NEW PLAYER Monk/Psionic Class HELP

[BENINHB]

Ok, so I have been playing 3.5 for about 6 weeks now and have played my monk from lvl 1-3 and last session just hit a lvl up for lvl 4

I want to go into a Psionic class and i am trying to figure out which way to go

here are my stats (we rolled 5d6 dropped the worst 2 die 7 times and kept the best 6 for our stats)

Ken Gavel
Mnk 3
Human
STR 16
DEX 18
CON 15
INT 14
WIS 18
CHA 10
HP 22
FEATS: IMP Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Combat Reflexes, Improved Grapple, Dodge, Power Attack, Flying Kick

So the way look at is I can go Psychic Warrior now and use my bonus feats for Monastic Training and Tashalotora to add my Psychic Warrior lvls to my monk levels.
At lvl 10 it would look like
Monk 3/PsyWar 7
BaB +7, Flurry +7/+7/+2
HD 10d8's
Saves +8/5/5
15 power points from class, 7 powers known, max 3rd level powers
+10 move spd

OR

stay monk to 6 then go Psionic Fist. At Monk 6 i can get Imp Trip for a Monk feat and for my lvl 6 feat I'd pick up Wild Talent.
Just for comparison at lvl 10 that would look like.
Monk 6/PsiFist 4
BaB +7, Flurry +6/+6/+1
HD 6d8's + 4d6's
Saves +6/9/9
10 (+2 from wild talent) power points from class, 4 powers known, max lvl 2
+30 move spd


Ummm the only other major difference i can see is the skill points are 2 + INT for the PsyWar and 4 + INT for the PsiFist

The PsiFist really starts gaining ground fast as the levels get higher but i can go into PsyWar a lot earlier so it gets a head start of 3 lvls.

Suggestions?? Food for though??

Thanks!!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

First- Welcome to ENWorld!

The most important question at this point is: Which psionic (and other) resources do you have at your disposal? Are you only able to use the XPH? Complete Psi? Stuff from campaign settings (like Eberron, FR)? 3PP like Hyperconscious or Dragon Compendium v1?

(In the interim, also check out the Monk Database in my sig for all kinds of goodness.)

While I like the Psionic Fist, the PsyWar build with Monastic Training and Tashalotora is going to build a little faster. Its also a bit more streamlined and will satisfy your jones for hot psionic action much more quickly.

Taking levels in PsyWar gets you some of the nicer psi abilities for melee- the Expansion power and defensive powers like Force Screen and Inertial Armor...but since the Psionic Fist also draws from that list, its not exactly a big difference.

The key will be how you get the Wild Talent feat. If you just spend a feat on it, you're on your way, no muss, no fuss.

However, if you took a level of Soulknife, you'd get the feat for free, along with the D10HD, the Mindblade and the bonus feat Weapon Focus (Mindblade)...and you could multiclass w/Soulknife & Psionic Fist to your heart's content.

Which, if you have the right books in hand, lets you take Unorthodox Flurry so you can use the Mindblade with your FoB. Take more than one level of Soulknife, and you'll have a 1d6 19-20/x2 throwing weapon that can't be taken away- not a bad thing for a high-dex PC.

Caveat: that build is some sort of twisted stuff that you may not want to deal with.

 

[Tilenas]

I'm in basically the same situation as you: I'm also playing a Monk 4, only she's a nerfed Githzerai. When making the character, I wanted to make it a Monk/PsyWar, but since we're playing FR (and thus, no Eberron feats), I was troubled by the Monk's multiclassing restrictions, so I went for Monk only until level 7 (because I'd like to pick up the Wholeness of Body feature first), then Psionic Fist.

One advantage of the PsiFist that you didn't mention (unless it's covered by the Tashalotora feat, which I don't know), is that PsiFist levels stack with Monk levels for unarmed damage, AC and movement.

 

[BENINHB]

Thanks Dannyalcatraz

I had come across several other threads you have posted in already and the knowledge i gained from the links in your sig has been indispensable.

The Resources i have access too... I haven't specifically asked. My DM uses the d20srd website to look stuff up on the fly during our games so i assume anything on there is fair game. He did warn us that we are playing for everyone in the group to have fun so if one of us makes a broken character and starts to dominate all the action then they will see the nerf bat. He is pretty flexible with me though so far. I was the only one in our group to write out a whole back story for my character and an the only one who really trys to RP at this point so he gives me some extra wiggle room as long as its in flavor.

Soulknife seems kinda cool for the free wild talent and for throwing mind blades. It seems like my unarmed strike would outpace my mindblade though. My unarmed strike is already a d8 which is greater than the mind blades d6. Plus unarmed strike damage grows with lvls and size. Can i throw multilple mindblades with an unorthodox flurry or does it take to long to create each mindblade??

Tilenas, the main differece i can see from taking tashalotora and from the monk abilities from psionic fist is that Psionic fist levels count towards increased movement speed where Tashalatora lvls do not but they do count towards Flurry of blows progression where the psionic fist does not. so that is the trade off.

Right now i think i am going to stick with monk til lvl 6 so that i can use my monk feat to pick up Improved Trip without any of the prerequisites. Then go into PsiFist at lvl 7. It will take a little longer for my psionic abilities to start spicing things up but i think that will be more fun for my group anyway. Since we are low level right now the casters are already sick of me running around flying kicking and stunning fisting every thing to death while they stand at the back and buff, heal, magic missile. Our druid and sorcerer even quit buffing me cause they didn't want to use turns for it when they could just get in some attack with there sling and crossbow last time we played. Still got my buddy the bard inspiring my courage though ; )

 

[Tilenas]

Tilenas, the main differece i can see from taking tashalotora and from the monk abilities from psionic fist [...]

So what does tashalotora do exactly, or rather, where can I look it up, as it might be interesting for my character to take as well?

Right now i think i am going to stick with monk til lvl 6 so that i can use my monk feat to pick up Improved Trip without any of the prerequisites. Then go into PsiFist at lvl 7. It will take a little longer for my psionic abilities to start spicing things up but i think that will be more fun for my group anyway.

You'll find out that PsiFist catches up to PsyWar rather quickly in terms of PP/day and maximum power level.

I'd also recommend you the Practiced Manifester feat (in Complete Psionic), which increases the manifester level of multiclass characters by four (up to your HD). This makes your powers (e.g. expansion) last longer and lets you augment them much quicker than normal.

 

[BENINHB]

it is in the Secrets of Sarlona book.

Tashalatora - Prereq of Monastic Training in a Psionic class. Levels taken in this class add its levels to Monk levels for the purpose of Monk AC, Flurry of Blows, and Unarmed Damage

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks DannyalcatrazSoulknife seems kinda cool for the free wild talent and for throwing mind blades. It seems like my unarmed strike would outpace my mindblade though. My unarmed strike is already a d8 which is greater than the mind blades d6. Plus unarmed strike damage grows with lvls and size. Can i throw multilple mindblades with an unorthodox flurry or does it take to long to create each mindblade??

Depending upon how many monk levels and Soulknife levels you take, yes, your IUS may well outpace the damage of your mindblade. You could, however, get the mindblade up to its standard alternative form- bastard sword- fairly quickly. There are also feats that let you come up with other alternative forms- see CompPsi and especially Dragon#341- that could seriously boost your damage or your defenses.

Remember, though, that the unspoken but very real reasons to have a Monk weapon (and why a mindblade would be nice) are:

1. Dealing with foes you don't want to touch (acid skin, huge grapple bonuses, etc.)- the base mindblade does better damage than any other Monk weapon, and when shaped, offers even more potential.
2. Dealing with foes you can't otherwise effect- mindblades have a built-in enhancement/enchantment factor. (Note: You still can't affect incorporeal beings with it.)
3. Dealing with foes you can't close with- mindblades can be thrown (even if reshaped!), and do far more damage than shuriken. Some of the mindblade feats also give you additional blades orlet you reshape your blade into reach weapons...meaning you could get up to a base damage equivalent to the IUS of a 15th level Monk.

As for throws- AFAIK, you can't really mix throwing anything with FoB.

 

[BENINHB]

yeah that all makes sense. i didn't think about those situations. all we have been fighting is thieves and gobliniods and those go down pretty easy with a good boot to the face.

Please keep that last part about the flurry away from my DM, I have been flurrying shuriken like nobodies business ; )

Thank you for all your help

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Actually, I don't think there is a hard & fast rule either way.

After all, the main benefit of monk weapons is their use in FoB, the better BAB and so forth, and a shuriken is a monk weapon- the only ranged one in the PHB, too...so its not unreasonable to use shuriken in FoB.

Its just that there aren't any examples or rules either way.

 

[BENINHB]

Better BaB?? How so??