New Feat for Chargers, especially Monks

[Lyuketsu]

Decided that monks need a good reason to charge a bit more.

Momentum Strike
Prerequisites – Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, BAB +6
Benefit – By expending a daily use of Stunning Fist, you can make a charge attack using the normal charging rules to do extra damage with your unarmed attack. When making a charge, every 5 ft. that you move beyond 20 ft. adds an extra damage die to your attack and lowers your AC by an extra 2 points; if the attack succeeds, you take a number of points of damage equal to the extra die that is added to your attack. E.g. if your unarmed attack does a base of 1d8, and you charge 30 ft., you do 3d8 points of damage, your AC drops by an extra 4 points, and you take 2 points of damage. Also, you may make a Strength check to move the target after the attack. On a success, you move the target back 5 ft. for every 5 points that you beat their Strength check.
Special – A monk may take this as their Bonus Feat at level 6 even though they do not meet the BAB prerequisite.

Any and all comments and ideas are welcome!

[Nerth]

You forgot the most important line: "Special: A fighter may select Momentum Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I like the premise of the feat (if you charge further, you can spend a 'special unarmed strikes per day' charge to deal extra damage and push the target back)! Here are my two copper pieces.


Benefit – By expending a daily use of Stunning Fist, you can make a charge attack using the normal charging rules to do extra damage with your unarmed attack. When making a charge, every 5 ft. that you move beyond 20 ft. ...

I would say experiment with different movement increments; since the minimum distance for charging and the increments of a monk's unarmored speed bonus is 10 ft., how does this feat look if the benefits applied every 10 ft. afterwards?


... and lowers your AC by an extra 2 points; if the attack succeeds, you take a number of points of damage equal to the extra die that is added to your attack.

This isn't exactly pounce + flurry of blows either, so do they really need another -2 penalty to AC or to take damage? Would just the penalty to AC make sense? What if the penalty were -1 per movement increment?


Also, you may make a Strength check to move the target after the attack. On a success, you move the target back 5 ft. for every 5 points that you beat their Strength check.

The final comment is a bit of semantics. I would want it crystal clear that the monk can make a Strength check to push the target if he hits. Also, we have something similar already in bull rush. Would it read better if it was something like, "If you hit the target, you may then make a bull rush as a free action. If you beat the defender's Strength result, you push him back 5 feet plus an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than his. This doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender and you don't move back 5 feet if you fail, but you can't choose to move with the defender."

In any case, nice job finding an interesting concept! Monks do need to charge more.

[Lyuketsu]

Hi, thank you so much for your insight! You made some very good points which i have addressed and playtested.


"Special: A fighter may select Momentum Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I can't believe i forgot such an important part of a fighting feat! Foolish foolish mortal that i am!!!


I would say experiment with different movement increments; since the minimum distance for charging and the increments of a monk's unarmored speed bonus is 10 ft., how does this feat look if the benefits applied every 10 ft. afterwards?

I was honestly looking at scout speed progression, and forgot that monks got 10 ft. increases, so i have adjusted it.


This isn't exactly pounce + flurry of blows either, so do they really need another -2 penalty to AC or to take damage? Would just the penalty to AC make sense? What if the penalty were -1 per movement increment?

This part is more about how they leave themselves more vulnerable by building up momentum and force into a single strike. I didn't put it in the original, which is my fault, but the intention is that once their AC reaches 0, they can't build up more momentum or more damage, as a kind of balance to the potential massive damage that they would be able to do. The extra damage also takes a balancing mechanic. I am still in the process of playtesting it long term, so the extra damage might be removed, but in my experience a bit of damage like this makes it less OP.

I have fixed the Bull Rush part that you mentioned, so thank you for that!

I will post the update underneath.
Sorry for my rambling, and thank you again!



Momentum Strike
Prerequisites – Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, BAB +6
Benefit – By expending a daily use of Stunning Fist, you can make a charge attack using the normal charging rules to do extra damage with your unarmed attack. When making a charge, every 10 ft. that you move beyond 20 ft. adds an extra damage die to your attack and lowers your AC by an extra 2 points; once your AC drops to 0, you cannot gain any more momentum and thus cannot gain more damage dice on the attack. If the attack succeeds, you take a number of points of damage equal to the extra die that is added to your attack. E.g. if your unarmed attack does a base of 1d8, and you charge 40 ft., you do 3d8 points of damage, your AC drops by an extra 4 points, and you take 2 points of damage.
Also, you may make a Bull Rush attempt as a free action if you hit with your attack. After the hit is resolved, you and the defender make opposed Strength checks. You each add a +4 bonus for each size category you are larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for each size category you are smaller than Medium. You get a +2 bonus if you are charging. The defender gets a +4 bonus if he has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
If you beat the defender’s Strength check result, you push him back 5 feet. If you wish to move with the defender, you can push him back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than the defender’s check result. You can’t, however, exceed your normal movement limit. (Note: The defender provokes attacks of opportunity if he is moved. So do you, if you move with him. The two of you do not provoke attacks of opportunity from each other, however.)
If you fail to beat the defender’s Strength check result, you move 5 feet straight back to where you were before you moved into his space. If that space is occupied, you fall prone in that space.
Special – A monk may take this as their Bonus Feat at level 6 even though they do not meet the BAB prerequisite. A Fighter may select Momentum Strike as one of his bonus feats.

[Adamantrue]

Reading this, I'm thinking that this should be involved with a Monk Fighting Style (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#monkVariantFightingSty les).

For example, the damage portion could be strictly a function of the Feat, but the Bull Rush portion would be the result of the Fighting Style bonus ability.

[Vaern]

It should specify whether it increases the damage of your first unarmed attack when making a charge or all unarmed attacks. Combined with things that grant extra attacks like snap kick - which gives you a free bonus unarmed attack with any unarmed attack you make once per round, presumably including charge attacks - or if added into a pounce build, this could become an extremely powerful feat (though that may be your intent). Though I suppose flying kick has the same wording on its extra 1d12 damage to your unarmed attack.