Best Feats for Halfling Monk?

[stevelabny]

Ok,so I'm playing in a side-campaign temporarily while on eof the player of our regular cmapaign takes a work-relates gaming hiatus. We're starting these characters at 5th level.
I'm playing a slightly-homebrewed-halfling 3.5 monk.(with on level of rogue)
The new halfling loses +2 to Climb, +2 to jump and the +1 on slings and thrown weapons. But instead gains +2 to Charisma checks and +1 with daggers and short swords. They're also fat and hairy footed.

My stats look like this:
STR 14
DEX 20
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 16
CHA 9

Reflex: +12
Fortitude +7
Will +8
with additional +2 vs fear and +2 vs enchantments.

1st level Rogue/4th level Monk
Will have a total bonuses to Listen, Spot, Blance, Jump, Climb, Tumble, Hide, Move Silently and Escape Artist of 10-12.

If I use one of my feats on Weapon Finesse my attacks will look like this

Single Attack: +9 1-6+2
Flurry of Blows: +7 1-6+2/1-6+2
With the chance of adding another 1d6 on any sneak attack.

Initiative: +5
HP: 44
a MAJOR homebrew effect on AC as all classes have a level-based defense progression. It doesn't stack with armor without a feat and it doesn't work against touch attacks (or else they would have been too ridiculous to get through)
AC: 24 Flatfooted: 19 Touch: 19

I was going to take Improved Grapple as the bonus Monk feat at 1st but now I'm not sure.
I'm definately taking Comabt Reflexes as the 2nd bonus Monk feat.

But that still leaves me with a feat open. 3.5 PHB feats only.

So here are my questions
1. do I take Stunning attack instead of Improved Grapple as the bonus feat?
Stunning Fist is OK, but it bothers me that the monk gets no advantage from it himself. Its more for the benefit of the rest of the party. IS it worth it?
2. which of these do I take as my other feat?
Improved Iniative, Dodge, Precise Shot, Power Attack, Blind-Fight or Improved Grapple (if I take Stunning Fist as the bonus feat)

I'm envisioning him as a portly, poofy-haired HOBBIT who was the only member of his hobbit gang to be caught at the scene of a crime, and was sent to the monastery to reflect on his sins. Since then he's wandered around fighting the good fight. The only remnants of his hobbit nature are his appetite, the underlying jolliness and perserverance that lies under his cool collected monk persona and a slight chip on his shoulder that people underestimate him.

My character in the main campaign is a rogue/bard who started with Improved Initiative and Weapon Finesse and I'm trying NOT to duplicate it.
Dodge seems unnecessary especially since with a crazy Tumble score and high AC that Mobility won't be much use in the future.
Precise Shot would only be used to set up Rapid or Far Shot and neither seems worth two feats.
Power Attack would help with my weak damage, but at the usual risk of missing.
I like Blind-Fight conceptually, but wonder if it will ever be used, especially since this is short-term character.
Improved Grapple would actully give the halfling a grapple bonus of +5 but I wonder how often it would be worth grappling medium-sized creatures.

Oh, and the Furry-footed Fury needs a name.
BESIDES the Furry-footed Fury.

Anyone care to help?

 

[kirinke]

here's a name for your character anyway...

here's a name for your character anyway...
Ferdirand Chubb
Mongo Millstone
Fosco Brockhouse of Loamsdown

 

[Dinkeldog]

1. do I take Stunning attack instead of Improved Grapple as the bonus feat?
Stunning Fist is OK, but it bothers me that the monk gets no advantage from it himself. Its more for the benefit of the rest of the party. IS it worth it?
2. which of these do I take as my other feat?
Improved Iniative, Dodge, Precise Shot, Power Attack, Blind-Fight or Improved Grapple (if I take Stunning Fist as the bonus feat)

1. Take stunning fist. You're Small--grappling is not your friend, as you're taking a -4 to everything medium and worse if they're larger.

2. I'd go with Dodge or Precise Shot. Dodge if you're going to go the Dodge->Mobility->Spring Attack; Precise Shot if you'd rather have range options, instead.

 

[Uriel]

You might want to try over in the Rules Forums, as this one is for posting characters.

 

[Anabstercorian]

WEAPON FINESSE!!! For goodness sake, Weapon Finesse! That's a +3 to attack with your unarmed strikes, man.

 

[stevelabny]

If I use one of my feats on Weapon Finesse my attacks will look like this
Single Attack: +9 1-6+2
Flurry of Blows: +7 1-6+2/1-6+2

There was never any question that one of my feats would be WeaponFinesse.
I was trying to decide on my OTHER feat :-D

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Take Stunning Fist as your first level feat. You won't get much use out of imp grapple; you will out of stunning fist.

(Note that you actually can benefit from stunning your foe if you stun with the first attack of a flurry--the rest of your attacks that round will be against the stunned foe).

At second level, I'd take combat reflexes. It sets you up for things like Close Quarters Fighting (halfling monks don't want to be grappled) and Expert Tactician (if you succeed in stunning the foe, take a free attack against them) later on.

For your third level feat, you might think about weapon focus: unarmed strike.