Water stance with Jidz-Tet'ka at low levels?

[Darkrok]

Obviously when you get to higher levels wind stance wins out on dps by way too much to even consider water stance.

That said, I've been playing with my 6-year-old and looking for a build he could enjoy by himself when I'm not home. He's fallen in love with a halfling dex-based dark monk (wanted him to have great ac for the early game).

Obviously paralyzers aren't readily available at level 5 but Jidz-Tet'ka is. For anything that can be paralyzed am I wrong in thinking this would be an outstanding stance for a few levels while you're working your way up to the level where you could just use paralyzing handwraps?

[markw]

you do realize it doesn't make all your attacks paralyzing right ?

on a roll of 20 you get a poison attack that might paralyze them if the fail the poison check... i have only had it go off one or two times from lvl 5 till lvl 11

[AaronB]

With wind stance obviously coming into it's own in later levels, fire is a good one to use early on. It's nice to have the ki (and he'd probably find the finisher is really cool, whatever the stance).

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

yup the DC should probably scale with monk level or wisdom, or at least the DC on the epic version should be higher. Say, around 35.

It's better than normal paralysis (with a paralyzer I mean) because it gives crits. Paralyzers don't give crits.

Garth

[Geonis]

I would think Earth would be the winner at lower levels, with the standard DR from Earth stance and the upgraded damage die from the bracers....

Edit- The Water bonus sounds good in theory, but as is the standard with Turbine, they don't actually play the game..... (On a "Vorpal hit", it applies a poison that has a save or the mob is Paralyzed?!?!?! Seriously?)

[Aerendil]

Am I the only one thinking "why on earth is a 6 year old playing an online video game (with adults) when he/she should be outside playing with friends, or watching cartoons, or any number of other activities"?.

[rimble]

Am I the only one thinking "why on earth is a 6 year old playing an online video game (with adults) when he/she should be outside playing with friends, or watching cartoons, or any number of other activities"?.

No, but it's not really my place to say anything about it.

I'd still prefer Wind stance in this situation. I'm all about +Attack at low levels. (I'm assuming by dex-based you mean using Weapon Finesse)

[Eurytos]

At that level, 99% of what you fight will die before you roll a 20 for a chance of paralysis. Not worth using.

[Eurytos]

Am I the only one thinking "why on earth is a 6 year old playing an online video game (with adults) when he/she should be outside playing with friends, or watching cartoons, or any number of other activities"?.

Why on earth are adults playing an online video game when they should be doing any number of other activities?

[Chukasil]

Ok, so I'm new to the monk class. I would like to know what the heck is a Jidz-Tet'ka and why is he out stunning mobs?

[Aerendil]

Why on earth are adults playing an online video game when they should be doing any number of other activities?

Because we're old enough to make choices for ourselves?

That said, I do know a fair number of people who neglect other activities in order to game, which is a whole other can of worms I won't get into here!

[Darkrok]

Am I the only one thinking "why on earth is a 6 year old playing an online video game (with adults) when he/she should be outside playing with friends, or watching cartoons, or any number of other activities"?.

It rains and gets dark sometimes.

He also plays football, takes karate (and trains at home!!!), has a six-pack somehow at age 6 (don't ask me how you pull that off), plays soccer with his brother and sister outside, plays on the trampoline, and climbs our walls (literally...he scales the walls in our house).

As for the watching cartoons comment...I would SO rather my kids be playing a game on the computer, be engaged, figure things out, READ (he learned a ton of reading playing DDO and Wizard 101 with me), and think rather than veg'ing out passively watching cartoons. It's not that watching cartoons is bad...it's just that kids get so much more from playing games then watching tv. He's 6 and he can estimate 4 digit addition and subtraction from playing Wizard 101 and paying attention to how much damage it takes to kill things.

As for the answers that makes sense. It is just on a 20 so the only time I could see it is when survival is the top goal. When he's alone he pretty much sticks to running normal (since I won't let him group with non-family) and when we run together I have a character to haste him so I could see this as an option in some really nasty quests. I just wonder whether dr 4/- would be better anyways for survivability.

[rimble]

I just wonder whether dr 4/- would be better anyways for survivability.

Better off with Robes of Invulnerability if you can find 'em. ML 4, DR 5/Magic.

[Darkrok]

EDIT:

Yeah, he's got the robes. No point on earth stance either. I guess SUN stance would be the survivability stance then just to get the +25% healing amp. :P

[Darkrok]

Ok, so I'm new to the monk class. I would like to know what the heck is a Jidz-Tet'ka and why is he out stunning mobs?

Jidz-Tet'ka

[Drakos]

Ok, so I'm new to the monk class. I would like to know what the heck is a Jidz-Tet'ka and why is he out stunning mobs?

Jidz-Tet'ka are a set of bracers you get from the Sentinal quests added with Update 4. Once you acquire the Torn Bracers and get the items to re-weave thw unraveled enchantment they become Jidz-Tet'ka bracers. They are +5 Armor bracers that give +2 to will saves and give an added bouns to Monk Stances.

Earth Stance gets +1 Unarmed Damage Class, Water gets a Poison on a nat 20 the gets a chance to paralyze, Air gains +10 to Jump, etc...

[Quijonsith]

You're right. I'd say this tilts it massively in favor of earth stance for survivability. Thanks!

If you want survivability use fire stance. 25% more incoming healing. If he takes monk improved recovery 2 for 20% he'll have an extra 50% incoming healing (1.25 * 1.2 = 150%). That will affect any and all things that heal him, from cure spells of another class to potions and anything in between. As was said you can get a robe of invulnerability for the low - mid levels for dr 5/magic and most mobs at that level won't be bypassing that. Then you gain more Ki to boot. Switching to wind stance, even at that level, is a noticeable increase in DPS and sometimes just killing it faster is better. Then switch to fire, chug some pots, and switch back.

I say all this from personal experience on my pure monk and my monk multiclass.

[Darkrok]

If you want survivability use fire stance. 25% more incoming healing. If he takes monk improved recovery 2 for 20% he'll have an extra 50% incoming healing (1.25 * 1.2 = 150%). That will affect any and all things that heal him, from cure spells of another class to potions and anything in between. As was said you can get a robe of invulnerability for the low - mid levels for dr 5/magic and most mobs at that level won't be bypassing that. Then you gain more Ki to boot. Switching to wind stance, even at that level, is a noticeable increase in DPS and sometimes just killing it faster is better. Then switch to fire, chug some pots, and switch back.

I say all this from personal experience on my pure monk and my monk multiclass.

Yep, once I remembered he has a robe of invulnerability on fire stance is the clear stance for survivability. We're pushing the envelope together on what we can pull off, two-manning elites above our level without a real healer (I have self heals as a warforged wizard) so his heals from me consist of cure light wand spam. Obviously won't work well long-term but if he gets that far I'll just switch toons to play with him and use a real healer for him.

[Morningfrost]

Am I the only one thinking "why on earth is a 6 year old playing an online video game (with adults) when he/she should be outside playing with friends, or watching cartoons, or any number of other activities"?.

(Not a father myself): there could be a number of reasons for this, I'm not the one who can give advice.

Just to say to the OP the pen-and-paper D&D may be great for your son and his friends if you can help them to get started.

[Darkrok]

(Not a father myself): there could be a number of reasons for this, I'm not the one who can give advice.

Just to say to the OP the pen-and-paper D&D may be great for your son and his friends if you can help them to get started.

I don't think they're quite ready for pnp but I will say that by the time they get there they may have the entire monster manual memorized. All 3 of my kids (10 year old girl and two 6 year old boys) sit and read that all the time and they love to draw their own versions of the monsters in the book. They also know an inordinate amount about the biology and ecology of magical creatures. )

I did try to make some kid-friendly modules for them using NWN1 and 2 builders but the time involved didn't work out with all the other stuff we had going on. Would have been pretty cool though - we spent some time together making D&D versions of everyone in the family which was an absolute blast for all of us.