D&D 3E/3.5 Monk 3.5

[pawsplay]

What that means is that you can't one attempt per round. At mid to high levels, 2 rounds may be all you have in a combat. Yes, you can use the feat many many times per day, but its still only once per round. And that's the key, when you factor in that a monk has to

1) Declare the stun
2) Successfully hit the creature with that attack
3) The creature must fail the fort save.

Then its easy to see why some monks have trouble stunning.

If the battle is over in two rounds, what is the monk complaining about?

 

[Nail]

If the battle is over in two rounds, what is the monk complaining about?

I'm with pawsplay on this one: Stunning Fist is a decent ability....so long as it's used realisticly. Play a Mnk with high Str and decent Wis. Leave Dex for the Rog to play with.

We currently have a Mnk/Warblade in our group. Now there's a fun combo!

 

[Seeten]

Githzerai Monk/Swordsage is one of my current characters. Thats a sweet combo.

 

[Draxo]

Well, if you plan on playing to higher levels, you could go:

Monk 8/sorcerer 2/ dragon disciple 10. The only real problem with this build is that it's a delayed gratification build. You need to take all your monk levels first, due to multiclassing restrictions.

I dont know.. the Dragon Disciple seems really off to me.

Spending 10 levels to get the benefit of an LA3 template is just.. eh.

 

[Darklone]

Did any of your monks use that Complete Warrior feat that allows more stunning fist attempts per round?

I dont know.. the Dragon Disciple seems really off to me.

Spending 10 levels to get the benefit of an LA3 template is just.. eh.

LA3 means you lose 3 HD... less hitpoints, BAB and all the other stuff. Dragon Disciple is not as bad as it looks like... and you get wings as medium sized dude.

 

[Feldspar]

I also suspect that attempting to create a Weapon Finesse monk without really good ability rolls has resulted in some relatively weaker builds lacking Str and Wis. A monk really doesn't need Dex, yet there is often the impulse to base them on Dex (I guess because they seem like they should be really agile).

Yeah, the monks from our campaign share in common being Elven, Weapon Finesse based and dead.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Yeah, the monks from our campaign share in common being Elven, Weapon Finesse based and dead.

Oooh, that -2 Con is a killer for melee types!

 

[Seeten]

IUS is a Shadow Hand weapon, so if your dex is 24, you get dex to dmg on IUS for your Swordsage/Monk, mine is dex based. I really took monk mostly for the dmg boost on IUS and the 99 free feats at level 1 and 2

 

[two]

an slight improvement

One of the neat combinations that a monk with a reach weapon can do is this:

Ready an attack for when someone approaches you. When they approach, whack them, and whack them again with the AoO as they close to strike you. On your next action, tumble 15ft away and ready an action to smack them again. If they don't have any option other than to fight you, you can end up getting two attacks for every one of theirs - and you might get them deciding to fight someone else instead

(This technique could be used by anyone with tumbling and a reach weapon of course).

You can ready an attack action to attack an enemy "when they start to attack me." You can include a 5' step as part of a readied action if you have not moved. So, enemy closes, you get an AOO from reach as they come in; the enemy is 5' and starts to attack, triggering your readied action. You do a 5' step back and attack. The enemy now resolves his attack, which is a miss (you are 10' away). Next turn you can either ready the same action, or just hit him at 10' range and then do a 5' back (putting you 15' away).

That means you have used one readied action and get 1 AOO (initial close), 1 attack (readied attack), another attack (round 2), another aoo (you are at 15' and he has to close again).

I.E. you get 4 attacks and he gets 1. Nice way to start a combat if you are not swarmed.

 

[pawsplay]

The enemy now resolves his attack, which is a miss (you are 10' away).

Why don't they just take a 5' step, too? It's still a legal action for them.