NWN: Character - Monk

MONK
From a distance, the Monk appears to be a mixture of cool features and terrifying weaknesses. The idea of having faster movement, hands that are truly weapons, a slew of special features and unequaled saving throws seems too good to be true. Of course, then the potential player sees that they won’t wear armor, will be weak at range, need to distribute their attribute points across four stats (usually), and lack the hit points on top of all that (compared to other melee classes), so recoils in horror at the prospect of trying to survive under those conditions. Okay, maybe not horror, but certainly, the onus is put upon the player to play smartly because of this.

So what does that mean? It means you probably have a very interesting, challenging, and well balanced character class. The monk is a front line warrior who uses superior speed, special combat tactics, and unique defensive features to prosper where others would fail. As a pure tank, they have some frailties. They’re not likely to have equal armor class (AC) to the heavily armored warrior. Typically, a monk will start with a 10 AC (unarmored) +2 for Dex and +2 for wisdom giving them a 14 AC total. Not as good as your average fighter with shield who will probably have a 16 or 17 AC to start. Add to that the hit die of D8 (compared to the d10 or d12), they will prove to be less capable in a toe-to-toe slugfest - even when you consider the fact that a bonus to AC increases gradually (to +4) over time as well as the wisdom modifier to AC. The one advantage that a monk has over the warrior is maneuverability. NeverWinter Nights computer play (where they will have a % increase to movement rates that will be very important in a real time CRPG), the Monk’s ability to hit and move is a powerful tactical advantage. A wise player will use this to close the gap, but it still won’t leave the monk even with the fighter or barbarian in a strict analysis of damage delivered and damage taken in most cases.

So why would anyone want to play this watered down version of a fighter who fights with bare hands? Because NeverWinter Nights is set in worlds of magic and the monk is an unequaled warrior against foes fantastic. Saving throws (the ability to avoid or reduce magical attack affects) are second to none, Improved Evasion (to avoid that dragon breath or fireball entirely), Diamond Body (immune to poisons) and Diamond Soul (spell resistance of no small amount) are just some of the class features that make this character worth playing. With the ability to move swiftly and close the gap on opposing spellcasters, the monk may be the best in the role of mage slayer. Resistance and saving throws (or evasions) also makes them excellent against some horrors such as the dragon, basilisk, or harpy. Yes, indeed, no Wizard wants to see a Monk gliding towards them with their Knockdown ability, resistances, and terrible strikes. Beyond that, lets face it, the Monk is a very cool class to play that is different from every other class and the stereotypical fantasy hero.

• Alignment Restrictions: Any Lawful

• Hit Die per Level: d8 (1-8)

• Armor Proficiencies: None

• Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Crossbow, Dagger, Handaxe, Javelin, Kama, Katana, Quarterstaff, Nunchaku, Shuriken, Siangham, Sling

• Saving Throws: Fortitude, Reflex, & Will (all primary)

• Skill Points Per Level: 4+Int Modifier (x4 at 1st character level)

• Class Skills: Diplomacy: Persuade, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry

• Class Features: Scaling Unarmed Damage, Unarmed Attack Bonus, Improved Unarmed Strike, Flurry of Blows, Evasion, Stunning Fist, AC Bonus, Deflect Arrow (at 2nd), Monk Speed (at 3rd), Still Mind (at 3rd), Purity of Body (at 5th), Knockdown & Improved Knockdown (at 6th), Wholeness of Body (at 7th), Improved Evasion (at 9th), Ki Strike (starting at 10th), Diamond Body (at 11th), Diamond Soul (at 12th), Quivering Palm (at 15th), Empty Body (at 18th), Perfect Self (at 20th)

• Class Kits: Default, Devout, Gifted, Peasant, Spirit Warrior

Just look at those Class Features. That alone should tempt players who are looking for something interesting to play.

Kits: The kits are interesting and offer a good compliment of playing styles for the player who either likes the sound of them or is inexperienced at developing characters. Default will be a well rounded Monk who seeks balance. Devout Monks are quarterstaff specialists seeking to spread their spiritual beliefs. Gifted Monks are Kama specialists who apply them to deadly effectiveness. A Peasant Monk, despite their ignoble name, are dangerous stealth warriors who use kama and shuriken with skill. The Spirit Warrior is a traditional Monk, trained to be deadly unarmed and also at range.

Skills: With a healthy 4+int skill points per level, the Monk will be able to pursue a few skills to max or many to some degree. Move Silently and Hide offer a chance to take advantage of the Monk's lack of armor to catch opponents unaware. Listen prevents the same from happening to the Monk. Parry is an effective way to hold out against a superior foe until help arrives or while group members pepper the enemy at safety, counterstriking when the opportunity offers itself. Heal saves on potions and spells. Diplomacy and Lore offer role-playing possibilities in well run campaigns.

Feats: The Monk only receives normal character level bonus feats (at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th). Weapon Focus (unarmed strike) gives +1 to attack rolls and will be often one of the first taken. Toughness is like getting a free +2 Con for HPs and helps strengthen the d8 HPs. Mobility is a very good feat for wading through foes to get to that Mage or Cleric that is peppering the group behind front line warriors. Dodge boosts defense against a primary foe and is a prerequisite for Mobility. Alertness gives a boost to the senses. A mage slaying specialist might want to take Iron Will and Lightning Reflexes to further strengthen saving throws. Skill Focus can make a preferred skill even stronger.

Special Features: Ah, where to start. Unarmed Damage improves over time (Levels 1-3: d6, Levels 4-7: d8, Levels 8-11: d10, Levels 12-15: d12, Levels 16-20: d20). Not only that, but the Monk gets a special Unarmed Attack Bonus Chart (as opposed to Base Attack Bonus - BAB) that allows for many more attacks than normal at higher levels (up to 5 attacks starting at level 18) though it should be kept in mind that Monks do not get the favorable Warrior BAB chart. Improved Unarmed Strike means that the Monk doesn't invoke Attacks of Opportunities (which are essentially free attacks against the character) when using unarmed strikes. Flurry of Blows allows an extra attack to be taken by the Monk at the price of -2 on the attack rolls for all attacks. Evasion is a good feature that allows spells or effects that normal give half-damage on a save to be reduced to no damage instead (though full damage is taken if the saving throw is failed). Stunning Fist allows the Monk attack with the chance to stun a foe for 3 full rounds leaving them relatively helpless if it succeeds (usuable 1x/day for every 4 character levels) - a powerful ability. Monks get their Wisdom Bonus added to their AC. They also get a bonus to this at 5th of +1, 10th of +2, 15th of +3, and 20th of +4. At 2nd level, Deflect Arrow gives a good chance to the Monk to avoid one missile attack per round. At 3rd level, the Monks movement speed begins to increase and they get a +2 bonus to saves against mind affecting spells. At 5th level, Purity of Body gives immunity to disease. 6th level offers the Knockdown ability which prove to be very effective against un-Disciplined foes. Wholeness of Body, at 7th level, allows the Monk to heal themselves of twice their Monk level in damage once per day (rest period). At 9th, Improved Evasion means thatthose magical attacks that usually have save for half damage now are even half damage on a failed save and no damage on a successful one. Ki Strike means that the Monk can attack as if their hands were magical weapons (for foes with Damage Reduction) - at 10th it'ss +1, 13th is +2, and 16th is +3. Diamond Body gives immunity to all poisons starting at level 12. 15th gives the Monk the Quivering Palm attack, an strike that gives the Monk a chance to kill a foe with just one hit instantly (usable 1x/day, foes get fortitude save and critical immune creatures are also immune to this). Empty Body at 18th is a powerful ability that makes the Monk unhittable 50% of the time, regardless of the attacker's skill. Finally, at level 20, the Monk gains immunity to all mind affecting spells and effects while also granting damage reduction of 20/+1 (Perfect Self). Wow. Who isn't drooling after reading all of that?

Attributes: Monks benefit from high Wisdom, Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. It's hard not to leave any of them behind, but certainly different character roles or themes can be thought up, regardless. Here’s some 30 point buy designs:
Str: 14, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 12, Wis: 14, Cha: 10 (balanced)
Str: 17, Dex: 12, Con: 14, Int: 8, Wis: 14, Cha: 8 (hands of death)
Str: 14, Dex: 16, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 14, Cha: 8 (defensive stylist)
Str: 14, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 14, Wis: 14, Cha: 8 (purity of mind)
Str: 14, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 16, Cha: 8 (mage slayer)
Str: 14, Dex: 15, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 16, Cha: 8 (survivor)

Wisdom has impact beside AC Bonus (Quivering Palm and Stunning Fist, for example), so most Monks will want to have a strong Wisdom. Strength and Dexterity are a matter of style. Some will prefer to go for faster killing, others will prefer better Reflex Saves and Defense (along with skill bonuses to Move Silently and Hide). Constitution is pretty important for a combative character, especially one with d8 HPs to start. Intelligence and Charisma are probably the least important skills, though certainly having Intelligence for skills never hurts. There are many variations possible, but that should offer some to think about.

Race: Monks have some interesting choices when it comes to race. Humans are the most commonly taken because of the bonus feat and improved skill points. Dwarves, as odd as it sounds, make good Monks because of their bonus to Constitution while only losing Charisma. Half-Orc, which also seems like an odd combination, gets a boost to Strength at the cost of the two least important attributes (Intelligence and Charisma). Half-Elves are a good selection for their special racial features without any penalties. Halflings and Gnomes both suffer -2 to Strength, but under various roles are possibilities because of their bonus stat (+2 Dex for Halfling, +2 Con for Gnome) and racial benefits like better hiding and size bonuses. Elves suffer a -2 penalty to Constitution, but get +2 to Dexterity, bonus weapon proficiencies, and good skill boosts making them a good selection for the defensive minded Monk.

Multi-class: Because Monks get so much for so long, culminating with Perfect Self at level 20, its a class that is very good when left pure. Certainly, there are combinations that offer intriguing possibilities, but of all classes, even spellcasters, I believe the Monk is best suited to being of pure level. Certainly, though, there are combinations that could work.

Conclusion: When you take a good look at all the cool things that a Monk can do, even die hard Paladin players (like myself) who like the old fashioned fantasy image of a heavily armored warrior smiting evil with a glowing sword in toe-to-toe battle, it's hard not to want to take one for a spin at some point. The class should be very interesting within NWN and might prove to be best for the skilled, clever player who prefers melee to magic (especially if they want to destroy those of magic).