Druid and Monk synergy

[Matafuego]

Thanks a lot Camarath!

 

[Derulbaskul]

Standard tactics in one of the groups that I DM is to polymorph the monk into a Huge treant and watch the damage mount up (flurry of branches)... after, of course, first buffing her with some AC enhancing spells.

 

[Darklone]

The spells would still work after wildshaping if you cast them before (such as Mage Armour).

I thought about using the Monks AC bonus such as the Bladesingers or duelists but that would have killed so many low level monks... might be a nice houserule for multiclassing monks though.

 

[shilsen]

I thought about using the Monks AC bonus such as the Bladesingers or duelists but that would have killed so many low level monks... might be a nice houserule for multiclassing monks though.

I have a houserule that a character with a class or PrC that applies a stat bonus to an "unusual" area (such as the monk's Wis bonus to AC or the paladin's Cha bonus to saves) gets the bonus at +1 per class or PrC level (to the max of whatever the bonus is). It's worked fine so far, but admittedly without any low-level monks joining the party.

 

[Darklone]

Yeah... I think the rule is really fine. But low level monks are already pretty weak (compared to a fighter who needs breastplate, shield and sword to survive or barbarians who simply kill everything with a charge) so I saw no reason to nerf them further. Right now though, the minmaxxed halfling druid in my group is going to look for one level monk after he is able to wildshape to large size... for 6 additional points of AC... I am still gulping.

 

[Korak]

Yeah... I think the rule is really fine. But low level monks are already pretty weak (compared to a fighter who needs breastplate, shield and sword to survive or barbarians who simply kill everything with a charge) so I saw no reason to nerf them further. Right now though, the minmaxxed halfling druid in my group is going to look for one level monk after he is able to wildshape to large size... for 6 additional points of AC... I am still gulping.

The best antidote for that is to be sure to include some encounters where he will be wishing he had his 5th level druid spells instead of the 6AC.

 

[Darklone]

He'll be wrestling soon with golems. That way he's happy that he's not useless and still nerfed.

 

[jgsugden]

I thought about using the Monks AC bonus such as the Bladesingers or duelists but that would have killed so many low level monks... might be a nice houserule for multiclassing monks though.

IMC, I made a recent change so that a monk must begin at 1st level. If the player chooses another class first, he may never be a true monk.

Instead, I provide a prestige class (ascetic - poorly named, but I was on the spot and it stuck) that is very monk-ish, but follows 3.5 prestige class restrictions to prevent it from being too powerful. It has some slight differences from a monk for campaign specific role playing reasons (the ascetics tend to oppose/be rivals of the true monks), but this format could be adapted to PCs wishing to multiclass into monk.

 

[Korak]

IMC, I made a recent change so that a monk must begin at 1st level. If the player chooses another class first, he may never be a true monk.

Instead, I provide a prestige class (ascetic - poorly named, but I was on the spot and it stuck) that is very monk-ish, but follows 3.5 prestige class restrictions to prevent it from being too powerful. It has some slight differences from a monk for campaign specific role playing reasons (the ascetics tend to oppose/be rivals of the true monks), but this format could be adapted to PCs wishing to multiclass into monk.

I like that idea... a lot. I'll have to develop something similar.