Monk – The Base Monk – Pathfinder 1E
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The Base Monk
Here is a simple, but effective monk build that doesn’t beat around the bush and does exactly what it claims to be doing, punching people in the face very, very hard.
Class
Monk (Quiggong) 20
Race
We will be going for an Oread, a half earth genie/elemental, with the Granite Skin Alternate Racial Feature.
Ability Scores
15Point-Buy
Str 16/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 6 Everything in Strength
20Point-Buy
Str 17/Dex 15/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 17/Cha 5 Round up Dex and Wis, then everything in Str
25Point-Buy
Str 18/Dex 15/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 17/Cha 5 Round up Dex and Wis, then everything in Str.
Traits
Heavy Hitter for more unarmed damage, Reactionary for more Initiative.
Favored Class Bonus
We are going in melee with D8 HDs, we are taking HP.
Skills
Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception and Sense Motive.
Feats by Level
1-Toughness
Monk 1-Improved Unarmed Strike Monk
1-Stunning Fists
Bonus 1-Improved Grapple Bonus
2-Combat Reflexes
3-Power Attack
5-Stand Still
Bonus 6-Improved Trip
7-Weapon Focus(Unarmed Strike)
9-Deadly Aim
Bonus 10-Medusa’s Wrath
11-Vital Strike
13-Improved Initiative Bonus
14-Spring Attack
15-Improved Vital Strike
17-Point-Blank Shot
Bonus 18-Improved Bull Rush
19-Precise Shot
As part of a Flurry of Blow, we can exchange any attacks for a Trip, Disarm or Sunder maneuver. We have Improved Trip which combines extremely well with Power Attack, Stunning Fists and Medusa’s Strike to completely and utterly shut down someone we are Flurrying. We can also Improved Grapple and Improved Bull Rush to great effects, and with Combat Reflexes and Stand Still, no one escapes the beating. Finally, we can use our improved speed in combination with Spring Attack+Vital Strike to go knock that spellcaster behind the enemy lines, stunning it and then run back to safety.
Equipment
Get yourself some Shurikens to do some ranged combat support as they are monk weapons and can thus be used as part of a Flurry of Blows, and with Deadly Aim they will deal a surprising amount of damage to your target. Also, they count as ammunition for enchantments meaning a much, much reduced cost.
Final Thoughts on the Build
If the enemy is away, flurry of blows with Shurikens. If they are away but isolated, Spring Attack to Stunning Fist them and run back behind cover/allies. If they are within melee flurry of blow+stunning fist+medusa’s wrath+Improved Trip, sprinkle Stand Still to force enemies to stay close and shut them down hard making them much easier to deal with for your allies.
Your fists deal fairly great damage tok and in a Flurry you can throw a lot of em. So that makes your damage actually something that enemies must take into account instead of just avoiding you. But if they come close they suddenly are prone, paralyzed, have a speed of zero and getting coup de graced next turn.