Monkcher build with Quivering Palm - Build advice

[supott]

hi, i haven't played a monk since years ago and want to do an almost pure lvl 18 monk, but also want to put in full ranged capability. If my thoughts are in the right direction, then this split can do as much ranged damage as a 12/6 monk ranger and still have a respectable quivering palm DC and respectable melee DPS.

Class: 18 monk 2 ranger
Race: Half elf (Cleric dilettante for scroll healing)
Level progression: 1-2 ranger, 3-20 monk
Feat progression:
1: Point blank shot
3: Stunning fist, Precise shot
4: Zen archery
6: Improved Two weapon fighting
8: 10k stars
9: Manyshot
12: Greater two weapon fighting
15: Improved precise shot
(18-27 not as important)
18: IC: bludgeon
21: IC: ranged
24: Power attack
27: Combat archery

Any advice appreciated...
Thanks

PS: I tried to put together a pure Monk but would need 4 additional feats: Bow Str, Rapid Shot, Longbow proficiency, Two weapon fighting, so 2 ranger seems to be the best compromise, with -3 DC on Quivering palm.
I also don't know the monk abilities too well, so don't know how powerful quivering palm is or other abilities, but i am assuming that it is great, and the DC's can get very high, high enough to sacrifice 3.

[inspiredunease]

hi, i haven't played a monk since years ago and want to do an almost pure lvl 18 monk, but also want to put in full ranged capability. If my thoughts are in the right direction, then this split can do as much ranged damage as a 12/6 monk ranger and still have a respectable quivering palm DC and respectable melee DPS.

Class: 18 monk 2 ranger
Race: Half elf (Cleric dilettante for scroll healing)
Level progression: 1-2 ranger, 3-20 monk
Feat progression:
1: Point blank shot
3: Stunning fist, Precise shot
4: Zen archery
6: Improved Two weapon fighting
8: 10k stars
9: Manyshot
12: Greater two weapon fighting
15: Improved precise shot
(18-27 not as important)
18: IC: bludgeon
21: IC: ranged
24: Power attack
27: Combat archery

Any advice appreciated...
Thanks

PS: I tried to put together a pure Monk but would need 4 additional feats: Bow Str, Rapid Shot, Longbow proficiency, Two weapon fighting, so 2 ranger seems to be the best compromise, with -3 DC on Quivering palm.
I also don't know the monk abilities too well, so don't know how powerful quivering palm is or other abilities, but i am assuming that it is great, and the DC's can get very high, high enough to sacrifice 3.

QP DCs are perfectly workable if you can get something to shore them up, such as the fighter tactics enhancements, or some fighter past lives. Without that I think you might have a slightly harder time getting workable DCs for the higher difficulty levels. It all depends whether or not that's a priority to you.

Why do you want to take ranger levels out of interest? It seems to me that you might be better off with fighter. You're losing one feat, but it opens up access to haste boost, +3 tactics DCs, and +3 dodge. Unless you were going to take some of the low hanging fruit from DWS, which is also perfectly legitimate, you can have access to all of AA for 4 points in the helf tree (which you're probably going to want to spend anyway to get healing amp).

Another alternative if you do want the ranger levels is to take 2 ranger and 2 fighter. The +3 tactics DC from two fighter more than compensate for the lack of monk levels and you gain one extra feat (one will be needed to take grandmaster stance), with which you could take Improved Martial arts or Vorpal Strikes to give your unarmed damage a boost.

[supott]

Very helpful. I didn't put Fighter into the equation as i always think 2 fighter is just 2 feats but didnt realize the +3 dc's and the other enhancements that im only checking out now.. Some nice stuff, also Spiritual Bond seems nice. (Lvl 3 though). 18 monk 2 fighter seems like a nice choice indeed..

I didnt know u needed to use Feats to get the monk's Grandmaster of Forms. Do u need to spend more feats for other forms? Or are you only spending a feat because lvl 20 gives you a bonus feat that you use to take it, but since i'm only 18 monk, i have to use one of my own?

[inspiredunease]

Very helpful. I didn't put Fighter into the equation as i always think 2 fighter is just 2 feats but didnt realize the +3 dc's and the other enhancements that im only checking out now.. Some nice stuff, also Spiritual Bond seems nice. (Lvl 3 though). 18 monk 2 fighter seems like a nice choice indeed..

I didnt know u needed to use Feats to get the monk's Grandmaster of Forms. Do u need to spend more feats for other forms? Or are you only spending a feat because lvl 20 gives you a bonus feat that you use to take it, but since i'm only 18 monk, i have to use one of my own?

If you take 18 monk you'll get all of the forms feats for free (you get the last at 18 monk), I was only suggesting that you would need to take it if you went 16/2/2.

[supott]

If you take 18 monk you'll get all of the forms feats for free (you get the last at 18 monk), I was only suggesting that you would need to take it if you went 16/2/2.

Thanks for the clarification..

I tried experimenting with the new character planner and i tried the 18 / 2 fighter split, but it looks like weapon focus:Ranged is still needed for Bow Strength.. so i'd be losing 2 feats with 2 fighter over 2 ranger..

I tried comparing 18 / 2 ranger and 16 / 2 fighter 2 / ranger and it looks like the latter wins. Even without Grandmaster of forms, it seems to give more.. I can still take Grandmaster.

Looks like 16 / 2 / 2 is going to be my build for my next life.