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Armed of Hadar
2016-01-04, 10:05 PM
Monks of the Way of the Hunt specialize in pursuit. Their skills include locating a quarry, chasing their targets down, and even forcing enemies into the open. Contrary to the name, a monk of this tradition need not hunt, but most seek to emulate the devotion, tenacity, and alacrity of a hunting dog. These monks typically view enlightenment as something fleeting and elusive, and their adventuring occupation as a way to capture it in experience.
This Monastic Tradition is born from an attempt to translate elements of the Assault class from X-COM: Enemy Unknown to D&D. I realize that, considering the vast differences between the two games (futuristic TBS versus medieval fantasy TTRPG), there is only limited overlap; however, the general concept of "mobile point-person who takes care of the back line" is shared--particularly in the Monk. Most features are tweaks on Assault traits that dovetail with those of the Monk. The fluff came in a little later.
Dogged Pursuit
Starting at 3rd level, you have the agility to clear obstacles. When you take the Dash or Disengage action, until the end of your turn, opportunity attacks targeting you have disadvantage, and you ignore difficult terrain.
This is inspired by the Assault's Lightning Reflexes, which causes reaction attacks to miss. My first adaptation was "enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks targeting you," but the Hunter Ranger can only get that at level 7. So looking at the closest precedent at level 3--Totem Barbarian's Eagle feature--I got this. Like the Eagle feature, it only triggers in certain situations, though it's those situations in which it's probably most useful. To make this competitive with Eagle's dash-every-turn, I added "you ignore difficult terrain." It frees the subclass from certain terrain obstacles, giving its mobility endurance, while not directly adding movement, keeping it in line.
Nose to the Ground
Starting at 6th level, your foes may run, but they can't hide. You gain proficiency in Survival. You may spend 1 ki to gain advantage on a Survival check as a bonus action.
Assault doesn't have any utility abilities I could easily add, so this comes from the fluff of the hunting dog and the crunch of the chase scene. It's only one skill, but the ki ability makes the devoted Monk a tracking force to be reckoned with.
Flushing Strike
Beginning at 11th level, your ki can manipulate enemies into leaving their positions. Whenever you could attempt a Stunning Strike, you can instead attempt a Flushing Strike. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it uses its reaction to move its speed in a direction you choose. If the creature would move into obviously dangerous ground, such as fire or a pit, it circumnavigates the obstacle as best it can.
Speaking of Stunning Strike...this is an alternative 1-ki save-or-suck adapting Assault's Flush ability, which forces enemies out of entrenched positions and often into the line of fire. It's not as directly powerful as SS, but targeting Wis saves is generally better than targeting Con, and it does provoke OAs if immediate damage is the aim. With allies, terrain and other factors in play, shuffling foes can also be useful (e.g. Flushing Strike an enemy mage into the melee).
Predator Instinct
Beginning at 17th level, the rushing of your feet brings you into a state of lethal clarity. When you take the Dash or Disengage action, you have advantage on melee weapon attacks until the start of your next turn.
The Assault feature inspiring this is Killer Instinct, which increases damage on crits after dashing. I opted to replace heightened damage with heightened chance to hit; a Monk can't nova that well, especially with a used Bonus Action, but a confirmed hit is at least a chance to use SS and/or Flushing Strike. Additionally, its incentivizing of Step of the Wind makes FS even more worthwhile, as an OA plus Extra Attack is as many attacks per round as Extra Attack plus Martial Arts.

ji6
2016-01-04, 11:42 PM
If you do not mind, I went over some of the features. I mainly did not like part of "Nose to the Ground" and a little bit of "Flushing Strike", but other than that thought everything else seemed cool.


Monks of the Way of the Hunt specialize in pursuit. Their skills include locating a quarry, chasing their targets down, and even forcing enemies into the open. Contrary to the name, a monk of this tradition need not hunt, but most seek to emulate the devotion, tenacity, and alacrity of a hunting dog. These monks typically view enlightenment as something fleeting and elusive, and their adventuring occupation as a way to capture it in experience.

Sounds cool so far, like the general idea. Makes me want to buy XCOM if I was not starting to have work again.


Dogged Pursuit
Starting at 3rd level, you have the agility needed to clear obstacles. When you Dash or Disengage, until end of turn, opportunity attacks targeting you have disadvantage, and you ignore difficult terrain.

I think the wording sounds slightly odd for some reason, but I like this, especially as I love Eagle barbarians more than Bearbarians. I do not think the ignoring difficult terrain is out of theme with the monk either, and was a nice choice of benefit.


Nose to the Ground
Starting at 6th level, your foes may run, but they can't hide. You gain proficiency in Survival. If you are already proficient, double your proficiency bonus instead. You may spend 1 ki to gain advantage on a Survival check as a bonus action.

Since I have started coming to these forums, I have seen a lot of people do this trick where they want a somewhat minor flavor feature to grant proficiency/expertise. I honestly do not like that, mainly due to playing a ranger at a table and being entirely shoved out of the survival game -- which was a major point of my character -- due to a home-brewed fighter that got expertise in survival in a irrelevant feature for his goal (through a wording exactly like this feature). Comparing it to that experience, I think this feature is too strong since, while he only got expertise, you get expertise AND advantage. I think it would be better to drop the expertise statement entirely. The expertise is what makes this insanely powerful in my opinion, and dropping that seems wiser to me. As always, if someone already has proficiency, the player gets to choose another skill to get proficiency in (like I might choose intimidation under the idea that I can smell my enemies fear and now know how to utilize that). They can still get advantage on a survival check by spending a ki, and ki regenerates on a short rest so they do not have to be very stringent about it.


Flushing Strike
Beginning at 11th level, your ki can manipulate your foes into leaving their positions. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you may spend 1 ki to attempt a Flushing Strike. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it uses its reaction to move its speed in a direction you choose. If the creature would move into obviously dangerous ground, such as fire or a pit, it circumnavigates the obstacle as best it can. If one attack is both a Flushing Strike and a Stunning Strike, the Flushing Strike's effect resolves first.
Speaking of Stunning Strike...this is an alternative 1-ki save-or-suck adapting Assault's Flush ability, which forces enemies out of entrenched positions and often into the line of fire. It's not as powerful an effect as SS, but targeting Wis saves is generally better than targeting Con, and it does provoke OAs if immediate damage is the aim. With allies, terrain and other factors in play, shuffling foes can also be useful (e.g. Flushing Strike an enemy mage into the melee). At its worst, it's still the same cost as SS and can be applied to the same attacks.

No matter how I look at this feature, it is very powerful. But you know what, I am for the most part fine with it. It really gives a monk a good reason to actually use the dash bonus action for ki with their high speed, and just feels right for what you want to do.

I have a couple of things I do not like though. I really see this as forced movement, and it should be considered that. Therefore, in your spoiler you mentioned that it does provoke OAs. I think that is too strong. It already has a huge tactical advantage over Stunning Strike, but giving OAs makes its damage through the roof and makes it likely much stronger an effect than SS (this gives instant massive damage + re-position + burnt enemy reaction + the enemy must move its full movement to get back to where it started next turn, so essentially burnt enemy movement + it effects any size of a creature + it targets WIS instead of CON + now you have one thing for high wis targets and one thing for high con targets). I just think the movement should be considered forced movement -- meaning they cannot take OAs off that movement -- and that part of the spoiler text should be removed.

I also do not like the fact that you can combine a flushing strike and stunning strike, aka two save-or-suck effects targeting different saves, during one weapon hit (which is a subdivision of an attack action). I think you should have to use one or the other (aka, this should read more like you can use your stunning strike to instead perform a flushing strike).


Predator Instinct
Beginning at 17th level, the rushing of your feet brings you into a state of lethal clarity. When you Dash or Disengage, you have advantage on melee weapon attacks until the start of your next turn.

This feature is also really powerful based on how flushing/stunning strike work, but sounds like a very fun and powerful capstone that fits well with the theme.

Armed of Hadar
2016-01-05, 10:50 AM
Hey, thanks for the critique!


I think the wording sounds slightly odd for some reason, but I like this, especially as I love Eagle barbarians more than Bearbarians. I do not think the ignoring difficult terrain is out of theme with the monk either, and was a nice choice of benefit.

I'm glad, I was a little worried about that second benefit. Regarding the wording, I think it should fit now.


Since I have started coming to these forums, I have seen a lot of people do this trick where they want a somewhat minor flavor feature to grant proficiency/expertise. I honestly do not like that, mainly due to playing a ranger at a table and being entirely shoved out of the survival game -- which was a major point of my character -- due to a home-brewed fighter that got expertise in survival in a irrelevant feature for his goal (through a wording exactly like this feature). Comparing it to that experience, I think this feature is too strong since, while he only got expertise, you get expertise AND advantage. I think it would be better to drop the expertise statement entirely. The expertise is what makes this insanely powerful in my opinion, and dropping that seems wiser to me. As always, if someone already has proficiency, the player gets to choose another skill to get proficiency in (like I might choose intimidation under the idea that I can smell my enemies fear and now know how to utilize that). They can still get advantage on a survival check by spending a ki, and ki regenerates on a short rest so they do not have to be very stringent about it.

I suppose that's fair. I'm trying to find a happy medium in this utility, in which it has narrow applications but is good at performing them. I think your suggestion maintains that while making it overshadow over abilities less. Anyone wanting Expertise can always always MC Rogue and get it as well as Cunning Action.


No matter how I look at this feature, it is very powerful. But you know what, I am for the most part fine with it. It really gives a monk a good reason to actually use the dash bonus action for ki with their high speed, and just feels right for what you want to do.

I have a couple of things I do not like though. I really see this as forced movement, and it should be considered that. Therefore, in your spoiler you mentioned that it does provoke OAs. I think that is too strong. It already has a huge tactical advantage over Stunning Strike, but giving OAs makes its damage through the roof and makes it likely much stronger an effect than SS (this gives instant massive damage + re-position + burnt enemy reaction + the enemy must move its full movement to get back to where it started next turn, so essentially burnt enemy movement + it effects any size of a creature + it targets WIS instead of CON + now you have one thing for high wis targets and one thing for high con targets). I just think the movement should be considered forced movement -- meaning they cannot take OAs off that movement -- and that part of the spoiler text should be removed.

I also do not like the fact that you can combine a flushing strike and stunning strike, aka two save-or-suck effects targeting different saves, during one weapon hit (which is a subdivision of an attack action). I think you should have to use one or the other (aka, this should read more like you can use your stunning strike to instead perform a flushing strike).

I'm glad firstly that it's powerful, because IMO SS tends to outweigh 90% of ki's uses.

Regarding your concerns about OAs, I wrote this with Dissonant Whispers in mind, which moves enemies in the same way and thus triggers OAs. The way OAs work this edition, I felt like this can well create good damage, but that also requires that those who can take OAs will take them over other reactions. Monks alone have Slow Fall and Deflect Missile--Battlemasters get Riposte, Rogues have Uncanny Dodge, and there's more than a few archetypes and classes with access to Shield. I would guess that a Monk takes the OA, but at this level, I'm not sure others would be so willing even if they're able to make the attack. It seems to me like it's most useful in conjunction with the Step of the Wind, giving back the lost Martial Arts attack and moving an enemy to a more advantageous place. In the event the Monk's OA is used, too, the Monk won't have anything deterring the target from walking back. FS pressures a Monk who wants to really re-position to either work with teammates or save the reaction for later.

You make a good point about stacking FS and SS. I made that legal just on my sense that FS wouldn't be used if a Monk had the choice between a stunlock and a re-position. I think you're right, though, that this should be an alternative. I'll edit that.


This feature is also really powerful based on how flushing/stunning strike work, but sounds like a very fun and powerful capstone that fits well with the theme.

Also glad to hear, there was no precedent on this one and I was worried about balance.