Feats for a Zen Archer Monk

[StreamOfTheSky]

Perfect Strike basically gives you two rolls to confirm the crit at level 10, so I guess it does improve the odds. Before that, I'd say it reduces the chances of critting, because when you roll both dice and one is a crit, you have to use the other for the confirmation. If there was an actual good chance of both dice coming out high, you wouldn't need the ability in the first place. Then again, my view of luck and random chance often doesn't agree with the way things are supposed to be.

Again though, Imp. Crit at level 10-11, Critical Focus at 11 or 13, and then the actual pay dirt feat, one of the Crit feats, at 13 to 15... On a weapon that's only threatening 10% of the time... Versus (if we're assuming levels that high) getting Stunning Fist at 11 and I don't know...Touch of Serenity at 13, Punishing Kick at 15, etc...? Sure, you don't get Ki Focus (bow) as a class feature until a little past that, but you have a very high wisdom so those can still be handy with unarmed. And AFAIK, you could just pay for Ki Focus on your bow until then. Each of those (monk level) / day seems more generally useful still... And cooler.

 

[Jadeite]

Even with only two rolls Perfect Strike nearly doubles your chance to crit. It becomes more appearant if you imagine a confirmation roll even without a threat. Say, your character needs a 15 to hit. The following combinations would be crits (20,15),(20,16),(20,17),(20,18),(20,19),(20,20). (15,20),(16,20),(17,20),(18,20),(19,20) wouldn't be considered critical hits. With Perfect Strike, they would.
With Perfect Strike, Improved Critical and Critical Focus the chance of critting should be higher than that of a 18-20 weapon (with Improved Critical and Critical Focus).

 

[Talon378]

Goblin 12th level Zen Archer......

I have created a Goblin 12th level Zen Archer and I have to say that he has become one of the most dominating characters I have created in a LONG time.

He gets 5 attacks with his bow, crits about once a round, I use the perfect strike ability on the lowest attack of the round to try and guarantee 5 hits per round. With the Ki ability to make your arrows do hand to hand damage, and a +3 bow, I am doing 1D10+7 points of damage per hit with a small sized longbow. I am regularly approaching 60+ points of damage per round at range, and I am doing this at a good range. I have had a round or two where I have approached 100 points of damage!!!!


Dallas

 

[Celtavian]

re

I don't know about what feats are especially interesting for a Zen Archer monk. But I will tell you this, I run one of these. It is inferior to the fighter at low levels. Does less damage and less of a chance to hit.

But this class at high level is much harder to deal with than a fighter archer with very similar damage output.

The class ends up with more attacks by itself. With flurry and ki points you end up getting 8 attacks without haste, 9 with haste compared to the 7 a fighter gets with Rapid Shot, Many Shot, and haste.

Your saves are much better. You have almost no weak saves.

The special abilities are fairly nice including trick shot. Being able to shoot around corners is pretty incredible and can be annoying as a DM. There isn't much chance of escape against a Zen Archer monk unless you lock yourself in a room.

Your AC is usually better.

You get to have your arrows do up to 2d10 points of damage each at max lvl. I believe my friend is at 2d8 per arrow right now for a round with ki points.

My player min-maxed a little and took four lvls of Ranger. So he could cast gravity bow. That takes his arrows up to 3d6 or 3d8 or something for a round. If he uses his ki point he increases base damage to the base monk damage, then gravity bow increases arrow damage by one size. Pretty powerful.

You may start off slow as a Zen Archer monk. And do a bit less raw damage than a Fighter Archer, but all the perks more than make up for the losses at high level.

It also helps that the Zen Archer Monk gets to focus on Wisdom rather than dexterity for attack rolls. That reduces a stat since dex is no longer really a necessity.

Overall Zen Archer Monk is turning out to be a pretty potent class. The player gets SR next level, which a fighter never gets. And abundant step and the crazy movement which allows them to kite far better than the figther.

 

[Celtavian]

I have created a Goblin 12th level Zen Archer and I have to say that he has become one of the most dominating characters I have created in a LONG time.

He gets 5 attacks with his bow, crits about once a round, I use the perfect strike ability on the lowest attack of the round to try and guarantee 5 hits per round. With the Ki ability to make your arrows do hand to hand damage, and a +3 bow, I am doing 1D10+7 points of damage per hit with a small sized longbow. I am regularly approaching 60+ points of damage per round at range, and I am doing this at a good range. I have had a round or two where I have approached 100 points of damage!!!!


Dallas

Perfect Strike is potent. When the Zen Archer Monk gets to use it for his lower to hit chance attacks, it makes one of those lower BAB attacks more effective.

 

[VanceMadrox]

It also helps that the Zen Archer Monk gets to focus on Wisdom rather than dexterity for attack rolls. That reduces a stat since dex is no longer really a necessity.

It means more than just that. It also means that the Zen Archer's Stat for to hit (WIS) is mental whereas his Stat for damage (STR) is Physical. This means he can rock single stat boosting items for both and save a ton on Gold.
He doesn't need dual stat boosting items.


Really the freedom of the Zen Archer vs the Archer Ranger or Fighter is it frees you up to use your feats on other things. You don't need rapidshot, many shot, or even point blank shot. On top of that you get tons of bonus feats.

I think it's better to branch out into other options. The Zen Archer can afford to spend feats on feats that boost already impressive saves, or even on skill focus.

 

[Talon378]

Another option is one I have done, where I have chosen feats and skills that play off my abilities and allow me to be extremely stealthy and perceptive to become a "super scout" of sorts. With my improvements to movement (higher movement rate, dimension door if the you know what hits the fan, Spider and Cloud step), my high Dex and Wisdom (you need both to pull this off), and my ability to silently attack from cover if I choose, I end up being a far better scout than the Ranger is able to be. The only thing that the Ranger gets that I don't is spells, which I feel the increased movement more than offsets, in my opinion.

While I am talking about Junkto, let me also say that I forgot to mention that his +3 bow is also a composite bow, meaning that he gets an additional +2 from his strength to the damage, that is how he is getting to an overall +7 to damage. Simply put, this guy is as close to a mobile artillery unit as I have seen in any Dungeons and Dragons system. Before this guy, the most lethal archer I have ever run in role playing was a LongBowman in Palladium, but this guy is going to end up giving that a guy a serious run for his money.

It means more than just that. It also means that the Zen Archer's Stat for to hit (WIS) is mental whereas his Stat for damage (STR) is Physical. This means he can rock single stat boosting items for both and save a ton on Gold.
He doesn't need dual stat boosting items.


Really the freedom of the Zen Archer vs the Archer Ranger or Fighter is it frees you up to use your feats on other things. You don't need rapidshot, many shot, or even point blank shot. On top of that you get tons of bonus feats.

I think it's better to branch out into other options. The Zen Archer can afford to spend feats on feats that boost already impressive saves, or even on skill focus.