Water Monk (Inspired by Rameses and Inspire)

[wiglin]

I have recently returned to the game to play a monk. I have read just about every post about monks on the forums, and it seems that the two I like the most are Rameses and Inspires. This is what I am currently playing. I gave away all my stuff and deleted my characters just under a year ago, so I am starting fresh. I have posted stats and equipment based on optimal goals. Its obvious that monks red name dps is lacking, but its still the one class I looked forward to the most when I signed up for beta back in Jan 06.

A couple of note's about the build.
*I am not crazy about the the starting str, but with no +2 Int tome, I needed the build points to get my int high enough for the base skills I wanted.
*I am not using the character planner at the moment, so some of the calculations were taken from Inspire and Rameses builds.
*I included progression to level 20 based on the dev's response in the monk forums.


I will be updating this post as I level. Using it as a journal so to speak of my leveling experience.

UPDATE: Current Level: 4
It was fun running stk, zerging ahead, and clearing the way through all three parts at level 3, but then reality showed it's face, when my only damage against the boss was an adamantine shuriken.

UPDATE: Current Level: 5
I was only a few thousand exp away from level 5, so ran through some harbor on elite. I got enough exp for level 5 but before I leveled I went over to the hills to clean up some explorer. I was able to collect on 4k exp in one hills run getting 4 of the 7 named and the bounty on one of them. I didn't use any consumables and it only took about 15 minutes. Guildies were all playing higher levels, and no pugs that I wanted to join, so I leveled and went to the searing height's for some more explorer.

UPDATE: Current Level 7
Had a good night of bonus exp last night. Ran STK H/E, TR H, Deleras N/H, and SC N. After partying with a few other monks, its easy to see why monks have a bad rap. If my only inkling of a monk was based on the ones in my party, I would never want to invite another one. They took so much damage. With the lower dps of the monk, you better not be a mana sink or your wasting a party slot. If I was a healbot and I had to constantly throw out heals, at the very least let it be for someone whose little to ac comes with lots of dps. I took combat expertize at level 6, and even though I spam WPW, and PPP finishers, it is not that big if a deal to reactivate. Stunning Fist is starting to land more reliably, and I am in wind stance full time right now.

UPDATE: Current Level 13
Hit level 13 last night. My ac is currently 54 with a barkskin pot, and 58 with a shield clicky. My attack bonus is a little low when not using a +5 weapon in combat expertise mode, so it is important to flank the mob. Overall my ac has held up well through gianthold elite. I will start hitting the vale now that I can party with capped guildies. I am now starting to see the low dps who through, and with the lack of decent greater bane handwraps, I am sticking to stunning fist in water stance, or dual vorpal in wind stance. If the devs, do not do anything about the availability of good dps handwraps, I can see this monk getting put on hold after cap for my new sorcerer. I run with good clerics so the healing from fist of light or the ppp finisher, are not needed. They add so little to the healing they just don't seem very effective in a group. When I am soloing they are nice as I can keep my hit points topped off. Meditation and Wholeness of Body are worthless to me in a group setting, they just take too long to be worth while. By the time I heal back hit points from wob, I could have down a few pots, and saved time. I really wish wholeness of body acted like the paladins lay on hands, only with a wis modifier and self castable only. When I am in water stance, I stick to unbalancing strike and stunning fist. The biggest issue, is how often these do not go off when using auto attack. To use the monk clickies as much as I would like I need to be in auto attack mode, and tab the mob to hit. That way I can use my mouse to click the moves. I tried other techniques, but they are not feasible for me. The biggest issue for me is all these neat little moves are not needed in the group environment. when other classes can just come along and getter better results with alot less work. In the end Monks still need a lot of work, and bugs need to be addressed. I really hope mod 9 brings some nice monk raid loot, to make up for the lack of greensteal handwraps.

UPDATE: Current Level Capped
I really hope monks get some serious love in mod 9.


Name: Wigz
Server: Ghallanda
Race: Halfling
Class: Monk


Stats: Water (Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm mode)
Str: 18 +4 (12Base +2Tome +6Item -2Stance)
Dex: 30 +10 (16Base +2Tome +2Enhancement +4level +6Item)
Con: 20 +5 (13Base +1Tome +6Item)
Int: 14 +2 (13Base +1Tome)
Wis: 30 +10(16Base +2Tome +3Enh +3Stance +6Item)
Cha: 8

Stats: Wind (Vorpal or Status Effect Mode)
Str: 20 +5 (12Base +2Tome +6Item)
Dex: 34 +12(16Base +3Tome +2Enhancement +4level +6Item +3Stance)
Con: 18 +4 (13Base +1Tome +6Item -2Stance)
Int: 14 +2 (13Base +1Tome)
Wis: 28 +9 (16Base +2Tome +3Enh +6Item)
Cha: 8


Ac: Wind
10 Base
12 Dex
6 Armor (DT)
2 Dodge (Chaos Bracers)
5 Protection
4 Centered
9 Wis
1 Racial
5 Combat Expertise
1 Dodge Feet
1 Ritual
4 Insight (DT)
-------------------
60 Before Buffs (This can vary a couple of points depending on equipment layout)

3 Natural (Barkskin Pot)
1 Haste
3 Dodge (Chattering Ring)
-------------------
67 Self Buffed

4 Shield (no umd, so 1 minute clickies are situational at most)
-------------------
71 Self Buffed

2 Ranger
5 Paladin
4 Bard
-------------------
82 Party Buffed

10 Tumble (Mobility Robe + Stance Of course not likely to happen)
-------------------
92

Realistic AC until Rare Items and Tomes Acquired = 56


Centered Attack Bonus:
16 Base (Flurry of Blows)
9-12 Stat (Water / Wind)
4 GH
1 Haste
1 Racial
1-5 Weapon
-5 CE
+2 Tumbleweed
-------------------
32-41 No CE
27-36 w/ CE

10 Flank Bonus (2Normal, 3Enh, 5Goggles)
-------------------
42-51 No CE
37-46 w/ CE


Base Damage: Wind (With Sneak Attack)
2-16 2d8
5 Stat
5 Weapon
6 Enh
8 Goggles
-------------------
26-40 +Element +Bane x 10 Attacks / Round


Stat Increase:
4: Dex
8: Dex
12: Dex
16: Dex
20: ? (Depends on additional capstone, tome availability, and enhancements)


Feats:
1: TWF / Monk: Dodge
2: Weapon Finesse
3: Tougness / Monk: WoHB
6: Combat Expertise / Monk: Stunning Fist
9: ITWF
12: IC: Bludgeoning
15: GTWF
18: Power Attack

Monk Automatic Feats:
1: 1d6, AC Bonus I, Flurry of Blows (Full BAB When Centered)
2: Evasion, Meditation (Restore Ki)
3: Still Mind (+2 Saves vs Enchantments)
4: 1d8, Slow Fall I,
5: Purity of Body (Disease Immunity), AC Bonus II
6: Slow Fall Increase
7: Wholeness of Body (Spend Ki to heal)
8: 1d10, Slow Fall II
9: Improved Evasion
10: Ki Strike: Lawful (Unarmed Attacks = Lawful and Magic against DR),
AC Bonus III, Slow Fall III
11: Diamond Body (Poison Immunity)
12: 2d6, Abundant Step (Spend Ki to make a horizontal leap), Slow Fall IV
13: Diamond Body (SR 10 + Monk Level)
14: Slow Fall V
15: Quivering Palm = Fortitude Save vs Death (DC 10 + Half Monk Level
+ Wis MOdifier), AC Bonus IV
16: 2d8, Ki Strike: Adamantium (Unarmed Attacks = Adamantine against
DR), Slow Fall VI
17: Timeless Body (Immune to Death Spawn)
18: Slow Fall VII,
19: Empty Body (Shadow Walk Spell)
20: 2d10, Slow Fall VIII (Take no damage from any height), AC Bonus V,
Lawful Outsider, DR 10/Epic


Hit Points:
128 Base
80 Constitution
20 Heroic Durability
10 Draconic Vitality
18 Toughness
18 Minos Legens
20 Enhancement
30 Greater False Life
45 Shroud (Mineral 2)
+16 +3 Con Tome
-16 Wind Stance
-------------------------
305-385 (Depdending on equipment and tome)


Saves: Water
Fort: 28 (base 10, +5 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial, +2
enhancement, +4Stance, -2 Way of the Elegant Crane)
Reflex: 33 (base 10, +9 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial, +4Stance)
Will: 35 (base 10, +11 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial, +4Stance)

Saves: Wind
Fort: 23 (base 10, +4 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial, +2
enhancement, -2 Way of the Elegant Crane)
Reflex: 31 (base 10, +11 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial)
Will: 29 (base 10, +9 stat, +4 GH, +5 Resist, +1 Racial)


Skills: Water (Add 15 for +15 Item)
31 Balance: (18Base, +9Stat, +4GH)
34 Concentration: (19Base, +5Stat, +4GH, +6Shroud)
29 Jump: (19Base +2Racial, +4Stat, +4GH)
36 Hide: (19Base +4Racial, +9Stat, +4GH)
34 Move Silently: (19Base +2Racial, +9Stat, +4GH)
30 Spot: (15Base, +11Stat, +4GH)
14 Tumble: (1Base, +9Stat, +4GH)


Enhancements:
Way of the Elegant Crane II
Halfling Dex II
Halfling Cunning III
Halfling Guile III
Halfling Luck II (Fort)
Water Stance III
Wind Stance III
Earth Stance I (Extra Portal Damage)
Racial Toughness II
Monk Wis III
Unbalancing Strike
Fists of Light

Level 20 Capstone:
Serenity (Concentration +10, Ki Generation +1)


Gear Goals:
Head: Minos Legens (Toughness Feat, Heavy Fortification) / Potency or Devotion for Healing Ki
Goggles: Tharnes Goggles (Sneak Attack Bonus +5, True Seeing, Search +15, Spot +15)
Necklace: +6 Wisdom
Trinket: Blood Stone (Seeker+6) / Mummified Bat (Feather Falling)
Cloak: Mineral II (45HP, Prot +5, Heavy Fortification)
Body: Dragontouched (+5Resist, +6Con, +4AC)
Wrist: Chaos Guards (+2Dodge)
Gloves: +6 Str Gloves
Ring 1: Tumbleweed (+6Dex, +2To-Hit)
Ring 2: Chattering Ring (+3AC)
Belt: GFL (+30HP)
Boots: Madstone / 30% Striding

I am copying some notes from another post to my build.

Against trash mobs I use +4 Maladroit of Weighted 3%. For most mobs, I can get to auto crits in 4 seconds. Then the mob is dead pretty quick. Unless someone is getting really lucky on their vorpal I can usually drop the mob before they go down to vorpal. Once they fix weakening on handwraps, I will turn on power attack instead of combat expertise and use weakening of weighted for even faster kills. Dropping the mobs to hit by 5 in the first flurry of blows, will make up for the lack of combat expertise and allow for more damage from power attack.

I am not a fan of str based monks, the 5 or so extra strength damage for me does not make up for the amount of damage you take in my opinion. when you get greater two weapon fighting you will get off 10 attacks in a couple of seconds while in a hasted wind stance. That will bring most regular mobs down to auto crits really fast. Having weighted on the wraps help as well. Since we attack so fast if procs quite often. From my experience, monks can excel in every part of the quest leading up to the rednamed.

I also carry the following dual kamas because sometime it is better to go with the synergy of the group: vorpal, wounder, and weakening.

Unbalancing strike works on rednames, so you will increase the dps of the party by using it. (if other members have any sneak attacks) Get the VOD goggles, and or halfling enhancements and you are doing decent dps as a dex build, all being completely self sufficient. I know alot of tanks that were the goggles, so when I land unbalancing strike on a mob, even if they have aggro they get 8 more damage per hit. As a halfling that stacks with halfling guile which for me adds 12 damage per hit. More if you take more of the guile enhancements.

As a monk I have full healing amplification and I uses fist of light, healing ki, and then a few potions. I have no need for scrolls or wands.

I am going to craft a ppp shuriken with true rez. Until then I am not worrying about raising people. I will also add healing amplification 30%, so I can equip it for drinking pots after a battle for less pot usage.

My AC is currently 55 unbuffed. When I get chattering (use with parrying handwraps) or insight on my dragontouched outfit that will put it to 59. Add in a barkskin pot and haste potion and you have 63 self buffed. Even while leveling if I drank a barkskin pot and used combat expertise I rarely took damage unless doing a quest way above my level.

I stay in wind stance and have two levels of crane. With weighted and dropping mobs to autocrit within seconds I always have enough ki. If I want to land stunning on tougher mobs, I switch to water stance. Once I get a +2 tome I will be at 30 wis, but even at 28 it lands decent enough. Although since mobs drop to auto crit so fast I find myself using stunning fist less and less. I may swap it out for another feat.

[Hasteclicky]

Fun build, very close to my brother and mine's, both modeled after Ramses'. One thing, I think ur str is 2 high listed in fire stance. should be 26, not 28.

[wiglin]

oops your right. I will update the stats.

[BlackSteel]

atleast you had an addy shuriken, most melee that go down there dont have anything at all to use on the big guy.

yes, as a hand to hand specialist you dont exactly have an option for the DR, just saying at that lvl, alot of people are in the same boat

[Inspire]

This build will do great things.

/Salute Rameses.

[CSFurious]

based on rameses

i raised wis twice & dex once & do not bother with fire

i like to stay in air stance more than water because of the extra attack speed & my stunning fist still hits quite often

at level 12, fun build

[wiglin]

Updated: level 7.

[wiglin]

Updated: Level 13

[wiglin]

I am now capped.

Turbine,

Please increase the duration for our buffs, increase healing ki, and give us handwraps. (transmuting, fix Weakening...etc)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Monk
Wigz

[wiglin]

Updated

[Aspenor]

reroll wigz.

[wiglin]

reroll wigz.

I have rerolled so many times from leaving the game and deleting all my stuff. I only really came back to play a monk. I am going to stick with it regardless of their in game power.

[Aspenor]

I have rerolled so many times from leaving the game and deleting all my stuff. I only really came back to play a monk. I am going to stick with it regardless of their in game power.

lol I know bud, I'm just yankin' yer chain.

[wiglin]

lol I know bud, I'm just yankin' yer chain.

ya I took it that way. I left off the the smiley in my reply.