Monk

Alignment

Any lawful.

Hit Die

d8.

Class Skills

The monk’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks Per Level

4 + Int modifier.

Table 4-8: Monk

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus Unarmed Damage* AC Bonus Unarmored Speed Bonus
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Bonus feat, flurry of blows, unarmed strike –2/–2 1d6 +0 +0 ft.
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Bonus feat, evasion –1/–1 1d6 +0 +0 ft.
3rd +2 +3 +3 +3 Maneuver training, still mind +0/+0 1d6 +0 +10 ft.
4th +3 +4 +4 +4 Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft. +1/+1 1d8 +1 +10 ft.
5th +3 +4 +4 +4 High jump, purity of body +2/+2 1d8 +1 +10 ft.
6th +4 +5 +5 +5 Bonus feat, slow fall 30 ft. +3/+3 1d8 +1 +20 ft.
7th +5 +5 +5 +5 Wholeness of body +4/+4 1d8 +1 +20 ft.
8th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Slow fall 40 ft. +5/+5/+0 1d10 +2 +20 ft.
9th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Improved evasion +6/+6/+1 1d10 +2 +30 ft.
10th +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Bonus feat, ki pool (lawful), slow fall 50 ft. +7/+7/+2 1d10 +2 +30 ft.
11th +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Diamond body +8/+8/+8/+3 1d10 +2 +30 ft.
12th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Abundant step, slow fall 60 ft. +9/+9/+9/+4 2d6 +3 +40 ft.
13th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Diamond soul +9/+9/+9/+4 2d6 +3 +40 ft.
14th +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 Bonus feat, slow fall 70 ft. +10/+10/+10/+5 2d6 +3 +40 ft.
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Quivering palm +11/+11/+11/+6/+1 2d6 +3 +50 ft.
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Ki pool (adamantine), slow fall 80 ft. +12/+12/+12/+7/+2 2d8 +4 +50 ft.
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Timeless body, tongue of the sun and moon +12/+12/+12/+7/+2 2d8 +4 +50 ft.
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 Bonus feat, slow fall 90 ft. +13/+13/+13/+8/+3 2d8 +4 +60 ft.
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Empty body +14/+14/+14/+9/+4 2d8 +4 +60 ft.
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Perfect self, slow fall any distance +15/+15/+15/+10/+5 2d10 +5 +60 ft.
*The value shown is for Medium monks. For Small or Large monks see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the monk.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear.

Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.

When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

AC Bonus (Ex)

When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he
carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows (Ex)

When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table 4–8. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before his next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

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). He may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether he wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that he has enough attacks in his flurry of blows routine to do so. When a monk reaches 11th level, his flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack he gets from flurry of blows, he gets a second extra attack at his full base attack bonus.

Unarmed Strike

Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage

Level Damage (Small Monk) Damage (Large Monk)
1st–3rd 1d4 1d8
4th–7th 1d6 2d6
8th–11th 1d8 2d8
12th–15th 1d10 3d6
16th–19th 2d6 3d8
20th 2d8 4d8

At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist or with elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table 4–8. The unarmed damage on Table 4–8 is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.

Bonus Feat

At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list: Caught Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, Stunning Fist, and Throw Anything. At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility. At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list: Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

Evasion (Ex)

At 2nd level or higher, if a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement (Ex)

At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his speed, as shown on Table 4–8. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Maneuver Training (Ex)

At 3rd level, a monk uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus when calculating his combat maneuver bonus. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.

Still Mind (Ex)

A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.

Ki Pool (Su)

At 4th level, a monk’s gains a pool of ki, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. A monk’s ki pool is equal to one half his monk level plus his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike. At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Ki strike improves with the character’s monk level. At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack. In addition, he can spend 1 point to increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Finally, a monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels. The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation.

Slow Fall (Ex)

At 4th level or higher, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. When first using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The monk’s ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves with his monk level until at 20th level he can use a nearby wall to slow his descent and fall any distance without harm.

High Jump (Ex)

At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical jumps and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks using Acrobatics. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for 1 round.

Purity of Body (Ex)

At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Wholeness of Body (Su)

At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to his monk level by using 2 points from his ki pool.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Diamond Body (Su)

At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.

Abundant Step (Su)

At 12th level or higher, a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 2 points from his ki pool. His caster level for this effect is 1/2 his monk level.

Diamond Soul (Ex)

At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk’s spell resistance.

Quivering Palm (Su)

Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once a week, and he must announce his intent before making his attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter, the monk can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + the monk’s Wis 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.

Timeless Body (Ex)

Upon attaining 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex)

A monk of 17th level or higher can speak with any living creature.

Empty Body (Su)

At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool.

Perfect Self

At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonmagical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.

Ex-Monks

A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk but retains all monk abilities.