Min/Max Boards

So I was playing the new Batman Arkham City game for PC and I started looking for unarmed combat specialists to play in 3.5. Like I'm sure most of us are, I was disappointed with monk so I've put this together as a possibility.

Alternate Monk

Level    BAB        Ref      Fort    Will    AC    Unarmed Strike    Special:

1             1           2         2        2      0       1d6                      Tumbling Combat 1/day, Unarmed Strike, Flurry of Blows
2             2           3         3        3      0       1d6                      Fast Movement 5ft, Evasion
3             3           3         3        3      1       1d6                      Tumbling Combat 2/day
4             4           4         4        4      1       1d8                      Fast Movement 10ft, Uncanny Dodge
5             5           4         4        4      1       1d8                      Tumbling Combat 3/day, Acrobatics
6           6/1          5         5        5      1       1d8                      Fast Movement 15ft
7           7/2          5         5        5      2       1d8                      Tumbling Combat 4/day, Flowing Defense
8           8/3          6         6        6      2       1d10                    Fast Movement 20ft, Improved Uncanny dodge
9           9/4          6         6        6      2       1d10                    Tumbling Combat 5/day, Improved Evasion
10       10/5          7         7        7      2       1d10                    Fast Movement 25ft
11      11/6/1        7         7        7      3       1d10                    Tumbling Combat 6/day, greater flurry
12      12/7/2        8         8        8      3       2d6                      Fast Movement 30ft, Tireless tumbler
13      13/8/3        8         8        8      3       2d6                      Tumbling Combat 7/day, Mind Over Magic
14      14/9/4        9         9        9      3       2d6                      Fast Movement 35ft
15      15/10/5      9         9        9      4       2d6                      Tumbling Combat 8/day
16    16/11/6/1    10      10      10      4       2d8                      Fast Movement 40ft
17    17/12/7/2    10      10      10      4       2d8                      Tumbling Combat 9/day
18    18/13/8/3    11      11      11      4       2d8                      Fast Movement 45 ft
19    19/14/9/4    11      11      11      5       2d8                      Tumbling Combat 10/day
20    20/15/10/5  12      12      12      5       2d10                    Fast Movement 50ft

Hit Die: d10

Skills: 4+ Int mod (x4 at first)

The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Light Armor, Simple weapons

Tumbling Combat (Ex): A monk can become a flowing series of punches and kicks a certain number of times per day. While in this tumbling combat, she can take a full attack action and still move up to her speed. However, the monk must move a minimum of 5 feet between each attack when using this ability and she cannot return to a square she just exited (though she may return to that square later during her full attack). The monk is subject to attacks of opportunity while engaged in tumbling combat, but may tumble normally as part of her move. A monk prevented from completing her move is also prevented from finishing her full attack.

A monk may only use tumbling combat while unarmed or when using a sling. While in tumbling combat, she gains a bonus on her attack and damage rolls. This bonus is +1 at 1st level, and it increases by an extra +1 at every odd-numbered level thereafter. She cannot perform tumbling combat in any armor heavier than light or if she is using a shield. While dancing, a monk cannot use skills or abilities that involve concentration or require her to remain still, such as Move Silently, Hide, or Search. A monk with the bardic music ability can, however, sing while she dances, and a monk can also use the Combat Expertise feat while in a dance. A monk cannot perform tumbling combat while under the effect of a rage or frenzy ability. A monk can perform tumbling combat only once per encounter. Tumbling combat lasts 1 round for every two ranks of Tumble that the character has. At the end of a tumbling combat, the character becomes fatigued for the duration of the encounter (unless she is a 12th-level monk, at which point this limitation no longer applies).

AC Bonus (Ex): A monk is highly trained at dodging blows, and she has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated attacks. When unarmored or in light armor and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 3rd level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter (+2 at 7th, +3 at 11th, +4 at 15th level, and +5 at 19th). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor other than light, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): When unarmored or wearing light armor, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears.

A monk must use a full attack action (see page 143 of the Player’s Handbook) to strike with a flurry of blows. When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, sling, and siangham). She may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. For example, at 6th level, the monk Ember could make one attack with her unarmed strike at an attack bonus of +3 and one attack with a special monk weapon at an attack bonus of +3. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1-1/2 or × 1/2) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that she has enough attacks in her flurry of blows routine to do so. For example, an 8th-level monk could make two attacks with the quarterstaff (one with each end) at a +5 attack bonus and one with an unarmed strike at a +0 attack bonus, or she could attack with one end of the quarterstaff and one unarmed strike each at a +5 attack bonus, and with the other end of the quarterstaff at a +0 attack bonus, or she could attack with one end of the quarterstaff and one unarmed strike at a +5 attack bonus each, and with the other end of the quarterstaff at a +0 attack bonus. She cannot, however, wield any other weapon at the same time that she uses a quarterstaff.

When a monk reaches 11th level, her flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

Flurry of blows may be used in conjunction with tumbling combat, but the movement requirements still apply (ie, at least five feet of movement must still separate each attack).

Unarmed Strike: Monks are highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving them considerable advantages when doing so. At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons (such as the magic fang and magic weapon spells). A monk also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on the table above. The unarmed damage on the table for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage in the Player’s Handbook.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to her speed. A monk in any armor heavier than light or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this bonus.

Evasion (Ex): A monk of 2nd level or higher can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk (such as one who is unconscious or paralysed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a monk can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a monk already has uncanny dodge from a different class (a monk with at least two levels of barbarian, for example), she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Acrobatics (Ex): At 6th level, a monk adds their class level as a bonus on Jump and Tumble checks. In addition, monks are always considered to have moved 20ft in a straight line for the purposes of determining the DC of a Jump check.

Flowing Defense (Ex): When she attains 7th level, a monk gains an extra +4 bonus to Armor Class when she chooses to fight defensively or use all-out defense in melee combat.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A monkof 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked; she can react to opponents on opposite sides of her as easily as she can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon’s breath weapon or a fireball, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk (such as one who is unconscious or paralysed) does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Mind Over Magic (Ex): At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level; see Spell Resistance, page 177) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance.

Comments/Suggestions/Critiques are requested!