Help Twinking Out a 12th Level Monk

[mattcolville]

Wow, Matt, that's some good stuff right there. Thanks.

VOP means no gear, correct? Overall, what is your opinion of how well it compensates for gear? I.e. would I be better of spending my cash on gear, or forgoeing it and sticking with VOP? Let's presume the right about of starting cash.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Taking VoP means only using simple weapons & non-magical gear.

Personally, its a flavor thing- you don't take VoP to replace gear, you take it because it fits the PC.

That said, VoP does a pretty good job of replacing fighting gear- there are countless threads devoted to how broken VoP is. (I don't think it is, but many people do.)

 

[Malum]

A straight classed Monk will leave you with a dry pasty substance adhered to the crook of players maw. The class is intrinsically uninteresting and somewhat ineffective. But if you dip into the class for a couple of levels then it can make for a good well rounded pc build.
IMC our successful Monk builds include: Fighter/Monk-player used spiked chain and was & still is very effective, Psychic Warrior/Monk/Fighter-lower BAB but the psy powers and extra feats really made this build stronger than one might assume. There are several others including mixes with Cleric, Sorcerer & Psion.

We have a player that for the past 7 or 8 campaigns has made a Paladin/Monk base for the first 4 levels and then goes onto other classes every single time!

Malum

 

[Bad Paper]

I am a player in a RttToEE campaign, and there is an absolutely unkillable halfling monk/rogue on my team. Unkillable. I mean, his touch AC is 30.

Since any books are allowed, I recommend peeking at the aberrant feats in Lords of Madness. I played a monk/wizard with tentacles and flexible limbs, for a +4 on grapple checks.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Someone in my campaign created a 12th Monk with VoP and after one adventure asked if he could change his mind - he found it wasn't really fun to play; VoP gave lots of little buffs and combat abilities, but he was missing a huge raft of out-of-combat abilities that he would normally have from magic items, and he often felt useless out of combat.

VoP sounds good, but in practice it may not be (others will probably have different experiences of this build).

I'd say that you want Monk11 at least, because of the extra flurry of blows attack.

I've played a very successful monk by focussing on Str (and taking martial weapon(glaive) as my 1st level feat).

Even without any other funky feats, this is a killer combination for the monk - whack 'em if they come in to engage you, whack 'em if they try to disengage, kick 'em to bits when they are up close. Being able to fight at 5ft range AND have the reach weapon is great against archers and mages, because they can't just take the 5ft step and cast option, because they are still in your threatened area

Power attack also works nicely with 2H weapons.

 

[Particle_Man]

btw, how are your stats generated. Dice? Point Buy?

 

[mvincent]

Recommendations:
- Dex build (with weapon finesse) (likely an elf)
- Improved natural attack
- Monks belt
- Two weapon fighting (unarmed strike)
- Permanent Greater magic fang +5 for 9k gp (and ring of counterspells loaded with dispel magic)
- Spiked chain in otherwise empty hands (for free disarm AoO's, even if not proficient)

 

[mattcolville]

btw, how are your stats generated. Dice? Point Buy?

32 point buy.

 

[mattcolville]

Taking VoP means only using simple weapons & non-magical gear.

Personally, its a flavor thing- you don't take VoP to replace gear, you take it because it fits the PC.

That said, VoP does a pretty good job of replacing fighting gear- there are countless threads devoted to how broken VoP is. (I don't think it is, but many people do.)

My goal is to make an acrobatic monk who does a lot of leaping and eschews weapons or non-clothing gear of any sort. Magical cloths, I'm ok with.

So the Ascetic lifestyle fits this guy. But I am also a min-maxer kinda dude, and the Monk's Belt has a powerful lure....

Regardless of how I go, this guy will not use weapons besides fists, or magic besides enchanted clothes and maybe pendants and an Ioun stone. I also like the feats that let me tumble around and attack people, and maximize flanking.

 

[Malum]

Tattoed Monk and there is a Psi Fist class but that class is questionable imo.

Malum