Pathfinder Monk Guide (Level 1 to 13)

Introduction: Okay, I am going to do this guide a little different.  I started to make a monk guide from scratch and then read the Treantmonk Monk guide and decided to just build on his guide.  Below you will find, with some slight modification, the Switch Hitter Build that Treantmonk suggested at the beginning of Pathfinder time. I had to make some judgment calls to complete the feat progression order.  That said, it is the optimal order, in my opinion.

After looking at the Treantmonk Monk, with slight modification, we will look at how new race & racial features, traits, archetypes, feats, and monk vows can advance this build and/or specialize it in an optimal way.

Treantmonk Switch Hitter Monk

Starting Stats (20 points) – Str: 19 (13) Dex: 14 (5) Con: 14 (5) Int: 7 (-4) Wis: 14 (5) Cha: 7 (-4). All you bonuses should go to Strength.

• Note 1: Treantmonk suggested Int (8) and Con (13). He then suggest that you raise Str followed by Con with you 4th and 8th level stat bonuses.  I say no.  You just are not going to be very skillful.  Deal with it. With the above stat array, what you will be is a little more durable in the early levels and more accurate in the long run with all of your level stat bonuses going to Strength.

Race: Human (Standard)

Favorite Class Ability: +1 hitpoint / level

Feats / Bonus Feats: 1)Dodge, Pt Blank Shot, Precise Shot, flurry of blows, stunning fist, unarmed strike; 2) Improved Grapple, evasion; 3) Weapon Focus (Shuriken), fast movement, maneuver training, still mind; 4) Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft.; 5) Power Attack, high jump, purity of body; 6) Improved Bull Rush; 7) Deadly Aim, Ki pool (cold iron/silver), wholeness of body; 9) Clustered Shots, improved evasion; 10) Medusa’s Wrath, Ki pool (lawful); 11)Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), diamond body; 12) abundant step; 13)Greater Bull Rush, diamond soul

• Note 2: Treantmonk did not rank Weapon Focus high, but, in my opinion, he was wrong not to. The major problem with the standard switch hitting monk was the ability to hit with his Flurry of Blows (Shuriken included).  Accordingly, I added Weapon Focus for both unapologetically.  Heck, I added Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot as well.  There are a number of other feats that Treantmonk suggests and you can judge for yourself.  For me, if you are not hitting, you are sucking.  I also chose the switch hitting build because it is tactically superior in my opinion.  If you forwent switch hitting and focused only on melee, this would obviously open up a number of feat slots given that PBS, PS, and WF (Shuriken) would not be selected.
• Note 3: Clustered Shots was not around when Treantmonk did his guide.  I am added it in because it is a no-brainer.

Skills (39 points): Acrobatics (13), Perception (13), Stealth (13)

Equipment (129K): +2 Belt of Str/Dex/Con (16K); +4 Headband of Wisdom (16K); Monk’s Robe (13K); Boots of Speed (12K);Holy Amulet of Mighty Fists (16K), WEAPONS, +3 Cloak of Resistance (9K); Google’s of Night (12K); +2 Ring of Protection (8K); Bracer’s of Falcon’s Aim (4K); Flying Carpet (20K);Shuriken (cold iron, silver, adamantine); Wands: [Barkskin,Mage’s Armor]

• Note 3: I added in Bracer’s of Falcon’s Aim. The extra +1 to hit is sorely needed.  I don’t think this item was around when Treantmonk made the guide.  I am sure he would have suggested it for the switch hitter build if it were.  Side Note: I have heard that Pathfinder Gaming Society has banned the item. Very few GMs do, however.  It’s not game breaking in my opinion, just a strong option like the rest of the above suggested equipment.

• Note 4: Treantmonk suggested more wands.While wands are great, you can’t use them. Further, getting a caster to cast the spells when you need the spell is not always realistic, unless the spell is one that last a long time.  Thus, I stuck with Barkskin and Mage’s Armor.  If your party spellcasters are more reliable, then by all means get more. Maybe what you could do is get leadership at 7^th level and get a reliable spellcasting Cohort.  If your GM allows Co-horts and you go this route I suggest 3) Deadly Aim; and 7) Leadership. Treantmonk does not mention Leadership because for most guides Leadership is just assumed to not be allowed by the GM.  With that said, most GMs do allow it.  Heck, even Pathfinder Society allows it.  And it is by far the most powerful feat in the game, even for Characters with a low Charisma score.

Some Important Stats: Speed 70 feet; AC (39 / 36 touch); CMD (37); CMB (+21, +25 grappling & bull rushing); Will (+15; +2 v. Enchantments), Ref (+14), Fort (+14); Immunity to all poisons & diseases; Spell Resistance (23); Flurry of Shuriken (inside 30 feet) +17, +17, +12, +12, +7 (1d2 + 6) – you naturally have the option to do deadly aim at -2 to attack and +4 to damage; Flurry of Blows +19/+19/+14/+14/+9 (2d6 + 7 + 2d6 (against evil)) – you naturally have the option to do power attack at -2 to attack and +4 to damage; Stunning Fists (13 per day, Fortitude DC 20)

Function of the Build: So the function of this build is to make the monk a versatile combatant who is not overly great at any one tactic, but adequate with all of them.  Basically, the build has some range, battlefield control and anti-mage options that can be fun.

The typical way to open up combat is to throw shuriken to make a melee combatant come to the monk.  Using a Ki point to pump up your AC an additional +4 make sense so that when the melee combatant closes on the monk he misses.  Once the enemy closes, the monk should go to Flurry of Blows, Stunning Fists, and Medusa’s Wrath.  Alternatively, the Monk can open up battle by running over to the mage and grappling her, followed by a swift action +4 to AC.

Once battle is hot and heavy, the monk can throw more shuriken once he takes down a foe or he can tactically bull rush pushing enemies towards his friends and creating attacks of opportunity for them.

Advancements to the Treantmonk Monk

New Races (Racial Traits) – Humans (Dual Talent) can now select Dual Talent, which can be optimal depending on the archetype, etc… you choose.  Furthermore, some archetypes are going to free up feats making the selection of any race that provide a bonus to Strength and no negative to Wis potentially optimal options.  Not including Monstrous and above races, some other races to consider are Half-Orc’s (Sacred Tattoo or not, it depends on the build), Half Elf (Dual Minded / Arcane Training or Drow Magic for Arcane Strike feat or Fey Magic), Angel BloodedAasimar, Suli, and Nagaji.

Vows – Vows of Cleanliness and Truth are not too onerous and can provide needed Ki points.  They can be easily substituted into the build above.  All of the other Vows are ridiculous.

Other Feats (Depending on the Build) – Cornugon Smash, Step Up, Dragon Style line, Pummeling Style line, Snake Style, Iron Will, Improved Reflexes, Greater Fortitude, Arcane Strike, Improved Initiative, Defensive Maneuvers, Felling Smash, Furious Focus, Feinting Flurry line, Grabbling Style line, Stunning Fist Adept, and Stunning Pin, Far Shot.  There are probably others, but this a good start for consideration.  The value of each so depends on the Archetype you select and the build concept that I won’t bother ranking them.  I can’t stress enough starting with the standard build above and then focusing in on one or more areas to change to a new optimized version.

Traits: I know I said I would do traits, but I lied.  There are too many kinds of builds to account for.  Check out the trait guide, however.         

Archetypes: There are just so many to consider.  Oh well, I feel in a good mood so I will take a crack at it for you.

• First, let me just say that Zen Archer is great, but it is just a completely different build and, thus, not applicable to this guide.
• Second, all monks are Qinggong Monks, so there is no need to rate this one. It does not conflict with anything.  Make the most of it and be sure to pick up Barkskin and Feather Step.  That’s two fewer Wands the standard monk build needs already.
• Third, any archetype (Zen Archer excluded) that requires you to give up Flurry of Blows is crap, crap, crap. Sure they may be good for dipping into by other classes (MoMS or MM), but they are horrible for all out monks.  How ironic is that?
• Fourth, archetypes that replace Stunning Fists with a similar ability that targets a different saving throw are generally good because you should pick Stunning Fists back up with a level feat and give yourself options.
• Fifth, some archetypes may require you to give up pursuing bull rushing, either because you need the feats for something else or because improved bull rush is not offered. This is not a big deal if the trade-off is in your favor.  The bull rush tactic is the least needed option in the standard build.
• Sixth, any archetype that flat out advances the key abilities of the standard build is going to be a good choice.
• Seventh, balancing trade-offs can only be optimized if you know your adventure and GM. Heck, if you GM loves area effects, getting rid of evasion would be stupid, right?
• Eighth, don’t pick an Archetype that makes a monk something that he is not, unless what he becomes is a comparable or better version of something performed by another class.
• Last, this is a 13^th level guide so Archetypes that offer great things after 13^th level I could care less about.

With that said, here are the best Archetypes for enhancing the standard optimized Treantmonk Monk given a little time, effort and thought: Drunken Master, Flowing Monk, Hamatulatsu Master, Harrow Warden, Hungry Ghost Monk, Karmic Monk, Ki Mystic, Martial Artist, Monk of the Empty Hand, Monk of the Four Winds, Monk of the Iron Mountain, Monk of the Lotus, Monk of the Mantis, Monk of the Sacred Mountain, Sohei, and Wildcat.  Heck, I am tired.  You will have to judge the racial Archetypes for yourself.