GalacticAxekick
2016-11-08, 11:35 AM
Every class has its unique power source and grows on a trajectory defined by that power source. For Fighters, this is martial skill with choice weapons, armours and fighting techniques. For Rangers, this is knowledge of terrain, quarry and techniques of survival. For Wizards this is the study of outside magic. For Sorcerers its the intuition of innate magic. Clerics: god-given power. Warlocks: power bartered from the eldritch. And so on.
My problem is that Monks overlap. Traditional D&D Monks are martial artists who strive for perfection of body and mind. An expression of this is that the manipulate Ki to gain almost magical benefits to their physical abilities and perceptions. It's a sort of mind-over-matter concept where wisdom and focus can produce strength, speed and fortitude. But because sheer martial skill is characteristic of Fighters, I see no reason why Fighters shouldn't have access to martial arts, and I'm especially frustrated Ki is tied to martial arts (meaning every master brawler in the word is some kind of mystic).
My alternative would be to downplay martial arts, hand that to the Fighter, and return to the roots of the Monk: the strive for perfection and mind over matter. I've only come up with the gist of how this would work, and I'd like to spec the entire class, but I'm satisfied the concept at least.
At 1st level, Monks would acquire the Mind Over Matter feature. This, rather than Martial Arts, is definitive of the Monk: the ability to push past normal limits without outside help, using only your own abilities. This feature would be overpowered for many other classes, and would be overpowered in multiclassing if not for the equipment and Monk level constraints.
Your mental abilities mirror your physical abilities.
Intelligence, like Strength, grants bonuses to your attack and damage rolls with Monk weapons. You scrutinize your foes’ defences to make the slightest blow devastating.
Wisdom, like Dexterity, grants bonuses to AC when you are unarmoured. You intuit and predict what others can only react to
Cha, like Con, grants bonuses to HP whenever you gain a Monk level. Your force of will drives you even as your body fails."
Mind Over Matter allows stat bonuses to stack, but it also allows stat penalties to stack. This is key regarding its role.
A Monk may strive to achieve perfection through specialty in a single art. For instance, 15 Dex and Wis, 12 Con and Cha, 8 Str and Int means +4 AC and +2 HP and lots of great skills! But that's also -2 to all attacks and the loss of some important skills.
A Monk may strive to achieve perfection through dabbling in many arts. For instance, 13 Dex, Wis and Con, 12 Str, Int and Cha means +2 AC, +2 HP and +2 to attacks, plus a foot in every skill! But a +1 in every skill isn't outstanding, and unlike the proficiency bonus of Jack of All Trades, it isn't growing.
A Monk may strive to achieve literal mind over matter. 15 Int, Wis and Cha, 8 Str, Dex and Con means +1 AC, +1 HP, +1 to all attacks—meager bonuses—but totally without physical abilities, and with robust mental skills/saves.
Features that follow would generally play into what a Monk can accomplish unarmed and unarmored, granding them uncanny power over the battlefield, agility, defenses and skills for a class that is technically not skilled in combat, magic or any trades.
One subclass would represent The Way Within, granting features that expand and refine your racial perceptions, defenses, attacks and other abilities. Nature over nurture.
A Dwarf of TWWI might become stronger & sturdier at 3rd level, gain tremorsense at 6th level, etc.
An Elf of TWWI might become more lithe or illusive at 3rd level, and at 6th level they might gain the power to stay alert and active during their trance, so they continue to act during long rests, except spellcasting and other powers that recover during rest, etc
A Red Dragonborn of TWWI might gain immunity to fire and more uses of their breath weapon at 3rd level, and gain attunement to a habitat at 6th (e.g, see, hear and smell through smoke, flame & bright light. Maybe even the power to defect sources of intense heat), etc.
A Gnome of TWWI might become magical themselves at 3rd level, for the purpose of un unarmed strikes overcoming resistance to non-magic and optionally dealing force damage, and at 6th level they may gain a passive Detect Magic sense
The second subclass would represent The Way Without, granting features that use your background traits to enhance you, representing lived experience. Nurture over nature.
An Entertainer of TWWO might gain powers that distract, charm, frighten, deafen or blind targets, and features relating to how they roll acrobatics, sleight, and the Cha skills.
A Soldier of TWWO might gain an expanded Monk weapon list, improvised weapon options, and features relating to how they roll athletics, acrobatics and intimidate, for instance
An Criminal or Urchin of TWWO might gain uncanny stealth options (think Way of Shadows) and features relating to how they roll acrobatics, sleight of hand and stealth.
And because of the fundamental benefit of striving to improve one's self, I can see this form of Monk being a popular multiclass option. Mind Over Matter and improved racial/background traits can benefit any build, I'm sure, without breaking it thematically.
My problem is that Monks overlap. Traditional D&D Monks are martial artists who strive for perfection of body and mind. An expression of this is that the manipulate Ki to gain almost magical benefits to their physical abilities and perceptions. It's a sort of mind-over-matter concept where wisdom and focus can produce strength, speed and fortitude. But because sheer martial skill is characteristic of Fighters, I see no reason why Fighters shouldn't have access to martial arts, and I'm especially frustrated Ki is tied to martial arts (meaning every master brawler in the word is some kind of mystic).
My alternative would be to downplay martial arts, hand that to the Fighter, and return to the roots of the Monk: the strive for perfection and mind over matter. I've only come up with the gist of how this would work, and I'd like to spec the entire class, but I'm satisfied the concept at least.
At 1st level, Monks would acquire the Mind Over Matter feature. This, rather than Martial Arts, is definitive of the Monk: the ability to push past normal limits without outside help, using only your own abilities. This feature would be overpowered for many other classes, and would be overpowered in multiclassing if not for the equipment and Monk level constraints.
Your mental abilities mirror your physical abilities.
Intelligence, like Strength, grants bonuses to your attack and damage rolls with Monk weapons. You scrutinize your foes’ defences to make the slightest blow devastating.
Wisdom, like Dexterity, grants bonuses to AC when you are unarmoured. You intuit and predict what others can only react to
Cha, like Con, grants bonuses to HP whenever you gain a Monk level. Your force of will drives you even as your body fails."
Mind Over Matter allows stat bonuses to stack, but it also allows stat penalties to stack. This is key regarding its role.
A Monk may strive to achieve perfection through specialty in a single art. For instance, 15 Dex and Wis, 12 Con and Cha, 8 Str and Int means +4 AC and +2 HP and lots of great skills! But that's also -2 to all attacks and the loss of some important skills.
A Monk may strive to achieve perfection through dabbling in many arts. For instance, 13 Dex, Wis and Con, 12 Str, Int and Cha means +2 AC, +2 HP and +2 to attacks, plus a foot in every skill! But a +1 in every skill isn't outstanding, and unlike the proficiency bonus of Jack of All Trades, it isn't growing.
A Monk may strive to achieve literal mind over matter. 15 Int, Wis and Cha, 8 Str, Dex and Con means +1 AC, +1 HP, +1 to all attacks—meager bonuses—but totally without physical abilities, and with robust mental skills/saves.
Features that follow would generally play into what a Monk can accomplish unarmed and unarmored, granding them uncanny power over the battlefield, agility, defenses and skills for a class that is technically not skilled in combat, magic or any trades.
One subclass would represent The Way Within, granting features that expand and refine your racial perceptions, defenses, attacks and other abilities. Nature over nurture.
A Dwarf of TWWI might become stronger & sturdier at 3rd level, gain tremorsense at 6th level, etc.
An Elf of TWWI might become more lithe or illusive at 3rd level, and at 6th level they might gain the power to stay alert and active during their trance, so they continue to act during long rests, except spellcasting and other powers that recover during rest, etc
A Red Dragonborn of TWWI might gain immunity to fire and more uses of their breath weapon at 3rd level, and gain attunement to a habitat at 6th (e.g, see, hear and smell through smoke, flame & bright light. Maybe even the power to defect sources of intense heat), etc.
A Gnome of TWWI might become magical themselves at 3rd level, for the purpose of un unarmed strikes overcoming resistance to non-magic and optionally dealing force damage, and at 6th level they may gain a passive Detect Magic sense
The second subclass would represent The Way Without, granting features that use your background traits to enhance you, representing lived experience. Nurture over nature.
An Entertainer of TWWO might gain powers that distract, charm, frighten, deafen or blind targets, and features relating to how they roll acrobatics, sleight, and the Cha skills.
A Soldier of TWWO might gain an expanded Monk weapon list, improvised weapon options, and features relating to how they roll athletics, acrobatics and intimidate, for instance
An Criminal or Urchin of TWWO might gain uncanny stealth options (think Way of Shadows) and features relating to how they roll acrobatics, sleight of hand and stealth.
And because of the fundamental benefit of striving to improve one's self, I can see this form of Monk being a popular multiclass option. Mind Over Matter and improved racial/background traits can benefit any build, I'm sure, without breaking it thematically.