I'm working on my own 3e revision (aiming at Tome-scale, but don't know if I'll ever get there) and was looking for critique on some things, in this case the monk. The other forums I frequent have posters who are, shall we say, somewhat averse to homebrew classes above the fighter's power level and who wouldn't give any useful feedback. I've tried to take the discussions about what makes the monk suck to heart, but I don't know how well I've succeeded, which is why I'm posting this.
I'm basically aiming to combine a bit of incarnum and psionics mechanics into the monk, so what I'm basically aiming for is a class with incarnum-like resource management potential, Tome-of-Battle-like power levels, and 1e-monk-like flavor. Well, I'm rambling, sorry about that; critique away:
Revised Monk
Alignment
Any
Hit Die
d8
Skill Points
4 + Int modifier
BAB
Full
Saves
All good
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A monk is proficient with unarmed strikes, improvised weapons, and a number of light weapons of his choice equal to 1 + his Intelligence bonus; if his Intelligence bonus permanently increases above this amount, he gains additional proficiencies, but he does not lose proficiencies if his Intelligence is somehow permanently decreased. Monks are proficient with light armor but not with any kind of shield.
Ki Pool
Most of the monk's class features are powered by ki, which is the monk's soul energy distributed around his body. A monk has an amount of ki equal to the base ki for his level (given on Table: The Monk) plus his Wisdom bonus, if any. Ki is channeled into different class abilities, which temporarily hold but do not expend ki. The amount of ki a given receptacle can hold is equal to ¼ the monk's character level plus his Wisdom bonus, to a maximum of his character level. With 1 minute of concentration, the monk can reallocate any amount of ki to or from any receptacles, subject to his maximum amount of ki and the capacity of his receptacles; he can empty all of his receptacles of ki as a standard action.
Psi Pool
Some of the monk's class features are powered by psi; where ki is the monk's soul energy manipulated within his body, psi is the monk's soul energy projected outside of his body. A monk has an amount of psi equal to the base psi for his level (given on Table: The Monk) plus his Wisdom bonus, if any. The monk may spend psi up to a maximum of his Wisdom score at one time when using a given ability. Projecting soul energy is tiring, so where ki is invested, psi is expended. Psi naturally returns at a rate of 3 points per 10 minutes of rest. However, the monk may meditate for 1 minute and make a Concentration check to restore 1 psi per 5 points of his result.
Ki Flows
A monk has a number of ki flows in his body, places where his soul energy gathers and cycles, waiting to be harnessed. A monk can channel ki into or out of his flows to improve his combat prowess, his mobility, or other physical traits. The benefits a monk gains while channeling ki into each flow are given below.
Hands: The monk adds +[ki invested]d4 damage to attacks made with any weapons with which he is proficient.
Arms: The monk gains a +[ki invested] deflection modifier to AC.
Brow: The monk gains a +[ki invested] bonus on Willpower saves.
Heart: The monk gains a +[ki invested] bonus on Fortitude saves.
Solar Plexus: The monk gains a +[ki invested] bonus on [ki uninvested]eflex saves.
Legs: The monk's land speed increases by 5[ki invested] feet. If the monk has a mundane swim or fly speed (from fins or wings or other mundane sources), those speeds are increased by the same amount.
Resilient Soul
The monk reduces the severity of several conditions that would affect him: The monk becomes dazed instead of stunned, frightened instead of panicked, slowed instead of immobilized, immobilized instead of paralyzed, paralyzed instead of transmuted; the monk is immune to dazing, frightening, and slowing effects.
Manipulate the Flows
At 3rd level and every 4th level thereafter, the monk permanently increases the capacity of one of his flows by 2. The affected flow still may not have a capacity higher than the monk's level, but as long as this cap has not been reached the monk may choose to increase the capacity of the same flow multiple times with this ability.
Ki Reserve
The monk gains benefits even when not channeling ki into his flows; when his ki is unfocused, it can cycle uniformly through the monk's body to strengthen and protect him. At 4th, 6th, and 8th level, the monk gains an ability from the list below.
Refusal of Distance: The monk ignores the first [ki uninvested] falling damage he takes. He may spend psi to ignore an additional [psi spent] falling damage.
Purity of Soul: The monk gains magic resistance [ki uninvested]% (a flat [ki uninvested]% chance to ignore any magic directed at him, whether it allows spell resistance or not). He may spend psi to increase this magic resistance by [psi spent]/2 against a single magical effect. This magic resistance may be lowered or raised as a free action.
Wholeness of Body: Once per day per point of Constitution bonus, the monk may heal himself [ki uninvested] hit points as a standard action. He may spend psi to heal an additional [psi spent] damage.
Precision of Mind: Once per day per point of Wisdom bonus, the monk may make a single attack as a standard action which deals an additional +[ki uninvested] precision damage. He may spend psi to ignore up to [psi spent]/3 points of damage reduction or hardness when making such an attack.
Immaculate Master
As a monk furthers his training, he learns to harness his ki in new and different ways. The monk gains a new use for each of his flows as given below. The ki channeled into each flow may be divided among the various benefits as the monk desires, but the total capacity of each flow remains the same. (For instance, an 8th level monk with a Wisdom score of 18 has a total flow capacity of 6. By channeling 6 ki into his hands flow, he could grant himself a +6d4 damage bonus, 2 extra attacks, a +3d4 damage bonus and 1 extra attack, or any other combination of benefits using no more than 6 ki).
Hands: The monk gains up to ([ki invested]/2) additional attacks per round (he may choose the exact number each round), but each attack he makes that round takes a -1 penalty on the attack roll per extra attack. (Note: everyone can make all of their attacks with a standard action now)
Arms: The monk's light load, medium load, and maximum load each increase by [ki invested] stone. (Note: I've overhauled encumbrance; this basically works out to letting him carry weight as a larger creature, ignore some AC[psi spent], and other miscellaneous benefits)
Brow: The monk gains a +([ki invested]/2) bonus to initiative.
Heart: The monk adds [ki invested] to his Constitution score to determine at what value of negative H[psi spent] he dies. (Note: Everyone dies at -Con score now, not -10)
Solar Plexus: The monk gains a +[ki invested] bonus on all Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and ability checks.
Legs: The monk gains a climb speed of 5[ki invested] feet or increases an existing climb speed by the same amount.
Master of Winds (Ma)
At 9th level, the monk meditates upon the tension and power inherent in the four winds for a time; at the end of his meditations, he gains benefits associated with them. Only one ability may be active at a given time; changing between active abilities requires a move action.
Master of the North Wind: The monk gains a fly speed equal to his base land speed if he spends 1 psi per move action during which he flies.
Master of the West Wind: The monk gains the ability to make a free stationary bull rush attempt against each target he strikes in melee if he spends 1 psi per attack so affected. (Note: "stationary bull rush" is shorthand for a knockback-type effect where you don't need to move with the target)
Master of the South Wind: The monk increases his melee reach by 10 feet if he spends 1 psi per attack so affected.
Master of the East Wind: The monk gains a 20% miss chance against ranged attacks if he spends 1 psi per attack so affected.
Empty Mind
The monk has learned to quell every thought, so no magic to detect or influence his mind can touch him. While the monk has emptied all of his flows of ki and has at least 1 unspent psi remaining, he is immune to compulsion and scrying effects. If he channels any ki into his flows, he immediately loses this immunity.
[ki invested]i [ki uninvested]elease (Ma)
At 12th, 14th, and 16th leve, the monk learns a technique to more fully manifest his ki in the world around him. He chooses one of the abilities from the list below at each of those levels:
Soul [psi spent]rojection: As a standard action, the monk can release a bolt of fire, lightning, or sound that deals [psi spent]d4 damage. The bolt has a range of 10 feet per level, requires a ranged touch attack to hit, and deals fire, lightning, or sonic damage as appropriate.
Soul Explosion: As a standard action, the monk can stationary bull rush every creature within a 5[psi spent]-foot radius directly away from him.
Soul Wave: As a move action, the monk can move up to his base speed through other creatures' spaces, taking no movement penalties due to difficult terrain. Any creature through whose space he moves takes [psi spent]d4 force damage (Fortitude half).
Soul Duplication: As a standard action, the monk can create [psi spent]/5 duplicates of himself. They are quasi-real and have all of his statistics, with the exception that they possess no equipment and have ki and psi pools of 0. Each duplicate can take a single standard action and a single move action before disappearing; all of the duplicates disappear at the beginning of the monk's next turn whether they have acted or not.
Master of Seasons (Ma)
At 13th level, the monk meditates upon the cycle and balance inherent in the four seasons for a time; at the end of his meditations, he gains benefits associated with them. Each ability may be used as a move action a number of times per day equal to the monk's Wisdom bonus; after the duration of each ability ends, he may not use it for 1d4+1 rounds or the ability's duration, whichever is longer.
Master of the Winter: The monk gains D[ki uninvested] [ki invested]/— for up to [psi spent] rounds.
Master of the Autumn: The monk may teleport himself to any location within 10[ki invested] feet instantaneously and unerringly.
Master of the Summer: The monk gains fast healing [psi spent] for up to [ki invested] rounds.
Master of the Spring: The monk may increase or decrease his size by up to two categories for up to [ki invested] rounds; this stacks with any other size-changing magical effect.
Grand Master
As a monk nears perfection of his craft, he learns to harness his ki in yet more ways. The monk gains a new use for each of his flows as given below; the same restrictions on ki channeling apply to these abilities as to his existing abilities.
Hands: The monk may make a single attack as a standard action which causes lethal vibration's in the target's body. At any point within the next minute (the monk can extend the duration by [psi spent] minutes), the monk may will the target to die or be destroyed (as applicable) if the target fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ level + [ki invested]); if it succeeds, it instead takes [ki uninvested] damage ([ki uninvested] being determined at the point in time when the monk wills it to die, not when the ability is used).
Arms: The monk stuns each target he attacks for [ki invested] rounds unless each succeeds on a Fortitude save.
Brow: The monk gains blindsight to a radius of 15[ki invested] feet and cannot be surprised.
Heart: The monk gains immunity to ([ki invested]/6) of the following: fear, polymorphing, petrification, disease, poison, fatigue. If the monk is currently subject to an effect of one of the chosen types, it is suppressed so long as he has channeled ki into this flow; however, he must make a saving throw each round (of a type appropriate to the effect) to continue suppressing magical effects.
Solar Plexus: The monk cannot be moved from his position unwillingly, whether through mundane or magical means, except by creatures at least ([ki invested]/6) size categories larger than he.
Legs: The monk can transport himself to the Ethereal or Shadow [psi spent]lane from the [psi spent]rime or vice versa, or any coexistant plane from another plane, as a standard action with a successful Athletics or Acrobatics check (DC 60 – Wisdom modifier – Charisma modifier – [ki invested]).
Empty Body
The monk has learned to forsake all attachments, including his own body. While the monk has emptied all of his flows of ki and has at least 1 unspent psi remaining, he becomes incorporeal. If he channels any ki into his flows, he immediately reverts to a material form.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, the monk finally reaches the pinnacle of being. He gains the half-outsider template appropriate to his alignment, and from this point forward he may reroll any d20 roll he makes and take the better of the two results.
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So...yeah. Hope that's not too confusing. Thanks in advance for feedback.
