D&D 3E/3.5 Why be a 3.5 monk?

[Aus_Snow]

Equal parts "traditional" martial arts (i.e., ritualised and primarily for demonstration purposes) and some pretty awful "myths" regarding "genuine" "monks" and suchlike.

That's the composition of the "Monk", as far as I can see.

Of course, coincidentally, there are some genuine myths out there, to do with similar kinds of stunts and so on. Also, there are some genuine martial artists as well, though I shudder to even use the term.

Not a class I would ever want in my games, even were I running actual 3e, per se, these days.

But yeah, I do run a variant at times. Still... no "Monks"!

And yes, agreed - they're pretty useless as well, by default. Unless heavily and cleverly multiclassed, as is the way of things, natch.


edit: And the rules are certainly a fundamentally important part of the game, Odhanan. Otherwise, just use any old rules, no matter how crappy or loathsome - it shouldn't matter what they are, according to you.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's actually the exact opposite of what I was hoping for...

Well, if he had agreed with the other designers, he wouldn't have written the feat, he'd have changed the language in the "nat/manu" section to be more explicit...unless he had the additional motive of making it available to all classes.

 

[menacekop]

The reach weapon is there to increase the area the monk threatens and grant attacks of opp as well as provide battlefield control. You still want to flurry with your unarmed strike since the damage has the potential to be so much greater. I like to trip with my reach weapon when my enemy provokes and then 5ft step and flurry stomps on their face while they are prone.

This is how i think I'm going to take my monk, I was stuck on the spiked chain because I was envisioning a real life monk with the chain whip

But since i can just take a long spear for tripping purposes only and not need to be able to attack with it its perfect.

Thanks for all the comments guys, i appreciate the attention, very helpful.

It seems that sad truth is that there really is no actual monk class, its just there to help the other classes learn a little kung fu.

 

[Dandu]

This is how i think I'm going to take my monk, I was stuck on the spiked chain because I was envisioning a real life monk with the chain whip

You mean this thing?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSt_6cUHLYU&feature=related]YouTube - Kung Fu - Chain Whip[/ame]

 

[Aus_Snow]

Mind you, they're fun in Gestalt, with high point buy, for crazy OTT wire-fu/supers/other shenanigans.

Caster for the match, naturally.

 

[menacekop]

I did think of a few questions since I'm going for an AoO trip build.

1. The way I understand it my reach is now 10 ft. (for tripping with the long spear) which includes the squares i threaten for AoO, correct?
2. Does this mean my reach and the squares i threaten while enlarged (large) is 15 ft.?
3. what happens to my med sized weapon while I'm enlarged (large), does it still act as a reach weapon?

that all i can think of... for now.

 

[menacekop]

You mean this thing?

YouTube - Kung Fu - Chain Whip

yup, and i bet he didn't even have to take the exotic weapons proficiency feat

 

[Dandu]

Reach Weapons

Glaives, guisarmes, lances, longspears, ranseurs, spiked chains, and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren’t adjacent to him or her. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away.

 

[TanisFrey]

quarter staff is a Monk wep, right? If so this is a 2 handed weapon with reach potential and as a 2 hander it gives +4 to trip and disarm right?

That is not how the staff was written. Yes, I know that in real life, some who as trained in quarter staff could thrust and make it a reach weapon. Unfortunately WOTC did not write it this way.

 

[BENINHB]

I did think of a few questions since I'm going for an AoO trip build.

1. The way I understand it my reach is now 10 ft. (for tripping with the long spear) which includes the squares i threaten for AoO, correct?
2. Does this mean my reach and the squares i threaten while enlarged (large) is 15 ft.?
3. what happens to my med sized weapon while I'm enlarged (large), does it still act as a reach weapon?

that all i can think of... for now.

1. Not sure. By RAW you can't trip with a long spear because it is not a trip weapon. Some DM's don't care, some do. I'm with the "do" camp so i would use a Guisarme or a Talenta Sarrash.

2. Reach weapons double your reach so it would be 20ft

3. If your have it when you're enlarged it grows with you.