3rd Life Shivan Monk (WA), Critique please

[Nilzone]

I'm thinking about swapping Disciple of the Fist for Stunning Fist. Does the monk unarmed damage chart stop at 20? If you there is no die step to climb it's a no brainer. I've been told both, unarmed chart stops increasing after level 17 and that it keeps going up even through epic levels.

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Level 20 Lawful Good Human Male
(20 Monk) 
Hit Points: 337
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 17
Reflex: 17
Will: 21

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(36 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    19
Dexterity            15                    20
Constitution         16                    21
Intelligence         12                    16
Wisdom               15                    28
Charisma              8                    12

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 3
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 11
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 11
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 11
+3 Tome of Intelligence used at level 11
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 11
+4 Tome of Strength used at level 15
+4 Tome of Dexterity used at level 15
+4 Tome of Constitution used at level 15
+4 Tome of Intelligence used at level 15
+4 Tome of Wisdom used at level 15
+4 Tome of Charisma used at level 15
+5 Tome of Constitution used at level 19


                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               6                    28
Bluff                -1                     1
Concentration         7                    39
Diplomacy            -1                     1
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -1                     1
Heal                  2                     9
Hide                  4                    23
Intimidate           -1                     1
Jump                  6                    26
Listen                2                     9
Move Silently         4                    21
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                    n/a
Repair                1                     3
Search                1                     3
Spot                  6                    29
Swim                  2                    14
Tumble                6                    27
Use Magic Device     n/a                    n/a

Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Monk
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Paladin
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Human 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) 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
Enhancement: Improved Balance I
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I


Level 2 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Mobility
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion
Feat: (Automatic) Meditation
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise I
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom I


Level 3 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Past Life: Disciple of the Fist
Feat: (Monk Path) Path of Inevitable Dominion: Fists of Darkness
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
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Void Strike I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I


Level 4 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Magic
Feat: (Automatic) Slow Fall
Enhancement: Human Versatility I
Enhancement: Human Versatility II
Enhancement: Static Charge


Level 5 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Damage
Feat: (Automatic) Purity of Body
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Strength I
Enhancement: Porous Soul


Level 6 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Combat Expertise
Feat: (Selected) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Winter's Touch
Enhancement: Adept of Wind
Enhancement: Adept of Rain


Level 7 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Wholeness of Body
Enhancement: All-Consuming Flame


Level 8 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom II


Level 9 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Whirlwind Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Evasion
Enhancement: Touch of Death


Level 10 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Curse of the Void
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Lawful
Feat: (Automatic) Moment of Clarity
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


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


Level 12 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Abundant Step
Enhancement: Monk Wisdom III


Level 13 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Diamond Soul
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Dexterity I


Level 14 (Monk)
Enhancement: Monk Improved Recovery III


Level 15 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Quivering Palm
Enhancement: Master of Thunder


Level 16 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Ki Strike: Adamantine
Enhancement: Master of the Sea


Level 17 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Timeless Body
Enhancement: Human Versatility III
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise II


Level 18 (Monk)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Storms


Level 19 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Empty Body
Enhancement: Grandmaster of Oceans


Level 20 (Monk)
Feat: (Automatic) Perfect Self
Feat: (Automatic) Shining Star
Enhancement: Monk Serenity
Enhancement: Way of the Patient Tortoise III

Planned for Epic toughness and Vorpal Strikes. Appreciate any comments and/or feedback. I know WA is a feat monster and people will ask why I don't just use Great Cleave. I've tried both and like WA better. It's more fun.

Thanks!

[Soulfurnace]

I'm thinking about swapping Disciple of the Fist for Stunning Fist. Does the monk unarmed damage chart stop at 20? If you there is no die step to climb it's a no brainer. I've been told both, unarmed chart stops increasing after level 17 and that it keeps going up even through epic levels.




Planned for Epic toughness and Vorpal Strikes. Appreciate any comments and/or feedback. I know WA is a feat monster and people will ask why I don't just use Great Cleave. I've tried both and like WA better. It's more fun.

Thanks!

Disciple of the fist. That's.. 0.5[1d6]?
1d3 damage? Versus Stunning Fist, which is arguably the best CC a melee gets (well... not for a barbarian xP)
I'd definitely take Stunning.
And it's both. It stops increasing through MONK levels at 17, but there's not hard-cap (that I know of)
After all, if there was, things like A Dance of Flowers and Improved Martial Arts would be rather useless! (along with epic wraps increasing it)

*edit* why the hell was I on forums before my morning coffee?
Max through monk levels is at level 20, 3.5[1d6], past life is 1d6..
And I quoted the entire bloody build by accident. Oops.
Even so, Stunning Fist>1d6.

And, I barely looked at your feats. I feel like an ass.
Anyway, I personally see WA attack as a trap, no matter how people try to justify it. So many feats for... what?
Epic hard is enough of a joke, and I've never seen the allure of going AoE in epic elite, unless you can have them dead quickly. (See: Monkcher in FoTW. Or Shiradi. Etc.)
WA requires you to wait until lv 18 for IC: Bludgeon. Not the worst thing ever, but still frustrating if you ask me.
But hey, that's just me. If you want it there, than I can't tell you to get rid of it, seeming you aren't gimped... not completely :P
Aside from that, looks like fun at epics, though leveling could be "fun". ^^

[Zaalaos]

I'm thinking about swapping Disciple of the Fist for Stunning Fist. Does the monk unarmed damage chart stop at 20? If you there is no die step to climb it's a no brainer. I've been told both, unarmed chart stops increasing after level 17 and that it keeps going up even through epic levels.

Monk past-life feat increases unarmed damage by 1[w]. So it's pretty much 3.5 dmg increase per swing. Stunning fist amplifies your damage by 50% on every stunnable mob. So it's pretty much non-brainer for me, stunning fist wins by having more utility AND more damage.

Outside of that i can't comment much on build, cuz i'm not monk specialist + i hate single class builds. The more classes the merrier

[Nilzone]

Thanks for the confirmation. This is the first monk build I've had without Stun and I miss it. It seemed to me several levels ago that it was time to make the swap, but I have been getting a lot of advice to the contrary and that was confusing me.

Ya, ya ... I get a lot of **** for WA by theorists in the guild, but then I run with people and everyone is astonished by it's range and damage. I've made staunch opposition take a second look and even watched a few people L/TR into it after seeing it in action. I'm still learning though. I'll definitely take a second look when I'm ready for EE. EE changes everything. I can tell you for sure that it's awesome fun for leveling. Running around with a paralyzer gives me AOE CC that I can clean up with ToD. Having an AOE banisher in Vale or disruptor in necro is just a blast. Anyway, it really is the fun factor atm, and I'm breezing through quests. If I hit a wall that will kill the fun and i'll take another look. It's all about the fun after all.

Thanks for the comments and advice.