Thoughts on the monk to be...

[Jon Wake]

I was watching Ong Bak the other day, reading through my 4e players handbook, and wondering what the role of the 4e Monk would be. I vote Martial Controller.
Powers will fall into two main categories: movement and interrupts. Movement powers will be designed to put the monk in the center of a mob and wreck havoc with low-damaging but lots of extras effects. He'd also have quite a few debuffs, like the higher level fighter abilities. This is all pretty obvious, but the really neat thing would be interrupts. Instant attacks that target spellcasters, or defensive attacks that can turn a melee attack's damage around on the attacker.

Imagine, you use Leap of the Tiger to jump four squares, ignoring opportunity attacks as you land on the Orc warboss, knocking him prone. The surrounding minions attack you the next round, but you have Snake Bite Speed and immediately counter a missed attack.

The monk's low damage output would be the big balancing factor. He's not going to be dropping 30-40 hps a round like a Ranger or Rogue, and he's not going to take a beating like a Fighter or Paladin, but for disrupting crowds and gimping bosses, he's your guy. Or girl.

Hell, if the Monk ends up being just a Chi-Force Striker I'll just have to write up my own Monk.

 

[Flazzy]

Since Ki has been confirmed as a power source in the PHB, it would be rather strange for the monk not to be Ki-based. I'd also wager he's a striker.

 

[Rechan]

Races and Classes said that the Monk is a striker. The PHB has said there is a Ki power source.

I really, really don't get why this is still being debated. And I don't see us needing Yet Another 1) Monk or 2) Martial Controller thread.

 

[Mort_Q]

I really, really don't get why this is still being debated.

Because not everyone has read all the posts here?

Because people don't like the notion of a Ki Striker Monk?

There's lots of reasons.

I, personally, still hold out hope would have preferred for a striker/controller hybrid, and that they change their minds about Ki, and roll that into Psi.

 

[Klaus]

I was watching Ong Bak the other day, reading through my 4e players handbook, and wondering what the role of the 4e Monk would be. I vote Martial Controller.
Powers will fall into two main categories: movement and interrupts. Movement powers will be designed to put the monk in the center of a mob and wreck havoc with low-damaging but lots of extras effects. He'd also have quite a few debuffs, like the higher level fighter abilities. This is all pretty obvious, but the really neat thing would be interrupts. Instant attacks that target spellcasters, or defensive attacks that can turn a melee attack's damage around on the attacker.

Imagine, you use Leap of the Tiger to jump four squares, ignoring opportunity attacks as you land on the Orc warboss, knocking him prone. The surrounding minions attack you the next round, but you have Snake Bite Speed and immediately counter a missed attack.

The monk's low damage output would be the big balancing factor. He's not going to be dropping 30-40 hps a round like a Ranger or Rogue, and he's not going to take a beating like a Fighter or Paladin, but for disrupting crowds and gimping bosses, he's your guy. Or girl.

Hell, if the Monk ends up being just a Chi-Force Striker I'll just have to write up my own Monk.

I have wanted for the Monk to be a Martial Controller for quite a while. In addition to Movement/Interrupts, a Monk could have sweeping kicks that function as a "close burst 1" attack that leaves targets prone, or "one-inch punches" that push targets away, or "quivering palms" that immobilizes targets, etc.

 

[ethandrul]

Speculation on Ki classes:

Striker-ninja
Defender-Sohei
Controller-monk
Leader- samurai

 

[Rechan]

Because people don't like the notion of a Ki Striker Monk?

Regardless of whether it's liked or not does not impact the fact that it will. So debating what it will be is pointless.

Besides. Look at the TWF ranger and Fighter, who has close burst AoE effects - just like people are saying the Controller monk would have. Look at the rogue, who moves enemies all around the battlefield, just like others have said the Controller monk would have. Look at Skirmishers in the MM, who have 'move x squares, make y attack(s) at any point during that route, you do not incur OAs', like many suggest the Controller monk would have. Look at the rogue's mobility, just like the Controller monk would have.

Then look at the Wizard's hit points, and tell me that the monk needs to be a controller who doesn't wear armor that puts himself in melee.

 

[Alkiera]

Races and Classes said a lot of things, not all of which turned out to be the final result.

I too wish to see the Monk as a Controller, with a Wis/Str stat split. Let him add his Wis mod to Dex/Int for light armors, to give him a high relative AC, since he's in melee; but keep damage down in the 1-3 d6 range, especially for attacks that hit areas.

In my mind I see a Judo/Aikido type martial artist, who uses enemy's movement and attacks against them. Say an AO like power that when a target moves into threatening space, you can shift them to the square on the opposite side of you, and make them prone. If the square is occupied, secondary attack roll, both targets take 1[W] + 1 per square moved damage. Let him grab enemies and throw them into a group as a small area blast.

The tradeoff with the wizard would be range; little the Monk does would have a range more than 3-5 squares. Heck, if it's Ki-based, let him have some wacky levitation/waterwalking/fire breathing powers, though I'd prefer against that. Utility powers should give Parkour-like effects. Long/high jumps and falls without losing movement, and high movement.

I suppose you could make him a striker that way, just up his hp/damage, and reduce him to single targets. He'd be a very controller-y striker, though, if a lot of his opponents end up thrown somewhere and prone.

 

[Final Attack]

Ki striker

Ki striker is close to confirmed by people in wizard. They stated that "martial striker" was 50% correct. Now that the Ki power source is confirmed I don't think their is much debate.

There is still the possibility of a fist fighting controller, its just not going to be the Monk.

 

[Oni]

I could see arguements for monks of defender, controller, and striker flavors. Some concepts needs more than just one narrow mechanical defination. That was one of my problems with in 3e, was that it was basically just one type of monk. I'd also like to see a good hand to hand fighter that wasn't all mystical that was just good old fashion physical force rather than being able to do semimagical things that didn't make a ton of sense.