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[Kit] Shadow Monk v1.1 - NOW OBSOLETE, NEW VERSION IN SHADOW MAGIC MOD

 TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
edited June 2017 in General Modding
It's a monk that can backstab. Probably overpowered. Minimal balancing.

I got really bored and had this weird idea to make a monk that plays more like a thief than a fighter, and the result was this odd shadowdancer/monk/assassin hybrid kit. Why it gets Magic Missile and life drain? Because, uh, it's cool, I guess.

This kit heavily encourages hit and run, since you have pathetic hit points and will basically die whenever attacked. I had no basis on making this kit, just the idea to make a backstabbing monk. It is insanely fun when it starts to pick up steam starting at level 4 and hopefully plays differently enough to a regular monk.

Download link here: https://github.com/ArtemiusI/Shadow-Monk/releases/tag/v1.1

SHADOW MONK: Little is known about the secretive order of shadow monks, other than the fact that they draw upon the power of the Shadow Plane to wield dark ki. They are masterful assassins, manipulating powerful illusions to their advantage and skilled at striking from the shadows, but their ritualistic training has taken a toll on their physical stamina.

Advantages:
- +1 bonus to Dexterity.
- Gains infravision.
- 20% to Move Silently and Hide in Shadows.
- Each (melee) attack deals one extra point of magic damage and heals the shadow monk.
- May use the Shadow Missile ability once per day. Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 6 levels thereafter.

SHADOW MISSILE: The shadow monk launches a missile of energy that unerringly strikes the target for 1d4+1 damage for every 2 levels to a maximum of 5d4+5 damage at level 9.

- Level 4: Backstab multiplier of x2.
- Level 5: May cast Shadowstep once per day. Gains an additional use every 5 levels thereafter.

SHADOWSTEP: Step into the Shadow Plane and move for 7 seconds while others are frozen in time. The shadow monk cannot attack or use spells while in the Shadow Plane.

- Level 6: May use the Dark Mirage ability once per day. Gains an additional use every 10 levels thereafter.

DARK MIRAGE: The shadow monk creates a distorted illusion around his body, gaining the effects of the wizard spells Blur and Mirror Image for 5 rounds.

- Level 11: Backstab multiplier of x3.
- Level 10: May cast Shadow Walk at will (still limited to one cast per round).

SHADOW WALK: This spell transports the caster to any place within visual range.

- Level 15: May use the Draining Blow ability once per day.

DRAINING BLOW: All successful attacks within the next round force the victim to Save vs. Death or lose 1 level permanently. This special ability automatically modifies normal attacks; no targeting needs to be done.

- Level 16: May cast Shadow Door twice per day.
- Level 18: Backstab multiplier of x4.

Disadvantages:
- Hit Die: d6
- -2 penalty to Strength.
- -4 penalty to Constitution.
- Alignment restricted to non-lawful and non-good.
- Uses the shadowdancer high level abilities table, with the exception of Use Any Item.
- May not use the Lay On Hands ability.
- May not use the Stunning Blow ability.
- May not use the Quivering Palm ability.


HLA (replaces Use Any Item)

One With Shadows
The shadow monk's training has allowed him to become a being of both the Prime Material Plane and the Shadow Plane, giving 20% resistance to physical damage, +2 bonus to all saves, -2 bonus to armor class and immunity to Imprisonment and Time Stop.

Ability usage:

Shadowstep & Shadow Walk: Basically used for the same purposes. Backstab, leave vision range, hide, backstab again. If hide in plain sight wasn't hard coded I'd have used that instead of Shadow Walk but... eh.

Dark Mirage: This is probably overkill and completely overshadows the Dark Moon Monk, but I love the ability. It is so useful considering how easily you go squish without some defense.

Draining Blow: Kinda sucky compared to Quivering Blow since it only lasts one round so you'll drain maybe 3-5 levels at most, but I guess the kit doesn't need to be any stronger.
Post edited by TheArtisan on

Comments

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • GreenerGreener Member Posts: 430

    Eh - yeah, definitely super-duper overpowered. :) Some of the stuff, I don't get. Why a Magic Missile clone? Why level drain? (Aren't the Plane of Negative Energy and the Plane of Shadow two different things?) Why immunity to Time Stop? (Shadow affects time??)

    But... BUT... It's a fantastic idea. The whole *concept* of the Shadowdancer Kit works so much better with a monk than a thief! Brilliant.

    Personally, I would eliminate most or all of the stat bonuses/penalties (how does choosing a kit change your inherent stats?) and simplify it.

    - x2 backstab from level 1
    - Blur at level 3
    - Reflected Image at level 5, improving to Mirror Image at level 9
    - Shadow Step at level 7
    - another use of Blur at level 11
    - another use of Mirror Image at level 13
    - x3 backstab at level 15
    - One With Shadows HLA
    - no disadvantages except inability to use normal monk powers

    Done.

    I concur with subtledoctor, the idea is brilliant but definitely overpowered, consider his suggestions.
  • Eltharion1979Eltharion1979 Member Posts: 92
    I download the shadow monk mod, I notice that, when I shadow step, I cant hide in shadows, is their any way to fix this? The mod is great btw, good job :-)
  • Eltharion1979Eltharion1979 Member Posts: 92
    One more thing, after every fight, their is a sound, like a spell is finished. What is that?
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    @Eltharion1979 Huh. This was one of my less refined kits that I haven't tested in a while, but I don't recall either issue happening. I'll look over the mod when I have time.
  • Eltharion1979Eltharion1979 Member Posts: 92
    Thank you for the quick reply :-) when you check this issues please let me know, take care.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    edited May 2016
    @Eltharion1979 Update on the situation. I cannot reproduce the Hide -> Shadowstep issue, I can hide in shadows just fine. As for issue two I can only assume the sound you're talking about is the 'draining' sound effect from the monk's innate life drain attack. It's a little annoying, I'll give you that. I don't think I added it intentionally but I left it in because I thought the sound was cool, but I can give you a file to remove it if it irritates you.

    Edit: hang on nevermind, I found the issue. Random 60s delay sound effect that I didn't even know was there. Removed it. Put the attached file in your shadowmonk/spells folder and reinstall for a quick fix.
  • Eltharion1979Eltharion1979 Member Posts: 92
    Thank you very much for the update and the help, take care! :-)
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    edited June 2017
    This mod has been reworked into a component of my Shadow Magic mod and is now obsolete as a standalone. Please check out that mod for the new and shiny version :)
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