The Monk

As far back as when it first appeared as a playable class all the way to nowadays, the monk has been a highly controversial class. People are either saying the Monk is overpowered or under powered, and there never seems to be an in between. I am of the firm belief that the monk chassis is quite powerful, but is also extremely MAD, making it actually fairly balanced in a way. Herein will be five builds illustrating ways to make a powerful monk despite its limitations!

A Note on the Quiggong Monk

The Quiggong Monk Archetype lets you replace various Monk abilities for others and lets you pick and choose what you want, therefore making it compatible with 99% of all Monk Archetypes. You therefore have zero reason whatsoever Not to take it as a Monk.

Now, only one of the following builds will be taking it for simplicity’s sake, but assume that you can take it with any of these builds and replace abilities from the base monk that you do not care about for something else.

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.

The Wanderer

A big trope of the monk is the wandering man, in search of enlightenment or perfecting his combat style. Or both.

This build plays around with that concept. We are taking the Archetypes Wanderer and Weapon Adept, along with the Horizon Walker Prestige Class.

Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Monk (Quiggong, Wanderer, Weapon Adept) 6 /Horizon Walker 10/Monk (Quiggong , Wanderer, Weapon Adept) +4

Race

We are taking Half-Orcs as they count as humans and thus can get into Wanderer.

We are also taking the Sacred Tattoo Alternate Racial Feature and will be putting the floating

+2 in Strength.

Ability Scores

Just put everything in Dex.

15Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

Traits

Reactionary is too good to pass up, Fate’s Favored doubles Luck bonuses, including your Sacred Tattoo to all your Saving Throws (meaning if using the 25PB, you start with a +6 with all Saving Throws!)

Favored Class Bonus

Yeah, HP it is!

Skills

You need 6 ranks in Knowledge(Geography) but after that, Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Stealth, Perception are your big go to.

Feats by Level

1-Dodge

Monk-Improved Unarmed Strike Monk-Perfect Strike

Bonus 2-Combat Reflexes

Bonus 2-Weapon Focus(Quarterstaff)

3-Crane Style

Bonus 3-Endurance

5-Crane Wing

Bonus 6-Deflect Arrow

Bonus 6-Weapon Specialization(Quarterstaff)

7-Crane Riposte

9-Diehard

11-Stalwart

13-Keen Smell

15-Improved Stalwart

17-Smell Fear

19-Tenacious Survivor Bonus

20-Medusa’s Wrath

So we are always at minimum fighting defensively, which is boosted through the roof via Crane Style, and when in Total Defense, we have a DR of 8/- via Improved Stalwart, and automatically deflect one melee attack and one ranged attack per round via Crane Wing and Deflect Arrow. Our Quarterstaff deals some decent damage via Weapon Specialization and our fairly high strength, and Crane Riposte-Combat Reflexes means we can kick the asses of people outside of our turn.

Horizon Walker Favored Terrain and Terrain Mastery by Level

(F): Favored (M): Mastery (D): Dominance

7-Astral(F)

8-Desert(F), Astral(M)

9-Desert(M), Astral(D)

10-Plane of Earth(F), Plane of Earth(M)

11-Forest(F)

12-Forest(M), Desert(D)

13-Urban(F)

14-Plain(F), Forest(M)

15-Plane of Earth(D)

16-Swamp(F), All others become Favored

We get Dimension Door a few times a day, Immunity to both Fatigue and Exhaustion, and Tremorsense.

Equipment

Rags and a Quarterstaff.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Whoa, okay, so we are straight immune to one melee and one ranged attack per round, get a fairly high DR against everything, AND we are considered as having Favored Enemy against almost everything that exists for great damage boost? Plus we are a fantastic scout with high Stealth, Perception, Favored Terrain(all of em), Tremorsense AND Immunity to Fatigue and Exhaustion, plus Scent?

This is a surprisingly powerful build, not going to lie. Oh, and we get to Diplomacy too because we frickin can!

The Zen Archer

This one is for Lann! Lann is a nice boy and we love Lann.

Take the Zen Archer and Quiggong Monk Archetypes and play monoclass to level 20.

Class

Monk (Quiggong, Zen Archer) 20

Race

Human with your floating into Wisdom! Because starting lvl 3 you get to use your Wisdom for Attack with your Bow.

Ability Scores

Everything goes into Wisdom.

15Point-Buy

Str 12/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 18/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 13/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 19/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 20/Cha 7

Traits

Rich Parents because boy, Bows aren’t cheap. Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative which is always nice.

Favored Class Bonus

As a human, we will be taking the one giving us +¼ of a Ki Point for many, many Ki points later on.

Skills

Acrobatics, Perception and Stealth, the other two are up to you!

Feats by Level

1-Point-Blank Shot

Human Bonus-Improved Initiative

Monk-Improved Unarmed Strike

Monk-Perfect Strike

Bonus 1-Precise Shot Bonus

2-Rapid Shot

Bonus 2-Weapon Focus(Longbow)

3-Deadly Aim

Bonus 3-Point-Blank Master

5-Deflect Arrow

Bonus 6-Improved Precise Shot

Bonus 6-Weapon Specialization(Longbow)

7-Snatch Arrow

9-Snap Shot

Bonus 10-Combat Reflexes

11-Clustered Shots

13-Improved Snap Shot Bonus

14-Shot on the Run

15-Empty Quiver Style

17-Stabbing Shot

Bonus 18-Improved Critical(Longbow)

19-Empty Quiver Flexibility

So, Rapid Shot and Manyshot do not cumulate with Flurry of Blows. We are still taking Rapid Shot because it’s a prerequisite to many of our feats, such as the invaluable Clustered Shots. Via Improved Snap Shot we threaten with our bow at 15ft, meaning Combat Reflexes shenanigans with our Bow. Deadly Aim and Precise Shot are absolutely mandatory, and since we have so many feats, just kept going down the ranged combat feat tree.

Quiggong Monk

So we can replace a few of our Ki Abilities for a list of other abilities including some excellent

Spell-Like Abilities.

These are the choices made for this Build:

1. Ki Stand
2. True Strike

7-Gaseous Form

1. Ki Leech
2. Abundant Step

13-Dust Form

15-Cloud Step

17-Penetrating Strike

17-Greater Blind-Fight

19-Bilocation

20-Akashic Form

Equipment

Buy yourself a Masterwork Composite Longbow and various Arrows

Final Thoughts on the Build

Okay, so, Zen Archer Monks are the best Archer build you can make in Pathfinder as is period. We can flurry of blows with our longbow for an attack routine of seven attacks per round with zero investments whatsoever, can bypass some hefty prerequisites for certain very important archery feats, get you to use our Wisdom to attack with our longbow etc. And that’s all before even mentioning the Quiggong Monk that will get us some insane abilities like that of eating our enemies Ki when we crit or kill them, bypass DR(which makes Clustered Shot that much more effective), and the ability to say “Screw you” to death for the very high cost of…3 ki points…

Yeah. A Quiggong Zen Archer is very, very powerful with very little need of investing. Really your only real mandatory pick is Deadly Aim at 3rd level and from there you are good to go.

The Cenobite

https://youtu.be/f8Kj44Pp8jM

Nuff explanation.

We’re taking both the Scarred Monk and Master of Many Styles Archetypes, along with levels in Antipaladin with the Tyrant Archetype. Finally we are also picking levels in the Hellknight Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Monk (Quiggong, Scarred Monk, Master of Many Styles)7/Antipaladin (Tyrant)3/Hellknight 6/Monk (Quiggong, Scarred Monk, Master of Many Styles) +4

Race

We are going for Halfling with the Creepy Doll Alternate Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 15/Cha 16 Round up Wisdom then everything in Dex.

20Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 17/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 16 Everything in Dex.

25Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 18/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 17 Round up Charisma then everything in Dex.

Traits

Reactionary for that +2 to Initiative, Unnatural Presence to Intimidate animals and vermin.

Favored Class Bonus

HP.

Skills

Intimidate, Stealth, Perception, Knowledge(Planes) need a minimum of 2.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

Monk-Improved Unarmed Strike Monk-Stunning Fists

Bonus 1-Kyton Style Bonus

2-Deadhand Style

3-Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Spiked Chain)

5-Chain Mastery

Bonus 6-Deadhand Master

7-Dance of Chains

9-Mask of Virtue

11-Soulless Gaze

13-Weapon Focus(Spiked Chain)

15-Dazzling Display

17-Piranha Strike

19-Shatter Defenses

Bonus 19-Blinded Blade Style

Weapon Finesse+Dance of Chains means we have reach during our turn with our Spiked Chain and we can use dex for both attack and damage with it.

Even though our Unarmed Strike deals terrible damage, we can still Stunning Fists with em, but we also can do the same with our Spiked Chains via Kyton Style. Since we are a Master of Many Styles, we can use multiple Style feats together, which leads into getting Deadhand Master at level 6 which would normally be impossible, but you bypass prerequisites as a Master of Many Styles. When you strike a target with unarmed strikes, you can spend Ki to give Two Negative Levels with no saving throw. Combine that with your good attack and suddenly people are dropping left and right. Getting this at lvl 6 is downright broken.

We also get Soulless Gaze and unfortunately we cannot use Cornugon Smash due to not using Power Attack, but we still have Dazzling Display which combined with the Hellknight’s Fearsomeness ability lets it send enemies cowering in under a round.

Mortifications by Level

3-Eyes Stitched Shut

7-Tongueless Master

19-Contortionist

So we can steal the voice of people, making us extremely powerful against spellcasters, and we have Blindsense, which evolve into Blindsight against creatures who have received at least one points of damage, and finally we can escape almost any bonds.

Equipment

A Doll Mask, a Spiked Chain(even though we won’t really be using it until level 3)

Final Thoughts on the Build

We are a creepy character aight. Even though we are small we can easily Intimidate creatures into a panic with very little difficulty, and no one is immune to fear when near us. We can freeze and make people believe we are a doll, and are overall extremely good at Stealth. We can kill enemies via negative levels instead of damage in a few rounds starting as soon as level 6 which is crazy, and we can hard counter most spellcasters via our Tongueless Master ability.

The Dragon Monk

Dragons and Monks work fittingly well together thematically, and so comes this build. We are taking the Scaled Fist Archetype, multiclassing into a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer and getting into Dragon Disciple as soon as possible.

Class

Our leveling should look like the following; Monk (Quiggong, Scaled Fist) 4/Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline) 1/Dragon Disciple 10/Monk (Quiggong, Scaled Fist) +5

Race

We are taking Human and putting our floating +2 into Strength.

Ability Scores

Just keep putting everything in Strength.

15Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 14

20Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 14

25Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 14

Traits

Heavy Hitter because this adds to both our Natural Attacks and Unarmed Strikes,

Reactionary for that extra Initiative.

Favored Class Bonus

You guessed it, it’s HP

Skills

We need Knowledge(Arcana) and Acrobatics, but after that, besides Perception and Stealth it’s really up to you.

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Human Bonus-Dodge

Monk-Improved Unarmed Strike

Monk-Stunning Fist

Bonus 1-Dragon Style

Bonus 2-Intimidating Prowess

3-Power Attack

5-Dragon Ferocity

Bonus 6-Eschew Materials

7-Cornugon Smash

9-Dragon Roar

11-Improved Natural Attacks(Claws)

13-Weapon Focus(Claws)

15-Feral Combat Training

17-Dazzling Display

Bonus 17-Disheartening Display

19-Shatter Defenses

So we can Cornugon Smash with our Flurry of Blows and keep upgrading the fear effect via Disheartening Display which is…ouch. Plus we can mix in our Flurry our Claws which are doing fairly good damage themselves, Power Attack combined with Dragon Style and Dragon Ferocity means we add double our Strength Bonus to our first attack and 1 ½ on all subsequent attacks meaning our fists deal a lot of damage.

Spells Gained by Level

5-Mage Hand, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Prestidigitation, Mage Armor, Enlarge Person

7-Resistance

8-Shield

9-Touch of Fatigue, Bull’s Strength

11-Magic Weapon, Mirror Image

12-Arcane Mark, Invisibility, Haste

13-Erase, Pouncing Fury, Rage

15-Chameleon Scales, Stoneskin

Equipment

Do we really need to?

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, Each of your Unarmed Strike deals a ton of damage (1d10+26 on first attack and then 1d10+22 on all subsequent attacks) meaning you deal some 4d10+92 damage per turn which is actually pretty darned good. But, that is not all. We have wings, can mix in our Claws, cast spells (Haste anyone?).

Also, we can turn into a Dragon and just obliterate everything because we can? Yeah. Great build.