Monks and hitting people

[ARandomGod]

I agree, off to house rules we go!

FWIW I'm playing a monk at the moment and I don't feel that he has been ineffective in any way - he is one of a party that started with a strong fighter with fullblade, a strong paladin with fullblade (see a picture forming?), a strong half-orc barbarian, a cleric and a strong ranger/archer. My monk held his own in melee alongside any of them (careful attribute and feat choices helped). So far he has outlasted the cleric, the paladin and the barbarian who have all been replaced.

At 1st level, with improved grapple, he was a better grappler than any of the fighter types. It is only at higher levels that the reduced BAB starts to really hurt.

Also FWIW though... 3.5e introduced a change to the ranger which showed a d8 HD character with full BAB. It might not be too bad to allow a monk to also be a d8 character with full BAB just as-is. After all, unlike the cleric/druid/rogue/wizard/sorcerer they are all about the melee combat. It probably makes a lot of sense for them thematically.

Cheers

But of course the BAB hit isn't noticed much until it starts to take effect (higher levels). And while he was a better grappler than the fighters, well, the fighters also had the option of taking improved grapple, and they would have been better in that case, don't'cha think?

They're a good class. A lot of people won't admit to their shortcomings... but I do agree that those shortcomings are there. And he does need something. My own simple (proposed)solution was to grant the monk full BAB after level one, so that he still takes a BAB hit for first level, to make people pay for dipping into the class... after that full BAB (which you'd first notice at level five) and keep everything else as is.

Other than that, I do think they need something for ranged attacks... so if you were to take away his proficiencies (which I think would be fine), I do think they should have at least simple, so that they can throw rocks (bullets). They need something of a ranged attack.

Well that really makes me want to make a Ftr 1 / Mnk X
you get loose 8 skill points, but get a full complement of weapons.

Naw, go ranger, that way you get MORE skill points, and the ability to use CLW wands. Take two levels of ranger for maximum goodness.