Unapproachable East: Shou Disciple

[Cross]

Quick question: does anyone know if the levels a character takes in Shou Disciple stack with levels of Monk with regard to the flurry of blows ability? I ask, simply because the class makes several references to the flurry ability, but does not appear to grant it explicitly. Is there an errata or clarification someone can point me to?

Thanks.

-Cross

 

[silentspace]

I don't think it was a mistake.

 

[ksbsnowowl]

Keep in mind that UE was published prior to the release of 3.5. Ergo, all the terminology is as per the 3.0 monk's abilities. The mechanics for a monk's unarmed strikes and flurry of blows was changed in the revision. For a 3.5 game I would just rule that Shou Disciple levels stack with monk for Flurry of Blows.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Keep in mind that UE was published prior to the release of 3.5. Ergo, all the terminology is as per the 3.0 monk's abilities. The mechanics for a monk's unarmed strikes and flurry of blows was changed in the revision. For a 3.5 game I would just rule that Shou Disciple levels stack with monk for Flurry of Blows.

Agreed, for exactly the reasons stated. There was an insane updated Shou Disciple in a session I ran. He and an Iajutsu Master (plus a Spymaster who tricked some of the archers into shooting at their comrades) managed to rout an army of 300 by killing 80-or-so plus the commander, many of which were at the level of the PCs. One crazy 5-level PrC: gives the ability to keep monk armour bonuses in armour, flurry with martial weapons, and get the Weapon Specialisation feat, among other things, while stacking with monk levels for many things.

 

[silentspace]

Seems to me the flurry ability is overpowered if you allow it to stack. That is, if you can flurry with a two-handed weapon and get extra 2x power attacks.

 

[youspoonybard]

I don't know my flurry so well, but can't you do that anyway with a quarterstaff?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Seems to me the flurry ability is overpowered if you allow it to stack. That is, if you can flurry with a two-handed weapon and get extra 2x power attacks.

Sure, it certainly is, and that's one of the reasons the PrC is overpowered. It allowed you to use the old 3.0 monk unarmed attack chart for your martial weapons (and stacked for that), so of course it allows stacking for flurry with 3.5.

 

[ksbsnowowl]

One crazy 5-level PrC: gives the ability to...get the Weapon Specialisation feat.

No, it merely offered it as a possible bonus feat. It specifically says that the character must meet all the feats' prerequisites before he can choose them. One of Weapon Specialization's prereq's is 4 levels of Fighter. Unless you have those four levels, you still are unable to choose WS as a Shou Disciple bonus feat.

And SilentSpace, keep in mind the class was originally published under 3.0, where there was no 2-for-1 power attack (except with high-level Frenzied Berserkers). But, admittedly, UE was published during the 3.5 run-up, so they should have forseen it.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well, I'm glad that this is the case.