MNK - Minimal Skill Effects

Thanks 0ceal0t for their work on VFXEdit
Inspiration by Papapachin and Zx-Lanze

This is my third published FFXIV skill effect mod, and it's the one I've dedicated the most time to refining. I initially began working on custom Monk animations before releasing my Machinist mod, but ended up feeling burnt out and decided to step away for a while. The base Monk animations in the game have always felt underwhelming to me—a mix of outdated vanilla moves and newer, slightly improved actions that still fail to meet their full potential in terms of movement, sound, and overall aesthetic. That's why I set out to re-animate it entirely. This has been a demanding undertaking: I created numerous original skeletal animations by piecing together elements from various game files, and I paid close attention to both the visual effects and sound design, all while keeping the Monk's overall rotation in mind.

My vision for this mod was to reimagine the Monk as a more traditional martial artist rather than a breakdancing performer. Expect powerful punches, dynamic kicks, and fluid martial stances—all infused with a touch of Dragon Ball Z flair.

In revising the animations, I focused on delivering impactful strikes rather than the original claw-like swipes that never felt quite right. Every change was made with careful attention to visual and audio elements, always keeping the Monk's rotation and combat flow in mind.

For those who crave even more spectacle, I've included a few optional Masterful Blitz animations that serve as truly dramatic finishers. These additional animations aren't shown in the preview video, as I created them afterward.

I've worked hard to ensure compatibility across all races. However, male Viera are unfortunately broken and do not work as intended due to their unique skeletal structure, resulting in significant leg bone mapping issues. Female Viera are unaffected and will see the animations as intended. Additionally, certain jumps and sidesteps don't scale perfectly for Lalafells—they execute the same moves but with slightly less height or reach (e.g., Phantom Rush, Elixir Field).

Overall, I've enjoyed the transformative impact this mod brings to the Monk's gameplay, and I hope it resonates with others as well. My aim is to offer players a more satisfying, visually striking, and dynamic take on the job's combat style.

Note: you might need to toggle different jobs back and forth a couple times before the skeletal pap animations update.

🎞️ Video Preview 🎞️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWTsdiXYfc

The preview version currently includes an all-in-one .ttmp2 as well as individual .ttmp2 files for each action for these skills:
• Dragon Kick • Twin Snakes • Rockbreaker
• Form Shift • Meditation
Additionally the preview version also includes 'MNK - Ninja Jump and Sage Sprint (minimal).ttmp2' as a seprate file.


The full version has an all-in-one .ttmp2 package, as well as individual .ttmp2 files for those who prefer to mix and match specific actions. These files are compatible with both Penumbra and TextTools, and I've also provided an all-in-one Penumbra package (.pmp) for convenience.

☕ Get the full version here ☕
https://buymeacoffee.com/eccleezyav3/e/345304

Here is the list of actions included in the full version:

════════ Weaponskills (GCD)

═══ Single Target
Bootshine/Leaping Opo
Dragon Kick
True Strike/Rising Raptor
Twin Snakes
Demolish
Snap Punch/Pouncing Coeurl

═══ AoE
Arm/Shadow of the Destroyer
Four-Point Fury
Rockbreaker

═══ Masterful Blitz
Flint Strike/Rising Phoenix
Elixir Field/Elixir Burst
Tornado Kick/Phantom Rush

═══ Replies
Wind's Reply
Fire's Reply
Flint's Reply

═══ Utility
Form Shift

════════ Abilities (oGCD)

═══ Attacks
Steel Peak/Forbidden Chakra
Howling Fist/Enlightenment

═══ Damage Buffs
Perfect Balance
Riddle of Wind
Riddle of Fire
Brotherhood

═══ Utility
Meditation
Mantra
Riddle of Earth
Earth's Reply
Thunderclap

════════ Role Actions
True North
Bloodbath
Leg Sweep
Feint
Second Wind
Arm's Length