[3.P] Buffing the Pathfinder Monk

[StreamOfTheSky]

I've found the Monk to be the weakest class in PF, like it was in core 3E, and perhaps even worse off.  Therefore, I am considering making all of these changes to make monks a more serious threat in melee, provide an avenue for them to conbine their speed and multiattacking cornerstones, "only" need three attributes to be effective, and just in general to make some of their especially bad class features suck less.  This is what I've got so far:

- Qinggong Monk replaces Monk as the class (since there's really no reason for a Monk not to be one). Any Ki Power that grants a feat only costs 1 Ki (unless it cost 0 already) and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Monk's Wisdom modifier each activation.

- Monks recieve full Base Attack Bonus, not just when using flurry of blows. The benefit of maneuver training is that Monks add their Wisdom modifier, in addition to strength, to their Combat Maneuver Bonus.

- Inner Strength: A monk may use her Wisdom modifer to determine bonus hit points for each Monk HD she posseses instead of Constitution. At 3rd level, the Monk has learned to fully harness her strength of will. She may now replace Constitution with Wisdom on Fortitude saves, and dies when her negative hit points total reaches her Wisdom score, rather than Constitution. If she suffers enough ability damage or drain to reduce her Constitution score to zero, the Monk remains in a catatonic state but does not die until a number of rounds equal to her wisdom score transpire, and only if her Constitution has not been brought back above 0 by then.

- A Monk's Fast Movement bonus applies to any mode of movement for which she has a listed speed.

- Monks, and only Monks, may take Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) as a feat.

- Monks may select any "Greater" combat maneuver feat as a bonus feat at 10th level or higher, without needing to meet the pre-requisites.

- Wholeness of Body only costs 1 ki point to use, and heals hit points equal to double the Monk's level as a standard action, or hit points equal to the Monk's level as a swift action, the benefit and associated action chosen by the Monk each time she uses this ability. At level 16, Wholeness of Body always heals twice the Monk's level in damage and can be used as an Immediate action. If used in this way, it can heal the damage as it happens and prevent the Monk from reaching the dying, dead, staggered, or unconscious conditions.

- Rushing Torrent: At level 7, a monk has perfected her flurrying technique and can now add her additional flurry of blows attacks to any attack action, instead of being limited to a full attack action. This includes, but is not limited to, readied actions, charges, martial strike maneuvers, and Spring Attacks. The monk simply chooses to apply the flurry attacks at the start of the action (taking the appropriate attack penalty to attack rolls). If used with Vital Strike or a similar feat, base weapon damage is only multiplied on the first attack.

- Perfect Self: In addition to the listed benefits, the Monk gains Fast Healing 5 and a Fly speed of 60 ft (plus Fast Movement) at Perfect maneuverability as constant benefits. The Monk may still be considered her original creature type (such as Humanoid) in order to receive beneficial spells or effects. Finally, the Monk gains Smite Chaos once per encounter, as the Paladin ability Smite Evil, except that it targets chaotic creatures, uses Wisdom modifer and Monk level instead of charisma and Paladin level, and deals double damage on the first hit to a chaotic outsider.

Not enough?  Too good *laughs* ?  Let me know please.

[veekie]

Rushing Torrent is probably the most significant one. Does it include AoOs?

[Solo]

- Monks recieve full Base Attack Bonus, not just when using flurry of blows. The benefit of maneuver training is that Monks add their Wisdom modifier, in addition to strength, to their Combat Maneuver Bonus.

Thank you!

[StreamOfTheSky]

Rushing Torrent is probably the most significant one. Does it include AoOs?

Originally that was part of my 3E Monk fixes, and it included a part about using additional attacks of opportunity to make each extra flurry attack on the same provoking action.  But going over these changes with my friends, one of them said he was concerned it would be to good in PF, with the whole Step Up feat line.  It was never a critical part of the fixes, mostly just something cool to open up a "lockdown" avenue for Monks to pursue, so i just removed it.  This was my original Rushing Torrent class feature ("if there is one" because in 3E, the FoB attack penalty eventually goes away, it's not treated as TWF like in PF):

Rushing Torrent: At level 7, a monk has perfected his flurrying technique and can now add his additional flurry of blows attacks to any attack action, instead of being limited to a full attack action. This includes, but is not limited to, readied actions, charges, martial strike maneuvers, and Spring Attacks. The monk simply chooses to apply the flurry attacks at the start of the action (taking the appropriate attack penalty, if there is one). If the Monk has multiple attacks of opportunity allowed per round (such as from the Combat Reflexes feat), a monk may expend additional attacks of opportunity equal to the flurry attacks he wishes to add to a provoked attack of opportunity, delivering all of the attacks for just one provocation.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Oh!  Also, current PF monk gets ITWF at 8 and GTWF at 15, basically because that's when he reaches the BAB requirements for those feats, as far as I can tell.  Since the Monk is now getting full BAB, is there any reason not to drop those down to levels 6 and 11 where they belong?

[veekie]

Oh!  Also, current PF monk gets ITWF at 8 and GTWF at 15, basically because that's when he reaches the BAB requirements for those feats, as far as I can tell.  Since the Monk is now getting full BAB, is there any reason not to drop those down to levels 6 and 11 where they belong?

None at all.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Updated with additional changes after friends all said my houserules didn't do enough.

- Qinggong Monk replaces Monk as the class (since there's really no reason for a Monk not to be one). Any Ki Power that grants a feat only costs 1 Ki (unless it cost 0 already) and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Monk's Wisdom modifier each activation.

- Monks recieve full Base Attack Bonus, not just when using flurry of blows. The benefit of maneuver training is that Monks add their Wisdom modifier, in addition to strength, to their Combat Maneuver Bonus.   The Monk's Flurry of Blows receives Improved TWF at level 6 and Greater TWF at level 11 to reflect the change in BAB.

- Bonus feats: A monk may select Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Mobility, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything as bonus feats at 1st level.  At 6th level, she may also select Gorgon's Fist, Ki Throw, Snatch Arrows, Spring Attack, Tripping Twirl, and Wind Stance.  At 10th level, she may also select Greater Blind-Fight, Improved Critical, Improved Ki Throw, Lightning Stance, Medusa's Wrath, and Whirlwind Attack.

- AC Bonus: A Monk gains a +1 bonus to AC, in addition to her Wisdom modifier, at level 2.  This bonus increases by +1 every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, etc...).  This progression replaces the current one of +1 per 4 levels.

- Inner Strength: A monk may use her Wisdom modifer to determine bonus hit points for each Monk HD she posseses instead of Constitution.  At 3rd level, the Monk has learned to fully harness her strength of will.  She may now replace Constitution with Wisdom on Fortitude saves, and dies when her negative hit points total reaches her Wisdom score, rather than Constitution.  If she suffers enough ability damage or drain to reduce her Constitution score to zero, the Monk remains in a catatonic state but does not die until a number of rounds equal to her wisdom score transpire, and only if her Constitution has not been brought back above 0 by then.

- A Monk's Fast Movement bonus applies to any mode of movement for which she has a listed speed.

- Ki Strike: Ki Strike (Magic) gives an actual, continuous enhancement bonus to the Monk's unarmed strikes.  It starts at +1 at level 4 and increases every four Monk levels thereafter, up to +5 at 20th level.  When the Monk gains Ki Strike (Lawful), her unarmed strike gains the Axiomatic magical property.  Ki Strike is a Supernatural ability.

- Monks, and only Monks, may take Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) as a feat.

- Maneuver Mastery: At level 5, a Monk can initiate any combat maneuver without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. Furthermore, she is treated as though she has all the "Improved" combat feats and their prerequisites for the purposes of qualifying for other feats.

- Wholeness of Body only costs 1 ki point to use, and heals hit points equal to double the Monk's level as a standard action, or hit points equal to the Monk's level as a swift action, the benefit and associated action chosen by the Monk each time she uses this ability.  At level 15, Wholeness of Body always heals twice the Monk's level in damage and can be used as an Immediate action.  If used in this way, it can heal the damage as it happens and prevent the Monk from reaching the dying, dead, staggered, or unconscious conditions.

- Rushing Torrent: At level 7, a monk has perfected her flurrying technique and can now add her additional flurry of blows attacks to any attack action, instead of being limited to a full attack action. This includes, but is not limited to, readied actions, charges, martial strike maneuvers, and Spring Attacks. The monk simply chooses to apply the flurry attacks at the start of the action (taking the appropriate attack penalty to attack rolls).  If used with Vital Strike or a similar feat, base weapon damage is only multiplied on the first attack.

- Perfect Self: In addition to the listed benefits, the Monk gains Fast Healing 5 and a Fly speed of 60 ft (plus Fast Movement) at Perfect maneuverability as constant benefits.  The Monk may still be considered her original creature type (such as Humanoid) in order to receive beneficial spells or effects.  Finally, the Monk gains Smite Chaos once per encounter, as the Paladin ability Smite Evil, except that it targets chaotic creatures, uses Wisdom modifer and Monk level instead of charisma and Paladin level, and deals double damage on the first hit to a chaotic outsider.