Monks draw Power from the Primal energy within themselves, pushing their minds and bodies to the absolute limit in the midst of combat. They are lightly armored warriors who specialize in using Maneuvers in rapid succession for a "burst" playstyle and possess some unique defensive abilities. Monk archetypes take a flexible warrior and allows them to focus on enhancing their burst damage, their tanking ability, or gaining support abilities.
- Maximizing Strength or Dexterity is recommended for attacking with weapons or your fists and using most Maneuvers like Knockdown. It also provides bonuses to your Fortitude or Reflex save.
- A high Dexterity allows you to maximize Armor Class from being unarmored and improves your Reflex save.
- Constitution increases your survivability in raw hit points and contributes to your Fortitude save.
- Intelligence contributes to your maximum Maneuver pool and Reflex save.
- Wisdom contributes to your Ki pool, certain Archetype features, and Will save.
- Charisma contributes to your Will save, certain Archetype features and support Maneuvers such as "Commander Strike".
Vitals
- Hit Points per level: 8
- Proficiencies: Weapons (Simple, Monk)
- Skill Points per level (*4 at 1st level): 6
- Skills: All
- Primary Saving Throw(s): All
Monk Core Mechanics
Ki
A Monk has a Ki pool with a maximum capacity equal to their class level + Wisdom modifier. This is used by class features such as Flurry of Blows and Wholeness of Body. The Monk recovers 1 Ki for every 4 non-minion foes slain.
Flurry of Blows
Upon use of this ability and consuming 1 Ki, the monk executes a series of rapid strikes alongside their next attack. This consists of 3 instances of damage each equal to the monk's combined Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom modifiers.
This ability has a cooldown of one minute, which may be reduced by 3 rounds (to a minimum of 1 round) by attempting to use the ability again, expending 1 Ki.
This ability upgrades to an Improved version at monk level 5, granting the monk one bonus attack per round (two for unarmed or dual-wielding) for 3 rounds on use.
Improved Unarmed Strike
Armed opponents no longer get attacks of opportunity against the character when they make an unarmed attack without gauntlets. In addition, the character receives a bonus to Shield AC when fighting unarmed equal to the AB bonus of any equipped gauntlets or bracers.
Maneuver: Stun
The Monk receives the Stun Maneuver for free.
Simple Weapon Mastery
The Monk receives the Simple Weapon Mastery feat for free.
Deflect Missiles
The character can attempt to deflect one incoming missile attack per round. This is treated as a reflex save made against DC 20. The character must have at least one hand free to use this feat.
Strategic Defense
The Monk receives the Strategic Defense feat for free.
Evasion
Whenever a reflex save is allowed for half damage, the character instead takes no damage if they succeed at the save.
Wholeness of Body
The Monk may expend 1 Ki to restore their health by an amount equal to twice their combined class level and Wisdom modifier. This ability may be used once per second.
Martial Arts
Monks receive a passive bonus to damage equal to the lowest of their Monk level or Wisdom modifier. This bonus is doubled for great-weapons.
Bonus Feat: Maneuver
The character receives a bonus feat that may be used to learn a Maneuver of their choice.
Ki Strike
The Monk's unarmed attack counts as a magic weapon against creatures with damage reduction (+1 at 5th level, +2 at 10th).
Monk AC
All Monks passively receive a +1 bonus to their Dodge AC at level 5. This improves to +2 at level 10.
Still Mind
The Monk gains a +2 competence bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting spells.
Purity of Body
The Monk is immune to disease.
Improved Evasion
Whenever a reflex save is allowed for half damage, characters with this feat instead take no damage if they succeed at the save. Even if they fail the save, they take only half damage.
Monk Weapons
The Monk weapon proficiency includes the club, dagger, handaxe, kama, light crossbow, quarterstaff, shortbow, shortsword, sling, and shuriken.
Archetypes
Way of Thunder
"Be the calm before the storm."
| Class Level | Feature | Details |
| 4 | Gathering Storm | Upon executing Flurry of Blows, you gain a Sonic damage bonus equal to your Martial Arts damage for one minute. The duration of the bonus attack per round granted by your Flurry of Blows (Improved) is increased to one minute. |
| 7 | Thunderstrike | You gain a new ability, Thunderstrike. You may use this feat to target a point or creature between 5m and 20m distant to which you have an unobstructed path, consuming 1 Ki and Stamina to traverse the space between in the blink of an eye. Following the use of Thunderstrike, you gain one bonus attack per round (two for unarmed or dual-wielding) for one minute. If you are under any effect that allows you to ignore creature collision, you may pass through creatures with this ability. |
| 10 | Shockwave | You may target yourself with Thunderstrike to expend 1 Ki and execute a Shockwave attack. This consists of two spinning kicks; one low sweep, and one high spin.
The damage for this attack consists of a dice pool comprised of d4s equal to the total of your Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom modifiers. Your low sweep deals 33% of the dice in this pool (rounded up) in Sonic damage to enemies and objects within 4m, whilst the high spin deals the rest of the dice to enemies and objects within 8m. Targets receive a Reflex save vs Sonic to half this damage, with a DC equal to 10 + your combined Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom modifiers. Once this ability is used, Thunderstrike (and therefore this ability) is placed on cooldown for one round. |
Way of Wave and River
"Be like water."
| Class Level | Feature | Details |
| 4 | Flow | You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to AC. You gain an additional +1 Dodge AC at level 10. You also gain 10% physical and elemental damage immunity. |
| 7 | Crash | When you use your Wholeness of Body feature, you restore additional hit points equal to your Constitution modifier plus Wisdom modifier. You also gain temporary hitpoints equal to the amount restored for one minute. While you have these temporary hitpoints, any melee attacker receives 1 bludgeoning damage for each point of Constitution modifier if they hit, or 1 piercing damage for each point of Wisdom modifier if they miss. |
| 10 | Formless | While your Flurry of Blows is active, any enemy who attacks you in melee is immediately struck by the Knockdown Maneuver if they miss, or the Stun Maneuver if they hit. These allow saving throws as usual, but have no associated Maneuvers cost to you. |
Way of the Heavens
"Again."
| Class Level | Feature | Details |
| 4 | Demonstrate | When your Flurry of Blows ends, if you used at least three Maneuvers within that Flurry of Blows, any allies within 10m receive the benefits of your Martial Arts feature for one minute. The Will saving throws of these recipients is also increased by +1. |
| 7 | Encourage | When you use your Wholeness of Body feature, any allies you have within 10m also receive some of its healing effects. A pool of extra healing is created equal to your Monk class level multiplied by the total of your Wisdom modifier plus Charisma modifier. The ally with the lowest hit points receives healing; should this healing restore them to full hit points, the next lowest hit point ally receives the remainder of the healing, and so on until the healing pool is expended. All allies within 10m also receive the benefits of your Monk AC for one minute. |
| 10 | Chastise | When an ally under the effects of either your Demonstrate or Encourage features is struck by a critical hit, they receive a physical damage shield with a damage threshold equal to your Wisdom plus Charisma modifiers, and an absorption limit equal to your Wholeness of Body healing pool granted by Encourage. This effect has a duration in rounds equal to your Wisdom + Charisma modifiers, and overwrites any existing instances of itself. In addition, while under this damage reduction effect the target will receive temporary hitpoints equal to any healing received from Encourage. These temporary hitpoints also have a duration in rounds equal to your Wisdom + Charisma modifiers. |
