Renowned for their gloves, which spill from the treasure chests of numerous dungeons across the Realms, the Monks of the Hin Fist are actually quite versatile, and though relatively rigid as halflings go, the Hin Fist are typically a more adventurous lot than the more somber monastic orders...

Hin Fist

Level-by-level Advancement:
R#=Rogue level, M#=Monk level
DT=Disable Trap, D=Discipline, H=Hide, L=Listen, MS=Move Silently, OL=Open Lock, S=Search, Sp=Spot, T=Tumble
(*optional skill or feat)

1. Halfling Rogue (any lawful) -> Str 10 Dex 20 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8 > DT4 H4 L4 MS4 OL4 S4 Sp4 T4 | Luck of Heroes*
2. M1 -> D1 H1 L1 T1
3. R2 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Weapon Finesse
4. M2 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
5. R3 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
6. M3 -> D1 H1 L1 T1 | Dodge
7. R4 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
8. M4 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
9. R5 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Toughness
10. M5 -> D1 H1 L1 T1
11. R6 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
12. M6 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1 | Improved Critical (unarmed strike)
13. R7 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
14. M7 -> D1 H1 L1 T1
15. R8 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Mobility
16. M8 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
17. R9 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
18. M9 -> D1 H1 L1 T1 | Blind-Fight
19. R10 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Defensive Roll
20. M10 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
21. R11 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Epic Dodge
22. M11 -> D1 H1 L1 T1
23. R12 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
24. M12 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1 | Great Dexterity I
25. R13 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Slippery Mind*
26. M13 -> D1 H1 L1 T1
27. R14 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Great Dexterity II
28. M14 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
29. R15 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
30. M15 -> D1 H1 L1 T1 | Great Dexterity III
31. R16 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Self Concealment I
32. M16 -> +Dex > D1 H1 L1 T1
33. R17 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Self Concealment II
34. R18 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
35. R19 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Self Concealment III
36. R20 -> +Dex > DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Self Concealment IV
37. R21 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
38. R22 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1
39. R23 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Great Dexterity IV
40. R24 -> DT1 H1 L1 MS1 OL1 S1 Sp1 T1 | Self Concealment V

Breakpoints:
(*some values assume optional feats/skills were chosen as above)

@13: Halfling Rogue 7/Monk 6 -> Str 10 Dex 23 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8 > D6 DT10 H16 L16 MS10 OL10 S10 Sp10 T16 >> AC 22 BAB 9 Fort 9 Refl 18 Will 11 HP 43-103 unarmed strike (+15/+12/+9 | dmg 1-6 threat 19-20/x2 crit 2-12) sneak +4d6

@20: Halfling Rogue 10/Monk 10 -> Str 10 Dex 25 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8 > D10 DT13 H23 L23 MS13 OL13 S13 Sp13 T23 >> AC 25 BAB 14 Fort 12 Refl 23 Will 14 HP 57-160 unarmed strike (+21/+18/+15/+12/+9 | dmg 1-8 threat 19-20/x2 crit 2-16) sneak +5d6

@27: Halfling Rogue 14/Monk 13 -> Str 10 Dex 28 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8 > D13 DT17 H30 L30 MS17 OL17 S17 Sp17 T30 >> AC 29 BAB 18 Fort 15 Refl 28 Will 17 HP 71-215 unarmed strike (+27/+24/+21/+18/+15 | dmg 1-10 threat 19-20/x2 crit 2-20) sneak +7d6 SR 23

Fin: Halfling Rogue 24/Monk 16 -> Str 10 Dex 34 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8 > D16 DT27 H43 L43 MS27 OL27 S27 Sp27 T43 >> AC 35 BAB 24 Fort 22 Refl 38 Will 24 HP 97-312 unarmed strike (+36/+33/+30/+27/+24 | dmg 2-12 threat 19-20/x2 crit 4-24) sneak +12d6 concealment 50% SR 26

***

Okay, take a deep breath. This build is for fun. Unlike some of my other builds, this one will be quite a challenge to play PvM (and probably PvP) simply because it has no hit points, and no damage output against sneak immunes.

That said, if you're up for a challenge, give this little bloke a try. (If you want things slightly easier, make him an elf so you can do slightly more damage unarmed, and knockdown larger opponents--you only pay an XP penalty starting in the mid-30's when rogue levels begin to outstrip monk levels.)

In a test of the build (at level 40), this poor fellow was being given a fright by an ancient dragon (no equipment other than rogue clothes, mind ye). By the time he finally regained his courage and dispatched (ever so slowly with those 2d6 punches!) the dragon, he was down to--count'em--four--that's 4--hit points. And he still had to take on the Balor Lord in the area.

Fortunately the Balor Lord was oblivious to the hobbit monk hiding and sneaking up to him. And vulnerable to sneak attacks. It only took two hits to bring him down.

Unfortunately, such luxury is probably not going to be common in the typical PvM game. Especially against DR critters--this poor guy can't even damage most Dwarven Defender builds (even on a crit!) without elemental damage gloves (like, say, Gloves of the Hin Fist... ).

This build has no relation to the Hin Fist prestige class as it appears in the Shining South PnP Forgotten Realms sourcebook. I simply wanted to put together a build that mixed traditional rogue skills with the monk. I didn't mark them as such, but any skills other than Hide and Tumble are more or less optional.

I didn't use UMD because half of UMD's utility for rogues is wearing monk gear. The other half is pretending to be a finger-waggler with a veritable library of scrolls in your packs, but I decided to forego that. But any of the "optional" skills can be replaced with UMD as you please. Being able to wield offensive magic can help balance the build's complete lack of offense against sneak immunes.

Again, this build is for fun (of a more challenging sort), not perfection. I like the build, very ninja like - too bad that there isn't a lot of shurikens available in the game it would suit the build and of course halflings get +1 ab to thrown weapons. If playing in the OCs, especially in the original NWN OC, you might want to try as a variant moving Dodge to level 1 (replacing Luck of Heroes), and taking Weapon Focus (shuriken) at level 3 or 6 (moving Weapon Finesse as necessary--you want to keep WF as it will serve you when the fights get up close and personal). This will ensure that treasure that looks at your Weapon Focus will deliver plenty of interesting shuriken (this may be at the expense of random glove drops though). Take the improved critical for shuriken too. Then make sure you are grouped with a tank that can keep enemies off of you, so you can get sneaks from flanking.

If you plan on playing through HotU, though, I imagine at those levels the shuriken may not be as impressive as monk gloves or using something like a sling or shortbow for ranged attacks. So it may be better to keep the build as is, then use what shuriken you do find/buy, and when you get a good shortbow or sling, perhaps consider changing. (Especially when you can add an unlimited ammo mod in HotU.)

Regardless, the character should make plentiful use of the various throwing items one accumulates (caltrops, alchemist's fire, acid flasks, etc) just for added effect.

In PnP (3.5 at least) shuriken can use the monks flurry of blows progression (flurry replaces the unarmed strike progression of 3.0--whereas a 3.0 20th level monk would have a base unarmed progression of +15/+12/+9/+6/+3, the 3.5 20th level monk would have a base flurry progression of +15/+15/+15/+10/+5). I don't think shuriken use the unarmed attack progression in NWN, though.

Thinking of this build, your comment, and shuriken, I am reminded of the ninja class in Wizardry 8. Throwing critical masters--but the shuriken in the game (esp. the really good ones) are hard to come by, and I believe more or less finite. Of course in Wiz8 halflings make pretty good ninja. I played around with a similar thing

Monk 20/Shadowdancer 5/Assassin 15
Halfling, Lawful evil
(More ninja like because of the use poison thing)

I tried testing with the shuriken and it was awful, the damage that is.

The AB was really good but there are no shurikens with any kind of magical damage that I could find so the damage done was practically none (1d3 + enhancement) - too bad. Yep, for elemental damage with the stock shuriken you have Dragon's Tail (+2 AB, dmg 1d3+2, fire dmg +1d4), Stars of Ojy-do (+1 AB, dmg 1d3+1, cold dmg +1d4), and Many Talons (+1 AB, dmg 1d3+1, vamp regen 1, acid dmg vs good +1d4).

A shame in HotU they didn't give the drow smith the ability to upgrade throwing weapons. The first necessary upgrade would've been a one-time, rather high (say 150,000?) cost to make one of the stack of throwers equipped a returning version of that weapon. Then you could've added elemental damage upgrades, enhancement bonus upgrades, and other properties that'd make sense for a throwing weapon.

A builder could always create a monk-friendly module with more powerful shuriken available to higher level monks. A shuriken with a daze or sleep effect coupled with a high DC (most special effect shuriken in the standard set have DCs of only 14 for their effects) could be nice. I see no reason why an epic level monk shouldn't be able to get a set of shuriken that do +2d6 acid damage.

Ah well, at least this build and other DEX monks would be able to make good use of such shuriken if they were to be found...