Okay, this is a little closer to finished.
The bare skeleton of the Monk class is mostly unchanged, except that I've removed the alignment and multiclass restrictions; the only prohibition is on Gestalting or multiclassing as a Barbarian, which forces the character to become and ex-Monk (and vice versa).
Since Monks are no longer required to be Lawful, I removed the 10th level Ki Strike; however, I made it one of the optional Monk abilities later.
This change also required changes to a number of feats-- particularly Stunning Fist, which I used as the basis for the Ki Point system. The first time a non-Monk character takes a feat which requires the use of Ki Points, they gain a number of Ki Points equal to 1/4 their class level plus their Wisdom modifier, if positive.
Monks have Ki Points equal to 1/2 their character level (rounded up) plus their Wisdom modifier (if positive). This is a reduction from their old number of Stunning Fist uses, but Ki Points can now be used for a number of more powerful effects.
Both Monks and non-Monks may select Extra Ki as a feat, granting them an additional 3 Ki Points per day.
Any mystical ability that's listed as being a feat may be taken as a Monk bonus feat-- allowing the Monk to ignore the feat prerequisites; they still have to meet the Monk Ability prerequisites, however. Monks may also take Extra Monk Ability as a feat, granting them an additional ability of any level up to the highest they're acheived. (I need to think up level names to simplify this.)
Instead of gaining unarmed damage progression, the Monk receives the following feats as bonus feats:
1st level: Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
4th level: Improved Martial Arts (from d20 Modern)
6th level: Weapon Specialization (unarmed strike)
8th level: Advanced Martial Arts (from d20 Modern)
11th level: Greater Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
16th level: Greater Weapon Specialization (unarmed strike)
At 16th level, this is roughly the equivalent of 1d12 damage (for Medium Monks), with a +2 attack bonus and two critical improvements. It's also wholly possible for the Fighter to do the exact same thing, which was one of my design criteria.
Monks do less damage (with their bare hands, at least) in this variant than in standard D&D, but Ki Strike (adamantine) is considerably more useful under my House Rules.
Remove the following class abilities from the Monk's list: Empty Mind (3rd), Wholeness of Body (7th), Ki Strike (lawful) (10th), Diamond Body (11th), Abundant Step (12th), Diamond Soul (13th), Quivering Palm (15th), Timeless Body (17th), Tongue of the Sun and Moon (17th), Empty Body (19th), and Perfect Self (20th).
All of these abilities can be taken as options, at or around the levels they would be granted normally.
Monks gain a Monk Ability at levels 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20. Unless otherwise noted, each of these abilities require the character spend a Ki point to activate. Because Monk abilities are always granted one level before the Monk would gain a feat (if the Monk were single-classed), abilities that have prerequisites of the same level can be taken with Extra Monk Ability the level following the acquisition of the prerequisite.
The abilities are as follows:
5th level abilities said:
- Kiai Shout (Complete Warrior, feat) may be selected as a feat even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites.
- Fists of Iron (Complete Warrior, feat) may be selected as a feat even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites. May not be combined with the Weapon Channel ability.
- Weakening Touch (Complete Warrior, feat) may be selected as a feat even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites. Prerequisite: Stunning Fist
- Great Leap (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 4) allows the Monk to make a single jump as if running with a +4 bonus.
- Still Mind (Player's Handbook, Monk 3) adds +2 bonus to saves vs. enchantment. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Improved Bull Rush (Player's Handbook, feat) may be selected even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Weapon Channel allows the Monk to use Ki abilities that enhance unarmed strikes with melee weapons from a single weapon group. This does not include Ki Strike, or abilities which require Ki Strike. Prerequisite: Weapon Focus in the selected group.
- Weapon Flurry allows the Monk to use his Flurry of Blows class feature with melee weapons from a single weapon group as a Monk of his class level -4. Does not require Ki points. Prerequisites: Weapon Focus in the selected group, Weapon Channel in the selected group.
- Purity of Body (Player's Handbook, Monk 5) makes the Monk immune to normal and magical disease. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Uncanny Dodge (Player's Handbook, Rogue 4) allows the Monk to retain his Dexterity bonus (including his Wisdom bonus) even when caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.
Weapon Flurry is similar to a number of feats from the
Eberron Campaign Setting, so I don't think it's particularly out of line, especially with the prerequisites. However, I think the weapons that it's applied to should be carefully watched and linked to the character's monastic order.
Of particular interest, Hobgoblin Monks should typically apply Weapon Channel and Weapon Flurry to the Flails & Chains group, while Githzerai Monks should typically apply them to Heavy Blades. I haven't worked out any specific monastic orders yet-- since I'm not currently running a campaign.
8th level abilities said:
- Ghost Step (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 2) allows the character to become invisible for one round.
- Ki Dodge (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 6) grants 20% miss chance for 1 round.
- Ki Healing heals Monk 1d6 hit points per Ki point spent.
- Ghost Strike (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 8) allows next unarmed attack to strike ethereal creatures.
- Fist of Energy (Complete Arcane, Enlightened Fist 2) adds 1d6 energy (fire, cold, electricity, or acid, chosen when the power is selected) to the character's unarmed strikes for one round. Prerequisite: Caster or Manifester level 4th.
- Concentrated Push allows Monk to Bull Rush opponent further than five feet without moving with them. Unlike Improved Bull Rush, the Monk must pay 1 Ki point per use of this ability. Prerequisite: Improved Bull Rush.
- Kip-Up (Complete Adventurer, Thief-Acrobat 1) allows the Monk to stand up as a free action that doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Prerequisite: Tumble 8 ranks.
- Damage Reduction grants the Monk 1/- Damage Reduction from toughness. This ability may be taken more than once; its effects stack. Does not require Ki points.
- Any 5th level Monk ability.
Ki Healing is more powerful than
Wholeness of Body, but I think that's compensated for by the fact that it uses a pool of resources shared with a number of other abilities.
The caster/manifester levels required for
Fist of Energy were based on the fact that I took them from an arcanist/Monk patch PrC-- and because the manipulation of magical energy seems necessary to justify the ability. I don't think it's really a balance issue.
11th level abilities said:
- Aligned Ki Strike makes the Monk's unarmed strikes count as alignment of player's choice for purposes of bypassing DR. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Censuring Strike adds 2d6 to damage against creatures with alignment opposite Aligned Ki Strike ability. Prerequisite: Aligned Ki Strike. (This is based on Axiomatic Strike from Complete Warrior.)
- Greater Kiai Shout (Complete Warrior, feat) may be selected even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites. Prerequisite: Kiai Shout.
- Improved Ghost Step (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 10) allows Monk to become ethereal for one round. Prerequisite: Ghost Step.
- Leap of the Clouds adds +30 to a single Jump check and allows the Monk to jump as if running. Prerequisite: Great Leap.
- Blindsense (Complete Divine, Sacred Fist 6) grants the Monk Blindsense 10'. Doesn't require Ki points. This ability may be taken multiple times; its effects stack. Prerequisites: Blind-Fight.
- Diamond Body (Player's Handbook, Monk 11) makes the Monk immune to poisons. Doesn't require Ki points. Prerequisite: Purity of Body.
- Energy Resistance gives the Monk resistance to one energy type of the player's choice equal to the Monk's class level. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Improved Uncanny Dodge (Player's Handbook, Rogue 8) prevents the Monk from being flanked unless by Rogues with four more class levels than the Monk's.
- Any 5th or 8th level Monk ability.
This is where the abilities start to become increasingly, blatantly supernatural. The ability to go back and take lower-level abilities helps players who are trying to represent a more grounded, mundane monk/martial artist.
14th level abilities said:
- Abundant Step (Player's Handbook, Monk 12) allows Monk to dimension door as a Sorceror of 1/2 the Monk's class level. Prerequisite: Ghost Step, Improved Ghost Step.
- Freezing the Lifeblood (Complete Warrior, feat) may be selected even if the Monk does not meet the prerequisites. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Stunning Fist, Weakening Touch.
- Bursting Fist (Complete Arcane, Enlightened Fist 6) deals extra energy damage on critical hits. Prerequisite: Fist of Energy, Caster or Manifester Level 7th.
- Diamond Soul (Player's Handbook, Monk 13) grants Spell Resistance equal to class level + 10. Doesn't require Ki points.
- One-Finger Push allows Monk to use Concentrated Push against any opponent within 30 feet, using Wisdom instead of Strength. Prerequisites: Improved Bull Rush, Concentrated Push.
- Improved Ki Healing allows the Monk to heal herself 2d6 + Wis bonus hit points per Ki point spent, or any creature touched for 1d6 + Wis bonus hit points per Ki point spent. Prerequisites: Ki Healing.
- Any 5th, 8th, or 11th level Monk ability.
17th level abilities said:
- Quivering Palm (Player's Handbook, Monk 15) requires the Monk to spend an action point and a Ki point and take a full-round action. It does not have the 1/week limitation. Prerequisites: Stunning Fist, Weakening Touch, Freezing the Lifeblood.
- Touch the Wind allows the Monk to fly as the fly spell for 1 round/class level. Prerequisites: Great Leap, Leap of the Clouds.
- Danger Sense prevents the Monk from becoming flat-footed and allows the Monk the ability to act in the surprise round, even if unaware of her attackers. Doesn't require Ki points. Prerequisites: Blind-Fight, Uncanny Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Blindsense.
- Distant Strike allows the Monk to make an unarmed strike as a ranged attack against any opponent within 30 feet, using his Wisdom modifier for both the attack roll and the damage roll. Prerequisites: Improved Bull Rush, Concentrated Push, One-Finger Push.
- Improved Ki Dodge (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 18) improves the miss chance created by Ki Dodge to 50%. Prerequisites: Ki Dodge.
- Timeless Body (Player's Handbook, Monk 17) prevents the Monk from suffering penalties due to age. Doesn't require Ki points. Prerequisites: Purity of Body, Ki Healing, Diamond Body, Improved Ki Healing.
- Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Player's Handbook, Monk 17) allows the Monk to speak with any living creature. Doesn't require Ki points.
- Any 5th, 8th, 11th, or 14th level Monk ability.
I'd really like to have some prerequisites for
Tongue of the Sun and Moon, but it seems to be so random-- it's not really connected to any of the other Monk abilities. I'm also not entirely certain it needs to be this high a level.
20th level abilities said:
- Ghost Walk (Complete Adventurer, Ninja 20) allows the Monk to spend 2 Ki points to become ethereal as ethereal jaunt spell for 1 round per Monk level. Prerequisite: Ghost Step, Improved Ghost Step.
- Shun the Earth's Embrace allows the Monk to fly at her land speed with perfect maneuverability for 1 minute per level. Prerequisite: Great Leap, Leap of the Clouds, Touch the Wind.
- Perfect Self (Player's Handbook, Monk 20) transforms the Monk into an Outsider and gives the Monk damage reduction 10/magic. Doesn't require Ki points. Prerequisites: Purity of Body, Ki Healing, Diamond Body, Improved Ki Healing, Timeless Body.
- Elemental Form allows the Monk to spend 2 Ki points to assume the form (as a wild shaping Druid) of an elemental appropriate to her Fist of Energy and Energy Resistance for 1 round per class level. Her unarmed strikes and natural attacks are treated as energy burst weapons for the duration of her elemental form. Prerequisites: Fist of Energy, Energy Resistance, and Bursting Fist (in matching energy types).
- Deny the Attack allows the Monk to spend an action point and a Ki point, once per round, to completely disregard the damage and any special effects caused by a single attack. The Monk must decide whether or not to do this before damage is rolled, but after the attack roll (and confirmation roll, if applicable) are made. Prerequisites: Ki Dodge, Improved Ki Dodge, Damage Reduction.
- Any 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, or 17th level Monk ability.
I tried to have a good variety of powers here, and to make Perfect Self entirely optional, since in the opinion of a few people, it's far more of a hindrance than a benefit.
Does anyone feel this is particularly unbalanced (in either direction)?
Also, does anyone have any good ideas for additional special abilities that could be added?
As soon as I figure out how to explain this more concisely, I'm going to be adding it to my main House Rules document. I think I've got it close to right.