My test monk

[Momsboys]

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.12.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Good Halfling Male
(20 Monk) 
Hit Points: 304
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 20
Reflex: 22
Will: 26

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats         Base Stats         Modified Stats
(34 Point)       (Level 1)          (Level 20)           (Level 20)
Strength             15                 24                   24
Dexterity            16                 20                   20
Constitution         13                 16                   16
Intelligence          8                  8                    8
Wisdom               16                 20                   24
Charisma              8                  8                    8

Tomes Used
+4 Tome of Strength used at level 16
+4 Tome of Dexterity used at level 16
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 16
+4 Tome of Wisdom used at level 16
Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Monk
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) AC Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Breezes
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Candles
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Pebbles
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Puddles
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Kama
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Shuriken
Feat: (Automatic) Finishing Moves
Feat: (Automatic) Flurry of Blows
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Agility
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Bravery
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Keen Ears
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Luck
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Size Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Halfling Thrown Weapon Focus
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Handaxe
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Club
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Dagger
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Heavy Crossbow
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Light Crossbow
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Quarterstaff
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Unarmed
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Unarmed Strike


Level 2 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Power Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion
Feat: (Automatic) Meditation
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip


Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Harmonious Balance: Fists of Light
Feat: (Selected) Stunning Fist
Feat: (Automatic) Fast Movement
Feat: (Automatic) Finishing Moves: Path of Harmonious Balance (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Finishing Moves: Path of Inevitable Dominion (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Still Mind


Level 4 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Magic
Feat: (Automatic) Slow Fall


Level 5 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Damage
Feat: (Automatic) Purity of Body


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 7 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Wholeness of Body


Level 8 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Evasion


Level 10 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Curse of the Void
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Lawful
Feat: (Automatic) Moment of Clarity


Level 11 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Diamond Body


Level 12 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Abundant Step


Level 13 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Diamond Soul


Level 14 (Monk)


Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Quivering Palm


Level 16 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Adamantine


Level 17 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Timeless Body


Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Discipline


Level 19 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Empty Body


Level 20 (Monk)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Automatic) Perfect Self
Feat: (Automatic) Shining Star
Enhancement: Monk Serenity
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Fortitude) I
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Reflex) I
Enhancement: Halfling Luck (Will) I
Enhancement: Halfling Athletics I
Enhancement: Halfling Athletics II
Enhancement: Lifting the Veil
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey I
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey II
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey III
Enhancement: Way of the Clever Monkey IV
Enhancement: The Receptive Earth
Enhancement: Restoring the Balance
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Rise of the Phoenix
Enhancement: Shintao Monk I
Enhancement: Shintao Monk II
Enhancement: Shintao Monk III
Enhancement: Difficulty at the Beginning
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms
Enhancement: Master of Thunder
Enhancement: Adept of Rock
Enhancement: Master of Stone
Enhancement: Adept of Flame
Enhancement: Grandmaster of the Sun
Enhancement: Master of Bonfires
Enhancement: Adept of Rain
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Oceans
Enhancement: Master of the Sea
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II

I would like feedback! Please?

[edgarallanpoe]

That's a lot of +4 tomes. Grats on pulling those...but if you haven't I wouldn't count on them.

The build looks OK to me. I normally go with healing amp III instead of Rise of the Phoenix because it is cheaper. Also, I have never understood the allure of the monkey path...to be fair, I have never played it so I know nothing of it other than what I have read. However, it would seem to me that it would be a waste because monks get Improved Evasion. I seriously cannot remember when the last time I took noticeable damage from a trap was.

Also...why go Halfling if you aren't going to take his bonuses to sneak attack? That would be the main reason for using that race IMHO. My halfling monk has Tharnes and the Cove Gloves...his sneak attack damage with the gloves is 19pts and with Tharnes it is 21. (Halfling enhancements and the Ring of the Stalker). That is an extra 19/21 pts of damage per swing on a non aggroed or stunned mob. Given that you have gone light path you will have several stun capabilities and that extra damage will be huge. Trust me on that one.

[Kinerd]

You didn't take a feat at 9, WF: Bludgeoning is pretty lackluster, and you leave your Shintao feat until 18. Two pretty good feats you did not take are Improved Sunder and Improved Critical. Here's what I would do:

6: Discipline (or whatever Shintao pre-req) instead of WF: Bludgeoning
6: Improved Sunder instead of Toughness
9: Toughness
18: Improved Critical

Enhancements...
1. Even if you are going to be in Fire stance, investing AP into Fire stance is rarely worth it. You spend 9 AP to get +1 to-hit and to-damage, essentially.
2. Water stance is also not a great stance to spend on. If you are going to be an AC build, you may as well be in Wind stance so you can at least pump up your DPS.
3. You could drop Halfling Athletics and never know the difference.
4. Way of the Monkey is ok, but the 4th rank (and arguably the 3rd rank) is a huge cost for little benefit.

So with our newfound 25 AP, what could we buy?

1. Healing amp! Light monks get a big bump in their self healing over time at 200% (and 300%, 400%, etc.) healing amp. As a halfling you're a little behind in this department, but you can still crank out 214% if you get Improved Recovery 3, Jidz bracers, 10% and 20% DT. So that's 10 AP.
2. As edgar mentioned, halflings have sneak attack enhancements. They are effective, but they are really expensive. You need 20 to max out both (+4 attack, +8 damage), but for only 12 you can get +3 attack and +6 damage, so that's worth considering. (Also if you end up dropping Rise of the Phoenix and its largely useless pre-reqs, that 12 AP would cover you.)