newbie question - handwraps, kama, or quarterstaff

[Aakanaar]

I am still new to the ddo monk, and so far have enjoyed my halfling monk (light path) far more than any other class in the game. He's only lvl 6 thus far, and I really like the name I got for him. Silli Putti.

Anyway, have a question. I have been sticking primarily with handwraps (the flaming ones from the collaborator quest mostly) and have passed up on the +1 and +2 handwraps that don't have the extra 1d4 damage. But I also carry a set of +1 kamas for dual wielding and a +1 quarterstaff, though I never use them.

So which is better? which hit for more, and which offer the most hits per round? The graphic on the quarterstaff look like monks get more hits with it than most other classes (my rogue for example) but I am not sure if it does or if it's just eye candy.

Also, are there any other tips one might give to a new monk? I've been learning the finishing moves.. using mass heal and dance of clouds most.

[oweieie]

Handwraps. And despite the wording the two weapon fighting feats work on them and are a must.

[FauxSho]

For a pure monk or mostly monk? Handwraps, hands-down. (pun intended)
Take the TWF line of feats (Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Greater Two Weapon Fighting) and monks get a silly fast attack speed with handwraps. Add to that the ability to make that even faster with wind stances, the fact that your unarmed (handwraps) base damage increases with monk level, and eventually the possibility of adding burst damage to ToD rings which apply when you're using handwraps, and it's just far and away above the other two options.

Also get a pair of Vorpal Kamas, they can be useful.

Monk-splash characters can get away with relying more heavily on Quarterstaves (Acrobat II-Monk) or Kamas (Cleric-Monk, etc.) but handwraps are still the best ki-attuned weapons because of the attack speed benefits in most cases.

[Aakanaar]

Ok, thanks. I will definately stick to the handwraps, and possibly try to find these vorpal kama's.

As for taking the twf feats, I am still new enough that I am following a path and havn't broken free to making my own choices as of yet. As such the twf is still part of the path and is being done for me. Thanks.

[Darkrok]

Ok, thanks. I will definately stick to the handwraps, and possibly try to find these vorpal kama's.

As for taking the twf feats, I am still new enough that I am following a path and havn't broken free to making my own choices as of yet. As such the twf is still part of the path and is being done for me. Thanks.

It sounds like you're new enough that vorpals won't be an option yet. Banishing, Disruption, Paralyzing, Smiting, and Vorpal weapons all come at level 10 unless you pick up a race restricted one which would come at level 8. They'll also be very expensive (upwards of 1 million gold) so don't sweat it if you can't afford one.

Just off the top of my head I'd say you'll want a pair of kamas to get around things that have dr/bludgeoning. This would be zombies and the boss in Tempest Spine off the top of my head (there might be a few more but those are the ones I remember most). Take what you can get on the Kamas but a kama of righteousness with a good + will probably come cheaply and do good enough for what you'll need it for. If you're VIP or have bought the xpac you'll want to run Catacombs to get Eternal Rest - these will address your need for ghost touched AND silver and cost you nothing. They'll set you up nice for any vampires you happen to fight as well as the incorporeal (ghosts and such) which are very prevalent - especially if you buy Delera's Tomb.

When you get a bit higher in level a good set of weighted handwraps (5% if you can afford them) are outstanding. Paralyzing handwraps are great, especially solo. If you're VIP/but Necro 2 you'll want to farm it for Devout Handwraps. The necro 2 chain is good xp (especially the one with all the traps if you bring a rogue) and the Devouts will still be used in the end-game and again, like Eternal Rest, are free. Finally you'll want a set of anarchic handwraps for Maruts.

Also as you get to level 10 and beyond you'll want to gather a good set of the items that I mentioned earlier in the vorpal section - Banishing, Disruption, Paralyzing, Smiting, and Vorpal. Of these, only the vorpal has to be a kama. The rest can (and should) be handwraps. Especially useful (though only available later on...14-16'ish) are banishing/smiting of weighted. When weighted kicks you get automatic crits which significantly increases your chances of banishing/smiting. Ghost touch of disruption are outstanding as they consolidate necessary gear and let you disrupt the incorporeals. Much later you can get a good set of Paralyzing/Weighted but the best I've ever seen there is 2% on the weighted. A monk can dream though.

Lastly you can keep an eye out all along for handwraps of xxx bane. These are often much better than any other handwraps you can use if you're fighting the right enemies. For example, if you're doing a lot of quests in Gianthold and come across some handwraps of giant bane those will probably do very well for you.

I'm sure others can add quite a bit here but that's just some good guidelines. I can't stress enough the value for newer players that lack resources in getting Eternal Rest and Devout Handwraps though. Between those two weapons you'll cover pretty much all of the special situations you need on handwraps and do it without spending any gold.

[MithrilSoul]

Lots of good info from Darkrok.

I'll just add that another low-level quest chain you can farm (if you are VIP or P2P) is Deleras Tomb. One of the options for an end reward from that chain is a handwraps by the name of Devotion, they are +1, Flametouched Iron (so considered "Good" weapons for bypassing certain mobs DR) and Holy (so an additional 2d6 damage to anything evil...which make up most of the mobs you will face in the game). They won't be in the awards list *every* time but they will often enough that at most it should only take you a couple runs through the series to get them. I have a lvl 6 monk right now and they are my "bread and butter" handwraps that I use 90% of the time. Level 6 is just about the perfect level to be tackling Deleras Tomb for the first time. It will be tough (a good challenge) if you are doing it solo, and the 2nd quest in the series you will need to have a hireling (to pull a lever while you are behind a gate) but it is some great experience and some really nice loot choices at the end of everything.

[Aakanaar]

Thanks for all the info. I am still pretty low lvl, but working my way up. I am F2P currently (well, I bought points for the Premium membership so that I could get the extra char slots, which I used on Monk, and was considering getting the Catacombs pack.) I was going to ask about ghost touched handwraps, but after seeing the Eternal Rest that you linked in catacombs, I am definitely going to get that pack.

Thanks again.

[byzantinebob]

Keep a pair of kamas around. I like the nicked ones from the Sharn Syndicate. They are really handy when at low levels, a quick bit of STR damage leaves you uncentered. Switch over the kamas and you attack better than punching. Switch back as soon as you are centered again. This stops being a problem later on, but at lower levels, it saved me many times.

[Aakanaar]

Ok. got the catacombs adventure pack, ran all the quests.. and no Eternal Rest handwraps. I guess these are random? Are they reward for end of quest chain? or do they appear in a chest somewhere inside? I assume I just have to keep re-running the chain till i get them. Did pick up a new helm with +5 concentration.

Thanks.

[Impatiens]

Ok. got the catacombs adventure pack, ran all the quests.. and no Eternal Rest handwraps. I guess these are random? Are they reward for end of quest chain? or do they appear in a chest somewhere inside? I assume I just have to keep re-running the chain till i get them. Did pick up a new helm with +5 concentration.

Thanks.

The wraps from Catacombs as well as the Delera ones that Mithrilsoul mentioned are both end reward options. Honestly I wouldn't bother trying to farm for any of the named wraps other than the Devout ones from Shadow Crypt when you are high enough level for that (unlike the other named wraps Devout are a chest drop) . The other named wraps are decent, but nothing you will keep around for that long. I will concede that the ghost touched on the catacombs ones is nice in certain situations though.

[Kyrn]

The wraps from Catacombs as well as the Delera ones that Mithrilsoul mentioned are both end reward options. Honestly I wouldn't bother trying to farm for any of the named wraps other than the Devout ones from Shadow Crypt when you are high enough level for that (unlike the other named wraps Devout are a chest drop) . The other named wraps are decent, but nothing you will keep around for that long. I will concede that the ghost touched on the catacombs ones is nice in certain situations though.

And silver threaded against vampires. All in all, it's likely the best wraps you can have to do Shadow crypt (incorporeal mobs and a vampire boss, coincidence?)

[Impatiens]

And silver threaded against vampires. All in all, it's likely the best wraps you can have to do Shadow crypt (incorporeal mobs and a vampire boss, coincidence?)

True, but really the best thing you can have to do Shadow Crypt is a caster friend with Fire Wall It's definitely worth picking up the wraps from Catacombs if you get them in your rewards list. I, personally, would not try for them more than a couple times though, but maybe that's just because I really don't enjoy catacombs that much. Devouts are definitely worth farming for though if you plan on doing any end game raids since most people aren't lucky enough to get Holy of GEOB wraps and even if you have those Devouts are still better on hard and elite.

[AaronB]

Catacombs has a few nice items. If you don't get Eternal Rest, there's also Pillar of Light (a pure good quarterstaff) that you can use on the ghostly skeletons in Delara's (they are immune to non good-aligned weapons, though you can kill them slowly from the fire dmg on your Min's handwraps). Then there's the +5 Concentration helm.

Catacombs sets you up nicely for Delara's. You'll have Eternal Rest for wraiths, and Pillar of Light for ghostly skeletons. Then there are some nice things from Delara's - I'm still using the Devotion wraps at lvl 9. If Devotion isn't in the reward list, there are other nice things like Voice of the Master.

[Aakanaar]

I managed to get the eternal rest on second time through, and I do plan to do the catacomb quests a few more times.. I am eventually working towards having every quest in the compendium on elite. Even if that means going back long after the xp from them becomes negligible.

I'll keep eye out for that Pillar.. as well as a few other things I like from the reward screen.

[Darkrok]

Ah man, I forgot about Devotion. Best thing on those is that you get a healing amp on them as well. For an under-geared light monk that's a big boon as it will add some oomph to your healing finisher. I used Devotion up until I got my first potency ring. Also, unlike Devouts they're not bind to character so if you've bought the shared bank/are VIP you can get them with another character and move them to a new monk using the shared bank.

[Impatiens]

Ah man, I forgot about Devotion. Best thing on those is that you get a healing amp on them as well. For an under-geared light monk that's a big boon as it will add some oomph to your healing finisher. I used Devotion up until I got my first potency ring. Also, unlike Devouts they're not bind to character so if you've bought the shared bank/are VIP you can get them with another character and move them to a new monk using the shared bank.

The problem with Devotion though is that they require Good (or UMD 20) to use. Personally, I prefer making all my characters neutral now for various reasons and obviously a monk at the level to use Devotion won't have anywhere near 20 UMD. If you decide to be good for some reason they are great low level wraps though.

[MithrilSoul]

Catacombs sets you up nicely for Delara's. You'll have Eternal Rest for wraiths, and Pillar of Light for ghostly skeletons. Then there are some nice things from Delara's - I'm still using the Devotion wraps at lvl 9. If Devotion isn't in the reward list, there are other nice things like Voice of the Master.

I just wanted to second the suggestion about grabbing a Pillar of Light on one of your runs through catacombs, for exactly the reasons stated: when you do Deleras Tomb, you will NEED some weapon that is "good" in order to be able to hit the ghostly skeletons. Unless you happen to have bought something off the AH "[something] Handwraps of Pure Good" or whatever), then you are really going to be hurting when the mob of ghostly skels spawns on your face. Pillar of Light is probably the easiest way to get your hands on a "Good" weapon pre-Deleras.

I'd have to say, of all the classes in the game, I think the early-level "loot progression" for monks is the best of any of them. Catacombs (lvl 4-5) gives you a ghost touch/silver handwraps and a good-alignedquarterstaff; Deleras (lvl 5-7 or 8, which basically requires that you have a ghost touch weapon and a good-aligned weapon) gives you a holy weapon (Devotion handwraps). It's a progression that makes perfectly good sense, and between these two quest chains you are pretty much set up for weapons to do *almost* anything in the game pre-level 10. (Only exception would be you need to have one fire or acid based weapon to do trolls. But that's about all I can think of that you would be missing. Oh ya, you also want one decent set of kamas for when facing zombies, which are resistant to bludeoning damage so both handwraps and the Q-staff are not terribly effective.)