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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hawken" data-source="post: 4876407" data-attributes="member: 23619">I think 2 attacks per round tops would be simple enough. But that doesn't mean it has to ruin two weapons fighting. One attack normally, then with TWF, you get an offhand attack at -4 (-2 if Light weapon), or you can get the bonus for Fighting Defensively or using Total Defense that 5 ranks in Tumble provides. Upgrade to Improved TWF, and you get either the offhand attack (now with full Str mod to damage) or you deflect one melee attack automatically (as per Deflect Arrows, but melee attacks only). Greater TWF means you can make an offhand attack AND get a shield bonus to AC equal to 1/2 Str mod. Perfect TWF means no penalty to attack roll and the shield bonus increases to full Str mod. How's that for a solution? Its just me but I see no reason for TWF and two weapon defense to be separate feats. You're probably right. I was going somewhere with that train of thought, but I just can't recall it right now.Numbers don't lie. But see what you can figure with crits factored into your formulas. I've played with enough crit focused guys that frequent crits can really bring fights to a quick, anti-climatic end.As the DM, you have the right to say what monsters are playable. If you don't think a troll or dragon is appropriate, don't allow it. Really though, who is going to teach a dragon how to be a monk? Even if they shapechange into a humanoid, they are learning kung fu as a human, that doesn't translate well into other forms and would be next to useless in their dragon form. That's really a flawed concept, that would be like you watching a wolverine fight a bear to try and pick up a level of barbarian so you could rage. I know you're just tossing off examples, but this is just the non-fluff/crunch stuff that comes to mind on these topics. I hear ya. The Improved Natural Attack feat is really about as pathetic as Toughness and Endurance. Best thing to do is my suggestion, limit attacks to 4, use the Double Attack/Triple Attack feats and/or TWF. Instead of a second attack, have double attack inflict double (base) damage when natural attacks are used. This would also eliminate the discrepancy between natural and unarmed attacks. Allow TWF with natural attacks; the two claw attacks become the main hand attacks and a third claw attack could be made as an off-hand attack, and then throw in a bite as a secondary attack. That's 4 attacks per round too. The only problem with that is that creature's can't really increase their size when they become stronger. Look at gorillas, they are roughly human sized, yet they are somewhere around 10 times as strong as a really strong human. Even if gorillas could hit the gym and get even stronger, they wouldn't bulk up really any more than they are now. Real world example for fantasy world premise, I know. But the same logic should apply. Anything less would indicate that the animal is just not fully developed yet, and thus not the norm for that MM entry. Dragons are the only creature in the MM that are listed with growth stages as they mature, and I think that's done largely just to allow for the aircraft carrier sized monsters on all the fantasy artwork. The amount of food needed for dragons to grow that size would wipe out a continents animal food supply within a year or two at the most!Plus with the size change comes all the other modifiers and adjustments that you have to look up like AC, Str, Dex, Natural Armor, etc. It becomes more complicated. Just leave it at improving monsters in 2hd increments that give a +1 bonus to everything else per increment. Sprinkle on a few or two to mix things up and you're good to go. You know, I know we got the 3.5 forum we can rattle stuff back and forth on, but it would be cool to chat with you, Syl and some of the others like on an IM sometimes--you know, have a real conversation or something.</blockquote>

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