Monk Unarmed BAB and Multic-class stacking

[Celtavian]

I have been playing NWN. If you multi-class as a monk, your Unarmed BAB stacks with the BAB of your other classes to determine number of attacks.

Is this how the official rules are? If your a multi-class monk, your unarmed BAB doesn't stack with your other classes BAB bonus does it?

This would be nice, but I dont' think the real 3rd edition rules meant for it to be this way. I know the game is different, but I was just wondering if anyone knows the offical rules for a multi-class monks unarmed BAB stacking with other classes BAB.

 

[Dog Faced God]

I think that the most common answer you're going to hear is that BAB from any class doesn't stack with the Monk's unarmed BAB. In fact The Official D&D Game Rule FAQ (page 5), addresses this exact question. I personally think that the answer given in the FAQ is wrong. The only reason that there is a separate column for UBAB in the Monk table is to illustrate that Monks get iterative attacks at a -3 penalty rather than at a -5 penalty.

I have yet to hear a convincing argument for not letting them stack. If anyone can present one I'll be glad to listen.

 

[Jens]

The rules are spelled out with example and everything in the PHB, the section about multiclassing. However, the FAQ (not the errata!) has somewhat different rules, I think Oriental Adventures has another set of rules. I like the PHB rules.

 

[Dog Faced God]

Actually, the FAQ says the same thing the PHB says, just more clearly. You can use either your Monk UBAB, or the BAB from another class plus the Monk's BAB. In the latter case you make iterative attacks at -5 instead of -3.

That's the official rule. I personally disagree with it, but it's what the book says.


edit: bonehead typo

 

[dcollins]

Actually, I agree with Jens that the FAQ is at variance with PHB on this issue.

For the PHB example Mnk10/Wiz7:
PHB gives: option of +10/+5 or +10/+4/+1
FAQ gives: option of +10/+5 or +7/+4/+1

The PH (p. 55) is pretty clearly only restricting the "additional attacks" in the monk-option, not the highest attack.

 

[Dog Faced God]

Hrm... <looks at page 55>

(emphasis mine)
For a multiclass monk fighting unarmed, the character must either use the additional attacks given for her monk levels (only) or the additional attacks that are standard for her combined base attack bonus, but not both. For instance, a 10th-level monk/7th-level wizard has a combined attack bonus of +10 (+7 for the monk class, +3 for the wizard class). Normally, this would give her an additional attack at +5 (+10/+5 on Table 3-1: Base Save and Base Attack Bonuses), but she can instead take the two additional unarmed attacks listed for a 10th-level monk, +4 and +1 (+7/+4/+1 on Table 3-10: The Monk).

This is pretty poorly written. I can see how it can be interpereted in a couple different ways. However, I think that the intent of the rule is that a monk use either their monk UBAB for attacks, or their cumulative BAB for attacks. In the former case, iterative attacks are at -3, and -5 in the latter case.

I think the emphasised section illustrates the intent of the rules. I think the FAQ further illustrates the intent of the rules.

 

[dcollins]

I'm afraid that you failed to boldface the four separate times in the quoted passage where it refers specifically to "additional attacks" (including the one right at the start of your boldfaced passage).

The only options at the end are whether the "additional attacks" are +5 or +4/+1. This language actually seems very clear.

 

[Dog Faced God]

If it was that clear, the writer of the FAQ (who was reading the same passage we are) wouldn't have interpereted it the same way I have, and you interperet it a different way. Don't get me wrong here; I don't think that the FAQ or the Sage are infallible. I also disagree with the rule as written in the PHB (my interpretation and yours), and use a different rule in my campaign

We'll probably have to agree to disagree about this one. If not, I'll see you by the flagpole at 3:15. I choose you!

 

[Spindel]

There's a fault in the way they've programmed NWN as to how it stacks it's base attack bonuses. The problem is that you can create a monk 1/fighter 19 and have the following attacks:
+19/+16/+13/+10/+7/+4/+1
whereas it should be
+19/+14/+9/+4

This is how I think it's ment to work.

Monk 1/Fighter 19
Base attack: +19 (+0 for monk, +19 for fighter)
Unarmed strike: +19
Normal multi-attack: +19/+14/+9/+4

Monk 5/Fighter 15
Base attack: +18 (+3 for monk, +15 for fighter)
Unarmed strike: +18
Normal muilti-attack: +18/+13/+8/+3

Monk 10/Fighter 10
Base attack: +17 (+7 for monk, +10 for fighter)
Unarmed strike: +17/+14/+11
Normal multi-attackl: +17/+12/+7/+2

Monk 15/Figher 5
Base attack: +16 (+11 for monk, +5 for fighter)
Unarmed strikes: +16/+13/+10/+7
Normal multi-attack: +17/+12/+7/+2

Monk 19/Fighter 1
Base attack: +15 (+14 for monk, +1 for fighter)
Unarmed strikes: +15/+12/+9/+6/+3
Normal multi-attack: +15/+10/+5

So the Monk 10/Fighter 10 could either take 3 attacks with a better change of hitting, or the 4 attacks.

To be honest, I don't know why people would want to sully a monk with another class.

NOTE: I don't have my PHB handy, so the base attacks are based on what I remember of the progression, which I believe is level*3/4 (same as cleric's, druid's and rogue's). This gives me...
+0/+1/+2/+3/+3/+4/+5/+6/+6/+7/+8/+9/+9/+10/+11/+12/+12/+13/+14/+15
...which looks right.