A strength based Monk [Prc]
Most monks tend to use weapon finesse or Inuitive Attack so I thought I'd make a more violent monk.
Lethal Fist Adept
Lethal Fist Adepts are warriors who focus on powerful unarmed attacks rather than abilities that come through contemplation.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Jump 3 ranks
Feats: Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack,
Class Skills
The Lethal Fist Adept’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str) and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Lethal Fist Adept prestige class.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Lethal Fist Adept gains no additional Weapon or Armour Proficiencies
Brutal Fist: At first level, a Lethal Fist Adept gains the ability to count his unarmed strikes as a two-handed weapon for the purposes of Power Attack and bonus damage from a high strength score. This ability may not be combined with (is suppressed when using) the Flurry of Blows or similar abilities. At 7th level the Lethal Fist Adept gains the ability to add 2 times their strength modifier to damage with his unarmed strikes instead of the normal two-handed weapon bonus.
Unarmed Strike: A Lethal Fist gains Unarmed Strike as a monk of his class level. If he already has monk levels he may stack both classes for determining unarmed damage and Ki Strike.
AC Bonus: A Lethal Fist gains an armour class bonus equal to that of a monk his class level. If he already has monk levels he may stack both classes for determining AC bonus.
Stone Shattering Fist: A Lethal Fist Adept of at least 2nd level ignores all values of hardness less than 10 when using at least a –2 penalty with the power attack feat.
Iron Sinews [Ex]: At third level, a Lethal Fist Adept gains the ability to use his muscles as armour. He may add a natural armour bonus to his armour class equal to his strength score instead adding his dexterity bonus to armour class as normal. This ability is still subject to max dex penalties.
Damage Reduction: At 4th level, an Iron Fist Adept gains damage reduction 1/-. This ability improved by 1 for every 2 levels.
Iron Rending Fist: A Lethal Fist Adept of at least 5th level ignores all values of hardness less than 20 when using at least a –4 penalty with the power attack feat.
Lightning Bull Rush: You may make a Bull rush attempt as a move action and then follow up as a free action if you succeed your bull rush attempt. If you successfully make an unarmed strike attempt against an opponent you successfully bull rushed in that round you gain a x2 damage multiplier for every 5 ft. you pushed your opponent in the Bull Rush.
Pummel: If you manage to trigger a save vs. massive damage, the creature is stunned for 1 round even if it fails its save.
Adamantine Destroying Fist: A Lethal Fist Adept of at least 9th level ignores all values of hardness when using at least a –6 penalty with the power attack feat.
Vicious Fist: At 10th level your criticial multiplier for your unarmed strikes increases by 1.
Lethal Fist Adept
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1
|+2
|+0
|+0
|Brutal Fist, Unarmed Strike, AC Bonus
2nd|+2
|+3
|+0
|+0
|Stone Shattering Fist (-10 points)
3rd|+3
|+3
|+1
|+1
|Iron Sinews
4th|+4
|+4
|+1
|+1
|Damage Reduction 1/-
5th|+5
|+4
|+1
|+1
|Iron Rending Fist (20- points)
6th|+6
|+5
|+2
|+2
|Lighting Bull Rush, Damage Reduction 2/-
7th|+7
|+5
|+2
|+2
|Improved Brutal Fist
8th|+8
|+6
|+3
|+3
|Pummel, Damage Reduction 3/-
9th|+9
|+6
|+3
|+3
|Adamantine Destroying Fist (all)
10th|+10
|+7
|+3
|+3
|Damage Reduction 4/-, Vicious Fist[/table]
I made sure all the really good abilities couldn't be dipped. Might be helped by a capstone. Might change the HD to d10.
Here's a few more Monk feats for fun:
Combo Strike [Tactical]
You may chain together a seriers of incredibly fast attacks
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Flurry of Blows class feature, Base Attack Bonus +3
Benefits: You may choose to perform any of the following tactical maneuvers:
Combined Attack: You may treat every point of damage you dealt to the same creature this round as coming from the same attack. For example if you struck an opponent with damage reduction 5/Good three times dealing 17, 26 and 21 damage you would deal 55-5 damage and trigger a save vs. massive damage rather than dealing 17-5 + 26-5 +21-5.
Pressure Point Combo: When making a stunning attack, your target suffers a cumulative -1 penalty on his saving throws for every succesful hit you scored against him this round. If your attacks also dealt non-lethal damage then extend the duration by 1 for every succesful attack that dealt non-lethal damage.
Follow Up Attack: If you attack an opponent in the same round that you used a special attack action (such as a trip attempt) you deal double damage.
Pressure Point Master [General]
You are a master at striking pressure points
Prerequisites: Ability Focus (Stunning Fist), Heal 4 ranks
Benefits: Add +1 to the saving throw DCs of all your Stunning Fist based attacks as well as Quivering Palm.
Special: The bonus from this feat may apply to the DCs of other attacks based on pressure points at the DM's discresion.
Flailing Charge [General]
You may throw youself at the enemy flailing your fists like a madman
Prerequisites: Flurry of Blows Class feature
Benefits: You may gain your extra flurry attacks when making a charge. You do not gain your normal extra attacks however. In addition, you suffer a further -2 armour class penalty on top of the normal -2 for charging.
Normal: You make a single attack action as part of a charge.
Special: This feat may be adaptable to similar abilities
Re: A strength based Monk [Prc]
So, can the monk turn Iron Sinews on and off, or does he just gain Str to his AC instead of Dex forever? And if he can turn it on or off, what kind of action is it to do so?
Re: A strength based Monk [Prc]
I think Iron Sinews might work better replacing the Monk's Wisdom AC bonus, rather than the Dex bonus. Realistically, it doesn't really make sense that he'd completely lose his ability to dodge, but the class does seem like it would sacrifice the inner focus demonstrated by the Wisdom AC bonus.
Then again, that'd a huge benefit for non-Monks, isn't it?
Re: A strength based Monk [Prc]
Iron Sinews is like Weapon Finesse, the ability assumes you wouldn't want to turn it off but in theory there's no reason why you can't. Like making a Paladin with a poor charisma score, you're wasting a few class features but might be able to get something else out of the class.
I should probably have been more specific but the AC bonus at level one was supposed to give him Wisdom to AC if he wasn't already a monk.
It might make more sense to replace Wisdom but I concieved it as an ability to let this class care less about Dexterity. I sort of based it of an ability of a d20 Modern advanced class (Thrasher) that made even less sense. Part of the idea was that if you're trying to dodge you wouldn't get so much benifit but I admit it was pretty flaky. I didn't want to give anything three stats to AC and the class was supposed to make the less popular strength based monk worthwhile over a dexterity based one.
