Why Choose Monk?

[psymun]

I do not want this to turn into ANOTHER thread about the "ability not to be mentioned."

This is quite simply a thread that makes me curious as to why people want to play a monk in the first place.

Did you choose it for a specific ability?

Did you choose it because it is a challenge to build and/or play?

What is it that draws you to play a monk class in the first place?

My personal enjoyment about playing a monk is the ability to build a character that is vastly different in abilities to any other character with the same class and path. I'm able to use my abilities to help the party in various ways, and it's also a challenge to play because in order to be successful, I can't just click an action boost and go into auto-attack.

Same reason my only other characters are a Paladin, Favored Soul Evoker, and a Sorcerer... I love the challenge. I love the truly interactive gameplay and vast number of abilities and capabilities.

[dogpig00]

monk moves fastest. Come race me?

[dennisharlien]

A whole slew of reasons. I've played monks alot in tabletop and other media like NWN etc. I like there playstyle the idea behind them, the way they interact with a group. In DDO they require alot more gear and practice to be good IMO. With shorter swing range, button combos and understanding there abilities and str and weaknesses give me something I can be proud of when played right unlike so many other classes with are IMO way to easy to build and then play.

[CrimsonEagle]

I'm a speed freak

If I want real power I'll jump on my Sorc for most content in the game, or my FVS for pretty much everything else.

If I want to see big numbers on a melee, I'll hop on my barb. Sure he is dependent but he sure has some big numbers.

If I want to have fun, I jump on my monk. Not the most devastating damage, though if the mob is stunnable or can be killed by quivering palm it is pretty much dead. No worries or aoe spells, high saves, decent ac, (Only way to get great ac is to grind the hell out of certain quests and have a bunch of luck), and all an all pretty survivable, but what does it for me is simply the speed.

Just trips my trigger.

[Sker-lyn]

Well... There is no real reason, not here, not in table.

I play whatever in whatever situation and I enjoy a challenge or a knife through butter, doesn't matter to me.

I play D&D for a lot long time and I played a lot of things... My main in tabletop was a wizard/archmage human, my main in NWN 1 was a human paladin, in NWN 2 was an elf sorcerer/disciple of the red dragon... in Baldur's Gate I and II I played all but my main was halfling rogue and here my main is drow monk.

And I have the same reasons to play a drow as to play a monk. Nothing special...

I enjoy her a lot, I have her in her second (sure the last) reincarnation and I have the TR slot in the bank full with gear I die to get again and I don't know, play as a dark monk is something really funny to me, very relaxing... I stress myself a lot when playing a caster but I like some control over what I do in combat, so between my WF fighter or my human fighter or my monk, I prefer my monk. It's like control, but... relaxing, without pressure.

I find interesting my tempest too, maybe 'cause she is half monk (well, not half really but almost) but I find the monk more amusing.

I don't think, besides min/max or something like that, that someone can get a real reason to play one class or another... Just a question of mere tastes.

[Slowe]

I liked the idea of active melee combat, where you hit buttons to make stuff happen. The Barbarian, Rogue and even Fighter were a little too dull for me.

That and I loved the idea of increased mobility. I love Abundant Step and the increased movement speed.

[Vissarion]

Definitely the speed.

High level monks in Wind Stance and 30% striders rock.

I like the durability, versatility and melee capability as well, but I would be fooling myself if I didn't admit my need for speed. :P

Heck, loving my Monk's speed has caused me to not want to play classes without significant speed boost capabilities since they just feel so **** slow. Even on my capped FVS I need to spam wings to get a similar feeling.

[psymun]

A whole slew of reasons. I've played monks alot in tabletop and other media like NWN etc. I like there playstyle the idea behind them, the way they interact with a group. In DDO they require alot more gear and practice to be good IMO. With shorter swing range, button combos and understanding there abilities and str and weaknesses give me something I can be proud of when played right unlike so many other classes with are IMO way to easy to build and then play.

I would agree, I actually got bored leveling my barbarian after leveling a Pure Monk, Paladin/Monk and FvS/Monk because of how much goes into figuring out which abilities/spells to use, which to give up for the sake of compromising. Same thing with my Sorcerer. It's fun to try to build a character and play a character to do a certain thing. Especially with me, since I love to be independent AND be as big a help as possible to the party.

[sirdanile]

Speed, evasion, the leap of faith was a bonus after I heard about it...

I like to move when fighting and a monk is good at moving and surviving.

[CrimsonEagle]

Definitely the speed.

High level monks in Wind Stance and 30% striders rock.

I like the durability, versatility and melee capability as well, but I would be fooling myself if I didn't admit my need for speed. :P

Heck, loving my Monk's speed has caused me to not want to play classes without significant speed boost capabilities since they just feel so **** slow. Even on my capped FVS I need to spam wings to get a similar feeling.

LOL, QFT.

Some of my guildies TR'ed so I rolled up a new character to help them level up.

Moving so slow it was actually painful.

[t0r012]

You mean beside the ultra cool knugfu moves?
like their awesome survivability, unique abilities and their consistent, sustained damage.

sure rogues have sneak but it only works sometimes, pallys have smites but only limited numbers, fighters have haste boosts but they run out , barbs will eventually run out of rages.

packin' 2d10 (sorry 2 to 20) and the fastest attack speed before stepping out of bed and the survivability to keep puttin it down when all the big DPSers have kicked the bucket and are taking a ride in my backpack = monks win.

[Odin's_Hugin]

* Run as fast as the Wind.
* No fear of harmful spells that need a save.
* Have auto-FF, immunities.
* Nice attack motion.
* FAST attack. I played a bard and a sorc before and, as such, I got addicted to have permanent haste.
* Have cool attack stances and special moves.
* (recent) Stunning anything I see.
* (recent) Healing Curse makes me stay full hp AND full ki all the time on any quest.
* No "action boosts" that need to be renewed every "xx" seconds. There are finishing moves, but that's just once in a while.
* Vestments are cool-looking. Just wish we could customize them. *sigh*
* (recent) Bypass any DR without having to constant change between weapons (can run with a Thundering/Force Critical/Icy Burst of Stunning+10 and still have holy and shocking burst - ToD rings - at the same time).
* No fear of traps at all.


That's it.

[Khurse]

The run speed. As mentioned it's almost painful to play one of my other toons after being on one of my Monks.
Abundant step is alot of fun as well.
Plus it's a bit different from what most of the other players you group with play.

[testing1234]

just wanted the monk past life
was surprisingly good though, the stun/runspeed was real fun

[TheIvanovFamily]

I play my monk because it's funny to hear my epic group go "where's Vasska?" after shrining (assuming I don't need a re-buff) and then find me in the next part of the quest with 2-3 mobs dead, 2-3 dancing, 1 stunned, and the rest crying in the corner to get away from the big bad midgit. There's also the charm for CC, but I don't use it much because it annoys my Arcane friend I usually run epics with ^.^

Also, barbarians following you yelling "wheeee big numbers!" as you chain stun mobs

[xxScoobyDooxx]

that can stand on the top of the 5th portal in the shroud and beat on it.

That is the only reason I play a monk.

[Bigrtt]

Their speed, AC, saves.....

Also when I made my monk I wanted an 'in-between' class. I wanted to still do DPS, but offer something usefull to the party. When I was light, that was buffs and healing. Now that I'm dark, it's mainly stunning fist.

[dunklezhan]

Man you guys need to get a life. All this whining and %%tching about monks. WAHAHAHAHA u cry babies. If you don't like it go play WOW tired of people starting thread after thread about monks and them losing some ability. Like who cares get a life all you losers. ITS A GAME.....

aaah, so *you're* superhealz. That makes a lot of sense.

Anyway, OP:

What's not to like?

HiiiiiiiiiiiiYA!

[Vissarion]

Man you guys need to get a life. All this whining and %%tching about monks. WAHAHAHAHA u cry babies. If you don't like it go play WOW tired of people starting thread after thread about monks and them losing some ability. Like who cares get a life all you losers. ITS A GAME.....

If you really want to win the crown of King Troll, you should at least make your trolling semi-relevant to the thread. You know, what with the fact that we're not complaining and all.

[MeliCat]

Speed

Saves

Smashing with much hurt - low and mid game mainly.

And the funny little buffs you get that while short can really help the rest of the party.


End game I'm a bit more 'meh' on them. Haven't epicced one yet. 1 light, 1 dark, halflings. Just started a dark WF.