Ex-Paladin Monk Build

[zeroparadigm]

This is something I've been mulling over for a while & haven't seen anything really similar on the boards here.

So: Here's what I've been lookings at.

Level would probably be 15-16. Human. Possibly with a template? LG align if I go the paladin route, but otherwise align pretty open. Attributes on a 10 base + 24 buyout, + advancement. the limitations are not rules limitations, but campaign limitations, this character was very prominent in the game about 10 years ago (real time, not game time), and now he's being reintroduced, and is very different.

Former Paladin or cleric, abandons that has abandoned that path for a more ascetic (ie monk) lifestyle. Serious spellcasting and paladin based abilities would be pretty unimportant, though some spells would defintely be a good thing. I'd mostly be looking at ending up with a pretty badass holy-monk-with-a-longsword character, with a background in PAL - or maybe even better, CLR.

Really, he wouldn't even HAVE to take monk classes, I was just thinking monk to give the character a drastic seperatation between his past & present, and I want to end up with a character that doesn't rely on a lot of heavy armor, but isn't neccesarily completely DEX-reliant for his AC. I could totally see going with some kind of character who had a bunch of exalted feats, or, conversely, none at all.

Levels are open to anything - WotC products would probably be better, but it's flexible.

Probably a character who's a Leader Of Men, and thus not so worthless in the wis & cha categories, where brawlers usually skimp, which is what makes this so difficult.

I don't ask for much, huh? Ideas? I'll probably have to give up some aspect of this character - ie he might have to end up wearing some heavy armor, etc., but I can dream.


Thanks in Advance!

Zero

 

[Thanee]

How about a Cleric or Paladin (or both) with Vow of Poverty (from Book of Exalted Deeds)? Could also be a Hospitaler (PrC from Complete Warrior or Divine) for good measure.

Or a Paladin/Monk/Sorcerer/Eldritch Knight with the Ascetic Mage feat from Complete Adventurer.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Klaus]

Or a Paladin/Monk with the Ascetic Knight feat from Complete Adventurer.

 

[redhawk]

You could also go for the original of the inspiration you're riffing - samurai/monk. Sure, he slung a mean daisho in his youth - he duelled, he fought, he went to war at his shogun's bidding - but his day is _done_ now. He's given up the sword for the open hand.

Assuming 15 levels to play with, I'd break him down as a Sam 10/Mnk 5, or even Sam 12/Mnk 3 if you wanted him to be quite the asskicker back in his day.

Just a thought.

Redhawk

 

[Klaus]

Ooh, consider also the Whirling Blade feat from Eberron. In a nutshell: longsword = monk weapon.

 

[Scion]

Paladin4/Monk2/Warmind10

16th level character, human.

Str 10
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 18
Cha 18

I'd go with the VoP as Thanee suggested. Mainly to fit with what you said better, but it could be adjusted to not use this of course.

1st level feats: Sacred Vow (+2 sacred bonus to diplomacy checks) (human), Vow of Poverty (cannot have more than a small amount of worldy possessions and gets a lot of interesting abilities) (1st level), Intuitive attack (wisdom bonus to attack rolls instead of str) (exalted bonus feat)


At some point you will likely want to pick up a few of the feats to change turn attempts into useful effects.

Also, you will need to get wild talent (or hidden talent if your dm allows.. it would make it much more interesting).

So, at level 16 I would suggest this:
Human
Paladin4/Monk2/Warmind10
Str 10
Dex 12 +2 (enhancement) = 14
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 18 +6 (enhancement) +4 (level) = 28
Cha 18 +4 (enhancement) = 22

HP: avg 117.5 (8+5d8+10d10+32)
BAB: +15
AC: 34 =10 (base) +9 (armor) +2 (natural armor) +2 (deflection) +2 (dex) +9 (wis)
Saves: F: +24 = +14 (base) +6 (cha) +2 (con) +2 (resistance), R: +21 = +11 (base) +6 (cha) +2 (dex) +2 (resistance), W: +24 = +7 (base) +6 (cha) +9 (wis) +2 (resistance)
Skills: 28 skill points from paly list, 12 skill points from monk list, 40 skill points from warmind list (out of the first two classes 2 ranks must be aquired for knowledge (history) and 8 ranks must be placed in knowledge (psionics), if your dm is nice he will let monk have this instead of knowledge (arcana), otherwise you will have to spend a feat to make it a class skill)

Feats: sacred vow, Vow of poverty, intuitive strike
After that he has 5 feats from levels to spend, 2 bonus feats from monk, and 8 bonus exalted feats (one general feat must be wild talent or hidden talent, another possibly entails gaining a certain skill as a class skill, a couple of others should be on divine feats, another could be to allow flurry with a weapon of your choice from the eberron feats, I would also suggest cloak dance, speed of though, overchannel, and psicrystal affinity)

Special: aura of good, detect evil at will, smite evil 1/day, divine grace, lay on hands, aura of courage, divine health, turn undead, 1st level paladin spells, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, evasion, chain of personal superiority +4, chain of personal posture +4, enduring body (DR 3/-), sweeping strike, chain of overwhelming force, manifestor level 10, 70pp+bonus, 6 psychic warrior powers known, endure elements, exalted strike +3 (magic, good), sustenance, mind shielding, greater sustenance, DR 5/evil, energy resistance (all) 5, freedom of movement



Looks like a really fun character to me

Changing him to nonVoP wouldnt change a whole lot really. It would take away bonus feats and give more versitility on gear.