The Monk's Hit Dice Should Be a d8! [Rant]

[Liquide]

I think the implication is very clear from the "announce before you make the attack roll" wording - it is an additional ability that is added to an attack.

Consider also:
Diamond Body: At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poison of all kinds. Diamond body is a supernatural ability.

So this also must be activated?

Cheers!

In theory yes but then again one might rule it has a duration of permanent so it really only has to be activated once. Actually correction, since it is a permanent supernatural ability it can be dispelled so it would in theory take one standard action to activate it again if it was dispelled

 

[MerricB]

Can I go with the "it's not a magical attack" defence?

Cheers!

 

[Liquide]

Can I go with the "it's not a magical attack" defence?

Cheers!

Not really Since its title is Stunning Attack(Su) refering to it as an attack that is Supernatural and therefore the Effects of Stunning Attack (the Stunning not the damage is Magical) and therefore negates DR.

 

[MerricB]

So a 1st-level monk can stun a ghost?

No... immune to crits. Do we have an alive incorporeal creature?

Cheers!

 

[Gargoyle]

From Dragon 301, Sage Advice:

"Although supernatural abilities usually require a standard action to use, a few of them do not. Hide in plain sight, for example, works just like any other use of the Hide skill, so you use it as a move action or as part of a move action.
A monks's supernatural speed works any time the monk moves. In general,whenever a supernatural ability changes the way one of the user's actions works, it works just like the action it modifies. "

Stunning attack clearly changes the way the monk's attack action works, and thus does not require a standard action. Of course, I'm not the sage, so if you want an official ruling on a specific supernatural ability in the game you'll have to e-mail him at thesage@wizards.com.

 

[Gargoyle]

Can I go with the "it's not a magical attack" defence?

Cheers!

Actually, I would agree that a stunning attack is not a magical attack. The attack itself is not magical, because the damage caused by the unarmed strike is normal damage. Even a monk with ki strike or a barbarian with a sword +1 causes normal damage, not magical damage. Otherwise ki strike +1 or a sword +1 would negate all damage reduction, not just DR +1/# . When they talk about magical attacks, they mean spells and other magical effects where the damage is magical, like a magic missle or an ice storm. Granted, I don't think this is well defined, but I do not think adding a stunning effect to your attack makes it a magical attack.

The stunning effect itself may be magical, but all that really means is that it is negated in anti-magic fields, etc.

Again, I'm not the sage, so if all you're interested in is an official ruling, I'd ask him.

 

[Jeph]

Monks rock because munchkins turn them into Shiba Protectors, and then get as high a Wisdom as possable.

For those who don't know, the Shiba Protector applies their Wis mod to Atk and damage, AT FIRST LEVEL. So, Monk with dex 30, Wis 30, finesse unarmed, applies their dex to attack and AC, and their wisd to attack, damage and ac. Reduces the stat dependancy to 2.

And they can perform kung-fu. Everyone likes kung-fu.

 

[Gargoyle]

Monks rock because munchkins turn them into Shiba Protectors, and then get as high a Wisdom as possable.

For those who don't know, the Shiba Protector applies their Wis mod to Atk and damage, AT FIRST LEVEL. So, Monk with dex 30, Wis 30, finesse unarmed, applies their dex to attack and AC, and their wisd to attack, damage and ac. Reduces the stat dependancy to 2.

And they can perform kung-fu. Everyone likes kung-fu.

Er, yeah, and they'll cut your head off without even thinking twice about it!

 

[Gargoyle]

Maybe a moderator can move this into the Rules forum, since this ancient thread seems to have been awakened in order to discuss specific rules.

 

[hong]

From Dragon 301, Sage Advice:

"Although supernatural abilities usually require a standard action to use, a few of them do not. Hide in plain sight, for example, works just like any other use of the Hide skill, so you use it as a move action or as part of a move action.
A monks's supernatural speed works any time the monk moves. In general,whenever a supernatural ability changes the way one of the user's actions works, it works just like the action it modifies. "

Stunning attack clearly changes the way the monk's attack action works, and thus does not require a standard action.

Exactly. "A monk has the ability to stun a creature damaged by her unarmed attacks". I don't see how you can read that as anything other than a special that works on top of her regular unarmed attacks. Incidentally, since it explicitly mentions damaging the target, this also addresses the issue of whether stunning works against DR.