monk end game gear?

[atxken]

Gear:
Helm: Minos Legions (Toughness, Heavy Fort) orShining Crest of St. Markus Deathblock, Improved Devotion VI, Lesser Healing Lore
Armor: DragonTouched ***
Belt: Vorne's Belt Constitution +6, Greater False Life [Sins of Attrition] or belt of thoughtful remberance
Boot: Madstone or Spiked boots
Tharne's Bracers - (Bracers) Tharne's Wrath, Dexterity +6, Armor Bonus +6 2 Item Set Bonus - Ghost Touch and -20% Melee Threat
Gloves: ///gs
Neck: monk pre necklace
Trinket: BloodStone
Goggle: Tharne's Goggles - Goggles: Backstabbing +5, True Seeing, Search +15
Cloak: ///cloak of curses,,, or wretched twilight, or mantle of worldshaper
Ring1: monk pre ring
Ring2: Gnawed Ring - Ring: Strength +6, Exceptional Constitution +1, Incredible Potential
Set Bonus: +2 Exceptional Bonus to Will saves, +2 Exceptional Bonus to Reflex saves, Spell Resistance (22)

any thoughts on changes? i know some effecs are duplicated but was trying to make a list of some of the better items for at end game, so its a little easier to pick a good greensteel slot item

*** now for this was looking at;
e- G.Resists or heal amp 10%
t- spell resist or heal amp 20%
s- insight ac, radiance guard, or devotion

[Inspire]

Both my Monks are going to have simillar set-ups;


Mineral2 Helm (45Hps / +6 Concentration)
Shintao Chord
Litany of the Dead
Wretched Twilight
Belt of Brute Strength
Chattering Ring
Dexterity 6 Gloves
Madstone
Kyosho's Ring (+2 Wisdom)
Armor 8 Bracers
Icy Raiment
Mentau's Goggles

[Junts]

You can't possibly actually intend to give up holy burst on all handwraps for +2 wisdom, can you, inspire?

I mean, foregoing a 2nd set for a chattering ring I can see, but taking 1 armor class vs 2d6 on every punch and the ability to use metalline/geob handwraps on raid bosses is a pretty terrible mistake. Its like a 50% dps increase over your min2 kamas.

personally, I'm going to use the fb set and work in perma-shocking burst as well, but that's a much greater dps vs ac tradeoff.

[Inspire]

You can't possibly actually intend to give up holy burst on all handwraps for +2 wisdom, can you, inspire?

Actually, Knost's set when Im in a DPS role, will have Holy Burst on it. The set posted is more for soloing, landing another Stunning Fist etc.

[Junts]

Actually, Knost's set when Im in a DPS role, will have Holy Burst on it. The set posted is more for soloing, landing another Stunning Fist etc.

That's fair, I'm going to use Knost's permanently with holy burst, then rotate between the other 3 monk sets with different elemental bursts for appropriate stuff (shock on shintao for bosses, flame on henshin for stuff like abbot/fire vuln shock immune, etc, and ninja spy set up for trahs mobs for the ac increase and sneak attack for autocrit stuff).

[Inspire]

That's fair, I'm going to use Knost's permanently with holy burst, then rotate between the other 3 monk sets with different elemental bursts for appropriate stuff (shock on shintao for bosses, flame on henshin for stuff like abbot/fire vuln shock immune, etc, and ninja spy set up for trahs mobs for the ac increase and sneak attack for autocrit stuff).

Interesting, I think I would just stay with Kyosho's ring and put different Bursts on it. I may even do that with the current setup;

Set with +2 Wisdom
Set with Flaming Burst
Set with Shocking Burst
etc.

And keep Knost's set with Holy Burst.

[Junts]

You cant, the rings are exclusive. You'd have to swap them at the bank, and I'd rather be able to alternate between them in-quest. I've got rogue and umd on mine, and so I dont have room for wretched twilight, so the ninja spy sneak damage is actually a pretty viable set benefit .. both kyosho's and ninja spy will probably be shock burst, the ninja spy for trash (autocrit = 5 sa damage vs 4 crit-damage from kyosho), and henshin adds 1d6 fire damage so that's a higher damage added vs that assorted fire-targetting stuff (mostly undead), having holy gub with holy burst + henshin with flame burst is 8d6 per punch plus bursts, better dps than kyosho as well.

I have some serious tharnes vs mentaus issues, would only use mentaus for trash mob autocritting with ninja spy, otherwise the sneak attack is typically better dps, and litany beats bloodstone handily as well.

[Inspire]

You cant, the rings are exclusive.

Wow, I was just telling a guildmate of mine this exact same thing.

/Facepalm

I have some serious tharnes vs mentaus issues, would only use mentaus for trash mob autocritting with ninja spy, otherwise the sneak attack is typically better dps, and litany beats bloodstone handily as well.

Mentau = Seeker +4
Wretched = Sneak Attack +4
Litany = Profane stat bonus(possible +1 Damage) and +1 Damage.

Bloodstone = Seeker +6
Thranes = Sneak Attack +5

[Junts]

Yes, I know.

Remember there's a 2 point damage in sneak difference between wretched and tharnes (sneak +5 is +8 dam, +4 is just +6), whereas the ninja spy set bonus is +2 hit, +5 damage.

My character, needing to wear devotion for halfling dragonmarks and a 2nd shroud item for umd, doesn't have the slots to wear all of those items static; I only get 2 of the 3, and while Litany is clearly superior in dps to the bloodstone in all situations with handwraps (as it gets me a bracket), which of sneak attack/seeker is better depends on the target. Straight sneak 8 beats seeker 4 unless the mob is autocrit, when they are equal .. but using seeker 4 and sneak 5 (which is superior to +2 damage doubled on crit to 4) is slightly more dps.

Kyosho's ring doesn't give me a str bracket because I'll be wearing Knost's permanently; the entire monk rings and necklaces bonuses outside their added damage and the 1 dex on ninja spy are entirely superfluous .. they are purely dps slots.

The need for the 2nd shroud item and the devotion item separate my own equipment fairly significantly from a 20 monk; I'd be using more or less what you plan to (though probably 2 tod rings all the time) if i didn't have the umd issues to address.

[Inspire]

Remember there's a 2 point damage in sneak difference between wretched and tharnes (sneak +5 is +8 dam, +4 is just +6), whereas the ninja spy set bonus is +2 hit, +5 damage.

2 damage per swing is simply not a deal breaker for me, since about 90% of everything I fight is stunned, in which case the Mentau + Wretched Twilight > Thranes. Plus Wretched Twilight gives a 20% concealment, Ghost Touch, and +5 stacking bonus to Hide and Move Silently.

Youd have to decide if 20% concealment was worth +1 to hit and +2 damage per sneak attack, at least that was the deal breaker for me.

My character, needing to wear devotion for halfling dragonmarks and a 2nd shroud item for umd, doesn't have the slots to wear all of those items static; I only get 2 of the 3, and while Litany is clearly superior in dps to the bloodstone in all situations with handwraps (as it gets me a bracket), which of sneak attack/seeker is better depends on the target. Straight sneak 8 beats seeker 4 unless the mob is autocrit, when they are equal .. but using seeker 4 and sneak 5 (which is superior to +2 damage doubled on crit to 4) is slightly more dps.

Do you wear your UMD crafted item all the time? If so what item slot does it take?

Kyosho's ring doesn't give me a str bracket because I'll be wearing Knost's permanently; the entire monk rings and necklaces bonuses outside their added damage and the 1 dex on ninja spy are entirely superfluous .. they are purely dps slots.

Exactly, which is why I need the Belt of Brute Strength out of the Titan, no other place to put STR unless Im wearing Knost's and debatedly Vorne's set.

The need for the 2nd shroud item and the devotion item separate my own equipment fairly significantly from a 20 monk; I'd be using more or less what you plan to (though probably 2 tod rings all the time) if i didn't have the umd issues to address.

You have to understand that I solo quite alot on both my Monks and they need the extra Ac when they get into quest breaking situations. Obviously in Raids and when Running with an Intimitank I will be using my DPS set over the +3 Ac from the Chattering Ring.

[Inspire]

Remember there's a 2 point damage in sneak difference between wretched and tharnes (sneak +5 is +8 dam, +4 is just +6), whereas the ninja spy set bonus is +2 hit, +5 damage.

As another side note; the Shintao set gives +2 to hit and damage, which in combination with Wretched Twilight > Ninja Spy set. Altough something can be said about the threat reduction from the Ninja Spy set.

[Junts]

No, I simply cannot wear wretched twilight, I don't have the equipment slots to devote my cloak to it; its not an option for my build (though its by far the best pure dps option, which i agreed with 3 posts ago)

the equipment slots aren't there to wear devotion 6, 2 shroud items, and all the dps gear and maintain +6 to all the appropriate statistics.

My monk could get into the 70s ac wise with a dedication to it, but it's not really its function; its a mid-50s dpser using halfling dragonmarks and umd to increase survivability. AC gear doesn't fit, much less wretched twilight.

I do wear it all the time, as it's a cloak; 10 hp, 5 umd, crafted as existential (I may redo this as ls guard now)

My other slot is a 1 umd, 35 hp min2 (or will be, when the appropriate amount of shrouds are done)

I'll be using vile blasphemy as my 6 dex item as well, all of which combines to put my umd up to 39 (remember, full ranks).

I've also got charisma worn static (dt, not rainments), so the umd is in good shape.

Wretched Twilight is just the cost of having 39 umd and the beacon of kira. I could possibly work it in if I gave up on insight 4; which is a better idea, 60 ac with a little less sneak damage and 10% more heals, or 55 ac with 10% less healing and the full dps gear? I went with the first, but a good argument could be made for the second.

[Inspire]

Wretched Twilight is just the cost of having 39 umd and the beacon of kira. I could possibly work it in if I gave up on insight 4; which is a better idea, 60 ac with a little less sneak damage and 10% more heals, or 55 ac with 10% less healing and the full dps gear? I went with the first, but a good argument could be made for the second.

Greater Potency VII vs the Superior Potency VI on the helm. I dont see why you wouldnt put it on your DT you can always swap out for Superior VI if you need the extra 10%.

Although you could always make another Dragontouched outfit with Insight 4 the other with Potency VII to hotswap when you need the ac or heals, grinding Tempest runes is a drag though.

[Junts]

Greater Potency VII vs the Superior Potency VI on the helm. I dont see why you wouldnt put it on your DT you can always swap out for Superior VI if you need the extra 10%.

Although you could always make another Dragontouched outfit with Insight 4 the other with Potency VII to hotswap when you need the ac or heals, grinding Tempest runes is a drag though.

I suppose though I was kind of hoping to eventually run with the insight 4 just to have a decent ac for trash mob situations .. I really hate characters who get shredded by random bearded evils and orthons, it just seems kind of sad. I have this strong feeling that a character dependent on healing from others for non-raid instances is a poor character, no matter what it can do, and design my characters accordingly. My dps paladin build is built to have the torc and selfheal, too. Call me the anti-shade.

But the dps is high enough now I could probably live without that armor class and move the crafted locations around.


All the raid loot the char has is Kyosho's, two random trash rings, and tharne's goggles .. I've had **** luck with abbot so far, and its a pretty new toon raid wise (hence not even 20 shrouds yet, etc)

[Inspire]

I suppose though I was kind of hoping to eventually run with the insight 4 just to have a decent ac for trash mob situations .. I really hate characters who get shredded by random bearded evils and orthons, it just seems kind of sad. I have this strong feeling that a character dependent on healing from others for non-raid instances is a poor character, no matter what it can do, and design my characters accordingly. My dps paladin build is built to have the torc and selfheal, too. Call me the anti-shade.

But when is enough self healing enough?

You have;

• Fist of Light
• Healing Ki
• Wholeness of Body
• Cure Light Wounds
• Cure Serious Wounds
• Heal
• Scrolls
• Wands

I hate people/builds who don't self heal either(or are unable to), but my monks usually have enough Ac to stay alive on FoL alone, with an occasional Wholeness of Body when I get a break from fighting. Im sure when they hit 20 get the Epic DR, Serenity, and all the raid loot they need this fact will be even more true.

[Junts]

Using wands and wholeness of body in quests like bastion of power is laughable. If you can't at least use a heal scroll, you don't have sustainable self-healing unless you have 75-80 ac to stand in the middle of that stuff on hard/elite. The non-heal spells from the dragonmark aren't really useful for anything but topping off (50 hp is what, a single hit from a mob?)

No offense, but any time I see a group waiting on a cleric for any quest where they don't want blade barrier (like say new invasion), regardless of difficulty, I think that you're looking at some poorly built characters.

I use the 5 heals the way I'd use lay on hands; the lack of interruptibility is very valuable given the amounts of damage you can sutain at any one time. Heal scrolls are for topping up, since she's not going to sit at 39 umd static (23 + 3 cha + 6 item + 3 item + 4 gh only adds up to 36). Relying on a heal scroll you can fail in mid-combat is a great way to die.

But, then again, this is why I'll never play a fighter or barbarian; I can't imagine how people could stand to do so. What I look for in a character is the ability to run any quest in the game in a 2-4 man group regardless of who the other characters are; 'someone needs to switch to their cleric' are words that should never be uttered for a 6 man instance, nor is 'well, lets see if we can find a cleric for this last spot'. Both are signs of people who're not capable of taking care of themselves properly.


Even this character cannot do that, and I'm not sure with a mid-60s ac that that would be true either .. its definitely not true in the 50s, though, and so I refrain from running her outside raids very much .. but hopefully she'll grow up into something that doesn't annoy me due to her dependence on other characters.