What DO you DO for... Monks?

[Herobizkit]

I took a rule from 1e Oriental Adventures re: martial arts weapons:

A monk may use his unarmed damage in place of his weapon damage when using monk weapons. This solves the "but no magic fists?" issue with monks very nicely.

If you don't like that, you could always house rule a Bracer/Amulet/Belt/Headband/Brass Knuckles of Whatever that would work exactly like your standard weapon enchantments, but for fists.

 

[Panask]

Monks in my campaign have more of a Western medieval flavor (an Oriental flavor just doesn't fit well), and we think of them as being in hooded "monk's habits," and generally carrying a staff, although this is not required.

Each monk must have a patron deity, and the chief change is that we give them a domain, chosen from their deity's domains. They get a domain power, and every odd level they get a domain spell that they can cast once/day. They focus their spells trhough the disciplined power of their bodies, and for that reason spells are Con-based. (For example, the save DC of a monk's spell is equal to 10 + the spell level + the monk's Con modifier.)

Sometimes we have to come up with a new domain power because the standard one is too closely tied to the cleric class - such as domain powers that are tied to the Turn Undead ability. And we allow a certain amount of "mixing and matching" among the domain spells - as long as the character chooses a spell of the appropriate level that fits into the deity's spheres of influence, that's good enough. So a monk of Jezidre, the spider goddess, could take Spider Climb for his 1st-level monk spell, or Speak With Spiders. DM's discretion applies here.

Special monk's weapons are de-emphasized in this variant, since they don't fit the flavor.

 

[Presto2112]

So, what's in your house rule book? Do you change around everything, or leave it as-is? Do you have a varient posted up here on EN World, or another site which you could share with us - or just type them up in a post of it's own?

So... What DO you DO for monks?

Typically, I simply leave them alone, but I have made a variant progression that I labeled the Order of the Badger. It substitutes increased hit points and damage reduction for AC and speed bonuses, and a few other ability substitutions that emphasize toughness over mobility.

I also allow the alternate monks from Dragon 310.

 

[messy]

dropped 'em!

made new fighter feats to simulate monk abilities like fast movement, unarmed strike, ac bonus, etc.

messy

 

[Quartz]

Think about a Monk 16 / Ftr 4 who's got Power Attack and MWM: Bludgeoning (and Focus and Specialisation).

 

[Destil]

Surprisingly little, given that their arguably the weakest class.

No multi-class restriction (Why is this rule still here?! to quote SKR). No hard alignment restriction, though individual monk orders may have them.

A monk may choose any earlier feat that they did no already select as a bonus feat each time they choose a bonus feat (so a monk who takes Improved Grapple at 1st may choose Stunning Fist, Combat Reflexes or Deflect Arrows at 3rd).

I use an alternate Ki Strike Progression because I don't handle DR the same way as 3.5 (no

4th +1
8th +2
10th alignment (i.e. a lawful monk can overcome Dr X/lawful)
12th +3
16th +4
20th +5

Many monks are members of a specific order, these orders change some of the features of the class. Usually these allow different bonus feat choices, different versions of ki strike and a few small changes of abilities.

Warforged Monks: A warforged monk does not count as wearing armor because of the default composite plating. If the warforged takes any feat at 1st level that counts as wearing light, medium or heavy armor then they count as wearing armor.

A warforged monk gains full benefit of the wholeness of body class ability.

So all-in-all not much. I saved the larger changes for specific monk orders.

[h2]Order of the Sacred Fist[/h2]
Monks of the Silver Flame are most commonly members of this order.

The only entry requirement of the Order is a personal devotion to the Silver flame. A member of the Order of the Sacred Fist gains proficiency with the long bow instead of the sling or crossbows. They do not have tumble as a class skill.

Bonus Feats: The monks of the Sacred Fist add Zen Archery to their list of bonus feats available at 1st level. They also add Rapid Shot to their available bonus feats at 6th level.

Silver Soul: A Sacred Fist gains a +4 bonus to saving throws against possession effects. This ability replaces Still Mind.

Sacred Fire: This replaces Quivering Palm for sacred fists. It is a supernatural ability that reproduces the effects of an extended, quickened fire shield spell, usable once per week as a caster of the monk's level. The flames are silver and the damage is treated as sacred damage. The shield provides protection from evil attacks instead of cold or fire.

Many members of the Order of the Sacred Fist often have levels of Cleric of the Silver Flame, and some rare few are Paladins.

[h2]Jaeldira, the Blade Dancers of Valenar[/h2]
The Jaeldira are tradition of the elves, though in very rare occasions half-elves and changlings have been known to learn their ways. A member must have proficiency with a scimitar-type weapon(scia, scimitar, shamshir, great-scimitar or double-scimitar).

Bonus Feats: The Jaeldria add Whirling Steel Strike to their list of bonus feats avilable at 1st level, but can only take this feat with a scimitar. They also add Two Weapon Defense to their available bonus feats at 6th level.

Of One Mind: The Jaeldria are said to be one with their scimitars. They may use abilities such as stunning blow that normally require an unarmed strike with a scimitar instead. When using a scimitar in this way its enhancement bonus is added to the saving throw DC, if any.

Leap of the Clouds: A Jaeldria gains a bonus to jump checks equal to the slow fall distance / 10 feet (so +2 at 4th level, +4 at 8th et cetera). At 20th level a Jaeldria is treated as if they had a running start on all jump checks, even when standing still. This ability replaces slow fall.

The Jaeldria often take fighter levels for bonus feats (focusing on the scimitar) and wizard levels to augment their physical abilities with magic.

[h2]Feral Disciple[/h2]
The feral disciples are members of the Ashbonund sect of druids who have forsaken their reliance on even armor and weapons as a weakness.

To be a feral disciple a monk must have the Ashbound Initiate feat.

An feral disciple may wield a sickle, flail or natural attack (such as a claw or bite) a special monk weapon.

Bonus feats: A feral disciple may select Nature's Guidance in as a 1st level bonus feat. They also add Die Hard to their available bonus feats at 6th level.

Deny Magic: A feral disciple gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws against 'unnatural' magic. This bonus applies against all spells, spell like abilities and supernatural abilities except spells cast by druids and rangers, and the spell-like and supernatural abilities of magical beasts, elementals and outsiders with an elemental subtype. This ability replaces still mind.

A feral disciple with the Diamond Soul ability also gains this +1 bonus to their spell resistance against all 'unnatural' magical attacks.

Unarmed damage: While wildshaped a feral disciple of at least 4th level improves the damage from natural attacks as if she had the Improved Natural Attack feat for each of her natural weapons.

All feral disciples are druids of some ability, some also have levels in ranger.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I use the Bruiser, by Dr. Awkward (though house ruled a bit), and the Mystic, by me.

These represent the Monk divorced from mystical hoozits, and a class full of the mystical hoozits plus some, repectively. Kinda thing.

 

[Nyaricus]

I use the Bruiser, by Dr. Awkward (though house ruled a bit)

Care to delve into what you've done, Aus?

thanks,
--N

 

[Wik]

Hate monks. They're the one PHB Core class that is barred from my games... mainly due to the fact that there's a core option that lets monks be expert grapplers - and I hate the grapple rules. I also don't like the flavour of 'em.

The one time we did use them, I linked their unarmed strike damage to weapon damage (instead of using fists, you're using daggers!), and made them a "knife fighter" or "duelist". Didn't exactly float too well.

 

[Storyteller01]

For my ranged weapons heavy campaign:

They can deflect (or dodge, if they prefer) arrows at tho cost of an AoO, instead of once per round.

Also (I stole this bit from an OGL PrC) when they choose to take the defensive (no attacking) they get 30% concealment against ranged attacks.

Afterwards, there is a feat they can take that doubles their Deflect arrows total (effectively two per AoO) and gives them 50% concealment against ranged attacks on the defensive.


The campaign setting provides a PrC (the gun dancer) that REALLY brings monks into the setting. Think Grammaton Cleric with energy absorbtion.