Monk/Druid Multiclass

[Siric]

So, I was talking with a friend about the Druid Wild Shape Variant-Aspect of Nature, and I prefer it over Wild Shape. One of the reasons is turning on fire is pretty wicked. Some how, we brought Monks into the conversation.

I think this would be a nice Combination. They would both benefit from a high Wisdom score. (Plus, if you got Elemental Earth Aspect, you could make a boxer named Rocky...)

Is this idea good, or just blasphemous. I've never actually multi-classed a character, but I might have to try it with this. If one was to do this, how should they split the levels?

[Jack_Simth]

Generally, it'll be Monk-1/Druid-X.

For the simple reason that most of what you want out of the Monk (Wis to AC and Improved Unarmed Strike) you get with the first level.

[MrNexx]

So, I was talking with a friend about the Druid Wild Shape Variant-Aspect of Nature, and I prefer it over Wild Shape. One of the reasons is turning on fire is pretty wicked. Some how, we brought Monks into the conversation.

I think this would be a nice Combination. They would both benefit from a high Wisdom score. (Plus, if you got Elemental Earth Aspect, you could make a boxer named Rocky...)

Is this idea good, or just blasphemous. I've never actually multi-classed a character, but I might have to try it with this. If one was to do this, how should they split the levels?

The first level should be Druid; you'll want some of the early benefits of that (spellcasting, animal companion, etc.). I would take one level of monk next, to get the advantage of High Wisdom to AC. From then on, I would concentrate largely on druid and druid-themed PrCs, maybe throwing in another level of Monk for Evasion. The "Power Build" is pure druid, but with a level of monk, they have less need for armor and a lot more flexibility.

You might also try the variant, from UA seeing if you can give up the Rangerish and your animal companion in order to keep wildshape (which sounds like a fair trade to me).

[Chronos]

It's also a great gestalt pairing. Monks work surprisingly well in gestalt, in general, but especially when combined with druid.

[Jack_Simth]

It's also a great gestalt pairing. Monks work surprisingly well in gestalt, in general, but especially when combined with druid.

It's not surprising at all, once you've figured out what attributes make a good Gestalt combo; you only get one action per turn, so you want one side with a lot of "active" abilities that you'll use a lot, and the other to have the "passive" abilities that keep your character alive. You'll also want to look for things that don't get in each other's way (e.g., the Wizard/Fighter - you either can't make much use of armor, or can't make much use of spells - neither Druid nor Monk can use the good armors). Additionally, you'll want to look for combos that cover each other's weaknesses or where they have the same stat attribute running almost everything.

If you branch out of core class combos, don't forget to look at the Druid//Unarmed Variant Swordsage and the Druid//Ninja - both very good combos, for similar reasons.

[TheSteelRat]

The only problem with a level in Monk is that it prevents you from getting the benefit of armor while not in Wild Shape, or from Wilding(or whichever name it is) Armor that lets you keep its AC bonus and special benefits while in Wild Shape. It's not like you're going to be investing in much weaponry if you're using Wild Shape as a primary combat method. You're also a caster level behind. Combined with Vow of Poverty though, it could be a pretty awesome combination. For Gestalt purposes, also a winner, especially if your GM allows the +Wis to be in effect while wearing Druid Armor styles.

Or am I missing something about the Aspect of Nature variant with regards to armor? is it not absorbed and rendered inert unless Wilding?

[Ossian]

Hmmm, but I remember reading that once you stop takig levels in MONK to the advantage of another class you cannot resume the Monk advancement later. That is, if you start druid and go druid 2, then monk 1, then again druid 3, you cannot continue with monk 2. Am I reading the rules wrong?

O.

[TheSteelRat]

Yup, you're exactly right with RAW. A rule I would never make anyone in their life follow though.

[Siric]

The only problem with a level in Monk is that it prevents you from getting the benefit of armor while not in Wild Shape, or from Wilding(or whichever name it is) Armor that lets you keep its AC bonus and special benefits while in Wild Shape. It's not like you're going to be investing in much weaponry if you're using Wild Shape as a primary combat method. You're also a caster level behind. Combined with Vow of Poverty though, it could be a pretty awesome combination. For Gestalt purposes, also a winner, especially if your GM allows the +Wis to be in effect while wearing Druid Armor styles.

Or am I missing something about the Aspect of Nature variant with regards to armor? is it not absorbed and rendered inert unless Wilding?

The Aspect of Nature does away with Wildshape. It instead improves the character (I.e. Giving the Character +4 to Strength, Give them Wings) for a period of time. It's in the SRD

[Jack_Simth]

The Aspect of Nature does away with Wildshape. It instead improves the character (I.e. Giving the Character +4 to Strength, Give them Wings) for a period of time. It's in the SRD

Sorta. It's in Unearthed Arcana, and that particular segment is OGL, and it's wanted enough that most places that host the SRD also host the UA content in the same package and the same style.

If you go to WotC's website and download the SRD, it's not in there.

It's a distinction that's about 99% immaterial, though.

[Moff Chumley]

Sounds fun.