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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Artoomis" data-source="post: 5584245" data-attributes="member: 111">Monks currently have little support of their iconic unarmed strike and also have a pretty poor basic attack.I am starting work on a Class Acts article that I will submit to address this, and I wanted your comments.  These are intended to become rules in the future, which is why I want your comments in case I overlooked some balancing factor and made something unbalanced by accident.  Essentially, this is a play-test request for these rules prior to submitting an article to WotC.My philosophy here is to fix unarmed strikes to make them a viable choice and give some reasonable choices for melee basic attacks.  Also, I wish to do this without making any substantive changes to the class.Skipping all the flavor text, I will be proposing the following:New PowerEmpty Palm [Attack Technique] Monk Attack 1Focusing your Ki through your empty palm, you strike with unerring accuracy and hold the target in place while you position yourself for the next strike.Standard Action, Melee touchTarget: 1 CreatureAt Will, Full Discipline, Implement. PsionicAttack: Dexterity, vs ReflexHit: 1d6 + Dex modifier damage, and the target is immobilized until the start of your next turnLevel 21 2d6 + Dex modifier damage.Special: May be used in place of a melee basic attack.  When doing so, it does not count as using a full discipline power.Special: If attacking with an empty palm (one hand free and not using a weapon to make the attack), gain a +1 <s>power</s> bonus to the attack roll.  <s>This bonus increases to +2 at level 21.</s>Empty Palm [Movement Technique]At-Will Full Discipline, PsionicMove Action,  PersonalTarget: One creature adjacent to youEffect: You shift 4 squares to any square adjacent to the target.Updated FeatImproved Monk Unarmed StrikeHeroic TierPrerequisite: Monk, Unarmed Combatant class featureBenefit: The damage die of your monk unarmed strike becomes 1d10, instead of 1d8.  If attacking without a weapon and with at least one hand free (unarmed),  monk implement attacks gain a +2 bonus to damage.  <s>When using you monk's Flurry of Blows class feature, gain +2 bonus to damage if the triggering attack was made unarmed .</s>New FeatPugilist FlurryHeroic TierPrerequisite: Monk, Flurry of Blows class featureBenefit: When using your monk's Flurry of Blows class feature,  if the triggering attack was made unarmed you can forego the normal damage from the Flurry for any target(s) and instead have the target(s) immobilized until the start of your next turn.New ThemeThe Empty FistA psionic who uses mental discipline to toughen the body and turn it into a highly mobile weapons system.For the purposes of this theme, an unarmed attack means an attack made with one hand free and while not using any weapon other than one’s own body (hands, feat, elbows, knees, head etc.) or a weapon in the unarmed groupStarting Feature:<s>Pick one of your non-triggered melee at will attack powers.  If made as an unarmed attack, you may use that attack in place of a basic attack.  If this power is the attack part of a monk's full discipline power, it does not count as a use of a full discipline power when used as a melee basic attack.</s> You are proficient in unarmed weapons and can use an unarmed strike.  This weapon is an unarmed weapon, has the off-hand weapon property, a +3 proficiency bonus, and it deals 1d8 damage. You must have a hand free to use your unarmed strike, even if you’re kicking, kneeing, elbowing, or head-butting a target.  The unarmed strike gives you a +3 proficiency bonus, and has 1d8 weapon damage.  To use an unarmed strike, you must have one hand free.  If you are not wielding a weapon or carrying a shield, you gain +1 to attack rolls.Gain Hold it Right There powerHold it Right There,  Empty Fist Attack 1No ActionTarget: 1 CreatureEncounter, PsionicTrigger:  A successful unarmed melee attack.Effect: The target is grabbed.Level 5 Feature:<s>Add +2 damage to all unarmed attacks.  If you take the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, add an additional +2 damage to all unarmed attacks except weapon attacks.</s>Pick one of your non-triggered melee at will attack powers.  If made as an unarmed attack, you may use that attack in place of a basic attack.  If this power is the attack part of a monk's full discipline power, it does not count as a use of a full discipline power when used as a melee basic attack.Level 10 Feature+2 Will defenseLevel 2 UtilityDefensive MoveDaily  Psionic, StanceMinor Action,  PersonalSpecial:  Must have one hand free to use this power.Effect:  Until the stance ends, whenever you move you gain a power bonus of +2 to all defenses until the start of your next turn (so long as one hand remains free).Level 6 UtilityFaster Than MostEncounter, PsionicMinor Action, PersonalEffect: Move your speed.Level 10 UtilityWhat, Me Slow Down?Encounter,  Psionic<s>Standard</s> Minor Action,  PersonalEffect: Until the end of your next turn, ignore difficult terrain. COMMENTS:As proposed. one could take the new At Will power and the Theme and end up with two At Will powers that could also be used for melee basic attacks.As proposed, once could get a +4 benefit to Flurry of Blows by taking Improved Monk Unarmed Strike and the theme. One could add another +2 damage to the flurry by holding a club in one hand and taking the Crashing Tempest Style feat, but that comes at a cost of limiting other options of what one might wield with that hand.Since the At Will attack can be used in place of a melee basic attack, any sort of enemy-affecting properly is perhaps too much since it can be used as an OA.  (Thanks, bganon, I had totally missed the potentially unbalancing  OA aspect of this)Overall, I think this makes unarmed strikes appealing but not, by any means, the always-optimal choice to make for running a monk PC.</blockquote>

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