Musing about Monk Mechanics

[Librarian]

Hey all,
So apparently Monks are pushed back to goodness-knows-when. I expect there's good reason.

Still, it's left me with a kung-fu hankering. I figured we monk-deprived users could dream up the game mechanics behind the class while we wait.

This is not a request for Turbine to make monks "my way" or anything. Really, it's all just speculation for the fun of it.

Here goes.


Sticking to the traditional D&D 3.5 rules set for Monks, our DDO Monk will have a 3/4 Base Attack Bonus and all good saves.

4 Skill points per level, with class skills Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Spot, Swim, and Tumble. Concentration and Perform could be chopped from that list since their usage in DDO is somewhat more limited than in Pen-and-Paper.

As for weapon proficiencies, start with Simple Weapons and add Shuriken, Kama, and perhaps add Nunchaku, Si, and Siangham as other exotic weapons. If not, who cares, we'd use our fists anyway.

At level 1, provide the Stunning Attack feat as a Bonus feat to replace the PnP's choice between Stunning Fist and Improved Grapple. I think it highly unlikely we'll ever see grapple-mechanics added to DDO.

Also at level 1, provide a new bonus feat Improved Unarmed Strike I, changing the Monk's unarmed damage from whatever measly amount it is now to 1d6. At regular levels thereafter, provide Improved Unarmed Strike II to up the damage to 1d8, III to 1d10, IV to 2d6, etc.

Also at level 1, provide the new bonus feat Monk AC I, adding the Monk's Wisdom bonus to his AC. At regular levels, give Monk AC II to add +1 to AC, III to add another +1, etc. If the Monk ever wears Armor (but not Robes or Docents) or possesses Mithral or Adamantine Body, this feat cannot be used.

Also grant the feat Flurry of Blows I. This feat works as a Stance like Combat Expertise and Power Attack, though is a tad more complicated. Rather than swapping Base Attack Bonus for a benefit, FoB reduces your attack bonus by 2 to provide an additional attack to your routine. At level 1, this would allow the Monk with a 0 Base Attack Bonus to attack twice, like a Fighter. At a later level provide Flurry of Blows II, which lessens the penalty to -1. Then Flurry of Blows III, which eliminates the penalty. Then Greater Flurry of Blows, which provides an additional attack on top of the first extra one.

2nd level? Evasion.
3rd? Improved Trip, without needing to meet the prereq of Combat Expertise. Also, give Ki Strike (Magic), which makes the Monk's unarmed attacks count as magic weapons for the sake of bypassing damage reduction. At later levels grant Ki Strike (Lawful) and Ki Strike (Adamantine).

Also at later levels, provide immunity to Poisons and Disease, Spell Resistance, Wholeness of Body (a self-targeting Lay on Hands, basically) and the like. The PnP Monk's Abundant Step (ie: Dimension Door) may need to be reworked, though I suppose it could stay as is.


Enhancement-wise I can see the following (likely self-explanatory):
Monk Skill: Jump
Monk Skill: Heal
Monk Skill: Tumble
Monk Skill: Hide
Monk Skill: Move Silently
Monk Wisdom
Monk Spell Resistance
Monk Stunning Attack

In addition, maybe a few specialization Enhancements...
Way of the Mockery could grant bonuses to attacks with Kamas, then the ability to deal Flensing Strikes (An attack like Stunning Attack or Sunder that forces the victim to save or take penalties to attacks, skills, saves, etc. Rather like a clicky Cursespew, but must be made with a Kama).
Way of Dol Dorn could require Longsword proficiency and provide the ability to Flurry with Longswords, attack bonuses, and the like.
Way of the Silver Flame could make your unarmed attacks count as Silver weapons, then Good weapons.


Thoughts so far? I intend to expand on this in the future. Maybe do the same for Druids or Artificers later.

[Dingo123]

Abundant Step would probably become Shadow Walk.

[Elsiah]

Hmmm....I would like to see the basic mechanics of the game include monk abilities as given in PNP, and THEN added enhancements and feats. If improved natural attack is added, the monk's damage die goes up by one, and continues to do so as he levels, so your monk hits as if he were a size category larger. this would help in keeping monk damage as powerful in DDO as it is in pen and paper. I think it would be cool to have elemental enhancements added as well, so when my monk does his flurry of blows, he can inflict fire, ice, etc so many times per rest.

skill boost enhancements would be very nice, especially if they stacked with the human boosts...i want a monk who can boost his jump to 80, and add in leap of the clouds...

[Wulf_Ratbane]

I think it would be cool to have elemental enhancements added as well, so when my monk does his flurry of blows, he can inflict fire, ice, etc so many times per rest.

I'd rather see this effect on weapons (kama, quarterstaff, whatever else they add) and maybe gloves, etc.

But not built in to the class.

[Cowdenicus]

I would like to see clerics get their domains before monks make it to game.

[Ananvil]

Way of the Silver Flame could make your unarmed attacks count as Silver weapons, then Good weapons.

I'm still convinced that the Silver Flame is evil.

[Bizbag]

I'd rather see this effect on weapons (kama, quarterstaff, whatever else they add) and maybe gloves, etc.

But not built in to the class.

I'd actually prefer it if they didn't put elemental effects on gloves. It's the choice of the monk - do I deal 3d6 damage with my fist, or do I use my +1 flaming Kama?

I guess in DDO they'd have to pump up the monk's unarmed damage some, because normally at level 14 we wouldn't have +4 flaming kamas of pure good; we'd have something more comparable to a level 14 monk's unarmed damage.

[Ghoste]

I think it would be cool to have elemental enhancements added as well, so when my monk does his flurry of blows, he can inflict fire, ice, etc so many times per rest.

Why not just have items that do that, ie.gloves.

This is also the reason I want to make a wf monk/druid. He could use his heat/cool metal spell to add elemental damage to his fists. I call it the dire boarforged ninja build.

Abundant Step would probably become Shadow Walk.

Why not just have it function like a personal d-door instead of making a completely new ability? Shouldn't be that hard given what's already in the game.

[teddok]

Hey all,
So apparently Monks are pushed back to goodness-knows-when. I expect there's good reason.

Still, it's left me with a kung-fu hankering. I figured we monk-deprived users could dream up the game mechanics behind the class while we wait.

This is not a request for Turbine to make monks "my way" or anything. Really, it's all just speculation for the fun of it.

Here goes.


Sticking to the traditional D&D 3.5 rules set for Monks, our DDO Monk will have a 3/4 Base Attack Bonus and all good saves.

4 Skill points per level, with class skills Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Spot, Swim, and Tumble. Concentration and Perform could be chopped from that list since their usage in DDO is somewhat more limited than in Pen-and-Paper.

As for weapon proficiencies, start with Simple Weapons and add Shuriken, Kama, and perhaps add Nunchaku, Si, and Siangham as other exotic weapons. If not, who cares, we'd use our fists anyway.

At level 1, provide the Stunning Attack feat as a Bonus feat to replace the PnP's choice between Stunning Fist and Improved Grapple. I think it highly unlikely we'll ever see grapple-mechanics added to DDO.

Also at level 1, provide a new bonus feat Improved Unarmed Strike I, changing the Monk's unarmed damage from whatever measly amount it is now to 1d6. At regular levels thereafter, provide Improved Unarmed Strike II to up the damage to 1d8, III to 1d10, IV to 2d6, etc.

Also at level 1, provide the new bonus feat Monk AC I, adding the Monk's Wisdom bonus to his AC. At regular levels, give Monk AC II to add +1 to AC, III to add another +1, etc. If the Monk ever wears Armor (but not Robes or Docents) or possesses Mithral or Adamantine Body, this feat cannot be used.

Also grant the feat Flurry of Blows I. This feat works as a Stance like Combat Expertise and Power Attack, though is a tad more complicated. Rather than swapping Base Attack Bonus for a benefit, FoB reduces your attack bonus by 2 to provide an additional attack to your routine. At level 1, this would allow the Monk with a 0 Base Attack Bonus to attack twice, like a Fighter. At a later level provide Flurry of Blows II, which lessens the penalty to -1. Then Flurry of Blows III, which eliminates the penalty. Then Greater Flurry of Blows, which provides an additional attack on top of the first extra one.

2nd level? Evasion.
3rd? Improved Trip, without needing to meet the prereq of Combat Expertise. Also, give Ki Strike (Magic), which makes the Monk's unarmed attacks count as magic weapons for the sake of bypassing damage reduction. At later levels grant Ki Strike (Lawful) and Ki Strike (Adamantine).

Also at later levels, provide immunity to Poisons and Disease, Spell Resistance, Wholeness of Body (a self-targeting Lay on Hands, basically) and the like. The PnP Monk's Abundant Step (ie: Dimension Door) may need to be reworked, though I suppose it could stay as is.


Enhancement-wise I can see the following (likely self-explanatory):
Monk Skill: Jump
Monk Skill: Heal
Monk Skill: Tumble
Monk Skill: Hide
Monk Skill: Move Silently
Monk Wisdom
Monk Spell Resistance
Monk Stunning Attack

In addition, maybe a few specialization Enhancements...
Way of the Mockery could grant bonuses to attacks with Kamas, then the ability to deal Flensing Strikes (An attack like Stunning Attack or Sunder that forces the victim to save or take penalties to attacks, skills, saves, etc. Rather like a clicky Cursespew, but must be made with a Kama).
Way of Dol Dorn could require Longsword proficiency and provide the ability to Flurry with Longswords, attack bonuses, and the like.
Way of the Silver Flame could make your unarmed attacks count as Silver weapons, then Good weapons.


Thoughts so far? I intend to expand on this in the future. Maybe do the same for Druids or Artificers later.

I like this well thought out. Looks very good.