Dark vs Light

[TPICKRELL]

If you really enjoy monks, make one of each. Both light and Dark monks rock, but they are quite different.

You really can't evaluate which one fits best for you until you run them both up to cap. Your play style will effect which one is most comfortable.

I really enjoy both of my pure capped monks, one light and one dark.

The dark one does more consistant damage across the board, but the light one can bypass with +5 Holy Greater Outsider Banes which pulls them pretty even in many end game fights. And the Ku Kan Do makes the light a much more reliable stunner, since he has more options and can attack different MOB saves.

I like both and will keep one of each long term. At the moment, at level 20, I run the light a lot more than the dark. That could well change if/when Ninja Spy III is released. But for the content I run right now, Shintao III brings a lot to the party.

[Maelodic]

After LRing into a light monk on my little tester, I have decided that I definately like the dark monk at this stage better. The defence boost is just huge, and the self healing doesn't really do a lot for me, neither the finishers. Freezing the lifeblood and stunning fist both work really well.

I think I'll do as recommended and switch to light at 18, but level as a dark. Should I take both feats for an easy switch, or should I shell out the ton of money it takes for a feat respec at that level? It wouldn't be hard to take both since monks get so many bonuses.

[Aerendil]

Well, you do certainly have one thing going for you. Being a Llama character, you can access a LOT of free Turbine points via Sir Poincelot. Forget how much it is per day, but it's enough that you can easily LR yourself once every 7 days to change things up.

This will allow you to fully test the waters as both Light and Dark before committing to one on the live server. The only drawback is the waiting a week for re-LRing if you decide you don't like your particular setup.

Levelling up, here's some minor advice I can offer you:
Light - save ki and blur yourself before big fights. Every little bit helps. Then fists of light x 3 and healing ki yourself as often as you can.

Dark - shadow fade as often as you can, and fists of darkness / spam ki strikes. The faster you kill things, the less damage you take.

For either route, at 7+ keep in mind you can meditate while invis (if Dark, sneaking alone will increase your +ki regeneration). This has helped me numerous times when in trouble solo - find a safe place, invis, meditate to 10+ ki, and then self-heal. As mine was Human, I also picked up Dimension Door - being able to instantly teleport out of any potentially lethal area, and fully heal up, was a godsend. That and it allowed me to solo dungeons most others couldn't. Fun stuff.

Good luck trying out builds Hope you enjoy your Monk.

[Maelodic]

Well, you do certainly have one thing going for you. Being a Llama character, you can access a LOT of free Turbine points via Sir Poincelot. Forget how much it is per day, but it's enough that you can easily LR yourself once every 7 days to change things up.

This will allow you to fully test the waters as both Light and Dark before committing to one on the live server. The only drawback is the waiting a week for re-LRing if you decide you don't like your particular setup.

Levelling up, here's some minor advice I can offer you:
Light - save ki and blur yourself before big fights. Every little bit helps. Then fists of light x 3 and healing ki yourself as often as you can.

Dark - shadow fade as often as you can, and fists of darkness / spam ki strikes. The faster you kill things, the less damage you take.

For either route, at 7+ keep in mind you can meditate while invis (if Dark, sneaking alone will increase your +ki regeneration). This has helped me numerous times when in trouble solo - find a safe place, invis, meditate to 10+ ki, and then self-heal. As mine was Human, I also picked up Dimension Door - being able to instantly teleport out of any potentially lethal area, and fully heal up, was a godsend. That and it allowed me to solo dungeons most others couldn't. Fun stuff.

Good luck trying out builds Hope you enjoy your Monk.

Thanks. I'd much rather kill things and not take damage then to have a stalemate where everyone's just healing themselves, so I'm going dark. Also I enjoy that playstyle quite a bit more at 7, which I'm assuming only gets better as I level up.

[SensaiRyu]

Thanks. I'd much rather kill things and not take damage then to have a stalemate where everyone's just healing themselves, so I'm going dark. Also I enjoy that playstyle quite a bit more at 7, which I'm assuming only gets better as I level up.

I think being able to kill things and not take dmg (at least at low lvls) is just part of being a monk - light or dark.

I'm doing a great job with the kill things part at high lvls on my light monk. DR beating crits from 160-200 (and I don't have the best gear), Void IV insta-kill... saved a PUG from a wipe at the litany of the dead's undead beholder yesterday with bugged ghost touch wraps (ghost touch didn't work). I wish I had walk on water for that fight. A good dark monk fight if there ever was one (assuming walk on water works in that quest).

Still, dark or light wouldn't have made a difference - ToD would've been useless with the broken wraps (no way to gen ki and missed almost every hit). Heal guard connected once or twice... But I didn't hit it enuf to get much health back.

My party heals won't keep the party alive and I don't raise dead (no phoenix).

Monks r monks... we're very good at killing things whether light or dark. Either path is fun to play. Both can solo well. I've had a great time with both paths.

[Tobril]

My preference is Shintao for the extra CC maneuvers. Cleave is an acceptable
feat option now, so the old “wasting a feat” is less of an issue than it used to be.

Dark is, however, an acceptable alternative lifestyle.

[Maelodic]

My preference is Shintao for the extra CC maneuvers. Cleave is an acceptable
feat option now, so the old “wasting a feat” is less of an issue than it used to be.

Dark is, however, an acceptable alternative lifestyle.

I simply enjoy Dark better. I'll probably roll both. Because Monk is the only melee class that's as active as any caster I've rolled.

[elg582]

Dark is, however, an acceptable alternative lifestyle.

Dark? In this game, taking the lower DPS route has to be considered the "alternative"

[Tobril]

Dark? In this game, taking the lower DPS route has to be considered the "alternative"

If you're dead you do no DPS. For me having the extra CC options is a better choice for 6-man epics.
(which is pretty much the only thing my monk runs)

If all my monk did was raid then dark might be a better choice.

[MaxwellEdison]

if All My Monk Did Was Abbot Raid Then Dark Might Be A Better Choice.

FTFY Never seen a ToD requesting dark monks.

[elg582]

If you're dead you do no DPS.

A properly set up dark monk has better defense than a light equivalent.

If all my monk did was raid then dark might be a better choice.

I do fine in epics with most of my sith

[Tobril]

A properly set up dark monk has better defense than a light equivalent.

I do fine in epics with most of my sith

Don't need shadow fade if nothing can ever hit you. Kukan-do allows for really easy soloing while your group fills, and the jade moves are quite potent in EDA, Small Problem, Tide Turns, etc.

I never said anything about you or your ability and have no interest in comparing wangs.

I do, however, know what works better for me to pull pirate fail-pugs through 6-man epics or just low man them. The OP should try out both paths and find what works for him based on his particular grouping situation.

[Tobril]

FTFY Never seen a ToD requesting dark monks.

lol

Light monks aren't needed for ToD, but they are handy for people too lazy to get a mantle or other spell absorption items.


Edit - I don't see why people feel the need to cheat ice when it only takes 5-10 minutes to learn the puzzle.
(although I'm not above taking advantage of it, makes me a bit of a hypocrite but meh)

[MaxwellEdison]

Needed isn't the same as requested. Dark monks aren't needed for abbot either but people want em. Personally I have no problem one way or the other. Play whichever you enjoy more. But between the extra stuns, tomb of jade, and quivering palm, I really enjoy playing my light monk.

[elg582]

Edit - I don't see why people feel the need to cheat ice when it only takes 5-10 minutes to learn the puzzle.
(although I'm not above taking advantage of it, makes me a bit of a hypocrite but meh)

Actually, the waterwalking is more for survival during inferno, you can walk on the water around the platform without dying.

Shortcutting the ice is a bonus, but we usually let the clerics handle that.

[Tobril]

Actually, the waterwalking is more for survival during inferno, you can walk on the water around the platform without dying.

Shortcutting the ice is a bonus, but we usually let the clerics handle that.

Correct.

Handy to save the raid, but not the only way. I saw a barb save it once by swapping
into his mantle, running around to avoid abbot spells, and then rezzing a healer.
(ice wand was accidentally fired into the air)




Personally I’m looking forward to Ninja III so that the dark PRE can catch up with Shintao
and we’ll have some really heated debates.

[SensaiRyu]

I wish there was a Ninja III... although I think as light my monk is better than when he was dark, I've yet to see any smite double like the ToD hits 2-4 times. And smites are noticeable since they regularly hit for 100+ regular dmg and 300+ crit. Maybe they are and I'm just not noticing. Maybe cuz I'm never in wind stance. And maybe it's the easy satisfaction of seeing +250 and +500 on the dmg line. Took me a while to notice when void IV procs...

I really miss shadow fade and waterwalking.

I think the key will be when I LR back to dark to see if I like it again... That would be the only real comparison for me cuz I ain't about to have 2 TR monks at once.

[SensaiRyu]

While grinding the undead beholder in LoTD with one kama another difference between light and dark occurred to me. I could use all of my light monk moves with a kama. 90 dmg smites mixed in with my embarrassingly low slashes...

Couldn't ToD with my metalline/good shortswords when I was dark.

... just an observation ...

And for those inclined to ask why a kama - only one GT kama in the AH right before the run. Handwraps bugged out after my last LR.

[jstawarz2]

One thing to remember for the Shintao - the Jade line of moves (plus Smite Tainted, etc) all work on Tainted mobs. Tainted is defined as undead, aberrations, extraplanar, etc as long as they aren't Lawful Outsiders. As such, Smite Tainted is useful on a pretty large range of targets. Even targets you run into as early as quests like Small Problem and the rest of the Carnival chain. All those tieflings, too long a cooldown on Smite Tainted.

Personally, I find the utility available in the Shintao much easier to deal with than Ninja Spy. Of course, I tend to solo a lot more with my monk than I do with other characters.

[MaxwellEdison]

Definitely too long of a cool down on Tomb. A minute in monk years is like the cooldown on Unyielding Sovereignty for a cleric.