The Ultimate Self-Reliant Character?

[Chun-tzu]

What do you think? The character never really had a chance to flesh out and was incredibly weak in the beginning, but once started to roll, i believe it could've became a powerful character. Each side compensates for the other.

Just to comment on the original post (which didn't really seem to me like he was asking about how to build the ultimate self-reliant character), I think a Monk/Sorcerer is a fun combination, but far from the most effective combination.

My reasoning is that the Sorcerer's limitations also build onto some of the Monk's limitations, making a bad situation worse. First, as many gamers here will tell you, even-level multiclassing for an arcane spellcaster is not a great idea. You lose way too much at higher levels. But how about just a few levels of Sorcerer?

Well, first, a Sorcerer's or Wizard's prime stat just adds one more necessary high stat to the character that needs more high stats than anyone else (except possibly a Psion straight out of PsiHB). Not good. Second, let's say you just want 2nd level spells, so you've got some nice buffs, defensive spells, and a couple utility spells. Okay, that shouldn't be too bad. Except that requires 4 levels of Sorcerer, and your already-not-great BAB is going to suffer. Forget about hitting anything with a Flurry of Blows. And your hit points also suffer.

A Monk/Sorcerer or Monk/Wizard is a character with a nice little bag of tricks, but once those tricks are used up, he isn't left with much. You are much better off using magic items or special prestige class abilities (like the Tattooed Monk's magic tattoos) to gain access to those spells that you want. A single class Monk or Sorcerer of equal level would probably kick this character's butt.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Try Monk/Egoist, or if you don't want to Strength-out, Monk/Bard.

Monks are one of the most versatile classes available. The only one that comes close to doing as much as they do is the Bard.

It's like having a Black Belt/Red Mage combo in the first Final Fantasy -- they could support anyone anywhere anyhow. Sure, they weren't as good in the situations as the "niche" characters, but they were never useless...

I personally think a character designed to be self-reliant will feel more useless than the other members of his party, from what I've seen. Never as good a fighter as the warrior-classes, never as good a spellcaster as the arcane casters, never as good a healer as the cleric, never as good a sneaker as the rogue. Decent, but hardly anything to be affraid of.

It's more valuable because if one of your main guys goes down, this guy can fill the gap, or if you need a bit of reinforcement in places, but a support character almost never gets to shine in anything but a role-playing mode.

Honestly. Monk/Bard. Monk for the fighting and mobility, Bard for the healing and attack magic at a distance, without loosing much in the way of fighting.

Going Monk/Sorc is almost like going Sorc/Barbarian or something like that. Sure, they fill each other's penalties nicely, but that leaves neither without as much quality otherwise.

As It Should Be.

 

[kenjib]

Monk unarmed BaB progression does not stack with BaB from other classes. Unless you house rule this, any monk multiclass combo that wants to fight with his fists will be seriously gimp.

 

[Someguy]

He doesn't need BAB bonus..all he does is tumble around!

(his dm btw)

 

[doraemon8]

ah, but he tumbles around to great extent and purpose!

 

[Someguy]

read= getting pelted by dragon breath..failing saving throw...

 

[Numion]

Cleric has decent damage dealing capabilites, and healing. However, with the clerical spell find traps, the cleric can detect traps as a rogue.

A properly designed cleric doesn't have to find trap. He can just take the punishment. IMC the cleric was always the one to open doors, because he had Deathwards, Protections from Elements and Slow Poisons etc.