Rockan the Boat (halfling unarmed 14 fighter/8 monk)

[Anthios888]

Rockan the Boat Baby (halfling 12 Fighter Kensei/8 monk)

BUILD OVERVIEW

Here's a ninja build to confuse your mates. This self-proclaimed gimp build I made as a 2nd TR on my journey to a 36 point level 20 monk turned out to be kind of awesome. Let me start off by explaining that this is an unarmed fighting build that plays similar to a monk. It will have a lower armor class in exchange for robust HP, DPS, and healing dragonmarks.

Kensei gives some decent bonuses to hit and damage that help make up for not having the full monk fist progression. It was designed to blend well with monks, granting +1 extra ki on critical hits and +2 ki on-hit during power surges. Leveling AC is decent despite being a strength build, especially at lower levels. With 8 levels of monk combined with the past life: monk feat (improving your fists a tier), the base handwrap damage is 2d6 at level 20. Tack on holy burst, shocking burst, weapon flags and greater banes or weighted, and you've got yourself a very nice litle DPSer. I will post a comparative DPS analysis following the build.

When I looked at my own build, I said to myself, "Rocka?"

And I said, "Yeah?"

And I said, "Rocka, what are you thinking?! More than one toughness feat?"

I had never take toughness more than once and doing so was giving me a rush as I clicked that level-up screen. Every other build I have designed has so many goals to fit in and so few feats to do it in that it was never worth the trade-offs. Yet finally, in this little punchy fighter, everything essential already fit elegantly. I suppose you could do something like intimidate, but with the halfling racial bonuses to sneak attacks, that would drop my contributions, and I get tons more damage sneak attacking, and if anything, give me aggro I don't want. Another option would be to pick up dodge and combat expertise, but CE is not worth the build points or losing power attack.

Squeezing in the extra emphasis on HP bumps the character into a different category of dps tank than a regular monk. Being able to main tank Horoth or withstand some of the epic beatings is a very attractive feature that some may find more useful than those last 12 levels in monk. For someone looking for a good melee to grind epic content, this may be the boat rockan build for you.

Before I go any further, let me mention one crippling flaw in the design of this build. Weighted from handwraps is not correctly applying to stunning blow. This has been a known bug for a long time but there is no word yet as to when it might be addressed.

For those seriously considering this build, warforged offers a very nice alternative in terms of stunning and dps. Tacial tactics enhancements and the ability to start with 18 strength would net +4 DC on stunning as well as a decent chunk of extra HP. Power attack enhancements are easy to use thanks to the generous to-hit of a kensei monk. Halfling do have a couple more AC and healing dragonmarks, so that would be your trade off. Since there are several extra feats to play with, there's a lot of room to expand this to use something like improved trip instead of the extra HP.

And here's how I'm rockan' the boat:

Following is the 34 point build I currently have at level 17. 32 points could be easily accommodated by dropping dex and wisdom each by 1 point. (A 28 point without access to +2 tomes should start with 15 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 8 INT, 11 WIS, 8 CHA)

STATS
46 STR 16 base + 5 levels + 2 tome + 3 enh +6 item +1 lotd + 1 exceptional + 2 rage + 2 yugo + 8 power surge
28 DEX 16 base + 2 tome + 2 enh +7 item +1 lotd
28 CON 14 base + 2 tome +1 lotd +6 item + 2 rage + 2 yugo +1 exceptional
11 INT 8 base + 2 tome +1 lotd
26 WIS 14 base + 2 tome + 2 enh +1 lotd +6 item + 1 exceptional
9 CHA 8 base +1 lotd

HIT POINTS
20 base + 10 argo + 120 fighter + 64 monk + 30 Greater False Life + 45 Greensteel + 20 minos + 60 enhancements + 180 con + 66 toughness + 20 yugo= 635 HP
80 double madstone = 715 HP madstoned

FEATS

• Level 1 (monk): Least Dragonmark of Healing, Toughness
  
• Level 2 (fighter): Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 3 (fighter): Stunning Blow, Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 4 (fighter):
  
• Level 5 (fighter): Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 6 (monk): Lesser Dragonmark of Healing, Power Attack
  
• Level 7 (monk):
  
• Level 8 (fighter):
  
• Level 9 (fighter): Greater Dragonmark of Healing, Improved Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 10 (monk):
  
• Level 11 (monk):
  
• Level 12 (monk): Toughness, Past life: Monk
  
• Level 13 (fighter):
  
• Level 14 (fighter): Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 15 (fighter): Greater Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 16 (fighter): Greater Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 17 (fighter):
  
• Level 18 (fighter): Toughness, Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 19 (monk):
  
• Level 20 (monk):
  

FOOTNOTES

GEAR

The original Rockan Robin is a pure level 20 wisdom-based monk. Link here includes gear suggestions and more discussion on monks. Gear changes I would make would include dropping some of the wisdom/ac focus in favor of more guard effects. Insight 4 and chaosguardes would not be neccesary for the way I roll this character. Instead, I would also try to fit in a greater potency VII rune and 20% healing amplification on dragontouched.

PRESTIGE INFO

Fighter Kensai I

Cost: 4 AP Prereqs: Level 6 Fighter, Fighter Attack Boost II, Fighter Critical Accuracy II, any Weapon Specialization feat

Benefit: You are the unrivaled master of your chosen weapon. Your focus and training grant you a +1 bonus to Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skills, Combat Feat DC's, saves against magic, and number of Action Boosts per day. If you possess a Ki bar, you gain 1 additional Ki on criticals and when meditating. You can select a single weapon type as your signature weapon.

Kensai Unarmed Mastery I

Benefit (One handed, ranged, or thrown weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit and damage, and +2 to confirm criticals and critical damage (before multipliers) when using handwraps.

Fighter Kensai II

Cost: 2 AP Prereqs: Level 12 Fighter, Fighter Kensai I, Fighter Attack Boost III, Fighter Critical Accuracy III, any Greater Weapon Specialization feat.

Benefit: Your focus and training improve, granting an additional +1 bonus to Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skills, Combat Feat DC's, saves against magic, and number of Action Boosts per day. If you possess a Ki bar, you gain 1 additional Ki on criticals and when meditating.

Kensai Power Surge

Benefit: You may expend a Fighter attack boost to focus your energy and spirit, gaining a +8 Insight bonus to strength for a short period of time. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you generate an additional 2 ki on successful attacks during your surge.

Kensai Unarmed Mastery II

Cost: 1 AP Prereqs: Level 12 Fighter, Fighter Kensai II, Fighter Unarmed Specialization I, Kensai Unarmed Mastery I, Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning

Benefit (One handed, ranged, or thrown weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit and damage, and +2 to confirm criticals and critical damage (before multipliers) when using a <weapon>.

Benefit (Two handed weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit, +2 to damage and to confirm criticals and +4 to critical damage (before multipliers), as well as improved glancing blows that have an increased chance of applying magical weapon effects when using handwraps.

[maddmatt70]

I prefer the beocth slapper 12 fighter 7 monk 1 rogue (Dark-Star is the poster) over this build although the builds are similiar. Several of my guildies (5 or so) have beotch slappers of varying levels including one who has capped his. That build is a very fun build to play with the combination of stunning blow and stunning fist more fun than a level 20 monk according to the player who capped his and also has a level 20 monk. I prefer the 1 level of rogue over the 8th level of monk.

[valorik]

dear rockan, you can never be complete without shining star, please reincarnate back into a pure monk immediately.

[Anthios888]

I considered 1 level of rogue but I felt it threw it off a bit. 8th level monk gives you a size increase for your handwraps, which I value a bit more. So far, I have not missed UMD on this build and it is probably my only character without that.

Stunning fist is an option, but I would rather beef up the HP. Stunning fist's DC is just too heavily affected by number of monk levels, and takes up a lot of KI for an ability that doesn't work.

I will let you know how I think this really compares to a level 20 monk as soon as I get capped, but what I can say now is that they are similar in the fighting style but different in the feel. Two different ways to be effective. I suspect missing out on Shining Star will be a huge downer for me because omg EARTH WIND FIRE!!!

Note: I just realized that I did not post the HP totals etc, and I will do that now.

[maddmatt70]

I considered 1 level of rogue but I felt it threw it off a bit. 8th level monk gives you a size increase for your handwraps, which I value a bit more. So far, I have not missed UMD on this build and it is probably my only character without that.

Stunning fist is an option, but I would rather beef up the HP. Stunning fist's DC is just too heavily affected by number of monk levels, and takes up a lot of KI for an ability that doesn't work.

I will let you know how I think this really compares to a level 20 monk as soon as I get capped, but what I can say now is that they are similar in the fighting style but different in the feel. Two different ways to be effective. I suspect missing out on Shining Star will be a huge downer for me because omg EARTH WIND FIRE!!!

Note: I just realized that I did not post the HP totals etc, and I will do that now.

Yeah I need to look at dark-star's build again they may not use stunning fist at all. Anyway Shadowsteel is levelling the character right now after tring into it from his level 20 monk - he can speak to how he feels about it.

[Anthios888]

edited

[rest]

I feel a little proud that a build maker like you posted something I mused about with my guildies recently. Maybe my build ideas and concepts aren't as hare-braned as I think. But maybe they are I'll never post them, but knowing that someone else has similar ideas is pretty awesome.

[yynderjohn]

Ooo I like this build. So what feat changes would you swap out if rolling up a warforged?

[TreknaQudane]

Stunning fist is an option, but I would rather beef up the HP. Stunning fist's DC is just too heavily affected by number of monk levels, and takes up a lot of KI for an ability that doesn't work.

I respectfully disagree.

As an example without Fighter Stunning...
34 DC = 10 Base + 10 Stunning + 4 Monk Levels + 8 Wisdom + 2 Kensei
While it will not land every time on Epic, it's more than doable most other times. Adding in 4 ranks of Fighter Stunning kicks it up to 38, which does work on epic enough times to be helpful there. The DC is also less dependent on short term buffs.

Fully buffed your Stunning Blow is what...

40 DC = 10 Base + 10 Stunning + 18 + 2 Kensei

Of course if you don't have Rage or Surges left it drops down to 36, which is only a two point difference from that useless Stunning Fist.

The ability to chain stun or stun a small group quickly is definitely worth the cost of 22 HP.

[Anthios888]

I respectfully disagree.

As an example without Fighter Stunning...
34 DC = 10 Base + 10 Stunning + 4 Monk Levels + 8 Wisdom + 2 Kensei
While it will not land every time on Epic, it's more than doable most other times. Adding in 4 ranks of Fighter Stunning kicks it up to 38, which does work on epic enough times to be helpful there. The DC is also less dependent on short term buffs.

Fully buffed your Stunning Blow is what...

40 DC = 10 Base + 10 Stunning + 18 + 2 Kensei

Of course if you don't have Rage or Surges left it drops down to 36, which is only a two point difference from that useless Stunning Fist.

The ability to chain stun or stun a small group quickly is definitely worth the cost of 22 HP.

Hey hey. The point I was trying to make was that it's not just the one feat. Also, the WIS modifier is not 8, it's 3. The "hit point tradeoff" means dropping con back down to raise WIS to raise that DC. I initially leveled with 14 WIS and I dropped this down to 8 to get more hit points -- at the time, this really made a difference in what I was able to handle as a tank. Unless you start with a decent wisdom (something you only use for stunning fist), your WIS modifier is only going to be +3 or +4 maxed out, dropping that DC down to 30-31. I didn't mean to say that stunning fist is worthless, but the HP are a consideration when you might be talking about 65 or more hp instead of 32. Now, say on a warforged build, where you also have stunning tactics enhancements to boost it up.. I'd say the trade-off from hp to stunning is very worthwhile and it would be a great feat to pick up. Here, you could do it and it might be pretty uber, but there are some trade offs in the other things I promoted about the build. If the changes bring you below 500 HP, its specs starts looking a lot more like a typical strength monk a fighter/monk.

[kaidendager]

And I said, "Rocka, what are you thinking?! More than one toughness feat?"

Two toughness feats and a level 22?



I can't help it.

Don't Rockna the boat, baby.

Just kidding, looks like a fun build

[newroticslob]

I'm a noob and was wondering where you placed your skill points/lvl and enhancements/lvl? I'm making a cache of builds to see which works best with my style of play or am I able to adapt w/o being a deficit to the group.

Thanks for creating and sharing an interesting build.

With respect,

[ragwa1]

Rockan the Boat Baby (halfling 12 Fighter Kensei/8 monk)

BUILD OVERVIEW

Here's a ninja build to confuse your mates. This self-proclaimed gimp build I made as a 2nd TR on my journey to a 36 point level 20 monk turned out to be kind of awesome. Let me start off by explaining that this is an unarmed fighting build that plays similar to a monk. It will have a lower armor class in exchange for robust HP, DPS, and healing dragonmarks.

Kensei gives some decent bonuses to hit and damage that help make up for not having the full monk fist progression. It was designed to blend well with monks, granting +1 extra ki on critical hits and +2 ki on-hit during power surges. Leveling AC is decent despite being a strength build, especially at lower levels. With 8 levels of monk combined with the past life: monk feat (improving your fists a tier), the base handwrap damage is 2d6 at level 20. Tack on holy burst, shocking burst, weapon flags and greater banes or weighted, and you've got yourself a very nice litle DPSer. I will post a comparative DPS analysis following the build.

When I looked at my own build, I said to myself, "Rocka?"

And I said, "Yeah?"

And I said, "Rocka, what are you thinking?! More than one toughness feat?"

I had never take toughness more than once and doing so was giving me a rush as I clicked that level-up screen. Every other build I have designed has so many goals to fit in and so few feats to do it in that it was never worth the trade-offs. Yet finally, in this little punchy fighter, everything essential already fit elegantly. I suppose you could do something like intimidate, but with the halfling racial bonuses to sneak attacks, that would drop my contributions, and I get tons more damage sneak attacking, and if anything, give me aggro I don't want. Another option would be to pick up dodge and combat expertise, but CE is not worth the build points or losing power attack.

Squeezing in the extra emphasis on HP bumps the character into a different category of dps tank than a regular monk. Being able to main tank Horoth or withstand some of the epic beatings is a very attractive feature that some may find more useful than those last 12 levels in monk. For someone looking for a good melee to grind epic content, this may be the boat rockan build for you.

Before I go any further, let me mention one crippling flaw in the design of this build. Weighted from handwraps is not correctly applying to stunning blow. This has been a known bug for a long time but there is no word yet as to when it might be addressed.

For those seriously considering this build, warforged offers a very nice alternative in terms of stunning and dps. Tacial tactics enhancements and the ability to start with 18 strength would net +4 DC on stunning as well as a decent chunk of extra HP. Power attack enhancements are easy to use thanks to the generous to-hit of a kensei monk. Halfling do have a couple more AC and healing dragonmarks, so that would be your trade off. Since there are several extra feats to play with, there's a lot of room to expand this to use something like improved trip instead of the extra HP.

And here's how I'm rockan' the boat:

Following is the 34 point build I currently have at level 17. 32 points could be easily accommodated by dropping dex and wisdom each by 1 point. (A 28 point without access to +2 tomes should start with 15 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 8 INT, 11 WIS, 8 CHA)

STATS
46 STR 16 base + 5 levels + 2 tome + 3 enh +6 item +1 lotd + 1 exceptional + 2 rage + 2 yugo + 8 power surge
28 DEX 16 base + 2 tome + 2 enh +7 item +1 lotd
28 CON 14 base + 2 tome +1 lotd +6 item + 2 rage + 2 yugo +1 exceptional
11 INT 8 base + 2 tome +1 lotd
26 WIS 14 base + 2 tome + 2 enh +1 lotd +6 item + 1 exceptional
9 CHA 8 base +1 lotd

HIT POINTS
20 base + 10 argo + 120 fighter + 64 monk + 30 Greater False Life + 45 Greensteel + 20 minos + 60 enhancements + 180 con + 66 toughness + 20 yugo= 635 HP
80 double madstone = 715 HP madstoned

FEATS

• Level 1 (monk): Least Dragonmark of Healing, Toughness
  
• Level 2 (fighter): Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 3 (fighter): Stunning Blow, Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 4 (fighter):
  
• Level 5 (fighter): Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 6 (monk): Lesser Dragonmark of Healing, Power Attack
  
• Level 7 (monk):
  
• Level 8 (fighter):
  
• Level 9 (fighter): Greater Dragonmark of Healing, Improved Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 10 (monk):
  
• Level 11 (monk):
  
• Level 12 (monk): Toughness, Past life: Monk
  
• Level 13 (fighter):
  
• Level 14 (fighter): Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 15 (fighter): Greater Two Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 16 (fighter): Greater Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 17 (fighter):
  
• Level 18 (fighter): Toughness, Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning
  
• Level 19 (monk):
  
• Level 20 (monk):
  

FOOTNOTES

GEAR

The original Rockan Robin is a pure level 20 wisdom-based monk. Link here includes gear suggestions and more discussion on monks. Gear changes I would make would include dropping some of the wisdom/ac focus in favor of more guard effects. Insight 4 and chaosguardes would not be neccesary for the way I roll this character. Instead, I would also try to fit in a greater potency VII rune and 20% healing amplification on dragontouched.

PRESTIGE INFO

Fighter Kensai I

Cost: 4 AP Prereqs: Level 6 Fighter, Fighter Attack Boost II, Fighter Critical Accuracy II, any Weapon Specialization feat

Benefit: You are the unrivaled master of your chosen weapon. Your focus and training grant you a +1 bonus to Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skills, Combat Feat DC's, saves against magic, and number of Action Boosts per day. If you possess a Ki bar, you gain 1 additional Ki on criticals and when meditating. You can select a single weapon type as your signature weapon.

Kensai Unarmed Mastery I

Benefit (One handed, ranged, or thrown weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit and damage, and +2 to confirm criticals and critical damage (before multipliers) when using handwraps.

Fighter Kensai II

Cost: 2 AP Prereqs: Level 12 Fighter, Fighter Kensai I, Fighter Attack Boost III, Fighter Critical Accuracy III, any Greater Weapon Specialization feat.

Benefit: Your focus and training improve, granting an additional +1 bonus to Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skills, Combat Feat DC's, saves against magic, and number of Action Boosts per day. If you possess a Ki bar, you gain 1 additional Ki on criticals and when meditating.

Kensai Power Surge

Benefit: You may expend a Fighter attack boost to focus your energy and spirit, gaining a +8 Insight bonus to strength for a short period of time. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you generate an additional 2 ki on successful attacks during your surge.

Kensai Unarmed Mastery II

Cost: 1 AP Prereqs: Level 12 Fighter, Fighter Kensai II, Fighter Unarmed Specialization I, Kensai Unarmed Mastery I, Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning

Benefit (One handed, ranged, or thrown weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit and damage, and +2 to confirm criticals and critical damage (before multipliers) when using a <weapon>.

Benefit (Two handed weapons): You gain an additional +1 bonus to hit, +2 to damage and to confirm criticals and +4 to critical damage (before multipliers), as well as improved glancing blows that have an increased chance of applying magical weapon effects when using handwraps.

Looks to me likeyou copied the Godhand build, replaced Wf with halfling and lessened your dps by taking DMs.

[Potvin]

Looks to me likeyou copied the Godhand build, replaced Wf with halfling and lessened your dps by taking DMs.

Newsflash - earlier in the thread, Sine said he posted HIS version of this - a day after the OP began this thread.

[ragwa1]

Newsflash - earlier in the thread, Sine said he posted HIS version of this - a day after the OP began this thread.

Troll attempt - miserable failure.

Heresay.

Don't troll me.

[Dawnsfire]

Heresay.

Don't troll me.

I've now received a couple of PMs regarding the Warforged angle on this build I alluded to in this thread, so to let those who are interested know... my build is now up up up:

The Godhand (Warforged Fighter 12/Monk 8)

Still, keep your eyes on Rockan the Boat! It's an excellent build.

Ahemmm.....

[jennick52]

I was wondering if you have done a build with 12(13) monk / 6(7) fighter / 2(1) rogue? I was looking for something like that, and have yet to find one. I want the rogue splash purely for open lock as there arent enough skill points for the full trap monkey suite, without having to drop more important stats for int.

Thank you for your time and consideration.