So as I mentioned before, I get bored waiting for the next playtest so I started transferring my cards into the game crafter to see how much it would cost. Sheesh, round punch board chits are a flat 10 bones. I'm glad my game has armor tokens now to offset the cost of just needing 5 chits. The really bad thing is I'm making a copy just for myself as the art is taken from various sources which are place holders for when I pay for real art... but I have to have a nice looking working copy. If I'm going to generate buzz, especially during conventions, I need a "this is what it's supposed to look like" copy.
Monk... ohhh Monk. You were so badass on paper. No armor and only able to defend against melee. Can't even block ranged or melee AOE damage. His water stance card ability allows him to spend unarmed strikes to block damage from 1 ranged attack then expires. Insightful evasion allows him to redirect a ranged attack targeting him to another in the same square. That's it. I wanted him to Suck vs ranged but he's not doing so hot defending against anything. Armor blocks ranged, melee, and AOE versions of both. Monk strikes only block melee. How do I help monk without giving him abilities which make him feel less like a monk or straight up OP? Card ability or even a passive ability?
Comments
robes and dodging
When I think of a martial arts monk, I think of long flowing robes, of effortless dodging, of swirling and dancing. So perhaps give him the ability to dodge some ranged attacks, or to swirl them back (perhaps he can redirect a ranged attack to hit someone at close range with it). You wrote that he 'looked badass on paper,' but it seems like you only gave him the ability to dodge a small percentage of attacks.
Hot Fixes
Yes. it's a small percentage now that I look at it. 25% of the types of attacks. And only 3 of the other 8 classes actually use melee as their main form of attack. (Rogue, Warrior, Barbarian).
The Hot Fix:
Earth Stance: No longer searches for 2 Unarmed Strikes. Instead gives 2 armor tokens which negate 1 wound each. It's like armor, only not.
Water Stance: No longer allows you to use Unarmed Strikes to block the next Ranged attack, then expires. Instead Take half damage rounded down from all non-Melee attacks until your next turn.
Insightful Evasion: No longer has Ranged Attack targeting you instead targets another player in your square. Instead You may spend unarmed strikes to divert wounds from a non-melee attack to another player in your square. 1 for 1. Renamed to Manipulate Chi.