The Way of Wushu - monk tips and tricks

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Discussion thread here.

The Way of Wushu

The monk class: one of Third Edition's red-headed stepchildren. The monk oozes with flavour, but has trouble living up to all the kung fu awesomeness it promises, especially compared to classes like swordsage or even barbarian. That, however, can be fixed.

In this handbook you will find examinations of monk weakpoints and how to fix them, guides to entire monk-exclusive rulesets you may not realise existed, and other tips that can make a monk a worthy addition to almost any party. If you were playing a member of another class, this handbook shows how one or two levels of monk can be used to improve your existing abilities. If you have no interest in monk levels but want to play an unarmed, unarmored or otherwise monk-like character, then much of this material is still applicable to you.

This handbook is not meant to be comprehensive - some material which could be useful to a monk character is left out simply because it isn't very monk-specific (e.g. a monk would certainly find an item that grants immunity to death effects useful, but no more than any other character). Likewise, while this guide contains advice for multiclass monk/wizards, you should still look up a dedicated wizard guide if you want to make the most of your spells. A sneaky monk should consider looking at rogue handbooks, and so on.

Useful Links
The Guide to Monks
The 3.X Monk Database (ENWorld)
Tripping Handbook

Note on 3.0 Material
Feat options and prerequisites from Oriental Adventures or Sword & Fist have been replaced with more recent versions where applicable, as standard for using 3.0 material in a 3.5 game. As part of the conversion, all 3.0 feats based on Stunning Fist require expending a use of that ability, even if not specified by the original feat text. Oriental Adventures itself has a partial update in Dragon #318, which is used where applicable.

Index
- Fixing the Problems
-- Multiple Ability Dependence
-- Mobility
-- Enchanting
- Making the Most of Things
-- Unarmed Damage
-- Stunning Fist
- Monk Options
-- Bonus Feats
-- Monk Weapons
- Style Bonuses
-- Fighting Styles
-- Martial Arts
- Alternative Class Features
- Exotic Monks
-- Ranged Combat
-- Multiclassing
-- Vow of Poverty
-- Living Weapon

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Fixing the Problems

Reducing MAD
Multiple Ability Dependence is one of the monk class's biggest issues - it has uses for almost every ability score, but if you try investing into every score at once then none of your abilities will be strong enough to be meaningful. Compare this to something like a wizard, who bases all of his abilities on Intelligence and thus can make all of them more powerful at once.

• Strength: Determines your attack and damage rolls. The most important ability score for a standard monk, but easily replaced.
  
• Dexterity: Determines your AC, Reflex saves and attack rolls (if using Weapon Finesse or a feycraft^DMG2 weapon). Gives bonuses to some useful skills like Hide, Move Silently and Tumble.
  
• Constitution: Determines your hit points and Fortitude saves. Any character can benefit from a high Con score, regardless of class.
  
• Intelligence: Determines your number of skill points; a higher Int score allows you to take advantage of your quite-decent skill list. Replaces Wisdom for determining the strength of your class features if you have the Carmendine Monk^CoV or Kung-Fu Genius^DrComp feats. Determines your monk AC bonus (but no other class features) if you have the Ascetic Psion^SoS feat. Determines unarmed damage (against some creatures only) and Stunning Fist DC if you have levels in Snake Shen^Dr319.
  
• Wisdom: Determines your Will saves, plus attack rolls (if using Intuitive Attack^BoED or Zen Archery^CW), and gives bonuses to sensory skills. Also determines the strength of your monk class features, including AC Bonus and Stunning Fist.
  
• Charisma: Gives bonuses to social skills. Determines your monk AC bonus (but no other class features) if you have the Ascetic Mage^CA feat.
  

There are a number of ways to cut down on how many ability scores you need - some are listed above, and a more comprehensive list can be found in X Stat to Y Bonus.

The Mobility Issue
Fast movement is no good if you can only flurry while standing still. Below are ways you can move and make a full attack in the same round. More can be found in the Ranged Combat section.

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• Barbarian (Lion totem^CC): An ACF that trades barbarian's fast movement for Pounce. Excellent as a 1-level dip for any melee character. Since monks must be lawful and barbarians can't be lawful, you'll have to change alignment after taking the level, giving up access to Rage in the process. Some DMs may frown on this.
  
• Cobra Straps^MIC: A cheap item that lets you move 5ft after making an unarmed attack as part of a charge. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, but it doesn't count as a 5ft step. The summary of its effect in the table says it's 1/day, but there's nothing about that in the item itself and that's what takes precedence. Part of the Gharyn's Monastic Array item set, meaning you get bonuses if you have other items from the same set.
  
• Flying unarmed strike: See the Living Weapon section. Kind of cheesy.
  
• Lion Tribe Warrior^SS: Gives you Pounce, but you can only attack with a light weapon or two light weapons. Unarmed strikes are light weapons, so no problemo. It's a regional feat, so your DM may restrict it to humans. Snow Tiger Berserker^UE does pretty much the same thing, but has Rage as a prereq.
  
• Lion's Charge (via magic items or gish builds)
• Mantis Leap (poorly written)
• Mount: Using a mount renders your fast movement useless, so use an ACF to trade it for something else. Also the imagery of punching people from horseback is kinda weird.
  
• Paladin (Berronar Valkyrie^CoV): A substitution level for female dwarves. Instead of getting turn undead at lv4, 3+Cha/day they can make a full attack as part of a charge against a creature threatening one of their allies, and gain the benefits of the Mobility feat while charging. All of the attacks must be made with a single weapon, which won't affect most monks.
  
• Sandals of the Tiger's Leap^S&F: If you have 5 ranks in Jump or Tumble, you can make an unarmed strike that deals double damage as part of a charge. It's a little ambiguous whether this replaces your normal attack or is an extra, and how this interacts with Pounce.
  
• Shackled Beast^Dr355 fighting style: Limited to shifters. At lv6 you can make a flurry of blows at the end of a charge, as long as you have Jump ranks and the Two-Weapon Fighting feat.
  
• Singh Rager^OA: Grants the Pounce ability at lv4. Despite what you might expect from the name, it's a lawful-only class and doesn't require rage to enter.
  
• Sparring Dummy of the Master^A&EG: A magic item that lets you take 10ft steps instead of 5ft steps. It's not much, but it helps against enemies with extended reach.
  
• Sphinx Claws^MoI (bound to Hands chakra): RAW this shouldn't work, since it forbids attacks with manufactured weapons, and unarmed strikes count as both natural and manufactured. It's worth asking your DM though.
  
• Tashalatora^SoS: Multiclassing with psychic warrior and similar classes gives you access to powers like Hustle and Psionic Lion's Charge, which have similar effects to Travel Devotion and Pounce respectively.
  
• Totemic Demonslayer^Dr354: The Deinonychus tattoo lets you gain Pounce for 3 rounds as a swift action 1/day for each time you select it.
  
• Travel Devotion^CC: A feat that lets you move your speed as a swift action by expending two uses of Turn Undead; you also get 1 free use per day which doesn't require Turning. A cleric with the Travel or Celerity domains can give up that domain's granted power to gain this feat as a bonus feat. Like with barbarian, you only need 1 level of cleric to gain the benefits. Unlike barbarian, there's enough options in this one level that there's a whole handbook dedicated to it.
  

Flight is valuable for any character, but most flight abilities grant a fixed speed that makes your fast movement redundant. Here are some options which instead base your fly speed on your land speed.

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• Dragonspawn (white)^DLCS: One of the best templates in the game, granting a wide array of benefits for only +1 LA. Among these is a fly speed equal to double your land speed with average maneuverability.
  
• Feathered Wings^FF: A graft (read: nonmagical slotless item that cannot be removed) that costs only 10,000gp, granting a fly speed equal to double your land speed with average maneuverability. The drawbacks are that you take massive penalties when interacting with nonevil creatures, and unless you are evil you must succeed on a Will save every day to avoid taking Wis damage and/or performing evil acts. Not appropriate for every character or every campaign, but otherwise it's a bargain.
  
• Phoenix Cloak^MIC: A magic item costing 50,000gp, granting a fly speed equal to your land speed with perfect maneuverability. Part of the Regalia of the Phoenix item set, meaning you get bonuses if you have other items from the same set. Usually the easiest of these options to get approved.

Enchanting Unarmed Strikes
Monks have a harder time gaining access to enchanted weapons than most characters. There are a number of ways to do it, scattered across various sources, but most are overpriced.

There is an upside to this though. Monks can apply enchantments to their unarmed strikes from many sources at once, and if a weapon has multiple separate enchantments they overlap (that is, if a sword would simultaneously be +1 flaming and +3 keen, it becomes +3 flaming keen). Thus a monk can make up the difference by using lots of cheap items with a single enchantment each.

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• Amulet of Mighty Fists: Adds an enhancement bonus to your unarmed strikes, but costs three times as much as enchanting a weapon, and you can't spend part of the enhancement bonus on enchantments. While more expensive than a necklace of natural weapons, its effects apply to all of your natural weapons at once, meaning it could be more cost-effective for certain builds like monk/totemists.
  
• Amulet of the Twelve Moons^Dr355: Alright, it's a minor artifact, so it's not something you can usually expect to get your hands on, but it's still monk-relevant. This item grants a +2 enhancement bonus to all natural weapons, and is part of a set with twelve magic stones. Each stone unlocks a new power when attached, and attaching all twelve increases the enhancement bonus to +5.
  
• Battlefist^ECS: An item restricted to warforged^ECS, the battlefist not only applies its enhancement bonus to your unarmed strikes, it also increases their base damage as if you were one size larger. Note that the Battlefist class feature of the Renegade Mastermaker^MoE does not include this clause, but at higher levels they count as warforged and thus can use normal battlefists.
  
  • Mighty Arms^FoE: A cheap graft that grants you a warforged's slam attack and access to arm-mounted components (such as Battlefists) in exchange for -2hp. Note that using this graft means any other grafts you later gain must be Construct-based.
• Bracers of Striking^MoF: A 1,310gp item that can be further enchanted as if it were a weapon (but at double cost), and its enchantments apply to your unarmed strike. Since the pricing rules reference double weapons, some DMs might let you get rid of the cost doubling (enchanting only one end), or let you get two separate sets of enchantments. They also let you count as armed when making unarmed strikes, in case you were waiting until higher levels to become a monk.
  
• Combat Mod (weapon)^Dr359: A light or one-handed weapon can be grafted to your arm with a Craft (body modifications) or Heal check, making it impossible to remove, though it can still be sundered. The article specifically mentions monks getting silver or cold iron knuckle caps that function as gauntlets.
  
• Gauntlet: Their base damage is equal to your unarmed strike's, but the official FAQ has said you can't use them as part of a flurry of blows.
  
• Gauntlets of Ghost Fighting^MIC: Grants all your attacks (and spells!) the ghost touch property, and at 4,000gp it's one of the cheapest ways to get it (even a +1 ghost touch necklace of natural weapons is 4,600gp). As a bonus you also gain +1d6 damage on melee attacks against incorporeal creatures. Part of the Wraith's Woe item set, meaning you get bonuses if you have other items from the same set.
  
• Ghost Shroud^MIC: Grants all your attacks the ghost touch property, but it's slightly more expensive than gauntlets of ghost fighting, and the secondary benefit (+1 deflection bonus to AC) overlaps with protective items you were probably using anyway. If you can upgrade the deflection bonus later (see MIC p234) or your hands slot is already full then use the shroud; if that's untrue or you're running a gish build then use the gauntlets.
  
• Kensai^CW: A PrC that lets you give one weapon a +1 enhancement bonus/class level or equivalent enchantments; natural weapons are explicitly allowed. The class features aren't too shabby either, including +8 Strength, large skill bonuses, and the ability to make Concentration checks in place of Reflex saves.
  
• Ki Strike: The built-in option - for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction, monks treat their unarmed strikes as magic at 4th level, adamantine at 10th level and lawful at 16th level. The thought is nice, but magic is redundant, adamantine doesn't let you ignore hardness like a real adamantine weapon, and lawful rarely ever comes up. Ki Strike (magic) got a slight upgrade in Rules Compendium, giving the monk a chance to hit incorporeal opponents as if wielding a magic weapon. Some prestige classes get Ki Strike variants that let the monk strike as if with a silver or cold iron weapon.
  
• Necklace of Natural Weapons^SS: A 600gp item that can be further enchanted as if it were a weapon, and its enchantments apply to one natural attack. If you have multiple natural attacks you can enchant each of them separately, paying the initial 600gp only once.
  
• Pillar of Geryon^FC2: A magical location with an equivalent value of 36,000gp which severs your left hand and replaces it with a fiendish one. This hand is a +3 unarmed strike that deals 1d10 base damage (or +1d4 damage if you're a monk), is evil-aligned, and improves to a +6 enhancement bonus vs good or chaotic outsiders. Finally, once per round you can make an unarmed strike as a touch attack as an Ex ability(!).
  
• Scorpion Kama^MIC: A kama that inherits your unarmed strike's base damage. Part of the Gharyn's Monastic Array item set, meaning you get bonuses if you have other items from the same set. Ask if you can apply the enchantments to some other weapon, like a quarterstaff or a bow (assuming you have some way to treat bows as monk weapons).
  
• Skarn^MoI Monk + Spinemeld Warrior^MoI: A skarn monk with the first racial substitution level can treat their arm spines as unarmed strikes. A spinemeld warrior can invest essentia into their arm spines to give them an enhancement bonus. Due to their maximum capacity uniquely being half your class level, you can even abuse bloodlines or Legacy Champion to get an enhancement bonus higher than +5.
  
• Thayan Gladiator^CoR: An evil PrC that grants one natural weapon some enchantments from a short list at levels 5 and 10 (+1 equivalents and +2/+3 equivalents respectively).
  
• Ward Cestus^A&EG: An exotic weapon that grants an extra +1 AC when you use the total defense action. Otherwise functions identically to a gauntlet, but the part about using your unarmed damage is more explicit.
  
• Wrecker^Dr315: This +1 weapon property lets a bludgeoning weapon ignore hardness. More useful for you than for most characters, since Ki Strike (adamantine) can't bypass hardness like a real adamantine weapon can. True, if you just want to punch through walls, it's still easier to buy a cheap adamantine weapon. However, this has a slight niche in that you can use it on things with hardness higher than 10, and that a monk/kensai can use it even when the rest of the party are stripped of their adamantine "barbarian's lockpicks".
  
• Wyrmfang Amulet^MIC: For 1,350gp, all your natural attacks strike as magic weapons. A niche item for most monks, limited to low levels when they don't have Ki Strike (magic) or a proper enchantment item yet, but potentially useful for characters with multiple natural attacks.

Armor without Armor
Sure you get to add your Wisdom modifier to AC, but full plate lets you add +8, Mechanus gear/mountain plate lets you add +10, and you can't use a shield even if it's animated. Armor Class may not be the best defence at higher levels, but it still helps.

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• Argent Fist^FoE: At 2nd level, this PrC for monk/paladins lets you retain your monk AC bonus while wearing armor and shields. Your other class features are still restricted though.
  
• Bracers of Armor: Identical in cost to enchanting an actual suit of +0 AC armor, but you can get a bonus as high as +8 rather than +5. Since it's made of force it's implied that, like mage armor, the armor bonus provided by these items can defend against incorporeal touch attacks, but it's not directly stated. Arms & Equipment Guide (page 130) has rules for spending some of the enhancement bonus on armor enchantments; it's a 3.0 book, but it's still official and has never been contradicted on the matter. The effects of bracers of armor are considered a "common item effect" in Magic Item Compendium, meaning you can add them to another item without the normal +50% cost.
  
  • Outfit/Vestments/Robes/etc. of Armor^MIC: Magic Item Compendium also states that you can put the effects of bracers of armor on items worn in the armor slot, such as robes (other slots require DM approval).
• Bracers of the Blinding Strike^MoF: An expensive item that functions as bracers of armor +6, grants Improved Initiative as a bonus feat, and lets you make an extra attack per round (as per a speed weapon). Sadly, unlike Drizzt you can't wear them as anklets to Flash Step behind your enemies. There's another version of this item in Magic Item Compendium (as part of the Fleet Warrior's Array item set) which is far cheaper but works completely differently.
  
• Clockwork Armor^Web: Maybe. You need to be proficient with heavy armor to use it, but it doesn't seem to actually count as armor for penalties. If you can get approval from your DM then awesome... just remember to do something about the icing problem.
  
• Inertial Armor^PsiH: A feat from the 3.0 psionics system that grants you a +4 armor bonus to AC while you remain psionically focused (at least, that's how it would work when converted to the 3.5 rules).
  
• Obi of the White Lotus Master^DrComp/Dr325: Grants a +4 armor bonus if you're lawful. If you're Lawful Neutral and have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat then it also grants you a 20% miss chance against all attacks (as long as you're not denied your Dex bonus to AC); unlike most miss chances this can't be penetrated by see invisibility or true seeing, making it extremely valuable at high levels.
  
• Phrenic Creature^XPH: One of the more worthwhile templates in the game, among its other benefits becoming a phrenic creature lets you manifest force screen 1/day as a psi-like ability. Your manifester level is equal to your character level, meaning it automatically scales to a +8 bonus by lv17.
  
• Psychoactive Skin of Ectoplasmic Armor^CPsi: A suit of light armor with stats similar to full plate, except it occupies the body slot instead of the armor slot. At least, that's the updated version from Magic Item Compendium. If you can convince your DM to allow it, the original version in Complete Psionic doesn't count as armor at all (despite having penalties similar to light armor) and is also half the cost, making it incredibly good.
  
• Quori Shard of Ectoplasmic Armor^ECS: A slotless item that functions only for kalashtar^ECS or Inspired^ECS, granting a +2 armor bonus to AC and explicitly not having the benefits of force. If that was all then this item wouldn't be too noteworthy, but the bonuses from up to five shards stack. Two shards are the same cost as bracers of armor +4 for the same bonus; four shards are half the cost of bracers of armor +8. There is a drawback though, in that the armor field resembles a quori^ECS - while the image from one shard is barely visible, with five active at once you will be mistaken for a horrifying monster.
  
• Retribution Armor^Dr302: An amulet that grants a +2 armor bonus to AC. Whenever you are damaged in melee with a natural or handheld weapon, half the damage is redirected to the attacker (rounded up). Very expensive (140,000gp) and requires either a level of wizard or a Use Magic Device check to use.
  
• Ring of Force Shield: Grants a +2 shield bonus to AC; it counts as a heavy shield for abilities that affect them, but carries none of the penalties (it's weightless and can be turned on/off instantly, so it never gets in the way). Like bracers of armor it says it's made of force without confirming whether that grants the standard extras. Presumably you could use the shield to perform shield bash attacks as well, even against ethereal creatures. Ask your DM if you can enchant it like a normal shield.
  
• Rings of Force Armor^MIC: A pair of rings that grant a +5 armor bonus to AC (explicitly functions like mage armor), turn your unarmed strikes into force effects that deal +1d4 damage, and inflict 1d4 force damage to any creature that hits you with a non-reach weapon.
  
• Sword of the Diplomat^A&EG: A +3 defending short sword that also grants you a mage armor effect while held. Even if you can use short swords as monk weapons it's overpriced - as it preceeds the Magic Item Compendium "common item effects" rules, the armor part of the effect costs twice as much as bracers of armor +4. Just get them separately.
  
• Warforged^ECS: This race come with "Composite Plating" built into their bodies. It grants a +2 armor bonus (plus 5% Arcane Spell Failure) and can be enchanted, but doesn't count as armor for any abilities restricted by armor. Note that while there are feats which upgrade a warforged's plating, these cause it to count as normal armor and thus shut down most of a monk's abilities. Likewise, the normally-good combo of dragonborn^RotD warforged (who lose their Composite Plating but can still take the upgrade feats) becomes poor.
  
• Wild enchantment: While using wild shape, you retain the AC bonus of your armor and shield (including enhancement bonuses) while taking none of the penalties. As a +3-equivalent property it's expensive, but on the right build it lets you get the protection of +5 Thaluud stone armor^A:EoS and a +5 tower shield while still counting as unarmored.
  

Spells and powers

Other Problems

• Despite being a combat class you don't have good BAB, and many of your attack forms inflict further penalties to your attack roll. Thus you should put extra effort into finding things that make your attacks more accurate.
• If you decide to plan to invest in stealth then, as with any such character, you'll need the Darkstalker^LoM feat to get past enemies with unusual senses.
  

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Increasing Unarmed Damage
Fighting with Flurry of Blows is similar to Two-Weapon Fighting - you get a larger number of attacks with somewhat reduced accuracy, and you can't Power Attack well with them. It's even possible to combine it with dual-wielding, though you only get the flurry bonus once. As such, most of the advice for optimising Two-Weapon Fighting (such as picking up sneak attack somehow) applies to unarmed strikes as well.

Unarmed strikes, however, have their own unique niche in that there are many ways to increase your effective size for determining damage; the more of these abilities you stack on top of each other, the more impressive the bonuses. You can, of course, increase your actual size as well. Unarmed strikes can also be used to channel touch spells - see the multiclassing section for more details.

Base Damage Increases

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• Battlefist^ECS: An item for warforged^ECS which increases their unarmed strike's base damage by one size and allows it to be enchanted. It also increases the warforged's racial slam damage, making for a good combo with Beast Strike^Dr355.
  
• Bones of Li-Peng^WoL: At 13th level grants a power that functions identically to a monk's belt (except that non-monks can't add their Wis to AC) and stacks with it.
  
• Empty Hand Mastery^OA: Your unarmed strikes deal damage as one size larger. You are granted this ability automatically if you have Eagle Claw Attack^CW, Fists of Iron^CW, Kiai Shout^CW, Power Attack, and 4 ranks in Bluff.
  
• Fanged Ring^DM: Grants Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Natural Attack (unarmed strike) as bonus feats, and inflicts 1 point of Con damage on an unarmed crit.
  
• Fighter (Wallop^DL:RoA ACF): From the "second-party" supplement Dragonlance: Races of Ansalon - available only to kender and half-kender. Replaces the fighter's 1st-level bonus feat with the ability to count as one size larger while attacking with a simple or light weapon, both for damage and combat maneuvers such as trip. Half-kender is usually preferable for this, since they're both Medium-size and less likely to make the rest of the group want to strangle you.
  
• Fist of the Forest^Frost: Grants the unarmed strike of a 4th-level monk at 1st level, improving to an 8th-level monk at 3rd level, and stacking with existing monk levels.
  
• Frostrager^Frost: Your unarmed strike deals 1d6 damage while raging, increasing to 1d8 at higher levels. It's unclear how this interacts with the monk's increased unarmed damage, but should probably be interpreted as +4 effective monk levels each time. There's bonus cold damage as well, so even if they don't stack you're still getting something.
  
• Gauntlets of the Talon^MIC: If you invest a divine spell slot or have the True Believer^CD (Bahamut) feat then you gain +5 effective monk levels for determining AC, unarmed damage and ki strike (doesn't stack with a monk's belt or similar items), and can deal slashing damage with unarmed strikes. At higher levels you can also pick up the ghost touch property and a +4 bonus on grapple checks. Even if you don't form a proper bond with the item, their base power is a pair of claw attacks (for LG/NG/LN characters only) that could be combined with Beast Strike^Dr355.
  
• Heavy Weapon^MoF: For use in conjunction with a gauntlet, ward cestus^A&EG or similar weapon. Making a weapon out of a heavy material like gold or platinum causes it to deal damage as one size larger. However, you take a -4 penalty on attack rolls unless you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (heavy <weapon name>) feat or wield it in both hands, and it can't be used with Weapon Finesse.
  
• Improved Natural Attack^MM: One of your natural weapons deals damage as one size larger.
  
• Initiate of the Draconic Mysteries^Drac: Increases unarmed damage by one die step at lv4 and lv8; also increases your unarmed strikes' critical multiplier to x3 and allows them to deal slashing damage.
  
• Mighty Wallop^RotD (Wiz/Sor 1): A spell that causes a bludgeoning melee weapon to deal damage as one size larger for 1 minute/CL.
  
  • Mighty Wallop, Greater^RotD (Wiz/Sor 3): As mighty wallop, but +1 size/four levels (to a max of +5 sizes or Colossal) and with an hour-based duration.
• Monk's Belt^DMG: Grants the AC bonus and unarmed damage of a 5th level monk, stacking with any monk levels you possess. Also grants +1 daily use of Stunning Fist if you have it.
  
• Monk's Tattoo^MoF: A slotless but expensive item that grants +4 effective monk levels for determining AC bonus, speed bonus and unarmed damage. Apart from the speed bonus it's inferior to a monk's belt, which is much cheaper even if you double its price to make it slotless. It does, however, stack with the effects of the belt.
  
• Quori Shard of Ectoplasmic Fist^ECS: A slotless item that functions only for kalashtar^ECS or Inspired^ECS, increasing their unarmed damage by one size.
  
• Shifter Savagery^RoE: If you're a shifter^ECS with a trait that grants a natural weapon, then while simultaneously shifting and raging your natural weapons inflict damage as if two sizes larger. This doesn't stack with effective size increases like Improved Natural Attack, but does stack with actual size increases. You also gain the benefits of Improved Critical for all your natural weapons.
  
• Superior Unarmed Strike^ToB: Grants +4 effective monk levels for determining your unarmed damage. If you don't have monk levels, you instead gain the unarmed damage of a monk 4 levels below your character level (minimum 1st). Oddly, by RAW this means that dipping monk actually reduces the power of the feat.
  
• Swift Scion^UA:  One of the abilities you can choose at 2nd, 6th and 10th level is +4 effective monk level for determining unarmed damage.
  

Flat Bonuses

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• Beast Strike^Dr355: Add the base damage of your claw or slam attack to your unarmed strikes. It's possible to increase the damage of these attacks separately. Great when combined with warlock^CArc or psychic warrior^XPH, as these allow it to benefit from Eldritch Claws^Dr358 and claws of the beast respectively. Strength Devotion^CC also provides a powerful slam. The lv1 spells beast claws^SpC and claws of the bear^SpC are other options, the latter providing claws with base damage equal to your unarmed strike (minimum 1d8).
  
• Bracers of Lightning^MIC: As a swift action at will, you can grant all of your attacks the shock enchantment (+1d6 electricity damage) for 1 round, even touch spells. This item also continues to function while using Wild Shape, making it great for monk/druids. Part of the Raiment of the Stormwalker item set, meaning you get bonuses if you have other items from the same set.
  
• Brand of the Nine Hells^FC2: An NPC-only feat, but PCs can take it if they get DM permission. Restricted to devils and those who have done a service to one of the archdukes of Hell. The Mephistopheles option lets you take a swift action 3/day to add +1d6 fire damage to your natural attacks for 1 round, deal 1d6 fire damage to any creature that grapples or makes an unarmed strike against you, and deal 1d6 fire damage to every creature adjacent to you at the start of your turn.
  
  • Mark of Nessus^FC2: Requires Brand of the Nine Hells (Asmodeus). As a swift action 1/round you can add +1d6 damage to a single natural attack; this is implied to be hellfire damage (fire damage that ignores resistance and immunity to fire). You also get an ability which can compel enemies not to attack you.
• Carrion Gauntlet^Dr325: A +1 gauntlet that lets you cast vampiric touch at will (CL 5). This spell deals 5d6 damage, grants you temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt, and can be channeled through an unarmed strike (see the Touch Spells section below). Useful for monks with enlightened fist^CArc levels.
  
• Claws of the Beast^FC1: You gain a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls with natural weapons and unarmed strikes, +1 for every two Abyssal Heritor feats you possess, but you also take a -2 penalty on Sleight of Hand checks. The starting bonus isn't amazing, so take some other Abyssal Heritor feats (like Cloak of the Obyrith^FC1) first. Prerequisite for the Poison Talons^FC1 feat. Note that possessing an Abyssal Heritor feat makes your alignment chaotic (unless you have the Ordered Chaos^FC1 feat), preventing you from gaining more levels in monk.
  
• Demonic^FC1 domain: The granted power is a +1 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes and natural weapons.
  
• Drunken Master^CW: Improvised weapons deal unarmed strike damage plus a small bonus (1d4 to 1d12 depending on class levels), and inflict bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage as appropriate to the object. Larger improvised weapons can be wielded in two hands, and at lv4 you can gain reach or +2 to disarm checks from them.
  
• Elixir of Flaming Fists^MIC: A 300gp potion that adds +1d6 fire damage to your unarmed strikes for 3 minutes.
  
• Fiery Fist^PHB2: As a swift action, you can expend a use of Stunning Fist to deal +1d6 fire damage with unarmed strikes for 1 round. Also you get +1 use of Stunning Fist per day.
  
• Fire Heritage^PlH: Your unarmed strikes and natural weapons deal +1 fire damage, and you also gain +1 initiative.
  
• Fists of Iron^CW: A Stunning Fist variant that deals +1d6 damage. You can't use Stunning Fist on the same attack, and a chance of stunning is usually better.
  
• Flying Kick^CW: +1d12 damage on an unarmed charge. An unusually large bonus, particularly if you have Pounce.
  
• Hammer Fist^RoF: A dwarf with this feat can make two-handed unarmed strikes (adding 1.5x Str to damage), as long as they don't use flurry of blows. There's no restriction on Decisive Strike^PHB2 though...
  
• Holy Strike^CC ACF: Your unarmed strike becomes good-aligned and deals +1d6 damage to evil targets, or vice-versa. You trade away Ki Strike (magic), which is an incredibly low cost unless you need it for a prerequisite.
  
• Mantis Leap^S&F: Vaguely-worded feat which lets you add 2x your Str modifier to damage with an unarmed charge... and possibly lets you charge as a move action.
  
• Planar Touchstone (Asharladon's Tongue)^PlH: Attuning the Planar Touchstone feat to this location grants a +1 bonus on unarmed attack rolls, and 1/day you can grant your unarmed strikes the flaming property for 1 round/character level. After using the latter ability 4 times you must return to the touchstone site to recharge it.
  
• Ring of Adamantine Touch^MIC: Your melee attacks overcome damage reduction as adamantine weapons. Most characters can just pick up an actual adamantine weapon, but for hand-to-hand builds this is far more valuable. Note that the Ki Strike class feature eventually replicates this effect if you have a high effective monk level, and ToB has maneuvers that let you penetrate DR a few times per encounter.
  
• Sanctify Ki Strike^BoED: Good-only. Your unarmed strikes become good-aligned and deal +1 damage to evil creatures, or +1d4 to evil outsiders and evil undead. Prerequisite for Fist of the Heavens^BoED and Holy Ki Strike^BoED.
  
  • Holy Ki Strike^BoED: Your unarmed strikes gain the holy enchantment (+2d6 damage to evil creatures), replacing the damage bonus from Sanctify Ki Strike.
• Shockrod^Dr351: A set of "bracers" that adds +1d6 electricity damage to your unarmed strikes and touch spells, but you take nonlethal damage equal to half that. Costs only 1,500gp, but requires the Technomagical Implant^Dr351 feat to use.
  
• Spike Stones^FF: A maug graft that adds +1d4 piercing damage to all natural attacks, and +2d4 to grapple. It's nonmagical and doesn't take up a body slot. A bargain at only 4,000gp.
  
• Sun Soul Monk^CoV (Selune): Your unarmed strikes deal +1 cold damage and strike as silver weapons. You also count as +3 levels higher for determining your speed bonus, but only in moonlight or starlight.
  
• Touch of Golden Ice^BoED: Good-only. Whenever you touch an evil creature, they must make a Fortitude save or be exposed to golden ice^BoED, a ravage. Ravages are like poisons, except that they only affect evil creatures; note that they're often banned because of how heavily they tie into BoED's... unique perspective on morality (drinking beer is considered more evil than melting a greedy man's flesh, on the grounds that only beer causes direct pain). The save DC is low and doesn't scale by level, but the Dex damage can be ridiculous (1d6+target's Cha modifier) and if you spam enough attacks then your target will fail their roll at some point... probably.
  
• Vile Ki Strike^BoVD: Evil-only. Whenever you inflict damage with an unarmed strike you also inflict 1 point of vile damage, which cannot be healed or recovered except by using healing magic inside a holy area (such as a hallow or consecrate effect).
  
• White Scorpion Strike^RoE: Your unarmed strikes deal +1d6 damage to undead and become ghost touch weapons. However, you must be a drow... using half-drow or one of the various versions of lesser drow is recommended.
  

[Prime32]

Stunning Fist
There are a surprising number of ways for a monk to increase the save DC of their Stunning Fist, as well as alternate special attacks powered by Stunning Fist uses.

Some of the items below also improve Quivering Palm, but that ability is almost impossible to build around (the 1/week restriction is absurd, very little support material has been printed for it, and large numbers of enemies are immune to death effects by the time you get it).

(click to show/hide)

• Ability Focus (Stunning Fist): Increases your Stunning Fist's save DC by +2.
  
• Anchoring Strike^Dr306: Instead of stunning an opponent, you can create a dimensional anchor effect as a spell-like ability (no saving throw). Cannot be combined with Stunning Fist or Flurry of Blows.
  
• Argent Fist^FoE: At lv1 this monk/paladin PrC grants any monk weapon you wield the ki focus property, and lets you add your class level to the save DC whenever you combine Stunning Fist with Smite Evil (it's a 10-level class).
  
• Ascetic Hunter^CAdv: When using Stunning Fist against a Favored Enemy, add half your Favored Enemy bonus to the save DC. Sadly, choosing an exotic creature type like undead doesn't let you stun them.
  
• Ascetic Rogue^CAdv: If you use Stunning Fist as part of a sneak attack, its save DC increases by +2. Also your rogue levels advance your unarmed damage.
  
• Bane of the Clockwork^Dr351 ACF: Replaces Slow Fall and your lv6 bonus feat. At lv3, constructs lose their immunity to your Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm. Your unarmed strikes can also inflict critical hits to constructs.
  
• Black Panda Mastery I^Dr309: Increases your Stunning Fist's save DC by +2, stacking with Ability Focus. You are granted this ability automatically if you have the Combat Expertise, Dodge, and Pain Touch feats.
  
• Black Panda Mastery II^Dr309: If you qualify for Black Panda Mastery I, and also have Extra Stunning, Distant Touch^Dr309 and Freezing the Lifeblood, then your stunning and Freezing the Lifeblood attacks inflict 1 point of Con damage on a failed save.
  
• Disrupting Strike^Dr355: A Stunning Fist variant that forces shapechangers into their natural forms rather than stunning. You must be a shifter^ECS to select this feat.
  
• Exotic Weapon Master^CW: This PrC's Stunning Blow option lets you channel Stunning Fist through attacks with exotic melee weapons (which includes a number of monk weapons).
  
• Extra Stunning^CW: You gain 3 additional uses of Stunning Fist per day.
  
• Falling Star Strike^OA: A Stunning Fist variant that blinds a humanoid target for 1 round/level on a failed save.
  
• Falling Sun Attack^ToB: You can combine Stunning Fist with a Setting Sun strike, increasing the save DC of both by +1. Note that most Setting Sun strikes are based around trip attempts - that is, a touch attack followed by a Str check (or a Dex check with the right feats) rather than a regular attack - and can be combined with Improved Trip.
  
• Fist of Dal Quor^SoS: A PrC for kalashtar^ECS and empty vessels^ECS. Grants the ability to use Stunning Fist with any weapon, and expend power points to increase its save DC.
  
• Fist of the Heavens^BoED: You must be good. Evil creatures take a -2 penalty on saving throws against your Stunning Fist, and are staggered on the round after they're stunned.
  
• Forceful Staff Style^Ghost: You can deliver Stunning Fist through a quarterstaff attack. If you succeed in stunning your opponent, you may then make a bull rush attempt against them as a free action.
  
• Freezing the Lifeblood^CW: Lets you make a Stunning Fist attack that deals no damage, but paralyses a humanoid target for 1d4+1 rounds. Immunity to stunning blocks the paralysis.
  
• Gharyn's Monastic Array^MIC: A set of items consisting of the Cobra Straps, Panther Mask and Scorpion Kama. While useful in their own right, you gain a +1 bonus to your Stunning Fist DC whenever you use two of them at once. If you use all three, then whenever you inflict a critical hit with the Scorpion Kama it's considered a Stunning Fist attack.
  
• Hazing Strike^SoS: Any creature you successfully stun with your Stunning Fist loses their "nonmagical altered mental states" like psionic focus or rage, and can't regain them for 2 rounds.
  
• Ki Focus enchantment: A melee weapon with this enchantment can deliver "special ki attacks", including Ki Strike and stuff like Stunning Fist.
  
• Ki Straps^S&F: These gloves increase the save DC of your Stunning Fist by +5.
  
• Meditation of War Mastery^OA: Increase the DC of Stunning Fist and similar "pressure point" attacks by +2 (stacking with Ability Focus), and you gain Weapon Focus as a bonus feat (choosing the weapon from a short list). You are granted this ability automatically if you have Falling Star Strike^OA, Fists of Iron^CW, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, and 6 ranks in Jump and Tumble.
  
• Mind-Shattering Strike^MM5: Kuo-toa only. Grants an alternate use of Stunning Fist that forces the target to attack the nearest non-kuo-toa next round on a failed Will save. Also grants +1 daily use of Stunning Fist.
  
• Northern Star Mastery^Dr315: You gain an alternate use of Stunning Fist that pushes targets 10ft away unless they succeed on a Will save, inflicting 1d6 damage if they collide with a solid object. You are granted this ability automatically if you have the Combat Expertise, Falling Star Strike^OA, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Pain Touch^CW and Unbalancing Strike^OA feats.
  
• Pain Touch^CW: If you successfully stun a creature with Stunning Fist, it is nauseated on the next round after it is stunned. Creatures more than one size category larger than you are immune.
  
• Paralyzing Fists^DotU: If you successfully stun a creature with Stunning Fist twice in the same round, they must make another Fortitude save (at a -1 penalty for each time they were stunned) or instead become paralysed for 1d2 rounds. Note that using Stunning Fist multiple times per round normally requires the Rapid Stunning^CW feat.
  
• Pharaoh's Fist^Sand: Creatures adjacent to the target of your Stunning Fist must also make saves or be stunned.
  
• Pressure Point Strike^Dr336: Kenshiro: the feat. Grants a ton of alternate ways to use Stunning Fist (including paralysis, poison and antimagic), but they cost multiple daily uses and only work on Giants, Humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids. You can also use Stunning Fist in reverse, poking allies to remove negative conditions.
  
• Rapid Stunning^CW: You can use Stunning Fist (or attacks that count as a use of Stunning Fist) 1 additional time per round (rather than just 1/round). You can take this feat multiple times.
  
• Rattlesnake Strike^Sand: You can make an attack that poisons targets on a failed save (initial and seconday damage 1d3 Con) rather than stunning them.
  
• Sapphire Fist^MoI: You can invest essentia into Stunning Fist to increase your damage and save DC. See Magic of Incarnum for more details on essentia.
  
• Shadow Guard^Dr303: Increase the DC of Stunning Fist, Falling Star Strike^OA and Freezing the Lifeblood^CW by +2 (stacking with Ability Focus). You are granted this ability automatically if you have Falling Star Strike^OA, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Iron Will, Pain Touch^CW, and 6 ranks in Concentration.
  
• Shen [monkey]^Dr319: At 3rd level they get the Monkey King Staff class feature, allowing them to use Stunning Fist with quarterstaff attacks (and also Weapon Finesse when wielding it as a double weapon).
  
• Stunning Master^SoS: You can use monk weapons to deliver Stunning Fists, as well as any other special attacks that have Stunning Fist as a prerequisite. Unlike Ki Focus, this extends to ranged attacks.
  
• Sudden Willow Strike^PGtE: You can use a quarterstaff to deliver Stunning Fist. Inferior to Forceful Staff Style though.
  
• Sun School^CW: A feat that grants three benefits. One of them is that if you successfully stun an enemy with an unarmed strike on two successive rounds, they become confused for 1d4 rounds afterwards.
  
• Sun Soul Monk (Lathander)^CoV: You can force an undead creature struck by your unarmed strike to make a Will save or be turned, as if by Turn Undead. There's no HD limit, but it gets to add its turn resistance as a bonus on its saving throw. You get one free use per day, and can expend uses of Stunning Fist or Turn Undead for more. Works well with a cleric dip (you can choose Travel as one of your domains to pick up Travel Devotion^CC at the same time).
  
• Unbalancing Strike^OA: A Stunning Fist variant that causes a humanoid target to lose their Dex bonus to AC for 1 round on a failed save, as well as take a -2 penalty to AC.
  
• Weakening Touch^CW: Lets you make a Stunning Fist attack that deals no damage, but inflicts a -6 Strength penalty to a humanoid target for 1 minute. Immunity to stunning blocks the effect.

[Prime32]

Bonus Feats
Below is a list of all bonus feats a monk may select at 1st, 2nd and 6th levels, as well as options that replace them. If a feat is listed as part of a fighting style (FS) then you must have chosen all your lower-level bonus feats from the same style.
In order of priority, from highest to lowest: Alternate Class Feature > Substitution Level > Fighting Style > Standard Choices

You don't need to meet these feats' prerequisites unless they're marked with a * below, meaning that a level or two in monk is an excellent way to pick up some feats that would normally require heavy investment (eg. gaining Improved Trip without Combat Expertise and Int 13).

Lv1

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• Animal Affinity^PHB (Shinto Monk³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good.
  
• Ascetic Stalker^CS: Multiclass monk/ninja feat.
  
• Blind-Fight^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Bonus Feat (Martial Monk^Dr310 FS): Gain a bonus feat from the fighter list. RAW you can ignore the prereqs, but this almost certainly wasn't intended. This fighting style is technically an ACF - besides the feats it also adds Intimidate to your class skills, removes all Knowledge skills, and reduces your monk skill points by 1 per level.
  
• Choke Hold^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): If you can pin an enemy for 1 full round, they must make a Fort save or fall unconscious for 1d3 rounds. Kind of hard to set up, but devastating if you do.
  
• Combat Expertise^PHB (Passive Way^UA FS):
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB (Invisible Eye^UA FS):
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB (Wing Chun Kuen^Dr334 FS):
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Defensive Metered Foot^Dr337 (The Metered Style^Dr337 FS): Choose one opponent. Every time it attacks you and misses, you gain a +1 bonus to AC against it. This stacks to a max of +5, but resets to 0 if it hits you. Switching to focus on another opponent is a free action which forfeits your existing bonuses. Has some synergy with the Battleshifter Training and Dancing with Shadows feats from Races of Eberron.
  
• Defensive Throw^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): If the target of your Dodge feat attacks you and misses, you can make a trip attempt against them as an attack of opportunity.
  
• Diehard^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): The OA version is called Remain Conscious.
  
• Dodge^PHB (Cobra Strike^UA FS):
  
• Dodge^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Draconic Fist^DM (ACF): 1/day per monk level you can take a swift action to have your next unarmed attack deal +1d6 damage, of an elemental energy type chosen when you gain the ability. You gain an extra +1d6 at every 5th monk level, but it's still pretty weak. If it applied to every attack for 1 round then maybe it could be interesting.
  
• Eagle Claw Attack^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): When making unarmed strikes against objects, add your Wis bonus to damage.
  
• Earth's Embrace^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): You can choose to deal +1d12 damage each round while pinning an opponent, but other opponents gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls against you. The OA version instead converts the damage into automatic critical hits.
  
• Endurance^PHB (Kyokushinkai Karate^Dr334 FS):
  
• Endurance^PHB (Sacred Path of Heironeous³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Heironeous.
  
• Endurance^PHB (Sacred Path of Hextor³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful evil and worship Hextor.
  
• Fear No Binds^Dr355 (Shackled Beast^Dr355 FS): Must be a shifter^ECS. You take no penalty to attack rolls when grappling, and no penalty to attack rolls or Dexterity when entangled. You can make unarmed strikes while bound as long as your bindings are nonmagical. Also there's a bonus for when you get caught in nets.
  
• Falling Star Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): Gives you an alternate use of Stunning Fist, blinding your target for 1 round/character level instead of stunning them.
  
• Fists of Iron^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): Expend a use of Stunning Fist to deal +1d6 damage with your next unarmed strike.
  
• Flying Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): Deal +1d12 damage on unarmed charges. The OA version deals double damage instead.
  
• Freezing the Lifeblood^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): Gives you an alternate use of Stunning Fist, which deals no damage but paralyses any humanoid for 1d4+1 rounds (Fort negates).
  
• Grappling Block^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): 1/round you can make a special attack of opportunity when attacked by a melee weapon up to two sizes larger than you. You and your opponent make opposed attack rolls, and if you win then the weapon is disarmed before it can hit you.
  
• Greater Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): When you use Kiai Shout, targets who fail their saves are panicked for 2d6 rounds. The OA version is called Great Ki Shout.
  
• Great Throw^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): When you use the benefit of Improved Trip with an unarmed strike, your followup attack automatically hits as long as the target is your size or smaller. You can also choose to move the target to any point within your reach. The text was left out of the book by mistake, but it can be found in the errata or here.
  
• Improved Combat Expertise^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): Your Combat Expertise feat is capped at your BAB (like Power Attack), rather than +5. The version in OA is called Superior Expertise.
  
• Improved Grapple^PHB:
  
• Improved Grapple^PHB (Denying Stance^UA FS):
  
• Improved Grapple^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Improved Initiative^PHB (Wushu^Dr334 FS):
  
• Improved Initiative^PHB (Sacred Path of Wee Jas³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship Wee Jas.
  
• Improved Initiative^PHB (Sacred Path of Yondalla³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Yondalla.
  
• Improved Sunder^PHB (Sacred Path of Moradin³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Heironeous.
  
• Improved Trip^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Inertial Armor^PH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): A 3.0 feat that was turned into a power for 3.5. You could interpret this as Expanded Knowledge (inertial armor) or replace the feat's "while you have at least 1 power point" with "while you have psionic focus".
  
• Iron Will^PHB (Buddhist Monk^Dr358 FS):
  
• Iron Will^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): 3/day as a standard action, you can force every enemy within 30ft to make a Will save or become shaken for 1d6 rounds, as long as they have fewer HD than you. That last part could be a problem (unless you fight only NPCs with class levels, not monsters), but a bard ally can help out by using Inspire Greatness to grant you bonus HD. The OA version is called Ki Shout and works 1/day.
  
• Mental Leap^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Mobility^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Monastic Training^ECS (Eberron Monk^ECS): Allows a monk to multiclass with one other class without penalty. Also a prereq for Tashalatora^SoX.
  
• Opportunity Power^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): From an article for 3.0 psionics; originally granted Power Touch, which was replaced by/nerfed to Opportunity Power in 3.5.
  
• Pain Touch^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): After stunning an enemy with Stunning Fist, they are also nauseated on the next round. Does not work on creatures more than one size larger than you.
  
• Persuasive^PHB (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Power Attack^PHB (Overwhelming Attack^UA FS):
  
• Power Attack^PHB (Thunder Fists^Dr299 ACF): You must be a dwarf.
  
• Prone Attack^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): You take no penalty on attack rolls while prone, and after a successful attack you can stand up as a free action.
  
• Psionic Charge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Psionic Dodge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Psionic Fist^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Psionic Talent^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): From an article for 3.0 psionics; originally granted Inner Strength, which was replaced by/buffed to Psionic Talent in 3.5.
  
• Purifying Flame^CoV (Phoenix Disciple SL): Basically the same thing as Draconic Fist^DM, but limited to fire damage and doesn't scale. On the plus side it's a free action 1/round, rather than a swift action.
  
• Roundabout Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^UA): Whenever you score an unarmed critical, make another unarmed attack against the same target at the same bonus.
  
• Self-Sufficient^PHB (Franciscan Friar³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good.
  
• Skill Focus^PHB (Illuminated Monk^Dr340 SL): May be applied to any skill.
  
• Soulwarp Strike^CM (ACF): 1/day per monk level (but no more than once per round) you can have your next unarmed strike nauseate its target for 1 round, or sicken them for 1 round if they succeed on a Fort save. Counts as a necromancy effect.
  
• Speed of Thought^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Stand Still^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Stealthy^PHB* (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Stunning Fist^PHB:
  
• Stunning Fist^PHB (Hand and Foot^UA FS):
  
• Stunning Fist^CoV:WE (Hin Disciple SL): Must be a halfling, but there are few reasons not to just take the feat normally.
  
• Stunning Fist^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA):
  
• Toughness^PHB (Undying Way^UA FS):
  
• Track^PHB (Sacred Path of St. Cuthbert³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship St. Cuthbert.
  
• Unavoidable Strike^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Unbalancing Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): Expend a use of Stunning Fist; when you hit a humanoid with an unarmed strike, they must make a Reflex save or lose their Dex bonus to AC for one round; attackers also gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against them.
  
• Underfoot Combat^RotW (Hin Disciple^CoV:WE SL): Must be a halfling.
  
• Up the Walls^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308):
  
• Weapon Focus^PHB (Knight Hospitaller³⁵⁸ FS): Can be applied to any weapon.
  
• Weapon Finesse^PHB (Sleeping Tiger^UA FS):
  

Lv2

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• Alertness^PHB (Sacred Path of St. Cuthbert³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship St. Cuthbert.
  
• Ascetic Stalker^CS: See lv1 feats.
  
• Beast Strike^Dr355 (Shackled Beast^Dr355 FS): Must be a shifter^ECS. Add your claw or slam damage to your unarmed strike and grapple damage.
  
• Bonus Feat (Martial Monk^Dr310 FS): See lv1 feats.
  
• Bonus Feat* (Kalashtar Monk^RoE SL): Gain any psionic feat as a bonus feat. Unlike normal monk bonus feats, you must meet the prerequisites as normal.
  
• Choke Hold^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Cleave^PHB (Wing Chun Kuen^Dr334 FS):
  
• Cleave^PHB (Sacred Path of Moradin³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Moradin.
  
• Combat Expertise^PHB (Buddhist Monk^Dr358 FS):
  
• Combat Expertise^PHB (Knight Hospitaller³⁵⁸ FS):
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB:
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB (Denying Stance^UA FS):
  
• Combat Reflexes^CoV:WE (Hin Disciple SL): Must be a halfling.
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Defensive Throw^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Deflect Arrows^PHB:
  
• Deflect Arrows^PHB (Hand and Foot^UA FS):
  
• Diehard^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Dodge^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Double Steel Strike^ECS (Jaeldira Monk): You must be an elf from Valenar. As a variant of the feat's normal effects, you treat double scimitars as monk weapons rather than two-bladed swords.
  
• Eagle Claw Attack^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Earth's Embrace^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Endurance^PHB (Undying Way^UA FS):
  
• Falling Star Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Fists of Iron^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Flensing Strike^ECS: You must be evil. As a full-round action you can make a single attack with a kama - if it hits then the target must make a Fort save or take a -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks for 1 minute (certain creatures are immune to this effect). If you are wielding two or more kamas then the save DC increases by +2; you still only attack once.
  
• Flowing Blade^Web*: Must be kalashtar or Inspired. You can treat your mind blade as a monk weapon, which is incredible for Soulbow^CPsi builds.
  
• Flying Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Freezing the Lifeblood^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Grappling Block^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Greater Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Great Throw^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Initiative^PHB (Sleeping Tiger^UA FS):
  
• Improved Bull Rush^PHB (Overwhelming Attack^UA FS):
  
• Improved Combat Expertise^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Feint^PHB (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Improved Grapple^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Sunder^PHB (Thunder Fists^Dr299 ACF): You must be a dwarf.
  
• Improved Trip^PHB (Passive Way^UA FS):
  
• Improved Trip^CoV:WE (Hin Disciple SL): Must be a halfling.
  
• Improved Trip^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Inertial Armor^PH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Investigator^PHB (Illuminated Monk^Dr340 SL):
  
• Iron Will^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Lightning Reflexes^PHB (Invisible Eye^UA FS):
  
• Mental Leap^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Mobility^PHB (Cobra Strike^UA FS):
  
• Mobility^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Mobility^PHB (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Monastic Training^ECS (Eberron Monk^ECS): See lv1 feats
  
• Negotiator^PHB (Illuminated Monk^Dr340 SL):
  
• Negotiator^PHB (Sacred Path of Heironeous³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Heironeous.
  
• Offensive Metered Foot^Dr337 (The Metered Style^Dr337 FS): Choose one opponent. Every time you hit it with an attack, you gain a +1 bonus on further attack rolls against it. This stacks to a max of +5, but resets to 0 if you miss. Switching to focus on another opponent is a free action which forfeits your existing bonuses. Could make for a good combo with Stormguard Warrior^ToB.
  
• Opportunity Power^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Pain Touch^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Persuasive^PHB (Sacred Path of Hextor³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful evil and worship Hextor.
  
• Power Attack^PHB (Wushu^Dr334 FS):
  
• Prone Attack^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Charge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Dodge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Fist^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Talent^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Roundabout Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Skill Focus [Use Magic Device]^PHB (Sacred Path of Wee Jas³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship Wee Jas.
  
• Speed of Thought^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Stand Still^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Stunning Fist^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Toughness^PHB (Kyokushinkai Karate^Dr334 FS):
  
• Unavoidable Strike^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Unbalancing Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Up the Walls^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Vow of Chastity^BoED (Franciscan Friar³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good. Gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against charms and phantasms, as long as you remain chaste. While I think this is the only way to gain this feat without having Sacred Vow, the only thing with Vow of Chastity as a prereq is a PrC that turns you into a mouthpiece for the DM.
  
• Vow of Purity^BoED (Shinto Monk³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good. Gain a +4 bonus on saving throws vs disease and death effects, as long as you avoid touching dead creatures. Like Vow of Chastity, I think this is the only way to avoid the Sacred Vow prereq.
  
• Weapon Finesse^PHB (Halfling Monk^RotW SL):
  
• Weapon Finesse^PHB (Sacred Path of Yondalla³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Yondalla.
  
• Whirling Steel Strike^ECS (Eberron Monk^ECS): You must be a non-evil worshipper of Dol Dorn. Allows you to treat longswords as monk weapons.
  

Lv6

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• Ascetic Stalker^CS: See lv1 feats.
  
• Blind-Fight^PHB (Invisible Eye^UA FS):
  
• Blind-Fight^PHB (Sacred Path of Wee Jas³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship Wee Jas.
  
• Blur of Motion^CoV:WE (Hin Disciple SL): Must be a halfling. If you have at least 5 ranks in Tumble, as a full-round action you can both use Total Defense and make a single attack against a Large or larger creature.
  
• Bonus Feat (Martial Monk^Dr310 FS): See lv1 feats.
  
• Choke Hold^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Combat Reflexes^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Defensive Throw^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Diehard^PHB (Undying Way^UA FS):
  
• Diehard^PHB (Franciscan Friar³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good.
  
• Diehard^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Diehard^PHB (Sacred Path of Moradin³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Moradin.
  
• Disrupting Strike^Dr355 (Shackled Beast^Dr355 FS): Must be a shifter^ECS. Gives you an alternate use of Stunning Fist, which reverts a shapeshifter to their true form instead of stunning them. This fighting style doesn't actually give you Stunning Fist for some reason, so you'll need to pick it up the hard way. Or it would be a fair houserule to say you get a pool of Stunning Fist uses but can only use them to power this feat.
  
• Dodge^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Double Steel Strike^ECS (Jaeldira Monk): See lv2 feats.
  
• Eagle Claw Attack^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Earth's Embrace^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Falling Star Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Fists of Iron^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Flensing Strike^ECS: See lv2 feats.
  
• Flowing Blade^Web*: See lv2 feats.
  
• Flying Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Freezing the Lifeblood^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Grappling Block^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Greater Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Great Throw^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Bull Rush^PHB (Thunder Fists^Dr299 ACF): You must be a dwarf.
  
• Improved Combat Expertise^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Critical [unarmed strike]^PHB (Wing Chun Kuen^Dr334 FS):
  
• Improved Disarm^PHB:
  
• Improved Disarm^PHB (Denying Stance^UA FS):
  
• Improved Disarm^PHB (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Improved Feint^PHB (Passive Way^UA FS):
  
• Improved Feint^PHB (Wushu^Dr334 FS):
  
• Improved Grapple^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Overrun^PHB (Overwhelming Attack^UA FS):
  
• Improved Sunder^PHB (Sleeping Tiger^UA FS):
  
• Improved Trip^PHB:
  
• Improved Trip^PHB (Hand and Foot^UA FS):
  
• Improved Trip^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Improved Trip^PHB (Sidewinder Monk^Dr331 ACF): Part of a variant class which replaces the monk's normal bonus feat options among other things.
  
• Inertial Armor^PH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Intuitive Attack^BoED (Buddhist Monk^Dr358 FS): Use your Wis modifier in place of your Str modifier on attack rolls with simple and natural weapons.
  
• Iron Will^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Kiai Shout^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Meditative Focus (Illuminated Monk^Dr340 SL): 1/day at dawn, you may meditate to gain Skill Mastery in any one skill (as a rogue) for 24 hours.
  
• Mental Leap^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Mobility^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Mobility^PHB (Sacred Path of Yondalla³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Yondalla.
  
• Monastic Training^ECS (Eberron Monk^ECS): See lv1 feats.
  
• Nymph's Kiss^BoED (Shinto Monk³⁵⁸ FS): You must be good. You gain a +1 bonus on saves vs spells and spell-like abilities, a +2 bonus on Charisma-based checks, and +1 skill point per level.
  
• Opportunity Power^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Pain Touch^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Power Attack^PHB (Sacred Path of St. Cuthbert³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful neutral and worship St. Cuthbert.
  
• Prone Attack^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Charge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Dodge^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Fist^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Psionic Talent^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Roundabout Kick^CW* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Speed of Thought^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Spring Attack^PHB (Cobra Strike^UA FS):
  
• Stand Still^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Stunning Fist^PHB* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Technomagical Implant^Dr351: You gain the ability to use a set of incredibly cheap magical items with unique and useful effects (untyped bonuses! save DCs that scale with your character! add shocking to your unarmed strikes for cheaper than a +1 weapon!). The guidelines for the DM to create new technomagical items are to reduce the cost of a standard item by 25%, but some of the examples have 50% discounts or more.
  
• Toughness^PHB (The Metered Style^Dr337 FS):
  
• Track^PHB (Broken One^CoV SL): Must be a worshipper of Ilmater. Comes with a +10 bonus when tracking a follower of Loviatar, and you can see a mental image of their true form by touching someone they injured in the last hour.
  
• Unavoidable Strike^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Unbalancing Strike^OA* (Martial Arts^OA): See lv1 feats.
  
• Up the Walls^XPH* (Psions of the Orient^Dr308): See lv1 feats.
  
• Weapon Focus [unarmed strike]^PHB (Kyokushinkai Karate^Dr334 FS):
  
• Weapon Specialization^PHB (Knight Hospitaller³⁵⁸ FS): Must be applied to the weapon for which you chose Weapon Focus at lv1.
  
• Weapon Specialization [longsword]^PHB (Sacred Path of Heironeous³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful good and worship Heironeous.
  
• Weapon Specialization [flail]^PHB (Sacred Path of Hextor³⁴⁶ FS): You must be lawful evil and worship Hextor.
  
• Whirling Steel Strike^ECS (Eberron Monk^ECS): See lv2 feats.
  

[Prime32]

Monk Weapons
Besides the standard weapons you can use as part of a flurry of blows, a few others have been printed in various sources. Still more weapons can be unlocked by feats and PrCs. Dragon #330 also has some mini-ACFs which change your monk weapons and proficiencies, but nothing else. Anything marked with a * requires you to gain proficiency with it from another source before you can use it properly.

With the Stunning Master^SoS feat you can deliver a Stunning Fist or derived attack through monk weapons. The ki focus magic item property lets you channel all ki-based attacks (including Stunning Fist, Quivering Palm and ki strike) through a melee weapon as if you were unarmed, regardless of whether the weapon is a monk weapon. Some weapons have unique options with similar effects.

Note that simple weapons are compatible with the Intuitive Attack^BoED feat (Wis to attack rolls) while exotic ones can be used to enter the Exotic Weapon Master^CW PrC. A character with levels in a martial adept^ToB class may also want to use a discipline weapon (unarmed strikes themselves are discipline weapons for Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon and Tiger Claw).

(click to show/hide)

• Butterfly Sword^OA: It's a short sword that deals slashing damage.
  
• Club: Available via the Ghurka, Krabi-Krabong and Philipino Martial Arts ACFs, all found in Dragon #330. Oriental Adventures makes jo (which use club stats) a standard option for all monks. Can be targeted by the shillelagh spell for a damage boost.
  
• Crescent Blade^Dn100*: An exotic heavy mace that deals slashing damage. Fairly pointless.
  
• Cutting Wheel^SoS*: It's a dagger that gives you +2 vs disarm attempts instead of being easy to hide. Meh. Grants access to the Wind and Fire^SoS feat, which lets you inflict a bleeding wound whenever you hit a creature with two wheels in the same round (1 damage/round until healed; multiple wounds stack).
  
• Dagger: Available via the Philipino Martial Arts^Dr330 ACF. Allows you to make use of some dagger-focused PrCs like Invisible Blade^CW, or a spectral dagger^MIC for improved accuracy. You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Shadow Hand^ToB discipline.
  
• Double Crescent Blade^Dn100*: Identical to a lajatang^OA (possibly even in appearance), except that monks aren't automatically proficient with it.
  
• Double Scimitar^ECS*: A Valenar elf monk may take a variant of the Double Steel Strike^ECS feat as their bonus feat at 2nd or 6th level, applying its benefits to double scimitars instead of two-bladed swords. Used by the Revenant Blade^PGtE PrC.
  
• Flail*: Available via the Sacred Path of Hextor^Dr346 fighting style. Try fluffing it as a two-section staff.
  
• Japute^Dr352*: Available via the Kahiko^Dr352 feat. Essentially an exotic dagger that's hard to disarm and grants a bonus on Climb checks. The Kahiko Master^Dr352 feat lets you use it to deliver a Stunning Fist, among other benefits. If you're playing the Savage Tides campaign, the Olman Tribes affiliation grants proficiency for free.
  
• Jitte^OA: Identical to nunchaku, but deal slightly lower damage.
  
• Hook Sword^SoS*: A one-handed weapon that deals either 1d8 slashing damage or 1d6 piercing damage whenever you attack, and grants a +2 bonus on attack rolls made as part of a disarm attempt (while the bonus isn't as big as a sai, you don't take the penalty for using a light weapon). The Flying Tiger^SoS feat lets you use a pair of hook swords as a reach weapon that can also strike adjacent foes (but possibly only on your turn).
  
• Kama: It's a trip weapon. The Flensing Strike^ECS feat requires you to attack with a kama, and a Scorpion Kama^MIC lets you use your unarmed damage in place of the weapon's base damage. Discipline weapon for the Tiger Claw^ToB discipline.
  
• Kaua'koi^Dr352*: Available via the Kahiko^Dr352 feat. An exotic weapon that deals bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage, but otherwise identical to a quarterstaff. The Kahiko Master^Dr352 feat lets you use it to deliver a Stunning Fist, among other benefits. If you're playing the Savage Tides campaign, the Olman Tribes affiliation grants proficiency for free.
  
• Kukri: Available via the Ghurka^Dr330 ACF. Compatible with the Invisible Blade^CW PrC. Discipline weapon for the Tiger Claw^ToB discipline.
  
• Lajatang^OA: Like a quarterstaff, if it did slightly more damage and the damage was slashing.
  
• Light Hammer: Available via the Thunder Fists^Dr299 ACF for dwarven monks, replacing the kama. Not very useful unless you're trying to build around the Hammer's Edge^CW feat.
  
• Light Mace: Available via Sun Soul Monk^CoS:W lv1, which also grants the proficiency. Opens up access to the Lightning Mace^CW feat for potentially silly numbers of attacks. Many magic rods function as light maces. Discipline weapon for the Desert Wind^ToB discipline.
  
• Light Weapon (any one)*: Available via the Unorthodox Flurry^Dr279 feat (also in Dragon Compendium). If it's a simple or martial weapon, then you get proficiency in it for free, but if it's an exotic weapon you need proficiency first. Otherwise flurry of blows is the only prerequisite, making this easy to pick up.
  
• Light Melee Weapons (all)*: Available via Shou Disciple^UE lv3.
  
• Longspear*: Available via the Pole Fighter^DrComp, Pole Master^SoS or Serpent Strike^ECS feats. All options have Weapon Focus as a prerequisite.
  
• Longstaff^CAdv*: If you're proficient with a longstaff then you may treat it as a quarterstaff for the Weapon Focus feat chain, and you can't be flanked in any round where you fight defensively, use total defense, or use Combat Expertise.
  
• Longsword*: Available via the Sacred Path of Heironeous^Dr346 fighting style, or the Whirling Steel Strike^ECS feat. In addition, the Crysanthenum Blade^Dr351 is a magic longsword which is always treated as a monk weapon. Discipline weapon for the Devoted Spirit^ToB, Iron Heart^ToB and White Raven^ToB disciplines.
  
• Melee Weapons (all)*: Available via Shou Disciple^UE lv5.
  
  • Bastard Sword*: You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Diamond Mind^ToB and Iron Heart^ToB disciplines.
    
  • Heavy Mace*: You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Stone Dragon^ToB discipline.
• Meteor Hammer^Dr319*: Counts as a rope dart (including proficiency), but deals bludgeoning damage rather than piercing.
  
• Mind Blade^XPH: Available via the Flowing Blade feat, which requires Weapon Focus (mind blade). Applies in any of its forms, even the mind arrows of a Soulbow^CPsi.
  
• Monk's Cane^SoS: The same stats as nunchaku, but with a 10ft range increment and special rules that let you conceal that it's a weapon.
  
• Monk's Spade^SoS: A double weapon that's basically a combination of a heavy mace and a battleaxe.
  
• Nekode^OA: Identical to a spiked gauntlet. Some nekode also grant a +1 circumstance bonus on Climb checks, though it doesn't stack with a climber's kit.
  
• Nunchaku: Grants a +2 bonus on attack rolls made as part of a disarm attempt. A sai is generally superior, having only -1 lower damage. Discipline weapon for the Setting Sun^ToB discipline.
  
• Polearm (any one)*: Available via the Pole Fighter^DrComp or Pole Master^SoS feats, though Pole Master applies only to "hafted weapons with reach". Both feats have Weapon Focus as a prereq.
  
• Quarterstaff: A quarterstaff can be wielded in two hands: that's pretty much its biggest benefit. It also looks pretty inoccuous compared to most weapons. In addition to Stunning Master^SoS, you can also deliver Stunning Fist attacks with it through the Sudden Willow Strike^PGtE or Forceful Staff Style^Ghost feats (the latter of which lets you make a free bull rush on a successful stun) or levels in Monkey Shen^Dr319. There are a number of spells which target quarterstaves, including shillelagh, decastave^UE and blackstaff^MoF, not to mention that magic staves can be wielded as quarterstaves. You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Setting Sun^ToB discipline.
  
• Rope Dart^Dr319*: Basically a spiked chain that deals only 1d4 base damage... but has a reach of 15 feet.
  
• Sai: Grants a +4 bonus on attack rolls made as part of a disarm attempt... which only manages to cancel out the -4 penalty for using a light weapon. Could be beneficial to a Mantis Shen^Dr319 I guess, who negate that penalty. Discipline weapon for the Shadow Hand^ToB discipline.
  
• Scythe: Available via Reaper's Child^Dr299 lv1, which also grants the proficiency.
  
• Shimalo'koa^Dr352*: Available via the Kahiko^Dr352 feat. Functions like an exotic heavy mace. The Kahiko Master^Dr352 feat grants it a range increment of 10ft and lets you use it to deliver a Stunning Fist, among other benefits. If you're playing the Savage Tides campaign, the Olman Tribes affiliation grants proficiency for free.
  
• Shortspear: Available via the Krabi-Krabong^Dr330 ACF. Discipline weapon for the Diamond Mind^ToB discipline.
  
• Short Sword: Available via the Ghurka, Krabi-Krabong and Philipino Martial Arts ACFs, all found in Dragon #330. You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Setting Sun^ToB and Shadow Hand^ToB disciplines.
  
• Shuriken: The only decent ranged weapon among the standard monk options, mostly because magic shurikens are as cheap as magic ammo.
  
• Siangham: Only really noteworthy for its light weight in telekinesis builds. Discipline weapon for the Shadow Hand^ToB discipline.
  
• Steel Fins^Und: Identical to a spiked gauntlet, but deals slashing damage.
  
• Steel Flute^SoS: Counts as a club (you're proficient with it if you're proficient with clubs), but is also a functional flute and has the same concealment rules as a monk's cane^SoS. See club.
  
• Spear: Available via the Krabi-Krabong^Dr330 ACF. Think of it as a quarterstaff replacement, even though you don't lose the ability to use quarterstaves. You can gain Weapon Focus with this weapon as a bonus feat through the Meditation of War Mastery^OA martial art, as long as you are proficient with it. Discipline weapon for the Desert Wind^ToB discipline.
  
• Spines: Skarn^MoI have a Racial Substitution Level that lets them use their arm spines in place of normal unarmed strikes.
  
• Three-Section Staff^OA: Similar to a warhammer, but it's a two-handed weapon.
  
• Tiger Hook Sword^Dr319*: Like a flail, but deals slashing damage and grants a +2 bonus on disarm checks.
  
• Tonfa^OA: Same stats as a light mace.
  
• Two-Bladed Sword: Available via the Double Steel Strike^ECS feat. Discipline weapon for the Iron Heart^ToB discipline.
  

Proficiencies
The monk styles from Dr330 lose proficiency with the kama, nunchaku, sai, shuriken and siangham, gaining different proficiencies in their place. They also treat a different selection of weapons as monk weapons.

• Ghurka: Gains proficiency with kukri, short sword and shortbow. Treats kukri, short sword and club as monk weapons.
  
• Filipino Martial Arts: Gains proficiency with short sword, longsword and whip. Treats club, dagger, quarterstaff and short sword as monk weapons.
  
• Krabi-Krabong: Gains proficiency with short sword, spear, short spear and all shields (except tower shields). Treats club, quarterstaff, short sword, spear and short spear as monk weapons. Note that carrying a shield still disables their AC bonus, fast movement and flurry of blows.
  

Shield Bearer
A fighter alternate class from DR310, from lv2 onwards it can select the Shield Strike ability in place of a bonus feat. This counts as Improved Unarmed Strike when meeting prerequisites for feats. More importantly, for determining these feats' effects, you may treat your shield hand as a free hand and your shield bashes as unarmed strikes. Among other things, the Superior Unarmed Strike^ToB feat (and arguably Ascetic Hunter/Knight/Rogue^CAdv) should let you apply your unarmed damage to shield bashes, which you can then boost by two sizes with the bashing enchantment. You can't use your monk AC bonus while carrying a shield (unless you have levels in Argent Fist^FoE), but you can wield one in two hands.

Improvised Weapons
By default an improvised weapon deals damage (including damage type) as a normal manufactured weapon of similar shape, and requires the same number of hands to wield, but has a critical threat range of 20/x2, a range increment of 10ft, and no special properties like reach. You're never proficient with them, so you take a -4 penalty on attack rolls.

Complete Warrior expands on these mechanics, making improvised weapons more powerful and versatile:

(click to show/hide)

• Big, sturdy objects (benches, tables, etc.) grant a +2 bonus on Strength checks made as part of a bull rush.
• Objects with a lot of surface area (tables) grant a +2 shield bonus to AC while held in both hands. This is doubled when you take the total defense action.
• Objects that can ensnare things or have a lot of protrusions (cloaks, chairs, ladders) grant a +2 bonus on disarm checks, including the check to avoid being disarmed.
• Sheetlike flexible objects (carpets, tapestries) can be thrown in two hands like a net, except that they have no trailing rope and are easier to escape (a DC 10 Escape Artist check as a standard action, rather than DC 20 as a full-round action).
• Long objects (ladders) can be wielded as two-handed reach weapons.
• Objects that can wrap around things or end in protrusions (chains, stools, hat racks) can be wielded as trip weapons.

Object Weight	Handedness	Damage	Damage (sharp)	Damage (soft)	Examples
–	Not suitable for use as a weapon
Less than 2lb	Light	1d3	1d4	1d2	Mug, torch
2lb–5lb	One-handed	1d4	1d6	1d3	Lantern, manacles
6lb–10lb	One-handed	1d6	1d8	1d4	Chair, shovel
11lb–25lb	Two-handed	1d8	2d6	1d6	Ladder, small table
26lb–50lb	Two-handed	2d6	3d6	1d8	Barrel (empty)
51lb–100lb	Hulking hurler	3d6	4d6	2d6	Chest (full), big table
101lb–200lb	Hulking hurler	4d6	5d6	3d6	Cart
201lb–400lb	Hulking hurler	5d6		4d6	Wagon
+200lb		+1d6
Sharp objects count as double their normal weight for damage purposes. Soft/malleable objects (e.g. gourds) count as half, and their damage is nonlethal. Double/halve the weight thresholds for handedness for each size above/below Medium.

Special materials may be of use here. Items crafted from Darkwood (+10gp/lb) or Mithral (+500gp/lb) both weigh half as much as normal. A number of heavier-than-steel materials exist (such as blended quartz^A&EG, byeshk^ECS, or magically-treated gold and platinum^MoF) but most are only priced for weapons or armor. Urdrukar^A&EG (+500gp/lb) is also notable for granting a +2 bonus on saves against scrying for every 5lbs carried. Riverine^Storm (+2,000gp/lb) is indestructible and counts as a force effect, letting it hit incorporeal and ethereal creatures.

The following abilities improve your skill with improvised weapons:

• Bloodbound of the Red Ring^CoS affiliation: With an affiliation score of 11+, you reduce the penalties for lacking proficiency with a weapon, wielding an improvised weapon, or wielding a weapon of inappropriate size by 2. Note that monks automatically qualify for the "two or more exotic weapon proficiencies" modifier.
  
• Brawler^Dr295 PrC: At 1st level, removes the penalty on attack rolls for using an improvised weapon (but does not grant proficiency). At 2nd level, can choose "improvised weapon" for Weapon Focus and similar feats. Also gets bonuses while surrounded by enemies, and a quasi-hardness ability based on their Con modifier.
  
• Catch Off-Guard feat: Pathfinder feat.
  
• City Brawler^Dr349 ACF: An ACF for barbarians that reduces the penalty for improvised weapons to -2. See the Multiclass Monks (martial) section for full details.
  
• Drunken Master^CW PrC: Improvised weapons deal damage equal to your unarmed strike +1d4, improving up to +1d12, but shatter on a roll of a natural 1. At 4th level you can also use improvised weapons of appropriate shape as reach weapons or tower shields, or to gain a +2 bonus on disarm checks.
  
• Hulking Hurler^CW PrC: Requires Large size or larger. Reduces the penalty for thrown improvised weapons to -2, also increases their range increment if you're Huge or larger. Can throw larger improvised weapons than normal, as long as you can lift them as a light load. You also get two talents you can use when you throw a two-handed weapon as a full-round action: apply Power Attack to thrown weapon attacks within 30ft, attack a square (converting the attack into an area effect, Ref negates), knock Medium or smaller targets prone, add double your Str to damage, or throw anything you can lift as a medium load.
  
• Improvise Weapon^DL:RoA feat: Requires 1 rank in Appraise, and can be selected as a fighter bonus feat. As a full-round action you can acquaint yourself with an improvised weapon, reducing the penalty for wielding it to -2.
  
  • Greater Improvise Weapon^DL:RoA feat: As Improvise Weapon^DL:RoA, but the penalty is removed.
    
• Improvised Brawler^DL:RoA ACF: An ACF for human barbarians. Instead of fast movement, you gain a bonus on attack rolls with improvised weapons equal to your Wis modifier. This does not remove the -4 penalty, only offset it.
  
• Improvised Trip Attack^Dr295 feat: Requires BAB +3 and either Improvised Weapon Proficiency^Dr295 or levels in Brawler^Dr295. You can make a ranged trip attempt by throwing an improvised weapon, using the weapon's size in place of your own. Of note, the same article includes the Unbalancing Blow feat, which allows you to use Dex in place of Str for trip attempts.
  
• Improvised Weapon Proficiency^Dr295 feat: Reduces the penalty for improvised weapons to -2.
  

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Fighting Styles
Selecting a fighting style replaces your 1st-level bonus feat with a more unusual one, and grants a +2 bonus to a specific skill. At 2nd and again at 6th level, you may choose either to replace your bonus feat again or to forever abandon the style (removing the skill bonus and preventing you from using its alternate feats at higher levels). If you remain with your fighting style for lv6 and meet a prerequisite then you also gain a unique special ability. More detail on new feats can be found in the Bonus Feats section.

The "Sacred Path" fighting styles are devoted to a specific deity; to select them a monk must worship the deity in question and share their alignment.

Dragon #308 has some fighting styles for 3.0 psychic warriors, which give them a different power list and replace their bonus fighter/psionic feats with bonus martial arts feats (note that the same article adds a number of psionic feats to the martial arts list). These may be of interest to a monk, but are outside the scope of this section (and in any case would require conversion to work with the 3.5 psionics rules).

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• Buddhist Monk^Dr358: Requires 5 ranks in Concentration and 9 in Sense Motive. The bonus provided by Still Mind increases to +5. The automatic bonus is +2 to Sense Motive; the feats are Iron Will, Combat Expertise and Intuitive Attack^BoED. You must be lawful good to select this fighting style.
  
• Cobra Strike^UA: Requires 4 ranks in Balance and 9 in Escape Artist. The AC bonus granted by your Dodge feat increases to +2. The automatic bonus is +2 to Escape Artist; the feats are Dodge, Mobility and Spring Attack.
  
• Denying Stance^UA: Requires Combat Expertise and 9 ranks in Tumble. You gain a +2 bonus on grapple and disarm checks while fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise. The automatic bonus is +2 to Tumble; the feats are Improved Grapple, Combat Reflexes and Improved Disarm.
  
• Franciscan Friar^Dr358: Requires 4 ranks in Heal and Survival. You can use cure light wounds, purify food and drink, and remove disease as spell-like abilities each 1/day (caster level equals your monk level). The automatic bonus is +2 to Heal; the feats are Self-Sufficient, Vow of Chastity^BoED and Diehard. You must be lawful good to select this fighting style.
  
• Hand and Foot^UA: Requires 9 ranks in Balance and 4 in Tumble. You gain a +2 bonus on attacks of opportunity made against an opponent attempting to bull rush or trip you, and a +4 bonus on Dexterity or Strength checks to avoid being tripped or bull rushed. The automatic bonus is +2 to Balance; the feats are Stunning Fist, Deflect Arrows and Improved Trip.
  
• Invisible Eye^UA: Requires Agile and 9 ranks in Listen. You gain an additional +1 AC when fighting defensively, using total defense, or using Combat Expertise. The automatic bonus is +2 to Listen; the feats are Combat Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes and Blind-Fight.
  
• Knight Hospitaller^Dr358: Requires Combat Reflexes and 9 ranks in Spot. When you use Combat Expertise the bonus also extends to an adjacent ally (not stacking with other applications of Combat Expertise). The automatic bonus is +2 to Spot; the feats are Weapon Focus (any), Combat Expertise and Weapon Specialization (same weapon as Weapon Focus).
  
• Kyokushinkai Karate^Dr334: Requires Diehard and 9 ranks in Concentration. You gain +6 hit points. The automatic bonus is +2 to Survival; the feats are Endurance, Toughness, and Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).
  
• The Metered Style^Dr337: Requires Skill Focus (any Str or Dex skill) and 9 ranks in Concentration. You can always take 10 on any Str- or Dex-based skill check, similar to the rogue's Skill Mastery ability. The automatic bonus is +2 to Concentration; the feats are Defensive Metered Foot^Dr337, Offensive Metered Foot^Dr337 and Toughness.
  
• Overwhelming Attack^UA: Requires 4 ranks in Intimidate and 4 in Perform (dance). You gain a +4 bonus on Strength checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent you demoralised within the last minute. The automatic bonus is +2 to Intimidate; the feats are Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush and Improved Overrun.
  
• Passive Way^UA: Requires Skill Focus (Bluff), 4 ranks in Bluff and 4 in Sense Motive. You gain a +4 bonus on Strength checks made to trip an enemy who is denied their Dex bonus to AC. The automatic bonus is +2 to Bluff; the feats are Combat Expertise, Improved Trip and Improved Feint.
  
• Sacred Path of Heironeous^Dr346: Requires proficiency with longswords, and 4 ranks in Diplomacy. You may treat longswords as monk weapons. The automatic bonus is +2 to Diplomacy; the feats are Endurance, Negotiator and Weapon Specialization (longsword).
  
• Sacred Path of Hextor^Dr346: Requires proficiency with flails, and 4 ranks in Intimidate. You may treat flails as monk weapons. The automatic bonus is +2 to Intimidate; the feats are Endurance, Persuasive and Weapon Specialization (flail).
  
• Sacred Path of Moradin^Dr346: Requires proficiency with warhammers, and 9 ranks in Balance. When you sunder with a warhammer add half your monk level to damage. The automatic bonus is +2 to Balance; the feats are Improved Sunder, Cleave and Diehard.
  
• Sacred Path of St. Cuthbert^Dr346: Requires 9 ranks in Spot, and 4 in Survival. Whenever you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, your target takes a -1 penalty to AC and saves for 1 round per two monk levels. The automatic bonus is +2 to Survival; the feats are Track, Alertness and Power Attack.
  
• Sacred Path of Wee Jas^Dr346: Requires 9 ranks in Knowledge (religion), and 4 in Use Magic Device. Add half your monk level as a bonus on Use Magic Device checks. The automatic bonus is +2 to Use Magic Device; the feats are Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) and Blind-Fight.
  
• Sacred Path of Yondalla^Dr346: Requires Dodge and 9 ranks in Jump. Whenever you make a flurry of blows you gain a +1 bonus on saving throws for 1 round. The automatic bonus is +2 to Jump; the feats are Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse and Mobility.
  
• Shackled Beast^Dr355 Requires Two-Weapon Fighting and 9 ranks in Jump. You can make a flurry of blows at the end of a charge, an excellent bonus. The automatic bonus is +2 to Jump; the feats are Fear No Binds^Dr355, Beast Strike^Dr355 and Disrupting Strike^Dr355. You must be a shifter^ECS to select this fighting style.
  
• Shinto Monk^Dr358: Requires 4 ranks in Handle Animal and Knowledge (nature). You gain an animal companion as a druid of 1/3 your monk level - while weak, you can make it useful with the Natural Bond^CAdv feat (+3 effective druid level) and PrCs that advance companions. The automatic bonus is +2 to Knowledge (nature); the feats are Animal Affinity, Vow of Purity^BoED and Nymph's Kiss^BoED. You must be lawful good to select this fighting style.
  
• Sleeping Tiger^UA: Requires Power Attack and 9 ranks in Hide. You gain what's effectively Sudden Strike +1d6 (as a ninja), except that it applies only once per round and only works with light weapons. The automatic bonus is +2 to Hide; the feats are Weapon Finesse, Improved Initiative and Improved Sunder.
  
• Undying Way^UA: Requires 9 ranks in Concentration. You gain DR 2/- when fighting defensively, using total defense or using Combat Expertise. The automatic bonus is +2 to Concentration; the feats are Toughness, Endurance and Diehard.
  
• Wing Chun Kuen^Dr334: Requires Improved Initiative and 9 ranks in Listen. Add your Wis modifier to initiative checks while not surprised. The automatic bonus is +2 to Listen; the feats are Combat Reflexes, Cleave and Improved Critical (unarmed strike).
  
• Wushu^Dr334: Requires 9 ranks in Sense Motive and 4 in Bluff. Add half your monk level on Bluff checks made to feint in combat. The automatic bonus is +2 to Tumble; the feats are Improved Initiative, Power Attack and Improved Feint.
  

Martial Arts
Martial Art Masteries are "synergy feats" found in Oriental Adventures, Tome of Magic(!), issues #289, #301, #303, #309 and #315 of Dragon Magazine and issue #100 of Dungeon Magazine, granting automatic bonuses if your character has all the prerequisites (which usually but not always include Improved Unarmed Strike). You don't need to spend a feat slot on them. Martial arts with a roman numeral in their names have their lower-numbered versions as an additional prereq; these are omitted from the list below for the sake of brevity. Feat prereqs that are crossed out do not exist due to an editing error - the official stance is that these should be ignored.

Dragon #308 adds some martial art masteries for 3.0 psions, but they don't grant much of note.

Given the large numbers of feats required for some of these abilities, aspiring martial artists should consider taking a few levels in classes that grant bonus feats, such as fighter or psychic warrior^XPH. See the multiclassing section for more details on these classes, or the Lists of Stuff for more sources of feats. The monkey head talisman^Dr351 is of special note for those with money to burn - for 128,000gp it grants Deflect Arrows, Spring Attack and Stunning Fist as bonus feats while worn.

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• Axefury^Dr303: Requires Great Cleave and its prerequisite feats, plus Improved Sunder and Weapon Focus (any axe or hammer). When you sucessfully bull rush a creature and follow your target, you may move them an extra 5ft.
  
• Black Panda Mastery I^Dr309: If you have Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist and Pain Touch^CW, you gain a +2 to the DC of your Stunning Fist. Fairly reasonable prereqs, since Pain Touch is a good feat in its own right.
  
• Black Panda Mastery II^Dr309: If you have Extra Stunning^CW, Distant Touch^Dr309 and Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, then you inflict 1 point of Constitution damage to enemies who fail their save against your Stunning Fist or Freezing the Lifeblood.
  
• Bladesong^Dr303: Requires Combat Casting, Dodge, Mobility, longsword proficiency, and 6 ranks in Concentration and Perform (dance or ballad). While wielding a longsword you gain a +4 bonus on Concentration checks made to cast defensively.
  
• Blue Mountain Mastery I^Dr309: Requires 4 ranks in Jump, Flying Kick^CW, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Kiai Shout^CW, Power Attack and Roundabout Kick^CW, in exchange for +5ft to the distance travelled when you jump.
  
• Blue Mountain Mastery II^Dr309: Requires 8 ranks in Jump, Flying Dragon Kick, Greater Kiai Shout^CW and Roundabout Kick^CW. The benefit is +2 initiative. Note that the 3.0 version of Roundabout Kick, Circle Kick^S&F, had a significantly different effect.
  
• Broken Fist Mastery I^Dr309: Requires Dirty Fighting^S&F, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip and Improved Unarmed Strike. Lets you count as one size category larger for trip attempts - a very nice bonus for trip builds, and at little cost.
  
• Broken Fist Mastery II^Dr309: Requires Knock-Down^S&F, Lightning Fists^S&F, and Whirlwind Attack. The last of those is kind of tricky. The benefit adds half your character level as a bonus on Strength checks when making or resisting a trip attempt.
  
• Dance of Blades^Dr303: Requires Whirlwind attack, its prerequisite feats, Weapon Focus (longsword), and 6 ranks in Perform (dance) and Tumble. When you perform a Whirlwind Attack followed by a 5ft step, you may make an attack of opportunity against one creature in reach that you didn't attack with your Whirlwind Attack.
  
• Defender's Attack Mastery^Dr289: Requires Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Strike^CW, Deflect Arrows, Diehard, Dodge, Improved Combat Expertise^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist and Unbalancing Strike^OA. Once per round you can make an attack of opportunity against a creature who attacks you and misses; you may choose to apply the benefit from Defensive Strike to this attack.
  
• Empty Hand Mastery^OA: Requires Eagle Claw Attack^CW, Fists of Iron^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Kiai Shout^CW, Power Attack, and 4 ranks in Bluff. You inflict unarmed damage as if you were one size larger.
  
• Fencer's Insight^Dr301: Requires Wis 15, Alertness, Circle Master^DrComp, Circle Student^DrComp, Danger Sense, Dodge, and 5 ranks in Concentration and Sense Motive. While wearing light or no armor you gain a +1 insight bonus to AC. Danger Sense is a feat from the same article, different from the Complete Adventurer version, which requires Alertness and Wis 15 and allows you to act in the surprise round on a DC 15 Wisdom check; if you interpret the 3.5 version as an update to this feat, then the Wis 15 and Alertness prereqs would be replaced by Improved Initiative.
  
• Five Stars Mastery I^Dr315: Requires Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, and 9 ranks in Balance, Jump and Tumble. Grants a +10 bonus on Balance, Jump and Tumble checks. Superior to Foot and Fist Mastery, since the bonus is untyped and the prereqs are easier.
  
• Five Stars Mastery II^Dr315: Requires Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Mobility, Spring Attack and Whirlwind Attack. You can create a self-only haste effect for a number of rounds per day equal to your character level, which need not be consecutive (activating or deactivating the effect is a free action).
  
• Foot and Fist Mastery^OA: Requires Deflect Arrows, Fists of Iron^CW, Flying Kick^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Roundabout Kick^CW, and 5 ranks in Jump and Tumble. Grants a +10 competence bonus on Balance, Jump and Tumble checks. While big, this doesn't stack with the effects of items, lessening its use outside of Vow of Poverty builds.
  
• The Gentle Way Mastery^OA: Requires Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw^CW, Dodge, Great Throw^{OA errata}, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, and 6 ranks in Tumble. 1/day you can enter a state where you cannot move or be moved from your space, even by magical means; this lasts for 1 round/level or until you take a free action to dismiss it.
  
• Hin Fist^Dr303: Requires Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, and 6 ranks in Bluff, Jump and Tumble. When you and an ally both threaten the target of your Dodge feat, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls against them.
  
• Iron Hand Mastery^Dr315: Requires Eagle Claw Attack^CW, Endurance, Fists of Iron, Improved Sunder, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Roundabout Kick^CW and Toughness. Grants Damage Reduction 2/-. That's way too many prereqs.
  
• Koumajutsu Mastery I^Dr309: Requires Choke Hold^OA, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, and Stunning Fist. Easy enough. Grants a +2 bonus on grapple checks.
  
• Koumajutsu Mastery II^Dr309: Requires Earth's Embrace^CW, Fists of Iron^CW, Knock-Down^S&F, and Ten Ox Stomp. Grants another +2 bonus on grapple checks. Not quite as worthwhile an investment as the first tier.
  
• Longfang^Dr303: Requires Improved Critical (hafted piercing weapon), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Power Lunge^S&F, Weapon Focus (hafted piercing weapon), and 6 ranks in Hide and Move Silently. You may wield reach weapons against adjacent foes, as long as they are hafted piercing weapons. Using Power Lunge on the first round of combat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
  
• Meditation of War Mastery^OA: Requires Falling Star Strike^OA, Fists of Iron^CW, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, and 6 ranks in Jump and Tumble. The DC of your Stunning Fist and other pressure-point attacks increases by +2. You gain Weapon Focus as a bonus feat with the bastard sword, dagger, shortsword, spear, quarterstaff or heavy mace, as long as you are proficient with it. Like Black Panda Mastery I, the prereqs are very reasonable.
  
• Mercy's Blade^Dr301: Requires Str and Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Power Attack and Weapon Focus. When attacking to deal nonlethal damage with a weapon you have Weapon Focus in, you may either ignore the -4 penalty or gain a +4 bonus to damage. Works pretty well with a monk's unarmed strike, apart from the Int prereq.
  
• Might of the Hand^Dr303: Requires Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, and 6 ranks in Tumble. When unarmed and fighting defensively, you can designate a number of extra creatures as targets of your Dodge feat up to your Wisdom modifier. Becomes amazing when combined with abilities like Word Given Form^ToM below.
  
• Mighty Works Mastery I^OA: Requires Choke Hold^OA, Deflect Arrows, Fists of Iron^CW, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, and Stunning Fist. Whenever you attack with an unarmed strike on your turn, you gain a (non-stacking) +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
  
• Mighty Works Mastery II^OA: Requires Earth's Embrace^CW, Improved Trip, Iron Will and Kiai Shout^CW. Your Stunning Fist can inflict 1d4 Strength damage instead of stunning.
  
• Nimble Feet^Dr301: Requires Dash^CW, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Run, Weapon Finesse, and 5 ranks in Jump and Tumble. +10ft speed while charging, as long as you wear light or no armor and attack only with finessable weapons.
  
• Northern Fist Mastery^Dr315: Requires Combat Expertise, Falling Star Strike^OA, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Pain Touch^CW, Stunning Fist and Unbalancing Strike^OA. As a full-round action you can make a single unarmed strike out to a range of 5ft/5 levels. You can choose to deal double damage, or to channel Stunning Fist or a related feat. This is a supernatural ability.
  
• Rapier and Dagger^Dr301: Requires Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse. When you make a full attack while dual-wielding a rapier and dagger, you gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls.
  
• Shadow Guard^Dr303: Requires Falling Star Strike^OA, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Pain Touch^CW, Stunning Fist, and 6 ranks in Concentration. When using Stunning Fist, Falling Star Strike or Freezing the Lifeblood, boost its save DC by +2. Easily combined with Meditation of War Mastery^OA above for further boosts.
  
• Skullcracks^Dr303: Requires Combat Expertise, Cleave, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Power Attack. Your extra attack from Improved Trip deals +2 damage.
  
• Southern Star Mastery^Dr315: Requires Combat Expertise, Defensive Strike^CW, Dodge, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Unbalancing Strike^OA, and 9 ranks in Concentration. You gain a special attack based on Stunning Fist that forces your target to make a Will save or be telekinetically hurled 10ft away, taking 1d6 damage if it hits a solid object.
  
• Spirit's Grasp Mastery^Dr289: Requires Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Kiai Shout^CW, Whirlwind Attack (and its prereq feats), and the ability to cast castigate^SpC/CD. Whenever you render an opponent shaken with your Kiai Shout feat, you gain +1 caster level for 10 minutes. Which is way less than the caster levels you lost picking up this martial art, but whatever. Note that the Oriental Adventures version of the spell is different from ones in other sources, even 3.0 (different effect, different spell lists, one level lower).
  
• Stonegrind Wrestling^Dr303: Requires Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Unarmed Strike and Power Attack. You count as one size larger for grapple checks.
  
• Storm of Blood^Dr303: Requires Cleave, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, proficiency with the orc double axe, and 6 ranks in Heal. When you make a full attack with an orc double axe, you may take a -4 penalty on one attack to inflict a bleeding wound for 1 minute; bleeding targets take 1 damage per wound per round until the wounds are closed by magical healing or a DC 10 Heal check.
  
• Sweeping Blade Mastery^Dn100: Requires Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Weapon Focus (slashing weapon) and 4 ranks in Balance. You may use Deflect Arrows without a hand free, as long as you are wielding a non-light slashing weapon for which you have Weapon Focus. Not really worth investing in, but you could pick it up as part of building towards another martial art.
  
• Talon Swarm^Dr303: Requires Dodge, Mobility, Skill Focus (Bluff), Quick Draw, and 6 ranks in Bluff and Tumble. When you make a feint attempt it also affects the target of your Dodge feat; each creature rolls to defend against it separately.
  
• Tanglefoot^Dr303: Requires Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Trip, Weapon Finesse, Small size, and 6 ranks in Tumble and Use Rope. You are considered one size larger for making trip attempts, and the penalty for attacking for nonlethal damage is reduced from -4 to -1.
  
• Temerad Mastery I^Dr309: Requires Improved Unarmed Strike, Spring Attack and its prereq feats. You can use Dodge to gain a +2 dodge bonus against one creature, or a +1 bonus against two creatures.
  
• Temerad Mastery II^Dr309: Requires 8 ranks in Balance, Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist, Extra Stunning^CW, and Lightning Fists^S&F. Grants a +1 insight bonus to AC.
  
• Twin Swords^Dr303: Requires Greater Two-Weapon Fighting and its prerequisite feats, plus Two-Weapon Defense and 6 ranks in Intimidate. The penalties for dual-wielding one-handed weapons are reduced from -4 to -3. Even with the reduction, in most cases that's still a net -1 on all attack rolls for +1 on half your damage rolls, which just isn't worth it. If you really want to be Drizzt, just take a level of Dervish^CW so you can treat scimitars as light weapons.
  
• Winterlight^Dr303: Requires Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow), Zen Archery^CW, and 6 ranks in Craft (bowmaking). Extends the range limit on Zen Archery from 30ft up to your weapon's first range increment... but that was written for 3.0, and the 3.5 version of Zen Archery isn't restricted by range to begin with. A conservative houserule would be to extend the range of Point Blank Shot instead; a generous one would be to extend the range of precision-based attacks in general, like sneak attack.
  
• Word Given Form^ToM: Requires Improved Unarmed Strike, Spring Attack, its prereq feats, and 12 ranks in Tumble and Truespeak^ToM. You gain total concealment vs the target of your Dodge feat, which can't be penetrated by true seeing. An amazing benefit, especially when combined with Deceptive Dodge^DrComp, Defensive Throw^CW and/or Elusive Target^CW. Note that anyone who qualifies for this style also qualifies for Temerad Mastery I. The Disciple of the Word^ToM PrC is good for keeping up your Truespeak ranks, as is the Truename Training^ToM feat or any of the standard methods of adding class skills.
  
• Yuur'grot^Dr303: Requires Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, and proficiency with any flail (light, heavy or dire). You gain an additional +2 bonus on disarm attempts made with flails.
  

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Alternative Class Features
A list of every monk Alternative Class Feature that I'm aware of (except Fighting Styles, which have their own section above).

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• Bane of the Clockwork^Dr351: Replaces Slow Fall and your 6th-level bonus feat. Your unarmed strikes can inflict critical hits on Constructs, and they are no longer immune to your Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm.
  
• Decisive Strike^PHB2: Replaces Flurry of Blows. Instead of gaining extra attacks, you make a single attack that deals double damage; if you use this attack to deliver a Stunning Fist then its DC increases by +2. In addition any attack you make before the start of your next turn deals double damage, making this ACF very useful for builds that focus on attacks of opportunity. When you would gain Greater Flurry you can instead make two Decisive Strikes at different targets as part of the same action. Of note, Decisive Strike is a full-round action rather than a full attack action (making it incompatible with Pounce), but is not hindered by armor.
  
• Draconic Fist^DM: Replaces your 1st-level bonus feat. 1/day per monk level as a swift action, you can imbue your next unarmed strike with +1d6 points of fire, cold, acid or electricity damage, chosen when this class feature is gained. At every 5th level this damage increases by +1d6. The action cost makes this pretty terrible honestly, especially since it only applies to one attack.
  
• Durable^UA: Lose your unarmored speed bonus, and your AC bonus doesn't progress beyond lv1 (i.e. you add your Wis to AC, not Wis +1/five levels). Gain the barbarian's damage reduction. Usually not worth it, especially since you can't advance the DR through PrCs.
  
• Fast Movement (Swim)^Storm: Stormwrack gives the option for monks to add their Fast Movement bonus to swim speed instead of land speed... except that Fast Movement was never restricted to just land speed in the first place. Ignore.
  
• Feign Death^EoE: Replaces Evasion, and is available for any class that gains that ability. As an immediate action you can enter a deathlike state that leaves you blind and numb but otherwise aware. In this state you gain immunities similar to an inanimate object, and you register as dead to most divination magic (but your ruse can still be detected with a sufficiently high Heal check). Reviving yourself is a standard action.
  
• The Flayed Hand^Web: Add Intimidate to your class skills. You have disfiguring marks which inflict a -2 penalty on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
  
• Harmonious Form^CoS: Warforged only. Replaces Purity of Body with the ability to recover 2 hp/level by meditating for 8 hours. I.e. it gives warforged access to natural healing. While not amazingly powerful, warforged are already immune to disease so you have nothing to lose by taking it.
  
• Holy Monk^Dr310: Replaces your bonus feats at lv1 and lv6. Gain Aura of Courage, Smite Evil and Turn Undead as a paladin (at the levels a paladin would gain them), and your paladin levels stack for effecting turning level and smites per day (note that Smite Evil damage from multiple sources already stacks). You can multiclass freely between monk and paladin.
  
• Holy Strike^CC: Instead of Ki Strike (magic) your unarmed strikes get a half-strength version of the holy or unholy enchantments depending on your alignment (counts as good/evil for piercing DR, deal +1d6 damage to opposite-aligned targets). Unless your DM is doing weird things with treasure it's easy to enchant your unarmed strikes as actual magic weapons, making this always worthwhile.
  
• Hunter Monk^Dr310: Replaces Slow Fall and your lv1 bonus feat. Add Survival to your class skills. Gain the Favored Enemy and Swift Tracker class features as a ranger (at the levels a ranger would gain them), and ranger levels stack to determine your favored enemies. You can multiclass freely between monk and ranger.
  
• Invisible Fist^EoE: Probably the best first-party monk ACF in the game. Instead of Evasion you gain the ability to turn invisible for 1 round as an immediate action; note that, since this isn't the invisibility spell, you can attack without ending the effect. Instead of Improved Evasion you can create a (Su) blink effect for a number of rounds equal to your Wis modifier, again as an immediate action. After using one of these abilities you must wait 3 rounds before using it again.
  
• Martial Monk^Dr310: Reduce your skill points per level by 1. You gain Intimidate as a class skill, but lose all Knowledge skills. Your monk bonus feats are chosen from the fighter list, and you can multiclass freely between monk and fighter. By RAW your bonus feats still ignore prerequisites, thus letting you pick up things like Weapon Supremacy at lv1, but don't expect many DMs to allow this.
  
• Prayerful Meditation^CC: Instead of Still Mind, you get a +2 bonus on saves against any effects created by chaotic or evil creatures (if you are LG), chaotic or good creatures (if you are LE), or just chaotic creatures (if you are LN). While it's a more useful bonus than Still Mind, giving up Still Mind means you no longer qualify for certain feats and PrCs.
  
• Raging Monk^Dr310: Replaces Flurry of Blows, Still Mind and Quivering Palm. Gain the barbarian's Rage, Greater Rage and Mighty Rage class features. If you become chaotic then your monk and barbarian levels stack for determining your daily uses of rage, as well as when you gain the Greater Rage and Mighty Rage class features.
  
• Rhizome Strike^DL:RoA: From the "second-party" supplement Dragonlance: Races of Ansalon - available only to dark dwarves (an LA +0 version of duergar) from the Zhakar clan. Replaces wholeness of body with the ability to imbue their unarmed strikes with a magical disease 3+Con/day. The save DC isn't great, and it takes 24 hours to set in, so it's not very useful in combat. However, any dwarf infected by the disease must make a Will save every month for the rest of his life (even after the disease's normal effects end) or have his alignment shift one step towards evil. The disease cannot be cured by remove disease (though its ability damage can be removed by restoration), and its permanent effects on dwarves require a heal spell to remove.
  
• Sacred Strike^Dr346: Replaces Ki Strike and Improved Evasion. Depending on your deity you gain Smite Evil (Heironeous, Moradin or Yondalla), Smite Good (Hextor) or Smite Chaos (St. Cuthbert or Wee Jas), usable 1+Wis per day (the attack bonus is still Charisma-based). At 10th level your smite also stuns its target for 1 round unless they succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + half your monk level + your Wis modifier) or are immune to critical hits. At 16th level it also blinds the target for 1d8 rounds with no saving throw, unless they are immune to critical hits. If you become nonlawful or abandon your deity, you lose this ability. This is a pretty awesome trade, but note that it's not actually named Smite Evil (just Smite), and thus doesn't count as it for prereqs unless your DM rules otherwise. Awesome Smite^CC and Improved Smiting^CD are still decent feat choices.
  
• Shaarat'khesh^Web: Add Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (history) to your class skills; remove Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion).
  
• Shifting Steel^CoS: Warforged only. Replaces Diamond Body with the ability to deal slashing or piercing damage with your unarmed strikes. Like Harmonious Steel from the same book, its effect is minor but there's no reason not to take it.
  
• Soulwarp Strike^CM: Replaces your 1st-level bonus feat. 1/day per monk level, you can cause a living creature struck by your unarmed strike to become nauseated for 1 round, or sickened for 1 round if they succeed on a Fortitude save. Like Stunning Fist it's limited to once per round. While the effect is weaker than Stunning Fist, it's also harder to resist - creatures immune to necromancy effects are more rare than those immune to critical hits, and you get something even if your target succeeds on their save.
  
• Spell Reflection^CM: Replaces Evasion, and is available for any class that gains that ability; when you would gain Improved Evasion from the same class you instead gain Evasion. 1+Dex/day if you are targeted by a spell or spell-like ability that requires an attack roll and it misses, you can reflect it back at the caster as an immediate action.
  
• Standing Jump^Dung: Reduces your Fast Movement progression to +10ft at 12th and 18th levels. If you jump while unarmored and unencumbered, you are always treated as having a running start. This bonus applies to long jumps at lv3, and high jumps at lv6. Bear in mind that your lower speed will result in lower Jump modifiers.
  
• Steadfast Monk^Dr310: Reprinted as Durable^UA above.
  
• Thunder Fists^Dr299: For dwarven monks. Replaces the monk's bonus feats with Power Attack, Improved Sunder and Improved Bull Rush; lets them treat light hammers as monk weapons in place of kama.
  
• Unwavering Dedication^Dr346: Replaces Still Mind. Taking levels in cleric, paladin or blackguard does not prevent you from advancing in monk, and taking levels in monk does not prevent you from advancing in paladin. Often unnecessary, but I guess it's good to have the option?
  
• Vigilant Monk^Dr310: Replaces Still Mind and your bonus feats at lv2 and lv6. Gain at-will detect chaos, Uncanny Dodge at lv2, and Improved Uncanny Dodge at lv5.
  
• Wall Walker^Dung: Replaces Slow Fall. As a move action once per round, you can run up or down a vertical surface without making Climb checks, to a maximum of your Slow Fall distance (or your land speed, whichever is lower). Interestingly this lets you run up perfectly smooth surfaces that could not normally be climbed.
  
• Water Step^Storm: Replaces Slow Fall. You can walk on water for a total distance each turn equal to your normal Slow Fall distance. If while standing on water you stop moving, run out of Water Step distance or end your turn, then you sink immediately.
  
• Wholeness of Others^Dr346: You can use Wholeness of Body on other creatures by touching them, but cannot use it on yourself. If you become nonlawful or abandon your deity, you lose this ability (and do not regain Wholeness of Body).
  

Substitution Levels
Unlike ACFs, Substitution Levels replace an entire level of a class; as such they can never be combined with each other. Some Substitution Levels have prerequisites, or replace things like Hit Die or class skills for that level; where these apply, they will be mentioned only in the first entry of the set.

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• Broken One^CoV lv3: Must worship Ilmater. Heal and Survival are additional class skills for this level. Instead of Still Mind you gain Lay on Hands, as the paladin class feature, except that you treat your Charisma score as 12 if it would normally be lower.
  
• Broken One^CoV lv6: Instead of the normal monk bonus feat you gain Track and a +10 competence bonus on Survival checks to track worshippers of Loviatar, plus if you touch someone who was injured by a Loviatarite in the last hour you receive a mental image of their true appearance. While the usefulness of this ability will depend on the campaign it's still cool fluff, and Track could be useful for prereqs.
  
• Broken One^CoV lv7: Instead of Wholeness of Body you can use locate creature (Loviatarites only) as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  
• Dark Moon Disciple^CoV:WE lv3: Must worship Shar. d6 Hit Die. Instead of Still Mind you gain darkvision 60ft.
  
• Dark Moon Disciple^CoV:WE lv7: Instead of Wholeness of Body, you gain total concealment in any lighting conditions less than full daylight or a daylight spell. Total concealment. Total concealment.
  
• Dark Moon Disciple^CoV:WE lv12: Your Abundant Step ability can only transport you between areas of shadowy illumination, but its caster level is equal to your monk level rather than half your monk level.
  
• Halfling Monk^RotW lv1: d6 Hit Die and 6+Int skill points at this level. In place of flurry of blows, you gain skirmish (as the scout class feature) with unarmed strikes and monk weapons. This starts as +1d6, becomes +1d6/+1 at 5th level, +2d6/+1 at 11th level, and +2d6/+2 at 15th level.
  
• Halfling Monk^RotW lv2: In place of the normal bonus feat you gain Weapon Finesse.
  
• Halfling Monk^RotW lv7: In place of Wholeness of Body, when fighting opponents at least two size categories larger than yourself you gain a +4 bonus on grapple checks (as long as you have Improved Grapple) and to the DC of the Stunning Fist feat.
  
• Hin Disciple^CoV:WE lv1: d6 Hit Die. Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, you gain Underfoot Combat^RotW.
  
• Hin Disciple^CoV:WE lv2: Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, you gain Improved Trip.
  
• Hin Disciple^CoV:WE lv6: Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, as a full-round action you can combine total defense with a single attack against a Large or larger target. You must have at least 5 ranks in Tumble to use this option.
  
• Hin Disciple^CoV:WE lv9: Instead of Improved Evasion, whenever you trip a creature with Improved Trip whose square you occupy, each of your allies may make a free melee attack against them. You may never gained Improved Evasion from another class.
  
• Illuminated Monk^Dr340 lv1: d6 Hit Die. Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, you gain Skill Focus.
  
• Illuminated Monk^Dr340 lv2: Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, you gain Investigator or Negotiator.
  
• Illuminated Monk^Dr340 lv6: Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, you gain Skill Mastery (as the rogue ability) for one skill; you can change the selected skill at each dawn by spending 15 minutes in meditation.
  
• Kalashtar Monk^RoE lv1: Autohypnosis and Knowledge (psionics) are additional class skills for this level. Instead of flurry of blows, you can spend 1pp as a swift action to gain a +1 insight bonus on your next grapple check or stunning fist attack within 1 round. You can spend 2pp at 5th level and 3pp at 11th level, with the bonuses scaling appropriately.
  
• Kalashtar Monk^RoE lv2: In place of your normal bonus feat, select any psionic feat for which you meet the prerequisites.
  
• Kalashtar Monk^RoE lv7: When using Wholeness of Body, you may expend any number of pp and add them to the damage healed.
  
• Phoenix Disciple^CoV lv1: Must be lawful good and worship Kossuth. Instead of the normal monk bonus feat, 1/round to a maximum of 1/day per monk level, you can add 1d6 fire damage to an unarmed strike.
  
• Phoenix Disciple^CoV lv3: Instead of Still Mind you gain fire resistance 5.
  
• Phoenix Disciple^CoV lv12: Instead of Abundant Step you can use fire stride^SpC 1/day, with a caster level equal to your monk level. You get multiple trips and each one is longer than Abundant Step, but "can only transport between fires large enough for you to fit inside" is kind of a big limitation.
  
• Planar Monk^PlH lv5: Knowledge (the planes) is an additional class skill for this level. Instead of purity of body, you gain energy resistance 5 to one of the five elemental damage types.
  
• Planar Monk^PlH lv13: Your spell resistance from Diamond Soul is 5 higher, but it only applies vs chaotic outsiders. So... consider in a demonslaying campaign, but otherwise not great.
  
• Planar Monk^PlH lv16: Gain Ki Strike (cold iron) instead of (adamantine). There are other ways to get this if you really want it, and at lower levels.
  
• Skarn Monk^MoI lv1: Intimidate is an additional class skill for this level. Your monk class features apply to your racial arm spines in place of an unarmed strike. Effectively, this just makes your unarmed strikes deal piercing damage (and strike as lawful weapons if you have a soulmeld bound to the arms chakra).
  
• Skarn Monk^MoI lv5: In place of the normal "+1 to AC per five levels", you gain 1 essentia and can invest essentia into your AC bonus like a soulmeld.
  
• Skarn Monk^MoI lv10: A straight upgrade. In place of Ki Strike (lawful), you gain the ability to shape a single soulmeld from the soulborn list, as well as to bind a soulmeld to your arms chakra. Assuming you want to pick a soulmeld you can bind, your choices are Armguards of Disruption (good for fighting undead), Bluesteel Bracers (+2 initiative to you and your allies; scaling damage bonus), Mauling Gauntlets (morale bonus on Strength checks; Improved Critical), Necrocarnum Touch (+4 Bluff and Sleight of Hand and can use them untrained; gain a touch and ray that damage living creatures), Riding Bracers (bonus to Handle Animal and Ride; +2 AC and melee damage while mounted) or Sailor's Bracers (bonus to Profession (sailor), Swim, Use Rope, and can use them untrained; swim faster, and take no penalty for attacking underwater). Otherwise, you could take the Shape Soulmeld feat or dip a meldshaping class for more options; it could be beneficial to select the Open Least Chakra (hands) feat for Mauling Gauntlets and use your arms chakra for something else.
  

Variant Classes
The variant classes printed in Dragon Magazine make far more dramatic changes to the monk than normal ACFs, such as changing the levels at which certain class features are gained. As such, they are difficult to combine with other ACFs and substitution levels.

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• Chaos Monk^Dr335: Must be chaotic. Loses Flurry of Blows, Purity of Body, Wholeness of Body, Diamond Body, Abundant Step and Tongue of the Sun and Moon. You gain Ki Strike (chaotic) instead of (lawful), and your version of Perfect Self grants the chaotic subtype. Your "Flailing Strike" works like Flurry of Blows except that the number of bonus attacks is 1d4-1 (minimum 0); this increases to 1d4 at 5th level, 1d6-1 at 10th level, and 1d6 at 15th level. At 5th level, a number of times per day equal to your Wis modifier, when making a charge attack you may force your target to make a Will save (DC = 10 + monk level) or become dazed for 1 round. At 7th level you gain a spell-like ability that works like blur (improving to displacement at lv12) except that it is not an illusion and cannot be magically seen through, lasting up to 1 round/day per two class levels (need not be consecutive). At 11th level, once per day you can reroll a Will save vs a mind-affecting effect.
  
• Sidewinder Monk^Dr331: Loses Still Mind, Slow Fall, Purity of Body, Abundant Step, Quivering Palm and Empty Body. Doesn't gain Ki Strike (magic) until lv5. Gains a different set of bonus feat options (Persuasive or Stealthy; Improved Feint or Mobility; Improved Disarm or Improved Trip), +1d6 sneak attack at every 3rd level, and adds half its class level to Bluff checks. At 4th level you gain Earthbound (+4 to resist bull rush and overrun attempts). Once per four levels you can grow fangs for 1+Con rounds, giving you a 1d4 bite attack. At 6th level you gain a +4 competence bonus on Intimidate checks (i.e. doesn't stack with items), increasing to +6 while your fangs are out. At 15th level you get a Quivering Palm replacement that can only be delivered by your fangs, bases its save DC on Con rather than Wis, and can't be delayed; rather than being negated by constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeality and critical hit immunity, it can affect any living creature but counts as a poison effect.
  
• Wild Monk^Dr324: Must be lawful neutral, and can multiclass freely with druid. Loses Bonus Feats, Slow Fall, Still Mind, Abundant Step, Quivering Palm and Empty Body. Removes Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Perform and Sense Motive from class skills, adding Knowledge (nature) and Survival. Gains Resist Nature's Lure at 3rd level, and Wild Shape 1/day at 6th level. You get +1 use of Wild Shape at 8th, 10th, 14th, 18th and 20th levels, can take Large animal forms at 12th level, Tiny at 15th and Huge at 16th. At 19th level you can Wild Shape into a Small, Medium or Large elemental 1/day.
  

[Prime32]

Ranged Combat
Rather than investing in a way to attack and move in the same turn, you can just attack from a range. Mobility is still an issue for you, but a little less than for a melee character... especially if you can fight just as well in melee, which is possible with many of these options.

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• Blood Wind^SpC (Cleric 1, Sor/wiz 1): A swift-action spell that, for 1 round, lets the target make full attacks with its natural weapons as if they were thrown weapons with a 20ft range increment. The version in Savage Species is a standard action to cast, lasts 1/round per level, and affects only one natural weapon per round (not an issue for most monks).
  
• Bloodstorm Blade^ToB:
  
• Distant Touch^Dr309: You can make Stunning Fist or Pain Touch attacks with a range increment of 10ft.
  
• Grazzt's Long Grasp^BoVD (Sor/wiz 2): An [Evil] spell that detaches your hand and grants it a fly speed of 20ft. You can use unarmed strikes or touch spells through the hand, and it gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls.
  
• Ki Barrage^Dr306: As a full-round action, you can expend a use of Stunning Fist to treat your unarmed strikes as thrown weapons with a range increment of 30ft for 1 round, which deal force damage. You deal unarmed strike damage as if you had attacked in melee normally, but "Attacks made with this feat cannot be also be enhanced by any other unarmed attack feat or class feature (such as Stunning Fist or flurry of blows), or by the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, or by any feats or special abilities that affect ranged attacks (such as Rapid Shot).".
  
• Ki Blast^PHB2: 3d6+Wis force damage as a ranged touch attack. Sounds nice, until you realise it takes a move and standard action to use - the damage is pretty weak compared to a full attack.
  
• Northern Fist Mastery^Dr315: You are granted this ability automatically if you have Combat Expertise, Falling Star Strike^OA, Freezing the Lifeblood^CW, Improved Unarmed Strike, Pain Touch^CW, Stunning Fist and Unbalancing Strike^OA. As a full-round action you can make a single unarmed strike out to a range of 5ft/5 levels. You can choose to deal double damage, or to channel Stunning Fist or a related feat. This is a supernatural ability.
  
• Ring the Golden Bell^Dr319/DrComp: 1+Wis/day, you can make an unarmed strike as a ranged attack (range increment 5ft +5ft per point of Wis modifier). This can explicitly "deliver any effect your unarmed strike can normally deliver" including Stunning Fist.
  
• Serpent Fang^Sand: 1/round you can expend a use of Stunning Fist to gain +5ft reach as part of an attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon. Not too impressive, but worth mentioning.
  
• Shuriken: The most basic option - cheap to enchant, and allowing full attacks without Quick Draw, but having poor damage (try asking if you can get Scorpion Shuriken that function like a Scorpion Kama^MIC) and range. Can be used with Flurry, Rapid Shot and Two-Weapon Fighting at the same time, though with so many penalties you probably won't be able to hit anything. Your best bet for optimising shurikens is probably a Wisdom-based build with the Zen Archery^CW feat, taking 1-level dips in Master Thrower^CW (for Palm Throw) and Shiba Protector^OA (for Wis to attack and damage). See also Manticore's Sting from Dragonmarked, a feat similiar to Manyshot but with easier prereqs and the side benefit of increasing your shurikens' range increment by +10ft.
  
• Soulbow^CPsi: With 2 levels of Soulknife^XPH, 1 of Soulbow, and the Flowing Blade feat, you gain the power to summon a composite longbow that counts as a monk weapon, can generate its own arrows if you don't have any, and adds your Wis bonus to damage (combine with Zen Archery^CW and you never have to care about Str or Dex again). The other 9 levels of Soulbow are optional, but well worth it. The biggest issue with this option is that Soulknife is a terrible class, so take a look at some Soulknife handbooks.
  
• Spectral Hand (Sor/wiz 2): For builds focused on touch spells. See Touch Spells in the Multiclassing section.
  
• Thrown weapons (other than shuriken): They can only be used once per round (once period if you don't make them returning), can't be drawn as a free action without additional investment, can't be enchanted cheaply like shuriken, and usually have poor range. Not worth it.
  
• Umbral Fist (Shadowcaster 3): From the Night's Long Fingers path presented in the Cityscape web enhancement. For 1 round/level you can perform a bull rush, disarm or trip attempt out to Medium range (100ft +10ft/level), using your caster level in place of your BAB and your Intelligence or Charisma in place of Strength. Hard to work into a build, and not particularly monk-specific, but could be useful if your DM rules that you use a weapon/unarmed strike to perform the combat maneuver, rather than it working like telekinesis.
  
• Unarmed strike of throwing: The rules are ambiguous here. Your DM may rule that applying the throwing enchantment to your unarmed strikes lets you throw your entire body at enemies. If so then this is excellent (you can make your first attack at range and follow up with melee attacks), but if he instead rules that you get extending limbs or a rocket punch then this is as poor as any thrown weapon.
  

[Prime32]

Multiclass Monks
Monk is a very front-loaded class. That is, most of the abilities which make a character "monk-y" come at low levels, and you gain little benefit from going further; a monk 2/fighter 18 will still feel pretty much like a monk. Besides that, many of a monk's signature abilities (such as unarmed damage and flurry of blows) can be advanced by feats or PrCs. Below are some common breakpoints for multiclassing out of monk:

• Level 0: Do you actually need monk levels in your build? Some of the classes below let you gain the monk's AC bonus and/or unarmed strike abilities without them.
  
• Level 1: Unarmored AC bonus, Improved Unarmed Strike, Flurry of Blows and a bonus feat.
  
• Level 2: Another bonus feat, plus Evasion. Both are useful.
  
• Level 3: Still Mind isn't that great in itself, but it's a prereq for a number of monk-based prestige classes (if you really don't want that many levels in monk, Archivists^HoH get it at lv4). Alternatively you get Lay on Hands if using the Broken One^CoV SLs. Also you get your first +10ft of Fast Movement.
  
• Level 4: Prereq for the Lightning Fists^S&F feat. Also grants Ki Strike (magic), a prereq for some feats and the Master of X Winds^Dr314 prestige classes, but this can be attained through one level of Enlightened Fist^CArc or Haztaratain^SoS.
  
• Level 6: Your last bonus feat, another +10ft speed, and if you have a Fighting Style its bonus kicks in at this level. Prereq for the Sun Soul Monk^CoV feat.
  
• Level 7: Prereq for the Mantis Leap^S&F feat.
  
• Level 9: The Invisible Fist^EoE ACF gets its blink ability at this level. Other monks get Improved Evasion, but if you already have good Reflex saves then it's not much of an improvement on basic Evasion.
  
• Level 10: Skarns^MoI using their racial substitution levels get a soulmeld at this level.
  
• Level 11: Improved Flurry. There are many feats and prestige classes which increase your monk level for determining your flurry abilities, so taking this many levels in monk is rarely needed.
  

Escaping the Multiclass Restriction
Use the OA rule that removes it completely
Monastic Training (pretty poor, but Tashalatora need it)
Most monk PrCs don't count against the restriction
Most monk multiclassing feats (generally anything with "Ascetic" in its name) remove the restriction for one class.

Martial Monks
Multiclass feats

Base Classes

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• Barbarian: Monk and barbarian have two main points of synergy. The first is the Lion Totem^CC ACF which grants Pounce (useful to any martial character). The second is that both monks and barbarians can be built as specialists in tripping, each with access to unique options. Note that monk and barbarian have opposite alignment requirements, meaning you'll have to be an ex-monk or ex-barbarian (which some DMs may frown on); ex-monks lose nothing, but ex-barbarians lose rage. Barbarian also provides entry to the Bear Warrior^CW and Frostrager^Frost PrCs, which focus on monk-like combat.
  
  • City Brawler^Dr349 ACF: Replaces the barbarian's proficiency with martial weapons, medium armor and shields. Grants Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, and the benefits of Two-Weapon Fighting while fighting unarmed or with improvised weapons - this improves to Improved Two-Weapon Fighting at 6th level, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting at 11th level. Also reduces the penalty on attack rolls for improvised weapons from -4 to -2.
    
  • Implacable^Dr330 variant class: Loses fast movement and gains proficiency with heavy armor. Rage increases Dexterity instead of Strength, does not inflict a penalty to AC, and grants DR 1/- (increasing to 2/- and 3/- with greater and mighty rage). Useful for monk builds that dump Strength.
    
  • Improvised Brawler^DL:RoA ACF: From the "second-party" supplement Dragonlance: Races of Ansalon - available only to "civilized" humans. Replaces fast movement with a bonus on improvised weapon attack rolls equal to your Wis modifier (but does not remove the penalty for using them) - could be useful for a drunken master^CW build, particularly when combined with City Brawler^Dr349 above.
• Fighter: Fighter may not be the most powerful or exciting class around, but it provides a hell of a lot of feats. A level or two of fighter can be a big help when trying to unlock some of the more advanced martial arts masteries or enter multiple PrCs. Note, though, that psychic warrior^XPH can often fit the same role.
  
  • Kensai^Dr310 variant class: Different class skills and bonus feat list. Proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and one martial or exotic melee weapon that becomes their "chosen weapon". Gives up their 1st-level bonus feat in exchange for a scaling bonus to attack/damage with this weapon. In place of a bonus feat they can gain Rain of Blows or Storm of Blows - these work like flurry of blows with their chosen weapon, except that the attack penalty is -3 and they stack with both flurry of blows and each other. Choose a monk weapon and you will never be able to hit anything, but at least you'll look cool.
    
  • Pugilist^Dr310 variant class: Different class skills and bonus feat list. Proficient with simple weapons and all armor. Gains Endurance and Improved Unarmed Strike as bonus feats at 1st level (without giving up their normal bonus feat) and deals 1d4 base damage rather than 1d3. Can trade bonus feats for the following special abilities: Combo (first two unarmed strikes in a full attack use the average of both attack bonuses, can be selected again to add another attack each time), Heavy Hitting (requires lv2+; unarmed strikes also deal 2 nonlethal damage, can be selected multiple times), Iron Jaw (reduce nonlethal damage by your Con modifier, +1 on saves vs stunning) or Shake It Off (all damage you take is nonlethal damage, reduce duration of stunning by 1 round, minimum 1).
    
  • Shield Bearer^Dr310 variant class: Notable for the Shield Strike special ability available from lv2, which counts as Improved Unarmed Strike for meeting feat prerequisites, and lets you use a shield bash in place of an unarmed strike for determining their effects. Abilities like Deflect Arrows which would normally require you to have a free hand instead require you to have a shield readied.
    
  • Unfettered Defense^DL:RoA ACF: From the "second-party" supplement Dragonlance: Races of Ansalon - available only to tarmaks, which are a human subrace with the half-orc's ability score adjustments. Replaces the bonus feats at 1st level and every 4th level with a +1 stacking bonus to melee damage while unarmored. Also gains the monk's AC and speed bonuses, which stack with levels of monk.
    
  • Wallop^DL:RoA ACF: From the "second-party" supplement Dragonlance: Races of Ansalon - available only to kender and half-kender. Replaces the 1st-level bonus feat with the ability to count as one size larger while attacking with a simple or light weapon, both for damage and combat maneuvers such as trip. Half-kender is usually preferable for this, since they're both Medium-size and less likely to make the rest of the group want to strangle you.
    
• Ninja^CAdv: Monk and ninja have similar focuses, though their AC bonuses don't stack. Ascetic Stalker^CAdv, their multiclassing feat, is also the only multiclassing feat that can be selected as a monk bonus feat. Dragon issues #342 and #351 have a number of useful ninja feats that don't require a lot of investment.
  
• Swordsage^ToB: Usually seen as a straight-up replacement for monk, but one or two monk levels can still benefit a swordsage build or vice versa; the Shadow Sun Ninja^ToB prestige class is designed for such characters. Of particular note, at IL 5+ a swordsage can pick up Assassin's Stance for +2d6 sneak attack; "One Shadow Hand stance" is also a prereq for the Shadow Blade^ToB feat, which allows adding Dex to damage with certain weapons (dagger, sai, short sword, spiked chain, siangham, and unarmed strike). Just remember: you add half your levels in other classes to determine your initiator level (and thus which levels of maneuvers you can learn), and the swordsage's recovery mechanic is terrible so you should consider the Adaptive Style^ToB feat to improve your flexibility.
  
  • Unarmed Swordsage^ToB adaptation: Gains the monk's unarmed strike ability, but its AC bonus only works while unarmored (a standard swordsage can use it in light armor).
    

Prestige Classes

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• Acolyte of the Fist^Dr296:
  
• Arcanopath Monk^DrComp: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry. Gets some 1/round special attacks (Fort negates) that cause targets to become deafened, mute, take a 50% failure chance with spells and SLAs, lose spell slots or permanently forget spells. They also get Ki Strike (cold iron), can make melee attacks against ethereal creatures, are under a continuous see invisibility effect, and can deflect (and later reflect) ray and missile spells 1/round similar to Deflect Arrows.
  
• Argent Fist^FoE: For monk/paladins. Your monk AC bonuses function while wearing armor, you gain Ki Strike (silver and cold iron) and Mettle, and any monk weapon you wield gains the ki focus enchantment. Your levels in monk, paladin and argent fist stack for determining your unarmed strike and Smite Evil damage. You can expend a use of Turn Undead as a swift action to double the power of your healing abilities for 1 round, to gain bonus damage against lycanthropes, undead and evil outsiders, or eventually to grant yourself fast healing and an aura that damages/debuffs said creatures; this last option also lets you inflict critical hits to undead. The Holy Monk^Dr310 ACF makes this class easier to enter, while Decisive Strike^PHB2 may be useful as a Flurry replacement that works while armored.
  
• Battle Trickster^CS: The adaptation section lets you replace the bonus skill tricks with bonus feats from the fighter list. Uncanny Trickster^CS is probably better for a monk (and can be entered earlier), but it's still three feats in three levels, and it comes with full BAB. Consider it a fighter substitute.
  
• Blade Dancer^OA: Full BAB, an enormous speed boost, and a similarly enormous bonus to Balance, Jump and Tumble checks (though it doesn't stack with the effects of items).
  
• Bloodclaw Master^ToB:
  
• Disciple of the Eye^RotD:
  
• Disciple of the Word^ToM: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus, flurry and Stunning Fist uses. Most of its abilities center around expending Stunning Fist uses as a swift/immediate action to gain various bonuses (including dispels, walking on walls/water, self-healing, attack/spell negation and extra actions). Has Truespeak as a class skill, meaning you can qualify for the Word Given Form martial art without needing Truename Training or similar feats. It doesn't require much understanding of Truespeak mechanics on the player's behalf, though you really should invest in some items that boost your skill check.
  
• Dragon Descendant^DM: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. You learn how to channel different draconic spirits as you gain levels (one at a time, or two at lv10) which grant bonuses. In order these bonuses are: attack/damage boosts, chaotic-aligned unarmed strikes, and immunity to fear; Hide/Move Silently bonuses, no penalty for moving quickly while sneaking, and sneak attack as a rogue of your class level; access to a quasi-eldritch blast (uselessly weak unless you can full attack with it); saving throw bonuses and lots of DR/cold iron; AC bonus and attacking you provokes an attack of opportunity.
  
• Dragon Warrior^Dr298: A full-BAB class that grants bonus hp equal to your Wis modifier x your class level (and is a 10-level class with d10 HD already). At lv2 you add your Wis modifer as a deflection bonus to unarmored AC (stacks with monk). At levels 4/7/10 you gain Rage, Greater Rage and Mighty Rage(!) as a barbarian. Some of its abilities are specific to greatswords, but they're minor enough that finding a way to treat greatswords as monk weapons isn't really necessary.
  
• Fist of the Forest^CC: A 3-level class that provides fast movement, a quasi-rage ability, unarmed damage boosts, adds your Con modifier to AC while unarmored, "lesser ghost touch" for your unarmed strikes, and scent. Great for any monklike combatant. Dwarves should look into combining this with 2 levels of deepwarden^RoS, allowing them to add Con to AC twice.
  
• Haztaratain^SoS:
  
• Henshin Mystic^OA: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry, while granting its own versions of Ki Strike, Diamond Body, Timeless Body, Empty Body and Perfect Self. Gets scrying, charm monster, heat metal and fire shield as SLAs, along with Uncanny Dodge, temporary immovability (similar to the Gentle Way Mastery martial art), Blindsight 30ft, and extra fire/cold damage with attacks.
  
• Hida Defender^OA: Grants barbarian rage at lv2, without the barbarian's "cannot be lawful" restriction (instead you cannot be evil).
  
• Initiate of the Draconic Mysteries^Drac:
  
• Initiate of Pistis Sophia^BoED:
  
• Jaunter^EttDP: This PrC from Expedition to the Demonweb Pits provides easy access to teleportation for use with the Sun School^CW feat (assuming you can't use an item or something), as well as a useful freedom of movement effect. It can be entered as low as lv2, assuming either a human monk with the Cobra Strike fighting style or a human fighter.
  
• Kensai^CW: A full-BAB PrC that lets you enchant your unarmed strike, grants large skill bonuses to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information and Intimidate, lets you make Concentration checks instead of some Reflex saves (good for Fist of the Forest/Deepwarden builds), and lets you gain an untyped +8 bonus to Strength a few times per day.
  
• Mantis Mercenary^OA: A 5-level full-BAB PrC that grants Two-Weapon Fighting at lv1, and adds your Int/Wis modifier to the AC bonus of the Dodge feat at lv5.
  
• Monk of the Enabled Hand^DrComp: A 5-level PrC that stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry of blows, and picks up Ki Strike (lawful). Can make an unarmed strike as a touch attack 1+level/day (but only 1/round), make an AoO at a -5 penalty against anyone who successfully hits them with a melee attack, and makes unarmed disarm checks as if wielding a two-handed weapon. Their final ability (level/day) lets them bull rush enemies when they hit with an unarmed attack, treating themselves as two sizes larger than normal and inflicting damage equal to the knockback distance.
  
• Monk of the Long Death^PGtF: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. Grants poison use at lv1, and very little else. Its capstone in particular is near-useless.
  
• Ninja of the Crescent Moon^S&F:
  
• Omatu Master^Dr315: Trip-based PrC for halflings.
  
• Poison Fist^Dr289: For sneaky monks. Grants minor sneak attack, poison use, poison immunity, +10/+20 competence on Balance/Climb/Jump/Tumble checks, the ability to turn into a Tiny animal, and literal poisonous fists. You also get a 3/day SLA with a caster level based on character level(!), chosen from cobra's breath^OA, ray of enfeeblement or spider climb.
  
• Reaper's Child^Dr299: A 5-level PrC for lawful evil monks; stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry of blows. Grants immunity to mind-affecting effects, the ability to flurry with scythes, a variant of Quivering Palm which doesn't count as a death effect (but still doesn't affect things immune to critical hits), and a 1/week ritual of dominate person. 1/round their Scythe Strike ability lets them convert an unarmed attack into a critical hit with a x4 multiplier, unless the target succeeds on a Fort save.
  
• Serene Guardian^SGoS: From The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde, a PrC seemingly designed to let you say "You're already dead". Half-stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and flurry of blows. You inflict 1 point of "resonance" on any enemy you hit twice or more in a round (later 2 points if you hit them three times or more), and as a swift action you can "release" an enemy's resonance to inflict damage or negative conditions. Most of the effects are pretty underwhelming, but resonance lasts forever until released, can be released at unlimited distance, and has no upper cap. In other words you could tie someone up, punch them for a few hours, then use their resonance to blackmail them. Otherwise, consider it for a ranged monk who can drag out the battle for a while.
  
• Shadow Sun Ninja^ToB:
  
• Shen^Dr319: A set of seven animal-themed prestige classes, all of which advance your unarmed strike and AC bonus. You can take on a form with animal features, granting you ghost touch unarmed strikes and some animal-specific bonuses. Snake Shen combos well with the Roundabout Kick^CW feat.
  
• Shiba Protector^OA: At lv1 you get to add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to attack and damage - this stacks with your existing modifiers rather than replacing them, meaning that Intuitive Attack^BoED or Zen Archery^CW will let you add Wis to attack twice. The other 9 levels are never worth taking The prerequisites are Alertness, Combat Expertise and Iron Will - the first can be met easily by dipping wizard/sorcerer and gaining a familiar, while the last can picked up with the Otyugh Hole^CS magical location.
  
• Shintao Monk^OA: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry. Has two very potent anti-caster gaze attacks, but they're 1/day and can be negated with a Will save (most casters' best saving throw), making them unreliable. You also get Smite Evil, bonus feats from a decent list at 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th level (or every odd level before the 3.5 update), and some immunities. Check with your DM whether Touch the Void Dragon counts as an enhancement bonus or not; if it does then it can't stack with items, making it significantly less useful.
  
• Singh Rager^OA: A full BAB class that at lv1 grants a +4(!) bonus to the DC of Kiai Shout, lets you use it 4+Cha/day, and grants Greater Kiai Shout as a bonus feat. At higher levels you get barbarian rage/greater rage (though it doesn't count as rage for prerequisites), immunity to fear, Pounce, self-haste for up to 1 round/level/day, and the ability to make a Kiai Shout as a free action as part of a full attack.
  
• Sun Soul Monk^CoS:W: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry. Gets the ability to make its fists flaming burst or brilliant energy, as well as some SLAs (caster level = monk+paladin+SSM levels): daylight (centred on you) and searing light a few times per day, and fire shield (warm shield) and sunbeam each once per day. You also get Abundant Step and Tongue of Sun and Moon, potentially two levels faster than a single-class monk. And finally, you treat light maces as monk weapons - Lightning Mace^CW anyone?
  
• Tattooed Monk^CW:
  
• Thayan Gladiator^CoR: An evil-only PrC that focuses on a single natural attack, giving it things like weapon enchantments, extra attacks and enhanced criticals. Also has full BAB, a d12 Hit Die, and grants bonuses to natural armor.
  
• Uncanny Trickster^CS: A 3-level PrC, 2 levels of which stack for many class features. The adaptation section lets you replace the bonus skill tricks with bonus feats, limited to those which "enhance movement and defense". Three feats in three levels is pretty amazing.
  
• Weightless Foot^Dr289: A full BAB class that grants +20 competence to Balance/Climb/Jump/Move Silently/Tumble and lets you always take 10 on Move Silently checks. You also get Improved Evasion, Trackless Step, Purity of Body, Spring Attack and Shot on the Run as bonus feats, something similar to Up the Walls. Finally you get some (self-only) SLAs, each usable as a free action 3+Cha/day: water walk, feather fall, air walk and fly.
  
• Weretouched Master^ECS: A PrC for shifters^ECS which lets them turn into animals. Bear and Tiger are interesting options for a monk, since Improved Natural Attack (unarmed strike) increases their claw damage, which can then be added to unarmed strike damage via the Beast Strike^Dr355 feat. The shifter-only Shackled Beast^Dr355 fighting style (which gives Beast Strike as one of its bonus feats) provides an obvious entry.
  
• Zerth Cenobite^Dr281: Different from the Complete Psionic class, this PrC is 3.0 and doesn't have any connection to psionics. Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus, speed bonus and flurry. Grants insight bonuses to attack + damage, a 1/day reroll, Ki Strike lawful/adamantine (based on comparing to 3.0 monks), Timeless Body, a 1/day ability to step (Wis) rounds into the future, and the ability to 1/round convert an unarmed strikes into a critical hit (stacks with normal critical hits) unless the target fails a Fort save. Their capstone is a time stop effect which lasts a number of rounds equal to their Wis modifier.
  

[Prime32]

Multiclass Monks - Spellcasters
Most monk/spellcasters will want the Practiced Spellcaster^{CArc and CD} feat to improve their caster level, as well as some way to use the same ability score for their monk abilities and spellcasting (presuming their spellcasting isn't already Wisdom-based). See the Reducing MAD section for the latter.

Touch Spells
Melee touch spells (and touch powers) can be used in two ways - as a touch attack on their own, or as a regular attack combined with an unarmed strike.

Touch attacks are even harder to enchant than unarmed strikes, but a few items exist to increase their damage. Accuracy is rarely an issue, as most enemies' touch ACs actually get worse at high levels rather than better.

Most touch spells are Instantaneous and let you attack only once (or attack multiple targets, but each only once). A few, however, last for 1 or more rounds, allowing you to use the spell-granted attack whenever you could attack normally. Spells of this type, or which support this type, include:

(click to show/hide)

• Blackstaff^MoF (Sorcerer/wizard 8): Enchants a quarterstaff, granting it a touch attack that functions as a targeted dispel magic. It can't be channeled through an unarmed strike like most touch attacks, but can be channeled through the quarterstaff itself. One of the few spells of this type which you can have an ally cast for you.
  
• Blade of Pain and Fear^SpC (Assassin 2, Blackguard 2, Cleric 3, Deathbound^MIC 2, Sorcerer/wizard 3): May frighten enemies on hit.
  
• Darkfire^SpC (Cleric 3): Basically a stronger version of produce flame - its duration is shorter, but isn't reduced by attacking, and it also deals more damage. Also you can't see the flames without darkvision.
  
• Decastave^UE (Sorcerer/wizard 2): Functions as a quarterstaff. Strikes as a force effect. Critical hits inflict extra damage and may deafen targets.
  
• Eldritch Glaive^DM (Warlock 2 [Lesser]): Has 10ft reach, as a reach weapon. Does not count as a glaive, or a polearm or reach weapon for that matter.
  
• Fire Lash (Pyrokineticist lv1): Functions as a whip. Deals fire damage. Note that like a normal whip, you're making ranged touch attacks rather than melee ones. A variant exists which lets you change the energy type - try sonic.
  
• Flame Blade (Druid 2): Functions as a scimitar. Deals fire damage. The Initiate of Tchazzar^DoF feat adds this spell to your blackguard, cleric and ranger lists.
  
• Flame Dagger^SpC (Hathran^FRCS 2, Sorcerer/wizard 2): Functions as a dagger. Deals fire damage.
  
• Flame Whips^SpC (Sorcerer/wizard 4): Has 15ft reach. Grants two touch attacks rather than one, allowing you to dual-wield them. You can't use your hands and forearms while the spell is in effect, or magic items worn on them.
  
• Graz'zt's Long Grasp^BoVD (Sorcerer/wizard 2): A spectral hand variant with the [Evil] descriptor, which detaches your actual hand. Its movement speed is non-instant, but it can flank. It's not incorporeal, but it can interact with objects or even punch. Unlike spectral hand, the level of spells it can deliver isn't capped.
  
• Hammer (Psion/wilder 1, Psychic warrior 1):
  
• Ice Axe^SpC (Cleric 3): Functions as a battleaxe. Deals cold damage.
  
• Lightning Blade^CArc (Wu jen 2): Basically a single-use touch spell, but you can choose to discharge only part of its power at a time. Unless you've got a per-attack damage boost, it's better just to use it normally. Can also be used as a ranged touch attack out to 30ft.
  
• Moon Blade^SpC (Hathran^FRCS 3, Nentyar hunter^UE 3, Moon^SpC 3): Functions as any type of sword. Deals extra damage to undead, and makes it harder for struck targets to cast spells.
  
• Produce Flame (Druid 1, Fire 2): Lasts 1 minute/level, but each attack reduces the duration by 1 minute. Can also be used as a ranged touch attack out to 120ft.
  
• Scimitar of Sand^Sand (Druid 2, Sorcerer/wizard 2): As flame blade, except it's untyped damage and may dehydrate opponents.
  
• Snilloc's Snowball^UE (Sorcerer/wizard 1): As produce flame, except it deals cold damage, has a shorter duration, and attacking doesn't reduce the duration; instead you get a number of snowballs equal to your caster level (max 5).
  
• Spectral Hand^SpC (Sorcerer/wizard 2): Your effective reach with touch spells becomes 100+10ft/CL on your turn only, and you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls with them. Certain effects can destroy the hand though, and it can't deliver spells of 5th level or higher.
  
• Spectral Weapon^SpC (Assassin 3, Bard 4, Sorcerer/wizard 3): Functions as any melee weapon of your choice. An opponent can disbelieve the weapon with a successful Will save, taking half damage from it in future and causing special attacks delivered with it to have a 50% chance of failure.
  
• Sun Scepter^LEoF (Cleric 6): Has the axiomatic, disruption and flaming burst enchantments.
  
• Thunderlance^SpC (Sorcerer/wizard 4): Has 20ft reach, but still threatens adjacent squares. You apply Int or Cha to attack rolls instead of Str, and also add that modifier to damage. On a successful hit, you can attempt to dispel low-level force effects (like mage armor) from your target.
  
• Wraithstrike^SpC (Assassin 3, Sorcerer/wizard 2): Not a touch spell. Rather, your normal melee attacks target touch AC for 1 round.
  

Touch spells are treated as light melee weapons, meaning you can treat "touch spell" as a monk weapon via the Unorthodox Flurry^DrComp feat or levels in Shou Disciple^UE. If the spell replicates a specific weapon then you might not even need that. See the Monk Weapons section for more details.

Arcane Monks
Ascetic Mage

• Abjurant Champion^CM: A full BAB, 5/5 arcane spellcasting PrC that's always a good option for gish builds, and monks will particularly enjoy its boosts to spells like mage armor and shield (if you want more, try a 2-level Argent Savant^CArc dip). The prereqs are easy to meet: monks are already proficient with a martial weapon (the handaxe) so you don't need to dip a martial class, and if you're entering Enlightened Fist^CArc then you need to take Combat Casting anyway.
  
• Enlightened Fist^CArc:
  
• Master of the East Wind^Dr314: A 10/10 arcane spellcasting PrC; stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. You gain a familiar as a wizard of half your class level (stacking with existing familiars), and the Air domain at 5th level.
  
• Master of the South Wind^Dr314: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. Gains sneak attack at rogue speed, as well as minor spellcasting (including some unique spells and the Air domain). There's an adaptation option (intended for assassins) which converts it to a 10/10 spellcasting PrC but adds death attack and a lawful evil alignment as prerequisites.
  
• Telflammar Shadowlord^UE: Minor spellcasting from a decently monk-compatible list, as well as some special abilities that work only in darkness. But this class's main appeal is the Shadow Pounce ability that lets you make a full attack after teleporting. Monks - particularly those with the Cobra Strike fighting style and/or pursuing a martial art mastery - will find the feat prerequisites fairly easy, and have access to Sun School^CW for even more attacks. The easiest entry is probably Monk 2/Warlock^CArc 3/Enlightened Fist^CArc 4/Unarmed swordsage^ToB 1, using Assassin's Stance to meet the sneak attack prereq and the warlock's flee the scene invocation as your main means of teleportation. Sidewinder^Dr331 monks, with their built-in sneak attack, will find this class easier to enter.
  
• Truth Seeker^Dr281: Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike and flurry of blows. While based on 3.0 psionics it has an arcane adaptation that grants it bard spellcasting, learning its spells from the wizard/sorcerer Divination and Enchantment lists.
  
• Warlock^CArc: The warlock's fell flight invocation grants a fly speed based on your land speed, meaning a monk can retain their fast movement while using it, while flee the scene synergises well with the Sun School^CW feat. In addition, warlocks have two offensive options of interest. The eldritch glaive^DM invocation can be converted into a monk weapon with the right feats, and used for a flurry of blows. The Eldritch Claws^Dr358 feat gives you a set of claws with damage equal to the sum of your eldritch blast and unarmed strike damage; these claws can benefit from some of the same buffs as unarmed strikes, and be used as part of the same attack routine. The claws get even better when combined with Beast Strike^Dr355, which lets you add your claw damage to unarmed strikes.
  

Divine Monks

• Archivist^HoH: A class that's notable for granting the Still Mind ability at lv4, allowing entry to PrCs that would normally require 3 levels of monk.
  
• Cleric: Dipping cleric can provide a wide range of benefits, so much that it has its own handbook; monks in particular love the cheap access to Travel Devotion^CC. Having access to Turn Undead also gives you more uses of the Sun Soul Monk^CoV (Lathander) feat.
  
• Druid: The druid's Wild Shape ability synergises very well with monk; druids are already a Wis-based class, replacing your physical stats helps to fight MAD, and the AC bonus means they don't need to find (expensive) armor that can change shape with them. They can also have spells that enhance natural attacks and quarterstaves, and can wear items that enhance natural attacks and benefit from them in both forms.
  
• Master of the North Wind^Dr314: A 9/10 divine casting PrC for LN monks who can "change shape into a flying creature". Stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. You gain wild shape as a druid of lv5 + half your class level (or add half your class level to your existing druid level, whichever is better) and can use wild shape to enter a long-duration gaseous form. At 10th level you get the Air domain, counting your class levels as cleric levels for its granted power.
  
• Master of the West Wind^Dr314: A 10/10 divine spellcasting PrC; stacks with monk levels for unarmed strike, AC bonus and speed bonus. You add half your class level to your cleric level when turning undead, and gain the Air domain at 5th level.
  
• Ordained Champion^CC: One of the best "martial cleric" PrCs, it's easy to enter and at lv5 grants an ability which lets you use Wisdom in place of Strength on attack and damage rolls. See the Monk Weapons section for ways you can use a longsword/battleaxe/flail in a flurry of blows, or ask your DM if it can be adapted to a deity other than Heironeous/Hextor. Monks (and unarmed swordsages) get another unique benefit from this class in that their unarmed strikes can deliver the effects of Channel Spell and a regular touch spell at the same time. If you can cast at least 4th-level spells, don't forget to take the Holy Warrior^CC feat for further damage boosts.
  
• Paladin: The Ascetic Knight^CAdv feat allows monk and paladin levels to stack for determining your unarmed strike and smite evil damage. The Serenity^DrComp feat is also a good choice, letting the paladin base their Divine Grace and Smite Evil abilities on Wisdom instead of Charisma. Finally, the Extra Smiting^CW feat helps make up for lost uses-per-day of that ability.
  
• Ranger: Both fighting styles are compatible with monk combat, and can help reduce your dependence on Dex. Rangers also get useful spells like hunter's eye^PHB2 (sneak attack +1d6/3 levels for 1 round) and some stuff from the druid list. Finally, a variant exists which gives them a limited form of Wild Shape. The Ascetic Hunter^CAdv feat lets ranger levels stack for determining unarmed damage, and lets you apply half your Favored Enemy bonus to your Stunning Fist save DCs.
  
• Sacred Fist^CD: 10 levels of full BAB + full divine spellcasting advancement, without giving up your unarmed damage, speed and AC progressions. Also gets blindsense, and some offensive/defensives boosts usable once or twice per day. However, you may only fight unarmed, and lose your abilities if you wield a weapon.
  
• Totemic Demonslayer^Dr354:A full-BAB class with limited divine casting from a decent list, and a number of interesting 1/day abilities as it gains levels (including barbarian rage, and gaining Pounce or Improved Grab+Constrict for a few rounds). Also gets Favored Enemy (evil outsiders) and can project an aura that prevents creatures from being summoned or called within 60ft.
  

Psionic Monks
Characters with levels in monk and a psionic class have access to an all-purpose multiclassing feat: Tashalatora^SoS. Tashalatora expands on the Monastic Training feat, letting the class you chose for that feat stack for determining your AC bonus, unarmed strike and flurry of blows, as long as it's psionic (even questionably psionic classes like soulknife).

• Ardent^CPsi: A Wis-based full manifester with thematic restrictions on how it learns its powers. Due to odd wording, its maximum power level known is based on its manifester level, meaning that you can use Practiced Manifester^CPsi to cover up your monk levels and gain new powers at the same speed as a single-class character (just with slightly fewer pp).
  
• Fist of Dal Quor^SoS:
  
• Fist of Zuoken: Aka Psionic Fist in the SRD. Not as good as Tashalatora, but makes a decent substitute.
  
• Psion: In addition to Tashalatora, psions have access to the Ascetic Psion^SoS feat, which makes your AC bonus Int-based and lets psion levels stack for it. You could already make the entire monk class Int-based via Carmendine Monk^CoV or Kung-Fu Genius^DrComp, so it's still better just to take Tashalatora.
  
• Psychic Warrior: Probably the best Tashalatora class, with a wide range of self-buffs that synergise well with monk, and bonus feats that make it easier to unlock martial arts.
  
• Psychic Weapon Master^Web: A PrC with a lot of prerequisites (both for entry and for gaining extra bonuses), but a multiclass monk/psychic warrior should have enough feats to meet them. Part of this class's abilities involve bonding to a crystal melee weapon; if you're playing some weird race made out of crystal then you can enchant your unarmed strikes, otherwise see the Monk Weapons section.
  
• War Mind: A PrC that gets psychic warrior manifesting at a slightly accelerated rate, though the later entry means you'll be behind a psychic warrior of the same level. Most of the abilities are useful but fairly minor; the chassis is solid though, and Sweeping Strike can be great in the right situation.
  
• Wilder: A Cha-based class that doesn't qualify for anything that would make a monk Cha-based. Generally a poor choice.
  
• Zerth Cenobite^CP:
  

[Prime32]

Vow of Poverty
It's a trap! You could just buy items to replicate all of the vow's effects and still have money left over (not to mention two more feats), and it's not the most optimal set of bonuses either. That said, if you want to go this route, some of the following grant vital abilities that Vow of Poverty would normally prevent you from accessing:

• Blade Dancer^OA (PrC): Grants large competence bonuses to Balance, Jump and Tumble checks, the kind you could normally get from items.
  
• Dragonborn^RotD (template): Grants a fly speed.
  
• Dragonspawn (white)^DLCS (template): Grants a fly speed, a large natural armor bonus, and one level of sorcerer casting. Easily one of the best templates in the game. See if you can get an ally to cast Mantle of the Fiery Spirit^Sand on you (or pay for it before swearing your vow) so that you end up with both the fire and cold subtypes, thus cancelling out your weakness to fire.
  
• Extract Gift^FC1 (spell): A spell that grants permanent enhancement bonuses to abilities or competence bonuses to skills, and can't be dispelled except by a caster of higher level. Despite working by stealing power from a demon, it's not inherently evil unless the caster chooses to give the demon some influence over the subject (though it is considered a chaotic act for the caster). Spellcasters with quasit familiars are an excellent source for skill boosters. Extra advice on this spell can be found here.
  
• Ghost Savage Progression (template): Grants a fly speed and a ton of immunities.
  
• Incarnum^MoI (various): Incarnum classes and the Shape Soulmeld feat are based on "wearing" soul energy on your magic item slots; without any magic items to get in the way you have more freedom in choosing abilities.
  
• Mulhorandi Divine Minion^Web (template): Grants a form of wild shape, which can provide you with a fly speed, Large size or the pounce ability.
  
• Necropolitan^LM (template): Grants a ton of immunities.
  
• Raptoran^RotW (race): Grants a fly speed.
  
• Risen Martyr^BoED (PrC): Grants a ton of immunities.
  
• Saint^BoED (template): Grants immunities, plus fast healing (which compensates for your lack of access to healing wands, if you have no allies who can use them). The bonus exalted feats from VoP make it easier for you to qualify for saintdom than most characters.
  
• Warforged^ECS (race): Grants immunities, as well as the option to enchant your body before you swear the vow. Also provides access to the Warforged Juggernaut^ECS PrC for even more immunities.
  

Living Weapon
A monk's entire body counts as an unarmed strike. This fact can be combined with certain weapon enchantments for bizarre and cheesy results. Do not spring these combos on a DM without warning, and don't assume they'll automatically be allowed either.

Throwing
Depending on interpretation, this either gives you a rocket punch (plus a rocket kick, rocket headbutt, etc.) or lets you throw your entire body. In the former case, you'll probably need the returning enchantment as well. Gets particularly silly when combined with exit wound (+2 equivalent) from Complete Warrior, which allows projectiles to pass through their target and keep going.

Flying
The flying enchantment (+1 equivalent) from Magic of Faerun turns a weapon into an animated object with its original hp/hardness, and a fly speed of 30ft. For a monk this is just amazing. Not only can he have his body move him into position, allowing him to set up flurry with ease, but it gets a 40ft land speed due to having legs (if you have a need for speed, there's a maug graft^FF that gives you wheels). Plus it can't be damaged, though it can be dispelled (or separated from him if the enchantment comes from an item). If you're about to die you can even order your corpse to run away and seek out a cleric!

It gets even better if you give it the Rudimentary Intelligence^Dr327 upgrade (+8,000g) so that it qualifies for feats, and then give it two flaws. Have it take some combination of Air Heritage^PlH, Bind Vestige^ToM (Karsus is a decent option for detect magic; Practiced Binder will get you Malphas's bird or Andromalius's see invisibility), Constant Guardian^DotU and Martial Study+Martial Stance (island of blades)^ToB. If you're playing a warforged monk, you could fluff it as being an experimental unit with an air elemental bound to your body.

Larger monks can get more feats out of Rudimentary Intelligence, while smaller monks get more speed.

Hideaway + Sizing
The hideaway (+2,000gp) and sizing (+5,000gp) enchantments from Magic Item Compendium let you change the size of a weapon as a swift action (hideaway to a bundle two sizes smaller, sizing to a functional weapon of any size). When applied to an unarmed strike the results are possibly even sillier than Flying.

Brilliant Energy
Brilliant energy weapons pass through nonliving matter. I think you can see where this is going; just be sure you have a fly speed so that you don't fall through the ground. In case you need to fight undead or constructs, carry around a quarterstaff made of livewood^ECS (a type of wood that remains alive after being crafted into items).