Dark Dex Halfling Monk Build Advice (or run of the mill monk?)

[Keplih]

Build Name: Dark Dex Halfling Monk
Author: Keplih
Last Updated: 12/20/10

Key Words [Monk, 28pts, Dark Path, Halfling]

Objectives
This is one of two choices (going to post the other one in a different thread later) for my reroll on my monk. My last choice wasn't that great.

Summary Haves (Posted here only to indicate what I have access to, not what I want for the build)
- Drow
- Warforged
- 28 pt build
- Ability to change feats (limited)
- Ability to change enhancements

Summary Have-Nots
- 32 pt build
- Stat Tomes (I hear they're available at higher level, but I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch)
- Gear farmed from a higher level character

Design
The point of this character was to be self sufficient, while still doing cool moves, but without failing at end level because of lack of planning. I want to be able to do damage without missing either.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.8.0
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Good Halfling Male
(20 Monk) 
Hit Points: 262
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 18
Will: 17

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             13                    14
Dexterity            16                    21
Constitution         12                    12
Intelligence          8                     8
Wisdom               16                    18
Charisma              8                     8

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               6                    10
Bluff                -1                     3
Concentration         5                    38
Diplomacy            -1                    -1
Disable Device       n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -1                    -1
Heal                  3                     4
Hide                  3                    12
Intimidate           -1                    -1
Jump                  5                    10
Listen                3                     6
Move Silently         3                    12
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair               -1                    -1
Search               -1                    -1
Spot                  3                    10
Swim                  1                     2
Tumble                4                    30
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Monk)
Skill: Balance (+3)
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Deflect Arrows
Feat: (Selected) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Improved Jump I
Enhancement: Improved Tumble I


Level 2 (Monk)
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Weapon Finesse
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning I
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I


Level 3 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Inevitable Dominion: Fists of Darkness
Enhancement: Halfling Guile I
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I


Level 4 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Static Charge
Enhancement: Improved Jump II
Enhancement: Improved Tumble II


Level 5 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+2)
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise II
Enhancement: Porous Soul


Level 6 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+2)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Stunning Fist
Enhancement: Monk Ninja Spy I


Level 7 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+2)
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II


Level 8 (Monk)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+2)
Enhancement: All-Consuming Flame
Enhancement: Winter's Touch


Level 9 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Touch of Death
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I


Level 10 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise III


Level 11 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning II
Enhancement: Halfling Guile II


Level 12 (Monk)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Monk Ninja Spy II
Enhancement: Master of Thunder


Level 13 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning III


Level 14 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Guile III
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 15 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise IV


Level 16 (Monk)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery II


Level 17 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Cunning IV


Level 18 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Hide (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms


Level 19 (Monk)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Halfling Guile IV


Level 20 (Monk)
Ability Raise: DEX
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Enhancement: Monk Serenity
Enhancement: Halfling Dexterity I

Argonnessen: Kepmyr // Keplih // Kepshia // (TBA) Cannith: (none) Ghallanda: (none)
Khyber: Kepliah Orien: Static RP Sarlona: (none) Thelanis: (none)

[Lil'man]

This is exactly what i did for my monk, Lilbeast of Orien (level 15). I started with pretty much everything you had and i ABSOLUTELY LOVE the build. If i added a +2 dex tome to my guy ontop of his +6 dex boots then he'll have 32 dex without airship buffs (he's usually 33 with the buffs and in windstance). his wisdom is 29 buffed and would be 30 with a +2 tome. With shadow fade he's crazy and extreemely hard to hit. he stuns 90% of the time with Stonedust Handwraps (+6 to stun). and with greater dragonmark of healing, some healing amp, and shadow fade crushes against mobs if he's ahead of the group, just make sure to take out the casters first because 7 negative levels doesn't do anything for your stun. He dodges most traps except on a bad day and 95% time saves against AoE spells (not including PvP). Overall i think you're on the right track because its extreemely fun to Triple Touch of Death Medusa in eyes of stone and dodge everything and smoke trash with your quivering palm and stun everything to hell.

[Ssmooth]

Looks similar to my monk when it was dex-based. Should be solid. Try to get the highest stunning wraps you can get and have fun.

[ulticleo]

I have a halfling dark monk, and they are a blast to play. You said you don't have 32 point builds yet. My first advise is to wait until you do. Monks are one of few classes that really benefit from those extra points. alternatively, do a TR, and you get 34 points...

having said that, here are my recommendations, and are very close to what I've done with my monk. I *am* including tomes as you can get +1 tomes for around 30kpp and +2 for 200-250kpp off the AH. so even if you never find one (unlikely if you plan to play lvl 16+ content), with enough playing (read: a few weeks at lvl16+), you'll have the cash to buy them. however, you don't need them right away
str 12 + 6 item + 2 tome = 20
dex 16 + 6 item + 2 lvlup + 2 halfling + 2 tome + 4 wind stance = 32
con 16 + 6 item + 2 tome - 2 wind stance = 22
wis 14 + 6 item + 2 tome + 3 lvlup + 3 monk = 28 (32 point build puts the extra points here)
int 8
cha 8

The above are baseline numbers that anyone with minimal resources can achieve. if you take up raiding, you can do much better.

feats (in roughly the order you want to take them): toughness, twf, ,weapon finness, stunning fist, itwf, dodge, IC:bludgeon, power attack, gtwf, WF:bludgeon (or anything else. I find my to hit is a bit low with power attack on for epics, so this helps a bit)

you will need to get a +1str tome before you can take PA. as I mentioned above, it shouldn't be too hard.

skills: max concentration, max balance, 10-15 points in jump, 1 point in tumble, anything else (some like UMD).

Reasoning:
dex: you need a min of 17 for gtwf, and 18 for wind4 stance. it's going to be your highest stat, so you also take weapon finess
con: you want to be able to take earth4 stance *for the strikes*. earth strikes offer the best damage boost against *everything*. hence, you'll want that +2 tome, but you can just redo your enhancements when you get it. no rush.
wis: as high as we can make it without gimping str. you will be stunning anything stunnable you come across. it also boosts your AC, which can be made decent (60+) with some effort. I suggest getting a +10 stunners, put icy burst and force crit rituals on them.
str: everything we have left.

[Zero_Tolerance]

Feats: what's Deflect Arrows for? Change it to another Toughness, or Sap. And move all other feats down, so you take what you have there earlier, and then at lvl18 you can pick one more filler feat.

Skills: Concentration, Jump/Balance. Nothing else is needed, certainly not Tumble.

Enhancements: I see Guile IV there and heal amp. I capped similar build twice already, never needed heal amp. For more SA damage, take Adept of Rain and Unbalancing Strike - it is not that worth it for the end game, but you'll be a monster with it before that. And when you don't use it anymore, reset enhancements.