Which Race would be best for a Monk?

[barklydog]

Hmm, from what you've all said, i think i might either go with dwarf, halfling, or wf. just wondering though, do the WF monks still get that leap of faith thing? and how much wisdom points should i add when i max out my strength?

[Hydro]

Hmm, from what you've all said, i think i might either go with dwarf, halfling, or wf. just wondering though, do the WF monks still get that leap of faith thing? and how much wisdom points should i add when i max out my strength?

WF monks gets everything a flesh bag gets along with the extra immunities.

Personally I found wisdom to be useless on my monk "tank" build. First life I started with 12 wisdom and 16 Str and regretted it one I hit level 14 (ac in gianhold needs to be 50+ for madstone).

I tr'd and started with an 18 Str and 6 Wis and have never looked back. With the last patch I went full time fire stance picked up stunning blow and couldn't be happier.

I run around with a 40 str, 600+ hp, and a 12 wisdom (14-2 fire stance). My fort save buffed is over 34, my reflex save is around 30 and my will save sits around 22; this is with only a +3 resistance nightshield clickie so my saves could be higher. I have never had a problem with my saves at all since I switched from windstance. Windstance + Crane path destroyed my fort saves and I had a lot of trouble with epic beholders until I went fire.

[barklydog]

Thank you. I think i might make a WF DPS monk as i'm quite good at those sorts of things.

[ProdigalGuru]

So NOBODY is going to mention Dragonmarked Halflings?

[Hydro]

So NOBODY is going to mention Dragonmarked Halflings?

Its a good choice just one that is better suited to light path. As you already know you cannot use your heals or light finishers while madstoned, and personally I love my madstone. But for a light monk I doubt there is any better choice.

[Jasam01]

Honestly, with feats being tight, Light path already providing self healing, and wholeness of body e.t.c... I would recomend you get more toughness instead before recomending the dragon marks.

On Dwarfs, unless I'm mistaken, half those benifits spoken of don't exist. I've yet to make a build without 2 grandmaster stances built in. If going for Light and Void, 14,16,16,8,14,8 are easly possable on human/half/war too.

So you get 1-3 skill checks on spell saves (Halflings get +1 to all saves, with potential +4 on each though no AP to buy it with. Warforged are immune to meny effects you would be saving aganst.), and +1 DC on stunning fist compared to a WF. (+1-3 more then any other same Wis build)

Honestly, I would rank em above humans for dark monks +3 Stunning fist and saves is nice.. But half/war get the better advantages at the current time imo.

I still wonder on how much a WF would benifit from the higher WIS compared to 2 more STR for tanking. Stunning fist if you can work it in is > stunning blow (if you have the ki gen) due to the less then half timer....

I would also warn about reading older posts on wind vs fire stance. As things stand a LOT of dark monks are considering fire (+haste) over wind. before it was considered way to much DPS loss... Now peeps have one less toughness due to dodge requirements, which really hurts with the -2 con. Wind is less DPS then it used to be, and there is a new ability to keep up (Ninja spy incoprability).

[Quijonsith]

For wisdom based (DC focused) monks I recommend halfling or dwarf. Halfling cunning can make up for the lower to-hit to allow for higher wisdom, and dwarf dump charisma to gain in the other stats and have tactics.

For all-arounders, versatility, and healing amp of course go human.

For max DPS go WF.

For bonuses with special weapons you can take drow for short swords on a ninja spy or elf for long swords with whirling steel strike. While they may not be 'optimal' they are still effective and can be fun.

It all comes down to what you want to get out of your monk and what your playstyle is. I love my halfling monk, but I might try a dwarf at some point. My playstyle involves heavy use of dark monk finishers (debuffs) and stunning fist.

[Soleran]

I would think that as content gets more difficult that WF struggle a bit in to hit with their PA enhancements for dps vs other classes

Monks get no bonus to hit enhancements like some classes so I would imagine that could pose a separate challenge for WF monks with PA, great damage when you can hit, DW stops neg lvls (at higher lvls is just always there) and really only halflings have a way to boost to hit aside from hound enhancement.

Pick what you want but imo halfling is relatively easy to play and forgiving and powerful endgame, WF and dwarf are more of a challenge and ultimetly WF isn't that much dps over halfing with sa it was shown months ago on a similar type thread.

[Fafnir]

I think DPS is a wash, personally. I think WF win on immunities, tanking ability and by far more hps.

[Inspire]

When in doubt, Human.

Specific builds favor Halflings and Warforged most often.

[Braegan]

If you want to be a DPS class (which a monk should be ) Halfling or WF have great advantages to fit the bill.

[Jasam01]

I'd say when in doubt halfling for monks, you can't go wrong with one, and most monk builds they are actualy optimal for. Humans only come in top for Light Builds thanks to the healing amp increasing the upper range of healing fists, other then that I can't think of a situation where the human would of been better then halfling/wf.

Halflings top most DPS/AC combos (where SA is viable, a SA dex halfling will mathc or out-dps a STR based human, for an example comparing the diffrence.). Stat distrabution is a bit of a non issue for monks. It's tight yes, but every race is capable of a close to 14,16,16,8,14,8 (or equivilent) build.

Untill the game enviroment changes, I would rank Halfling and Warforged as the two really good choices. Halfing work well with AC builds, have the best SA situation dps. Warforged get immunites, tanking, and better dps in PA situations. (though still behind the SA halfling).
Human has a slight advantage in healing amp light fist of light build.(Which are getting rarer with Dark pulling ahead, but may well become more relivent in U7's Shinto PrE rewrite).
Dwarfs get slightly better saves aganst magic(for the ones that have saves), and +1-3 stunning fist DCs.

Elfs/Drow don't bring much at all right now. Drow PrE might change that though.

Personaly, I'm going WF next. I'm certianly not doing a TR'd finese build, no toughness would hurt too much I think ^^'. By the next life U7 might be around so we'll get to see if Shinto actualy brings somethign to the table to make other races more useful by then.

[Desteria]

Hafling...

dex, str what have you they work great.

[Hydro]

Any monk besides a halfling with max guile while sneak attacking is going to have some problems hitting in epics with power attack on until the get a good amount of gear. I had to turn off power attack on my monk until I got my warpriest ring (+2 to hit and Shintao Cord +2 to hit and damage).

One thing though is with airship buffs providing a free +3 to hit it will make it easier for a monk to hit in epics with PA on, but really turning off PA in epics until you get more gear is not the end of the world.

Also I was in wind stance back before I got my monk geared up so between the extra hit from Fire Stance and the airship buffs I think monks will be just fine in epics.

[Jasam01]

I forgot about the new airship buff.

And I just relised. Halfling bonus/hound to hit is when flanking. Does it apply in all SA situations?

[Desteria]

I forgot about the new airship buff.

And I just relised. Halfling bonus/hound to hit is when flanking. Does it apply in all SA situations?

yes, held mobs or stunned mobs = auto sneak = hafling WIN, with that +8 damage, also one of the reasons dark for nija spy is sooooo nice.