Monk AC and Wildshape

[metaquad4]

Since Monk AC was "fixed" with Shapeshifting so that it doesn't work with it, I have a proposal:

1) Make Monk AC not work with Wildshape.

2) Remove the Monk/Druid restriction, so that we can have more options for druid (none shifting fister druid!).

[Flasmix]

I think this would be a nice change. I like.

[CleverUsername123]

(deleted)

[Flasmix]

I too want a Monk 3/Druid 27. 30 CL, full casting, Wisdom as an AC and casting stat. All it's missing is Intuitive Attack.

A Dragon Druid will still have more AC, way better attack and can still cast spells. I would think 3 monk/7 sacred fist/20 druid would be better than just 3 monk/27 druid.

[CommanderKrieg]

A Dragon Druid will still have more AC, way better attack and can still cast spells. I would think 3 monk/7 sacred fist/20 druid would be better than just 3 monk/27 druid.

You can already make a pretty good one with SS.

[aaron22]

but the druid build can dump cha

[aaron22]

i think this would be like taking all the reqs away from duelist and see if mages would not wanna dip that for the +14AC.

i'd be for it if monk got wis=ac at level 7 or something. or have it limited to max bonus = levels monk.

[metaquad4]

Honestly, all it would do is open up more none-status quo builds. Right now, with a few fringe exceptions, its shifter druid or go home. And unless you have a ton of gold for UMD, its still pretty much shifter druid or go home. I'm not convinced that monk AC would give better defenses than shifter druid already gives. Consider that you can't use a shield and have to be unarmored for it to work. You'd be reaching about the same (a few AC points lower) as most none shifting druids with fullplate and a shield.

A none shifting druid with 30 base WIS would reach 53 AC (if you took sacred fist, you could reach 56 AC). My none shifting druid with fullplate and a heavy shield will reach 54 AC. A tower shield could push this to 56 AC, but I had other feats I wanted to take. A shifting druid will reach 65 AC, which will still be higher. This is all assuming you have full +4 gear and improved combat expertise. A sacred fist/druid/monk caster would be in line with a none shifting druid using fullplate and a towershield.

@aaron22: Don't forget too, unlike with none-shifting druid, wizards have other defenses (mirror image, displacement, buffs that give DR with no limit, etc.). The druid spell list doesn't include these other defenses. The comparison isn't that apt, unless you also remove a wizard's shadow shield, mirror images, displacement, bigby's 5, and ethereal visage.

Also, as mentioned before, its similar-to-the-same AC as you can already get on a none-shifting druid. Pretty much no power creep.

[Khazrak]

Y'know... what about a good druid kit that sacrifices shapeshifting for more of a spellcasting focus? Or something else. Then make this change to allow druid/monk multiclassing, but obviously still not letting Wildshape have Monk AC.

[Sun Wukong]

I would make a Monk 3/Druid 7/Sacred Fist 10/Hierophant 10. This build gets caster level of 32, and as long as you go for Monk 3/Druid 7/Sacred Fist 7/Hierophant 3 pre-epic, it is a valid DC build on the server. It has terrible melee AB though, about 31+ in melee, and ranged AB is about 35+ with Zen Archery (Sacred Fist comes with -8 AB penalty for all weapons).

But the thing is, it is the type of build that gets those Spell Focus: Conjuration feats, Improved Combat Expertise, and some reserve feat for direct damage output. This build uses Call Elementals for a swarm, and Summon Creature VIII for a bigger elemental, and then they all sit underneath that Storm of Vengeance.

And most of all, you can just invest in UMD and get access to wands.

Sure, you do not have wildshapes, nor a proper animal companion, but I am not sure if you need one.