Soloing a Monk? hirelings? or no hirelings?

[Jeargroth]

Ok, playing a monk as my alternate as i am prepping for TR on my main... however i keep hearing Monks can solo really well. So i have been doing Elite content 2+ lvls but not higher to lose Bravery Bonus Xp. So I am running through Heal pots alot... I can stay up most fights without but after I am too low to go on and need to drink up to fill up. Is this normal for Soloing a Monk? or am i missing gear at lvl 5-6 that would make this unnecessary? Or are we supposed to use hirelings to keep toping us up but otherwise staying out of the way?

[Angelus_dead]

You didn't mention how many hp your monk regains per punch. Some monks get a lot, while others get zero.

Regardless, if your hp return is even a little problem, then you definitely should be buying Cleric or FVS hirelings of a few levels below you. There's no more affordable way to buy healing.

PS. Some of the advice you see about Monks being good at solo could be old, from back when Monks had a lot more AC than any other (non-shield) character, and easily hit 95% avoidance.

[Uska]

You didn't mention how many hp your monk regains per punch. Some monks get a lot, while others get zero.

Regardless, if your hp return is even a little problem, then you definitely should be buying Cleric or FVS hirelings of a few levels below you. There's no more affordable way to buy healing.

PS. Some of the advice you see about Monks being good at solo could be old, from back when Monks had a lot more AC than any other (non-shield) character, and easily hit 95% avoidance.

I dont see where he/she says if they are light or dark would be helpful. and yes while my monk has a bit more ac then before she gets hit a bit more but I think she still has more survivability than before.

[Uska]

My light monk has done well soloing and I dont use hirelings just get those bracers Jidi(whatever their name is) and stay in firestance for KI and healing amp. go human or halfelf for more healing amp

[Lleren]

I suggest a hireling, and just call them forwards between fights. Try to get to the point where you don't need them after every fight. Movement and corners are your friends in this.

Monks still solo well, when referring to completing without the help of another player. Completing without the help of a hireling gets a bit more interesting.

[phillymiket]

I suggest a hireling, and just call them forwards between fights. Try to get to the point where you don't need them after every fight. Movement and corners are your friends in this.

Monks still solo well, when referring to completing without the help of another player. Completing without the help of a hireling gets a bit more interesting.

I agree.

With a monk having a hireling just gets in the way.

They pull mobs.

They need protecting.

When TRing a monk I'll just park one at the front on a challenging quest and call them if I need them.

I rarely do but **** happens sometimes and they are cheaper then cake and pots and faster then a restart.
.

[Uska]

I agree.

With a monk having a hireling just gets in the way.

They pull mobs.

They need protecting.

When TRing a monk I'll just park one at the front on a challenging quest and call them if I need them.

I rarely do but **** happens sometimes and they are cheaper then cake and pots and faster then a restart.
.

With my TR monk I dont bother with hirelings I just go gadget go

[Jeargroth]

Ok, level 5 light monk no regen gear right now.... I want to get the Jiteka its in the plans but don't have yet. I have decent stat gear just not much else.

So hireling now Regen self later? as i get the healing gear?

any thing specific i should farm for?

[Lleren]

Ok, level 5 light monk no regen gear right now.... I want to get the Jiteka its in the plans but don't have yet. I have decent stat gear just not much else.

So hireling now Regen self later? as i get the healing gear?

any thing specific i should farm for?

Well, since you ask.

Barkskin Potions.
Protection somewhere on your gear.
The highest AC items you can find.
Dodge items, this will be at higher levels.
Resist element items or potions can help a lot as well.
I think you can get your first item with the blur effect at level 9, the Dusk Heart, but I may be mistaken.
Challenge gear such as Frozen Tunic, Bracers of Wind, and Rock Boots might be something to look into as well, once they start getting the interesting effects on them. I forget which level that is for each one

If you are a Light based Monk, then you already have healing ki
If you are a Dark Based Monk, then at 6th level you can pick up the ninja prestige enhancement, and get a move that makes you partially not there to the tune of a 25% miss chance to attacks from monsters.

[Kimeni]

Monks are great for soloing, but they do require more attention than some other choices.

I definitely recommend light path until you develope your monk specific talents. It is a little more forgiving.
So keeping in mind this is all opinion based;
To me soloing in a monk is all about balancing their strengths with your playstyle. You can still build a high Ac/dodge monk and not take much damage, while sacrificing some dps.
You can balance between tank and dps and cc, which will require more acrobatics.
Or maximize cc/dps, which is my preference, and requires much more attention.
Don't get me wrong even my Wisdom/str Half-orc has found herself in a position where tanking EH is viable. But for soloing EH or Elite while leveling I found myself being tanky to a certain point and then suddenly dying quickly when, the mobs pass your tank threshhold as it were. This is resolved by tactics and play style. Constanly stun, don't stop moving, kill the highest threat mobs first, always keep your current beatdown target between you and everyone else, When fighting casters especially never stop circling them unless they are stunned and alone. I personally consider it a challenge to solo ( no hire) and usually end up being suprised and quite satisfied at what we can pull off as monks. Another nice thing, monks do scale well with the levels, they don't really have a level range where they are too weak, or too strong. ( Except the lower levels. But what class besides pure casters arn't overpowered 1-8ish)

Sorry for formatting and /or typos, posting from my phone., which is a drag.

[Marcus-Hawkeye]

While it was a while back, my dark monk and a cleric hireling were amazing. I had little problems with most content.

[DevHead]

Yeah, grab a hireling and once you learn how to use one of them effectively, you shouldn't have many problems.

[Capt_Ahab]

When using a hireling on a monk, I park them in the previously cleared room around a corner. When hp gets low, I run back to the hireling, get topped off, then return to the fray.

Also, put skills into hide and move silently. Often as a soloer it is easier (and quicker) to just sneak by trash mobs. The higher monk base speed helps, and sneak + abundant steps makes it easier to get past patrolling mobs.

I've always wondered if bluff would be a good monk skill for soloing. IME, stun monks can fight single or even 2 or 3 mobs all day long. Bluff might allow you to pick off one mob at a time. Has anyone tried this?

[Jeargroth]

Vampiric Wraps or no?

Ok do i get some one to make the Shards for Vampirism lesser or just keep plugging along. Till i can farm up some Vampiric Stonedust handwraps?

Right now using either Acidburst, Devotion, Eternal Rest and flaming... picking b/t the 4 of them for mob types.

thanks

[Uska]

Vampiric Wraps or no?

Ok do i get some one to make the Shards for Vampirism lesser or just keep plugging along. Till i can farm up some Vampiric Stonedust handwraps?

Right now using either Acidburst, Devotion, Eternal Rest and flaming... picking b/t the 4 of them for mob types.

thanks

I use the stonedust a lot or a I did until I got those gravestone ones and those you are using arent bad

[FuzzyDuck81]

You didn't say what race your monk is

I've got a Half elf light monk with cleric dilly & high healing amp, and love her - not the highest dps option (tho certainly no slouch) and can self heal very effectively through FoL, healing ki & vampirism effects, let alone the occasional potion, ham (before swapping out for shiny new MOTU gear i was getting about 12-13hp per tick from ham, very handy to pop one before going into big fights), or breaking out the Heal scrolls for big hurts... at high levels its really a case of "if you cant kill me outright, then i WILL survive"

Back to lower levels, once you hit level 7 you'll have the wholeness of body ability (healing meditation) for use between fights which can heal for a significant amount, but yeah popping a hireling & just parking it somewhere safe then calling it to you once the fight is over is generally far, far cheaper than guzzling potions - and dont be decieved by the hirelings small number of spells you can order it to cast, they also generally carry a raft of other curative thingies that they will (generally) use when appropriate, such as neutralise poison, remove curse etc. Despite my own highbie monk's capabilities i usually bring one along when soloing just to help save on any scroll expenses & as a deathward-bot

[Jeargroth]

Lvl 5, Human Monk Light path.

I have the Jizteka bracers now, and I am doing passable with solo no hirelings so far as long as I am max on my Lvl for Elite content and still getting bravery bonus. I do need to pop pots here and there for bigger fights.

So my next question becomes for the hand wraps...if i go Vampiric I lose all other DPS options including some of the +1, +2 etc for lvl. Is it better to have a Vampiric shard made up for healing vs the extra damage vs mobs?

I ask because i have a feeling getting a shard made is going to cost alot, and I really hate wasteing money on stuff i don't need or won't use.

[GlassJaw]

I am doing passable with solo no hirelings so far

Not sure why you wouldn't use a hireling. It's a no-brainer. At level 7, Flower is pretty good. She fights and can summon a spider - those webs are pretty handy, as is just having another bag of hit points for mobs to attack.

[Uska]

Not sure why you wouldn't use a hireling. It's a no-brainer. At level 7, Flower is pretty good. She fights and can summon a spider - those webs are pretty handy, as is just having another bag of hit points for mobs to attack.

I dont use them myself as I find them annoying and unneeded but thats me, I group when I can and solo when I have to now my other characters may or may not need a hireling but monk hasnt not even on her first life.

[Sonos]

For first life monk, with the Vampiric Stonedust, monk healing, and pots will get you through a lot of stuff. If you don't have a ton of visor of the flesh render guards to cast DW then a cleric for a lot of quests really helps.

As was mentioned earlier, a Helf with cleric dillie is excellent for 95% heal scrolling your way through content lvl 15+.

For quests like Wiz King for example, having Vampiric Stonedust and Frozen Tunic helps a lot! I mainly would use shadowfade to get up levels(it's said that undead all see invisible but for some reason, and maybe psychologically,
I get a ton less aggro; however even if it doesn't work like I think it does, when I'm ready to fight, I am partially incorporeal) and when I get enough aggroed and ready to fight an orange named mummy, I go for Arcane skelly spawn and THEN(and here is where this long-winded paragraph finds the mark), I go into a corner and fight off the mobs one by one in the cubbyhole as they get stuck behind the one in front.

The frozen tunic and vampiric stonedust proc so much that I'm CCing and fighting my way out, calmly and efficiently, even if it's 7 mobs, only one or 2 is touching me at a time. Same with clay golem surprise rooms, you go into cubbyhole by one of the blocks and fight one at a time.

No hire, elite at level. (Wiz-king's lightning double strike can occasionally catch you and if your hp is not up there, you can die really fast... so if your hp is a little on the lower end, a hire would certainly help.)