Best monk and druid sourcebooks

[Drifter Bob]

I have two characters in my campaign who are monks and druids respectively. I would like to help them keep up with some of the other party members who are fighters, wizards, clerics etc. I have been disapointed by the extant material for both classes, especially the WOTC book on druids rangers and barbarians (I forget the name of it, I sold it a few weeks after buying it)

We have a fairly "gritty" low to medium magic campaign, the characters are about 5th level. I'd like to buy some suppliments for my druid and monk PC's which would make them more powerful and make them more "druidish" and "monky" respectively. I liked magic of faerun best so far from what I have found, because the druid spells in it though limited in number had a druidic feel that I liked. There need to be some more powerful combat spells though methinks. Can anyone reccomend specific sourcebooks? Thanks.

DB

 

[johnsemlak]

If you are willing to buy PDFs, there are several sourcebooks covering both classes at www.rpg.now

 

[green slime]

Oriental Adventures, complete warrior, and Eberron Campaign setting, all have feats for monks and druids (well, maybe not cw). Unearthed Arcana also has some interesting ideas for variant classes. One is giving druids the ability to partially shift form with their wildshape ability: a similar idea is implemented with feat use in Complete Divine, but requiring a feat is too expensive IMO...

Summary:
for monks:
Oriental Adventures (lots of monk goodness: feats, PrC)
Complete Warrior (less so, mostly updates a few feats, still, I liked this book)

for Druids:
Eberron Campaign Setting (a few interesting Druid feats "Ashbound", for instance)
Complete Divine (lots of druid spells)

and a bit of both:
Unearthed Arcana

Scarred lands accessories also have alot of druid/ranger spells.

 

[Drifter Bob]

If you are willing to buy PDFs, there are several sourcebooks covering both classes at www.rpg.now

I am, do you know of any in particular whch are especially good?

DB

 

[Drifter Bob]

Oriental Adventures, complete warrior, and Eberron Campaign setting, all have feats for monks and druids (well, maybe not cw). Unearthed Arcana also has some interesting ideas for variant classes. One is giving druids the ability to partially shift form with their wildshape ability: a similar idea is implemented with feat use in Complete Divine, but requiring a feat is too expensive IMO...

Summary:
for monks:
Oriental Adventures (lots of monk goodness: feats, PrC)
Complete Warrior (less so, mostly updates a few feats, still, I liked this book)

for Druids:
Eberron Campaign Setting (a few interesting Druid feats "Ashbound", for instance)
Complete Divine (lots of druid spells)

and a bit of both:
Unearthed Arcana

Scarred lands accessories also have alot of druid/ranger spells.

Thanks, I'll look for both

DB

 

[Crothian]

For the Monk you are in luck. The best print Quint book is Quint Monk. I hear Quint Monk 2 is really good as well. There is also Beyond Monks by Chainmail Bikinis.

For a druid there just isn't as much quality out there. I really limit myself to the PHB and Complete Divine for my druid. The best out there I think is Bastion's pdf Druids & Druidism.

 

[diaglo]

pickup Supplements II and III. Blackmoor and Eldritch Wizardry for the two classes in question.

 

[MarauderX]

Oa

For the monk I would allow the optional OA rules for feat substitution so the monk can meld to meet new challenges at different levels. In the OA, some of the better feats are tough to get to, but the monk player might want to focus on alternate combat tactics (tripping, disarming, sundering) instead of straight damage. For combat tossing your opponents around and disarming them to prevent attacks is a better tactic as they go up in levels, and the monk might want to focus on doing each, not just one like a typical fighter.

My favorite feats from OA:
Grappling Block
General - REQ: Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Int 13+, Expertise, Improved Disarm, Combat Reflexes
You must have both hands free or be holding weapons designed to catch other weapons (such as the sai or the jitte) to use this feat. Once per round when you would normally be hit by a melee weapon, you may make a special disarm attempt against your opponent. This attempt counts against your allowed attacks of opportunity this round. You make an opposed attack roll against the hit, the opponent’s attack roll is not modified by the size of his weapon. If you succeed, you grab the weapon away from your opponent (if you are unarmed) or knock the weapon to the ground (if you’re armed). You may only use this feat against weapons up to two sizes larger than you. Oriental Adventures, pg 63.

Earth’s Embrace
General - REQ: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Str 15+
While grappling, if you pin your opponent, you deal critical damage each round that you maintain the pin. You hold your opponent immobile as normal, but you must also remain completely immobile, giving opponents other than the one pinned a +4 bonus on attack rolls against you (but you’re not helpless). Oriental Adventures, pg 62.

Great Throw [General]
You can throw your opponents to the ground, choosing where they land and dealing damage in the process.

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Dexterity 13+, Dodge, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes

Benefit: When you make a successful unarmed trip attack against a creature no larger than your own size, you can choose where the creature lands, within the area you threaten. In addition, you deal your normal unarmed strike damage to the opponent. When you use this option, however, you may not make a followup melee attack using the Improved Trip feat.