The Gaming Den

So, a Tome Monk is a Str/Wis class, with a strong incentive to dump Dex because Willow Step. I have a player who wants to play a Dex/Wis Monk build.

So, if one were to substitute the Willow Step class feature out for a Gentle Fist (or whatever) class feature, letting Wisdom sub for certain uses of Strength instead of Dex, what should such a substitute do?

Will she be using Insightful Strike or Weapon Finesse?

Monks are normally Wis/Con/Str.

Well, Con is everyone's second or third pick, depending... sometimes 1st for the Soldier. I didn't feel the need to mention it.

The answer to your question is 'maybe.' It depends on what the substitute class feature works out to do. If it replaces the Strength attack bonus already, then probably not, naturally.

The monk -could- dump Str and just grab Insightful Strike and put Wisdom as the main stat. Take feats which boost initiative to help out the one thing they still use Dex for (I think Danger Sense, and either Elusive Target or Lightning Reflexes).

But this won't be a damage-heavy build. Instead, you take fighting styles which force saving throws (DCs are Wis based, I believe) and lock down and harrass and make them easier for the rest of the party. But, on the plus side, you're fairly likely to hit, since you're using Wisdom as your attack bonus stat.

Which may fulfill the request--a graceful, more elegant Monk.

The main thing that keeping Dexterity as a monk allows you to capitalize on are attacks of opportunity. There is a fighting style that lets you make a trip or disarm as an AoO whenever you are attacked.

Wisdom to damage (instead of strength) probably wouldn't be too over powered. The flavor is that she extends ki when attacking rather than using brute strength.

A disarm check is an attack roll, so it will be using Dex or Wisdom already anyway. A trip attempt, on the other hand, is a Strength-based check. Iw would be sensible to use her primary attack attribute instead. You could also let her use Wisdom or Dexterity to make grapple checks.

I was recently thinking about a softer monk. One of the abilities I brainstormed was a 'Kiai', which allowed them to use Diplomacy to feint or demoralize as a swift action (or in the case of a stance-using monk, probably a free action 1/round). Not a MAD-reducer (although you could use Wisdom instead of Charisma), but something to offset the reduced synergy.

That makes sense to me. Since Willow Step is all about replacing Dex with Wis, then this feature should replace Str with Wis. So Wis to things like Grapple, Bull Rush, and Trip all make sense to me.

Okay, so:

A Monk can take the class feature Willow Fist instead of Willow Step.

Willow Fist: A Monk can use their Wisdom mod instead of their Strength mod for damage rolls and for combat maneuvers.

Then they'll probably take Insightful Strike, because at that point Weapon Finesse has quite a bit of overlap. Works for me, thanks, the Den!