Beefing up a monk

[Aust Diamondew]

Mad Mac: I think the stereotype comes from what people see in martial arts movies. What with 90 year old kung fu masters kicking peoples butts or Jackie Chan who is buff but isn't huge. I don't watch anime much so I don't know what is typical in that.

To the thread starters question:
You can't play a character who wants to grapple with only a 13 str. All the other players in your game have pretty high strength scores for there level too, not impossibly high but still very nice (did the cleric put an 18 into strength at level 1?).
To fix monk I suggest dividing the cost of amulets of mighty fist (or whatever it's called) by 2 or 3 and allowing them to have enchancements like those of magic weapons put on too (ie shocking, wounding etc).
Second have at least a 14 stenght if you're a monk (at level 1 and definitley by level 4). If you want to be a wrestler it has to be higher. Where did his level 4 ability point go?
Monks are very good against spell casters (they have high touch AC, all good saves, SR at higher levels, very fast moving, stunning attack targets fort save) monks are more survivalist than damage dealers.

 

[Shin Okada]

....monks are more survivalist than damage dealers.

Quite right. So instead of becoming a damage dealer, becoming a "dodger" could have some potential. Monks are fast and has Tumble as a class skill. So he can jump into the middle of opponents and provide flanking bonus to his comrades while surviving enemy blows. Use "fight on defensive" intensively. With 5+ ranks in tumble his AC bonus is +3. Does he have Int of 13+? If so, take Combat Expertise and combine it with fight on defensive. Now with +8 dodge bonus to AC and high saves, enemy will take eons to remove him.

 

[Endur]

To beef up the Monk, feed him lots of steaks.

Seriously, if you want the Monk to shine you need to create adventures that take advantages of his abilities.

How about putting the whole party in prison. Take away the cleric's holy symbol and the cleric can't cast spells. The wizard without his spellbook can't memorize spells. The Monk still has all his abilities and will shine in the prison break.

Or maybe there is a dungeon that requires climbing, balance, tumbling, and similar skills to navigate. Leaping too.

You need to look for adventure possibilities for the Monk to shine.

Also, remember that the Monk becomes extremely powerful in higher levels. Lower levels are somewhat painful for Monks though.

 

[Shin Okada]

Also, remember that the Monk becomes extremely powerful in higher levels. Lower levels are somewhat painful for Monks though.

Powerful at higher levels? Are you sure?

In my experience it is quite opposite. His defensive capabilities may become better. But his offensive power does not shine at higher levels due to low BAB and relatively low damage outputs (1d20 fist is no better than a +5 Holy Keen Wounding Greatsword made of Starmetal).

 

[Scion]

wow.. 13 str monk grappler? Next time will he try for a 13 dex crossbow user?

What sort of gear are we looking at as being possible? As a 7th level character he can have up to 19k worth of gear.

Grapple checks are based off of BAB, str, and special modifiers. He already has the improved grapple feat I would assume, he already tanked his str, and he is a monk so lacking in full bab.

I assume that you want him to be able to do well at this so I would suggest a few things.

1) Make him a special item. This item will make him seem one size category larger for all physical purposes, or easier just call it powerful build that also makes the monk deal extra damage as the halfgiant has to a more limited degree I believe. This will help a little, but it would be too powerful normally. In this case it could be ok, especially if it is limited to only working that way for monks.

2) Price the amulet of mighty fists properly. To me it should cost, at most, the same as a normal weapon and work for unarmed strikes only. Given that it takes up a very important slot that is why I feel it should likely actually cost 'less', but have to start where you can

3) Make up a prc for him, or modify some that already exist. If you can work it in then it should grant manifestor levels similar to a psychic warrior so that he can get expansion and grip of iron.

4) Someone should polymorph this guy! Turn him into a troll or something.

5) monks belt = good, improved natural attack feat = good, gauntlets of the talon (complete divine) = good, weapon focus (unarmed) working for grapple checks = good.


Now, you likely haveing all of these go at once will make him a powerhouse, but at least some of them would make for a good start

 

[UltimaGabe]

The sorcerer used her LB spell for the first time and did 34 points of damage. The monk player makes a side comment about how when he's 20th level he'll be doing 2d10 damage or something. If a sorcerer at 7th lvl is already doing more damage than a 20th lvl monk, I must be overlooking the monks abilities. In what ways is the monk supposed to be affective?

That's not a good comparison at all. Sure, the Sorcerer can do 34 points of damage with a Lightning Bolt, but how many times can he do it? Three, four times a day? Well, the Monk (whose base damage at this point should be 1d10 or so) can do that as many times as he wants, several times a round if he wants to. Don't talk about Damage Potential when it comes between Fighter-types and Spellcaster-types, because spellcaster types ALWAYS run out. (Unless you're a Warlock.)

 

[Jack Simth]

3) Make up a prc for him, or modify some that already exist. If you can work it in then it should grant manifestor levels similar to a psychic warrior so that he can get expansion and grip of iron.

Do you mean something like the Psionic Fist in the SRD?

 

[Bront]

One of the most effective combatants in my home campaign is the Half-Orc Fighter 1/Monk 3. It's an Eberron campaign, and he uses a Long Spear (that he can flurry with) as well as his bare hands. He clogs up a big space on the battlefield with his combat reflexes, and with a 20 strength, he can do some pretty severe damage with his bare hands or with a two handed weapon. Also, he can easily swap from a weapon to unarmed because he doesn't need to use his hands and there's no off hand in unarmed. It's made for an interesting combat where the monk was using a bow, and took time out to kick someone who got too close.

Grappling is good, but it shouldn't be a sole monk's tactics. Also, remember that a Monk should be hard to damage with high saves, evasion, and the AC bonuses, but they aren't easy, and they aren't straight forward.

 

[Victim]

For better or worse, melee damage is based mostly on STR. So your monk is a melee guy with rather poor STR and no massive damage abilities (ala sneak attack). Why would a character trying to grapple lack STR anyway? Find a way to bump up the monk's STR so he can hit, grapple, and do damage.

 

[Rkhet]

The sorcerer's level 7. By 8 he'll be able to cast Polymorph. That ought to be fun for the monk - if he can convince the sorcerer to burn up a level 4 slot and a standard action that way.

Maybe the monk can buy a wand of polymorph and give it to him.