Fenn's Human Monk Build

[Fennario]

Here's the build that I am going to roll once the Monks invade Stormreach. Any advice is appreciated.


16 Human Monk (32 pt)

Str 16
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 14
Cha 8

All level up points into Str. Add tomes and enhancements as desired. A +1 Int tome is needed for Combat Expertise.

Skills

Balance
Concentration
Jump
Spot
Tumble
Intimidate

Feats

1) Least Sentinel Dragonmark (+2 Intimidate and Shield of Faith can free up item slot)
1) Power Attack
1) Dodge
2) Stunning Fist
3) Combat Expertise (eat +1 Int tome)
6) Mobility
6) Spring Attack
9) Whirlwind Attack
12) IC: Bludge
15) Lesser Sentinel Dragonmark (an extra SoF click and Protection from Energy is nice to mitigate elemental damage when Evasion fails)

I think this will be a solid and fun monk build to play.

Can go Defensive in Water or Earth stances with Combat Expertise. Use Intimidate in conjunction with Whirlwind Attack to tank. Even though Intimidate is not a monk class skill, with the extra points from the Dragonmark, Way of the Badger, Deneith Intimidation, items, and buffs, a respectable Intimidate should be able to be reached.

Can go Offensive in Fire or Wind stances with Power Attack. Spring Attack will help ease the -5 pain from PA, as I have a very mobile melee playstyle and won't be getting another -4 from movement. Won't be a DPS machine, but should be able to do decent damage when needed.

Should be a nicely balanced character to level up and test out the monk abilities. We shall see. Any comments welcomed. Thanks.

[Angelus_dead]

You list the Tumble skill. Tumble is less helpful for monks, because one of it's functions- reduced falling damage- is redundant with a class feature. The Slow Fall class feature doesn't happen to work right now, but it will probably be fixed.

Can go Defensive in Water or Earth stances with Combat Expertise. Use Intimidate in conjunction with Whirlwind Attack to tank. Even though Intimidate is not a monk class skill, with the extra points from the Dragonmark, Way of the Badger, Deneith Intimidation, items, and buffs, a respectable Intimidate should be able to be reached.

Combat Expertise is reported to be deactivated by monk powers such as Healing Ki, making it difficult to use as and still be a worthwhile monk.
Due to the longer cooldown, Whirlwind attack is inferior to Cleave, which this build also qualifies for. (You can get Cleave at a lower level, and melee AOEs are actually more helpful in lower-level quests)
A single rogue level would allow you to pump 9 points into Intimidate immediately, and have it as a full rank skill for the rest of your levels. And the 1d6 sneak attack would add damage whenever you Cleave or Whirlwind into a group of mobs.

Be aware that Imp Crit is less helpful to monks than to other combat characters. Normal characters use weapons with better crits, so Imp Crit is more help. Numerically, a fighter/ranger/bard/cleric gains about 15% physical weapon damage from Imp Crit, while a monk only gains 5%. Still it's probably a good feat to get, but it's not as required as for other warriors.

[Fennario]

You list the Tumble skill. Tumble is less helpful for monks, because one of it's functions- reduced falling damage- is redundant with a class feature. The Slow Fall class feature doesn't happen to work right now, but it will probably be fixed.


Combat Expertise is reported to be deactivated by monk powers such as Healing Ki, making it difficult to use as and still be a worthwhile monk.
Due to the longer cooldown, Whirlwind attack is inferior to Cleave, which this build also qualifies for. (You can get Cleave at a lower level, and melee AOEs are actually more helpful in lower-level quests)
A single rogue level would allow you to pump 9 points into Intimidate immediately, and have it as a full rank skill for the rest of your levels. And the 1d6 sneak attack would add damage whenever you Cleave or Whirlwind into a group of mobs.

Be aware that Imp Crit is less helpful to monks than to other combat characters. Normal characters use weapons with better crits, so Imp Crit is more help. Numerically, a fighter/ranger/bard/cleric gains about 15% physical weapon damage from Imp Crit, while a monk only gains 5%. Still it's probably a good feat to get, but it's not as required as for other warriors.

Tumble is so my monk can do backflips. Anyways with featherfall items, a point could be made that Tumble isn't that useful with most classes.

Healing Ki? Who said anything about healing? My monk will seek to dominate the world. I like to go against the grain. I hope I will still be a worthwhile monk. Here's to hoping they add some more things for the darkside monks. Anyway, none of the Inevitable Dominion finishing moves break Combat Expertise. In fact of all the finishers that I tested, only the Burning Hands attack turned off CE. I'm done on Risia and only really tested Inevitable Dominion, so I don't know what finishing moves turn off CE for a Harmonious Monk.

Whirlwind attack is there not only of its use, but because I think it will look cool with monk combat. And hey, that's just as important to me as anything. Besides, I've been wanting to build a character with Whirlwind just to see what its all about.

Rogue 1 would have its adavantages, but I think I want to make my first monk pure just to test out every aspect of the class. I think I can still get Intimidate high enough with only 9 ranks.

9 ranks
4 Badger enhancements
2 Dragonmark
2 Dragonmark enhancements
4 GH
2 Luck (Head of Good Fortune is easy to aquire)
15 item (have this banked)
2 cha mod
--------
40 before shroud items

Thanks for weighing in. Your points are valid, and give me something to think about if I decide to switch to a Harmonious monk. Hopefully they will make it so no monk abilities turn off CE. It is a class feat after all.

[saber7]

Nice Build, but i had a quesion. Do we really get that many feats as a monk? Do they get some form of bonus feat? Just want to know for my own Thanks.

[Battery]

Nice Build, but i had a quesion. Do we really get that many feats as a monk? Do they get some form of bonus feat? Just want to know for my own Thanks.

yes they get bonus feat like fighters

I'll agree with Angelus that combat expertise isn't all that needed except as a prereq for Improved Trip, maybe go toughness there and save the tome and maybe also a couple ability points from int to something else.

[Fennario]

Nice Build, but i had a quesion. Do we really get that many feats as a monk? Do they get some form of bonus feat? Just want to know for my own Thanks.

Monks get to choose a bonus feat at levels 1, 2 and 6 from this list:

Choice of a Martial Arts Feat: Your training grants you the choice of one of the following feats: Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Discipline, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Precision, Stunning Fist, Toughness, or Weapon Finesse. You must meet all prerequisites of the feat you select.

And the other extra feat in this build is at level 1 from being human.

[Fennario]

I'll agree with Angelus that combat expertise isn't all that needed except as a prereq for Improved Trip, maybe go toughness there and save the tome and maybe also a couple ability points from int to something else.

I don't like Toughness on characters that don't have access to Toughness enhancements. 18 hitpoints isn't worth it to me to burn a feat on. I like CE, and as I said before, I want to try out Whirlwind. Also the extra Int allows me to fit all the skills that I want in there.

[Indel_Eventine]

I have just returned, maybe a month ago, and I still haven't ventured into the Vale much, but as I understand it, AC is **** when compared to damage, so I am not sure of the usefulness of CE in the endgame...

[D'rin]

I don't like Toughness on characters that don't have access to Toughness enhancements. 18 hitpoints isn't worth it to me to burn a feat on. I like CE, and as I said before, I want to try out Whirlwind. Also the extra Int allows me to fit all the skills that I want in there.

They get the way of the tortoise which is the toughness enhancements for monks.

[Dungnmaster001]

They get the way of the tortoise which is the toughness enhancements for monks.

yes but it's only 20hp, and the toughness feat isn't required to take the enhancement.

[Sani_Medicor]

I had a whirlwind fighter...it was fun...can't wait to see it on a monk!