could become possible?

We discussed that I possibly could create a class based around the wizard and monk templates, and theme it towards a monk tattoo user, where the tattoo's are magical tattoos that are semi-permanent to maybe completely permanent. This class would learn to read magic, learn to scribe scrolls on an different material (skin), the tattoos wouldn't dissappear on use, but would deplete its magical energies which would regenerate over time (as in a daily allotment of spells). However I would prefer to use something that already exists, if there is something like this or similar?
Preferably it would be optimal if it was more like a feat or multiple feats that would allow him to create such a character.

Thanks for the help guys and gals :smallsmile:


/Inc.

[animewatcha]

Duskblade 13/ Enlightened fist 7. Fluff the duskblade spells as the tattoos.

[Telonius]

Warlock, possibly? You could go Clawlock if the sources are allowed. The only other thing I could think of would be Kensai.

[Gruftzwerg]

I 2nd clawlock. see my "almighty claw of malar" build in my sig for inspiration. It's a newbi friendly build since you don't need to prepare spells and plan your slot or choose from dozens of spells.
Clawlock if pretty straightforward playstyle. Most selfbuffs are 24h and you don't need to cast em at the start of the fight.

You can fluff the visuals/theme as you want. You can easily refluff the build into Super Saiyajin flavor if desired.

The build is charge focused but can still dish out high dmg without it.

I hope you like, try & enjoy it^^

edit: you can tune down the charge dmg if you don't stack all the dmg multipliers (choose other feats/magic items). If the rest of the players isn't high optimized or good T1-2 classes & players, I would highly recommend to tune it down.
And don't forget to hide the BBEG out of charge line of sight at the start of the fight ;)

[Extra Anchovies]

For an entirely different angle on the concept, how about a Whirling Frenzy Barbarian/Runescarred Berserker? Rage could easily be reflavored as a battle-trance of some sort. The City-Brawler ACF (Dragon 349) gives Improved Unarmed Strike and unarmed-only TWF in exchange for some weapon and armor proficiencies, and the Fist of the Forest prestige class would help you pack quite a wallop.

A one-level Warlock dip would definitely be helpful if you can spare a feat for Eldritch Claws, and three levels (for Eldritch Blast 2d6) would probably fit in most builds.

[barakaka]

You could have him cast a multi-use touch spell and hold the charge. Because he's doing unarmed attacks, they discharge a use on hit. Chill Touch (PHb) and Storm Touch and Scalding Touch (both Magic of Eberron) are all very good for this. There's more discussion on these types of touch spells on this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?244418-3-5-How-very-touching-touch-spells-that-keep-on-giving).

[Nifft]

How about a Spellstitched Necropolitan Swordsage?

[Troacctid]

There is the Scribe Tattoo (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#scribeTattoo) feat for psionic characters. Could work on a Psionic Fist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/psionicFist.htm).

Wizards are also allowed to scribe spells on their bodies as tattoos, rather than in a spellbook. This would work well on an Enlightened Fist.

[Keldrin]

Unarmed swordsage/spell caster of choice, and then jade phoenix mage. At first level of JPM, you get Arcane Wrath, turn spells into arcane energy.
I have really liked it, as a wizard, if I chose the wrong spells, they became very useful again.

[Eldariel]

Monk 1/Cleric 5/Sacred Fist is pretty nice and you can pick up stuff like Smiting Spell (PHBII) to channel attacks while the rest of the spells buff (probably optimal to Persist the key buffs). Then you can just give anything gigapounding with like Greater Mighty Wallop (Greater Anyspell), Divine Power, Greater Magic Weapon and channeled Harms or whatever.

[Vizzerdrix]

Dattle Dancer/ whirling barbarian/ runscarred beserker. Throw on some dragonmarks.

[Incarnate]

We're currently aiming for an Unarmed Swordsage/Duskblade/Jade Phoenix Mage.
However the Duskblade part was to get armor & proficiencies, negating arcane spell failure, the arcane spellcasting & arcane channeling. Also to mention he wants a shadow theme, so it has been allowed to switch one of the disciplines the Jade phoenix mage learns from into the shadow hand discipline instead.

Thoughts on this?

As for race it doesn't have to be any standard race, it can be almost any one, but has to be humanoid from the forgotten realms and fit this build. He's all ears.
He has around 36.000gps to spend on equipment and magic items, so if you also have any suggestions for any of this, please feel free to add some suggestions for this as well.

[Troacctid]

Well swordsage already gives you armor and weapon proficiencies, so...

[Incarnate]

Well swordsage already gives you armor and weapon proficiencies, so...

Actually, not when you go for the unarmed variation (the unarmed strike progression), then it's only weapon proficiences. Because it's only light armor profeciency
you get from the swordsage and no other armor proficiencies. When going for the unarmed progression you remove the light armor proficiency.