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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron_Chef" data-source="post: 1165989" data-attributes="member: 4530">Second session playing my Cobra Strike/Hunter Monk character:Another gladiatorial "capture the flag" combat (this time with two opposing teams rather than a free for all with only one winner) and I personally accounted for wasting 6 out of 8 1st level elite fighters (with Toughness) from a superior armed and armored fighting force in ranged and melee combat. The favored enemy damage from the hunter monk option (Dragon #310) proved vital, well worth giving up slow fall and my 1st level bonus monk feat. I was not hit even once, though a sleep spell put me out right quick... fortunately, somebody on my team died and fell on me, waking me up in time to score 4 more kills! To be fair, some of the guys I put down were already damaged, or were distracted by an angry chained wolverine, LOL, but I still outperformed every other allied and opposing PC and NPC in the contest. I'm really enjoying this character and exploring his abilities. I'm now a 1st level monk/1st level Highwaymen (rather than apprentice "0" level in each). Using a modified Highwaymen from AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures, swapping gunpowder weapons for all manner of crossbows. Once I get to second level of Highwayman, I will get to add my Dex bonus to all ranged damage using my crossbows, making it +6 to damage combined with my favored enemy bonus!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> But I think I will have to take 2nd level of Highwayman at 4th level rather than 3rd, as going up in monk next gives me evasion and Mobility (Cobra Style, Dragon #310); with my 3rd level regular feat I will get Combat Instincts (it's in Ultimate Feats and in AEG's Feats, but the version with prereqs is in the latter book so I'm assuming it's the correct version, preq's are Combat Reflexes and something else I forget). This feat lets me get a free attack of opportunity against any opponent who misses me in a round by 5 or more, and I can use it a number of times per round equal to my Dex mod! Too good to pass up.I'm coming up with all kinds of fun catchphrases and finishing moves for my guy to pull in the arena. Who knew monks could be so much fun?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />  Granted, we've taken some big liberties with the class concept (done away with alignment and multi-classing restrictions), swapped out monk weapons for specific character concept weapons (so I can flurry of blows with my crossbows or my body), and given the Monk a Fighter's BAB. I don't know whether this presents balance issues, but we've decided that the important part of playing D&D isn't playing D&D by the book when the book limits your imagination, it's having fun with your friends and sometimes that means playing fast and loose with the rules, which are only guidelines anyway, as was hammered home when so many people were disappointed by some of the 3.5 changes (like the animal buff spell durations, or moving spider climb to 2nd level for example) and threw out the new rules in favor of the old, or some compromise in between. I am very happy with most of the 3.5 changes and the rules in general, but house rules are where it's at to get the most out of the game, IMO, since every game is different and different gamers have different tastes. I don't think I could have built my character concept using just the core rules, or even adding all the third party rules out there. Sometimes, you gotta step in and do some quick-n-dirty game designing of your own to get thegame to do what you want it to do. A point based system like GURPS would probably have let me build exactly what I wanted right out of the gate, but D&D's level based system is limiting in that regard without inputting third party and house rules... I still prefer D&D though, even if I have to tweak it (and I do, practically everytime, sooner or later). But that, to me, is part of the fun: "How can I make this work? Hmm... Wait a minute! By jove, I think I've got it. Eureka!"  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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