The key feature of the monk is her ability to fight unarmed and unarmored. Thanks to her rigorous training, she can strike as hard as if she were armed and strike faster than a warrior with a sword. Though a monk casts no spells, she has a magic of her own. She channels a subtle energy, called ki, which allows her to perform amazing feats. The monk’s best-known feat is her ability to stun an opponent with an unarmed blow. A monk also has a preternatural awareness that allows her to dodge an attack even if she is not consciously aware of it. As a monk gains experience and power, her mundane and ki-oriented abilities grow, giving her more and more power over herself and, sometimes, over others.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Monk, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
- Alignment: Any lawful – a monk’s training requires strict discipline.
Class Skills
The class skills of the Monk are:
- Balance
- Climb
- Concentration
- Craft: Alchemy
- Craft: Jewelcrafting
- Craft: Tailoring & Leatherwork
- Craft: Trap and Contraptions
- Craft: Woodworking
- Diplomacy
- Escape Artist
- Hide
- Jump
- Knowledge: Arcana
- Knowledge: Nature
- Knowledge: Religion
- Knowledge: The Planes
- Listen
- Lore
- Move Silently
- Parry
- Perform
- Profession: Cook
- Profession: Fisher
- Profession: Woodcutter
- Sense Motive
- Spot
- Swim
- Tumble
Class Features
Base Attack Bonus Progression: High
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier, x4 at first level
Hit Dice: D8
High Saves: All.
Weapon Proficiencies: Monks are proficient with certain basic peasant weapons and some special weapons that are part of monk training. The weapons with which a monk is proficient are club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, quarterstaff, shuriken, and sling.
Armor Proficiencies: Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields – in fact, many of the monk’s special powers require unfettered movement. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses her AC bonus, as well as her fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft Alchemy, Craft Jewelcrafting, Craft Tailoring & Leatherwork, Craft Trap, Craft Woodworking Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge Arcana, Knowledge Nautre, Knowledge Religion, Knowledge Planes, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry, Perform, Profession Woodcutter, Profession Fisher, Profession Cooking, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, and Tumble.
AC Bonus: A monk has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated attacks. When unarmored, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, or when she carries a shield.
Flurry of Blows: When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 9th level it disappears. When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham).
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
Evasion: A monk of 2nd level or higher can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor.
Deflect Arrows At 2nd level, a monk gains Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat.
Fast Movement: At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to her speed. A monk in armor (even light armor) loses this extra speed.
Still Mind: A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
Ki Strike: At 4th level, a monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. Ki strike improves with the character’s monk level, becoming lawful for purposes of damage reduction at level 10 and adamantine for purposes of damage reduction at level 16.
Purity of Body: At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases.
Wholeness of Body: At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal her own wounds. She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice her current monk level each day.
Improved Evasion: At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon’s breath weapon or a fireball, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save.
Bonus Feats: At the 10th, 14th, and 18th level a monk is able to chose one of the following as a bonus feat:
Weapon Focus (Monk Weapons), Improved Critical (Monk Weapons), Blind Fight, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse, Disarm, Improved Disarm, Dash, Extra Stunning Attacks, Toughness, and Circle Kick.
Diamond Body: At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.
Abundant Step: At 12th level or higher, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the Dimension Door Spell. This ability may be used once per day.
Diamond Soul: At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to her current monk level + 10.
Quivering Palm: Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up fatal vibrations within the body of another creature once per day. Unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + the monk’s Wis modifier), it dies.
Empty Body: At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to fade from sight twice per day. The monk gains a 50% concealment bonus for a number of rounds equal to his class level.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk has tuned her body with skill and quasi-magical abilities to the point that she becomes a magical creature. The monk gains damage reduction 10/Silver, which allows her to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a non-silver weapon.
Dispater