Design Day: Rebuilding the Monk, Part 4

For the last week, I’ve been working on a near-total monk rebuild. This isn’t just a few fixes (like I did with my house rules), it’s a whole new version of the class. Last Tuesday, I went over the problems with the class, then on Thursday  I talked about how I planned to fix it. Then, on Flavor Friday, I talked about the new Paths I’m introducing.

And now I’m bringing it all together. That’s right. Without any further ado, I present the New Monk.

Design Day: Rebuilding the Monk, Part 2

Hey there, everybody! Well, last time, we took a look at the monk, and some of the problems with its current design. Today, we’re going to take those problems and start a-fixin’ em! Keep in mind that this is all in preparation for a brand new monk build (which is almost complete, but I though I’d go through the whole process). That said, some of the “fixes” I’m about to propose wouldn’t really fit in with the standard monk. I’ll note the changes that work and the changes that don’t as they come. Just keep in mind that each of these will be incorporated into the final monk next week.

Let’s start with the basics, just like we did before.

Design Day: Rebuilding the Monk, Part 1

A while ago, I mentioned that I was working on a total rebuild of the monk. Well, today we’re taking our first step toward that goal, today. And, when you’re rebuilding something that you think is broken, your first step should always be the same.

Identify the problem.

And that is exactly what we plan to do, today.

The Rogue: DPR Examination

After a short discussion with a commenter, I decided to re-check my numbers and post a small build with the effective DPR for it. And let me clarify up-front that DPR means damage per round.

Lots and lots of math after the jump...

The Rogue: Exploration of a Weak Class

The Pathfinder RPG class known as the Rogue is often touted as being the weakest class in the game. Its main abilities (sneak attack, trapfinding, uncanny dodge) are all situational. And quite frankly, even when they are useful, they don’t help nearly as much as abilities granted to other classes. Even in its main element of being a skill monkey, many other classes can match its strength, and most wizards can do what a rogue can do, only better thanks to spells like Invisibility and Knock.

To get a look at what I'm talking about, here's a link to the Rogue on the PRD: The Rogue.

A huge explanation and some fun suggestions after the jump.