Help with a Character Build for a OA-style game

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll take a look at them although I've drifted enough from my Monk roots that I probably won't qualify for many Monk PrCs.

While there are PrCls that do require you to be a Monk, either explicitly ("Prereq: Monk lvl N") or implicitly ("Prereq: Still Mind class feature" or "Purity of Body class feature""*), many "Monk PrCls" don't actually require the PC to be a Monk.

Instead, many just requiring that the PC have IUC and a few other prereqs, like additional Feats, a certain BAB or X ranks in skills. The aforementioned Shou Disciple is one such (don't worry, I haven't forgotten that you don't have the book its in), the Kensai another.

* Which technically leaves it open to any other class with one of those features- of which the Monk is the only one in WotC's product line, AFAIK- but 3rd party publishers may have some lurking out there. Also, with a sufficiently lenient DM, something sufficiently similar could suffice. For example, some classes with Aura powers have abilities similar to Still Mind, and Divine Health is mechanically identical to Purity of Body.

But what course the campaign takes over the next four levels could determine what I build towards, so I'll keep the Monk stuff in mind.

Its always a good idea to try to get a feel for your DM's flow- you may find the campaign itself offers some very appealing options that you couldn't possibly consider until you had been playing the PC for a while. Who knows, perhaps he has some campaign-specific PrCls that will fit your PC to a T, or some event will occur that will drive your PC in a previously unimaginable direction.

 

[phindar]

I played this character last week, and it came together pretty well. The opposition were mostly single-class monks and the backdrop was a grand competition between schools which I (and the other PCs) were allowed to enter as former members of a particular order. The climax of the tournament put us in a grand melee with four other schools in the Imperial forest.

Though my character's main tactic is to do a lot of damage on the initial charge (Leap Attack plus OA's Flying Kick), I never rolled above a "3" on my charge attacks. However the combination of swtiching between Power Attack for high damage and Expertise for high AC paid off when I got jumped by three Jumping Monkey School monks and immediately tripped. I went full expertise and attempted to initiate a grapple which failed, but even with the +4 to hit a prone target none of the monks could touch my 29 AC. This was helpful as I had blown my tumble roll trying to get away. (Needed a "4", rolled a "1".)

Even though I wasn't rolling great the character still performed well. I also lucked out early in the hit point rolls and came in about 10 hp above average, which was nice because I pretty much got to use all of them at one time or another.

Moving forward into Ronin, I'm not going to have a lot of spare feats. I'm planning on taking Two Weapon Pounce at 9th, and the game is supposed to conclude around 12th so I'll take whatever seems appropriate at that time. With Bonzai Charge at 9th, on a charge I'll be looking at a damage potential of Unarmed (d6+16 [8 point Power Attack with Leap Attack] +8 [Bonzai Charge] +4 STR)*2 [OA's Flying Kick] and a Katana d10+24 (8 point 2-hand Power Attack with Leap Attack) +8 [Bonzai Charge] +6 STR +1 enhancement; 2d6+56 and d10+39. That's with a -8 to hit and a -8 to AC, so it's far from guaranteed. Plus, against a flat-footed opponent I'll have on average another +4d6 Iaijutsu damage (although it could go as high as 6d6) and +d6 Sneak Attack. Granted, my AC for that round will just barely be in the double digits, but that's the risk Ronin take.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ah, the joys of resiliency!

It's nice to have a PC who can survive dice coming up badly!