Question: Monk Weapons

[Ghoste]

Been looking through the rules on monks again.

monk unarmed dmg
lvl 1 = 1d6
lvl 20 = 2d10

I've seen monk builds out there that focus on quarterstaff or kama and shuriken. Why would someone pick 1d6 base weapon damage over 2d10? Or even worse, 1d2?!! Are monks able to get the same base damage with monk weapons as with unarmed strike? If not, I'm confused why someone would bother with them.

[Mad_Bombardier]

I've seen monk builds out there that focus on quarterstaff or kama and shuriken. Why would someone pick 1d6 base weapon damage over 2d10? Or even worse, 1d2?!! Are monks able to get the same base damage with monk weapons as with unarmed strike? If not, I'm confused why someone would bother with them.My guess is magic weapons. While a monk's unarmed strike is later considered magic for DR, you still cannot find magic fists to add to attack or damage. So, if you don't play in a high magic campaign, unarmed is great. But, if all your buddies have +4 and +5 weapons and you are facing monsters where you need that +4/5 to hit, then you're monk is out of luck.

[Vizzini]

I could be mistaken here, but I thought for the purposes of enemies that needed magical weapons there was an ability to make a monks fists = to that of magical weapons...


My guess is magic weapons. While a monk's unarmed strike is later considered magic for DR, you still cannot find magic fists to add to attack or damage. So, if you don't play in a high magic campaign, unarmed is great. But, if all your buddies have +4 and +5 weapons and you are facing monsters where you need that +4/5 to hit, then you're monk is out of luck.

[Mad_Bombardier]

I could be mistaken here, but I thought for the purposes of enemies that needed magical weapons there was an ability to make a monks fists = to that of magical weapons...For the purposes of DR, yes. But you still don't get any + to-hit or damage.

[slumbering_dragon]

My guess is magic weapons. While a monk's unarmed strike is later considered magic for DR, you still cannot find magic fists to add to attack or damage. So, if you don't play in a high magic campaign, unarmed is great. But, if all your buddies have +4 and +5 weapons and you are facing monsters where you need that +4/5 to hit, then you're monk is out of luck.

well your almost right, monks can have magical based weapons as fists, i had a monk that had +2 flaming burst fist wraps that were awsome. i think we will see something like this in DDO. it would be nice, +1 ghost touch fist wraps of pure good, or something like this.

[Ghoste]

So for campaigns that implement gloves that add such bonuses, there really isn't any use for monk weapons?

[Vizzini]

I would say Only for things such as Vorpals or such.. but at Hrmm don't remember what level Monks Get Vorpal Fist I believe


So for campaigns that implement gloves that add such bonuses, there really isn't any use for monk weapons?

[Hafeal]

My foggy AD&D days seem to remember monks getting progressive +s to hit as they leveled (in AD&D). Perhaps there is a plan to implement the same in the DDO setting. We already know DDO is not alays 100% faithful to 3.5 rules (w/ 4.0 coming).


Is there a change to monk attacks in 4.0? I vaguely remember reading recently that WOC has worked with Turbine in rule crafting for the upcoming changes.

[rimble]

So for campaigns that implement gloves that add such bonuses, there really isn't any use for monk weapons?

Pretty hard to say how they'll do it in DDO. We have two weapon slots. I wonder if they'll provide special code that allows you to equip glove items to those weapon slots? Or will they go in your glove slots and lock out your weapon slots? Lots of weird **** that I'm sure they need to account for.

Most importantly for the monk weapons, the siangham can be used to do the piercing damage that your bludgeoning fists can't, and the kama can be used for slashing.

In PnP there are some other minor benefits to the weapons...nunchaku give you +2 on disarm attempts, sai give +4 on disarm attempts and can be used as short-range thrown weapons with no penalty, kama can be used for trip attacks and just dropped if they try to trip you back, and quarterstaves can be used as a double-weapon as another Two-Weapon Fighting option (easier to find one good quarstaff than two good kamas).

In DDO, most likely they'll add similar bonuses to items...so only kamas might have +Trip enchantments on them, and only sai have +Sunder enchantments on them, stuff like that. So if you want to be a tactics type Monk (likely a very valid path as Monks get those types of Feats for free in PnP), you can get additional tactical boosts only from certain weapons, and not from your fists/magical wraps.

[sigtrent]

My foggy AD&D days seem to remember monks getting progressive +s to hit as they leveled (in AD&D). Perhaps there is a plan to implement the same in the DDO setting. We already know DDO is not alays 100% faithful to 3.5 rules (w/ 4.0 coming).


Nope, no special attack bonuses although at higher levels the penalty for using flurry of blows disapears so they get an extra full attack which is pretty nice.

Damage reduction issues are one reason for an armed monk, another is simply having a good weapon you want to use. Another is that some monk weapons have bonuses for disarm and trip. Finaly there is reach although I don't recall any monk weapons with reach specificaly but there might be some in some book or another.

My D&D monk not only carries weapons but wears armor and uses a shield sometimes. At lower levels the AC bonuses, even wtih a great wisdom arn't as good as some plain old armor and many of the other benefits you get don't kick in untill mid levels. Once you get past level 6 or so it becomes pretty foolish to wear armor, especialy if you have found some decent armor bracers or the like.

Cool thing about monks is they can do thier unarmed attacks with various body parts so you can carry a halbred and use that at reach (if proficient of course), then kick people when they get in close.

[Kronik]

Dont forget that Monks can make attacks with thier feet too.

Im thinking the weapon set that they will be able to use will be a quarterstaff, any light blunt finessable weapon or a special monk only weapon not yet in game.

The monks special attack is a stunning blow and can be a kick or a fist, so if all of your weapon slots are full and you want to use a stunning blow, hopefully DDO will implement a spinning kick or something like it.

Just my guess, but it would definately work!

[Vizzini]

They stated in their interview with TenTonHammer that they wouldn't not be doing a simultaneous update with the release of 4.0 - They want to feel out the market and see how the community responds to D&D 4.0 :D



Is there a change to monk attacks in 4.0? I vaguely remember reading recently that WOC has worked with Turbine in rule crafting for the upcoming changes.