How does Monastic Feat Training feat actually work?

[Guipqt]

1) I am trying to build an optimized enlightened fist build. For that, I looked for a non multiclassing way of a monk to have arcane caster levels, when I bumped into the monastic training feat ( Eberron Campaign Setting, p. 57) wich says:

"Pick one class. Taking levels in this class does not prevent you from taking monk levels. If you take levels in any other class, you lose your ability to progress as a monk as usual. If the selected class also has restricted advancement, such as the paladin class, taking monk levels does not prevent you from advancing in that class."

So, correct me if I'm wrong, Whenever I level up the chosen class I'm able to get one monk level "for free"? That means that a first level character can actually have 2 classes: the first being the class I chose and the second being the monk one. It can't be that way, right?

2) About the Tashalatora feat ( Secrets of Sarlona, p. 119), isn't it completely redundant when it says that the psionic class level stacks with monk levels? If you already gain monk levels as advancement in the chosen class from Monastic Training, what's the purpose of this feat?

3) If I, for example, take this feat into Barbarian, and then take wizard levels, would it count as having 3 different classes for the purpose of XP penalties? How BAB, Saves and other stuff would work altogether?

[MultitudeMan]

I don't think this feat is somehow making you a gestalt, or anything. It's just removing this restriction from returning to Monk when multiclassing:

"Like a member of any other class, a monk may be a multiclass character, but multiclass monks face a special restriction. A monk who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her monk level, though she retains all her monk abilities."

[redking]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, Whenever I level up the chosen class I'm able to get one monk level "for free"? That means that a first level character can actually have 2 classes: the first being the class I chose and the second being the monk one. It can't be that way, right?

You are wrong. A monk that takes levels in another class cannot normally take levels monk again in the future. This feat let's you sidestep that restriction. It confers no other benefits and gives no monk abilities.


2) About the Tashalatora feat ( Secrets of Sarlona, p. 119), isn't it completely redundant when it says that the psionic class level stacks with monk levels? If you already gain monk levels as advancement in the chosen class from Monastic Training, what's the purpose of this feat?


"Your levels in the psionic class you selected for Monastic Traning stack with your monk levels to determine your AC bonus, flurry of blows attacks, and unarmed damage from the monk class". Tashlatora provides these benefits and only these benefits. It doesn't give full levels of monk.


3) If I, for example, take this feat into Barbarian, and then take wizard levels, would it count as having 3 different classes for the purpose of XP penalties? How BAB, Saves and other stuff would work altogether?

None of the above. If you had monastic training keyed to barbarian, then you would not meet the tashlatora prerequisite of "Monastic Training (ECS) (psionic class)". If you did not select a psionic class for monastic training then you cannot take the tashlatora feat.

[Jervis]

That’s not how that works. It just means you don’t loose the ability to take monk levels if you multiclass. Like if paladins or monks take levels in, say, wizard they can’t take any more levels in Paladin or Monk. This feat removes that restriction. Tashlatora lets your levels in a chosen psionic class count as monk levels for some abilities. So Monk 1/ Ardent 19 has 20th level monk abilities in some areas.

As an aside making a Monk Psionic character is much easier than a monk caster. I recommend Sha’ir Monk into Enlightened Fist, gives full CL and full BAB. Well, RAW it does, text beats table but YMMV based on dm ruling. Personally I think the feat tax is heavy enough that it’s not a big deal.

[Guipqt]

Thanks guys! You answered all my questions quickly and perfectly!