Feats for a Strength Based Monk?

[Gol]

Having trouble thinking of many feats a strength based monk would want. Toughness and Power Attack come as freebies, Weapon Focus: Bludge and Improved Crit: Bludge come to mind, but after that I'm drawing a blank as to what else is useful. For the purpose of this discussion, assume a pure Monk build and that AC is unimportant.

Thoughts?

[Dylos_Moon]

Stunning Blow
Cleave
Great Cleave

And depending on weather you are using a Quarterstaff or Unarmed, possibly THF feats for Qstaff.

[Gol]

Stunning Blow
Cleave
Great Cleave

And depending on weather you are using a Quarterstaff or Unarmed, possibly THF feats for Qstaff.
Stunning Blow I can see. Never saw the appeal of Cleave and Great Cleave when using a non-glancing-blow weapon.

[Dylos_Moon]

Cleave and Great Cleave do more damage to more targets, which for a monk means more ki, especially if you are in fire stance.

Not that High level Monks have problems with high ki.

[Angelus_dead]

For the purpose of this discussion, assume a pure Monk build and that AC is unimportant.
Skill Focus Concentration and Discipline are good fallbacks feats for any monk. If your strength is high, probably your dex is low, so Lightning Reflexes would help you get more benefit from the Evasion class feature.

Cleave can be good. Note that Cleave is better with non-glancing blow weapons, because it brings you a multitarget capability you otherwise wouldn't have.

[wolfy42]

Yep cleave and great cleave have great applications for monks although sadly you can not use it with your ki attacks (it's one or the other).

Stunning blow is great especially if your a dwarf and or you multiclass with fighter lvls at all.

Power attack is obvious and also toughness since you will usually have a lower AC as a strength based monk.

Skip stunning fist (requires high wisdom to be effective), deflect arrows (only even partially good with a high ac and still a waste in my opinion) and discipline (nice at low lvl for ki builds but not worth it.

Weapon focus is a decent choice as well since unlike dex/finess based monks you need to kill asap.....missing is not an option and you don't have insane strength or AB bonuses like many other melee builds.

For WF additional DR is an option as well (not sure if you are WF or not).

Dragon marks for many classes (halfling, elf etc) are also a possible option.

If you snag the required int CE and Improved trip are both good options especially with a strength build (and again dwarf).

Many choices for both strength and dex based monks....although I would stay away from the THF line all together.

[Dylos_Moon]

Note that Warforged get a Tatics line as well, so everything wolfy said about dwarves applies to warforged as well.

[wolfy42]

Str based WF or Dwarves can snag both Stunning blow (right away) and Improved trip (later) and therefore make good tacticle monks.

In addition a WF at least has the ability to reach a fairly decent AC without investing massivly into dex/wisdom....meaning CE can be a useful ability.

I have not personally tried an improved trip/CE monk build but it might be worth it.

[wolfy42]

Note that Warforged get a Tatics line as well, so everything wolfy said about dwarves applies to warforged as well.

Lol I was clarifying that actually but got called away to put in a pizza order for dinner tonight:)

[Delacroix21]

THF feat do NOT work with a Q-staff, dont ask me why Devs have posted this themselves.


That being said a Q-staff with power attack and monk speed is a GREAT weapon. =)

[Borror0]

THF feat do NOT work with a Q-staff, dont ask me why Devs have posted this themselves.

From one of Codog's post, GThF stacks with quaterstaves.. ThF don't... according to MrCow IThF does too...

[Samadhi]

As to the original question, toughness, toughness, and more toughness. If you are going to be a frontline combatant on a low HP class, my biggest suggestion would be to take the toughness feat several times.

As to cleave, to back up what someone else said, its much better without two handed weapons than with - sounds like you should probably at least try it and see what you think.

[Gol]

As to the original question, toughness, toughness, and more toughness. If you are going to be a frontline combatant on a low HP class, my biggest suggestion would be to take the toughness feat several times.

As to cleave, to back up what someone else said, its much better without two handed weapons than with - sounds like you should probably at least try it and see what you think.
Yep on both counts. Cleave, Great Cleave, and room for 2 extra toughness feats still. Going to try it out and see how it plays out.

[Illuminati]

Most likely, this will be my feats (WF or human, not sure yet)

1) Power Attack
1) Dodge
2) Toughness
3) Mobility
6) Spring Attack
6) Combat Expertise (or Improved Trip)
9) IC: Bludgeon
12) Stunning Blow
15) Toughness

Since the best Str a monk will have is 30 unless Dex based, I think most Str builds may have a slightly low attack bonus, so I am considering Spring Attack (not sure yet though). Will most likely be in movement a lot as well, and -4 stinks.

[Gol]

Since the best Str a monk will have is 30 unless Dex based, I think most Str builds may have a slightly low attack bonus, so I am considering Spring Attack (not sure yet though). Will most likely be in movement a lot as well, and -4 stinks.30 str (34 with fire stance) and full BAB is a low attack bonus?!?!!? It's too early in the morning to be drinking that much! ;)

[Blazer]

30 str (34 with fire stance) and full BAB is a low attack bonus?!?!!? It's too early in the morning to be drinking that much! ;)

Haven't read too much on the monk stances, but I thought monks had a BAB progression like rogues/bards.

Online source says they are not (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm) a full BAB class.

[Gol]

Haven't read too much on the monk stances, but I thought monks had a BAB progression like rogues/bards.
They chose to implement Flurry of Blows by giving monks full-BAB-equivalent when "centered". That is, having no or monk weapons equipped, no armor on, and no shield out.

[Turial]

Haven't read too much on the monk stances, but I thought monks had a BAB progression like rogues/bards.

Online source says they are not (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm) a full BAB class.

Flurry of Blows as implemented in DDO gives monks full BAB with monk weapons.

[Blazer]

They chose to implement Flurry of Blows by giving monks full-BAB-equivalent when "centered". That is, having no or monk weapons equipped, no armor on, and no shield out.

Ahh I see, once again DDO is tweaking things a bit differently from PnP. Interesting. Thanks Gol (and Turial, I see your post now as I'm typing this).

[Dylos_Moon]

30 str (34 with fire stance) and full BAB is a low attack bonus?!?!!? It's too early in the morning to be drinking that much! ;)

Tier 3 stances are only +3 stat unfortunately.