doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
So, I want to make a "monk" that feels like it can fit into any campaign, filling the archetype of the esoteric or mystical warrior from a mysterious tradition. While this certainly includes the kung fu student/master, and the shoalin monk, and some Samurai and related concepts, it also includes hermetic swordfighting manuals and traditions from Europe, as well as dervish orders, celtic woad painted warrior cults, and certain warrior cults of the Norse and Germanic peoples, among others.
THe Martial Artist deserves to be fully focused on being that, which for me means alternate features for the Fighter.
I've learned some lessons from trying to combine this concept with the swordmage, but ultimately I think it merits it's own design space, as does the arcane esoteric warrior.
So, here are my current ideas.
Insightful Defense
You can spend 1 focus to enter a state of defense as a bonus action, taking the Dodge action. While in this state, you cannot be targeted by opportunity attacks, and you gain advantage on your next attack against any creature that misses you with an attack while the effect lasts. This defensive state lasts until the end of your next turn.
- Power of Body
As a bonus action you spend 1 focus to fill your body with power. You can add your spellcasting ability modifier to your strength for the purposes of determining your lift, drag, and carry limits, and add your spellcasting ability Score to your jump hieght and distance, and to your walking speed, in feet. While the effect lasts, you can take the Dash Action as a Bonus Action. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
Any thoughts? Please no "this entire endeavor is bad" type posts.
THe Martial Artist deserves to be fully focused on being that, which for me means alternate features for the Fighter.
I've learned some lessons from trying to combine this concept with the swordmage, but ultimately I think it merits it's own design space, as does the arcane esoteric warrior.
So, here are my current ideas.
- Rename class, perhaps to "adept" even though I dislike the name
- Rename Ki to Focus
- Rework some key abilities, see below
- Either remove Stunning Strike and put it's power budget into various Focus Features, or give a choice of three specialized strikes alongside it, such as a smite-style option to just burn focus for damage.
- Add more "basic" focus abilities.
- Rethink many laterlevel features, such as tongue of the sun and moon
- Rework 4 Elements monk and probably Sun Soul, to make them work more like other subclasses and be more additive in power. Sun Soul isn't that bad, with Tasha's, but 4Elements is pretty terrible
- Rework Unarmored Defense to be 10+proficiency+wisdom, so that you can easily play a Strength based character.
- Allow light armor.
- d10 hit die
Insightful Defense
You can spend 1 focus to enter a state of defense as a bonus action, taking the Dodge action. While in this state, you cannot be targeted by opportunity attacks, and you gain advantage on your next attack against any creature that misses you with an attack while the effect lasts. This defensive state lasts until the end of your next turn.
- Power of Body
As a bonus action you spend 1 focus to fill your body with power. You can add your spellcasting ability modifier to your strength for the purposes of determining your lift, drag, and carry limits, and add your spellcasting ability Score to your jump hieght and distance, and to your walking speed, in feet. While the effect lasts, you can take the Dash Action as a Bonus Action. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
Any thoughts? Please no "this entire endeavor is bad" type posts.