Monastic Tradition: The Way of the Mach Wind (Superhuman Speedster) [PEACH]

[DracoKnight]

One of my players has been hounding me about making a speedster class, because of how much he enjoys the Flash. I finally decided to give in, because it's an interesting thought experiment if nothing else. Here's what I came up with: The Way of the Mach Wind (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66RprYE6_HHbFNsLWNrS2N2bHM/view?usp=sharing)! Once it is balanced, I will release it to my player, but I don't want him to be able to pull off any really huge shenanigans.

Designer Notes: I realize how much damage is possible with the Mach Step Ability, but when you activate it, you are using the Dash Action (so no Attack Action, which means no Flurry of Blows) and you can't combine Mach Step with Step of the Wind until 4th level, since Mach Step costs 3 ki.

EDIT: I have made Amnoriath's suggested changes, to clarify the intent.

[GandalfTheWhite]

One of my players has been hounding me about making a speedster class, because of how much he enjoys the Flash. I finally decided to give in, because it's an interesting thought experiment if nothing else. Here's what I came up with: The Way of the Mach Wind (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66RprYE6_HHV1RTczNTUWdhb3M/view?usp=sharing)! Once it is balanced, I will release it to my player, but I don't want him to be able to pull off any really huge shenanigans.

Designer Notes: I realize how much damage is possible with the Mach Step Ability, but when you activate it, you are using the Dash Action (so no Attack Action, which means no Flurry of Blows) and you can't combine Mach Step with Step of the Wind until 4th level, since Mach Step costs 3 ki.

So a 20th level Wood Elf Monk with the Mobile feat can use Mach step and then move 300ft per round for 17 rounds? Cool. Still not as fast as the Flash, or even the speed of sound, but still pretty fast :smallsmile:

[Amnoriath]

Well the issue with the ability isn't the combos it is the movement itself. I mean what happens when they would take the Disengage action as a bonus action and just rush an enemy multiple times? Yes it may be a save for each time but not only does it bog down play it is a lot of potential DPR when looking at a 180 speed for the turn with 3d10 each time without risk of reprisal. Though it is even worse if the creature only has one reaction.

[SterlingWren]

One of my players has been hounding me about making a speedster class, because of how much he enjoys the Flash. I finally decided to give in, because it's an interesting thought experiment if nothing else. Here's what I came up with: The Way of the Mach Wind (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66RprYE6_HHV1RTczNTUWdhb3M/view?usp=sharing)! Once it is balanced, I will release it to my player, but I don't want him to be able to pull off any really huge shenanigans.

Designer Notes: I realize how much damage is possible with the Mach Step Ability, but when you activate it, you are using the Dash Action (so no Attack Action, which means no Flurry of Blows) and you can't combine Mach Step with Step of the Wind until 4th level, since Mach Step costs 3 ki.

With the Large or Larger creatures, I am imagining a scenario like Wile E Coyote, where the Monk runs into them and bounce back, falling down.

[DracoKnight]

Well the issue with the ability isn't the combos it is the movement itself. I mean what happens when they would take the Disengage action as a bonus action and just rush an enemy multiple times? Yes it may be a save for each time but not only does it bog down play it is a lot of potential DPR when looking at a 180 speed for the turn with 3d10 each time without risk of reprisal. Though it is even worse if the creature only has one reaction.

That is a potential way to abuse the feature. I asking this as an actual question, not sarcastically: is that a huge deal, when spells like Wish or True Polymorph are in play?

EDIT: maybe an added clause, that using Mach Step, a monk can only hit a creature X amount of times per round?

[Amnoriath]

That is a potential way to abuse the feature. I asking this as an actual question, not sarcastically: is that a huge deal, when spells like Wish or True Polymorph are in play?

EDIT: maybe an added clause, that using Mach Step, a monk can only hit a creature X amount of times per round?
1. Actually it does sort of, Wish and those similar to it unless they are casting a lower level spell are written in ways in which it can be a double-edged sword for the user. True Polymorph while does transform a person into a reasonable difficulty of a party of 4 at any respective level not only does it remove all features and statistics of the character it also has Concentration which means it can be beaten especially when foes make much harder hits. Yours though conversely is a rapid series of saves which can easily equal hundreds of points of damage that is hard to avoid that can be done about 6 times per short rest vs. 1 per long rest for the ones you are talking about. While the others change the game more on a singular level the reliability of yours makes it so that not only is it annoying it ends encounters handily through out the day while making other martials look small by comparison.
2. It seems rather arbitrary to me and it still has major DPR potential even if you can't kill an equivalent CR with it. In general this sub-class seems so oriented around damage when to me the focus more ought to be about overcoming physical obstacles using super-speed and such metabolism in more dynamic ways than just knocking creatures over and dealing more damage.

[Requiemforlust]

One of my players has been hounding me about making a speedster class, because of how much he enjoys the Flash. I finally decided to give in, because it's an interesting thought experiment if nothing else. Here's what I came up with: The Way of the Mach Wind (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66RprYE6_HHbFNsLWNrS2N2bHM/view?usp=sharing)! Once it is balanced, I will release it to my player, but I don't want him to be able to pull off any really huge shenanigans.

Designer Notes: I realize how much damage is possible with the Mach Step Ability, but when you activate it, you are using the Dash Action (so no Attack Action, which means no Flurry of Blows) and you can't combine Mach Step with Step of the Wind until 4th level, since Mach Step costs 3 ki.

EDIT: I have made Amnoriath's suggested changes, to clarify the intent.


1. Actually it does sort of, Wish and those similar to it unless they are casting a lower level spell are written in ways in which it can be a double-edged sword for the user. True Polymorph while does transform a person into a reasonable difficulty of a party of 4 at any respective level not only does it remove all features and statistics of the character it also has Concentration which means it can be beaten especially when foes make much harder hits. Yours though conversely is a rapid series of saves which can easily equal hundreds of points of damage that is hard to avoid that can be done about 6 times per short rest vs. 1 per long rest for the ones you are talking about. While the others change the game more on a singular level the reliability of yours makes it so that not only is it annoying it ends encounters handily through out the day while making other martials look small by comparison.
2. It seems rather arbitrary to me and it still has major DPR potential even if you can't kill an equivalent CR with it. In general this sub-class seems so oriented around damage when to me the focus more ought to be about overcoming physical obstacles using super-speed and such metabolism in more dynamic ways than just knocking creatures over and dealing more damage.

I like this. And I think that the changes you've made since the first draft fix the issues with DPR. It's still got decent DPR, but not it's not nearly as abusable.

[Amnoriath]

It is better but I think the Mach Step is much too complicated than it needs to be. Rather than make an entire new set of rules for Large or Larger creatures why don't they just have advantage on the save? I also think something like this lacks out of combat use makes it a seem a little incomplete. I mean the Flash has various sub-abilities because of his speed. I am not asking to get all of them obviously but it really only seems you covered the ones based on numbers

[DracoKnight]

It is better but I think the Mach Step is much too complicated than it needs to be.

Emphasis mine.

That's totally fair - it is fairly complicated...but it's also attempting to keep players from abusing super-speed :smalltongue:


Rather than make an entire new set of rules for Large or Larger creatures why don't they just have advantage on the save?

Hmmmmmm...that might make sense.


I also think something like this lacks out of combat use makes it a seem a little incomplete. I mean the Flash has various sub-abilities because of his speed. I am not asking to get all of them obviously but it really only seems you covered the ones based on numbers

Yes, that's also fair. I'm not very good at writing "ribbon abilities." I can come up with combat abilities all day, but ribbon abilities frustrate the power-gamer inside me :smalltongue: