Unchained Monk Guide

May you vanquish evil, overcome your fears, and accept your place amongst the Children of God.  Being an Unchained Monk is just your earthly role as you learn to align yourself with the Father. 

Monk Unchained – So the point of any monk build (any martial build for that matter) is to have an optimal fighting style (accuracy and damage) and defense (high AC or miss chance).  Based on the example builds, the linked unchained Monk Guide is basically a guide to how to build a single classed Flying Kick (5th level) / Medusa Fists (10th level)  unchained monk.  The optimal fighting style suggested by the guide is basically Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike) early on to maximize hitting your target, Dodge early on to maximize your AC, Flying Kick to allow you to get a full attack off when moving up to your opponent, and Medusa’s Fists + Elbow Smash for additional high level attacks. I agree with the foundation for a single class unchained monk.

Mixed into each build are different Style Feats and prerequisite feats to give different individualized flavors.  Dragon Style and Dragon Ferocity turned the foundational build into a strong unarmed hitting build.  Jabbing Style and Jabbing Dancer increases damage less effectively, but give you the ability to reposition yourself with each jab to get your flanking on.  Ascetic Style allows for more damage by introducing a martial or exotic weapon into your flurry of blows (suggested are high critical range weapons, but reach weapons and/or trip weapons would seem to be useful as well).

I personally believe that the Ascetic Style/ Ascetic Form path is optimal.  First, there are no prerequisite feats for Ascetic Style.  Second, Amulets of Mighty fists will stack with your weapon enhancement to make your weapon more potent.  This may be rule changed in the future, but as of September 2016 until such future date it is an incredible thing.  Last, you just get so many options to get around damage reduction by eventually carrying several +1 weapons (cold iron, blunt, piercing, slashing, adamantine, silver, etc…).  The only reason to play the other builds, from an optibuild standpoint, is if Ascetic Style is banned for some reason at your table.

My build suggestions for the Ascetic Unchained Monk and equipment suggestions are slightly different than is found in the linked guide, so I share it below:

Race: Half Elf

Alternative Racial Traits: Ancestral Arms (Urumi) and Blended View

Traits: Honored Fist of Society and Indomitable Faith

Favorite Class Bonus: +1/4 Ki per level.  This is a human favorite class bonus available for monks –so presumably also available to unchained monks. Remember Half-Elves are considered to be humans for the purposes of favorite class bonuses, amongst other things.

Level Feats / Bonus Feats / Class Ability Selections

  1. Weapon Focus (Urumi), Dodge
  2. Combat Reflexes
  3. Ascetic Style
  4. Ki Power: (Qingggong Monk (Barkskin))
  5. Ascetic Form, Style Strike: (Flying Kick)
  6. Mobility, Ki Power: (Elemental Fury: Electric)
  7. Bleeding Attack – At the time this guide was created and possible until now, the linked guide suggested that you choose Power Attack. However, Bleeding Attack does more damage than Power Attack at 7th and 8th level, and does not give you a negative to your attack.  Plus, we can get some use out of Ascetic Style.    
  8. Ki Power: (Qingggong Monk (Scorching Ray)) – At the time this guide was created and possibly until now, the linked guide suggested that you choose High Jump. I guess this was to allow you to jump high with Flying Kick.  Ah no! Scorching Ray gives you a nice touch ranged attack to sure up a weakness of the build.       
  9. Critical Focus – At the time this guide was created and possibly until now, the linked guide suggested that you choose Improved Critical. Nah!  We will buy keen weapon and save a feat.  This is especially the case because of Amulets of Mighty Fists applying to the Urumi.
  10. Medusa’s Wrath, Ki Power: (Qinggong Power (Ki Leech), Style Strike: (Elbow Smash)
  11. Power Attack
  12. Ki Power: (Diamond Soul)

Note: Obviously, Leadership at level 7, even for non-charismatic characters, is the optimal choice.  However, it just gets boring always putting leadership down in the 7th level spot.  Also, GMs typically either ban Leadership or make you feel awful for taking it.  Last, I would have to build a Cohort for this guy, and that I refuse to do.  With that said, his ideal Cohort would probably be an item creation wizard.  Now you are kicked out of your group.

Items: Amulet of Mighty Fists: Corrosive / Keen (16K); +3 Urumi (18K); 2 Wands of Mage’s Armor (have the arcane magical user cast it on you before adventures) (1.5K); Boots of Speed (12K); +4 Headband of Wisdom (16K); +3 Cloak of Resistance (9K); +2 Ring of Protection (8K); +4 Belt of Strength (16K); Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone (5K); Pale Green Ioun Stone (cracked, attacks) (4K)