Monk Disciple (Unchained Monk, Path of War Archetype) PEACH

[kelly R]

Monk Disciple

Note: This archetype uses rules available in Path of War (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/) by Dreamscarred Press (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/dreamscarred-press/).

A Monk Disciple is a Monk (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/) who has been initiated into the mysteries of secret martial disciplines. Like any other Monk, a Monk Disciple has dedicated his life to the pursuit of perfection of both body and mind, and the study of these martial disciplines is simply a means to that end.

Maneuvers

A Monk Disciple begins his career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers.The disciplines available to him are Elemental Flux (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/elemental-flux-maneuvers/), Sleeping Goddess (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/sleeping-goddess-maneuvers/), Thrashing Dragon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/thrashing-dragon-maneuvers/), and either Broken Blade (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/broken-blade-maneuvers/) or Fool’s Errand. In addition, he can trade one of his available disciplines (Other than Broken Blade or Fool’s Errand) for the Mithral Current (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/mithral-current-maneuvers/), Scarlet Throne (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/scarlet-throne-maneuvers/), or Tempest Gale (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/tempest-gale-maneuvers/) discipline. If one of his selected disciplines’ associated skills is not on his class skill list, he gains it as a class skill.

Once the Monk Disciple knows a maneuver, he must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by a Monk Disciple is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or its discipline’s description. A Monk Disciple’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Spell-Resistance), and he does not provoke attacks of opportunity when he initiates one.

The Monk Disciple learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as indicated on Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/classes/abilities-for-other-classes/#TOC-Non-martial-class-initiating-archetype-progression). The maximum level of maneuvers gained through Monk Disciple levels is limited by those listed in that table as well, although this restriction does not apply to maneuvers added to his maneuvers known through other methods, such as prestige classes or the Advanced Study (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/feats/advanced-study-combat/) feat. A Monk Disciple must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See Systems and Use (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/systems-and-use/) for more details on how maneuvers are used.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), the Monk Disciple can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he already knows. In effect, he loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. He can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as long as he observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers he knows; the Monk Disciple need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. He can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. A Monk Disciple’s initiation modifier is Wisdom (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/ability-scores#TOC-Wisdom-Wis-), and each Monk Disciple level is counted as a full initiator level.


Maneuvers Readied

A Monk Disciple can ready all three of his maneuvers known at 1st level, and as he advances in level and learns more maneuvers, he is able to ready more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready. A Monk Disciple must always ready his maximum number of maneuvers readied. He readies his maneuvers by meditating or performing martial katas for ten minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain readied until he decides to practice again and change them. The Monk Disciple does not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready his maneuvers; any time he spends ten minutes meditating, he can change his readied maneuvers.

A Monk Disciple begins an encounter with all his readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he might have already used them since he chose them. When he initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless he recovers them, as described below).

A Monk Disciple can recover his maneuvers in three ways. First, he may spend a turn analyzing an opponent’s style. The Monk Disciple takes a full-round action (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Full-Round-Actions), gaining a +2 insight bonus to AC against a single adjacent opponent until the start of his next turn. If that opponent attacks him before the start of his next turn, the Monk Disciple gains a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls against that opponent on his next turn. Regardless of whether the targeted opponent attacks him, he recovers a number of expended maneuvers equal to his Monk Disciple initiation modifier (minimum 2).

Second, he may recover a single maneuver whenever he successfully executes a Style Strike granted specifically and explicitly by this archetype (See below).

Third and finally, the Monk Disciple may center himself and realign his ki, recovering a single maneuver as a standard action (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Standard-Actions).

None of these recovery methods allow the Monk Disciple to recover a maneuver which was expended in the same turn as the recovery.


Stances

A Monk Disciple begins his career with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to monks of the silver fist. At 4th, 7th, 11th, and 13th levels, he can select an additional stance to learn. The maximum level of stances gained through Monk Disciple levels is limited by those listed in Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/classes/abilities-for-other-classes/#TOC-Non-martial-class-initiating-archetype-progression). Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the Monk Disciple does not have to ready them. All the stances he knows are available to him at all times, and he can change the stance he is currently maintaining as a swift action (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Swift-Actions). A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance or discipline description.

Unlike with maneuvers, a Monk Disciple cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one he already knows.

This ability replaces all Ki Power (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/#TOC-Ki-Power-Su-) abilities, stunning fist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk#TOC-Stunning-Fist-Ex-), and the bonus feat at level 1.


Animus Pool

A Monk Disciple receives the Tap Animus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/feats/tap-animus-combat/) and Awakened Animus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/feats/awakened-animus-combat/) feats as bonus feats at level 3.

Additionally, when making a flurry of blows (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/#TOC-Flurry-of-Blows) attack, the Monk Disciple may expend one point of Animus as a swift action to make one additional unarmed strike at his highest attack bonus. This bonus attack stacks with all bonus attacks gained from flurry of blows, as well as those from haste (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/h/haste) and similar effects.

This ability replaces Ki Pool (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/#TOC-Ki-Pool-Su-) and Ki Strike (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/#TOC-Ki-Strike-Su-).


Style Strikes

A Monk Disciple gains the Unchained Monk’s Style Strike (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/monk-unchained/#TOC-Style-Strike-Ex-) feature at level 4, rather than level 5. The Monk Disciple chooses a Style Strike from the Unchained Monk’s list at fourth level, and at every level indicated by the Unchained Monk class, except 5th level.

This ability alters the Style Strike at level 5.


Monk Disciple Style Strikes

In addition to the strike chosen at level 4, the Monk Disciple learns strikes from a special list. These strikes may only be learned by a Monk Disciple, and they are the only style strikes which may be used with the Monk Disciple’s maneuver recovery method. They learn one at level 4, and a second at level 8.

The style strikes which may be chosen at these levels are:


Foot Lock: As the Unchained Monk's Foot Stomp Style Strike, except that the damage inflicted is halved, and non-lethal.
Jarring Feint: The Monk Disciple knows how to throw an opponent off the tempo of the fight. With an expertly timed feint, they leave the opponent rattled. When the Monk Disciple uses this style strike, he replaces the attack with a feint attempt.He may utilize the attack bonus of the attack he replaces, in place of a Bluff check, if he wishes. If the feint succeeds, the target is shaken until the beginning of the Disciple’s next turn.
Low Blow: The quest for martial perfection includes knowledge of the most vulnerable places to strike an opponent. The Monk Disciple makes an attack as normal, but inflicts only half of the normal damage, and the damage inflicted is non-lethal. If the attack succeeds, the Monk Disciple gets a free combat maneuver against the target, using the attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe. This attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the combat maneuver attempt succeeds, the target is sickened until the beginning of the Monk Disciple’s next turn. The Monk Disciple must attack with a kick to use this style strike.
Shoulder Check: The attack made does only half of its normal damage, and this is non-lethal damage. If the attack is successful, the Monk Disciple may make a free Reposition combat maneuver, using the base attack bonus of the attack used to hit the foe. This maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The Monk Disciple must attack with a shoulder or hip to use this style strike.

Perfected Skills

A Monk Disciple's intense training and introspection have given him unusual insights into a handful of specific skills.

At level 5, the Monk Disciple’s dedication to their martial training bears fruit in the form of near-supernatural acrobatic prowess. The Monk Disciple gains the skill unlock powers for the Acrobatics skill (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/acrobatics#Unchained-Skill-Unlock) as appropriate for his number of ranks in that skill.

At level 12, the Monk Disciple’s practice with grapples, locks, throws, and counters has given them a greater than normal ability to escape from such attacks, and entangling effects, as well as from a bound state. The Monk Disciple gains the skill unlock powers for the Escape Artist skill (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/escape-artist#Unchained-Skill-Unlock) as appropriate for his number of ranks in that skill.

[kelly R]

So, I'm throwing together a more or less all Path of War campaign, and making a bunch of pregens for my players, and I've included a bunch of the martial disciple archetypes for standard classes (Like Hidden Blade, and such), but Monk of the Silver Fist drives me up the wall. It's... not a monk. And it's not compatible with Unchained Monk at all. Even if you switch the things that replace specific features to replacing equivalent leveled Ki Powers, it has the glaring issue that its Stances feature overwrites Flurry of Blows, which renders Style Strikes unusable. At which point, what point is there even making it work with UnMonk?

And really, what I want is just UnMonk with maneuvers instead of Ki Powers.

Basically, it gives up Ki Powers entirely for its maneuvers and stances. Then I built it a custom recovery method because Silver Fist's recovery method is steeped in the Silver Fist class's gauntlet shield theme, and I wanted something that just made more sense with what a monk is normally doing. It keeps Flurry, and gives up the bonus feat at level 1 instead. I know those aren't anything like equivalent, but I think flurry isn't really OP for an archetype maneuver progression class (It only gets up to level 6 maneuvers), especially given that outside of a few specific maneuvers, you're generally choosing between Flurry or a Strike, not both.

I gave it more choices with regard to disciplines, because, frankly there are just more disciplines available now than there were when Silver Fist was published. I stuck mostly to things that have unarmed strike as a discipline weapon, with a few options if you wanted to branch out beyond those.

I also moved access to Style Strikes one level earlier, because it loses the level 4 Ki Power. I gave it Unchained Skill Unlocks at levels 5 and 12 to patch over dead levels left behind by the loss of all Ki Powers. The thought being that Skill Unlocks are cool, but not immensely powerful.

The main potential concerns I have with it are that leaving the Monk's unarmed damage progression could be a bit too strong, in which case it might need to be dialed back to the Brawler's progression, and that the extra style strikes it gets to work with its recovery method may be too good, in which case I may dial them back to just all do no damage, rather than half damage, nonlethal.

Also that the name is really unimaginative. If you have ideas for a better name, feel free to suggest them :D

Please read and let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Edit: Oh! Since I just hit 10 posts here finally, and can post links, if you'd like to see this with slightly nicer formatting and hyperlinks to the PFSRD for relevant things, you may check out my working document on google docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10pM54FYgS0jnOvX7j26qTKOAvfIrTpcFFdx2Da4ajkI/edit?usp=sharing

[legomaster00156]

Fool's Errand is already available to any initiator by changing one of their disciplines known for it.

[kelly R]

Fool's Errand is already available to any initiator by changing one of their disciplines known for it.

Yeah, I know, but I thought I'd make it an explicitly available one for this archetype since it's a very monk-y discipline. Honestly I almost didn't give this archetype Broken Blade at all, but ultimately figured I'd give the choice between the two.

Thank you for the feedback though!

Edit: I should probably mention that I ultimately decided to give them the option of Broken Blade, instead of mandating Fool's Errand, because Fool's Errand isn't on the PFSRD, and a lot of players and DMs don't actually have the books, and play just from the SRD. So I didn't want to lock this to only people who have the Fool's Errand book.

[Aldrakan]

A minor formatting issue, Maneuvers, Maneuvers Readied, and Stances are generally treated as a single ability for these archetypes rather than split in two, the whole thing should say it replaces: Ki Power, the bonus feat gained at first level, and Stunning Fist.
I assume it's a typo that they're listed as picking from stances available to the monk of the silver fist.


It incentives an unusual playstyle; because flurrying is incompatible with making a strike it encourages the use of boosts, counters, and utility strikes. This isn't a problem, though they will be hungry for swift/immediate actions.
Given that I'd consider changing Ki pool as well. Without ki powers it lacks versatility and will be overshadowed by boosts anyway. Perhaps it could be turned into some way to unify power points and animus pool points for sleeping goddess and elemental flux.


I do think there's an issue with how Style Strikes are handled. Normally, although I suppose it's not crucial, a character would have access to all of their standard recovery methods from first level.
More importantly, I think as it stands it's somewhat confusing. You have two kinds of strikes, separate from your Path of War Strikes, both of them are called Style Strikes, they work similarly but not the same, two of them have the same name, Foot Stomp - and hypothetically you could take both versions.

[kelly R]

A minor formatting issue, Maneuvers, Maneuvers Readied, and Stances are generally treated as a single ability for these archetypes rather than split in two, the whole thing should say it replaces: Ki Power, the bonus feat gained at first level, and Stunning Fist.

It's a bit of a weird thing because the Maneuvers, Maneuvers Readied, and Stances are always under different headings, with the same heading style, so there's no indication they're not separate features. The "replaces" clause does always go on Stances though, so I can move the Ki Power replacement to there.


I assume it's a typo that they're listed as picking from stances available to the monk of the silver fist.

Not so much a typo, as I copied and pasted Silver Fist and then started modifying. I did a search and replace, but it missed "monks of the silver fist" as that's not "monk of the silver fist" of course. Thank you for catching that.


It incentives an unusual playstyle; because flurrying is incompatible with making a strike it encourages the use of boosts, counters, and utility strikes. This isn't a problem, though they will be hungry for swift/immediate actions.
Given that I'd consider changing Ki pool as well. Without ki powers it lacks versatility and will be overshadowed by boosts anyway. Perhaps it could be turned into some way to unify power points and animus pool points for sleeping goddess and elemental flux.

I didn't so much intend to incentivize that playstyle, as simply give the option of flurry or strike, depending on the situation, but I can see what you mean. If you're min/maxing, it does make sense to invest heavily in counters and boosts, and use strikes for utility and flurry for damage (Since flurry is often going to outdamage the strikes you have available). I agree that it's not necessarily a problem, because even then you're choosing between going full damage, or doing less damage in exchange for gaining some other form of advantage.

It does allow for problems like Bronze Knuckle + Flurry, but I think we all know Bronze Knuckle is a problem in general, so it's not really so much an issue with this archetype in particular.

The ki pool, I had figured to leave it for the extra flurry attack, but I see your point. That's literally the only use left for spending the ki points. I hadn't worried too much about the archetype's lack of Animus and Power Point pools, because I feel Elemental Flux and Sleeping Goddess are both quite viable (Maybe even "stronger than average") disciplines even if you can't augment, and there are feats to provide both pools.

However, I could perhaps grant the archetype an animus pool, which would also let them burn animus to augment Sleeping Goddess maneuvers for the cost of a single feat later, if the player wants. If I also let them spend a single animus point per turn to get an extra flurry attack, as a monk can with the ki pool, that would cover everything, and also leave them with the situation of needing to choose where to put that single point of animus they gather each round. Which is a good thing. Having to manage resources and make tactical decisions is good and keeps gameplay from getting monotonous.

It would lose them the other benefits of a ki pool, but frankly breaching damage reduction isn't that difficult when you have maneuvers, and if you're actually invested in fighting unarmed you're going to have an Amulet of Mighty Fists by level 4 anyway, so that covers the -/magic DR.



I do think there's an issue with how Style Strikes are handled. Normally, although I suppose it's not crucial, a character would have access to all of their standard recovery methods from first level.
More importantly, I think as it stands it's somewhat confusing. You have two kinds of strikes, separate from your Path of War Strikes, both of them are called Style Strikes, they work similarly but not the same, two of them have the same name, Foot Stomp - and hypothetically you could take both versions.

The War Soul (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/war-soul-soulknife-archetype/) archetype also has this issue, with a recovery method that doesn't come online until level 4. I think there may be a couple others.

I didn't want to give them a team buffing full-round action recovery method (As is somewhat standard for most initiators), because the archetype's theme felt a bit more "selfish" to me, in that the Monk Disciple is seeking personal perfection, and I ideally wanted it to work with one of their class features as many of the archetypes' recovery methods do. So I gave them what I felt was a somewhat sub-par recovery method for their "full round action" method, and then a more useful method relying on a class feature. The first method can be used until they reach level 4, at which point they're probably going to prefer to use their special style strikes.

As far as the confusion between the multiple types of Style Strikes, I was taking my lead from the Hidden Blade (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/archetypes/dreamscarred-press-rogue-archetypes/hidden-blade-rogue-archetype) archetype, which gains access to the Warlord's gambits, and picks up a handful of extra gambits specifically for that archetype. I didn't want to actually give this archetype gambits, as that would be just too good, in my opinion, so I tried to give them some style strikes that would be a bit of a damage nerf in exchange for a utility effect and a maneuver recovery.

I might want to break out the list of their special style strikes from the block moving the style strike feature from level 5 to level 4, and I could give the archetype-specific version of Foot Stomp a different name, I suppose.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it, and will be thinking about your suggestions!

[Aldrakan]

It does allow for problems like Bronze Knuckle + Flurry, but I think we all know Bronze Knuckle is a problem in general, so it's not really so much an issue with this archetype in particular.

The ki pool, I had figured to leave it for the extra flurry attack, but I see your point. That's literally the only use left for spending the ki points. I hadn't worried too much about the archetype's lack of Animus and Power Point pools, because I feel Elemental Flux and Sleeping Goddess are both quite viable (Maybe even "stronger than average") disciplines even if you can't augment, and there are feats to provide both pools.

However, I could perhaps grant the archetype an animus pool, which would also let them burn animus to augment Sleeping Goddess maneuvers for the cost of a single feat later, if the player wants. If I also let them spend a single animus point per turn to get an extra flurry attack, as a monk can with the ki pool, that would cover everything, and also leave them with the situation of needing to choose where to put that single point of animus they gather each round. Which is a good thing. Having to manage resources and make tactical decisions is good and keeps gameplay from getting monotonous.

It would lose them the other benefits of a ki pool, but frankly breaching damage reduction isn't that difficult when you have maneuvers, and if you're actually invested in fighting unarmed you're going to have an Amulet of Mighty Fists by level 4 anyway, so that covers the -/magic DR.


Yes, combining Broken Blade with full attacks at all can be a problem from the "damage matters" perspective.:smallsmile:
However they'll usually be gaining 2 animus points a turn (one automatically, one from using a maneuver) following the usual method. If it's a swift action to use an animus point to gain an extra attack that seems fine, though it has the aforementioned issue of being overshadowed by boosts and counters, if it's a free action that's basically a free extra attack a turn and makes the BB/full attack issue worse.




The War Soul (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/war-soul-soulknife-archetype/) archetype also has this issue, with a recovery method that doesn't come online until level 4. I think there may be a couple others.

I didn't want to give them a team buffing full-round action recovery method (As is somewhat standard for most initiators), because the archetype's theme felt a bit more "selfish" to me, in that the Monk Disciple is seeking personal perfection, and I ideally wanted it to work with one of their class features as many of the archetypes' recovery methods do. So I gave them what I felt was a somewhat sub-par recovery method for their "full round action" method, and then a more useful method relying on a class feature. The first method can be used until they reach level 4, at which point they're probably going to prefer to use their special style strikes.

As far as the confusion between the multiple types of Style Strikes, I was taking my lead from the Hidden Blade (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/archetypes/dreamscarred-press-rogue-archetypes/hidden-blade-rogue-archetype) archetype, which gains access to the Warlord's gambits, and picks up a handful of extra gambits specifically for that archetype. I didn't want to actually give this archetype gambits, as that would be just too good, in my opinion, so I tried to give them some style strikes that would be a bit of a damage nerf in exchange for a utility effect and a maneuver recovery.

I might want to break out the list of their special style strikes from the block moving the style strike feature from level 5 to level 4, and I could give the archetype-specific version of Foot Stomp a different name, I suppose.


I view the War Soul's 4th level as a situational recovery method rather than a primary one, as they can only do it upon dropping an opponent, while the Monk Disciple always wants to be using the recovery strike method as soon as they get it.
I should have said I do think the concept of having one or more bonus style strikes that are less aggressive but recover maneuvers is a good, unique method appropriate to the monk, it just needs some fine-tuning in the mechanics. You could even give it to them from first level and drop the other option.

Oh, forgot to mention you might consider shuffling around the monk bonus feats options to include some Path of War or Psionic feats. I don't really have any more specific suggestions there.

[kelly R]

Yes, combining Broken Blade with full attacks at all can be a problem from the "damage matters" perspective.:smallsmile:
However they'll usually be gaining 2 animus points a turn (one automatically, one from using a maneuver) following the usual method. If it's a swift action to use an animus point to gain an extra attack that seems fine, though it has the aforementioned issue of being overshadowed by boosts and counters, if it's a free action that's basically a free extra attack a turn and makes the BB/full attack issue worse.

Yeah, that's why I had been considering not including Broken Blade at all, and just giving them Fool's Errand. But that has the problem of Fool's Errand not being on the SRD. I think I can't worry too much about BB being an issue with the archetype, because I feel like if you're allowing Broken Blade in your games at all, there has to be a bit of a gentleman's agreement to not abuse it, and maybe even some houserules going on.

I might make it a swift action to use Animus to get the extra flurry attack, but yes, that does get overshadowed by some boosts, and eats your counter, and also makes a couple Boosts (Flash Kick, and Minute Hand, off the top of my head) redundant and useless. So I'd have to think about that.

They do only get 2 Animus per round if they use a maneuver, and while I grant that at mid-high level that's going to be the rule rather than the exception, I think at low level a player is actually likely to stack this with multiple attack strikes, rather than Boosts. I mean, for one thing there aren't a lot of level 1 Boosts to stack in it, and for another, you can't reliably flurry until level 4, assuming you take Flying Kick as your level 4 Style Strike (But I mean, who am I kidding, everyone takes Flying Kick as their first Style Strike). Until then, if you want to move and do decent damage in the same turn, you need a Strike. So, yeah, you'd be getting 2 Animus on turns like that, but only 1 on turns where you actually flurry.

Granted, Ki Pool is a level 3 ability, so presumably the Animus pool for this archetype would slot in there, and you only have one level where you do have that, but don't yet have flying kick. Still, I think between that, and spending animus to augment maneuvers, you're likely burning it fast enough. Especially if you took Awakened Animus and are using Sleeping Goddess augments, which tend to be more costly.

Frankly I think if you're pulling Bronze Knuckle + flurry type tricks on the regular, you're already killing everybody in the room anyway, and one more attack probably isn't going to be the straw that broke the camel's back. But I'll think about it.


I view the War Soul's 4th level as a situational recovery method rather than a primary one, as they can only do it upon dropping an opponent, while the Monk Disciple always wants to be using the recovery strike method as soon as they get it.
I should have said I do think the concept of having one or more bonus style strikes that are less aggressive but recover maneuvers is a good, unique method appropriate to the monk, it just needs some fine-tuning in the mechanics. You could even give it to them from first level and drop the other option.

Oh, forgot to mention you might consider shuffling around the monk bonus feats options to include some Path of War or Psionic feats. I don't really have any more specific suggestions there.

I suppose I could give the archetype Style Strike (1/round) at level 1, with the caveat that they could only choose from the Monk Disciple's specific style strikes, and then they can choose a normal one at level 4. If I were doing that though, I might have to eliminate the damage dealt by those style strikes entirely.

Adding some PoW and/or Psionic feats to the bonus feats is probably a good idea. Deadly Agility pops to mind as an obvious one.

Thanks for the feedback again. I already threw in some of the formatting things from your previous post, and I've got a lot to think about :smallamused:

[kelly R]

So I went ahead and gave the archetype an Animus pool through the Tap Animus feat, and while I was at it, I realized that I was replacing two class features (Ki Pool and Ki Strike), so I decided that was probably worth giving them Awakened Animus as well.

Technically any Monk Disciple that keeps Sleeping Goddess will have a power point pool, but it's an extremely limited one, and Animus builds slowly, so I don't see it being a huge balance issue. Especially given that you're still limited in how many points you can use to augment.

If anything I'd almost like to take that Power Point pool away, but it's baked into Sleeping Goddess, and they don't get their Animus pool until level 3. I tend to feel the mechanics of Animus lead to cooler "fluff" for a scene, anime style building up power for your big attacks, but this still works.

Still thinking about whether or not I should give them Style Strike (1/round) at level 1 (Restricted only to their specific recovery strikes, obviously).