lawful good or lawful neutral?

[NXPlasmid]

Is there any reason to be lawful good? and do people think that dodge is really worth taking? seems like PA might be better to get out of the way at lvl1?

[feynman]

Is there any reason to be lawful good? and do people think that dodge is really worth taking? seems like PA might be better to get out of the way at lvl1?

Well, you want to be good so you can use pure good weapons without UMD, and lawful neutral doesn't do anything for you.

Dodge is an extra AC, so I usually take it, but I understand the temptation.

PA isn't that useful until later on, when you can afford the to-hit penalty and need that damage.

[Rafal]

PA isn't that useful until later on, when you can afford the to-hit penalty and need that damage.

Talking about it, do you think that +23 to hit (no buffs, no weapons) at level 16 with PA is acceptable or I would be wasting my time to level such a monk?

[NXPlasmid]

Well, you want to be good so you can use pure good weapons without UMD, and lawful neutral doesn't do anything for you.

Dodge is an extra AC, so I usually take it, but I understand the temptation.

PA isn't that useful until later on, when you can afford the to-hit penalty and need that damage.

Oh right, I was thinking about true neutral being immune to unholy spells but I guess that lawful neutral would still be....

[SimVerg]

Well, you want to be good so you can use pure good weapons without UMD, and lawful neutral doesn't do anything for you.

Lets you use items with taint of evil on them without taking a neg level. Depending on the player, this may or may not be useful.

[feynman]

Talking about it, do you think that +23 to hit (no buffs, no weapons) at level 16 with PA is acceptable or I would be wasting my time to level such a monk?

Well, that depends on how dependent you are on PA for DPS; if you have a decent STR, you should be OK. Of course, this begs the question as to what "decent STR" means, but I tend to think of it as mid-20's.

Basically, with a decent STR, you can turn off PA when you are missing too much and still have some damage.

Oh right, I was thinking about true neutral being immune to unholy spells but I guess that lawful neutral would still be....

Actually, I suppose lawful neutral should be immune to unholy spells, just not chaos hammer or the like; I just don't consider it a reasonable trade-off for not being able to use pure good weapons.

[NXPlasmid]

Actually, I suppose lawful neutral should be immune to unholy spells, just not chaos hammer or the like; I just don't consider it a reasonable trade-off for not being able to use pure good weapons.

Yeah, thats' my thinking for any melee class but since it doesn't matter for handwraps I think it's not so beneficial to monks, but I guess on a Kama it makes a big difference... but then I really only use Kamas for stat damage and vorpals.

[Timjc86]

Go lawful good so you can use Handwraps of pure goo.... oh wait, nevermind.

It's up to you. I have never noticed a big difference (from unholy damage) on my neutral character and my pure good characters.

[winsom]

Good aligned so you can use the Ring of Raise Dead?

I made my new monk Good for this reason (I own 2 rnigs) and I'm also holding out hope there might be Pure Good handwraps sometime in the future.

Taking extra damage from Unholy could be a little painful, but I have not yet seen droves of monsters abusing this tactic. Consider how often we use Good weapons against them. They should be trashing us with unholy weapons and spells, but they dont...at least not too much at level 14+.

[Ikuryo]

Actually more then unholy I fear the day they start carrying pure evil weapons or *shudder* unholy of pure evil. Talk about ouchie..

Pure evil would be doing 1d6 to all non-evil just as pure good does for non-good.

[Depravity]

Actually more then unholy I fear the day they start carrying pure evil weapons or *shudder* unholy of pure evil. Talk about ouchie..

Pure evil would be doing 1d6 to all non-evil just as pure good does for non-good.

Desert skelly archers do pure evil damage. Extra d6 of evil damage every time you catch an arrow.

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head that does plain unholy damage is the demon queen - her hits are unholy and true chaos (or maybe vice versa), so chaotic neutral characters take an average of around 10 less per swing from her. I also seem to remember something about bearded devils having "smite good", but I don't feel like hunting down a source atm.

If your build will have full UMD, you can get along without good alignment. I can usually get a cha 12 or so character into true good gear around level 7 (voice, cartouche, eagles splendor, and a skill boost II). People look at me funny, but I do it anyway.

[twoton]

lawful good is good right now for the use of chaosguards at lvl 9 through I think lvl 13 untill you can get +6 armor bracers and get the robe of +4 from the drow chest in the desert. Its only important if you want highest ac you can get for your lvl.

PA I think is a must for any monk but not need till atleast lvl 6. Anytime before that is not worth the drop in tohit.

A 23 to hit sounds pretty low to me my lvl 11 monk has a 20 to hit with PA on. Its kind of hard to say for sure though since we dont know what kind of monk build your shooting for though. If your going for a front line melee monk its to low for sure at lvl 16.

[bobbryan2]

lawful good is good right now for the use of chaosguards at lvl 9 through I think lvl 13 untill you can get +6 armor bracers and get the robe of +4 from the drow chest in the desert. Its only important if you want highest ac you can get for your lvl.

PA I think is a must for any monk but not need till atleast lvl 6. Anytime before that is not worth the drop in tohit.

A 23 to hit sounds pretty low to me my lvl 11 monk has a 20 to hit with PA on. Its kind of hard to say for sure though since we dont know what kind of monk build your shooting for though. If your going for a front line melee monk its to low for sure at lvl 16.

Chaosgardes are useable being lawful neutral as well.

[twoton]

you know I never even checked my chaosguards :P guess I should have checked before I posted LOL just figured you had to be good to use them just lawful though huh?

[Rafal]

A 23 to hit sounds pretty low to me my lvl 11 monk has a 20 to hit with PA on. Its kind of hard to say for sure though since we dont know what kind of monk build your shooting for though. If your going for a front line melee monk its to low for sure at lvl 16.

I was thinking about a new build with a bit more DEX and less STR as I have on Benek to bump AC a bit. Would cost two feats (finesse and PA), should have the same damage modifier and pay with a to hit bonus. I am almost never missing with Benek but he has 29 to hit with no weapon so 34 with a +5 one. 23 would become 28 with a +5 weapon. I know I should go halfing for this with their extra DEX and to hit bonuses but I can not make myself to buld one because of the way they look.

[Delacroix21]

Call me crazy but I have always made my characters true neutral, or in my 3 monk's cases= lawful neutral. Not because there is any benefit to being lawful neutral as there isnt, but rather in the hopes that one day my efforts will be rewarded with some nice monsters being added that can Smite Good! hehe


Realistically though lawful good is a FAR better choice, especially with the holy avenger being added and Eladrin talking of the Long Swords for monks one day being added. Not to mention Lawful Good does allow you to splash 2 levels of Paladin for very high saves in your build.


My monks are my mains but I will be rolling up some of these other meele classes with PrCs come mod 9, as not having a PrC seems a big disadvantage. I am suure they are working on monk (and other) PrCs atm but Im not crazy about waiting 6months for it.