Martial Arts Styles

[Dalamar]

The lack of monks in the core rules bothered me somewhat when it become known. Then, when we got the preview article about equipment, specifically the weapon categories, I knew that I'd have a satisfactory solution. The following feats allow the creation of different monks based on different classes; most likely based on Fighter, Rogue or Ranger, but Paladin and Warlord make for interesting varieties as well.

Coiling Strikes Style [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a flail with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Piercing Kicks Style [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a spear with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Resounding Blow
Prerequisites: One martial style feat
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a two-handed weapon and deals +1 damage.
Special: You cannot benefit from this feat and Two Hands at the same time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action, or as part of the minor action to change which martial style feat you benefit from.

School of Heavy Blows [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Str 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a mace with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

School of Ringing Blows [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Con 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a hammer with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 2d4 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

School of Wide Strikes [Martial Style]
Prerequistites: Str 13, Con 13
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as an axe with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Serpent Strike Style [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a light blade with a +3 proficiency bonus that deals 1d6 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Two Hands
Prerequisites: One martial style feat
Benefit: Your unarmed attack has the off-hand property. When you wield no other weapons, you can treat yourself as wielding an unarmed attack in both your main hand and off-hand.
Special: You cannot benefit from this feat and Resounding Blow at the same time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action, or as part of the minor action to change which martial style feat you benefit from.

Unarmored Warrior
Prerequisites: Wis 15
Benefit: When unarmored, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. The bonus increases by +1 at 3rd level and every five levels thereafter.

Unarmed Defense
Prerequisites: One martial style feat
Benefit: When you are wielding no weapons other than your unarmed attack, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex. When you gain the bonus, you can treat yourself as wielding a shield.

Way of Full Control [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Wis 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a polearm with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Way of Versatile Kicks [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Wis 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a staff with a +2 proficiency bonus that deals 1d8 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

Wide Chops Style [Martial Style]
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: Your unarmed attack counts as a heavy blade with a +3 proficiency bonus that deals 1d6 damage. At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.
Special: If you have more than one martial style feat, you gain the benefits of only one at a time. You can change which feat you benefit from as a minor action.

 

[greyscale1]

This is pretty ingenious, nice work.

I can see combining this with the suggested ranger alterations to create a great monk.

 

[rbingham2000]

I like what you've done here. I can easily see a Fighter going for one of these major styles and picking martial powers that reflect the weapon it emulates. I actually had a similar idea in mind for a wuxia campaign, only without the feats, since the wuxia campaign style lets you go wild with defining one's gear.

 

[Kosh]

These are great. I like the weapon feats as they are (although maybe Wide Chops Style should be 1d8?).

As for the armor boosts, I think a series of feats like the weapon feats would be better. For example:

Mountain Resiliency [Defensive Style]
Prerequisite: Proficient with Plate
Benefit: You are treated as if you are always wearing Plate armor.
Special: You may only have one Defensive Style active at a time. Switching styles takes a minor action.

If you make a feat for each armor, then a character only needs two feats to have the appropriate attack, damage, and AC for his class (baring special needs like TWF, shield, etc).

What do you think?

 

[BartD]

At 4th level you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attacks and damage. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels therearfter.

I like the idea, but aren't these feats a really *cheap* way to always have a level-appropriate magic weapon of your favored type?

 

[generalhenry]

I'd rather see martial arts implements. Prayer beads or the like.

 

[Khaalis]

I like the idea, but aren't these feats a really *cheap* way to always have a level-appropriate magic weapon of your favored type?

This is a really good point. The feats as written will work in a no-magic system where Everyone gets these bonuses for free. However, when mixed into a standard-magic level game, where people have to acquire magic items to gain their bonuses, this breaks.

I would suggest fixing this by creating a new Implement for use with the styles. Something like a 'Combat Focus' or "Handwrap' or "Prayer bead' etc. An item that must be carried in the same manner as any other implement to gain its bonus. This item would have no effect on combat stats unless it were magical, just like a normal magical implement.

 

[Dalamar]

Well, all the feats are balanced as Simple weapons, so the one to gain most use out of them would be the rogue. But even the rogue would have to contend with getting the expected magic bonus several levels later as the standard +1 weapon comes at level 1 and a 4th-level character could already find a standard +2 weapon (items two levels higher can be found as treasure).

Of course, one could instead introduce a rule that a character of at least 4th level with a Martial Style feat can enhance their unarmed attack as if they knew the Enchant Item ritual with the unarmed attack counting as a weapon of the appropriate type.

 

[Stormtalon]

Well, all the feats are balanced as Simple weapons, so the one to gain most use out of them would be the rogue. But even the rogue would have to contend with getting the expected magic bonus several levels later as the standard +1 weapon comes at level 1 and a 4th-level character could already find a standard +2 weapon (items two levels higher can be found as treasure).

Of course, one could instead introduce a rule that a character of at least 4th level with a Martial Style feat can enhance their unarmed attack as if they knew the Enchant Item ritual with the unarmed attack counting as a weapon of the appropriate type.

Hmmm, a quick refluff of Enchant Item to "Enchant Martial Style" would balance things out nicely, and give some really nifty special effects later on.

Say you're, oh, level 10 and have Serpent Style Strike and Coiling Strikes Style. You could enchant each Style, such that maybe the Serpent Style is +2 Flaming, while the Coiling Strikes are +2 Frost. Then you could always include as treasure special Martial Tomes which contain all the mystical energies needed to add up to a level+4 style enhancement so that the martial artist could keep pace with the other party members in treasure distribution.

That would be fun, flavorful and well-balanced, I think.

 

[Darketower]

Hmmm, a quick refluff of Enchant Item to "Enchant Martial Style" would balance things out nicely, and give some really nifty special effects later on.

Say you're, oh, level 10 and have Serpent Style Strike and Coiling Strikes Style. You could enchant each Style, such that maybe the Serpent Style is +2 Flaming, while the Coiling Strikes are +2 Frost. Then you could always include as treasure special Martial Tomes which contain all the mystical energies needed to add up to a level+4 style enhancement so that the martial artist could keep pace with the other party members in treasure distribution.

That would be fun, flavorful and well-balanced, I think.

To further refine that, make it "Enchant Martial Tattoo", and you get something that lies in-between the flavor of the 3.5 Tattooed Monk and Kensai prestige classes. And I would probably add a caveat that you can only have one martial tattoo per martial style feat, and you have to designate what style each tattoo applies to.

Personally, I'm not as keen on the idea of "Martial Tomes". It seems the easy way out, especially when you consider that this character will never be disarmed, and will never "lose" a weapon. And besides, the notion of having a "monk" dedicate the time and energy himself to gather residuum and then turn it into a martial tattoo has a great deal of appeal to me.