Help Twinking Out a 12th Level Monk

[Infiniti2000]

Official rules are not debateable, that are house-rules otherwise.

Says you!

The Official FAQ is certainly debatable. Whether it contains rules that override my books and errata is not debatable. It plain doesn't.

 

[Sykopup]

When it comes time to buy you spend your gold, you might want to check out Arms and Armor from Bastion Press, Inc. It is available in both 3E and 3.5, and contains weapons and armor designed specifically for monks. They are a bit pricy, but an example of each is Sash of the Master (adds both a +4 insight bonus to Dex and Wis) cost--32,000 gp, and Martial Gloves (these allow you to add enhancement bonuses ranging from +1-+5 to your unarmed attacks)--1,050gp-25,050gp.

Hope this helps. Oh, these prices are from the 3E version.

 

[Iscariot]

Actually, I mentioned that tactic in my post about my Githzerai Monk...although it was with psionic Enlarge, not the arcane version.

As for the Monks being allowed to take INA question being "official", WotC has published at least one Half-Orc Monk build with INA (in PHB II, p51) . That, I would think, would put to rest the "officialness" of the opinion...except that for whatever reason, the Monk in question 1) is first level, thus does not have the +4 BAB prereq, and 2) is first level, thus has one too many feats- 3 instead of 2. Still, obvious errors aside, at least one person who worked on that book considered it official enough to contemplate it for the build.

I've said this of WotC and other publishers as well- those guys really need some better proofreaders, perhaps even some Continuity Editors!

True enough. I stopped reading their published examples of characters with whatever class or PrC they printed...they are almost always flawed in extremely obvious ways. Gives me a headache when I read them.

 

[Chimera]

I played a Monk/Rogue up to Monk 4 / Rogue 8 in an Eberron campaign. I didn't have the untouchable AC that some here list, nor did I have mongo hit points. I did, however, have an 18 strength, a Monk Belt and both the Ascetic Rogue and Improved Natural Attack feats, giving me unarmed damage of 3d8+4 (+4d6 sneak, when applicable). Sure, my BAB was only +8, but with the magic and strength, I was at +14/+9, or +12/+12/+7 when flurrying. More when using Bull Strength, Flanking and any number of other tactics to build my hitting ability.

Now that character was the proverbial Pocket Battleship. Light on AC and ability to take damage, but able to pound the snot out of the best of them.

He also had Slippers of Spider Climb. More than once I got to walk Invisible along the ceiling or walls to get behind a BBEG while the rest of the party "negotiated" up front.

"Um, where's that other guy?"
"Behind you."
*WHAM*

 

[mattcolville]

I decided on a Human Monk 12 with a Vow of Poverty.

I built a Gith Monk but ran into a few problems.

The SR I got as a Gith was gimped. First, it's 5+CL which means I'm automatically 5 behind the curve in a Caster Level Check. Then, of course, Githzerai are +2LA so I'm 7 behind the curve when all is said and done. A 12th level spellcaster only has to beat a 3 in order to beat my SR. Hardly worth it.

Whereas at 13th level a Monk gets SR = 10+CL which is awesome.

The stat buffs and intertial armor the Githzerai got were nice, but the Vow of Poverty at 12th level gets me *almost* the same bonuses. When all was said and done, my Human Monk 12 with the VoP had only 1 less AC than my Githzerai Monk 10 with VoP.

I considered a Fighter2/Monk 10 for the extra BAB and feats, but once I ditched the 2 race levels of Gith, and went human, I got 2 more feats right there, which was all I needed.

Now I've got the build I wanted. Leap of the Heavens, Axiomatic Strike, Holy Ki Strike, Raptor School, Sun School, Fist of the Heavens, Improved Natural Attack, and a few others. I wish Axiomatic Strike worked like Holy Ki Strike and didn't need to expend a Stunning Fist to use, but I'm ok with it.

I wish this guy wasn't human. I loved the idea that this dude was from another plane. Being human means I have to work some more on his backstory to make him interesting. As it stands, the fact that he doesn't need to eat or breathe is pretty epic. I can't wait to play hi, he's going to be a lot of fun to roleplay. I'm either going to go the obnoxiously wise, Buddha person, or the Bloodguard route. There are some great lines I can steal.

"I suffice."

"Lore is a weapon. I have no use for weapons. Any weapon can be turned to harm the hand that wields it. Yet the Lords desire lore. They do valuable work with it. Therefore I respect it, but I do not use it, or save it, or touch it."

 

[Rashak Mani]

Matt,

Axiomatic Strike ? I think its pretty weak. Check out the PHB II to see if they have anything interesting.

Also since you will get a stupid amount of exalted feats... might I recomend looking at the Stigmata. Its a good emergency feat... when your cleric is either in bad shape or unable to cure people. You take a nasty hit... but you cure 4 people of a good amount of damage. Naturally you'll lose a lot of HPs... but you can always go full defensive into ultra high ACs

With +7 Wisdom... think about developing skills like Sense Motive, Spot and Listen...

 

[Rashak Mani]

Pain Touch ! Check it out... hehe

 

[szilard]

You'll definitely want to pick up Touch of Golden Ice as one of those Exalted Feats. The DC is low, but it works on every bare-handed attack you make.

-Stuart

 

[mattcolville]

Matt,

Axiomatic Strike ? I think its pretty weak. Check out the PHB II to see if they have anything interesting.

Also since you will get a stupid amount of exalted feats... might I recomend looking at the Stigmata. Its a good emergency feat... when your cleric is either in bad shape or unable to cure people. You take a nasty hit... but you cure 4 people of a good amount of damage. Naturally you'll lose a lot of HPs... but you can always go full defensive into ultra high ACs

With +7 Wisdom... think about developing skills like Sense Motive, Spot and Listen...

Axiomatic strike is +2d6 damage to Chaotic Creatures. Which, combined with Holy Ki Strike means +4d6 vs CE creatures. Seemed cool to me. Of course, Axiomatic Strike requires a Stunning Fist expenditure, but I'm ok with that.

Stigmata's pretty cool. I *do* have a stupid amount of Exalted Feats, so I'll consider taking it.

 

[Rashak Mani]

You'll definitely want to pick up Touch of Golden Ice as one of those Exalted Feats. The DC is low, but it works on every bare-handed attack you make.

-Stuart

I gave up on getting Touch of Golden Ice due to the sheer amount of rolls the DM would have to do... and the fact that in higher levels... 12+ the save is very easily done. So its about rolling 1's.

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Using a stunning fist and having a feat slot tied up for a measly +2d6 damage against the ocassional chaotic creature ?