The Campaign Builder's Guild

Ultimate_Monk

Artwork by Jason Engle

Game Rule Information

Monks have the following game statistics.

• Abilities: Same as in Player's Handbook.

• Alignment: Any.

• Hit Points per Level: 1d8 + Con modifier.

• Hit points are maximized at 1st character level.

• Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

• Skill points are multiplied by 4 at 1st character level.

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), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills for skill descriptions.

Class Table

       Base            Fort  Ref   Will
Level  Attack Bonus    Save  Save  Save   Special            .
1st    +0              +2    +2    +2     Unarmed strike, sixth sense
2nd    +1              +3    +3    +3     Ascendancy (1st step)
3rd    +2              +3    +3    +3     Stay on path
4th    +3              +4    +4    +4     Ascendancy (2nd step)
5th    +3              +4    +4    +4     Bonus feat
6th    +4              +5    +5    +5     Ascendancy (3rd step)
7th    +5              +5    +5    +5     Stay on path
8th    +6/+1           +6    +6    +6     Ascendancy (4th step)
9th    +6/+1           +6    +6    +6     Bonus feat
10th   +7/+2           +7    +7    +7     Ascendancy (5th step)
11th   +8/+3           +7    +7    +7     Stay on path
12th   +9/+4           +8    +8    +8     Ascendancy (6th step)
13th   +9/+4           +8    +8    +8     Bonus feat
14th   +10/+5          +9    +9    +9     Ascendancy (7th step)
15th   +11/+6/+1       +9    +9    +9     Stay on path
16th   +12/+7/+2       +10   +10   +10    Ascendancy (8th step)
17th   +12/+7/+2       +10   +10   +10    Bonus feat, timeless body
18th   +13/+8/+3       +11   +11   +11    Ascendancy (9th step)
19th   +14/+9/+4       +11   +11   +11    Stay on path
20th   +15/+10/+5      +12   +12   +12    Ascendancy (10th step), enlightenment

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the monk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. They are not proficient with any armor or shields.

Unarmed Strike: 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.

Sixth Sense (Su): A monk is in touch with herself and the multiverse, and has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated dangers and more. A monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, she can add her Wisdom bonus to any ability or skill check, save, attack or damage roll a number of times per day equal to half her monk level. Sixth sense can be used only if a monk is wearing no armor and is not encumbered.

Ascendancy

At 2nd level you begin your journey into enlightenment. Enlightenment for some may be to reach the pinnacle of their chosen path, other may find enlightenment in adventuring down many paths. To this end you choose any one path and gain a step you do not yet have. In order to take any step, you must have all previous steps from the same path. For example, at 2nd level, you take 1st step from beasts path. At 4th level, she may take 2nd step from beasts path, or 1st step from any other path. The available ways are: beasts, heart, might, revelations, shadows, and wind. In addition to the benefits granted by each way, a monk gains +5 bonus to his land speed and +1 bonus on damage rolls with unarmed strikes, for every step of the ascendancy.

Way of Beasts

Beast monks find animal world a fascinating place, and studying behaviors of various predators and their prey allows them to emulate those qualities to a great effect. Beast monks believe that only by going to the beginning (becoming one with your less evolved friends) one can see the end and thus ascend.

Wolf's Nose (Ex): At 2nd level, a monk gains scent ability.

Clawfingers (Su): At 4th level, a monk can deal slashing or piercing damage with her unarmed strikes.

Ox Stampede (Ex): At 6th level, a monk deals extra 2d6 points of damage upon a successful charge.

Bear's Dance (Ex): At 8th level, when a monk makes unarmed attack, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense to treat this attack as if she had improved grab ability.

Pounce (Su): At 10th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a free action to gain pounce ability for 1 round.

Rush (Ex): Once per minute, a 12th level monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to run (take double-move action or charge action) at speed 4 times faster than she otherwise could, for one round.

Rend (Ex): At 14th level, if a monk deals damage to his enemy with at least 2 unarmed attacks, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense to instantly deal 2d6 + Str modifier points of damage.

Octopus's Play (Ex): At 16th level, a monk can use her improved grab with enemies of the same size as hers.

Rake (Ex): At 18th level, a monk gains rake ability – she can make 2 extra unarmed attacks to a foe she grapples.

Dragon's Coil (Ex): At 20th level, a monk can use her improved grab with enemies one size category larger than she is.

Way of Heart

A heart monks believe that every living creature has a pool of mystical energy called Chi. The Chi of all living beings is connected in some fashion and a monk in tune with her Chi is much more powerful than any other. Only by mastering that energy can one achieve ascension.

Power-Up (Su): At 2nd level, a monk can spend standard action while standing firmly on both legs spread to accumulate chi in her body. While being powered up, a monk gains Energy Resistance 2 against all five types of energy. Unspent chi leaves monk's body after 1 minute. When the power-up ends, a monk must make Concentration check (DC 10 + 1 for every previous power up she performed that day) or be exhausted. Exhausted monk cannot power up.

Burst of Fury (Su): At 4th level, a monk can spend chi energy from her power-up to move all creatures on her and adjacent squares away as a standard action. Every creature must make a Strength check (DC 10 + half monk level + monk's Charisma modifier) or suffer 1d4 points of sonic damage and move 5 ft. away. Any bonuses against trip or bull-rush attempts are also effective against burst of fury.

Chi Missile (Su): At 6th level, a monk can spend chi energy from her power-up to send an energy missile at enemy as a standard action. The missile's range is 25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 monk levels and it deals 1d6 points of either cold of fire damage per 3 monk levels.

Inner Flames (Su): At 8th level, monk gains +1 morale bonus on unarmed attack rolls when she is powered up.

Channel Fury (Su): At 10th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action when dealing damage with an unarmed strike to deal extra 2d6 points of either cold or fire damage.

Chi Explosion (Su): At 12th level, a monk can spend chi energy from her power-up and one use of Sixth Sense as a standard action to create a powerful explosion around herself. All creatures and objects within 30 ft. range suffer 1d6 points of damage per 3 monk levels. Half the damage is fire and the other half is sonic. Explosion leaves a crater 5 ft. deep in the center and every creature in the area of effect is expelled as per burst of fury, to the extreme of range.

Dragon's Jump (Su): At 14th level, a monk can spend chi energy from her power-up to charge at enemy within 100 ft. in a straight line, even if she could not normally get to the enemy because of the terrain (she can charge flying enemies, foes behind a chasm, and so on.).

Burning Heart (Su): At 16th level, monk gains +2 morale bonus on unarmed attack rolls when she is powered up.

Excruciating Training (Su): At 18th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to power up as swift action.

Chi Mayhem (Su): When a 20th level monk charges, she can spend chi energy from her power-up and 2 uses of Sixth Sense to deal extra 15d6 points of either cold or fire damage if the charge is successful.

Way of Might

Might monks are very straightforward in their psychology. They trust that might makes right, and the way to ascend is simply to be more powerful than the others. Might monks spend countless years honing their physical skills, preferring moutainous areas for their monasteries.

Stun (Ex): At 2nd level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when making an unarmed attack to force the victim to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + half monk level + monk's Wis modifier) if the attack deals at least 1 point of damage. If the target fails, he is stunned for 1 round. A stunned creature drops everything held, can't take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses his Dexterity bonus to AC. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned.

Unbreakable Skin (Ex): At 4th level, whenever monk takes lethal damage, a number of points of that damage equal to her Str bonus is nonlethal damage instead.

Power Punch (Ex): At 6th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when making an unarmed attack to deal +4 points of damage with that attack.

Powerful Blows (Ex): At 8th level, a monk uses 150% of her Strength bonus on damage with unarmed strikes, instead of normal 100%.

Combo (Ex): Whenever a 10th level monk deals damage with an unarmed strike, she immediately gains an extra unarmed attack that deals 5 less damage than the previous one if it hits. Combo cannot be used with attacks of opportunity. Extra attacks grantedy by combo can deal no damage if the result is low enough and they don't allow any extra effects (such as extra sneak attack damage, vampire's level drain, and so on).

Unstoppable Blows (Su): At 12th level, a monk's unarmed attacks ignore a number of points of deflection and shield bonus to AC (in any combination) equal to her Strength bonus.

Smash (Ex): At 14nd level, monk gains benefits of Improved Sunder feat when making unarmed strikes.

Pulverizing Punch (Su): At 16th level, whenever a monk uses power punch, the affected attack also ignores points of Damage Reduction and hardness equal to monk's Strength bonus.

Walk through Inferno (Su): At 18th level, whenever a monk takes damage, she may spend any number of Sixth Sense uses. For each one spend, monk ignores 10 points of damage.

Muscle Burst (Ex): At 20th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a move action to gain +8 bonus to Strength for 1 minute.

Way of Revelations

Revelation monks are most the mystical ones. They believe that rash actions will get one nowhere and contemplation upon one's past mistakes is the true way to become perfect being. Revelation monks are least interested in fray, but are bestowed with amazing senses and wit.

Keen Senses (Ex): At 2nd level, a monk adds her Wisdom bonus to initiative checks.

Insightful Meditation (Ex): At 4th level, a monk can meditate for 10 minutes to gain insight. Until she goes to sleep, the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to gain a +4 insight bonus on any Intelligence or Wisdom check, or any skill check based on those abilities. Once this ability is used, a monk can meditate for another 10 minutes to be able to use it again.

Steadfast Meditation (Ex): At 6th level, an exhausted monk can meditate for 10 minutes to become fatigued, and a fatigued monk can do the same not to be fatigued anymore. In addition, if she meditates for 10 minutes, the monk does not need to eat or drink until the next day.

Arcane Senses (Ex): At 8th level, a monk can hear in areas of silence, although with a -10 penalty. She can also see all invisible creatures and objects as blurred.

Composure (Ex): At 10th level, whenever monk becomes dominated, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense to be charmed instead, and if she becomes frightened or panicked, she can spend it to be shaken instead.

Empowering Meditation (Su): At 12th level, a monk can meditate for 10 minutes to heal 1 point of ability damage from each damaged ability.

Eyes at the Back (Su): At 14th level, a monk cannot be flanked. Whenever she would be flat-footed in the surprise round, she's not flat-footed but she still can't act in that round.

Mind over Body (Ex): Whenever a 16th level monk is forced to make Fortitude saving throw to reduce or negate damage, she may make Concentration skill check instead.

Tongue of Sun and Moon (Ex): At 18th level, a monk can speak with any intelligent creature that has a language.

Blindsight (Ex): At 20th level, a monk gains blindsight with range of 30 ft. This ability is not based on hearing.

Way of Shadows

Shadow monks believe that one must remove herself from earthly matters and distractions to achieve balance within herself. They practice art of stealth, supernatural movement, and disappearance. Shadow monks can be effective assassins, scouts, or messengers.

Sneak (Ex): At 2nd level, a monk gains +4 bonus on Hide checks.

Darkvision (Ex): At 4th level, a monk gains darkvision with range of 60 ft. If she already has darkvision, she gains low-light vision instead.

Cloak of Darkness (Su): At 6th level, by spending 1 use of Sixth Sense, a monk can become invisible, as per spell. Duration of this ability is one hour, but it ends as soon as the monk is not in area of at least moderate shadow.

Blind-Fight: At 8th level, a monk gains this feat for free.

Shroud of Night (Ex): At 10th level, a monk gains 20% concealment as long as he is in area of at least moderate shadow.

Abundant Step (Su): At 12th level, by spending 2 uses of Sixth Sense, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using dimension door. Her caster level for this effect is one-half her monk level (rounded down). Both entry and exit points must be in areas of at least moderate shadow.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): While a 14th level monk is in any sort of shadow (but not her own shadow), he can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Shadow Strike (Su): At 16th level, a monk can make parts of his body into shadow matter, effectively phasing his way through enemies. Shadow monk can make any unarmed attack as touch attack. If she does, that attack deals 4 points of damage less however.

Blanket of Night (Ex): At 18th level, a monk's concealment in shadows increases to 35%.

Empty Body (Su): At 20th level, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a move action, a monk assumes an ethereal state for 3 rounds, as though using the etherealness spell. Entry point must be in area of at least moderate shadow.

Way of Winds

Wind monks believe that secrets of ascension are not locked into any creature or object, but rather scattered in the air of the world around them. Wind monks emulate natural elements of weather to become something more than an ordinary mortal.

Wind in the Face (Ex): At 2nd level, creatures charging at the monk do not add bonuses to attack or damage from charge.

Dancing Breeze (Ex): At 4th level, a monk adds 1/4 her monk level as a dodge bonus to AC.

Fugitive Step (Ex): At 6th level, a monk can move on walls or other vertical surfaces, as long as she begins and ends her move action on horizontal surface that she could normally stand on. For example: a monk cannot end her move "standing" upside-down on the ceiling, even though it is technically a horizontal surface. If she fails to end her move on horizontal surface, she falls. Moving from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface and vice versa costs an extra 5 feet of movement. This extra cost does not prohibit running or charging unless the surface already qualifies as difficult or obstructed terrain. (A note: it should be possible for a monk to 'jump' from a vertical surface to a horizontal surface with a successful balance or tumble check [or both]).

Revitalizing Rain (Su): At 8th level, a monk can heal her own wounds as a swift action. She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice her current monk level each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses.

Airblast Strike (Su): Whenever a 10th level monk makes unarmed attack, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action. The attack has additional effect regardless of whether it hits or not - the victim is moved 5 ft. per monk's Wisdom bonus away from her and must make a Dexterity check (DC 10 + monk's Wisdom modifier, armor check penalty applies) or fall prone in its new square.

Leap of the Clouds (Ex): At 12th level, a monk gains +5 competence bonus on all Balance, Climb, Jump and Tumble checks and can take 10 on those skills checks, even if circumstances would normally prevent her from doing so.

Leaf on the Wind (Ex): At 14th level, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action, a monk is under effects identical to haste for 3 rounds.

Tornado Hands (Ex): At 16th level, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when taking a full attack action to gain two extra attacks with her highest attack bonus.

Cyclone Punch (Su): At 18th level, a monk can create a miniature cyclones whereever she strikes. That effectively gives her unarmed strikes reach quality.

Embodiment of Wind (Su): At 20th level, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a move action, a monk assumes gaseous form for 3 rounds. Monk's speed in this form is equal to her land speed, but she still can't run.

Stay on Path

The road toward ascension is riddled with perils and temptations, and so a monk must learn to overcome those difficulties if she ever hopes to achieve perfection. At 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk learns a protective ability from the list below.

Adaptation (Ex): A monk reduces all enviromental penalties to attack and damage rolls, checks, and saves by 1 for every step of ascendancy she achieved. She also gains Damage Reduction 1 for every step of ascendancy she achieved against ongoing damaging. This includes damage from crossing frozen tundra without winter gear, but not damage from directed attacks, like a dragon's breath weapon.

Belly of Stone (Ex): Monk is trained to ignore pain when her guts are damaged and her muscles can close most wounds easily. She gains Damage Reduction 1 for every step of ascendancy she achieved against precision damage and extra attacks from critical hits.

Breath of the Forest (Ex): A monk is resistant to magic that attacks her life force. She gains +1 bonus for every step of ascendancy she achieved on saving throws against effects that damage ability scores, impose or drain negative levels, cause fatigue or exhaustion.

Burning Heart (Ex): A monk gains +1 bonus for every step of ascendancy she achieved on saving throws against fear, charm, and compulsion effects.

Diamond Soul (Ex): A monk gains spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10.

Evasion (Ex): A monk can evade deadly magical attacks with outstanding agility. If she 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.

Iron Skin (Ex): Monk's skin doesn't bruise easily. A monk gains Damage Reduction 5 for every step of ascendancy she achieved against attacks that deal nonlethal damage. (She still takes nonlethal damage from other sources, such as heat.)

Purity of Body (Ex): A monk gains +1 bonus for every step of ascendancy she achieved on saving throws against disease and poison.

Slow Fall (Ex): When falling close (within the reach of monk's arms or legs) to a vertical surface, a monk can slow her descent. When using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 10 feet shorter than it actually is for every step of ascendancy she achieved.

Student of Elements (Ex): A monk gains +1 bonus for every step of ascendancy she achieved on saving throws against blinding attacks, deafening attacks, nausea, paralysis, and stunning.

Wisdom (Ex): Monk's mind is not easy to fool with deceptive spells. She gains +1 bonus for every step of ascendancy she achieved on saving throws against divination and illusion effects.

Bonus Feats

At 5th level, and every 4 levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th levels), a monk gains a bonus feat from the list below.

Player’s Handbook: Blind-fight, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Deflect Arrows, Improved Critical [unarmed], Improved Grapple, Run, Snatch Arrows, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus [unarmed].

Complete Adventurer: Ascetic Hunter, Ascetic Knight, Ascetic Mage, Ascetic Rogue, Brachiation, Combat Intuition, Danger Sense, Hear the Unseen, Leap Attack, Quick Reconnoiter.

Complete Warrior: Clever Wrestling, Close-Quarters Fighting, Defensive Throw, Earth’s Embrace, Eagle Claw Attack, Extra Stunning, Fists of Iron, Flying Kick, Freezing the Lifeblood, Karmic Strike, Pain Touch, Power Critical [unarmed], Prone Attack, Rapid Stunning, Roundabout Kick, Weakening Touch.

Player's Handbook 2: Fiery Fist, Fiery Ki Defense, Ki Blast, Leap of the Heavens, Versatile Unarmed Strike, Water Splitting Stone.

New Feats: Chi Strike, Flurry of Blows, Hurricane of Blows, Improved Power-Up, Lasting Power-Up, Monk Weapon Training, Storm of Blows, Weapon Focus (Improvised Weapons).

Timeless Body (Ex)

A 17th level monk no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when her time is up.

Enlightenment

A 20th level monk becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows her to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonmagical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.

Epic Monk

The epic monk has achieved an inner tranquility that lesser characters can’t even dream of. Her speed, power, grace and force of will are unmatched by mortal beings.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Monk
Level    Special
21th     Bonus feat
22th     Virtual ascendancy (11th step)
23th     Stay on path
24th     Virtual ascendancy (12th step)
25th     Bonus feat
26th     Virtual ascendancy (13th step)
27th     Stay on path
28th     Virtual ascendancy (14th step)
29th     Bonus feat
30th     Virtual ascendancy (15th step)

Bonus Feat: An epic monk gains bonus feat at 21st level and every 4 levels thereafter (25th, 29th, 33rd, and so on). She may either take an epic feat or two non-epic feats. The list of available epic feats is same as in Epic Level Handbook.

Virtual Ascendancy: An epic monk’s bonus to unarmed damage and speed increases as if she had more than 10 steps of ascendancy.

Stay on Path: An epic monk gains another stay on path ability at 23rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter (27th 31st, 35th, and so on)

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