Labyrinths & Liontaurs
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Monk

You are a seeker after inner knowledge, serenity, and enlightenment. You know that exploring your own nature also requires being at one with nature, requires discipline and devotion, and requires a structured state of mindfulness. But your path to transcendence is also a path to power -- whether you seek power or no, you understand that you must wield that power responsibly. Some monks embrace martial prowess, seeking to cultivate greatness in battle. Others seek to increase balance and order in the world, using natural means to teach and assist others along the path, regretting violence while understanding that it is sometimes necessary.

Role: Monks may adventure for many reasons, but all seek self-improvement and personal growth. Some strive for harmony as part of a group. Some are inwards-focused and care primarily for their own aggrandizement. All respect nature, understanding that their power derives from understanding the universe and their place in it.

Restrictions: Your abilities function best while wearing no armor or shield. You must be lawful to take the monk class. Most monks are lawful good or lawful neutral, though a few are lawful evil. A monk who stops being lawful and instead becomes neutral or chaotic loses signature abilities (those gained at levels 1, 6, 11, and 16) and cannot gain more monk levels. They retain all other benefits of the class. If you find the allowed monk equipment and lawful alignment to be restrictive, talk with your game master about your options for other classes and retraining your character.

Base Attack Bonus: +0.75 / level.

Caster Level: +0.75 / level.

Fort Save: +0.50 / level.

Reflex Save: +0.50 / level.

Will Save: +0.50 / level.

Hit Die: d8.



Table: Monk Advancement
LevelBase Attack BonusCaster LevelFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st+0 (+0.75)0 (0.75)+0 (+0.50)+0 (+0.50)+0 (+0.50)Tyro Signature: Martial Artist
2nd+1 (+1.50)1 (1.50)+1 (+1.00)+1 (+1.00)+1 (+1.00)Cenobite or Eremite
3rd+2 (+2.25)2 (2.25)+1 (+1.50)+1 (+1.50)+1 (+1.50)Mantis Style or Scorpion Style
4th+3 (+3.00)3 (3.00)+2 (+2.00)+2 (+2.00)+2 (+2.00)Initiate or Disciple
5th+3 (+3.75)3 (3.75)+2 (+2.50)+2 (+2.50)+2 (+2.50)Tyro Tier Choice
6th+4 (+4.50)4 (4.50)+3 (+3.00)+3 (+3.00)+3 (+3.00)Adventurer Signature: Flurry of Blows
7th+5 (+5.25)5 (5.25)+3 (+3.50)+3 (+3.50)+3 (+3.50)Master of Spring or Master of Fall
8th+6 (+6.00)6 (6.00)+4 (+4.00)+4 (+4.00)+4 (+4.00)Snake Style or Snapping Turtle Style
9th+6 (+6.75)6 (6.75)+4 (+4.50)+4 (+4.50)+4 (+4.50)Master of the East Wind or Master of the West Wind
10th+7 (+7.50)7 (7.50)+5 (+5.00)+5 (+5.00)+5 (+5.00)Adventurer Tier Choice
11th+8 (+8.25)8 (8.25)+5 (+5.50)+5 (+5.50)+5 (+5.50)Hero Signature: Quivering Palm
12th+9 (+9.00)9 (9.00)+6 (+6.00)+6 (+6.00)+6 (+6.00)Master of Summer or Master of Winter
13th+9 (+9.75)9 (9.75)+6 (+6.50)+6 (+6.50)+6 (+6.50)Crane Style or Monkey Style
14th+10 (+10.50)10 (10.50)+7 (+7.00)+7 (+7.00)+7 (+7.00)Master of the South Wind or Master of the North Wind
15th+11 (+11.25)11 (11.25)+7 (+7.50)+7 (+7.50)+7 (+7.50)Hero Tier Choice
16th+12 (+12.00)12 (12.00)+8 (+8.00)+8 (+8.00)+8 (+8.00)Legend Signature: Refined Body
17th+12 (+12.75)12 (12.75)+8 (+8.50)+8 (+8.50)+8 (+8.50)Grand Master of the Sun or Grand Master of the Moon
18th+13 (+13.50)13 (13.50)+9 (+9.00)+9 (+9.00)+9 (+9.00)Panther Style or Tiger Style
19th+14 (+14.25)14 (14.25)+9 (+9.50)+9 (+9.50)+9 (+9.50)Grand Master of Flowers or Grand Master of Clouds
20th+15 (+15.00)15 (15.00)+10 (+10.00)+10 (+10.00)+10 (+10.00)Legend Tier Choice


Skill Proficiencies

The monk's proficient skills (and the ability scores used to boost each skill) are Break (Str), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perform (dance, oratory) (Cha), Profession (teacher, farmer) (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

As a monk, you are proficient with all monk weapons and unarmed strikes as well as with simple spears and simple close weapons. You are not proficient with any armor or shield. Note that many of your monk weapons are modified farming tools -- a sai is like a three-prong garden tool, a singham is like a dibber, a kama is like a sickle, nunchaku are like a threshing flail. This reflects the monkish ethos: agriculture brings order to nature.

Spells and Spell Casting

At second level, when your caster level is one, you can cast natural spells, which are drawn from the natural spell list presented in Spell Lists. As with all characters, you follow the general magic rules for spell slots per day, based on your caster level, which advances by three-quarters of a caster level every time you gain a monk level. As a naturalist, wisdom is your spell casting ability score.

KNOWN SPELLS LIST: Each time you gain a caster level, you learn two new spells. Because you are an naturalist, you may choose to pick spells from the natural spell list. The level of the spell cannot exceed three-quarters of your new monk level, round down (minimum 1). You may only choose spells from the Transmutation, Abjuration, Enchantment, and Divination schools. You may only choose Transmutation and Abjuration spells you can cast on yourself, and when you cast them, you can only target yourself, not any other creature or object. You may not add spells with the Polymorph descriptor to your known spells list. You may only choose to know Enchantment spells that can be cast on creatures with the animal type, and when you cast them, you can only target animals.

Class Abilities

TYRO TIER

Level 1 Monk Tyro Tier Signature Ability: Martial Artist (Ex) You gain a bonus to Armor Class equal to your odd (column A) wisdom bonus. In addition, you gain a bonus to your armor class equal to one-quarter of your character levels (minimum one) and an equal bonus to attack rolls when using unarmed strikes and monk weapons. Your unarmed attacks inflict more damage than usual:

Table: Monk Damage
Character Level Damage (Small Monk) Damage (Medium Monk) Damage (Large Monk)
1st–3rd 1d4 1d6 1d8
4th–6th 1d6 1d8 1d10
7th–9th 1d8 1d10 1d12
10th–12th 1d10 1d12 3d4
13th–15th 1d12 3d4 2d4+1d6
16th–18th 3d4 2d4+1d6 1d4+2d6
19th–20th 2d4+1d6 1d4+2d6 1d20

Note: All monk signature abilities only function if you are carrying no more than a light load, wearing no armor, and using no shield.

Level 2 Monk Tyro Tier Interaction Ability (pick one):

Level 3 Monk Tyro Tier Combat Ability (pick one):

Level 4 Monk Tyro Tier Exploration Ability (pick one):

Level 5 Monk Tyro Tier Choice: Select a Monk Tyro Tier Interaction, Combat, or Exploration ability that you have not yet chosen, or choose a feat for which you qualify from among these feat Trees: Acrobat Tree, Dash Tree, Intuition Tree, Karate Tree, Predator Tree, or Wrestler Tree.

ADVENTURER TIER

Level 6 Monk Adventurer Tier Signature Ability: Flurry of Blows (Ex): When you make a full attack using only monk weapons and unarmed attacks, you gain extra attacks based on your Base Attack Bonus (BAB). At BAB up to +5, you gain a bonus attack at your full BAB. At BAB +6 to +10, you gain a bonus attack at your full BAB and a bonus attack at -5 BAB. At BAB +11 to +15, you gain bonus attacks at full BAB, at -5 BAB, and at -10 BAB. And at BAB +16 to +19, you gain bonus attacks at full BAB, at -5 BAB, at -10 BAB, and at -15. Flurry of Blows can be combined with other feats and powers that affect full attacks (including dual weilder feats), so long as all attacks are made with unarmed strikes and monk weapons. Note: All monk signature abilities only function if you are carrying no more than a light load, wearing no armor, and using no shield.

Level 7 Monk Adventurer Tier Interaction Ability (pick one):

Level 8 Monk Adventurer Tier Combat Ability (pick one):

Level 9 Monk Adventurer Tier Exploration Ability (pick one):

Level 10 Monk Adventurer Tier Choice: Select a Monk Tyro Tier Interaction, Combat, or Exploration ability that you have not yet chosen, or choose a feat for which you qualify from among these feat Trees: Acrobat Tree, Dash Tree, Intuition Tree, Karate Tree, Predator Tree, or Wrestler Tree.

HERO TIER

Level 11 Monk Hero Tier Signature Ability: Quivering Palm (Su): You can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if you so desire. You can use this quivering palm attack once per day, and you must announce your intent before making the attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if you strike successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, you can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to your character level. To make such an attempt, you merely will the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your odd (column B) Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one at a later time. You can have no more than one quivering palm in effect at one time. If you use a quivering palm while another is still in effect, the previous effect is negated.

Level 12 Monk Hero Tier Interaction Ability (pick one):

Level 13 Monk Hero Tier Combat Ability (pick one):

Level 14 Monk Hero Tier Exploration Ability (pick one):

Level 15 Monk Hero Tier Choice: Select a Monk Hero, Adventurer, or Tyro Tier Interaction, Combat, or Exploration ability that you have not yet chosen, or choose a feat for which you qualify from among these feat Trees: Acrobat Tree, Dash Tree, Intuition Tree, Karate Tree, Predator Tree, or Wrestler Tree.

LEGEND TIER

Level 16 Monk Legend Tier Signature Ability: Refined Body (Su): You are immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases. You are immune to poisons of all kinds. You no longer take penalties to your ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that you has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up. Finally, you gain fast healing 1.

Level 17 Monk Legend Tier Interaction Ability (pick one):

Level 18 Monk Legend Tier Combat Ability (pick one):

Level 19 Monk Legend Tier Exploration Ability (pick one):

Level 20 Monk Legend Tier Choice: Select a Monk Legend, Hero, Adventurer, or Tyro Tier Interaction, Combat, or Exploration ability that you have not yet chosen, or choose a feat for which you qualify from among these feat Trees: Acrobat Tree, Dash Tree, Intuition Tree, Karate Tree, Predator Tree, or Wrestler Tree.