3.5 Lv. 1 Monk ACF

[JeenLeen]

I'm playing a wizard who is taking a level dip into Monk, using Carmendine Monk to get the Int to AC.

Besides the AC bonus, all the monk class features for level one are rather useless. Are there any alternative class features that are recommended? I'm particularly interested in an ACF for the bonus feat.
Any books but ToB are allowed. I'm a Gray Elf, if race matters.

(I know this all goes against the "don't lose caster levels", but it works in the campaign I'm in.)

[Iku Rex]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...FightingStyles

(Improved Grapple isn't bad though.)

[Signmaker]

Dragon Magic replaces your first level monk bonus feat with energy punches. Other than that, I don't know of any others. Most ACFs generally tweak Still Mind, Slow Fall, or Ki Strike. Elves don't have substitution levels for monk either, so no go there.

And then there's the fighting school styles as shown in the SRD by an above poster.

[Eldariel]

Well, you can get Toughness from Undying Way...

[JeenLeen]

If my DM allows it, I'll probably get Toughness or Dodge.

I would go Improved Grapple, but I have Freedom of Movement on my armor, so I don't need it. Well, I do if I initiate a grapple, but as a wizard with 6 strength unbuffed, I doubt I'll be doing that.

[Totally Guy]

Tell me more about this carmendine.

I'm looking at an enlightened fist character myself but chose sorcerer over wizard in the end because the only source of Int to AC I could find was Dragon Magazine's Kung Fu Genius feat.

You only really need 1 monk level to access the enlightened fist Prestige class but you'd need to take Stunning Fist as the class feature.

[JeenLeen]

Tell me more about this carmendine.

I'm looking at an enlightened fist character myself but chose sorcerer over wizard in the end because the only source of Int to AC I could find was Dragon Magazine's Kung Fu Genius feat.

You only really need 1 monk level to access the enlightened fist Prestige class but you'd need to take Stunning Fist as the class feature.

It's in Champions of Valor, a setting book, although I forget what setting. Prereq of Int 13 and membership in the Carmendine order of monks, IIRC. It gives you Int to AC instead of Wis. Also, you can review your thesis notes for an hour once per 24 hour period to treat your monk level as 2 higher (IIRC) for a given one monk ability (flurry of blows, movement, AC bonus, maybe more).

Edit: it might be a 3.0 book not updated to 3.5

[Iku Rex]

Well, I do if I initiate a grapple, but as a wizard with 6 strength unbuffed, I doubt I'll be doing that.

Unbuffed, no. But then you polymorph onto some Huge, strong creature and cast fearsome grapple (SpC) for an additional +8 bonus...

[T.G. Oskar]

It's in Champions of Valor, a setting book, although I forget what setting. Prereq of Int 13 and membership in the Carmendine order of monks, IIRC. It gives you Int to AC instead of Wis. Also, you can review your thesis notes for an hour once per 24 hour period to treat your monk level as 2 higher (IIRC) for a given one monk ability (flurry of blows, movement, AC bonus, maybe more).

Edit: it might be a 3.0 book not updated to 3.5

Champions of Valor is a Forgotten Realms setting book, mostly considered a spiritual successor to the Book of Exalted Deeds. It has spells, feats, PrCs and such for members of good-aligned faiths.

Carmendine Monk requires Int 13 and membership in the Zealotsof the Written Word. Basically, it makes you a smarter Monk by replacing any instance in which the Monk depends on Wisdom with Intelligence (so your AC depends on Intelligence, and the DC of Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm also goes with your Int) As well, if you spend one hour of study, you can treat your Monk level as 2 higher for the purposes of determining the bonus of either your Unarmed Strike damage, your AC bonus, or your unarmored speed bonus for 24 hours.

The book is 3.5 material, so unless you aren't allowed to use books from other campaign settings, you can use this one.

As a bonus (oddly enough), if you belong to the Order of the Zealots you can multiclass freely as Cleric (quite bizarre, since you're sacrificing Wis for Int and you get free multiclassing to a Wis class...)

[Person_Man]

Are you doing this for fluff, or for crunch?

If you're doing it for roleplaying reasons, then I have nothing to argue with.

If you're doing it to gain a bonus to AC, you're making a big mistake. Access to more and higher level spells is far more powerful then a bonus to AC, and there are innumerable spells and magic items which provide an AC bonus, Miss Change, DR, etc.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I think you could make an interesting Monk/Wizard gish, but you won't have an easy time of it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You don't need any actual levels in the Monk class to take Carmendine Monk, just take the feat and wear a Monk's Belt and don't waste a level that could have progressed your spellcasting ability.

[Totally Guy]

I think you could make an interesting Monk/Wizard gish, but you won't have an easy time of it.

Tell me about it. I'm totally sucking at second level. I'll not be any good until I hit 6th I reckon.

[AstralFire]

Tell me about it. I'm totally sucking at second level. I'll not be any good until I hit 6th I reckon.

I win again, Mister Crocogod.

[JeenLeen]

Are you doing this for fluff, or for crunch?

If you're doing it for roleplaying reasons, then I have nothing to argue with.

If you're doing it to gain a bonus to AC, you're making a big mistake. Access to more and higher level spells is far more powerful then a bonus to AC, and there are innumerable spells and magic items which provide an AC bonus, Miss Change, DR, etc.

Crunch.
I'm hitting level 21, and probably going to 25 at least. I'm currently 19 levels of full-caster progression (lost one to Warweaver). Practiced Spellcaster keeps my caster level up for reasons of SR and resisting dispel. I already have level 9 spells and most if not all good buffs that the DM hasn't banned, so this seems a worthwhile dip for the AC.
Also, getting Tumble as a class skill is nice, too, for avoiding AoO.

The rest of the team are full casters (druid or cleric) with a level dip of Monk or Ninja for the Wis-to-AC. Houserule prevents level dips into PrC--if I start one, I must finish it to enter a second--so a lot of appetizing dips are prohibited. This does slow down my spells/day by a little bit, but not enough for it to seem to matter.

At 21 I am:
Wizard 5 / Warweaver 5 / Ruathar (RP purposes) 3 / Abjurant Champion 5 / War Wizard of Cormyr 2 / Monk 1
Might should have taken Nightmare Spinner instead of War Wiz for spells/day, but, too late to change that.


To another's question about grappling:
Polymorph and etc. are banned by houserule, so no go on that.