I was reading the Shen prc (Dragon #319, page 68) and it seems flavourful... I particularly like the Snake Shen. Now my idea was to make a single striking damage dealer.
My idea is to use Decisive Strike because the Snake Shen only gains one unarmed attack as a bite attack in it's hybrid form... although this could be stacked with flurry of blows it seems more efficient to make a single strike which can be made to auto crit.
So: Monk 2/Fighter 4/Shen X
Race: Unknown
Feats: Level 1: Kung Fu Genius Monk 1: Stunning Fist Monk 2: Combat Reflexes Level 3: Ability Focus (Stunning Fist) Fighter 1: Power Attack Fighter 2: Weapon Finesse Fighter 4: ??? Level 6: Superior Unarmed Strike No idea from here
Basically, turn into a snake, only other thing I can think of is finding a way to gain reach... I'd want to finish the Shen class however.
Also, what are people's thoughts on the class? It seems interesting as a monk PrC, BAB requirement seems a bit high though.
I don't know about this specific prc due to being dragon but generally a bite attack is not an "unarmed attack". A bite can not be used in a flurry of blows (or decisive strike) since it is not a monk weapon generally speaking.
It states: '...gains a bite attack that deals piercing unarmed damage' rereading it you're right, but if that's the case then it loses most of it's abilities when you change to hybrid form, whereas all the other shen forms keep theirs
It states: '...gains a bite attack that deals piercing unarmed damage' rereading it you're right, but if that's the case then it loses most of it's abilities when you change to hybrid form, whereas all the other shen forms keep theirs
And now you see why Dragon magazine material generally isn't up to the cut that WotC material typically was - Dragon didn't have as much time or budget for playtesting. As written, yes, the snake shen form would lose all of its monk abilities relative to the bite except its unarmed damage. Furthermore, it's a natural attack, which follows a completely different set of rules (for instance, a character with natural attacks can make all his normal attacks with manufactured weapons and then follow up with one attack from each natural weapon).
These are NOT all my creations! The lead authors are identified as follows: [TS] Tempest Stormwind, [AR] Andarious Rosethorn, [RT] Radical Taoist, [SN] Sionnis, [DH] DisposableHero_, [SH] Seishi.
[TS] The Pinball Brothers: Large And In Charge (Melee, Lockdown, Charge, Juggling) [TS] Ashardalon Reborn: I Will Swallow Your Soul (Melee, Fear, Negative Levels, AoE, Theme) [AR] "A"-Game Paladin: Play That Funky Music, Knight Boy! (Team Support, Melee, Theme, Single-Class) [RT] Uncanny Trapsmith: Get in, make it look like an accident, get out. (Skillmonkey, Stealth/Scout/Infiltration, Unorthodox Methods, Theme) [AR] Wizsassin: *Everything* is permitted. (Spellcaster, Support, Sneak Attack, Utility) [TS] Phantom Rush: General Gish Gouda. (Gish, Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Early-Entry PrC) [TS] Storm Knight: Another kind of gish. (Melee/"Gish", Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Unorthodox Methods) [TS] Inevitable Nightmare: The weapon you only have to fire once. (Melee, "Unorthodox" Methods (no charging), Reliability) [AR] Captain Constitution: The number one threat to America. (Melee, TOUGHTOUGHTOUGH, Defense, Theme) [AR] Nuker: I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down! (Spellcaster, damage, blasting, damage) [TS] Dread Lord of the Dead: Let the Reaping Begin! (NPC-only, Variable (combat/casting/leadership), Iconic Villain, Theme) [AR] Heavy Crusader: No Rest. No Mercy. No Matter What. (Melee, Damage (No charging), Variable, Theme). [TS] Gun Fu: It's bullet time (Ranged, THEORETICAL, Twin weapons, Theme) [RT] Face First: We should talk. (Psionic, social, mind-control, info-management) [SN] Chaingun Porcupine: Never Enuff Dakka. (Ranged, Skirmishing, Spike Damage, Incarnum) [RT] Always On Edge: The Mortal Draw deals death. (Melee, Generalist, Dungeoneering, Stunt) [AR] Feral Druid: Real feral taste. Zero druid calories. (Melee, offense, damage, murder) [RT] Rusty!: Man's Best Friend (Sentry, Support, Backup, Rearguard) [RT] The T3 (Tashalatora Triple Threat): My Kung Fu is More Powerful (Hybrid, Flex-Function, Melee, Caster) [RT] The #1 Snoipah: Boom. 'Eadshot. (Caster, Theme, Spike, Trapscout) [AR] Dreamblade: Rest in Pieces. (Melee, Damage, Single-Class, Combo/Momentum) [AR] Evasion Tank: “When fighting angry blind men, is best to stay out of the way.” (Melee, Tank, Unorthodox Methods (attack negation), Theme) [DH] Psycarnum Warrior: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA Start (Melee, Tank, Psionics, Incarnum, 1337 h4x) [AR] Heavy Weapons Elf: WHO TOUCHED MY BOW? (Ranged, Cohort, Damage, Unorthodox Methods (ranged ToB)) [RT] Gnowhere Gnome: A little man who wasn't there (Caster, Stealth, Single-Class, Elusive) [AR] Uberflank: I got your back. (Melee, support, stunt, teamwork) [TS] Flip the Bird: Everyday I'm shuffling (Ranged, harrier, unorthodox methods (ranged ToB / off-turn movement), support) [DH] Eat Sleep Gank: Real Ultimate Power (Stealth, Assassination, Spike, Magic Versatility) [AR] Slash and Burn: Mind, Body, Blade, Flame / Aspects of a greater whole / which delivers death. (Melee, Theme (flex-style), Damage, Stunt) [RT] Edge of the Light: Cut, Fade to Black (Melee, Defense/Offense, Momentum, Tactical) [RT] Quiet Murder: Cut throats, not corners. (Melee, Stealth, Harrier, Tactical) [TS] Wand Overdrive: Say Hello to my little friends. (Caster, support/artillery/variable, wand specialist) [RT] God Hand: What did the five fingers say to the face? (Melee/Gish, Unarmed, SAD, Theme) [AR] Zero Buff Time Gish: Try to keep up! (Gish, Speed, Movement, Opportunity) [TS] Robo Tackle: I Am Iron Man. (Melee, setting-specific (Eberron), positioning, theme, stunt)
I've just realised how stupid I've been about this...
A monk can make an unarmed strike with any part of his body, so with the Snake Shen abilities you can still use them, so it could work with the monk as written. Even though it doesn't need to be snake form to function it's stronger in said form
Careful it won't work with decisive strike. Dealing your unarmed damage dice is not the same as using your unarmed strike (unless this has some explicit exception to the normal rules) so the bite may not work. Granted you can use it with flurry (well more accurately you use it in addition to the flurry but flurrying with your unarmed strikes and then attacking with natural weapons taking al the penalties).
It's alright... I think I have it figured now. When hybrid you're still a monk, so you can still use your unarmed strikes... so the bonus Dex and Int from Hybrid form, + int to damage instead of strength... + 18-20 threat range and improved critical can be used simply by using any part of the snake's body... such as a headbutt.... or a 'bite', thematically, without actually using a bite attack.
It's alright... I think I have it figured now. When hybrid you're still a monk, so you can still use your unarmed strikes... so the bonus Dex and Int from Hybrid form, + int to damage instead of strength... + 18-20 threat range and improved critical can be used simply by using any part of the snake's body... such as a headbutt.... or a 'bite', thematically, without actually using a bite attack.
Question is now, how to gain reach
Have some caster cast Enlarge Person on you or carry a load of enlarge person pots around.
That assumes you're still humanoid, when what I'm reading sounds a lot like lycanthropy.
War Shaper 4 will grant you reach. It'll also complement your alternate forms quite well (bigger natural attacks, increased Strength, fast healing, and so on). You'll lose out on some monk advancement but a monk's belt will fix that.
Alternatively you can take levels in a psionic combat class (psychic warrior, ardent, war mind, etc) and puck up Tashalatora, a feat from Secrets of Sarlona which gives that class full monk advancement. (Honestly, with that feat, there's practically no reason ever to play a monk.) These classes come with access to Expansion, which unlike Enlarge Person will work no matter your type or form. You can also grab other fun powers along the way (for a single striker, Duodimensional Claw basically gives you Improved Critical - Any Natural Attack, including unarmed strikes, for instance). I'd suggest War Mind out of these because it has full base attack, but qualifiying can be a pain.
These are NOT all my creations! The lead authors are identified as follows: [TS] Tempest Stormwind, [AR] Andarious Rosethorn, [RT] Radical Taoist, [SN] Sionnis, [DH] DisposableHero_, [SH] Seishi.
[TS] The Pinball Brothers: Large And In Charge (Melee, Lockdown, Charge, Juggling) [TS] Ashardalon Reborn: I Will Swallow Your Soul (Melee, Fear, Negative Levels, AoE, Theme) [AR] "A"-Game Paladin: Play That Funky Music, Knight Boy! (Team Support, Melee, Theme, Single-Class) [RT] Uncanny Trapsmith: Get in, make it look like an accident, get out. (Skillmonkey, Stealth/Scout/Infiltration, Unorthodox Methods, Theme) [AR] Wizsassin: *Everything* is permitted. (Spellcaster, Support, Sneak Attack, Utility) [TS] Phantom Rush: General Gish Gouda. (Gish, Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Early-Entry PrC) [TS] Storm Knight: Another kind of gish. (Melee/"Gish", Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Unorthodox Methods) [TS] Inevitable Nightmare: The weapon you only have to fire once. (Melee, "Unorthodox" Methods (no charging), Reliability) [AR] Captain Constitution: The number one threat to America. (Melee, TOUGHTOUGHTOUGH, Defense, Theme) [AR] Nuker: I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down! (Spellcaster, damage, blasting, damage) [TS] Dread Lord of the Dead: Let the Reaping Begin! (NPC-only, Variable (combat/casting/leadership), Iconic Villain, Theme) [AR] Heavy Crusader: No Rest. No Mercy. No Matter What. (Melee, Damage (No charging), Variable, Theme). [TS] Gun Fu: It's bullet time (Ranged, THEORETICAL, Twin weapons, Theme) [RT] Face First: We should talk. (Psionic, social, mind-control, info-management) [SN] Chaingun Porcupine: Never Enuff Dakka. (Ranged, Skirmishing, Spike Damage, Incarnum) [RT] Always On Edge: The Mortal Draw deals death. (Melee, Generalist, Dungeoneering, Stunt) [AR] Feral Druid: Real feral taste. Zero druid calories. (Melee, offense, damage, murder) [RT] Rusty!: Man's Best Friend (Sentry, Support, Backup, Rearguard) [RT] The T3 (Tashalatora Triple Threat): My Kung Fu is More Powerful (Hybrid, Flex-Function, Melee, Caster) [RT] The #1 Snoipah: Boom. 'Eadshot. (Caster, Theme, Spike, Trapscout) [AR] Dreamblade: Rest in Pieces. (Melee, Damage, Single-Class, Combo/Momentum) [AR] Evasion Tank: “When fighting angry blind men, is best to stay out of the way.” (Melee, Tank, Unorthodox Methods (attack negation), Theme) [DH] Psycarnum Warrior: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA Start (Melee, Tank, Psionics, Incarnum, 1337 h4x) [AR] Heavy Weapons Elf: WHO TOUCHED MY BOW? (Ranged, Cohort, Damage, Unorthodox Methods (ranged ToB)) [RT] Gnowhere Gnome: A little man who wasn't there (Caster, Stealth, Single-Class, Elusive) [AR] Uberflank: I got your back. (Melee, support, stunt, teamwork) [TS] Flip the Bird: Everyday I'm shuffling (Ranged, harrier, unorthodox methods (ranged ToB / off-turn movement), support) [DH] Eat Sleep Gank: Real Ultimate Power (Stealth, Assassination, Spike, Magic Versatility) [AR] Slash and Burn: Mind, Body, Blade, Flame / Aspects of a greater whole / which delivers death. (Melee, Theme (flex-style), Damage, Stunt) [RT] Edge of the Light: Cut, Fade to Black (Melee, Defense/Offense, Momentum, Tactical) [RT] Quiet Murder: Cut throats, not corners. (Melee, Stealth, Harrier, Tactical) [TS] Wand Overdrive: Say Hello to my little friends. (Caster, support/artillery/variable, wand specialist) [RT] God Hand: What did the five fingers say to the face? (Melee/Gish, Unarmed, SAD, Theme) [AR] Zero Buff Time Gish: Try to keep up! (Gish, Speed, Movement, Opportunity) [TS] Robo Tackle: I Am Iron Man. (Melee, setting-specific (Eberron), positioning, theme, stunt)
