Monk Moves and Questions

[zawa]

Hey Everyone, hope you like the monk!

Anyway, I dig it, and I want to share with you all some ways of going about it that some of you may not have realized. I will share some of my realizations, and - of course -ask some questions of my own. Please participate thoughtfully, as we are monks - not barbarians.

Note: Concentration is the single most important skill for the Monk class. Maximize this in whatever way you deem possible. (AP's/Feats)

Concentration = Rested Ki, and Ki degeneration rate

First Lesson: Combos

Some of you may have noticed this. If you hold block and fire ki strikes, you use no ki. Some of suggested this is a bug, but I must endorse that it is not. If you "ki up" your moves prior to combat, you can get that glowing finisher move logged in, then go fight mobs and set it off. This makes sense in the way that a Monk would meditate, go through some practice moves as a method of concentration, then go off and kick it old school.


For example: (Hold Block) Fire, Fire, Fire = Burning Hands finisher. With this set, tell a party member to open that door, pull the mobs to the doorway while you proceed to fight and fry.

Also - Light, Light, Light = Mass Heal (effectiveness rises with level -most likely aided by the wisdom modifier I presume - this has not been verified).

Fire, Dark, Fire = Karmic Strike. This is useful insofar as it generates huge critical threat. But it also generates guaranteed critical hits against you for the next 3 seconds. (GOOD IN EARTH STANCE AS IT GENERATES ki).

Wind, Dark, Wind = Falling Star Strike. Pretty cool move, blinds targets.

The list goes on and on. Simply hold "Block" que up a combo, and get rolling.

Lesson 2: Stances

Some had tallied that stances are important, and that perhaps you should get them all. I believe this is player style preference, however, I would personally suggest that you stick to two. Notice each stance buffs one stat point and degenerates another.

Sun Stance = + Strength, - Wisdom (Good for generating ki and keeping base melee. You don't want to use light or dark fists here, since they are affected by their Wisdom modifier and would prove useless here.)

Wind Stance = + Dex, - Con. (Like a soft haste, increases your movement speed and attack speed. However, does not generate additional ki. Good stance to toss around standard attacks, i.e. fire, wind, water, earth, void, stunning, etc.)

Mountain Stance = +Con, - Dex. (Good tanking stance if your armor can afford the hit. In any case, this generates ki while being hit. Good solo stance because everyone at the party is gonna hit on you. )

Water Stance = +Wis, - Str. (This stance is great for using your finishing moves. Most are dependent on your wisdom modifier.)

While all have great benefits to them, pursuing all of them may complicate your monk life. Monks are simple and artistic. To deal with an entire bar of stances and element attacks seems to heavy to pursue. Instead, try figure out which of your stat points would benefit greatest from the combos. Wind and Water would give you excellent versatility in maintaining AC and finisher profitability. While Sun and Mountain generate lots of damage and ki. Sun and Wind can make you a smooth ki builder and spender, while Mountain and Water can give you more healing responsibilities.

REMEMBER: While you will LOSE your stored FINISHER moves by doing ANYTHING, except for FIGHTING. However, you can switch stances without fear of losing your stored combo.

Today's lesson has been about the basics of the monk class. By no means is this a guaranteed representation of how the monk class works as a whole, but it is a paradigm representation of how the core monk class works.

Thats it! Today's session is at a close, and I'd like to finish it by offering the dojo up for questions. I have a few I'd like to propose myself, to get the ball rolling.

What races maximize on the monk's strengths? I've seen Dwarf's and Halflings as the two with the largest benefit's. Human's get the action points, but unless your doing cleave or whirlwind attacks, I don't think it's necessary. (The bonus stat point to any stat is cool too.) I've seen people with halfling dex based builds and I cannot believe how high their AC is. I've got a dwarf 16/13/13/8/15/8 starting build (28 point, I made too many drows) It's a great to-hit and damage build, and the only thing lacking is the AC. Level 4, it's 17 unbuffed. ***.

Anyway, for me, that's my biggest question. How the hell are you halflings getting that much AC?

Oh yeah, fists count as blunt weapons. You can maximize their potential via feats.

[Dungnmaster001]

some good advice, however the part about using no Ki while blocking is ABSOLUTELY a bug. It's like a caster being able to cast without spending spellpoints while blocking. It's not intended.

[valczir]

some good advice, however the part about using no Ki while blocking is ABSOLUTELY a bug. It's like a caster being able to cast without spending spellpoints while blocking. It's not intended.

Agreed, and as such, I absolutely refuse to use it. Besides, I'm using the fire stance, which generates Ki like a man generates drool at a steak grill. I'm using finishers for about 10% of my attacks, which amounts to roughly two per mob of kobolds, and this is at level 3.

Also, the fire stance doesn't make your Ki attacks worthless. It makes them 1 point of DC less effective than normal, which sucks, but they can still be used if you've invested points in wisdom. Personally, I don't think I'll keep using it (at least, not until I can get my wis a lot higher), because I'm a warforged and therefor have very low wisdom to begin with, but once half-orcs are released, I'll be playing to the tune of fire.

[Timjc86]

My frustration with finishing moves is that essentially almost any action you take that is not a monk attack building toward a finisher resets the entire chain. As long as this holds true I don't see an issue with using shift to make finishers available. Although it costs no ki to use the moves you're not actually getting any effect from them either. If you hold shift and use the fire punch, you won't actually get an attack of any sort, but it does count it as progress towards a finishing move. I don't see that as game-breaking when any door you open, switch you pull, potion you chug, etc. requires that you start the whole combo chain over again.

On top of that none of the finishing moves themselves are extremely powerful. Some of them are certainly nice, but not amazing.

[ronlamb]

Actually I am kind of disappointed with the finishing moves. The only two I use are the mass light heal and burning hands. The others either never seem to work, or if they do the other party members kill it to quickly to be effective.

Also I think the concept of ki as it stands is useless. I would have liked it better if it was done the same way as mana, in that it starts off full and goes away as you use it. As it currently works in most parties the enemies are killed so quickly that by the time my ki builds up high enough the fight is over and my ki decays to its minimum.

[RazorrX]

So far I tend to use Ki on a "Oh god, Oh God we are all going to die" situation. That meaning I store it up, use it sparingly and when the mobs or bosses show up unleash Ki Attack Hell on them. Every now and then I will charge up a finishing attack and throw it out, or if I know the boss fight is a way off I will do some nice light side finishers to help buff the party a bit. I for sure use the buffs right before and during the harsh fights, but by then I have plenty of Ki to go around.

AC thing -

Only level 5 but have a standing AC of 30 unbuffed, 32 in defensive stance.

First thing to do is run WW for the Black Widow Bracers (got mine on first run)
Then you may want to run WW for the +1 cloak of Protection it gave me when I ran it with some guildies for the second time.

IF not then use mage armor pots/clickies.

My AC breaks down something like this:

10 base
1 halfling size
1 monk level
1 cloak of prot +1
4 black widow bracers
4 wisdom
6 dex
1 dodge
1 wind stance/ or water stance
1 armor ritual on an outfit

[djsonar919]

some good advice, however the part about using no Ki while blocking is ABSOLUTELY a bug. It's like a caster being able to cast without spending spellpoints while blocking. It's not intended.

I don’t think it’s a bug and I hope they don’t change it either. I mean if you wanted to pop off that measly cure spell. Doing it in combat would cost you 40 ki points. That’s pretty high for the lowbies. One of the best things I have seen is to land the light fist on the enemy and have everyone regen hp on each hit. Then throw the cure. But if you are after combat and you have a surplus of ki, why not be able to just use the points you have to help the cleric out?

Also, if this helps your moral compass at all, think of it like Dragon ball Z when they charge their super powers. That’s what I do.

[Dungnmaster001]

Also, if this helps your moral compass at all, think of it like Dragon ball Z when they charge their super powers. That’s what I do.

That's what meditation is. The analogy doesn't work for firing off ki attacks while blocking since you aren't building energy, you just aren't spending any. It's a coding glitch. Eventually it'll get fixed...though with Turbine's record for fixing bugs it may take a year or so to get fixed...but it will be fixed sometime.

[LogannX]

I like the way ki works. Its great that you can build it by being active. The combos are neat little bonuses. I find myself using the elemental attacks quite often. As I build the ki I use it.

[JollySwagMan]

Kudos OP, great post. I did not know of the blocking ki bug, and will definately try it out. I use my finishing moves mostly for the benefit of the party, but often lose a combo due to having to save someone.

In regards to your question, Halflings make great defensive monks due to a +1 size bonus to AC, ability spread that encourages Finesse, and an enhancement line towards ridiculous saves. If one is so inclined as to Tumble during combat, halflings also enjoy a reduced hit-box compared to other twitchy melees. (More testing may be required to verify this) It seems (though perhaps this may be a result of being on the lookout for such things) that there is a glut of Halfling required-race gear for monks as well. Dwarves (and I believe WF too, though I have not made one) have enhancement lines that affect melee DCs such as Stunning Blow or Improved Trip, so I am surprised that I don't see many Dwarven Monks around. Humans get a healing enhancement line that makes them solo-monsters (combined with skill points and versatility applied to UMD).

I don't see many Drow or Elf monks - that penalty to Constitution inhibits the Monk's most important skill, Concentration. Nor do they have enhancement lines that are very beneficial to Monks - Halfling's Dex is accompanied by other synergistic abilities, and also allows for shuriken focus if one so desires. On the other hand, I see many Elf exploiter builds with a single level of Monk for the AC (and sometimes wind stance), but that is focused more upon optimising Ranger tempest abilities than the facets of Monkdom.

[REALb0r3d]

Don't use ki when blocking... jesus my intimiturtlemonk just got better...

[MithrilSoul]

My AC breaks down something like this:

10 base
1 halfling size
1 monk level
1 cloak of prot +1
4 black widow bracers
4 wisdom
6 dex
1 dodge
1 wind stance/ or water stance
1 armor ritual on an outfit

How the heck do you have 18 WIS and 22 DEX as a level 5 character? Especially not including stance in that (since you list stance separately further down the list)?

[cbmboy]

Just tried the blocking ki attack thing... it doesn't use ki, but it doesn't charge the finishing move either... so did they fix this in update 4?

Does someone else want to test this?

[Llewndyn]

I took the dwarf monk thinking I was breaking the mold, and because a dwarf monk sounds like a rockin' band name.

I also took dwarf for the improved balance, constitution, and hatred of giants/ goblinoids/ Steve Perry (Dwarves have historically hated Journey)

I would like some kind of confirmation on whether the shift ki thing is a bug or not; if it's a bug I refuse to use it but it would sure be helpful, and monks get crapped for everything else (I find myself wearing a lot of wizard robes and looking like a dork a lot because I dont see many outfits) so it might be a gimme the developers handed down upon us.

I use the Sun stance a lot as I was generating almost no ki using the wind stance, and assumed it was more like the broken wind stance (get it??? *crickets*) so am interested in knowing what all the hubbub is about said stance. I was also told mountain and water were useless.

A big question I had was about the paths: I chose the dark path for reasons that can only be described as mean spirited, but am told it is a lame path and I should have taken light. Before I reset enhancements, does anyone use dark who can vouch for it's coolness other than making you more like the Darth Vader of monks? I am at lvl 6 1 rank from 7 so would like to know if something cool comes up soon or if I should reset enhancements now while I can.

[prodONEg]

As MsEricka pointed out this thread is almost two years old. It's no longer possible to get any benefit from ki strikes while blocking.

[MsEricka]

You guys do realize that you're repling to a thread that is two years old right?

The likelyhood of you talking to yourselves is near 99%

[REALb0r3d]

You're here

[JollySwagMan]

As MsEricka pointed out this thread is almost two years old.

So it is. I must have been searching for a specific thread and mistaken the results for the current Monk forum.