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2 years ago ::
Jun 15, 2008 - 1:17PM
#31
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Ah yes, multiclassing. I feel inclined to give the multiclassing feat the bonuses to unarmed strikes, but not sure if that would end up being overpowered. For the time being, I'm writing this for my player who wants to play a warforged monk in my Sharn campaign, so it shouldn't come up specifically, so I should have a bit of time to mull over that particular aspect of matters after I've seen it played in a few sessions...
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2 years ago ::
Jun 15, 2008 - 3:00PM
#32
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Archived copy of version 1.1 of the Monk as a Ki powered Defender, replaced in the first post with version 1.2. Spoiler:
Show
Edit history: 7 June 2008 - corrected rules regarding Interfering Blow's effects. Also added the ability to know roll results before declaring use of defence boosting Focus Ki powers. 9 June 2008 - reworded Threatening Shadow ability for purposes of clarity and expanded the details of Martial Artist ability. 10 June 2008 - corrected some formatting errors as kindly pointed out by NthDegree256
Monk
To know the secrets of the Universe is to first know yourself
Class Traits
Role: Defender Source: Ki Key Abilities: Wisdom, Dexterity, Strength
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Dagger, Glaive, Katar, Quarterstaff, Shuriken, Sling. Bonus to Defense: +1 x Constitution, +1 Reflex, +1 Will
Hit Points at 1 x st Level: 15 x + Constitution score Hit Points per Level Gained: 6 x  Healing Surges: 9 x + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: From the class skills list below, choose 4 x trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Perception (Wis), Religion (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Build Options: Way of the Supple Willow,Path of the Striking Tiger Class Features: Menacing Shadow, Martial Artist, Ki Focus
Menacing Shadow After you attack an enemy, whether you hit or you miss, you may chose to mark that foe. The mark lasts until the end of your next turn or until lost as described below. Whenever a marked enemy moves or shifts out of or through a square adjacent to you, you may shift up to the number of squares moved by the marked enemy as a free reaction provided that doing so will result in your being adjacent to the foe. If you are unable to shift in such a manner, you remain in your original space and the mark on the opponent is lost.
Martial Artist Monks have honed their bodies into perfect weapons. A monk gains a proficiency bonus of +3 x for unarmed strikes and they count as an off-hand" weapon. In addition, they receive a +1 x bonus when you roll the weapon damage of an unarmed strike. This increases to a +2 bonus at 6th level, a +3 at 11th, a +4 at 16th, a +5 at 21st, and a +6 at 26th. As a monk may employ fists or feet in their attacks, they can make an unarmed strike with either hand free, or with both hands full provided they are not immobilised.
Ki Focus Once per encounter you can clear your mind and focus your Ki energy to achieve superhuman feats and achievements, such as Fast Movement and Flurry of Blows. Monks may learn new techniques and methods of focusing their Ki through feats. Regardless of how many techniques for Focus Ki you know, you may only use one such ability per encounter. The special ability or power you invoke work just like your other powers.
Focus Ki: Fast Movement Monk Feature Focusing your mind, you can overcome the limits of normal endurance. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki Minor Action _______________________ Effect: Gain +2 x speed until the end of your turn. At 11th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 21st level it increases to +6.
Focus Ki: Flurry of Blows Monk Feature You swiftness allows you to make several strikes before your foes can prepare themselves. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki Minor Action _______________________ Effect: You can trade a Standard Action for two basic attacks. These attacks can be taken together or individually throughout your turn, meaning you could make a basic attack, take a move action, and then make another basic attack. At 11 x th level, you may trade your Standard Action for three basic attacks and at 21st level, you may trade it for four basic attacks.
Staggering Blow Monk Attack 1 x  With a deft strike you force your foe backwards. _______________________ At-Will ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Dexterity modifier damage and push the target two squares. Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifer at 21st level.
Honed Blow Monk Attack 1 x  Your knowledge of the human form means you know where to strike. _______________________ At-Will ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Wisdom modifier damage. Increase damage to 2[W] + Wisdom modifier at 21st level.
Fierce Blow Monk Attack 1 x  You put all your strength behind your punch. _______________________ At-Will ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. Reflex _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Strength modifier damage. If you marked the target, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to you Wisdom modifier. Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier at 21st level.
Nimble Blow Monk Attack 1 x  You step into a deft and decisive punch. _______________________ At-Will ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Special: Shift 1 x square before you attack Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity + 1 x vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Dexterity modifier damage. Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.
Hobbling Strike Monk Attack 1 x  A well aimed shot to the foot will hinder your oponents movements. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Ranged Requirements: You must be wielding a light blade weapon. Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Dexterity modifier damage. The target is slowed until the start of your next turn.
Dual Blows Monk Attack 1 x  You throw two powerful punches in rapid succession. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Special: Make two seperate attacks, either against the same target, or two different targets. Target: One or two creatures Attack: Strength vs. Reflex _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Strength modifier damage for each attack.
Stunning Blow Monk Attack 1 x  You catch your foe in a vital area and leave them winded. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. Will _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Interfering Blow Monk Attack 1 x  You strike your foe and continue to hamper its ability to target your allies. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Wisdom modifier damage, and one ally you can see gains a power bonus equal to your Dexterity modifier to their AC and Reflex against attacks made by the target, provided you are still adjacent to the target.
Crippling Blow Monk Attack 1 x  You strike a vital pressure point on your foes body that makes it painful for them to move some of their limbs. _______________________ Daily ~ Ki, Weapon, Reliable Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 1 x + Wisdom modifier damge, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attacks (save ends)..&type=card&set=W)
Quivering Palm Monk Attack 1 x  By striking the right pressure points of your foes bodies, you can inflict wounds that persist long after your first strike. _______________________ Daily ~ Ki, Reliable, Weapon Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Wisdom vs. AC _______________________ Hit: 2 x + Wisdom modifier damage, and the target takes ongoing damage equal to your Strength modifier (save ends)..&type=card&set=W)
Whirlwind of Blows Monk Attack 1 x  Your foes may think they have you surrounded, but you have them right where you want them... _______________________ Daily ~ Ki, Weapon Standard Action Close burst 1 x  Target: All enemies within burst Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex _______________________ Hit: Wisdom modifier damage
Heightened Senses Monk Utility 2 x  Years of meditation have enabled you to be more attuned to small changes in your environment _______________________ Daily ~ Ki Minor Action Personal[/b]
_______________________ Effect: You gain a +2 x power bonus on all Insight and Perception checks until the end of the encounter.
Push to Safety Monk Utility 2 x  As a threat looms, you shove one of your allies out of harms way. _______________________ Encounter ~ Ki Immediate Interrupt Action Melee Trigger: An adjacent ally is targetted by an attack. Target: One willing adjacent ally
_______________________ Effect: You push the target 2 x squares.
Purify Body Monk Utility 2 x  You centre your mind and will your muscles to relax, your stress to dissipate, and your pain to ebb. _______________________ Daily ~ Ki Standard Action Personal[/b]
_______________________ Effect: You may spend a healing surge and heal an additional number of it points equivalent to your Wisdom modifier
Step of Air Monk Utility 2 x  Even air has mass and with the right focus, you can momentarily balance yourself upon it. _______________________ At-Will ~ Ki Immediate Reaction Action Personal Prerequisites: You must be trained in Athletics Trigger: You have just made a jump.
_______________________ Effect: You may make a second Atheletics check and move an additional amount as a jump. This Athletics check is made at the same DC as those of the jump that triggered the action. The distance you jump can exceed your speed.
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2 years ago ::
Jun 17, 2008 - 7:36PM
#33
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It would be good if classes could fit multiple roles.
For example, you could have the monk split into two clear builds - one (STR-heavy) focussed on Defending, and the other (DEX-heavy) focussed on striking. People would notbe sure at first which 'type' they were going up against... i agree with you on that one, working on a hybrid monk (defender/striker) as we speak, however this concept of a monk as a defender appeals to me.
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2 years ago ::
Jun 21, 2008 - 5:02AM
#34
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The build is pretty good. It does however seem to be more strike flavored. Cause unlike the rouge in 3.x the monk didn't do his damage from a single special attack but rather a large amount of high damaging attacks. Which is carrying over into 4.0 and seems to be on the same path with your build like many others.
One thing I noticed that seems to separate defenders from the other classes is their innate ability to "defend" or at least attempt to defend their fellow party members hanging out in the back.
For example the fighter when he marks a foe he just doesn't stalk them but causes them to take penalties if they don't attack him also he can hit them if they attack someone other then him. Also any other OA he does stops the targets from moving past him basically allowing him to maintain the front line.
Then there is the paladin. While he doesn't have the same stopping power he does have the challenge ability. Which marks the foe also and gives them the same penalty for not attacking the paladin. But in addition it does a set amount of damage to the target who refuses to attack him. This only gives further incentive for them to target him.
Meanwhile your monk build doesn't really seem to have anything that encourages to enemies to go after you instead of your allies. No real penalties or abilities of yours that synergies with foes not targeting you. After all that seems to be one of the marks of a good defender since you get those extra HP. You can't just reply on your enemies to know they should go for you. Rather you need to encourage them cause a defender needs to distract the enemy from attacking the other party members.
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2 years ago ::
Jun 21, 2008 - 1:52PM
#35
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I think the hardest part in creating a homebrewed class is going to be the At-Will powers: making them balanced but distinct from other classes is, I think, going to be very challenging. I agree that this is very hard. For Defenders, doing the same with the class Mark is also a challenge. You have to think really hard about just what it is about the Fighter's Mark & the Paladin's Mark that (a) makes them different and (b) makes enemies actually care.
However, in my recent experience, it's trying to invent 30 levels of encounters and dailies that haven't already been done (especially with the surprisingly limited, in retrospect, list of conditions)! You may think to yourself, "Oh! That's a great idea for a power!" and then realize, "Wait. There's already a Ranger power that does that -- all mine does is use Wisdom instead of Strength." That happened to me more than once.
Balancing utility powers is also more of an art than a science, and I'm not sure I've done that right at all in my take on the same concept.
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2 years ago ::
Jun 22, 2008 - 7:28PM
#36
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I agree that this is very hard. For Defenders, doing the same with the class Mark is also a challenge. You have to think really hard about just what it is about the Fighter's Mark & the Paladin's Mark that (a) makes them different and (b) makes enemies actually care.
However, in my recent experience, it's trying to invent 30 levels of encounters and dailies that haven't already been done (especially with the surprisingly limited, in retrospect, list of conditions)! You may think to yourself, "Oh! That's a great idea for a power!" and then realize, "Wait. There's already a Ranger power that does that -- all mine does is use Wisdom instead of Strength." That happened to me more than once.
Balancing utility powers is also more of an art than a science, and I'm not sure I've done that right at all in my take on the same concept. Well I figure it would be ok to have a power or two that does the same thing after all take the At-Will powers a lot of them do the same thing just different Stats used. You don't have to be totally unique just over whelming majority unique . Take way people may notice the couple similar powers but out of a list of close to 90 what do you truely expect? As long as it sounds like it's doing the same thing in a different way.
Also while there is a limited number of conditions you can also effect their stats. Like some abilities low AC, Attack Rolls, or Damage Rolls of the enemy for a turn or until a save. I haven't really seen any that lower Fort/Reflex/Will defenses though you could make some powers that do that as a way to soften up targets for casters since they don't target AC which seems to be the most common penalty hit. It is a team game after all .
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