The Iron Way - Monks with swords

[Garthanos]

After watching a certain show my desire for "Martial" Artist
monks has returned full force and is there any sword wielding
flavor for the psionicist we were given

 

[Garthanos]

So far it looks "kind of" doable....

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Cassi, level 6
Human, Monk
Build: Iron Soul Monk
Monastic Tradition: Iron Soul
Human Power Selection: Bonus At-Will Power
Noble Bred for War Benefit: Weapon Proficiency (Longsword)
Background: Noble Bred for War (Noble Bred for War Benefit)


FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 17, Dex 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.


STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 16, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.




AC: 23 Fort: 19 Reflex: 19 Will: 18
HP: 54 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 13


TRAINED SKILLS
Endurance +11, Religion +8, Stealth +11, Athletics +9, Acrobatics +11


UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +3, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +6, Dungeoneering +5, Heal +5, History +3, Insight +5, Intimidate +3, Nature +5, Perception +7, Streetwise +3, Thievery +6


FEATS
Human: Blindfighting Sentinel
Level 1: Iron Parry
Level 2: Sure Climber
Level 4: Unarmored Agility
Level 6: Quick Draw


POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Crane's Wings
Monk at-will 1: Five Storms
Monk at-will 1: Steel Wind
Monk encounter 1: Stinging Nettles
Monk daily 1: Steel Avalanche
Monk utility 2: Fall of Wind
Monk encounter 3: Dance of Swords
Monk daily 5: Overwhelming Mountain Strike
Monk utility 6: Airborne Form


ITEMS
Monk Unarmed Strike, Summoned Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing) +2, Amulet of Seduction +1, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Adventurer's Kit, Hawk's Talon Ki Focus +1, Longsword
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======




There are styles for the Iron Soul monk that enhance their Flurry of Blows damage rider Like Slashing Kama Style
I suppose I could just reflavor a Sickle as a sword...

 

[Garthanos]

The Show was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

 

[Tony Vargas]

Right around the time the original Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon came out, my wife's fighter/cleric, 'Gen' (short for Genevieve, so soft G) acquired Shaterspike from Sunless Citadel. A nice longsword that shatters other weapons.

Yeah, just like the Jen vs Yu scene where she goes through all the weapons in the dojo.

So when one of us was upset with Gen, we'd say "Without the Green Destiny, you are nothing!"

 

[Garthanos]

A nice longsword that shatters other weapons.

Hmmmm .... so how do we do that in 4e

 

[Tony Vargas]

Hmmmm .... so how do we do that in 4e

Well Dark Sun did it for non-metal weapons based on attack rolls. Ironically, as we got to higher levels she used shatterspike to 'Sunder' (she did pick up the feat) less and less, as enemies were more likely to have magic weapons (you're wrecking our treasure!) which were /much/ harder to sunder, anyway. She did, though, at relatively high level, chop the main weapon off of a huge tunneling construct, which was pretty butch.

I really should get your program working so I could format this in a cool way, but:


Shatterspike Level 5 Unique (at least when Sunless Citadel was new)
The Longsword bears inscriptions dedicating it to the service of a vanished order of Paladins.
Type: Heavy Blade
Enhancement: +1
Critical: +1d10, and the target is weakened when using weapon-keyword powers (save ends).
Power (Encounter;Standard): Attack: STR vs Will. Hit: The target is weakened when using weapon-keyword powers with the weapon it was holding (if it was holding more than one, choose which one).
Special: If the weapon affected was magical, residuum equal to it's full value can be recovered from it, or it can be repaired using the Enchant Item Ritual.

And,...

The Green Destiny Level 25 Unique
This perfectly-made Jian is not only beautiful, but also as light and agile as a rapier, while being stronger than any greatsword, shattering ordinary weapons, and countering the power of lesser magical ones.
Type: Light Blade, Heavy Blade
Enhancement: +5
Critical: +5d6 damage, and use the Daily Power attack without expending the power, whether the power is available or not.
Property: The Green Destiny can be used proficiently by anyone proficient in a long sword, superior light blade or superior heavy blade, gaining all of the benefit they have with that weapon.
Power (At Will): The wielder of the Green Destiny can use the Fighter at-wills Footwork Lure and Sure Strike as if she were level 25.
Power (Daily;Reliable;Special): Trigger: when an enemy misses you with a melee weapon power using a weapon that is not an Epic-level magic item. Attack: +35 vs Will or +35 vs (10 + triggering weapon's level). Hit: The triggering enemy is weakened (save ends) and the triggering magic item is 'subdued' (save ends).
Subdued magical weapon still have their enhancement bonus, but all properties and powers are inaccessible.
Special: When the target succeeds on it's save, you regain use of this power back until the end of the encounter.


In a low-magic setting, like the movie, it wouldn't have to be so over-the-top. It could be lower level, and it's power only work on non-magical weapons (magical ones could stand up to it, as could, because of the attack vs wielder's WILL, weapons in the hands of sufficiently capable Wu Xia able to channel their Chi to re-enforce their own blades.)

 

[Garthanos]

"it's power only work on non-magical weapons"

I thought that seemed conceptually appropriate however I do like the flavor of suppressing the power of lesser magical ones for a moment or two as well.

 

[MwaO]

I'd make sure to look at my Monk handbook. The old one is um...old...

 

[Garthanos]

Well Dark Sun did it for non-metal weapons based on attack rolls. Ironically, as we got to higher levels she used shatterspike to 'Sunder' (she did pick up the feat) less and less, as enemies were more likely to have magic weapons (you're wrecking our treasure!) which were /much/ harder to sunder, anyway. She did, though, at relatively high level, chop the main weapon off of a huge tunneling construct, which was pretty butch.

I really should get your program working so I could format this in a cool way, but:


Shatterspike Level 5 Unique (at least when Sunless Citadel was new)
The Longsword bears inscriptions dedicating it to the service of a vanished order of Paladins.
Type: Heavy Blade
Enhancement: +1
Critical: +1d10, and the target is weakened when using weapon-keyword powers (save ends).
Power (Encounter;Standard): Attack: STR vs Will. Hit: The target is weakened when using weapon-keyword powers with the weapon it was holding (if it was holding more than one, choose which one).
Special: If the weapon affected was magical, residuum equal to it's full value can be recovered from it, or it can be repaired using the Enchant Item Ritual.

And,...

The Green Destiny Level 25 Unique
This perfectly-made Jian is not only beautiful, but also as light and agile as a rapier, while being stronger than any greatsword, shattering ordinary weapons, and countering the power of lesser magical ones.
Type: Light Blade, Heavy Blade
Enhancement: +5
Critical: +5d6 damage, and use the Daily Power attack without expending the power, whether the power is available or not.
Property: The Green Destiny can be used proficiently by anyone proficient in a long sword, superior light blade or superior heavy blade, gaining all of the benefit they have with that weapon.
Power (At Will): The wielder of the Green Destiny can use the Fighter at-wills Footwork Lure and Sure Strike as if she were level 25.
Power (Daily;Reliable;Special): Trigger: when an enemy misses you with a melee weapon power using a weapon that is not an Epic-level magic item. Attack: +35 vs Will or +35 vs (10 + triggering weapon's level). Hit: The triggering enemy is weakened (save ends) and the triggering magic item is 'subdued' (save ends).
Subdued magical weapon still have their enhancement bonus, but all properties and powers are inaccessible.
Special: When the target succeeds on it's save, you regain use of this power back until the end of the encounter.


In a low-magic setting, like the movie, it wouldn't have to be so over-the-top. It could be lower level, and it's power only work on non-magical weapons (magical ones could stand up to it, as could, because of the attack vs wielder's WILL, weapons in the hands of sufficiently capable Wu Xia able to channel their Chi to re-enforce their own blades.)

Just remembered Stormbringer was able to shatter and harm lesser weaponry also but Elric usually just killed the one holding the weapon unless it was a magical one..come to think of it, it may have been Stormbringers ego wanting to assert superiority over the other magical ones.

 

[Tony Vargas]

"it's power only work on non-magical weapons"

I thought that seemed conceptually appropriate however I do like the flavor of suppressing the power of lesser magical ones for a moment or two as well.

I was going for the flavor of The Green Destiny in the movie, where the setting was less D&D-style magical items everywhere, but still felt 'high level' in other ways. In the movie, TGD was unique because it was even arguably-magical while no other weapon featured was, transmogrified into a D&D universe, it'd have to be suitably impressive even against other magic weapons (since there'd be tons of 'em) - really, it should totally be an artifact, but there's a lot more to writing one of those up.

Just remembered Stormbringer was able to shatter and harm lesser weaponry also but Elric usually just killed the one holding the weapon unless it was a magical one..come to think of it, it may have been Stormbringers ego wanting to assert superiority over the other magical ones.

I think I vaguely remember something like that, the sense that Stormbringer would take joy in killing certain foes or destroying certain items, and Stormbringer and Mournblade had it in for eachother.

I also vaguely remember a sorcerer whose red 'magic armor' was able to stop the blade, though I'm sure that didn't save him for long.