Monk Damage?

[med stud]

The immidiate problem with dealing extra damage with a kama is that you would get a double damage bonus; one from the monk unarmed damage, one from magic. At level 16, you would probably deal something like 1d20+Str+5, to be compared with a Fighter that would deal 1d8+Str+7 damage.
Considering that the monk can do other things then fighting while the Fighter cant, it would be really bad if the monk had higher damage dealing potential.

 

[Astlin]

Because attempting to punch a fire elemental might be a *really* bad idea in your game!

(IMC I would rule the monk would take damage if he was attempting inherently hostile things like that unarmed)

Look at 'Burn' under the Fire Elementals description. There is no need to 'rule' anything. The details are already there.


Magic Fang and Greater Magic Fang will function as well as weapon enhancements. SnF has a Ring of Magic Fang and Amulets of Mighty Fist with these spells in them. They are required if you don't plan on sitting out fights with high DR opponents.

The price of the Amulet is three times the price of weapon with the same enhancement bonus. You could (if the DM allowed it) create amulets with other weapon enhancements on them using the same price (bonus squared X 6000 gp). It would be expensive, but it would rock. +3 Flaming Fists for 96,000gp anyone? IMO the price is a little high for something that is taking a valuable item slot but <shrug>.


Astlin

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Hmm. Since you can (with Flurry of Blows) use your unarmed strike like a double weapon, doubling the regular cost for weapon enhancement seems fair, especially if it still takes a valuable slot. (A weapon does not take a regular "slot" )

 

[Red Baron]

Maybe your DM would let you increase the weapon damage as you suggest, but only at one increment lower than the open-hand attacks (i.e., 1d12 at the uppermost end, while the hands are doing 1d20)?? I'd probably buy that as a DM...

Or, for the character concept, instead I'd let you multiclass into fighter at a 2:1 monk:fighter level ratio without screwing monk progression, with a view toward the weapon master p-class...

 

[cybernetic]

an example of why a monk would want to weild a weapon would be this one session I ran.....the party consisted of a orcish monk, a human fighter/wizard and an elven ranger/cleric...They were searching for an ancient wizard's tower in the frozen portion of northern Anauroch...anywayz ...this area was home to a small group of Remorhaz....and the first one they battle made the monk cry....up to this point the monk was the powerhouse...but when you fight unarmed you actually have to touch what you hit with your hand/foot/etc.......he hit the Remorhaz and scored a critical hit with his fist....but...he took 10d10 for touching the Remorhaz's body as well( the remorhaz Heat ability)..(he took massive damage...and bearly made his fort save for massive damage).....the rest of the battle I allowed him to small trees as quaterstaves....just an example of when not to fight unarmed..

 

[hong]

an example of why a monk would want to weild a weapon would be this one session I ran.....the party consisted of a orcish monk, a human fighter/wizard and an elven ranger/cleric...They were searching for an ancient wizard's tower in the frozen portion of northern Anauroch...anywayz ...this area was home to a small group of Remorhaz....and the first one they battle made the monk cry....up to this point the monk was the powerhouse...but when you fight unarmed you actually have to touch what you hit with your hand/foot/etc.......he hit the Remorhaz and scored a critical hit with his fist....but...he took 10d10 for touching the Remorhaz's body as well( the remorhaz Heat ability)..(he took massive damage...and bearly made his fort save for massive damage).....the rest of the battle I allowed him to small trees as quaterstaves....just an example of when not to fight unarmed..

Man, that's almost as good as the thief in our 1E campaign, back in high school, who tried to _backstab_ a remorhaz.

Ouch.

 

[Don21584]

Best thief death is him reaching his hand into your party's treasure bag and touching that one prismatic sphere that does like 10d6 dmg or something like that.

 

[Astlin]

....the rest of the battle I allowed him to small trees as quaterstaves....just an example of when not to fight unarmed..

I carry a Bow just for those occasions.

I used a Kama and a Staff when I first started, but have not used a weapon in ages. I do a d12 with my hands, there is no reason to use a weapon under normal circumstances. I just had a staff made from the bones of a Shadow Dragon, but it is going in my HHH until I need it.

Astlin