Pally / Monk even split - Opinions please?

[voxson5]

Hello good people

1st ever forum post - please bear that in mind

Decided to have a play with a new vet toon while everyone else seems to be asleep

28-pt Drow, lawful good, pally 2 / monk 2

starting stats:
STR - 15 <- all level ups here
DEX - 16 <- because i wanted the stats even, would have liked more str, but couldn't afford it, needed 15 for 2wf
CON - 12 <- I know, I know... highest i could get without sacrificing others
INT - 10
WIS - 12
CHA - 14

Now, here's where I may have gone off the beaten path:
(cant remember all the enhancements, only just gotten to lv 5 anyways, can update if there is any interest)

lv1 - Pally - Weapon Focus Slashing
lv2 - Monk - Toughness
lv3 - Monk - Whirling Steel thingy (monks treat longswords as ki weapons)
Monk bonus feat - TWF
lv4 - Pally

Took pally first to get access to the monk longsword feat (although i probably could have gone monk, pally, monk, pally).

Started with monk gear, ran Korthos to get pathfinders set

So i'm using longswords as a monk, in windstance to get +7%? attack speed & % chance to double strike & am centered (obviously). Have often been last man standing & with highest kills - but that is no measure, not in noob land anyway

Took lv 5 as monk last night (and will progress to lv 9 monk /2 pally before changing back - maybe go 3 monk / 6 pally for undead hunter, haven't decided) & light path (which will be respecc'ed to dark when i start doing pally levels)

Using light path to make life easy for me during low levels & may go fire stance or wind + crane to help build ki

Anyways, the idea is to get to 9/11 or 10/10 dark monk /pally

using either wraps or longswords (based on situation, mainly swords - but not cleaving up oozes for example)
-full BAB
-monk speed/slowfall/touch of death/saves/wholeness of body/immunities (they overlap a bit - i know)/stances/improved evasion
-pally saves bonus/smite/aura/spells/raise dead enhancement/immunities/lay-on-hands/turn undead/str boost clicky enhancement thing/pally toughness enhancement

feats for the future include:
-power attack
-iTWF
-gTWF
-iCritical - slashing
-another toughness
-oTWF <-maybe, would only give me +2 to hit over what i have now, otherwise another toughness

I have a +2 dex tome banked for this toon, so iTWF is not a problem.

i would has access to 2nd tier of stances - wind-> +10% attack speed, 5% to doublestrike

I am not looking to run epics in the near future, just wanting to have fun getting there

Why go longswords? well... how does a pair of radiance II, holy, good burst, flaming burst longswords on a monk sound? (or any other nice greensteel combo really)

Projected stats (with basic items & no tomes (except +2 dex), no greensteel, no dragoncrafted armor, no ToD rings etc)

STR - 15 +5 +6 = 26 (28 with fire-stance, 30 with rage clicky)
DEX - 16 +2+2+6 = 26 (28 with wind-stance)
CON - 12 +6 = 18 (I know!) (20 with earth-stance, 22 with rage clicky)
INT - 10 <- dump stat as far as I know for this build, opinions anyone?
WIS - 12 +2 +6 = 20 (22 with water stance)
CHA - 14 +2 +6 = 22

Stats include racial dex enhancements (+2) & wisdom/charisma class enhancements (+2)

projected hp at lv 20 (9m/11p) - again with basic items

20 - starting
72 - monk 9
110 - pally 11
120 - CON (22 with rage clicky & earth stance)
69 - 3x toughness feats (ommiting oTWF for extra toughness)
40 - pally toughness IV
20 - racial toughness II
10 - draconic (gianthold favor)
30 - greater false life item

491 - not bad for a drow with no decent gear huh


451 - wind-stance & rage clicky

471 - fire-stance & rage clicky


anyways, thanks for your time

Please feel free to give your opinions on this build.

I am currently leveling her slowly, & will update if there is any interest

[khaldan]

Wind stance doesn't give attack speed anymore, just double strike. ToD doesn't work with longswords, and WSS isn't a bonus monk feat.

[voxson5]

Thanks for your reply man

Ummm you might be wrong about windstance - it definately makes me attack faster

WSS isn't a monk feat, yes, have to update the original post - but those 4 feats are what i ended up with at lv 4

Will have to play with seeing if i can hotswap swords for wraps for ToD - wont know until i get high enough level

[RhapsodieInBlue]

It no longer stacks with haste however. The insight component was removed with a bonus to doublestrike.

Instead of Even split, I would go 12-14 paladin instead, and get Kotc2 or HotD2.

[voxson5]

Thank you for the reply

Thats definately something to look into - the 2nd tiers do look good & will do a bit more research into them, especially as i get closer to level.

[Angelus_dead]

So i'm using longswords as a monk, in windstance to get +7%? attack speed & % chance to double strike & am centered (obviously).

It will probably turn out (depending on weapon availability and TOD ki) that Handwraps are better than swords for you.

However, a Dark Monk Drow should certainly prefer Shortswords to Longswords:
Recover 4 feats from Weapon Focus, WSS, GTWF, and Imp Crit.
Spend 1 feat on Dodge.
Spend AP on Ninja Spy 1-2, gaining centered shortsword, imp crit, and a bunch of Sneak Attack damage, plus 25% incorp defense.
Spend more AP on Drow Melee for attack and damage (if you feel like).

Remember that a Shortsword plus Drow Melee is more damaging than a Longsword... and look at the number of feats you get back!

[voxson5]

going ninja spy I is a brilliant idea!

I really appreciate what you're saying & i understand where you are coming from.

Definately going to try to fit in dodge somewhere to pull this off

Drow with enhancements shortsword = +2 to hit & damage? And costs... 12 AP? not sure on that.
Against a longsword the to hit would be higher - maybe helping to keep power attack on, & the damage average would be slightly higher (1d6+2 vs 1d8).

I tried so hard to run with piercing weapons on my main (finesse bard), i really really did.. in the end i gave up & switched to bludgeoning. Bludgeoning was a dam sight cheaper than the equivalent piercing (light maces vs shortswords & rapiers) & did a LOT more damage to a lot more monsters.

I'm thinking:
- I may keep longsword for main hand - because that is where the double strikes are coming from,
- definately take ninja spy I -> means i'll get sneak attack & can use short sword in off-hand -> +2 to hit on current setup
- as soon as the necro 4 pack goes on sale I can start grinding out a minos to compensate for the 1 less toughness
- would like to keep monk 9 for improved evasion
- thinking of Knight of the Chalice I for the +d6 vs evil outsiders, not sure i'll need the ghost touch from Hunter of the Undead at lv 15 (estimated to get pally 6).

I like the idea of being immune to energy drain (HotU II), but from what i've seen of the game over the past few months I currently prefer imp. evasion. (That may change with update 7, really looking forward to running the devil invasion)

Thanks for all your feedback guys Definately things to think about.

Still very much a work in progress, still open to change

[Angelus_dead]

- I may keep longsword for main hand - because that is where the double strikes are coming from

The advantages of a longsword over a shortsword are tiny, especially for a Drow. It's really hard to justify spending four feats to use a longsword when you could already use a shortsword.

Anyway, if you've decided to be a dark monk then Ninja Spy is a very compelling addition, even if you weren't going to use the shortsword parts of it.

- thinking of Knight of the Chalice I for the +d6 vs evil outsiders, not sure i'll need the ghost touch from Hunter of the Undead at lv 15 (estimated to get pally 6).

Yes, you don't need it. The coolest high-level feature of HOTD turns out to be the healing amplification and how it stacks with monk healing amp. Remember that KOTC damage bonus also works on undead.

[voxson5]

How is it four feats?

-weapon focus: slashing
-WSS

**edit - i see that you included icrit which comes from Tier II & gtwf (otwf maybe?) which i woudn't need with light weapons **

Ta da! longswords on a monk
And the WF:Slashing gives +1 to hit, so the drow enhancements are only +1 better to hit (still slightly higher dmg average)

The current plan is to go monk 9 / pally 11, so no tier II enhancements
Wanting to use shortsword as light off-hand (who knows, may go both shorties, have to wait to level up so i can try both out)


I really appreciate your input, thank you

And like I said, its a work in progress & very much subject to change

[voxson5]

Deleted Character, rolled the same one as a 32pt elf - same idea, but using racial enhancements to longswords

Still going ninja-spy I for shadow-fade & sneak attack
Decided to go monk 7 / pally 13 (or 8/12 have to see what each gives me) for wholeness of body

Going quite well, just got to 4/2 (monk/pally)

BUT! - Pally healing spells / lay on hands may be enough to go 6/14 so i can get lv 4 pally spells....


lol - then again, i may just roll a str based WF (or 1/2orc) rogue 13 (thief acrobat II) / monk 6 (ninjaspay I) & go cray with a quarterstaff (+20% att speed from TAII, +10% att speed from monk WS II, +30%? from att speed boost...)