Optimal Gear: What do you think?

[p3nnywise]

So, I'm looking for good items to try and gear up my monkey with. I saw a Dusk Heart for sale pretty cheap, but I couldn't decide whether or not to replace my Voice of The Master or hold out for something like a Bloodstone. I did a search on the forum but didn't find anything that pointed to the creme de la creme of gear.

What in your opinion is some of the best monk gear out there? Don't be shy about listing alternatives either. I'm asking for multiple builds, light and dark.

Even if it's obvious (eg. Icy Raiment), post it. I (and I'm sure many other newer monks) look forward to your answers!

[brucelee82]

I use dusk heart around mid level and swap in the voice at the end of quests or if I need to raise my UMD.

[Impatiens]

Robe: Icy or Dragon Touched (assuming you can get what you want on it)
Bracers: 8 armor or chaosgarde (this is with DT if you have Icy you want 8 armor the epic Bracers of Deftness are an awesome choice for 8 armor, plus other useful things but will definitely take some farming to get)
Gloves: Spectral preferably upgraded to epic, but even without the upgrade they are great
Helm: Mineral II Greensteel or Minos
Cloak: GS with perma blur is nice
Necklace: Oremi's or Shintao cord (I actually have both and switch them out depending on whether I need the extra ki generation or not)
Belt: Something with Greater False Life
Rings: One of the monk ToD rings to go with your necklace (I like the Shintao set bonus personally) enchanted with holy burst and one ToD ring with strength + whatever exceptional stat you find useful enchanted with shocking burst. If said strength ring makes a set with whatever greater false life belt you have that gives a useful bonus, all the better.
Goggles: Tharnes
Trinket: Bloodstone or Litany of the Dead(will give a negative level if you are of the good alignment). Head of Good fortune is also not a bad option.
Boots: Madstone maybe, but madstone rage does prevent casting some finishers and the use of things like curse pots, which can be annoying at times. I can't think of any other awesome boots though, maybe the perma freedom of movement ones from VoN or some 30% striders if you want to be even faster.

For you since you are still leveling I would say unless you are wearing the Threnal cloak for the 5% xp bonus just stick with the voice for your trinket for now. I know when I'd use a trinket other than the voice I'd frequently forget to put it back on before the end of the quest. I missed out on a lot of xp that way.

*edit* and as far as optimal weapons go, that varies a lot depending on the situation. I keep a few greater bane wraps on me for common enemies, weighted 5% wraps are nice for trash, metalline wraps are nice to have as well. I have an entire bag full of handwraps. There, unfortunately, isn't one set of wraps that are going to be good for everything. Also keep a set of vorpal kamas on you for some trash.

[Anneliese]

Items with a DR/5 can be very useful when soloing, with dungeon scaling most stuff barely damages you for the first levels

- Robe of invulnerability (ML:4) DR 5/Magic
- Bloodrage Symbiont Trinket (ML:7) Von4 DR 5/-
- Kaelth's Touch Trinket - from Necro3 Scarabs (ML:11) DR 5/Evil

[Sirea]

This is what I'm shooting for with my monk (currently lvl 20 but planning a LR with a level of fighter and a level of rogue):

Head: Min II Helm +45 HP/Pro +5/Heavy Fort
Neck: Shintao Cord (CON +6 Concen +15) (swap with Oremi's for faster Ki regen)
Trinket: Litany of the Dead (for stacking +1 to stats, attack, and damage)
Cloak: Wretched Twilight (for SA +4, reduced threat, and Ghostly (blurry))
Belt: Knost's Belt (CON +6/GFL/FB Set - extra 2 pts damage w/set)
Ring #1: Kyosho's Ring (WIS +6/Exc STR +1/+2 exc bonus to attack/damage w/FB set) w/Holy Burst
Gloves: Vile Blasphemy (but any DEX gloves work here, I wanted these epecially for the UMD +3 for when I get the rogue splash)
Boots: Madstone/Firestorm Greaves/Boots of Anchoring/CHA skills +6
Ring #2: Encrusted Ring (STR +6/Exc STR +1/FB Set) w/Shocking Burst
Bracers: AC +8 (swap with Chaosgarde when wearing DT)
Outfit: Icy Raiments/DT: Resist +5/CS Guard (or Exc Stat if I need it)/Insight +4
Eyes: Mentau's Goggles (Seeker +4)

You could do some swapping and wear a Tharne's Goggles/Bloodstone/Cloak of the Zephyr (or Smoke II GS Cloak) combo if you wanted almost the same effect, minus the +1 to attack/damage from the LotD (I have a lot of Abbot gear listed and I know a lot of people still don't run it frequently).

[Rameses]

Head: Minos Legens (Toughness, Heavy Fort) (crafting a min2 helm atm)
Neck: Shintao Cord (CON +6 Concen +15) (swap with Oremi's or Nykoso situational)
Trinket:Bloodstone (+6 Seeker adds 6 to damage before multiplying for crit)
Cloak: Lightning Blast Guard Cloak (Air guard d4, Good guard d6, Lightning blast 600 damage)
Belt: Purging the Pantheon (Quell/3, +5 Protection, Mod. Fort.)
Ring #1: Kyosho's Ring (WIS +6/Exc STR +1/+2 exc bonus to attack/damage, Shinto Monk set) w/Holy Burst
Gloves: Gloves of the Titans Grip or Air Guard Gloves.
Boots: Crushing Wave Guard Boots or Madstone.
Ring #2: Whisper Ring (Dex +6/Exc Int +1/assassin set) w/Shocking Burst
Bracers: AC +7 (Etheral Bracers)
Outfit: Dragontouched Vestments: Armor +6 with +1 AC Armor Ritual (GFL, Corrosive Salt Guard, Earthgrab Guard)
Eyes: Thrane's Goggles (+5 Sneak Attack, True Seeing, +15 Search and Spot)

I am sure there optional gear I use but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

I am, Rameses!

[Aziiz]

you might also consider the arrowhead (easy to farm) for your trinket slot, and then since the +attack doesn't stack with spectral gloves, you could use titan's grip (a little harder because lots of melee and WF want them) for the +6 psionic str clickie. Personally, I don't plan on using my spectral gloves until i can get them upgraded, and then will swap out my arrowhead for my old bloodstone.

I don't really mind having to swap out my handwraps for incorporeal monsters.

[Impatiens]

Oh, I also have titan's grip gloves that I'll swap in when I need to use the clicky and then switch back to spectral. I forgot about the arrowhead trinket, that is also a good option. As you can see from the lists people are giving there is no one optimal set, but things like Icy or a good DT and a monk set from ToD are pretty universal.

[SolarDawning]

My gear:

Goggles: Tharne's Goggles
Helm: Minos Legens
Belt: Knost's Belt
Cloak: Greensteel Smoke III (+45 HP, +6 dex skills, permanant 20% concealment, Displacement 2/rest)
Necklace: Oremi's Necklace
Clothing: Dragontouched Vestments: (Mine have +6 armor, +5 protection, +5 resistance, +4 natural armor. It's an upgrade over Icy's)
Gloves: Spectral Gloves
Bracers: Chaosgarde (The +2 dodge on these combined with dragontouched are effectively the same as using Icy with +8 armor bracers.)
Trinket: Bloodstone
Rings: Gilvanor's Ring (Arcane Archer ToD set ring. +6 DEX, +1 exceptional dex) or Cinder's Band (+6 str, +1 excep con ring ToD stalwart defender set), generic +6 wisdom ring.
Boots: Generic 30% striders.


My eventual gear goals:
Rings: Encrusted Ring, Oremi's Ring
Boots: Kundarak Delving Boots

[p3nnywise]

Awesome replies guys!

I realize there is no one set of gear that is best for every person in every situation, but you've done a fine job of putting together some items for monks to strive for! Keep it up!