Monk
Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oaths. Monks wearing armor lose their wisdom and level-based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.
Monks who travel the planes do so for a variety of reasons, ranging from seeking to restore an ancient artifact to their temple to a much more general quest for enlightenment. The magnificent diversity of the planes lead many monks to adventure, and few return to quiet monastic study without having spent at least some time exploring. Living out a classic paradox, most find both more and less than they anticipate.
- Before planning on a monk character it is highly suggested to look at the prohibited class combinations.
Hit Die: d8
Proficiencies: Armor (Robes), Weapons (Monk)
Skill Points: 4 + INT
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft (all), Decipher Script, Discipline, Escape Artist, Forgery, Knowledge (Arcana, Engineering, Geography, Planes, Psionic, Religion), Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry, Perform, Persuade, Profession (all), Sense Motive, Tumble
Specialty Weapon: The monk retains his unarmed base attack bonus when fighting with Light Flails, Katanas, Daggers, Clubs, Handaxes, Kamas, Quarterstaves, Shurikens, Sickles and Bastard Swords. Kamas are also permitted when using Flurry of Blows. (These are the only two instances in which kamas receive special treatment in the hands of monks, though.)
Alignment: Any non-chaotic
Level progression
| Lvl | BAB | Saves | Feats | HP range | Unarmed AB | Flurry of blows AB | Unarmed damage | AC bonus | Speed bonus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | Large/medium | Small | |||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Cleave, Stunning Fist, Improved Unarmed Strike | 4-8 | +0 | -2/-2 | 1d6 | 1d4 | - | - | |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Weapon Finesse, Deflect Arrows, Evasion | 8-16 | +1 | -1/-1 | 1d6 | 1d4 | - | - | |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Monk Speed, Still Mind, Monk AC Bonus (Dodge), Flurry of Blows | 12-24 | +2 | +0/+0 | 1d6 | 1d4 | - | +10% | |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Knockdown, Improved Knockdown | 16-32 | +3 | +1/+1 | 1d8 | 1d6 | - | +10% | |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Purity of Body | 20-40 | +3 | +1/+1 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +1 | +10% | |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Wholeness of Body | 24-48 | +4/+1 | +2/-1/+2 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +1 | +20% | |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Ki Strike +1 | 28-56 | +5/+2 | +3/+0/+3 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +1 | +20% | |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 32-64 | +6/+3 | +4/+1/+4 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +1 | +20% | ||
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Improved Evasion | 36-72 | +6/+3 | +4/+1/+4 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +1 | +30% | |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Ki Strike +2 | 40-80 | +7/+4/+1 | +5/+2/-1/+5 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +2 | +30% | |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Diamond Body | 44-88 | +8/+5/+2 | +6/+3/+0/+6 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +2 | +30% | |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Diamond Soul | 48-96 | +9/+6/+3 | +7/+4/+1/+7 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +2 | +40% | |
| 13th | +10/+5 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Ki Strike +3 | 52-104 | +10/+7/+4/+1 | +8/+5/+2/-1/+8 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +2 | +40% | |
| 14th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +9 | +9 | 56-112 | +11/+8/+5/+2 | +9/+6/+3/0/+9 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +2 | +40% | ||
| 15th | +12/+7/+2 | +9 | +9 | +9 | Ki Strike +4 | 60-120 | +12/+9/+6/+3 | +10/+7/+4/+1/+10 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +3 | +50% | |
| 16th | +13/+8/+3 | +10 | +10 | +10 | 64-128 | +13/+10/+7/+4/+1 | +11/+8/+5/+2/-1/+11 | 1d20 | 2d6 | +3 | +50% | ||
| 17th | +14/+9/+4 | +10 | +10 | +10 | 68-136 | +14/+11/+8/+5/+2 | +12/+9/+6/+3/0/+12 | 1d20 | 2d6 | +3 | +50% | ||
| 18th | +15/+10/+5 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Empty Body | 72-144 | +15/+12/+9/+6/+3 | +13/+10/+7/+4/+1/+13 | 1d20 | 2d6 | +3 | +60% | |
| 19th | +16/+11/+6 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Ki Strike +5 | 76-152 | +16/+13/+10/+7/+4/+1 | +14/+11/+8/+5/+2/-1/+14 | 1d20 | 2d6 | +3 | +60% | |
| 20th | +17/+12/+7 | +12 | +12 | +12 | Perfect Self | 80-160 | +17/+14/+11/+8/+5/+2 | +15/+12/+9/+6/+3/0/+15 | 1d20 | 2d6 | +4 | +60% | |
- A monk's unarmed base attack bonus (UBAB) is still affected by multiclassing. Characters may gain additional attacks by taking a higher BAB progression class, or reduced attacks from taking a lower BAB progression class.
- A monk's UBAB, AC Bonus, and speed are all negated when the monk wears armor other than clothing or uses a shield.
- Monk UBAB now works with Unarmed Attacks, Light Flail, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbow, Dagger, Handaxe, Kama, Katana, Quarterstaff, and Sickle
Changes to Monk AC
Monk AC from wisdom is now Dodge AC and is capped by the Monk level, up to 10 levels of Monk, where the limit is removed. That maximum combined amount of dodge AC a character can have from all sources is 20. The "AC Bonus" monks gain based on levels is not affected by this cap.
- Example: A level 6 Monk with 50 Wisdom (meaning a modifier of +20) only benefits from 6 Dodge AC from Monk AC due to only having 6 levels of Monk. At level 10, the Monk benefits from the full 20 Dodge AC of the hypothetical 50 Wisdom.
Monk Shields and Armor
Monks have been modified to maintain the wisdom to AC bonus while wearing non-tower shields in the off-hand, and wearing armor with base AC no greater than 4. However, this bonus will only function while the monk is wielding a single light flail, handaxe, or club in the main hand; or a two-handed heavy flail. Wearing shields or armor will negate the "AC Bonus" monks gain based on their levels.
Wholeness of Body
The monk can heal damage equal to their monk level multiplied by their wisdom modifier, with the minimum heal being twice their monk level. This ability has unlimited uses with a 5-minute cooldown.
Empty Body
Twice a day, the monk may focus their ki outward into a cocoon of displacement to gain 60% concealment and +2 dodge AC. This ability lasts 1 turn per monk level and is undispellable.
Perfect Self
The character gains immunity to all mind-affecting spells and effects, and reduces damage taken by 10%. This effect is separate from the item physical damage immunity formula for items and is thus multiplicative with item-sourced damage immunity.
Epic Monk
| Lvl | Feats | HP range | AC bonus | Speed bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | 84-168 | +4 | +70% | |
| 22nd | 88-176 | +4 | +70% | |
| 23rd | 92-184 | +4 | +70% | |
| 24th | 96-192 | +4 | +80% | |
| 25th | bonus feat | 100-200 | +5 | +80% |
| 26th | 104-208 | +5 | +80% | |
| 27th | 108-216 | +5 | +90% | |
| 28th | 112-224 | +5 | +90% | |
| 29th | 116-232 | +5 | +90% | |
| 30th | bonus feat | 120-240 | +6 | +100% |