How about merging the fighter and the monk?

[Quartz]

It's late and I've had an interesting idea.

Call it the Disciplined Warrior.

Take the Monk class as written and remove all the special abilities except for the flurry ability. Keep the HD, BAB progression, skill points, and saves. Merge the skill sets. Add in the fighter armour and weapon proficiencies and a fighter feat every even level. Add also a +1 insight bonus to damage per 2 levels and a +1 insight bonus to AC per 4 levels. Put Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, and Improved Evasion in there somewhere - levels 3, 5, and 9? Possibly add back Diamond Body and Soul too. Allow the class to take fighter-only feats.

The class sounds overpowered but it's not too different from Ftr 1 / Mk X with the monk abilities swapped for feats. If rogues can swap SA for feats, why not monks? However, the class lags behind the fighter in BAB and HP significantly from L5 upwards, and doesn't have the bonus starting feat.

It may need toning down a bit. Which is why I turn to ENWorld. What do you think?

 

[robberbaron]

OK, let's see.

Fighter with d8s for HP, lower BAB, better saves and flurry.
Bonuses to damage and AC + evasion, etc.

IMO the better saves and flurry (presumably with any proficient weapon) easily balances the d8 and lower BAB.

Add in the rest of the powerups and it becomes rather unbalanced.


Looking at it a different way:
Monk with no weapon/armour restrictions and extra damage losing some of the special abilities (slow fall, heal self).


Overall, I think it is overpowered. The thought of flurrying using a greatsword with an extra damage bonus is a little scary.

 

[Quartz]

Thought so. How about restricting the Flurry to weapons with which the character has Weapon Focus? Perhaps also drop to d6, a la rogue?

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Thought so. How about restricting the Flurry to weapons with which the character has Weapon Focus? Perhaps also drop to d6, a la rogue?

I would make it light weapons. Maybe or maybe not also require Weapon Focus.

 

[Bayonet_Chris]

Black Company

Check out the Black Company campaign setting. They have a Weapon Master class that is essentially the monk without the eastern influence. Flurry and a lot of those abilities are included.

 

[airwalkrr]

Combine the monk and fighter? You can't possibly be serious. I mean, what would you call such a class? A fonk? Or a moter? Absurd, these names. Disciplined Warrior doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

Combine the monk and fighter? You can't possibly be serious. I mean, what would you call such a class? A fonk? Or a moter? Absurd, these names. Disciplined Warrior doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either.

Ah, but if you combine Warrior and Monk, borrow an "e" from fighter, you get the wanker.

 

[Nifft]

Bring in the Funk!

I'm not sure how to merge them, but I'd make sure to delay many abilities -- Fighter is still a strong choice for 2 levels, as is Monk, and both are reasonable choices up to level 6 or so.

Cheers, -- N

 

[sirwmholder]

We did a merger similar to this in one of our games with no problems. We started with the Fighter... stripped of all weapons and armor. Added Monk Weapons ( including increase damage for unarmed attacks ) and AC progression while unarmored. Changed the good save from Fort to Ref and allowed the character to exchange his 3rd level Feat for Evasion. We only played to 6th level but we had no problems in that game

Hope this helps,
William Holder