I haven't posted a monk build in forever - for shame! But I'll make up for it by posting two variants on a fighting-monk, one using strength and one using dex.
Both builds are unarmed users because I prefer fists to kamas personally, but take a kama focus to qualify for COT. You can free a feat by being a kama user; in the dex build you can easily be a dual kama user if you want but the strength build doesn't qualify for ambidexterity.
This is the strength build. The dex build is here.
* - Optional Feat + - COT or Monk Bonus Feat % - Change to just a kama focus if you want.
Skills - Discipline, Tumble, UMD are musts. There are plenty of points to play with after that and put into rogue skills and convenience skills (ie heal or lore).
Ending Vitals Str 32
AC 27 naked/unbuffed 470 max hp Fort 38 Ref 31 Will 30, +1 vs death
AB +41, 6 attacks/round, 1d20+11 damage from fists 3d6 sneak attack
FAQ: Q: You already said the unarmed thing was personal preference, but really, why not just use a kama? A: For powergaming purposes, your fists will do more damage than a single-wielded kama if you are medium-sized unless you can get a kama +7 or better. Also, bludgeoning damage such as fists do is rarely resisted by enemies.
I found that this build was very rich in feats and so I really didn't feel a need to free up the one preepic feat from the extra weapon focus.
Q: An AC of only 27? Yikes! How come you didn't use COT feats on wisdom or something to make it higher? A: Originally that was the idea and why I chose COT. But I found that it just didn't work out that way - I could have gotten +2 to AC and will saves (ie, +4 to wisdom) but it would have cost me great strength feats to do so. Taking the epic combat feats as COT bonuses freed up my character feats to go to great strength.
However, you can buff both your wisdom and dex to add to AC, and you have uncanny dodge after level 33.
Q: Why 25 levels of monk? Why not take more COT in a split like 21/5/14? A: Monk bonus AC comes on levels that are multiples of 5, as do monk epic bonus feats. Unfortunately the epic bonus feat list is pretty sparse for this character, but 20 extra hitpoints and 1 AC aren't bad.
I wasn't too concerned about taking more COT levels because this character's saves were already doing very well thanks to the saving throw feats, and monks are immune to many nasty things anyway. However, if you do a 21/5/14 build you can change epic fortitude to great wis, and take great wis as your level 14 COT feat. This will make the AC a wash, cost you a handful of hitpoints, and change your saves slightly (fort will go down 2, reflex up 2, will up 3).
Personally I think that fort is this build's most important save, however, since you have improved evasion to cover reflex and immunity to mind effects to cover will.
Q: Why not more Rogue then? Like 20/10/10? A: That's an option, but it will definitely cost you the AC point - though granted, you'll get crippling strike out of the bargain in return. The simple answer is that I just didn't envision this character that way, and I think getting the 20th monk level and mind immunity before level 40 is nice for playability's sake.
Q: Why wait so late in the build to take rogue levels? Why take 1 level at 27 and then wait till 32 to take more? A: I wanted to get as much of as I could before level 30 for the sake of playability. That one level at 27 is for a skill dump, and around it are COT levels getting the combat feats and monk levels picking up empty body and perfect self, all before level 30.
Q: What kind of environment do you recommend this character for? A: Medium or high magic. If you can cap your dex and wisdom both, you'll pretty much have made up the difference in AC between yourself and most plate melees. Permanent items would be best for this but you can UMD scrolls too.
You may even want to consider using a single kama variant if your environment has particularly nice bracers or gloves, or to use Bracers of Dexterity in the arm slot so that you can wear a Belt of Giant Strength instead of a Belt of Agility. You get the idea. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
Edited By Xylophone on 06/03/06 08:00
Quote: Posted 06/03/06 07:33:37 (GMT) -- Xylophone Q: What kind of environment do you recommend this character for? A: Medium or high magic. If you can cap your dex and wisdom both, you'll pretty much have made up the difference in AC between yourself and most plate melees. Permanent items would be best for this but you can UMD scrolls too.
I would say it would do better in the lower magic environments. As magic items start getting better, the shield AC bonus the armor wearers/non-monks get starts to surpass that monk ac bonus. Besides, it really is in the low magic settings where that strength damage bonus is important for bypassing DR. Also you'll get more use out of that 20/+1 DR in the lower magic environments. _________________ Two wrongs don't make a right but three lefts do.
I pretty much assume that the 20/+1 DR comes too late to be useful in any environment by the time you get it, unless you're "slumming." But capping your wis and dex both in a lower magic environment will probably be tough, especially if you also want to be wearing monk gloves and fighting with your fists.
The goal I had in mind was to make a strength based monk who at least had the potential for a solid AC, without using PM or RDD somehow to do it. With max wis and dex, and a +5 robe, you'll get to 44 AC; a sword and board build with tumble and +5 armor/shield will have 42 AC (32 in nonmagic equipment). If armor goes to +6 you'll be equal, if it goes to +7 or higher you'll start falling behind.
I left out items like amulets/rings/cloaks/etc because both builds might be able to use the same ones, though that does depend - in the campaigns for example, you might end up using a periapt of wisdom instead of an amulet of natural armor. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.