House Rules for the Monk Class

[master arminas]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here, so I thought I would show you all the revised monk which I allow in the campaign that I run. Not for everyone, kiddies, but hope you enjoy it!

The Grand Master Arminas

Monk

Alignment: Lawful good, lawful neutral, or lawful evil.
Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence modifier per level (4x at 1st level)
Class Skills: Balance (Dexterity), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Craft: Any (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Escape Artist (Dexterity), Hide (Dexterity), Jump (Strength), Knowledge: Arcana (Intelligence), Knowledge: Religion (Intelligence), Listen (Wisdom), Move Silently (Dexterity),
Profession: Any (Wisdom), Spot (Wisdom), Swim (Strength), Tumble (Dexterity)

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The monk is proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any armor or shield. The DM may include additional weapons specific to whatever order to which the monk belongs. One-handed light simple weapons may be used in a weapon kata or style, in which the monk gains his unarmed base attack bonus and ability to flurry of blows. The DM may rule that monks can used a quarterstaff with his UBAB and FOB, but that is the DM’s discretion. If the DM does allow that option, then the quarterstaff is no longer considered to be a double weapon while the monk is using his UBAB and FOB.

Special Rules for Monk Armor Bonus: A monk adds his or her wisdom bonus (if any) to AC, in addition to his or her normal Dexterity modifier, and receives a special defense bonus as the monk increases in level. The Wisdom bonus and defense bonus represent a preternatural awareness of danger, and the monk does not lose either even in situations when he or she loses her Dexterity bonus due to being unprepared, ambushed, stunned, and so on.

Special Rules for Monk Attack Bonus: A monk adds his or her Wisdom bonus (if any) to all melee and ranged attack to-hit rolls, in place of either Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged). The rationale behind this is that a monk’s attack is not completely physical, they strike not only the body, but also the soul contained within. As such, it is Wisdom that controls where they strike, not their physical strength or coordination, inflicting damage where it is most effective, not just striking their targets randomly.


Table I:
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 + 0 + 2 + 2 + 2 Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Evasion, Weapon Mastery
2 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 3 Deflect Arrows
3 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 3 Still Mind
4 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 Slow Fall, Ki Strike
5 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 Purity of Body
6 + 4 + 5 + 5 + 5 Improved Trip
7 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 Wholeness of Body, Leap of the Clouds, Prone Fighting
8 + 6/+ 1 + 6 + 6 + 6 Ki Strike (+ 2)
9 + 6/+ 1 + 6 + 6 + 6 Improved Evasion
10 + 7/+ 2 + 7 + 7 + 7 Distance Death, Speed of the Viper
11 + 8/+ 3 + 7 + 7 + 7 Diamond Body
12 + 9/+ 4 + 8 + 8 + 8 Abundant Step, Ki Strike (+ 3)
13 + 9/+ 4 + 8 + 8 + 8 Diamond Soul
14 + 10/+ 5 + 9 + 9 + 9 Blindsight
15 + 11/+ 6/+ 1 + 9 + 9 + 9 Quivering Palm
16 + 12/+ 7/+ 2 + 10 + 10 + 10 Timeless Body, Ki Strike (+ 4)
17 + 12/+ 7/+ 2 + 10 + 10 + 10 Tongue of the Sun and Moon
18 + 13/+ 8/+ 3 + 11 + 11 + 11
19 + 14/+ 9/+ 4 + 11 + 11 + 11 Empty Body
20 + 15/+ 10/+ 5 + 12 + 12 + 12 Perfect Self, Ki Strike (+ 5)

Table II:
Level Unarmed BAB Damage Defense Movement
1 + 0 1d6 + 1 40'
2 + 1 1d6 + 1 40'
3 + 2 1d6 + 1 40'
4 + 3 1d6 + 1 40'
5 + 3 2d4 + 2 50'
6 + 4/+ 1 2d4 + 2 50'
7 + 5/+ 2 2d4 + 2 50'
8 + 6/+ 3 2d4 + 2 50'
9 + 6/+ 3 2d6 + 3 60'
10 + 7/+ 4/+ 1 2d6 + 3 60'
11 + 8/+ 5/+ 2 2d6 + 3 60'
12 + 9/+ 6/+ 3 2d6 + 3 70'
13 + 9/+ 6/+ 3 2d8 + 4 70'
14 + 10/+ 7/+ 4/+ 1 2d8 + 4 70'
15 + 11/+ 8/+ 5/+ 2 2d8 + 4 80'
16 + 12/+ 9/+ 6/+ 3 2d8 + 4 80'
17 + 12/+ 9/+ 6/+ 3 3d6 + 5 80'
18 + 13/+ 10/+ 7/+ 4/+ 1 3d6 + 5 90'
19 + 14/+ 11/+ 8/+ 5/+ 2 3d6 + 5 90'
20 + 15/+ 12/+ 9/+ 6/+ 3 3d6 + 5 90'

Weapon Mastery: A monk fighting with weapons gains a weapon damage bonus equal to the monk defense bonus for his level. This damage bonus does not apply to his unarmed attacks.

Unarmed Strike: A monk fighting unarmed gains the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, and thus does not provoke attacks of opportunity from an armed opponent whom he or she attacks. The monk may choose, without penalty, to inflict either subdual or lethal damage with an unarmed attack. The monk is also an expert at grapples, and can likewise choose to inflict subdual or lethal damage during a grappling attack.

Flurry of Blows: A monk may make one additional attack per melee round, at his or her highest base attack value, but all the attacks (normal and bonus) suffer a - 2 penalty to hit. Flurry of Blows requires the full-attack action, preventing the monk from moving more than a single 5’ step. Flurry of blows can be used with the monk’s unarmed attacks, or with weapons, provided that the weapon is one in which the monk if proficient and that the weapon is light. The DM can make an exception if he has approved the quarterstaff as a special monk weapon.

Stunning Fist: Three times per day, plus the monk's Wisdom modifier, the monk may make a stunning fist attack. This ability can be used only once per melee round. If the attack hits, the opponent must make Fortitude save (DC 10 + one-half the monk's level + Wisdom modifier). In addition to receiving normal damage, the opponent, if the save fails, is stunned for one melee round. The monk may only stun living creatures that are vulnerable to critical hits. This is an extraordinary ability.

Evasion: If the monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the monk instead takes no damage. At 9th level, the monk gains improved evasion. Improved evasion allows the monk to take only one-half normal damage, even if the reflex save is failed. This is an extraordinary ability.

Fast Movement: A monk of 1st level or higher moves faster than normal. A speed of up to and including 50’ is considered to be extraordinary. Higher speeds are considered to be supernatural.

Deflect Arrows: A monk of 2nd level or higher gains the Deflect Arrows feat at no cost.

Still Mind: A monk of 3rd level or higher is granted a special + 2 bonus to all saving throws versus mind-affecting magics and psionics of all types. This is an extraordinary ability.

Ki Strike: A monk of 4th level or higher imbues his unarmed attacks with ki, allowing them to affect creatures with damage reduction. The monks unarmed attacks are considered to have a + 1 enhancement bonus for purposes of damage reduction only. This increases to + 2 at 8th level, + 3 at 12th level, + 4 at 16th level, and + 5 at 20th level.

Slow Fall: A monk of 4th level or higher takes damage from a fall as if it were 20 feet shorter than it actually is, so long as the monk is within arm's distance of a solid object, such as a tree, rope, cliff, wall, etc. This increases by 5’ per level of the monk to a maximum of 100’ at 20th level. This is an extraordinary ability at 40’ or less. At greater distances, this ability becomes supernatural.

Purity of Body: A monk of 5th level or higher gains immunity to all diseases, except for magical diseases. This is a supernatural ability.

Improved Trip: A monk of 6th level or higher gains the Improved Trip feat at no cost.

Wholeness of Body: A monk of 7th level or higher can cure his or her own wounds. The monk can heal himself of up to his Wisdom modifier (if positive, minimum of 1 regardless) times his level in hit points per day, and he can spread this ability out among multiple uses. Wholeness of Body is a supernatural ability.

Leap of the Clouds: A monk of 7th level or higher is no longer limited by his or her height in the monk's jumping distance, both vertical and horizontal. This is an extraordinary ability.

Prone Fighting: A monk of 7th level or higher gains the Prone Attack feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Distance Death: A monk of 10th level, or higher, gains access to a special attack. The monk must use the full attack option to use this distance death attack. The use of this ability requires one of the monk’s daily stunning attacks. The ability allows the monk to make a ranged unarmed attack at a single target within 25’ of the monk, plus 5’ per every two levels. A standard attack roll is made, and, if successful, the target takes the damage as if the monk were adjacent to them.

Speed of the Viper: A monk of 10th level or higher gains the ability to haste, as per the 3rd level arcane spell, for a number of rounds per day equal to his monk level. The monk may use this ability at will, any number of times per day, so long as the maximum duration is not exceeded. This is a spell like ability.

Diamond Body: A monk of 11th level or higher gains immunity to all poisons. This is a supernatural ability.

Abundant Step: A monk of 12th level or higher gains the ability to dimension door, as per the arcane spell, once per day, as if cast by a sorcerer of one-half the monk's level. This is a spell like ability.

Diamond Soul: A monk of 13th level or higher gains spell resistance equal to his or her level + 10. This increases as the monk's level increases. This is a supernatural ability.

Blind-sight: A monk of 14th level or higher gains blind-sight in a 5’ radius. The monk gains an additional 5’ for every level gained above 14th. Blind-sight 5’ radius is an extraordinary ability. Blind-sight 10’ radius and greater is a supernatural ability.

Quivering Palm: A monk of 15th level or higher gains the quivering palm attack. The monk can use this ability only once a week. The monk must be of higher level, or greater hit die, than the target, and it must be able to be affected by critical hits. If the monk's unarmed attack hits, and causes damage, then the quivering palm attack succeeds. At any point thereafter, up to 1 day per level of the monk, the monk can, as a free action, will the target to die. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk's level + Wisdom modifier). If the save fails, then the target dies. If the save succeeds, the target takes damage equal to the level of the monk. This is a supernatural ability.

Timeless Body: A monk of 17th or higher level no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. This is a supernatural ability.

Tongues of the Sun and the Moon: A monk of 17th or higher level can communicate with any living creature. This is a supernatural ability.

Empty Body: A monk of 19th or higher level can assume an ethereal state for 1 round per level per day, as per the spell etherealness. A monk cannot take anyone else ethereal with them. It takes a standard action to become ethereal, but only a free action to reenter the material world. Empty body is a supernatural ability.

Perfect Self: A 20th level monk is forever treated as an outsider, rather than as a humanoid. The monk gains damage reduction 20/+ 1 and becomes immune to spells such as charm person and hold person that do not affect outsiders. However, they do become vulnerable to spells such as magic circle against law, and may find themselves unable to cross such barriers if their spell resistance checks fail. As a side-note, unless the monk has been summoned, they are able to make physical contact with people protected by a protection from law spell.

 

[master arminas]

Sorry about the way the tables 1 and 2 appear. Trying to get used to this small box to type in, and having it appear on the full screen. Anyway, hope you can decipher it!

The Grand Master Arminas

 

[The Souljourner]

Umm.. was the generic monk not powerful enough that you felt you had to up his power?

The only change I agree with is the Ki Strike... definitely needs to go up faster than the standard monk's does.

I really like the standard monk other than that - it's one of the only classes that is interesting to play all the way up to 20th level. Don't really know why you feel like you need to increase his power level.

-The Souljourner

 

[Ferrix]

I like the way you changed the monk, I'll break it up in my comments.

Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier often seemed below average for what they should have, considering they are not the skill monkeys that rogues are but still I would consider that they would often possess more skills than some other classes. I concur with this change but think it might also benefit to give other classes (bard, ranger) similar adjustments. Another way would be to perhaps increase all classes SP's by 2, this would spread the balance out a bit more as I find classes that only get 2 + Int Mod are exceptionally limited and it almost stiffles some skills a character may possess for background in place of taking skills that would aid the character.

Attack bonus: I think this is quite a novel change to the monk character, it also grants greater potential to a monk in a low-point buy game as they are now they require a wide stat spread to function with the proficiency of other characters and your change would make them easier to fit in decently.

Unarmed Damage: You reduced the total potential damage dealt and kept the final average at the same. 1d20 avg. 10.5 3d6 avg. 10.5 Well done but maybe 5d4 damage would be more interesting for level 20, that'd be a higher average 12.5 but it skews the curve even more to the middle range while keeping the total potential at 20 damage. Plus rolling 10d4 on a critical would be fun, like hurling caltrops at your DM. Just some thoughts.

Weapon Master: ? I'm confused as to the idea behind this ability, it doesn't make sense to me. Why? They are masters of unarmed combat, explain please.

Fast Movement: I like how you started their increased speed at level one, this makes a whole lot more sense. Nice touch. Someone explain to my why the speed becomes supernatural though, I never quite understood why other than for plugging the hole in the rules that made a monk with boots of springing and striding the fastest thing on earth.

Ki Strike: I agree whole-heartedly with the fact that you increase this ability at a faster rate, it was sort of ridiculous for a 20th level monk couldn't strike things with +4 Dr or higher without going through that DR first. I always thought that making magic items to provide the monk with the ability to enhance their blows was a touch ridiculous, and this also puts them a step or two behind other combatants. Even the wizard can get a +5 bonus to hit from a weapon he wields. I wonder what the problem with actually making this an actual enhancement bonus would be.

Death attack: Wrong name, that's my biggest complaint. Maybe something more esoteric, Snuffing the Candle or something like that. Where they train to put out a candle from farther and farther away or something along the same manner. I have a PrC I made with an ability called Tearing the Earth, where they are able to send a wave of energy through the ground up to 10 + 5' per two levels to deal unarmed damage at a single target. Target has to be touching the ground and what not, but yours reminded me of that. Making it a full round action and allowing them it as a normal ranged attack seems to make sense.

Speed of the Viper: I can sort of see it, I could see better uses for a name like this but it works.

Blind-Sight: Damn spiffy. Although blind-sight is a bitch to deal with as a DM when a player has it. I'd say Blindsight 5' to 10' extraordinary, then supernatural after that. Potentially just limit it to 10'. Just an idea.

 

[Jeph]

I agree that the monk needs a bit more power, but not this much. maybe just the skill change and Ki Strike change would have been enough.

 

[master arminas]

Ferrix.

1. I justified the weapon mastery (perhaps a wrong name, but what else fits?) on the belief that a monk is using his ki (or spiritual energy) to make pinpoint strikes, even with weapons. In the first edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, the monk received a damage bonus of equal to 1/2 his level with all weapons to reflect their knowledge of anatomy and physiology of humanoid races. I thought this would be too powerful and unbalancing, hence the damage bonus being equal to the monk defense bonus.

2. Distance Death is poorly named, I agree. It is NOT a death attack, as per the assassin class, but simply a ranged unarmed attack. As you said, the ability is gained by learning to project the force of a blow across the distance between the monk and the target.

3. Skill points. I do quite agree with you, and in fact, have increased the available skills points for virtually all classes in my own campaign, as well as revising every single class. For instance, in my campaign, all wizards, sorcerors, druids, and clerics receive all item creation feats for free, as they gain the level requirement for them to possess them. Fighters gain weapon focus at 1st level, weapon specialization at 4th level, and weapon mastery (+ 3 total hit and + 3 total damage) at 8th level with a single weapon of choice. Other classes are similarly enchanced. I would be glad to post them if you would like to see them.

I hope this helps you out.

The Grand Master Arminas

 

[Deset Gled]

Fast Movement: I like how you started their increased speed at level one, this makes a whole lot more sense. Nice touch. Someone explain to my why the speed becomes supernatural though, I never quite understood why other than for plugging the hole in the rules that made a monk with boots of springing and striding the fastest thing on earth.

Its an attempt a realism. When taking the run action in a round (if the character has the run feat, and assuming a round lasts 6 seconds), a movement speed of 50' translates into something pretty close to the world record for sprinting. Anything faster is just...supernatural.

Of course, they seem to have thrown real life out the window when dealing with jumping. Oh well.