Jack Daniel
Legend
All right, so some people think the monk's a little too rigid... you can't bet they're not going to change the monk in the new revised books (there weren't enough complaints, and let's face it, the 1st edition monk was exactly the same way). But there is an easier way, and Oriental Adventures started it by letting monks swap Deflect Arrows and Improved Trip for other feats that might help monks qualify for a martial art mastery. What if you were to take that chain farther, and just drop those two feats in favor of bonus feats, at levels 2 and 6, and then carry the pattern out to 10, 14, and 18? Well, to balance the three extra feats, drop three abilities (like Ki Strike +1, +2, and +3). Just use the same list of combat feats the fighter and psychic warrior use, and you've got a pretty flexible monk right there. But now say you want special monk abilities that go beyond the ones they get normally. Well great, I mean fighters get Weapon Specialization exclusively, and psychic warrios also get psionic feats... so why not chi feats for the monks? Here are some basic ones (just remember, "chi cost" is a quick way of writing "stunning fist attempts given up for the day"). Also, the save DC is the same as for every other monk ability: 10 + 1/2 level + Wis mod.
Battle Aura [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 3+, Con 13+, Wis 15+
Benefit: You call forth the full power of your chi, engulfing your body in a swirling aura of air and flame that causes dust to rise and nearby objects to crackle with static electricity, sometimes levitating off the ground from the sheer electromagnetic force. For ten rounds, your strength and dexterity scores receive a +2 bonus, and your speed is increased by 10 feet.
Chi Cost: 2
Blast of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 5+, Dex 13+, Wis 15+
Benefit: You gain the ability to project your chi in a blast of air that can hit up to four adjacent targets from up to 25 feet away. The targets of this attack take 3d4 force damage, but may attempt reflex saves for half damage.
Chi Cost: 1
Chi Strike [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 10+, Wis 19+
Benefit: You have the power to imbue your unarmed strikes with chi, granting your unarmed attacks a +1, +2, or +3 enhancement bonus for ten rounds.
Chi Cost: 1/point of enhancement bonus
Feel the Flow [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 2+, Wis 17+
Benefit: You gain the ability to detect law and chaos at will, just like the 1st-level spells. In essence, you can sense the presence of “good” and “bad” chi.
Chi Cost: 0
Improved Wave of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Blast of Chi, Wave of Chi, Monk level 16+, Str 17+, Wis 21+
Benefit: You learn a master chi attack, an energy wave that is treated like a lightning bolt spell-like ability in all respects, except that it deals force damage instead of electric damage.
Chi Cost: 3
Palm of Buddha [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 4+, Wis 19+
Benefit: You gain the ability to heal others with your chi, similar to a paladin laying on his hands. With a touch, you can restore 1d6+1 hit points per chi.
Chi Cost: 1
Poison the Spirit [Chi Technique]
Prerequisite: Monk level 10+, Wis 19+, Str 15+
Benefit: This dreaded attack may only be attempted once per week (a monk who has learned the Quivering Palm ability may give up the use of that power to use the Poisoned Spirit technique a second time in a week). Once the use of this power is declared, the monk makes a single melee attack. If it misses, the power is used up; if it hits, the victim must make a fortitude save or lose one point of constitution. The victim is now poisoned with bad chi, and must make another fortitude save each day thereafter, or lose another point of constitution. This continues until the victim either runs out of constitution and dies, or makes a saving throw, in which case the poison stops and the victim may begin to recover the temporary ability damage as normal.
Chi Cost: 0
Wave of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Blast of Chi, Monk level 8+, Str 15+, Wis 17+
Benefit: You gain the ability to focus your chi into a blast of coherent energy that takes the form of a 15 by 25 foot beam, or a 5 by 75 foot line. Anyone caught within the area of the attack takes 3d8 force damage, and may attempt a reflex save for half damage. Chi Cost: 2
Wuxai [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 18+, Dex 17+, Wis 21+
Benefit: By gathering your chi and projecting it downward, you gain the power to air walk, as the arcane spell.
Chi Cost: 4
Battle Aura [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 3+, Con 13+, Wis 15+
Benefit: You call forth the full power of your chi, engulfing your body in a swirling aura of air and flame that causes dust to rise and nearby objects to crackle with static electricity, sometimes levitating off the ground from the sheer electromagnetic force. For ten rounds, your strength and dexterity scores receive a +2 bonus, and your speed is increased by 10 feet.
Chi Cost: 2
Blast of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 5+, Dex 13+, Wis 15+
Benefit: You gain the ability to project your chi in a blast of air that can hit up to four adjacent targets from up to 25 feet away. The targets of this attack take 3d4 force damage, but may attempt reflex saves for half damage.
Chi Cost: 1
Chi Strike [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 10+, Wis 19+
Benefit: You have the power to imbue your unarmed strikes with chi, granting your unarmed attacks a +1, +2, or +3 enhancement bonus for ten rounds.
Chi Cost: 1/point of enhancement bonus
Feel the Flow [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 2+, Wis 17+
Benefit: You gain the ability to detect law and chaos at will, just like the 1st-level spells. In essence, you can sense the presence of “good” and “bad” chi.
Chi Cost: 0
Improved Wave of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Blast of Chi, Wave of Chi, Monk level 16+, Str 17+, Wis 21+
Benefit: You learn a master chi attack, an energy wave that is treated like a lightning bolt spell-like ability in all respects, except that it deals force damage instead of electric damage.
Chi Cost: 3
Palm of Buddha [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 4+, Wis 19+
Benefit: You gain the ability to heal others with your chi, similar to a paladin laying on his hands. With a touch, you can restore 1d6+1 hit points per chi.
Chi Cost: 1
Poison the Spirit [Chi Technique]
Prerequisite: Monk level 10+, Wis 19+, Str 15+
Benefit: This dreaded attack may only be attempted once per week (a monk who has learned the Quivering Palm ability may give up the use of that power to use the Poisoned Spirit technique a second time in a week). Once the use of this power is declared, the monk makes a single melee attack. If it misses, the power is used up; if it hits, the victim must make a fortitude save or lose one point of constitution. The victim is now poisoned with bad chi, and must make another fortitude save each day thereafter, or lose another point of constitution. This continues until the victim either runs out of constitution and dies, or makes a saving throw, in which case the poison stops and the victim may begin to recover the temporary ability damage as normal.
Chi Cost: 0
Wave of Chi [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Blast of Chi, Monk level 8+, Str 15+, Wis 17+
Benefit: You gain the ability to focus your chi into a blast of coherent energy that takes the form of a 15 by 25 foot beam, or a 5 by 75 foot line. Anyone caught within the area of the attack takes 3d8 force damage, and may attempt a reflex save for half damage. Chi Cost: 2
Wuxai [Chi Technique]
Prerequisites: Monk level 18+, Dex 17+, Wis 21+
Benefit: By gathering your chi and projecting it downward, you gain the power to air walk, as the arcane spell.
Chi Cost: 4
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