CaptainChewbacca wrote:
Beholders don't NEED 'souping up', they're the ungodly juggernauts of D&D. I've never felt fighting one was an easy thing to do.
Clearly you didn't have bow monkey death machine PCs in your group. Beholders are fairly good at dishing it out, but the low Fortitude save and moderate hp and AC (although somewhat beefed up in 3.5) means that if you can dish it out with ranged weapons they die quickly.
Which is where DM creativity comes into play. Beholders aren't exactly stupid, it's not inconceivable that after a couple get turned into pincushions, the rest would come up with some sort of reliable defense against arrows, say using telekinesis rays to constantly keep a shield of rubble between the bow user and them.
With video/computer games it's possible to exploit the system because the enemy is limited by the coding that went into the game. Design your character the right way and the computer can't do a thing against him. In RPG's, the DM doesn't face this limitation unless they're a dumbass. Players deliberately designing wanked out characters that exploit as many rules as possible? Throw them against something that is strongest in the areas they focused in and also can deliver a couple nasty attacks in the areas they neglected while developing their twinks.
Gaian Paradigm: Because not all fantasy has to be childish crap. Ephemeral Pie: Because not all role-playing has to be shallow. My art: Because not all DA users are talentless emo twits. "Phant, quit abusing the He-Wench before he turns you into a caged bitch at a Ren Fair and lets the tourists toss half munched turkey legs at your backside." -Mr. Coffee
It is, however, highly satisfying to run a campaign with just two bow monkey death machines carving their way through the world.
Two level 17 Rangers should not be able to kill a Great Red Wyrm in 6-30 seconds. They just shouldn't. But god damn it is satisfying to watch them do it.
(These weren't even built for power, I should note, and one had lost his damn bow and needed to shoot 3 magic missiles from his sword per round to do anything at all to the fliers.)
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
CaptainChewbacca wrote:
Beholders don't NEED 'souping up', they're the ungodly juggernauts of D&D. I've never felt fighting one was an easy thing to do.
Clearly you didn't have bow monkey death machine PCs in your group. Beholders are fairly good at dishing it out, but the low Fortitude save and moderate hp and AC (although somewhat beefed up in 3.5) means that if you can dish it out with ranged weapons they die quickly.
Which is where DM creativity comes into play. Beholders aren't exactly stupid, it's not inconceivable that after a couple get turned into pincushions, the rest would come up with some sort of reliable defense against arrows, say using telekinesis rays to constantly keep a shield of rubble between the bow user and them.
That campaign ended with the bow monkey reaching 25th level the hard way. Beholders aren't stupid. They can do all sorts of cool shit. None of that negates their distinct vulnerability to arrows. Having a shield of rubble requires all sorts of things, like having lots of rubble available and prep time (yes, they can make rubble-but the DM is running beholders not prescient seers with sure knowledge of the future). Badass archers are still a serious problem for them and it gets worse when the archer in question is both hyper stealthy and smart. Missile weapons and poison remain serious threats to 3.0 and 3.5 beholders.
The Excellent Prismatic Spray. For when you absolutely, positively must kill a motherfucker. Accept no substitutions. Contact a magician of the later Aeons for details. Some conditions may apply.
Giving this a pretty big bump/necro, I know, but having one megathread is probably better than dozens of smaller ones. If not, my apologies.
Has anyone else had success in giving monks/martial fighters a more unique fighting 'flavour'? I ask this because I've been watching a couple of martial arts flicks for my review thread, and had the idea of a new system, wherein a monk may elect to target a specific part of the body (with subsequent attack penalty/bonus) and then make a roll, and if they succeed, may either choose to immobilize that limb or make another roll against the limb's break DC.
If they succeed, the limb is mostly useless, which gives Monks a few more options, and makes a martial arts fighter a more viable character than standard.
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
I had a big post planned, but I decided just to scrap it. Instead, I wrote up a house-rules Monk adaptation that turn the Monk into more of a Wuxia Action Movie Monk with enough variation to make it fun and enough oomph to actually make it more than the "run over and grapple the lich" member of the party. This isn't to say that Monks are utterly inept at the moment, you can do some really crazy stuff with them if you want. But here you go, maybe this is more like what you're thinking of? I just whipped this up this afternoon. I tinytexted the spammy parts, but left the table intact so you can see what the hell is going on without needing to reformat it.
MONK
Alignment:
Any lawful.
Hit Die:
d10. Class Skills
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level:
(4 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level:
4 + Int modifier.
All of the following are class features of the monk.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Monk is proficient with all simple and martial melee weapons, shuriken, and with light armor, but not shields.
When using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses her AC bonus, as well as her fast movement and special techniques.
AC Bonus (Ex)
When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk gains a +1 bonus to for every five monk levels (+1 at 5th, +2 at 10th, and so on).
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.
Warrior Monk
A warrior monk is not merely a fist-fighter, she is a warrior whose entire body has become a deadly weapon. At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
Two Weapon Fighting
At 2nd level, a monk gains the ability to strike with a weapon and an unarmed attack, or two weapons, or with a flurry of unarmed strikes. She is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if she does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. At level 7 and level 14 she gains Improved and then Greater Two Weapon Fighting, even if she does not have the normal prerequisites for those feats.
Martial Art
At 1st level a monk gains the Martial Art feat. A monk fights through evasion and redirection, and their training gives them insight into the vulnerabilities of others.
You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). Martial Art grants a single round +3 insight bonus the special attacks Trip, Disarm, Grapple, Bull Rush, Sunder, Overrun and Feint. You may attempt a Martial Art a number of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier, plus one more time per day for every four levels she has in the monk class.
Bonus Feat
At 1st level, a monk may select either Combat Expertise or Power Attack as a bonus feat. At 2nd level, she may select either Improved Trip or Improved Bull Rush as a bonus feat. At 6th level, she may select either Improved Disarm or Improved Sunder as a bonus feat. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level or higher if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Still Mind (Ex)
A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
Ki Strike (Ex)
At 4th level, a monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction, gaining a +1 enhancement value for every four levels.
Ki strike also grants the character the ability to choose an appropriate weapon enchantment for their unarmed strikes, starting at level 8. The maximum enchantment cannot exceed +3, but may be any combination of enchantments totaling no more than the total Ki bonus available that level. When the character’s maximum Ki bonus changes, old abilities may be forgotten and new ones picked up, otherwise this process takes a week of continuous training, meditation, and rituals costing equal to half the base price of the enchantment they are trying to manifest.
Martial Techniques
Beginning at 4th level, a monk gains the ability to perform Martial Techniques, which utilize a mixture of mundane trickery, magic and ki power to replicate arcane spells, which are drawn from the monk martial technique list. A monk may prepare and preform any technique on the Monk Martial Technique list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose and practice which techniques to prepare during her daily meditation. Every monk technique has a somatic component (forms, stances, or other specific movements), and are thus prone to arcane spell failure. While the techniques are learned through intellectual research, study and practice, they are performed physically and through the willful internal channeling of ki energy. To learn or perform a technique, a monk must have a Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a monk’s technique is 10 + the spell level + the monk’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a monk can use only a certain number of techniques of each spell level per day. Her base daily technique allotment is given on Table: The Monk. In addition, she receives bonus techniques per day if he has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Monk indicates that the monk gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level.
The monk’s selection of techniques is extremely limited. Furthermore, three additional restrictions apply: Area effects must always be centered on the caster, directed offensive effects must only have a range of touch, and directed beneficial effects must only have a range of personal. Exceptions are spells which create an effect that begins centered on you but extend outwards by necessity, such as Ventriloquism or Whispering Wind. Through 3rd level, a monk has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her monk level.
Purity of Body (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases.
Improved Evasion (Ex)
At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Diamond Soul (Ex)
At 10th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance.
Diamond Body (Su)
At 15th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.
Monk Martial Techniques (Spells)
1st Level Monk Martial Techniques
Detect Poison: Detects poison in one creature or small object.
Detect Magic: Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft.
Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you.
Touch of Fatigue: Touch attack fatigues target.
Hypnotism: Fascinates 2d4 HD of creatures.
Disguise Self: Changes your appearance.
Ventriloquism: Throws voice for 1 min./level.
Expeditious Retreat: Your speed increases by 30 ft.
Feather Fall: Objects or creatures fall slowly.
Jump: Subject gets bonus on Jump checks.
2nd Level Monk Martial Techniques
Protection from Arrows: Subject immune to most ranged attacks.
True Strike: +20 on your next attack roll.
Shatter: Sonic vibration damages objects or crystalline creatures.
Blur: Attacks miss subject 20% of the time.
Ghoul Touch: Paralyzes one subject, which exudes stench that makes those nearby sickened.
Spider Climb: Grants ability to walk on walls and ceilings.
Whispering Wind: Sends a short message 1 mile/level.
3rd Level Monk Martial Techniques
Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law: As protection spells, but 10-ft. radius and 10 min./level.
Tongues: Speak any language.
Arcane Sight: Magical auras become visible to you.
Displacement: Attacks miss subject 50%.
Blink: You randomly vanish and reappear for 1 round/level.
Mirror Image: Creates decoy duplicates of you (1d4 +1 per three levels, max .
4th Level Monk Martial Techniques
Stoneskin M: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.
Dimension Door: Teleports you short distance.
Shout: Deafens all within cone and deals 5d6 sonic damage.
Bestow Curse: -6 to an ability score; -4 on attack rolls, saves, and checks; or 50% chance of losing each action.
I was wondering, is anyone here at all interested in running a play by post game of D&D? 3.x, 4th, whatever. I just have no one to really play with and the few people who do like to play these games that I know are a.) already in a different campaign and b.) I'm always the one stuck GMing because I'm the only one with the books and who knows how the system works. We have that nice playground in the subforum too.
Anyway, anyone at all interested?
I love learning. Teach me. I will listen. You know, if Christian dogma included a ten-foot tall Jesus walking around in battle armor and smashing retarded cultists with a gaint mace, I might just convert - Noble Ire on Jesus smashing Scientologists
I'd do a PBP of 3.75. Not up for GMing, but I'm quite happy to help out the GM with my own experiences and resources (basically every fucking book and plenty of house rules). Maybe we could even do a trial of the alternative limbbreaker monk that way.
EDIT:
Actually, an Old World of Darkness chronicle could be a fun PBP game. Again, all the books except Changeling/Demon stuff, and even then I have some of those.
Last edited by loomer on 2008-07-09 05:35am, edited 1 time in total.
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
Yeah, I have a shit pile of 3.x books. Not all of them by far, but about 27 counting campaign settings. I appear to have OCD when it comes to buying RPG books. So I could definitely help any theoretical DM with keeping track of rules.
Anyway, if people would want to do a 3.x campaign then there is a character concept I've wanted to try for a while that involves the abuse of some badly thought out feats and the Dragon Disciple PrC to create what is probably an underpowered character but the flavour is nice because my character can claim to be descended from Garyx, the demon dragon god of temper tantrums.
Alternatively, I've wanted to try out 4th edition with a fighter multiclassed with a star pact warlock and then say that his fighting style is based off of astrology and controlling the motion and fate of his enemies. Probably a touch underpowered again, but while I like to run the numbers towards my favour, I prefer to create a character concept and then optimize around that, rather than the other way around.
I love learning. Teach me. I will listen. You know, if Christian dogma included a ten-foot tall Jesus walking around in battle armor and smashing retarded cultists with a gaint mace, I might just convert - Noble Ire on Jesus smashing Scientologists
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