The Monkey - Dodge Based Pure Monk

[Maelodic]

Hello!

The first intention was that this Monk would be used as a tank, however I've managed to find that the defense could be used to fuel a very amazing offensive front.
This build's goal is to obtain as much dodge as possible and remaining as tanky as possible while using wraps, stuns, and tons of critical hits for damage. This build can obtain admirable tanking levels and is able to do enough damage to hold agro well should you want to intimi-tank, but can also do a large amount of consistent DPS thanks to stuns, the new Quivering Palm, and Monk being the only class that Whirlwind Strike is good/not-broken on. The synergy between the dodge bonuses on the spring attack line with Violence Begats Violence as well as the increased power of Earth Stance and the ability to use Shadow Fade for incorporeal which increases miss chances is just too juicy. Jade Strike also increases physical vulnerability, which makes the bosses a lot easier to handle where a single enemy would normally shut down this strategy. And that's just in earth stance.

In wind stance you become a godless killing machine with 100% offhand chance and tons of doublestrike- combine that with No Mercy and Sense Weakness/Stunning Fist and you have a massive amount of damage that you're looking at. An extra 3d6 sneak attack combined with the proper offensive gear, and you don't need to switch much else to up your damage by a long shot.

UPDATE: As this build is so synergistic with dodge, and you can add another +3 to your dodge cap for a pretty dang cheap (and it goes well with the Monkey theme) this has been switched to Halfling.

Lawful Neutral Halfling
20 Monk/8 Epic
Stats (36 Point):
STR 13
DEX 16
CON 15
INT 12
WIS 16+Levels

+1 DEX tome required before level 9 for iTWF
+1 INT tome required by level 6 for CE
+2 WIS tome required by level 21 for Vorpal Strikes

FEATS:
1 Dodge
1M Two Weapon Fighting
2M Stunning Fist
3M Path of Light
3 Mobility
6 Spring Attack
6M Combat Expertise
9 Improved Two Weapon Fighting
12 Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
15 Greater Two Weapon Fighting
18 Whirlwind Attack
21 Vorpal Strikes
24 Improved Martial Arts
26E Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
27 Blinding Speed or Past Life: Monk
28E Elusive Target

ENHANCEMENTS:
Enhancement: Halfing - Halfling Luck (Rank 1)
Enhanncement: Halfing - Dexterity (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Halfing - Acrobatic (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Halfing - Nimble Reaction (Rank 3)

Enhancement: Henshin Mystic (Mnk) - Riddle of Fire (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Henshin Mystic (Mnk) - Way of the Patient Tortoise (Rank 1)

Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Ninja Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Ninja Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Shadow Veil (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Sneak Attack Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Sneak Attack Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Acrobatic (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Unbalancing Strike (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Agility (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Sneak Attack Training (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Sting of the Ninja (Rank 1) (Ivy Wraps)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Wisdom (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - No Mercy (Rank 3)

Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Bastion of Purity (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Protection from Tainted Creatures (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Iron Hand (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Argent Fist (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Touch of the Void Dragon (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - To Seek Perfection (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Deft Strikes (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Ki Shout (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Smite Tainted Creature (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Iron Skin (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Conditioning (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Jade Strike (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Tomb of Jade (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Instinctive Defense (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Kukan-Do (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Violence Begets Violence (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Meditation of War (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Shintao (Mnk) - Empty Hand Mastery (Rank 1)

Bonuses and their potential:
---------
Tanking (No equipment/stat bonuses)
---------
Dodge:
3 Ninja Agility
3 Dodge
2 Mobility
2 Spring Attack
6 Monk
-------
16% before gear and stats

Dodge Cap:
3 Halfling
3 Ninja
-------
+6% total dodge cap

PRR:
15 Earth Stance
15 Iron Skin
10 Meditation of War
15 Grandmaster of Flowers
-------
55 total PRR before gear

AC:
15 Monk
20% Earth Stance
10% Combat Expertise
-------
(15+WIS+DEX+Equipment Bonuses)*1.3 AC



--------
Damage (Some equipment examples used)
--------

Unarmed Die Potential:
3.5[1d8] Monk/Shintao
+1[W] Sun Sol or Spider Spun
+1[W] Jidz-Tet'ka (Earth Stance Only)
+1[W] Improved Martial Arts
+1.5[W] A Dance of Flowers
+1[W] Antipode
(+1[W] Monk Past Life)
-------
10[1d8] Damage, 90% offhand chance (9[1d8] in Wind Stance, 100% offhand chance)

Doublestrike Potential (Wind Stance):
10 Wind Stance
5 Perfect TWF
8 Doublestrike Item (Skirmishers)
3 Hail of Blows
3 Running with Wind
-------
29% Doublestrike (100% offhand chance)

Remember, unarmed is the only combat style that applies the full STR bonus to offhand strikes. Offhand strikes can doublestrike.


ED:
Grandmaster of Flowers

Required Twist:
Sense Weakness

Equipment is not my forte- though I would always recommend equipment that boosts your unarmed die for more damage, as well as at least a max dodge item and a focus on PRR and AC. A good mix of those and you can easily switch between tank mode and DPS mode via stances.



ALTERNATIVES:
The spring attack>whirlwind feat line is extremely expensive, it's 5 feats, but what you get in return is a 4[W] 360 attack and tons of dodge bonuses, which you will most likely need to hit your higher dodge cap. If you can easily hit your extended dodge cap and retain the focus on dodge to stay tanky, then you can, of course, take other feats. I would still recommend taking the dodge feat for the bonuses you can get from enhancements.
Honorable Mention feats are:
Dragonmark (Halfling) <-- Synergizes with the 60 positive spell power/healing amp from Shintao, and can save your butt in a pickle.
Toughness/Epic Toughness <-- Lotsa Health
Power Attack <-- Self explanatory
Cleave/Great Cleave <-- Self explanatory
Improved Sunder <-- Help you get your stuff off

I wouldn't recommend going the Whirlwind route if you are building with 28 points, as the stats are too spread.

As far as alternate races- human does really well with this because of healing amp and especially with an extra feat. If you choose not to go Dodge/Mobility/Spring attack, Elf can be an interesting option especially if you want a free displacement clicky that stacks with shadow fade.

I opted out of Pheonix but a lot of people like it. Feel free to experiment with the enhancements.

[Pantronic]

I've just built a toon based on this and so far I really like it. Thanks and kudos!

One little gotcha in here though... you need 23 WIS for Vorpal Strikes, which is worth mentioning because it's awfully easy when planning the build to end up short if you were a numpty like me who didn't notice the requirement.

[Maelodic]

I've just built a toon based on this and so far I really like it. Thanks and kudos!

One little gotcha in here though... you need 23 WIS for Vorpal Strikes, which is worth mentioning because it's awfully easy when planning the build to end up short if you were a numpty like me who didn't notice the requirement.

Excellent, let me know how it goes. And thanks!

I'll go ahead and add that requirement in.

[Maelodic]

Completely updated thread with an extremely solid build. Check it out!

[inspiredunease]

ENHANCEMENTS:

Enhancement: Halfing - Acrobatic (Rank 3)

Enhancement: Ninja Spy (Mnk) - Acrobatic (Rank 3)

Presumably these no longer stack?

Bonuses and their potential:
---------
Tanking (No equipment/stat bonuses)
---------
Dodge:
3 Ninja Agility
3 Dodge
2 Mobility
2 Spring Attack
6 Monk
-------
16% before gear and stats

So with a 10% dodge item, you're only getting 26% dodge, which is not utilising all 3% (assuming the halfling and ninja spy enhancements don't stack) of the increased dodge cap? You can however get 3% from perfect balance if you're running this as gmof, which is lucky, as ninja agility is currently bugged, and only gives a maximum of 2% (although I'm not sure about this, I think it may relate to how it's stacking with kensai dodge bonus for my splashed build).

--------
Damage (Some equipment examples used)
--------
+1[W] Sun Sol or Spider Spun
+1[W] Jidz-Tet'ka (Earth Stance Only)

Jidz doesn't stack with Reinforced Fists. Not sure why you'd be using it with sun set anyway.

Not trying to put the build down, seems pretty solid. Just don't want people misinformed. Personally I wouldn't go with the whirlwind line, you can still hit the dodge cap without spring attack and I'd rather take cleave/great cleave/overwhelming critical. But to each their own

[Maelodic]

Presumably these no longer stack?

I was of the assumption they did. I'll have to test this when I get home from work. All of the damage buffs, sneak speed, skill enhancers stack at the moment, so I don't know why they wouldn't.

So with a 10% dodge item, you're only getting 26% dodge, which is not utilising all 3% (assuming the halfling and ninja spy enhancements don't stack) of the increased dodge cap? You can however get 3% from perfect balance if you're running this as gmof, which is lucky, as ninja agility is currently bugged, and only gives a maximum of 2% (although I'm not sure about this, I think it may relate to how it's stacking with kensai dodge bonus for my splashed build).

GMoF with the dodge bonus is what I was intending. Assuming the dodge bonuses do stack, you should hit the dodge cap exactly and nothing more or less. Once again, I will need to test this.

Jidz doesn't stack with Reinforced Fists. Not sure why you'd be using it with sun set anyway.

Yeah- just trying to find sources of [W] bonuses for theory crafting. I wasn't aware they didn't stack, as I do not use Jidz normally because most of the monk healing is in combat, and Wind/Earth stance tend to be king.

Not trying to put the build down, seems pretty solid. Just don't want people misinformed. Personally I wouldn't go with the whirlwind line, you can still hit the dodge cap without spring attack and I'd rather take cleave/great cleave/overwhelming critical. But to each their own

The whirlwind line is kind of part of the theme. Super fricken tanky with the ability to do damage while dodging everything, whirlwind strike+extra dodge bonuses just seemed to meld, and they do. I covered this in the "Alternatives" section, but I probably should expand on it a bit.

With the new heal skill (and especially with Bring Out The Leeches, seriously have you tried that yet? Utility like crazy.) the dragonmarks are actually pretty good especially when you're doing a quest you really shouldn't be able to do. Tends to fall off in EE and the only things useful are your 500-600 HP heals- basically four LoH that don't regenerate.

But yeah, I'll do some updating when I get home.

[EvilKitteh]

Just wondering how this build does with damage due to the lower strength?