I recommend carrying a sansetsukon as your primary weapon due to the high damage and critical threat range, but be prepared to drop it once you get Ki Strike if you need to bypass DR/magic, or abandon it completely once you can get enhancement bonuses on your fists reliably. Unfortunately, you don't have a Hardness, so you don't get that benefit. 2: Fox & Fae, Kitsune and Sylphs (PF2) February 19, 2021 Beasts of Legend: Coldwood Codex (Pathfinder Second Edition) February 19, 2021 Mystic Knick Knacks PF2e February 14, 2021; Gadget Crossbows PF2e February 7, 2021; Legendary Mesmerists: Second Edition January 27, 2021 Combined with good strength and a plethora of weapons which give you bonuses to Combat Maneuvers, you can actually do pretty well. The lawful races have a natural disposition to the demands of monastic life, whereas the more chaotic races such as orcs are not likely to find the life tolerable. Wis: Helpful for Perception and some skills, but you don't need very much Wisdom. 4. AC Bonus (Ex): The Monk AC bonus helps to offset the monk's lack of armor. However, monks have few attack proficiencies and severely lack good ranged weapon options, and their Perception proficiency starts poor and barely increases. This is a really fun level, even if it's only numeric improvements. In some cases, the Monk can also access some area of effect abilities, but those options aren't numerous or reusable enough to make the Monk viable as a Blaster. When things get serious, these boosts can make or break your monk. If you have the skills for it you might serve as your party's Face, but other members of your party will be more able to easily emphasize that skillset. An extremely important note: Wisdom is used to determine the Monk's Spell DC's, so if you plan to use Ki Spells (Focus Spells) that allow saving throws, you need high Wisdom. That leaves you with +2 Dexterity and a Free Ability Boost which you can use for Strength or Wisdom. Because the Gnome's Ability Flaw is in Strength, you'll want to stick to Dexterity-based builds or Ki Monk builds. Fortuantely, many Monk skills can function with only one rank. Expert Strikes: More proficiency with your attacks is always good. How to be the Lord of Rage: N. Jolly’s guide to the Pathfinder Barbarian 1. I support a limited subset of Pathfinder's rules content. Pathfinder 2nd Edition Monk Class. Rage Powers 5. Generally you want to invest these feats in the same skills which you are choosing to maximize, though in some cases you may want to grab feats from skills which don't require that you be more than Trained. Wonderwing 2.0 is a mechanical bird/parrot mount. Because the Monk's damage output depends so heavily on their damage die size, being small is a serious problem. Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. Although classes follow certain tropes and archetypes, there's still room for nearly infinite customization within each class. Con: Monks are combat characters with d8 hit points, so Constitution is crucial. The 2nd edition Monk is still MAD, but their hit points are better and their Wisdom is considerably less important, so it's not quite as bad as it once was. Third Path to Perfection: Bring one of your two previous selections from Master to Legendary. Dex: Crucial for the monk's relatively low AC, and contributes to several monk skills. Fortitude saves are also important for combat characters. Completely useless on a Monk. Of course, if you're using weapons primarily this is a helpful way to fall back on Unarmed Attacks if your weapon is ineffective for some reason. G… Make sure to do something with your other actions before teleporting, even if it's just to Fight Defensively for the AC bonus. A Monk can throw 2 shuriken per round at first level, adding Str bonus to each. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat. I support a limited subset of Pathfinder's rules content. The skills and Skill Feats which you care about depend heavily on your role within the party, but Athletics and Acrobatics are safe choices, and Wisdom-based skills can also be helpful. This is especially great for the high level style feats, since many of the prerequisites are fairly awful. Feats and Traits 6. An almost strictly combat character with medium Base Attack Bonus progression, d8 hit points, and no armor. While some monks use a handful of specialized Monk Weapons, most monks fight unarmed. Skill Increases: Standard for everyone except the Rogue. Con: Essential for hit points and saving throws. Monks are concerned with personal perfection. If you plan to use weapons, be sure to pick up some damage enhancements. For the Unchained Monk, see my Unchained Monk Handbook. This also increases the importance of damage enhancements on your weapon because you get a large number of low-damage attacks. My gaming group like the mechanics of Pathfinder, which can add a lot of depth and colour to combats. Alertness: More Perception is always great, but it would be nice if you went further than Expert. You can also alternate freely between weapons and unarmed strikes, and you can substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks. However, this broad skillset doesn't come without cost. I support a limited subset of Pathfinder's rules content. Full details on how you calculate the bonuses, modifiers, and penalties for attack rolls and damage rolls are given in Chapter 9, but they’re summarized here, followed by the rules for weapons and dozens of weapon choices. Flurry of Blows (Ex): This is the Monk's iconic attack. 1. No matter how many Ki Spells you learn, you're still limited to a Focus Pool of just three points, so you can cast at most three Ki Spells per encounter. 23 You’re a field agent of the globe-trotting Pathfinder Society, sworn to report, explore, and cooperate. Current Version: 0.09 Current Version Date 03/18/2020 – 22:00. You explore the world, gathering artifacts and antiquities, and record your adventures for posterity. Dexterity-based monks will have higher AC than Strength-based monks, but they'll have lower damage output. G… If you're having trouble deciding, here are some suggestions: You get Skill Increases at 3rd and 5th level to raise skills to Expert, increases at 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th level to raise skills to Master, and increases at 15th, 17th, and 19th level to raise skills to Legendary. Multiclassing into spellcasting classes works in a somewhat unique way for the Monk due to how Ki Spells work. Table of Content and Rating System 1. I will use the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. Pathfinder Agent Dedication Feat 2 Uncommon Source World Guide pg. Master Strikes: Another +2 to your attacks. Fleet of foot and skilled in combat, monks can navigate any battlefield with ease, aiding allies wherever they are needed most. Diamond Soul (Ex): Spell resistance which effectively makes 50% of spells and spell-like abilities not affect you, assuming the caster is the same level as you. Dex: Even if you choose to emphasize Strength, you still want high Dexterity. Still Mind (Ex): Your saves are already great, but a bonus against enchantments and compulsions can save you from some really awful effects. 4 Responses to Pathfinder Monk Guide (Level 1 to 13) metamud says: September 1, 2016 at 11:44 pm. Metal Strikes: Absolutely essential if you're not using a weapon because you don't get to change what your hands are made of. That means that you can maximize at most three skills, and the rest of your skills might not advance beyond Trained. Voluntary Flaws are an option, but you'll need to change the +2 Wisdom to -2 Wisdom or to take -4 Intelligence. As levels increase, you have a choice to make. If you would like help with Pathfinder player options not covered here, please email meand I am happy to provide additional assistance. Your key ability is used for all of your Monk class feature DC's with the exception of Ki Spells, which are Wisdom-based. You seek perfection—honing your body into a flawless instrument and your mind into an orderly bastion of wisdom. Ki Pool (Su): Damage reduction is the biggest problem for builds which rely on large numbers of attacks with relatively low damage. In short, monks are really good at what they do best, but they're bad at nearly everything else. Shuriken have a range increment of 10′. Perfected Form: You're guaranteed at least a 10, but you can still roll natural 20's. Role: Monks excel at overcoming even the most daunting perils, striking where it's least expected, and taking advantage of enemy vulnerabilities. If your pet Wizard is stingy with his spell slots, drop 1000 gold pieces to buy him a Pearl of Power 1 so you can both share Mage Armor from one slot. Monks can't use armor, so I recommend getting someone in your party to cast Mage Armor on you. Abundant Step (Su): Sometimes your speed can't get you where you need to go, and you can use this a move action. Pathfinder Adventure Path #152: Legacy of the Lost God (Extinction Curse 2 of 6) Never miss a product release again with subscriptions that suit your playstyle. Powerful Fist: This is an average of 1 additional damage per damage die, and you're almost certainly going to override this with a Stance or by using a weapon. Str: As a melee character, strength is the monk's most important ability. Unbreakable Goblin, combined with Cat Fall and feats which allow you to jump absurd distances can help bridge you deal with problems normally solved by flight, which is commical if nothing else. By splashing a few skills and focusing on the best ones, the Monk can make excellent use of their 4+ skill points. 2: Fox & Fae, Kitsune and Sylphs (PF2) February 19, 2021 Beasts of Legend: Coldwood Codex (Pathfinder Second Edition) February 19, 2021 Mystic Knick Knacks PF2e February 14, 2021; Gadget Crossbows PF2e February 7, 2021; Legendary Mesmerists: Second Edition January 27, 2021 Base Attack Bonus: The Monk's primary offensive option, Flurry of Blows, pretends that the Monk has full BAB, which is usually enough in combat but can be frustrating when qualifying for feats. General Feats Level 3 At 3rd level and every 4 levels … Your attacks won't be any more accurate than a Dexterity-based monk's attacks because Finesse is so readily available, but your attacks will deal more damage and options like the Bo Staff and Dragon Style are considerably more effective. Skill Feats Level 2 At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. Monks who aren't specialized with weapons should still carry a couple to bypass DR until Ki Pool covers the bases, and for bonuses on CMB checks. Bonus Feats: With the addition of the Advanced Player's Guide and Ultimate Combat, the Monk has a lot of great bonus feat options. By spending Ki, you can jump an extra 5 feet in the air. Pathfinder is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) where you and a group of friends gather to tell a tale of brave heroes and cunning villains in a world filled with terrifying monsters and amazing treasures. Diamond Body (Su): Lots of high level monsters have poison effects, and it's nice to not worry about them. They unite mind, body, and soul to attaint heir most perfect self. Get enlarged and throw Impact on an Amulet of Mighty Fists. Also note that you can only use Flurry of Blows with Unarmed Attacks unless you take the Monastic Weaponry feat, in which case you can also flurry with Monk weapons. At 5th level Wizards can Fly. Either option is fine, but they'll probably feel bad when you write them down. However, your AC will still be awful without additional items and AC improvements. Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances 3. Wholeness of Body (Ex): At the end of the day when you're about to rest, this is a good way to empty your Ki Pool, but I don't think it will see a lot of use if you still have things to fight today. Making on less Strike also means that you're not benefiting as much from the Forceful weapon trait, so you could argue that this intentionally sidestaps part of what makes Gorilla Stance appealing. ), can't take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). [citation needed] Monks were famously MAD in Pathfinder 1st edition; because Wisdom defined so many of their capabilities, including their AC, it … Choosing a class which matches that type of spellcasting (Cleric or Sorcerer for Divine, Bard or Sorcerer for Occult) allows you to capitalize on that improving proficiency, keeping your offensive spells effective despite not taking additional Multiclass Archetype Feats to progress your spellcasting benefits. Proficiencies: The Monk is proficient with Monk weapons (which make up a collection of strange, exotic, and often foreign weapons) and a couple of other odds and ends like hand axes, crossbows, and spears. Hopefully we'll see written errata soon. I will use the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. Monk Source Core Rulebook pg. You get to ignore resistance to non-adamantine weapons, but that's all. Skill feats appear in Chapter 5 and have the skill trait. 14 is plenty at first level because that gets you +1 damage with Propulsive attacks from Wild Winds Stance, but if it's convenient you may want more for fighting in melee. Halfling Luck is a great option for the Monk because you're already going to be good at every type of Saving Throw, and you can use Halfling Luck on those rare occasions that you fail a save. Cha: Dump to 7. It follows the same progression as a fighter maximizing the two-weapon fighting feats, but you have no "off-hand" attacks. Slow Fall (Ex): Patently worse than Feather Fall, which is a first level spell, is more effective, and can affect multiple targets. You're also likely to have higher AC than Strength-based monks, which is always nice, but you'll deal less damage with your attacks. More importantly, this is a game where your character’s choices determine how the story unfolds. Unlike other classes, the Monk does not have a subclass option. Alignment: Any lawful Hit Die: d8 Skill Ranks per Level: 3 + 1/2 Int modifier Base Weapons Source Core Rulebook pg. In a party, the Monk is a Defender and a Striker, standing on the front lines of melee combat to keep foes far away from their less sturdy allies. The Monk awaits! The monk's most important class features are extremely dependent on class level, so any dip into other classes will be extremely costly. I'm not going to maintain a full list of the feats and abilities which can be applied through Monastic Archer Stance, but Stunning Fists is a good example. Vigilante (Zealot) Archer Guide (through 13th level). 2. Fast Movement (Ex): Extra speed lets you get into position to stop moving sooner. Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances 3. The Intelligence increase isn't especially useful, either. In this build I introduce "the God Crusher," my Monk build specifically to prove everyone wrong that monks and non caster classes are all weak. 2. Evasion (Ex): Always fantastic, Evasion works well with your reasoanbly high dexterity and strong saves. Pirate Dedication Feat 2 Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. PDFs of All Paizo Materials Great thanks to Harmon's Guide to the Class Guides on the Paizo messageboards, Hallack's Pathfinder Handbook and Handy Links Index on Minmax Boards, Novawurmson's Optimization Guides Compendium on Giant in the Playground, and all the rest. You want those to be as impactful as possible, but after you spend those points you need to go right back to punching things and you need to be good at it. Treantmonk’s Guide to Monks Disclaimer Some or all of the content on this page is hosted off-site by parties other than the d20pfsrd.com team. ; Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances; Green: Good options. 2. Extra vision abilities are always nice. Wild Winds Stance gives your Unarmed Attacks the Propulsive property, which allows you to apply half of your Strength Bonus to damage, so if you plan to use this consistently you should probably stop improving your Strength at either 14 or 18. Ancestral Anthologies Vol. Use the Voluntary Flaw rules to dump Intelligence and Charisma, giving you three Free Ability Boosts to do with as you please. They're both good, but they overlap too much to justify having both. While you will most likely be fighting unarmed, monk weapons offer you a lot of really fantastic options, including bonuses to combat maneuvers. Greater Weapon Specialization: Double the damage bonuses from Weapon Specialization. Fifth, some archetypes may require you to give up pursuing bull rushing, either because you need the feats for something else or because improved bull rush is not offered. This month kicks off the new Abomination Vaults adventure path, starting with the Ruins of Gauntlight and a new Player's Guide. Mystic Strikes: +1 Handwraps of Mighty Fists are level 2 items, costing just 35 gp., and they're your most important item. Introduction, Abilities, Roles, and Sub Roles 3. The damage dice starts off fairly small, but when you hit d8 at level 4, it begins to outpace whatever weapons you might be two-weapon fighting with. You could not solitary going gone books amassing or library or borrowing from your links to read them. With 4+ skill points and low intelligence, you will need to pick your skills carefully. Expect to exceed the Dex Cap on Explorer's Clothing/Bracers of armor, but it will be only be by +1 or +2, and the AC bonuses from the runes on your armor will likely exceed those bonuses at an insignificant cost. Timeless Body (Ex): Stay young and pretty until you die of old age. If you've not yet completed Battle for Azeroth Pathfinder, Part One, you've got a bit of a road ahead of you. Latest Pathfinder 2e! And the best part: "A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them." Initial Proficiencies: Monks are fantastic defensively, especially at low levels. You can probably stop at 20 (+5) Dexterity, which you should reach at 15th level, because the Dexterity Cap on Explorer's Clothing is +5 and you want to be able to put Magic Runes on your clothes. However, these abilities are still secondary to the Monk's primary function of hitting things and dealing damage. From core rulebooks, world guides, and accessories to the latest miniatures, customize your subscription and unlock greater rewards, like discounts and free Organized Play content. Table of Content and Rating System 2. Also carry a double-chained kama for tripping and for reach. Goblin: A Wisdom flaw makes Ki Monk builds difficult, but otherwise the Goblin is a fine choice. Path to Perfection: Bring one saving throw to Master. Empty Body (Su): Punch ghosts and walk through walls. The only issue is that it's a fortitude save, which is typically high for monsters. RPGBOT uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. With the exception of Contagion spell, you typically have enough time to have someone cast Remove Disease before disease becomes a problem. If you take Combat Style Master, you can switch styles as a free action, which allows you to spend your turn in an offensive style, then switch to a defensive style when you are done attacking. The orders are so small that the chances of finding any given race are almost equal. I think this is a situationally useful option. Int: Only useful for skills, and given the choice between more Strength and more Intelligence, you should go for Strength. Monks are extremely MAD, and despite Pathfinder 2e's generous number of Ability Boosts you simply can't be good at everything that the Monk can do. Since the days of 3.0, the Monk has been somewhat of an enigma. It's good, but it requires a lot of investment which is going to be hard for many monks, and taking an optional Flourish is really hard when Flurry of Blows is so good and so hard to forgo. I support a limited subset of Pathfinder's rules content. Any race might be inclined to the life of a monk. You can spend points from your ki pool as a swift to get an extra attack, boost your speed, or boost your AC. Monk-Treantmonk's Guide to Monks-kcmorris' A Guide to the Qinggong Monk (Pathfinder)-A Comprehensive Guide to the Monk by Revel-streamofthesky's Zen Archer Handbook Paladin-A Guide to the Paladin through the eyes of a D&D 3.5 player by T.G. Monks are primarily a striker, and their damage comes from their Strength, so Strength needs to be their biggest ability. Unfortunately, Monks are one of the most MAD classes, and you also need to invest in Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. Cha: Dump. It's mostly the same as making two individual Strike actions because the Multiple Attack Penalty still works normally. Adamantine Strikes: The rules for adamantine weapons allow adamantine weapons to ignore half the hardness of struck items, so long as the attacking weapon's hardness exceeds that of the target item. Dex: Dexterity should be your go-to option because you can use it with ranged attacks like Wild Winds Stance. Halfling: Dexterity and Wisdom boosts are great, and you can survive a Strength Flaw if you don't want to deal with the Voluntary Flaws rules, but you may still want to use them to offset the Strength Flaw. Maneuver Training (Ex): Using your class level in place of BAB makes you actually viable for Combat Maneuvers. When you choose your first Ki Spell, you get to choose if your spellcasting is Divine or Occult, and you become Trained with spells of that type and your proficency improves as you gain levels. Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. 1. You also get a climb speed, which is really nice. Finesse is readily available on various unarmed strikes, as well as on some monk weapons. Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): You can talk to anything, but you're not particularly good at it with no Diplomacy and lousy charisma. 185 Because monks are so MAD, good ability boosts are much more important than they are for most classes. Incredible Movement: +10 ft. of movement is a 40% increase over the normal 25 ft. speed of most humanoids, and the bonus increases by another 5 ft. every 4 levels to a maximum total bonus of 30 ft. Even if you plan to explore some Ki Spells like Ki Strike, you can (and should) easily avoid spells which allow saving throws. Latest Pathfinder 2e! You want it to be as high as possible, but remember that Dexterity is still. Monks carry few possessions, and given their natural abilities, they need few tools to accomplish their goals. Graceful Legend: Improve your AC, your Class DC, and your spell attacks/DC all at once. Human: Take Versatile Heritage to get Toughness to make yourself more durable. Where fighters often differentiate themselves by the arms and armor they use, monks are most easily differentiated by the stances that they use. The Monk is most easily commpared to the Fighter. ; Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character. Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. While very few things have DR/lawful, the others are excellent and cover a broad spectrum of enemies. Monk Expertise: An important boost to important options like Stunning Fist, as well as to your spell DCs with Ki Spells. You can invest some feats and make sure this type of combat remains viable, or you can ignore it and let it fade into a poor option. Flurry of Blows: This is so good that multiclass characters can't get it until 10th level. This can be a helpful option once abilities like Metal Strikes come online. And neither is kingdom management. Elf: The Elf's Constitution penalty is hard for many martial characters, and the Monk is no different. If you would like help with Pathfinder player options not covered here, please email me and I am happy to provide additional assistance. alright now down to business we are talking about the monk in the pathfinder 2nd edition playtest! RPGBOT uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. Ki Pool lets you treat your attacks as magic, silver, cold iron, lawful, and finally adamantine. The big exception is Mountain Stance, which gives you a Dex Cap of +0, so you can start at 1st level with 10 Dexterity and never suffer a reduced AC (so long as you're in your Stance). For weapon users, it's helpful if your weapon happens to be the wrong metal. Gnome: The Gnome's ability scores are a very difficult starting point, similar to the Elf's. Monks gain no armor or shield proficiencies, and generally rely on their Monk AC bonus instead. You’re a fierce combatant renowned for martial arts skills and combat stances that grant you unique fighting moves. Assuming you've previously completed Battle for Azeroth Pathfinder, Part One, this doesn't look supremely daunting. Monks fight unarmored, so you need Dexterity to pad your AC. Quivering Palm (Su): This is notably worse than most wizard save-or-die spells, but it's still a once per day death effect with a reasonable DC.