monks . . . we don't need no stinking monks

[Celtavian]

Re

The monk has always boggled me as well.

Where is the monk from? What is it based on? Why did they make a class that was a "mish-mash concept" that seemed to have no real focus or direction?

The monk seems way out of place in this game. I use it on occasion to capture some character concepts, since the monk seems to be their idea of a martial artist, but I definitely wish WotC would come up with some alternative to the monk.

 

[hong]

I like the class a lot, Hong. Using feats instead of class abilities gives a lot of customization which I think is missing from the monk. You should pimp this one more often!

Don't encourage me.

It's also in issue 7 of Asgard, for those interested.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/news...e=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownload&cid=8

 

[Golandrinel]

*GAK* ... a monk thread .... *starts to boil over* ... ahhh an anti monk thread ... *simmers down* ... totally alien and overpowered ... needs BIG attention....

 

[Numion]

But experience has shown that, in actual play, they are absolutely not unbalanced. For all their abilities, they don't actually turn out any better, in the final analysis, than anyone else.

Amen to that.. I've DMed a 16th level group with a monk with good ability scores in it. The monk absolutely, positively didn't kick arse. He had hard time hitting anything or dealing as much damage as others.

Monks are hard to kill, I'll grant you that. So what? Clerics are even harder to kill, and they kick lots of butt on top of that.

In the end the 16th level monk was just jumping around the battlefield. Enemies paid little attention to him, because he couldn't hurt them that much and they couldn't hurt him.

Not unbalancing, IMO.

 

[hong]

*GAK* ... a monk thread .... *starts to boil over* ... ahhh an anti monk thread ... *simmers down* ... totally alien and overpowered ... needs BIG attention....

Tch. Only 17 posts, and already trepanning himself.

 

[Numion]

Tch. Only 17 posts, and already trepanning himself.

Whats trepanning? Only 1020 posts and still asking questions.

 

[Alchemist]

http://skepdic.com/trepanation.html

Essentially, ventilating ones skull is good for ones health. Relieves the pressure on your brain and makes you a happier person, say those who have had it done. I wouldn't go asking your family doctor to hook you up though.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Originally posted by Celtavian

Where is the monk from? What is it based on? Why did they make a class that was a "mish-mash concept" that seemed to have no real focus or direction?

My thoughts too.

Currently they appear to be a class that can go "whoppee! look at me jump/fall/drink poison..." Impressive but that combat skill is decided by good basics like BAB, AC and hit dice.

I've long decided I didn't like them, I think it was the speed and jumping that killed them for me. That and they couldn't hold their own against the giants and I got gangbashed as a result.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

Re: Re

Why did they make a class that was a "mish-mash concept" that seemed to have no real focus or direction?

They have two directions- they are support fighters and are meant to help neutralize spellcasters.

Where is the monk from? What is it based on?

That is up to the dm- the same question needs to be asked of wizards, sorcerers, rangers, paladins, druids, clerics, bards, specific weapons, etc..

SD

 

[Zerovoid]

Why bother banning monks? They are so bad that none of your players will play them anyway. I don't even think they look good on paper. Both fighters and rogues will kick the crap out of them in melee. With their saves and SR, they are almost immune to magic, but that doesn't matter since with their low BAB and without a magic weapon, they are hardly a threat at all.

In some other threads, I've seen people try to argue that monks don't suck, but I'm still not convinced. You would need to really min-max a monk to even get close to the power that an average fighter has.