GameBanshee Forums

Hello, everyone,

I'm trying to nurture a monk to full Kung-fu expert status and need some help:

1) To use flurry of blows, the user manual says that I have to initiate a full attack action. I'm not sure if I am using full attack or not - the damage rolls seem to include my Strength modifier and would appear to indicate that I am using full attack and, therefore, I am using flurry of blows. However, if I target an enemy then select full attack action from the radial menu, it seems like nothing happens except that my turn is expended.

Do I have to move my monk into range of the enemy, right click the enemy, select full attack, and then attack with a flurry of blows? Similarly, does Stunning Fist work the same way: get into range, right-click on the enemy, and then select dtunning fist? Any advice? Do I need to select full attack action or is this automatically enabled when I click on an enemy in range to attack?

2) If I give my monk one of the Armor Proficiency feats, for instance, the Heavy Armor Proficiency, does this mean my monk can wear full plate and still have the Fast Movement, flurry of blows, and Evasion feats? The user manual says I would lose these feats if I wore heavy armor, but then the Armor Proficiency feat would indicate that the only penalty I would get is to Hide and Move Silently checks.

An similar question applies to the Weapon Proficiency feats: if I give my monk a Weapon Proficiency in a non-monk weapon, for instance, a bastard sword, can he still use flurry of blows using the bastard sword?

3) This is probably an error in the user manual, but I can't seem to use Improved unarmed strike when also wielding my quarterstaff. Now, wait, I know what you're going to say: You can't use unarmed strike if you're not unarmed! But the user manual says that feet, knees, elbows are also considered monk weapons, and so monk is considered armed even when his hands are full. Anybody know if this is just fluff peddled by an overworked, underpaid documentation specialist?

[QUOTE=bariumdose]1) To use flurry of blows, the user manual says that I have to initiate a full attack action. I'm not sure if I am using full attack or not - the damage rolls seem to include my Strength modifier and would appear to indicate that I am using full attack and, therefore, I am using flurry of blows. However, if I target an enemy then select full attack action from the radial menu, it seems like nothing happens except that my turn is expended.

Do I have to move my monk into range of the enemy, right click the enemy, select full attack, and then attack with a flurry of blows? Similarly, does Stunning Fist work the same way: get into range, right-click on the enemy, and then select dtunning fist? Any advice? Do I need to select full attack action or is this automatically enabled when I click on an enemy in range to attack?

2) If I give my monk one of the Armor Proficiency feats, for instance, the Heavy Armor Proficiency, does this mean my monk can wear full plate and still have the Fast Movement, flurry of blows, and Evasion feats? The user manual says I would lose these feats if I wore heavy armor, but then the Armor Proficiency feat would indicate that the only penalty I would get is to Hide and Move Silently checks.

An similar question applies to the Weapon Proficiency feats: if I give my monk a Weapon Proficiency in a non-monk weapon, for instance, a bastard sword, can he still use flurry of blows using the bastard sword?

3) This is probably an error in the user manual, but I can't seem to use Improved unarmed strike when also wielding my quarterstaff. Now, wait, I know what you're going to say: You can't use unarmed strike if you're not unarmed! But the user manual says that feet, knees, elbows are also considered monk weapons, and so monk is considered armed even when his hands are full. Anybody know if this is just fluff peddled by an overworked, underpaid documentation specialist?[/QUOTE]
Flurry of blows is a check-box thing, so if you have it checked and do a full attack, then it'll activate, if it can. One reason it might not is if you're not using a weapon that allows for flurry. Only special monk weapons can work with flurry. Also, as you say, you must be doing a full attack. This will automatically happen if you can do a full attack and if you haven't selected single attack instead. Remember that if you moved at all (without doing a 5-foot step), you can't do a full attack, and so you can't do a flurry.

As for stunning fist, a full attack is not required, but it must be selected before you attack. Also, you can only use this a certain number of times per day, and the opponent must 1) be damaged by the unarmed attack and 2) fail his saving throw before you'll see any effects.

Flurry of blows and fast movement, etc. are special abilities that require a certain character setup. If you like, a certain setup is a prerequisite for using them. Equipping armor, even if you know how to do it, will prevent the use of the abilities like fast move. Likewise, the bastard sword is unsuited to flurry attacks, and so even if you know how to use it you can't do a flurry (note that not all monk weapons are flurry weapons to begin with). These proficiencies let you use the equipment without penalties that are specific to a lack of experience with them, but will not allow you to get around the prerequisites of your feats. Similarly, knowing how to wear plate armor doesn't let the wizard get around spell failure.

Not sure about the IUS issue. I always arm my monks with cleavers! Anyway, you SHOULD be able to use it, but that doesn't mean the game lets you. If you can't select unarmed strike from the radial menu, then any attack is going to default to the weapon equipped in your hand. You'll have to unequip it to strike unarmed (again, if there is no unarmed attack option in the radial menu anywhere, which I can't tell you either way).

Monk mysteries - thanks!

Thank you, Lord Plothos, for the speedy response. Your answers were the ones I had expected.

Followup question to Monk Abilities

The flurry of blows only works if the monk is unarmed or using special monk weapons.

Is there a complete list of these special monk weapons? I know the the ToEE user guide mentions a few. But I was wondering if there was an authoritative list somewhere.

[QUOTE=bariumdose]The flurry of blows only works if the monk is unarmed or using special monk weapons.

Is there a complete list of these special monk weapons? I know the the ToEE user guide mentions a few. But I was wondering if there was an authoritative list somewhere.[/QUOTE]

The (3.5 Edition) Player's Handbook lists the special monk weapons in the Flurry of Blows descriptor. In short, the special weapons are supposed to be the quarterstaff, kama, sai, shurikan, siangham, and nunchaku.

Monk mysteries - thanks!

Hey, thank you, Galuf for the reference. I'm a newbie when it comes to 3.5 edition rules.

Ever see the movie Sideways?? These monks are like pinot noir grapes - they need a lot of nurturing in the beginning or they'll die quickly. But they are in a league of their own when it comes to fighting.

You can find a really easy reference for 3.5 here:

http://d20srd.org/index.htm