Gaslampgenie
2017-12-12, 02:56 PM
After receiving some very constructive advice from aimlessPolymath, I have reworked the structure of this archetype.
Still open to criticism! and if anyone has any suggestions about converting this idea to 5e, I am eventually going to attempt that, so I would be happy to get advice.
-Main idea is a Monk who's monastery's art is osteomancy (or whatever other backstory gets you there). As a result of this almost obsessive focus on the body that is required to drive one to practice and perfect bone shaping, these monks sacrifice a great deal of the focus most monks put on mental perfection. These monks mechanically should have greater physical combat prowess but less flexibility and less mental offense and defense.
Bolded items are brewed and explained beneath the table
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Bone Spur DR
1
+0
+2
+2
+2
Flurry of Blows, Bone Spurs, Unarmed Strike, Bonus Feat, Stunning Fist
-
2
+1
+3
+3
+3
Evasion, Bonus Feat
-
3
+2
+3
+3
+3
Fast Movement, Maneuver Training, Strengthened Core
-
4
+3
+4
+4
+4
Ki Pool (cold iron/silver), Slow Fall 20ft
1
5
+3
+4
+4
+4
High Jump, Purity of Body
1
6
+4
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 30ft
1
7
+5
+5
+5
+5
Wholeness of Body
2
8
+6/+1
+6
+6
+6
Slow Fall 40ft
2
9
+6/+2
+6
+6
+6
Improved Evasion
2
10
+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat, Ki Pool (magic), Slow Fall 50ft
3
11
+8/+3
+7
+7
+7
Diamond Body
3
12
+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
Hold Monster, Slow Fall 60ft
3
13
+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
Diamond Soul
4
14
+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 70ft
4
15
+11/+6/+1
+9
+9
+9
Shattering Strike
4
16
+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Ki Pool (lawful), Slow Fall 80ft
5
17
+13/+7/+3
+10
+10
+10
Timeless Body, Skeletal Attunement
5
18
+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 90ft
5
19
+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Osteodomination
6
20
+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Perfect Self, Slow Fall any distance
6
Everything left out remains the same as a regular monk.
Ability/feat replacements by monk level:
3: Still mind is replaced by Strengthened Core
12: Abundant Step is replaced by Hold Monster
15: Quivering Palm is replaced by Shattering Strike
17: Skeletal Attunement is added
Ability/feat explanations:
Bone Spurs - Class Feature. Bone Spurs can be used as offensive and or defensive. Can be extended or retracted as a quick action. Bone Spurs remain out after extending until they are retracted. Can be extended/retracted any number of times per day.
--Offensive bone spurs are some sort or
simple spike, barb, or blade extended
from the hands, feet, elbows, or knees
(knuckle spikes being the most
common). Offensive bone spurs add piercing/slashing to unarmed strikes
--Defensive bone spurs are studs or plates
formed on the body to deflect or soften
blows. They impart a +1 to natural armor
and starting at level 4 add 1
DR/bludgeoning per every 3 monk levels
Strengthened Core - The osteomancer's bones cannot be broken except by arcane sources. Strengthened Core adds a permanent +2 to fortitude saves
Shattering Strike - The osteomancer makes contact with target's skeleton via bone spurs and induces vibrations to shatter the target's skeleton. After a successful attack (with shattering strike declared) the target makes a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 monk lvl + WIS mod) if failed the target dies instantly, if passed target takes 1d6 + WIS mod damage to STR. (Landed attack to initiate save still deals damage of weapon used for attack)
Skeletal Attunement - The osteomancer has permanent Blindsense 30ft on any entity (living or non-living) with a skeleton or other chitinous growth/formation
Osteodomination - The osteomancer takes complete control of the skeletons of one or more targets in the affected area. 50ft radius, Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Monk lvl + WIS mod), if failed target(s) is completely under the control of the osteomancer. Affected targets cannot be made to speak, but can be stopped from speaking.
In addition to the changes above I have altered the Ki Pool abilities and added a new feat that can be learned:
Ki Pool abilities
- Using 1 Ki point for an additional attack at highest BAB has been removed
- After a successful attack while offensive bone spurs are active, a Ki point can be expended as a quick action to cause bleeding dealing bleeding damage equal to unarmed damage of a monk, one size smaller, at the same level added
Malaise the Bones - This feat gives the osteomancer additional modes for Stunning Fist. Only one mode of Stunning Fist can be used per attack. The choice of Stunning Fist mode must be announced before the attack is made.The osteomancer makes contact with target's skeleton via bone spurs to temporarily alter the composition of the target's marrow. This feat becomes available at level 6. The following modes are granted by this feat:
- Stunned for 1 round and sickened for 1d3 rounds.
- At level 13: Stunned for 1 round, exhaustion 1
I would like to make this a balanced class that I could potentially use again or inspire someone else with.
Welcoming advice!
Thanks!
Still open to criticism! and if anyone has any suggestions about converting this idea to 5e, I am eventually going to attempt that, so I would be happy to get advice.
-Main idea is a Monk who's monastery's art is osteomancy (or whatever other backstory gets you there). As a result of this almost obsessive focus on the body that is required to drive one to practice and perfect bone shaping, these monks sacrifice a great deal of the focus most monks put on mental perfection. These monks mechanically should have greater physical combat prowess but less flexibility and less mental offense and defense.
Bolded items are brewed and explained beneath the table
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Bone Spur DR
1
+0
+2
+2
+2
Flurry of Blows, Bone Spurs, Unarmed Strike, Bonus Feat, Stunning Fist
-
2
+1
+3
+3
+3
Evasion, Bonus Feat
-
3
+2
+3
+3
+3
Fast Movement, Maneuver Training, Strengthened Core
-
4
+3
+4
+4
+4
Ki Pool (cold iron/silver), Slow Fall 20ft
1
5
+3
+4
+4
+4
High Jump, Purity of Body
1
6
+4
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 30ft
1
7
+5
+5
+5
+5
Wholeness of Body
2
8
+6/+1
+6
+6
+6
Slow Fall 40ft
2
9
+6/+2
+6
+6
+6
Improved Evasion
2
10
+7/+2
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat, Ki Pool (magic), Slow Fall 50ft
3
11
+8/+3
+7
+7
+7
Diamond Body
3
12
+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
Hold Monster, Slow Fall 60ft
3
13
+9/+4
+8
+8
+8
Diamond Soul
4
14
+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 70ft
4
15
+11/+6/+1
+9
+9
+9
Shattering Strike
4
16
+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Ki Pool (lawful), Slow Fall 80ft
5
17
+13/+7/+3
+10
+10
+10
Timeless Body, Skeletal Attunement
5
18
+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat, Slow Fall 90ft
5
19
+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Osteodomination
6
20
+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Perfect Self, Slow Fall any distance
6
Everything left out remains the same as a regular monk.
Ability/feat replacements by monk level:
3: Still mind is replaced by Strengthened Core
12: Abundant Step is replaced by Hold Monster
15: Quivering Palm is replaced by Shattering Strike
17: Skeletal Attunement is added
Ability/feat explanations:
Bone Spurs - Class Feature. Bone Spurs can be used as offensive and or defensive. Can be extended or retracted as a quick action. Bone Spurs remain out after extending until they are retracted. Can be extended/retracted any number of times per day.
--Offensive bone spurs are some sort or
simple spike, barb, or blade extended
from the hands, feet, elbows, or knees
(knuckle spikes being the most
common). Offensive bone spurs add piercing/slashing to unarmed strikes
--Defensive bone spurs are studs or plates
formed on the body to deflect or soften
blows. They impart a +1 to natural armor
and starting at level 4 add 1
DR/bludgeoning per every 3 monk levels
Strengthened Core - The osteomancer's bones cannot be broken except by arcane sources. Strengthened Core adds a permanent +2 to fortitude saves
Shattering Strike - The osteomancer makes contact with target's skeleton via bone spurs and induces vibrations to shatter the target's skeleton. After a successful attack (with shattering strike declared) the target makes a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 monk lvl + WIS mod) if failed the target dies instantly, if passed target takes 1d6 + WIS mod damage to STR. (Landed attack to initiate save still deals damage of weapon used for attack)
Skeletal Attunement - The osteomancer has permanent Blindsense 30ft on any entity (living or non-living) with a skeleton or other chitinous growth/formation
Osteodomination - The osteomancer takes complete control of the skeletons of one or more targets in the affected area. 50ft radius, Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Monk lvl + WIS mod), if failed target(s) is completely under the control of the osteomancer. Affected targets cannot be made to speak, but can be stopped from speaking.
In addition to the changes above I have altered the Ki Pool abilities and added a new feat that can be learned:
Ki Pool abilities
- Using 1 Ki point for an additional attack at highest BAB has been removed
- After a successful attack while offensive bone spurs are active, a Ki point can be expended as a quick action to cause bleeding dealing bleeding damage equal to unarmed damage of a monk, one size smaller, at the same level added
Malaise the Bones - This feat gives the osteomancer additional modes for Stunning Fist. Only one mode of Stunning Fist can be used per attack. The choice of Stunning Fist mode must be announced before the attack is made.The osteomancer makes contact with target's skeleton via bone spurs to temporarily alter the composition of the target's marrow. This feat becomes available at level 6. The following modes are granted by this feat:
- Stunned for 1 round and sickened for 1d3 rounds.
- At level 13: Stunned for 1 round, exhaustion 1
I would like to make this a balanced class that I could potentially use again or inspire someone else with.
Welcoming advice!
Thanks!