I think my Monk has low HP.

[Volink]

Hi all. Been playing since Sept 09 and just recently registered. I feel my Monk has low hit points.
I'm looking for advice on how to get more. Please feel free to check him out on myddo. My monk Volink on Sarlona
is following the Rockan Robin build for the most part with Dragonmarks. If you see something please let me know.
I'm not asking because I die alot its that i'm inspired by the other thread with the Rogue asking about more hp at lvl 17. Thank you for your time and help.

Volink

[Daehawk]

Get a Greater False Life item.
Get a +6 Con Item if that ring isn't +6.
You have minos.
Get toughness feat if you don't have it.

[Brother_Solar]

I need to go out and mow the lawn, so I'm not going to take the time to tailor to you specifically, but a guild mate of mine wrote a semi-guide on our guild forums. You may find it helpful.

Planning Hitpoints for the Endgame
Having a lot of hit points is terribly important in the endgame, and can make the difference between a viable character and one that is a drag on a party or raid. I believe a good figure of merit for any melee build is: 350 hp by level 17. I say this because at level 17 you will start to run in level 17-20 groups. The Shroud is the most popular quest for this level and contains the best loot in the game. A melee character needs about 350 hp for clerics to keep them alive during the boss endfight. (This can be lower for a 75+ AC, but that is much harder to attain than 350 hp).

As an example of planning endgame hitpoints, let’s consider the worst case scenerio: the drow rogue. Elf/drow has a -2 to starting con and rogues get the fewest hp per level.

1. Heroic Durability: 20. Everyone gets this.

2. Levels: 17*6=102. This is for 17 levels of rogue. Every level of ranger, monk, cleric, and fvs gives 8, paladin and fighter gives 10, and barbarain gives 12.

3. Con: 5*17=85. At level 17 every character needs a 20 con with +5 hp per level. Every non-elf/drow character easily gets this with at least a 14 starting con and a +6 item. Depending on the build, it can be difficult for elf/drow to come up with the extra 4 ability points to get from 12 to 14. Starting with a 13 and committing to a +1 tome is viable. Anyone starting with a 12 con should be committed to buying a +2 tome. These are sold periodically at the DDO strore. Obviously, I’m not saying you have to buy items from the store to have an effective character. I am saying if you are committed to elf/drow and if you are committed to rogue and if you can’t manage more than a 12 con in your original build and if you don’t already have high level characters that can farm them or buy them; then you need to be prepared to pick up a +2 con tome at the store.

While min-level 13 +6 con items are very expensive, min-level 15 and 17 +6 con, +x <trash skill> items are inexpensive. More difficult is item configuration. Con comes on belts, necklaces, and rings. Wis comes on necklaces and rings. Greater False Life comes on belts and rings. (Helms don’t count, because that spot is taken by Minos Legens.) So finding the right set of items can take a little work.

4. Minos Legens: 20. Every character I have wears this from levels 11+ forever. Every one. In fact, the only build I can imagine that would not wear this item is an intimitank with 500+ hp already who needs the intim helm. Minos is a collectable turn-in. Tapestries are random drops from the chests of named mobs in the explorer area: Orchard of the Macabre. 20 tapestries gives you a Minos Legens helm. Tapestries are very common and can be purchased on the AH. Also, this explorer area is a very common area people run. You will often see "Tap Runs" in the LFM panel. These people are farming tapestries for Minos Legens. Since this is also a good area to get xp, finding groups to farm this area and collecting tapestries is very easy.

5. Greater False Life: 30. Like con items, min-level 13 GFL items are rare and expensive, but min-level 15-17 items + some junk buff are more common and inexpensive. GFL comes on rings and belts. Rings are in much higher demand and are much more expensive. I would plan on a GFL belt and then wis and con on the necklace and ring spots.

6. Draconic: 10. This is a favor reward for 150 Agents of Argonessen favor. This means a fair number of quests. However, second to The Shroud, Gianthold is the most popular quest area in the game, so this favor is not too hard to get. The Revears Refuge quests also count as Agents of Argonessen favor.

7. Toughness Feat: 19. Every character needs the toughness feat.

8. Toughness Enhancement: 20. With the toughness feat, you can take toughness enhancements. Every character gets at least two toughness enhancements for 20 hp. Those races that can take con enhancements (Human, WF and Dwarf) get toughness III and IV. Class toughness enhancements stack with racial toughness enhancements. Again, worst case, gives at least 20.

9. Rage: 17. The rage spell increases your con by +2. In a raid, rage is a common buff. If you are not getting buffed, have rage potions. They also increase str by +2 as well. The exception is if you are a high ac build and do not want the -2 to ac.

10 Greensteel hp item, tier 2: 25. Most melees are excited about crafting their greensteel weapons. However, there is no excuse not having a tier 2 hp item. Medium ingredients are the most common and small ingredients can be purchased at the store. While waiting for larges to complete your new weapon, everyone can craft their hp item to tier 2. This can be accomplished even after running The Shroud just a few times. A Positive-Negative tier 2 hp item also gives +6 wis which can free up an item spot.

Total HP: 348

So even the lowest hp build (elf/drow rogue) can make it to 350 hp at level 17 with a little effort. Given your build, you can see what improvements you can make given the above calculations. 350 is a minimum number; more is better as long as you do not significantly sacrifice dps.

Remember, the above example is to show even the toughest character can make 350 at level 17. If this seems overwhelming, any other type of character is going to have significant advantages. If you are leveling a a dwarf or a fighter/ranger, then you are going to be way ahead of the game. Perhaps you can wait to pick up the +2 tome or don't have to be as intense about crafting a hp item. I'm putting this out there so new people bringing up characters know what to shoot for, how to calculate it, and can plan what sorts of items they need to be looking for.

Next: Above I have listed the easiest ways to pick up hit points. As you advance, there are other items to attain.

1. Greensteel, tier 3: for an additional 20 hp.

2. The Amrath quests drop a min level 18 belt that has both +6 con and GFL which is a wonderful item to free up a slot.

3. Madstone Boots. Madstone boots provide madstone rage as a clicky, and as a guard (percent chance it will activate when hit). Madstone rage gives +4 to con and full BAB. This is pretty much standard equipment for any endgame melee character. However, it can take 20 reaver raids to get a pair, so some grinding will be necessary.

4. Yugoloth Potions. These offer a +2 con bonus that stacks with everything. Attaining the Yugoloth favor involves completing most of the Amrath quests on elite, and thus is non-trivial to attain. This is a level 20 sort of goal.

5. Exceptional con. You can create exceptional con bonuses on greensteel weapons from Shroud and rings from Tower of Despair. I have not done this, and usually reserve exceptional stats (or that tier of crafting) for effects that will help my dps or ac. However, for characters that are hurting for hit points this is an option.

[Volink]

Thank you for the input. I do not have the toughness feat and one toughness enhancement. Is it worth moving stunning blow out for toughness?

[Halock]

Thank you for the input. I do not have the toughness feat and one toughness enhancement. Is it worth moving stunning blow out for toughness?

I think u meant stunning fist, hope so anyways, but thats a preference thing, personaly i'v always like it, and come next update its going to be amazing to have ~40 dc stun on a 6 second cooldown.

Regardless, monks usually have enough feats to easily work in a toughness somewhere, what other feats do you have?

[Volink]

I have three Dragonmarks, Stunning fist, TWF, ITWF, Weapon Finesse, and Toughness.

[r3dl4nce]

I have three Dragonmarks, Stunning fist, TWF, ITWF, Weapon Finesse, and Toughness.

I think Dragonmarks are a nice TRAP for halfling monk. You can use them for the early levels, and even there they are not so important. Your monk could be better with dodge, improved critical: bludge and power attack instead of the 3 DMs... Starting CON should be 16, 18 with a +2 tome to get Earth PUnch IV. Item +6 CON, Greater false life, greensteel cloack with +45 HP +6 CON skills are items you MUST plan to have. you could even have a secondo toughness. Try to get as much toughness enhancements as you can and if you want more HP go for Tortoise path.
At level 20, you can be around 450, for an improved evasion class it's all you need.

[ezgoezit]

...Your monk could be better with dodge, improved critical: bludge and power attack instead of the 3 DMs....

At lvl 20 I used my free feat swap to change dodge for another toughness. My HP are at 491 in Wind Stance. I decided that with an unbuffed AC of 55 (I know, not extrordinary for a monk), I am either going to get hit or not get hit regardless of that one extra point of AC so it would be better to have the extra HP. Even though I don't run a lot of epic, it seems this would be especially true for those that do. Any thoughts?

[r3dl4nce]

Well, probably i'll swap out dodge to get back stunning fist with the fix in update 5, so i too think in high levels dodge is not so useful. But in the way to 20, it can be useful

[redgod]

start with 16base

eat a tome +2-+4 whatever ya got

get rid of dragonmarks after 16 and get some toughness and a few other things your probably lacking

get a +6 con item with greater false life belt from tod

build a greensteele hp item

apply your enhansment points twords toughness and animal path for hp

do any of these things and youll be better do them all and you will not wory about hp..... ever

[Volink]

Thx for all the help. I would talk about a greensteel item but that is a different beast which after reading the ddowiki and the multiple forum posts I am still lost. I will swap out DM's with another toughness and IC: bludgeon. I've read that combat expertise is not worth it at higher levels so power attack is a good choice. I forgot to mention that I got a supreme +2 set when it was on sale a few weeks ago.