First Warforged Monk

[REALb0r3d]

I've noticed that people making monk usually go with dex based, but with the insane number you can crank strength to I don't know how dex can compete with strength. I know GTWF requires 17 dex, and grandmaster windstance requires 18, but is that the only reason people go dex based? Wouldn't you be better off starting with 15 dex, eating a +3 tome, and pumping strength? With the build I'm messing with in GM WS my endgame dex is 36.
18 starting +5 level + 6 item +3 exceptional +4 WS
What more can I do to pump dexterity, and once I get any twink items am I going to be sad about my strength being higher than my dex?


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 20 Lawful Good Warforged Male
(20 Monk)
Hit Points: 272
Spell Points: 0
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 18
Will: 13

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 14 14
Dexterity 18 23
Constitution 14 16
Intelligence 10 10
Wisdom 10 13
Charisma 6 6

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance 8 16
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 6 39
Diplomacy -2 25
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle -2 -2
Heal 0 1
Hide 4 8
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 6 12
Listen 0 1
Move Silently 4 7
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 0 0
Search 0 0
Spot 4 24
Swim 2 2
Tumble n/a n/a
Use Magic Device n/a n/a

Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Power Attack
Feat: (Selected) Two Weapon Fighting


Level 2 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Weapon Finesse


Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Inevitable Dominion: Fists of Darkness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 4 (Monk)


Level 5 (Monk)


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 7 (Monk)


Level 8 (Monk)


Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting


Level 10 (Monk)


Level 11 (Monk)


Level 12 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 13 (Monk)


Level 14 (Monk)


Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting


Level 16 (Monk)


Level 17 (Monk)


Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Power Critical


Level 19 (Monk)


Level 20 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Serenity
Enhancement: Static Charge
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane I
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane II
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane III
Enhancement: Way of the Elegant Crane IV
Enhancement: Touch of Death
Enhancement: Porous Soul
Enhancement: All-Consuming Flame
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery III
Enhancement: Void Strike
Enhancement: Winter's Touch
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms
Enhancement: Master of Thunder
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Monk Concentration I
Enhancement: Monk Concentration II
Enhancement: Monk Concentration III
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom III
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II
Enhancement: Warforged Hardiness I
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack II
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack III

[truetrue4]

Of course, monks went to focus on either dex or wis.
You can read the thread 'dex vs wis debate' in the monk discussion.

For myself, I start with 16 dex and then eat +2 dex tome. It is enough for me. All of my level up points went to wis to boost the dc of monk abilities. It's your call to use monk abilities often or not. I am not saying that your wis is wrong.
However, if you are planning to use monk abilities, you can adjust your wis to 14-16 and lower dex to 15 or 16, depend on your tomes you are going to eat.

People who said to put points on str...well, I don't know because I feel silly to do so. I think it is best to put level up into dex or wis, depend on your playstyle.

[Sir_Chonas]

16 dex is too expensive for me on a str based monk. Start with 15, eat a +2 at lvl 7 and put your lvl 4 stat raise in dex. You can probably get 2 con raises at creation (or 2 wis) for the price of that 1 dex.

Here's the STR dwarf monk I built (it's still pretty rough but the stat raises and beginnings are good it's a 34 point build so keep that in mind).


Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.32
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 18 Lawful Good Dwarf Male
(18 Monk)
Hit Points: 304
Spell Points: 0
BAB: 13\13\18\23
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 15
Will: 16

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(34 Point) (Level 1) (Level 18)
Strength 16 22
Dexterity 15 18
Constitution 16 20
Intelligence 8 10
Wisdom 16 21
Charisma 6 6

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 1
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 18)
Balance 3 8
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 7 28
Diplomacy -2 -2
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle -2 -2
Heal 3 5
Hide 7 25
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 7 16
Listen 3 5
Move Silently 3 25
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair -1 0
Search -1 2
Spot 3 5
Swim 3 6
Tumble n/a 5
Use Magic Device n/a n/a

{\b {\ul Notable Equipment }} \par Minos Legens \par Health Necklace \par Cloak of Greater Acid Resistance \par Cloak of Greater Cold Resistance \par Cloak of Greater Fire Resistance \par Cloak of Greater Lightning Resistance \par Cloak of Greater Sonic Resistance \par Cloak of Resistance \par Awanahu Sash \par Wise Ring \par Madstone Boots \par Striding Boots \par Ogre Power Ring \par Dexterous Gloves \par Levik's Bracers \par \par Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Fighter
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting


Level 2 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge
Enhancement: Dwarven Goblinoid Hatred I
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery I
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics I
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortiose I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I


Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Harmonious Balance: Fists of Light
Feat: (Selected) Stunning Blow
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Lifting the Veil
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I


Level 4 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I


Level 5 (Monk)
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortiose II


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Power Attack
Feat: (Selected) Stunning Fist
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics II
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 7 (Monk)
Enhancement: Adept of Rain


Level 8 (Monk)
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II


Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery II


Level 10 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II


Level 11 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom III


Level 12 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 13 (Monk)


Level 14 (Monk)
Enhancement: Unbalancing Strike
Enhancement: Master of Thunder
Enhancement: Adept of Rock


Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Master of Stone


Level 16 (Monk)


Level 17 (Monk)


Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics III
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms