How to improve my monk?

[DarkGospel]

I have a lvl 14 monk that I don't use anymore since last year. It's a dex based wind stance build I would appreciate if you guys can help me improve it I know it's not that easy to improve mid-lvl character but the problem is not the feats but the enhacements, I read somwhere that you won't use a single stance all the time since some times you would need a earth stance tor the extra con or fire stance for more damage and ki regen, etc.

This build was completely focused on wind stance I don't know what I should drop since I use most of the enchacements I choose. =/

Strength 16 (20)
Dexterity 16 (27)
Constitution 14 (16)
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 14 (21)
Charisma 8
All lvl ups in dex.

Current Gear
Head:
Neck: Wise +4 neckelce of haggling +3
Goggles:
Trinket: Voice of the master
Robe: Deathblock outfit fo moderate fortification
Bracers: Jidz-Tet'ka
Gloves: Ogre Power +4 gloves of inflict light wounds
Cloak: Matle of the Worldshaper
Belt: Health +4 belt of spell resistence 13
Boots: Striding (15%) boots of tumbling +3 / Featherfalling boots
Ring 1: Dextrous +4 Ring of Sustenance +5
Ring 2:
Main Hand: Stonedust handwraps/more five non-named handwraps for various situations
Off Hand:

Everything in yellow is what I already have.
Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Luck of Heroes (though it was a good idea at the time but plan to swamp this)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I

Level 2 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge

Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Harmonious Balance: Fists of Light
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Finesse (not sure if it apply to handwraps)
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Lifting the Veil
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise I
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Void Strike I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I

Level 4 (Monk)
Enhancement: The Receptive Earth
Enhancement: Improved Concentration II

Level 5 (Monk)
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Dexterity I
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise II
Enhancement: Restoring the Balance

Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Stunning Fist
Enhancement: Shintao Monk I

Level 7 (Monk)
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II

Levvel 8 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II

Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Difficulty at the Beginning

Level 10 (Monk)
Enhancement: Rise of the Phoenix

Level 11 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom III

Level 12 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons
Enhancement: Shintao Monk II

Level 13 (Monk)
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise III
Enhancement: Master of Thunder

Level 14 (Monk)
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Wisdom I

Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise IV

Level 16 (Monk)
Enhancement: Adept of Flame

Level 17 (Monk)

Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Fists of Iron
Enhancement: Shintao Monk III
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms
Enhancement: Adept of Rock

Level 19 (Monk)
Enhancement: Void Strike II
Enhancement: Adept of Rain

Level 20 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Serenity
Enhancement: Void Strike III

It's not on my main server but I don't like the idea of having a weak toon if I ever went back to thelanis but I play there once in a while since one of my RL friends plays a paly there. I might be able to aford one or two feat swamps and still have fred's free feat swamp what makes 3 swamps at total so if there is anything useless this build that I really must change than please tell me.
Enhancements are easier to chance so any suggestion are welcome but I'd like to keep it a main wind stance if possible.

[Therigar]

First, you should not believe everything you read. I only, ever, use Wind and play that way on all my monks. I like melee and the speed boost from Wind means that this is what I get the biggest kick out of.

Second, monks are as easy or complicated to play as you want them to be. Me, I'm not a button masher. So I play them easy. Very little of the finishing moves -- I don't even keep the finishing moves icon on my primary hotbar. I use three basic attacks -- stunning fist, quivering palm and kukan-do/touch of death depending on if light/dark path.

Weapon finesse does apply to handwraps.

[Arkat]

Wind Stance? Yes, always a good choice.
Dex-based? No, always a bad choice.

Make it Strength-based. You do more damage, you save a feat by not using Weapon Finesse, and you can eventually qualify for Overwhelming Critical.

[Therigar]

Make it Strength-based. You do more damage, you save a feat by not using Weapon Finesse, and you can eventually qualify for Overwhelming Critical.

This is not good advice.

Stunning Fist DC is 10 + Character level/2 + Wisdom modifier + Stunning item bonus.

Quivering Palm DC is 10 + Monk level/2 + Wisdom modifier.

Touch of Death DC is 10 + Monk level + Wisdom modifier.

Kukan-Do DC is 10 + Monk level + Charisma modifier.

None of these uses STR.

In fact, the current state of thinking with monks is that they should be neither STR nor DEX based but WIS based.

The epic feat Overwhelming Critical pales in comparison to the two monk epic feats Improved Martial Arts and Vorpal Strikes.

My current epic level monk has virtually no STR having started from a 14 base and putting nothing into raising STR. With Vorpal Strikes running, Drow Smoke Goggles and Shadowdancer destiny it seems like mobs just disappear.

I ran him up until a week ago as a pure DEX/WIS monk and reached L25 with zero issues. I switched because the forums keep pushing WIS based monks. This was correct.

The old notion that you should be STR based or that you should be DEX based is wrong for the current game.

DEX based to level then WIS based for epic is the current best choice if you have the free lesser reincarnation available. Otherwise WIS based all the way with a bigger emphasis in DEX than STR to make sure you qualify the whole TWF line.

STR based is so pre-U14.

WIS based is the wave of the future.

[Arkat]

Vorpal Strikes? VORPAL STRIKES??

Really? REALLY??

Vorpal Strikes is one of the biggest wastes of a feat you can choose. If they hadn't nerfed Vorpal they way they did, I might be there with ya in choosing Vorpal Strikes but...

If you're a Light Monk, a 42 STR and a 42 WIS would suit you well. If you're a Dark Monk, STR (48+) is the way to go.

Regardless, DEX is a POOR way to go.

[phillymiket]

Vorpal Strikes is one of the biggest wastes of a feat you can choose. If they hadn't nerfed Vorpal they way they did, I might be there with ya in choosing Vorpal Strikes but...

Yeah it kinda blows but you can't get anything else really better without putting level ups in constitution or strength.

It's that or bulwark of defense so I go with that but I'm not happy with it.

On the up-side while the vorpal doesn't show up as much as I'd like it gives you slash DR so with spike studded stuff a Shintao can by-pass any DR while still fighting unarmed.
.

[Therigar]

Vorpal Strikes?

Yes.

I had some of the same doubts that you are expressing. However, I LR'd Tangledroots into a WIS based build and don't regret it one bit. Content that he had to work on to get thru is now a cake walk. Content that he wouldn't try except in a group he now does with some work.

The trick is to have the high WIS so that the DC is high.

Tangledroots is a halfling so that means with reasonable investment in all stats that raw base was 14 STR. That is all the STR that he's carrying before tomes and items. He's at a 24 STR with those. And, I'm seeing no reason to have tried to push it higher at build or to have invested stat points.

I guess you could technically call it a STR build if you wanted to restrict that to meaning the stat used to hit. I'd have gone with DEX if I'd had the extra feat for Weapon Finesse (human) but I didn't (halfling).

Overwhelming critical is underwhelming IMO when you are killing stuff outright.

And, I'll reiterate, DEX+WIS on heroic content cannot be touched by any other build strategy.

If OP is wanting to level to 20 then DEX+WIS is the way to go. If they are wanting to really see a huge increase in their melee on hitting epic then WIS is the way to go. No investment in STR, none in DEX, everything in WIS.

Stun everything. Watch the vorpal effect proc regularly.

One thing about Vorpal Strike is that it is a stance. You have to turn it on. But, you can have it active along with Wind stance and Precision. Turns mobs into mush.

[Reos]

...active along with Wind stance and Precision. Turns mobs into mush.

You use precision over Power attack?

[Therigar]

You use precision over Power attack?

Yes.

Part of the reason is the way the feats work. PA requires me to give up to-hit in order to get to-damage. On a first life monk stats are tight going with WIS and also having enough DEX to qualify the TWF line. To push STR higher means giving up CON -- and in spite of playing right now with a 6 CON character, it isn't a particularly efficient use of build points.

That means STR is enough but not much more than that. It is what I use to hit and to damage. So Precision fits better because it gives a boost to hit. That is a small pick up but even a point or two overall is helpful.

I could be convinced to go the other way, but really don't see the need. Honestly, things are just falling over so fast that I don't feel the need for a damage boost.

[DarkGospel]

Part of the reason is the way the feats work. PA requires me to give up to-hit in order to get to-damage. On a first life monk stats are tight going with WIS and also having enough DEX to qualify the TWF line. To push STR higher means giving up CON -- and in spite of playing right now with a 6 CON character, it isn't a particularly efficient use of build points.

Very similar to how Tangledroots' stats looked.

I did not take as much toughness and I took the dodge/mobility/spring attack line. Being halfling, Tangledroots did not have the extra feat to use on weapon finesse.

Personally, having more dodge seems better than having the extra HP from so many toughness feats. Not getting hit at all beats getting hit and having to survive with HP.

If I notice that when PA is on I miss more attacks I'll swamp it to dodge since I already got precision and could drop one thoughness for mobility but I wonder what I would could take out for spring attack.

[Duke-H-]

Vorpal Strikes? VORPAL STRIKES??

Really? REALLY??

Vorpal Strikes is one of the biggest wastes of a feat you can choose. If they hadn't nerfed Vorpal they way they did, I might be there with ya in choosing Vorpal Strikes but...

If you're a Light Monk, a 42 STR and a 42 WIS would suit you well. If you're a Dark Monk, STR (48+) is the way to go.

Regardless, DEX is a POOR way to go.

5 average damage per hit and slashing bypass.

What other feat would you take thats better?

[Arkat]

5 average damage per hit and slashing bypass.

What other feat would you take thats better?

The one that, in addition to some other things, gives me 500-678 damage first number critical hits - Overwhelming Critical. That's better.

[Duke-H-]

The one that, in addition to some other things, gives me 500-678 damage first number critical hits - Overwhelming Critical. That's better.

Hyperbole, how nice.

I don't doubt you can reach high primary numbers with the right combination of build/itemization etc.
But, I'd seriously like to see some numbers in regard to the average damage OC gives you.

There is also the opportunity cost of having to take the pre reqs for it to consider.

[Irongutz2000]

Vorpal Strikes? VORPAL STRIKES??

Really? REALLY??

Vorpal Strikes is one of the biggest wastes of a feat you can choose. If they hadn't nerfed Vorpal they way they did, I might be there with ya in choosing Vorpal Strikes but...

If you're a Light Monk, a 42 STR and a 42 WIS would suit you well. If you're a Dark Monk, STR (48+) is the way to go.

Regardless, DEX is a POOR way to go.

Last time i checked its 5 damage a swing, more then claw set, how is that a waste of a feat.......really?

[Arkat]

Last time i checked its 5 damage a swing, more then claw set, how is that a waste of a feat.......really?

Because, on average, Overwhelming Critical gives my toon more than that per swing/punch per round.

[Chai]

Because, on average, Overwhelming Critical gives my toon more than that per swing/punch per round.

For the cost of 4 feats. One of which just about everyone takes.

Vorpal strikes costs 2, one of which just about everyone takes.

What build is there where those 2 feats wont make up the difference?

[Arkat]

For the cost of 4 feats. One of which just about everyone takes.

Vorpal strikes costs 2, one of which just about everyone takes.

What build is there where those 2 feats wont make up the difference?

Made a few tweeks to one of my pure Dark Monks. I ran in a CitW with a pretty competent group shortly thereafter. With Bard songs and other buffs, I saw numerous 650+ first number criticals, a 720 point first number critical, and a 728 point first number critical!

To me, spending those two extra feets so I could ultimately see critical numbers like that made it all worth it.

[Will_Ferrer]

Im not sure if everyone is aware but it is possible to have both Overwhelming Critical and Vorpal Strike.

[DarkGospel]

First, you should not believe everything you read. I only, ever, use Wind and play that way on all my monks. I like melee and the speed boost from Wind means that this is what I get the biggest kick out of.

Second, monks are as easy or complicated to play as you want them to be. Me, I'm not a button masher. So I play them easy. Very little of the finishing moves -- I don't even keep the finishing moves icon on my primary hotbar. I use three basic attacks -- stunning fist, quivering palm and kukan-do/touch of death depending on if light/dark path.

Weapon finesse does apply to handwraps.

I see, so my current build shoul be fine for the most part it would be very annoying to change it now that there are just 6 lvls left before epic lvls.

Wind Stance? Yes, always a good choice.
Dex-based? No, always a bad choice.

Make it Strength-based. You do more damage, you save a feat by not using Weapon Finesse, and you can eventually qualify for Overwhelming Critical.

Sice I'm already lvl 14 it would be to late to make it str based guess I'll try str-based after TRing than getting cleave istead of Luck of Heroes and Great Cleave instead of weapon finese.

Which items should I go for? I usually play with casters or hybrid-classes which has both spells and melee so I'm not sure of what itens to target at end-game and I stayed away from DDO for a long time so I don't know much about most of the new items it includes the alchemical ones since they where included when I stoped playing.

[Arkat]

Sice I'm already lvl 14 it would be to late to make it str based guess I'll try str-based after TRing than getting cleave istead of Luck of Heroes and Great Cleave instead of weapon finese.

Good plan.

Which items should I go for?

Light Monk or Dark Monk?