What's Up With The Monk?

[RithTheAwakener]

Well. I have no idea if this has been discussed already, cause I didnt read all 23 pages of this post.

I believe a monk could take on a fighter any day. Monks have great Disarm and Trip attacks, and could easily disable a fighter, taking a huge advantage over fighters. I'd play a monk over a fighter any day, except at low lvls, like 4 and below.

 

[takyris]

The thread! It's alive!!!! And it says that I posted in it!

So, now that it's, uh, a year and a few months since this started, how do folks feel about the 3.5 monk? I'm playing a 25-point-buy Paladin2/Monk3 right now, and I don't feel that multiclass paladin/monks are overpowered, but that's at least partially because 25-point-buy characters got the shaft and I was stuck with Int as my dump stat.

But they have Spot as a class skill now, the monk attack stuff is easier to figure out, and they have a few more options in terms of flexibility. If you try to tank with a monk, you're liable to get killed, but the same situation applies if you try to tank with a 3.5 Rogue... the key is to play to their strengths. My pallymonk is a decent Big-Bad Distractor. He tumbles past the mooks and proceeds to start nickel-and-diming the big bad monster, who stops doing awful ranged stuff to the party and starts trying to whomp on me -- at which point I go on full defense, get a massive AC bonus, and tie up the monster for long enough for my buddy the single-class paladin to get up close and start whacking it. I can even take five-foot steps while doing so, to let the party rogue start flanking stuff.

It's certainly not the most glorious PC role of all time, but it is useful -- and as the first PC I've gotten to play in years (instead of DMing), I'm lovin' it.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Wow. It's not often that you see a thread resurrected that's been dead for nearly a year and a half.

 

[Scion]

With the appropriate feats and 3rd party options he can be the ultimate running, bouncing, movement god with a few cool powers along the way.

I like them havent gotten to see the 3.5 version in action though, but it looks like they improved it a little.

So why, after so long, are a lot of people apparently still getting updates about this thread? there are some threads I posted to and have 'never' gotten told about them being updated even though I was signed up for it.. and this one keeps on going forever? lol

 

[Piratecat]

What about weapon use with a spiked chain (exotic weapon feat)?

jh

Good lord. Why in God's name did you bump this? Aieeeee!

A polite rule of thumb is: only bump old threads when you have something really good and interesting to ask.

 

[Nifft]

So, now that it's, uh, a year and a few months since this started, how do folks feel about the 3.5 monk? I'm playing a 25-point-buy Paladin2/Monk3 right now, and I don't feel that multiclass paladin/monks are overpowered, but that's at least partially because 25-point-buy characters got the shaft and I was stuck with Int as my dump stat.

There's a Monk4/Paladin4/FGP1 in my current game -- check out the Follower of the Golden Path on my web site, below -- and he's an interesting character, not overpowered but not too horribly underpowered either. His saves are insane.

-- N

 

[I'm A Banana]

THE MONK IS NOT A FRONT LINE FIGHTER!

His role in the party is to not die. Not to dish out damage, or to eradicate traps, or to heal. He just lives through it.

If you're going to make the monk a front line fighter, you're going to be dissapointed. Don't try it. Instead, make them dex-monkey scamperers who can add a bit of punch, or add a bit of scout, and either way be able to scamper back holding the corpses of the rest of the party and not die himself.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Up until the recent unpleasantness with the Demon-Crocodile Grappling Underwater incident, the 3.5e Monk in the group I play in was extremely useful. She had an excellent ability to take on mooks, due to several attacks and good speed, and could also get round the side of the enemy to start picking out the spellcasters and disabling them.

We'd also acquired a Ioun stone with a Heal spell in it...Monks make great last ditch battle medics with such items.

As far as I'm concerned, so long as you don't try to:

a) Go toe to toe with stuff bigger and nastier than you are
b) Complain that you never stun anything when all you try to stun is things with high Fort saves and
c) Accept the straight fighter types will always do a lot more damage than you each round

then the Monk is an extremely useful character class.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The thread! It's alive!!!! And it says that I posted in it!

So, now that it's, uh, a year and a few months since this started, how do folks feel about the 3.5 monk? I'm playing a 25-point-buy Paladin2/Monk3 right now, and I don't feel that multiclass paladin/monks are overpowered, but that's at least partially because 25-point-buy characters got the shaft and I was stuck with Int as my dump stat.

That sounds like a truely horrible multiclass combo to me, especially in a low point buy game. But if you are having fun you must be doing something really right. My hat is off to you.

I pity the Beholder that runs into you.

 

[Liquidsabre]

Why perpetuate this myth? Haven't a couple of the core designers already stated that they intended shields to be considered armor? Looks distinctly like you're trying to exploit an unintended loophole, really.

There is no loop-hole.

AC Bonus (Ex): "...she losses this bonues when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield..."