Monk

Classes:

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Monk

Description: 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. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.

Alignment Restrictions: Any lawful

Hit Die: d8

Proficiencies: Armor (Robes), Weapons (Monk)

Skill Points: (Int mod * 4 at 1st level) 4 + Int mod

Skills: Concentration, Craft Armor, Craft Trap, Craft Weapon, Discipline, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry, Persuade, Tumble

Selectable Class Feats: Ambidexterity, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Proficiency (Exotic), Weapon Proficiency (Martial), Weapon Proficiency (Simple)

Primary Saving Throw(s): Fortitude, Reflex, Will

Specialty Weapon: The monk retains his unarmed attack bonus when fighting with a kama.

Special Abilities & Feats

• Level 1 Cleave, Evasion, Flurry of blows, Improved Unarmed Strike, Monk AC Bonus, Stunning Fist
• Level 2 Deflect Arrows
• Level 3 Monk Endurance, Still Mind
• Level 5 Purity of Body
• Level 6 Knockdown, Improved Knockdown
• Level 7 Wholeness of Body
• Level 9 Improved Evasion
• Level 10 Ki Strike +1
• Level 11 Diamond Body
• Level 12 Diamond Soul
• Level 13 Ki Strike +2
• Level 15 Quivering Palm
• Level 16 Ki Strike +3
• Level 18 Empty Body
• Level 20 Perfect Self

Unarmed Damage, AC Bonuses and Monk Speed

Level	Unarmed Base Attack Bonus	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus	Unarmored Speed Bonus
1	+0	1d6/1d4	0	100%
2	+1	1d6/1d4	0	100%
3	+2	1d6/1d4	0	110%
4	+3	1d8/1d6	0	110%
5	+3	1d8/1d6	+ 1	110%
6	+4/+1	1d8/1d6	+ 1	120%
7	+5/+2	1d8/1d6	+ 1	120%
8	+6/+3	1d10/1d8	+ 1	120%
9	+6/+3	1d10/1d8	+ 1	130%
10	+7/+4/+1	1d10/1d8	+ 2	130%
11	+8/+5/+2	1d10/1d8	+ 2	130%
12	+9/+6/+3	1d12/1d10	+ 2	140%
13	+9/+6/+3	1d12/1d10	+ 2	140%
14	+10/+7/+4/+1	1d12/1d10	+ 2	140%
15	+11/+8/+5/+2	1d12/1d10	+ 3	150%
16	+12/+9/+6/+3	1d20/2d6	+ 3	150%
17	+12/+9/+6/+3	1d20/2d6	+ 3	150%
18	+13/+10/+7/+4/+1	1d20/2d6	+ 3	160%
19	+14/+11/+8/+5/+2	1d20/2d6	+ 3	160%
20	+15/+12/+9/+6/+3	1d20/2d6	+ 4	160%

• 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 (e.g. Fighter levels), or reduced attacks from taking a lower BAB progression class (e.g. Wizard levels).

• First Unarmed Damage stat is from Large/Medium size, and the second stats is from Small size.

• A monk's UBAB, AC bonuses (from wisdom and the extra every 5 levels), and speed are all negated when the monk wears armor other than clothing or uses a shield.

• While the official feat name for a monk's increased movement speed rate is Monk Endurance, it's more commonly referred to as Monk speed.

• Monk speed continues to increase after level 20. It increases by 10% at monk level 21,24,27,30,33,36 and 39.

Epic Monk

Epic Monk

Skill Points: 4 + Int mod

Bonus Feats: 25, 30, 35, 40

Epic Monk Bonus Feats: Armor Skin, Blinding Speed, Epic Damage Reduction, Epic Energy Resistance, Epic Toughness, Improved Ki Strike 4, Improved Ki Strike 5, Improved Spell Resistance, Improved Stunning Fist, Self Concealment

Epic Special

• Every 3 levels, the monk’s movement speed will increase by an additional 10%.
• Every 5 levels from 20, the monk's AC will increase by an additional + 1.

Notes

• At level 20, monks receive glowing eyes. The color of the glow depends on their alignment: good glows blue, evil glows red, and neutral glows purple. This occurs because in PnP 20th-level monks become outsiders; however, in NWN, their race does not change.

• Only multiclass monks with at least 4 pre-epic levels in a class with maximum BAB can max out the number of attacks per round. To do this, your multiclass monk will need Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, haste, Flurry of Blows, wield a kama in each hand, and be level 20. This will give 10 attacks per round, the most anyone can achieve:
  • 12 BAB from 16 monk levels + 4 BAB from 4 levels in a class with maximum BAB gives 4 main hand attacks per round
  • Monk's Unarmed Attack Bonus adds 2 main hand attacks per round
  • Improved Two weapon fighting adds 2 off-hand attacks per round
  • Flurry of Blows adds 1 attack per round
  • Haste adds 1 attack per round

• Thanks to the inclusion of monk-only equipment like Robes of the Shining Hand and Boots of the Sun Soul, +1 AC per 5 points of tumble and the Monk AC Bonus feat which adds wisdom bonus to AC and +1 AC per 5 levels, monks without armor have a much higher AC than normal, making them on par with warriors.

• Since NWN has various gloves with attack bonuses, monks can do their fist damage with the attack bonus of wielding a weapon. The only disadvantage they have from not using a weapon is the decrease in attacks per round (no Two-Weapon Fighting).

• Monks are designed primarily as anti-casters. They can dodge spells, resist spells, and kill people who have low Fortitude saves with one hit. They move quickly, reducing the distance between themselves and their target. Their stunning fist stops casters from being able to cast spells for three rounds.

• Monks who also have stealth can move much faster than rogues when stealthed. Add in the quick-search ability of elves, and you have a great forward scout.

• Monks cannot use the following feats while fighting with kama(s): Stunning Fist, Quivering Palm, and Ki Strike.

See also

Avlis Private Discussion: Monks and Psions, a private class discussion forum. PM Moderator dougnoel to request access.