wolfpunk said:
I don't think the character really has much along the lines of damage ability, since his unarmed strike will cap at 1d10, even using various feats and magic items it isn't going to do alot, so I don't see Strength as being overly necessary. However, if I could entice enemies to wail away on me for multiple rounds that might be alot more useful. Really I see Constitution as being the only really important stat. Since I am giving up the monks armor class bonus and bonus speed, my mobility becomes a moot point anyway. Wisdom isn't too important, the character is going to get hit.
Well, nothing saying you *have* to fight unarmed. Snag a waraxe (You'd probably want a couple levels of fighter, so you can get proficiency for free, so Dwarven Defender 10/Monk 8/Fighter 2 or Monk 6/Fighter 4). If you have a generous DM, given the build, you might even talk him into considering the waraxe a special monk weapon for you.
Or, if you get the DR regardless of whether you wear armor or not, consider this: Go with the regular type of gear a fighter/dwarven defender might use (full plate, waraxe, shield). You'll probably go either Monk 9/Fighter 1, Monk 8/Fighter 2, or Monk 6/Fighter 4, depending on what abilities you want. Unless you go with, at most, a mithral breastplate, Improved Evasion (Monk 9) won't kick in, so I'd probably take out Monk 9/Fighter 1. Monk 8 gets you an additional 10 feet of slow fall, and wholeness of body... so it really depends if you'd rather have Weapon Specialization or the ability to heal 16 hit points a day. My recommendation would be Dwarven Defender 10/Monk 6/Fighter 4.
What are you giving up? Well, flurry of blows is the big one. Evasion is out, too, unless you have an above average dexterity and want a mithral breastplate. You also lose the Wisdom to AC, but that's not that bad - you're going to be focusing on Strength, Constitution, and at least a bit on Dexterity and Intelligence as is.
For feats, just go with your standard selection of stuff for an armored fighter; Undying Way takes care of most of the Dwarven Defender stuff. One of the big benefits of this will be that, even without equipment, you can still do 1d8 damage with your fists, and you'll have your DR to fall back on.