Katana Monk? (Pathfinder)

[Nosta]

So I heard there is away to get katanas as a monk weapon?
This intrigues me but I am unsure how to build it

And if the possibility is there i rather use Unchained monk for it


What are the ways of making such a build?

[RatElemental]

You can use the crusader's flurry feat to turn any weapon into a monk weapon at the cost of dipping a level of cleric and worshiping a god that favors that weapon.

I would suggest using the weapon adept monk archetype too.

[Divine Susuryu]

Off the top of my head, you dip a level of Crusader Cleric of a deity that has the Katana as a favoured weapon. Then, take the feat Crusader's Flurry, and Bob's your uncle.

EDIT: swordsage'd

[Nosta]

You can use the crusader's flurry feat to turn any weapon into a monk weapon at the cost of dipping a level of cleric and worshiping a god that favors that weapon.

I would suggest using the weapon adept monk archetype too.

I see o.o

Thanks.

Would I not need the Ascetic Style line to make it work?

[RatElemental]

I see o.o

Thanks.

Would I not need the Ascetic Style line to make it work?

I don't actually know much about monks in pathfinder, but looking more deeply into this I've got the basics of a build figured out.

At first level, be a Cleric of Shizuru, using the crusader archetype. Crusader gives up 1 spell slot per spell level and one domain, but at first level gives you a bonus feat from a list which includes weapon focus. take weapon focus (katana). You are then free to switch to weapon adept monk for the rest of your levels, taking crusader flurry at level 3 for the katana.

Looking at the wording of ascetic style, it's questionable it would even be applicable to the katana. Crusader's flurry lets you 'use your deity's favored weapon as a monk weapon' while ascetic style tells you to 'choose a weapon from the monk fighter weapon group'

Katanas are not in that group.

Some of the goodies weapon adept gives also have the same problem, but there's a lot that will apply to the katana and most of what you give up can only be done while not armed or is of dubious use in the first place.

[Nosta]

I don't actually know much about monks in pathfinder, but looking more deeply into this I've got the basics of a build figured out.

At first level, be a Cleric of Shizuru, using the crusader archetype. Crusader gives up 1 spell slot per spell level and one domain, but at first level gives you a bonus feat from a list which includes weapon focus. take weapon focus (katana). You are then free to switch to weapon adept monk for the rest of your levels, taking crusader flurry at level 3 for the katana.

Looking at the wording of ascetic style, it's questionable it would even be applicable to the katana. Crusader's flurry lets you 'use your deity's favored weapon as a monk weapon' while ascetic style tells you to 'choose a weapon from the monk fighter weapon group'

Katanas are not in that group.

Some of the goodies weapon adept gives also have the same problem, but there's a lot that will apply to the katana and most of what you give up can only be done while not armed or is of dubious use in the first place.

I see I think there's away to get a weapon to change groups

Verstile design I think.

Any way could I get stat and advice on my other feats?

Planing a build that will go from level 5 to 10

[RatElemental]

I see I think there's away to get a weapon to change groups

Verstile design I think.

Any way could I get stat and advice on my other feats?

Planing a build that will go from level 5 to 10

Versatile design looks like a bust too, but if I were the DM I would probably allow it (I'd probably just upgrade crusader's flurry to make you able to treat katanas as part of that group to begin with). The problem is that it lets you treat the weapon it's applied to as if it belonged to another weapon group for the purpose of things like fighter's weapon training, but ascetic style makes you pick a specific weapon from the monk weapon group.

That said, there is a part of the feat I had missed before. At 5th level ascetic style lets you use it with any monk weapon, which crusader's flurry lets you treat katanas as, so you're actually good to go after level 5. This opens up some more options, for instance you could drop the weapon adept archetype and use stunning fist with your katana.

[Nosta]

Versatile design looks like a bust too, but if I were the DM I would probably allow it (I'd probably just upgrade crusader's flurry to make you able to treat katanas as part of that group to begin with). The problem is that it lets you treat the weapon it's applied to as if it belonged to another weapon group for the purpose of things like fighter's weapon training, but ascetic style makes you pick a specific weapon from the monk weapon group.

That said, there is a part of the feat I had missed before. At 5th level ascetic style lets you use it with any monk weapon, which crusader's flurry lets you treat katanas as, so you're actually good to go after level 5. This opens up some more options, for instance you could drop the weapon adept archetype and use stunning fist with your katana.

Yep that's the plan. I was just trying to figure out how to get there o.o

[RatElemental]

As far as I can tell, ascetic form and ascetic strike can be used just fine with the katana as well.

And none of this seems to preclude being an unchained monk.

So final build outline

Race: human (or any other race that gets +1 feat at first)
Monk as favored class. Grants more ki points if that matters to you

Level 1: Unchained Monk
Weapon Focus (any given monk weapon, requirement for ascetic style)
Ascetic Style (with that same weapon)
Monk Weapon Skill Trait (handy if traits are in play, free +1 damage with the katana)

Level 2: Crusader Cleric (of Shizuru)
Law Domain (domain power isn't tied to cleric level and is pretty useful)
Weapon Focus (Katana) (bonus feat from archetype)

Level 3: Unchained Monk
Crusader's Flurry (Katana)

Level 4: Unchained Monk

Level 5: Unchained Monk
Ascetic style now applies to katanas by dint of them being a monk weapon for you
Feat of choice (something that requires improved unarmed strike perhaps?)

Ascetic Form as 7th level feat.
Ascetic Strike as 9th level
Edit: Can't take ascetic form at 5 because not enough BAB.

[Psyren]

If you don't want to dip and you're okay waiting until 7th-level, you can pick up Crusader's Flurry from VMC Cleric and stay straight monk. You start to get pretty feat-starved this route though, so a dip is likely preferable.