On Monk Ki Weapons, and Unarmed Strikes

[Oversquid]

So guys, one of my ongoing projects is in retuning the Monk class, and right now, I hit upon a rut.

For starters, the Monk's Unarmed Strike goes up in damage as the Monk goes up in levels, and I feel that as the Monk levels up, it becomes less attractive to use Monk Weapons (Such as the Sai, the Kama, the Quarterstaff, etc), and more attractive to just straight up use your fists.

What I'm trying to do is make the choice between using the Unarmed Strike, or the Monk Weapons to both be attractive (I don't want to say equivalent, as I don't want the both of them to be monotone), and I don't want to just boost the damage output of Monk Weapons to be the same as the Unarmed Strike as I feel that equalizes the two to monotone.

So I'm trying to think of other dimensions between the Monk Weapons and the Unarmed Strike that I didn't think of before that maybe you guys know something about. I'm sure a damage boost is going to be part of the change, but just as long as if it doesn't become monotone, but again I could be wrong.

Thanks guys.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The main reason for a Monk to keep using weapons is to fight things you don't want to touch, to have reach, or to strike at range.

There are options in the game that can make that option even more attactive by adding weapons to the Monk list, freer multiclassing, and so forth.

(See my sig.)

 

[Dandu]

Monk's don't really get to enchant their fists with special weapon properties unless you're willing to jump through hoops.

 

[Oversquid]

Monk's don't really get to enchant their fists with special weapon properties unless you're willing to jump through hoops.

In this case, I should mention another factor.

In the games I run, I allow Gauntlet/Gloves/Bracers/Boot/whatever magic items that boosts their Unarmed Strikes as if they were weapons.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

In this case, I should mention another factor.

In the games I run, I allow Gauntlet/Gloves/Bracers/Boot/whatever magic items that boosts their Unarmed Strikes as if they were weapons.

Well, there's your problem. You're giving the main advantage monk weapons have over the unarmed strike to the unarmed strike.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There is a reason why in Arcana Unearhed & Arcana Evolved (Monte Cook's alternative takes on 3Ed & 3.5Ed) there is a feat called Hands As Weapons that lets an unarmed combatant enchant his unarmed attacks.

Ditto why the main way to do that kind of thing in 3.5Ed is via PrCls like Sacred Fist or Kensai.

 

[Herobizkit]

[MENTION=19675]Dannyalcatraz[/MENTION], immediately followed by [MENTION=85158]Dandu[/MENTION]... in a Monk thread?!

Who'd've thunk it.

 

[Oversquid]

Posting to say that I figured something out.

Basically, Monk Weapons in my games deal far less damage than an Unarmed Strike. Rather than boosting the attack ability of Monk Weapons, I decided to work with their defense.

When a Monk wields a Monk weapon that deals less damage than their Unarmed Strike, the monk gets a Shield bonus to their AC equal to the dice increment difference between the monk weapon's damage, and the monk's unarmed strike damage.

For example, Daniel the Monk is level 11. Daniel's Unarmed Strike damage is 1d10, and Daniel is holding a Kama that deals 1d6 damage.

Since the difference between Daniel's Unarmed Strikes and Daniel's Kama is by 2 dice increments (1d6 to 1d8, and then 1d8 to 1d10; 2 dice increments), then Daniel gets a +2 Shield bonus to AC.

I can post the full text of my little houserule elsewhere if you're at all interested.

Basically, weapon fighting in my campaign is the defensive way to go.

 

[Dandu]

You know, monk players in your setting are just going to hold monk special weapons in their hands and roundhouse kick people to death. So while there will be more people wielding the weapons, there won't be more people using them.

 

[Oversquid]

You know, monk players in your setting are just going to hold monk special weapons in their hands and roundhouse kick people to death. So while there will be more people wielding the weapons, there won't be more people using them.

This brings me to the next piece of information:

If you use an unarmed strike in a Flurry of Blows, you lose your shield bonus for that round.

The description I gave above was very simplified.