Angry Bear Monk (3.5e Optimized Character Build)
Introduction
| “ | You are making me bear-y angry, you won't like me when I'm bear-y angry. | ” |
| —Orig Paw-foot, Half-Orc Angry Bear Monk | ||
References
Player's Handbook, Dragon Compendium, Complete Warrior, Complete Champion, Monster Manual V, Dungeon Master Guide,
Game Rule Components
Items
Anything that makes you a higher level monk is good.
Gauntlets of the Talon, monk level +5 Monk’s Belt, monk level +5 Monk’s Tattoo, monk level +4 Fanged Ring Necklace of Natural attacks
Progression
Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Str:17 Dex:13 Con:14 Int:15 Wis:8 Chr:8
Race (Templates): Half-Orc
Starting Racial Traits:
| ECL | Class/HD/LA | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Feats | Class Features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||
| 1st | Half-Orc Paragon | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Improved Unarmed Strike | Divided ancestry, Monstrous Mien |
| 2nd | Half-Orc Paragon | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Rage 1/day | |
| 3rd | Fighter | +3 | +5 | +0 | +0 | Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm | |
| 4th | Fighter | +4 | +6 | +0 | +0 | Deflect Arrows | |
| 5th | Monk of the Enabled Hand | +4 | +8 | +2 | +2 | Monk abilities(Ex), shim soo "mind over hand"(Su) | |
| 6th | Monk of the Enabled Hand | +5 | +9 | +3 | +3 | Power Attack | Ki Strike(Su) |
| 7th | Monk of the Enabled Hand | +6 | +9 | +3 | +3 | Kol Soo, "Reverse Hand"(Su) | |
| 8th | Monk of the Enabled Hand | +7 | +10 | +4 | +4 | Kong Soo, "Empy Hand"(Su) | |
| 9th | Bear Warrior | +8 | +12 | +4 | +4 | Great Fortitude | Bear form (black) |
| 10nd | Bear Warrior | +9 | +13 | +4 | +4 | ||
| 11rd | Bear Warrior | +10 | +13 | +5 | +5 | Scent | |
| 12th | Bear Warrior | +11 | +14 | +5 | +5 | Extra Rage | |
| 13st | Bear Warrior | +12 | +14 | +5 | +5 | Bear form (brown) | |
| 14nd | Monk of the Enabled Hand | +12 | +14 | +5 | +5 | Lung Soo, "Dragon's Tail Slap"(Su) | |
| 15rd | Fist of the Forest | +13 | +16 | +7 | +5 | Improved Natural Attack | AC Bonus, Feral trance 1/day, Fast movement, primal living |
| 16th | Fist of the Forest | +14 | +17 | +8 | +5 | Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike | |
| 17st | Fist of the Forest | +15 | +17 | +8 | +6 | Feral trance 2/day, scent | |
| 18nd | War Shaper | +15 | +19 | +8 | +6 | Multiattack | Morphic Immunities, Morphic Weapons |
| 19rd | War Shaper | +16 | +20 | +8 | +6 | Morphic Body | |
| 20th | War Shaper | +17 | +20 | +8 | +6 | Morphic Reach | |
Other Components
<- anything not covered by the previous sections ->
Highlights
The objective of this build is to become large, very strong, and bully people around. This is accomplished through Bear Warrior and Monk of the Enabled Hand. Initially, I was just trying to use MotEH to move people, and quickly realized I was going to have trouble with the opposed str checks. I fixed this by including rage, cleaving monk out completely. It was tricky because MotEH requires lawful, and you typically lose rage in that case. The rage granted from Half-Orc Paragon gets around this restriction.
My favorite part of the build(besides ignoring armor 1 per day + MotEH levels) is Lung Soo. This attack knocks an enemy back, and deals damage based on how far they move. At level 14 when you get this ability, you have 40+ str(+15), counted as huge +8(or gargantuan +12, if you have enlarge animal) and get a +4 from MotEH, With no magic, you get around +23, and move them 5 ft for every 5 points by which you beat them, and they take damage for every foot, + your unarmed damage. This movement provokes AoOs(assuming you didn't kill them with the attack). This attack deals about 12d8+47, and any damage the take sailing through threat ranges, not too shabby.
Munchkin-Size Me
<- Take it to the next level ->
Side Notes
<- overview of additional info about this build ->
Limitations
This build works best in a party with a druid. He has (greater)Magic Fang, Enlarge Animal, and all sorts of goodies for you. That being said, It doesn't work bad without a druid around.
DM Counters
<- If needed, tricks for the DM (provided they allow this build) to keep the abuse to a minimum. ->
Miscellaneous
<- Any other side notes that don't fit in the above sections. ->
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