Monk and Quaterstaff - Please Help
- Thread starter Snoweel
- Start date
Magus_Jerel
First Post
The monk fights using his "special" unarmed attack progression - because of your house rule.
However, he MUST account for the penalties involved in two weapon fighting.
Because you are using a double weapon - the "off hand" weapon is automatically considered a light weapon.
As the monk presumably lacks the feats ambidexterity and TWF, the penalties are -4 to the primary hand and -8 for the secondary hand.
If the monk has the only ambidexterity feat and is using the quarterstaff - this drops to -4 for each hand. If the monk has only the two weapon fighting feat but is using the quartersaff; the penalties are -2 for the primary and -6 for the off hand. If the monk has BOTH feats - and is using the quarterstaff; the attacks are just penalized by -2 each.
This is based off of the PHB chart on pg 125.
However, he MUST account for the penalties involved in two weapon fighting.
Because you are using a double weapon - the "off hand" weapon is automatically considered a light weapon.
As the monk presumably lacks the feats ambidexterity and TWF, the penalties are -4 to the primary hand and -8 for the secondary hand.
If the monk has the only ambidexterity feat and is using the quarterstaff - this drops to -4 for each hand. If the monk has only the two weapon fighting feat but is using the quartersaff; the penalties are -2 for the primary and -6 for the off hand. If the monk has BOTH feats - and is using the quarterstaff; the attacks are just penalized by -2 each.
This is based off of the PHB chart on pg 125.
Creeperman
First Post
Actually, with that particular house rule, couldn't the monk then use Flurry of Blows to attack with the "off-end" of the quarterstaff at no penalty? If so, would he apply full Strength to both ends (as the rules for Flurry of Blows) or full Strength to primary and half Strength to secondary (as the rules for double weapons)?
Personally, I think I'd allow the quarterstaff to be used as a Flurry, with full Strength bonuses to both ends. It really isn't broken enough to complain about, and is probably less efficient then simply using your bare hands, unless it's a low level monk with a highly magical quarterstaff.
Personally, I think I'd allow the quarterstaff to be used as a Flurry, with full Strength bonuses to both ends. It really isn't broken enough to complain about, and is probably less efficient then simply using your bare hands, unless it's a low level monk with a highly magical quarterstaff.
Magus_Jerel
First Post
Creeperman
hmmm - after reading the Flurry of Blows text over - The answer is no. In order to use the flurry, both weapons must be considered "light". Given the weapons on that list and a medium sized monk; this would never normally be a problem. Small monks just use tiny versions of those weapons.
Because the quarterstaff is a large weapon, as opposed to a small or tiny one; you cannot use the flurry of blows technique with it. It is a "special feature" of double weapons that the "off end" is always considered light for the purposes of TWF.
The effect of the house rule is to allow the Monk to use their unarmed attack progression with the quarterstaff - and this at higher levels effectively awards a greater than normal number of possible attacks than with conventional TWF.
hmmm - after reading the Flurry of Blows text over - The answer is no. In order to use the flurry, both weapons must be considered "light". Given the weapons on that list and a medium sized monk; this would never normally be a problem. Small monks just use tiny versions of those weapons.
Because the quarterstaff is a large weapon, as opposed to a small or tiny one; you cannot use the flurry of blows technique with it. It is a "special feature" of double weapons that the "off end" is always considered light for the purposes of TWF.
The effect of the house rule is to allow the Monk to use their unarmed attack progression with the quarterstaff - and this at higher levels effectively awards a greater than normal number of possible attacks than with conventional TWF.
Ranger REG
Explorer
Let's assume you apply OA rules.Snoweel said:
Using one end of the quarterstaff, the monk can use his most favorable attack progression (UAB or multiclass BAB) with the quarterstaff. Because it is now designated as a special monk weapon, you can use Flurry of Blows class feature.
Oh. Do not forget to apply x1.5 Str bonus to weapon damage since you are using the quarterstaff two-handed.
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Re: Re: Monk and Quaterstaff - Please Help
Is this true? I'll have to go look at the rules for double weapons again. I may be wrong, but I thought that every attack made with the primary BAB would be at x1 strength, and the attack made using flurry of blows would be at x.5 strength. There's no way to get x1.5 strength on all of your attacks unless you don't take a flurry of blows attack. Isn't the strength modifier with a double weapon is different than weilding a weapon two-handed, and the total strength bonus you can get adds up to x1.5 between primary and secondary hands?
Oh, great. Now I've TOTALLY confused myself.
Ranger REG said:
Is this true? I'll have to go look at the rules for double weapons again. I may be wrong, but I thought that every attack made with the primary BAB would be at x1 strength, and the attack made using flurry of blows would be at x.5 strength. There's no way to get x1.5 strength on all of your attacks unless you don't take a flurry of blows attack. Isn't the strength modifier with a double weapon is different than weilding a weapon two-handed, and the total strength bonus you can get adds up to x1.5 between primary and secondary hands?
Oh, great. Now I've TOTALLY confused myself.
Dr. Zoom
First Post
If the monk just uses his UBAB, he can get the x1.5 strength to damage rolls normally. If he uses flurry of blows, he should only get full strength with all his damage rolls. He uses the staff fully, but has no off hand with it. I cannot see any reason why a monk would use any monk weapon with his normal BAB unless he had another class that made it advantageous to do so.
Magus_Jerel
First Post
Um - I can give you a reason as to WHY it matters.
First off, you could be TWF with say... two nunkachu - and THEN flurry (taking a net -4 on all of your attacks) for two extra blows instead of one. When you are low level and trying to "whack your way thru the rabble" - this is not necessarily a bad idea.
First off, you could be TWF with say... two nunkachu - and THEN flurry (taking a net -4 on all of your attacks) for two extra blows instead of one. When you are low level and trying to "whack your way thru the rabble" - this is not necessarily a bad idea.
