Monks - PHB vs OA?

[Desdichado]

I guess I don't understand what you're asking. The whole reason to make purchases is to have options. Are you saying you don't want options, you want more power? Is that why you think monks are "kewl?"

 

[Storminator]

Chainmail Bikini Games' Beyond Monks is very cool. Martial arts is the heart of the book, and it includes a martial artist class that has fewer cool mystical abilities and more combat prowess, but it has a lot of great props for the monk.

It has some nifty feats, and a section on how to rework the monk powers by swapping out class abilities for feats.

I'm playing a PHB monk right now, but if I wanted to do the monk thing again, I would make a Martial Artist/Psychic Warrior. multiclass.

And it's a $8 pdf. You could have it in 10 minutes!

PS

 

[drnuncheon]

Are OA Monks more powerful than PHB Monks?

Do they have 'alternate' abilities, or just 'added' abilities?

Yes, but only slightly.

Their abilities are mostly 'alternate' - you can essentially swap out certain feats for certain other feats.

They have one additional class skill (Knowledge: Religion) that should have been included in the PHB version.

They have a slightly less restrictive weapons list, some of which can also be used with their UAB and flurries. (Some of which, again, should have been in the PHB - like the quarterstaff!)

They have the ablity to multiclass freely.

Basically, OA monks have more options, but none of it is anything that should make you say "OH MY GOD! THEY'RE SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN PHB MONKS, MY GAME WILL BE RUINED!"

J

 

[mooby]

I guess I don't understand what you're asking. The whole reason to make purchases is to have options. Are you saying you don't want options, you want more power? Is that why you think monks are "kewl?"

Monks are going to be kewl in my book with alternate abilities, or with added ones.

As for power reasons, No, I'm not a power gamer, but I'd like to have a few added abilities to a class that IMHO is pretty restricted compared to the other combat-orientated classes, especially at low-levels.

Besides, take a peek at the thread on engagement rings. If I can save some cash by not buying this book, I'm going to be quite happy. If the abilities noted above (a few extra weapons, an extra class skill) would be added by my DM without me having the books in front of me (I'm sure he'd add them if he were informed of them in the OA book without me having to buy the book), it makes things easier.

 

[Terraism]

It does, but it's very abstract. Basically if you take a specified collection of feats and skills, you get a "freebie", which represents mastery of the given style. Have a look at the martial artist stuff on my D&D page for examples of this.

You can do that, too. In fact, I think using mastery as a precursor to a prestige class wouldn't be a bad idea.

Hong, I've been reading posts all day, because I've had nothing better to do, (not to imply that reading posts all day isn't a worthy cause though, by any means [grin]) and I haven't seen a single wisecrack from your end of things. I keep reading posts, then seeing your sig at the bottom, and having to reread them, thinking I missed something...