Looking for help understanding how some things work with druid

[redoubt]

1. Do the drunk wolf builds use TWF line?

1a. for now it seems that TWF works from wolf, but is not WAI. How do monk/druids take advantage of this? i.e. does twf increase attack speed/# of attacks?
1b. Are they handwrap / kama only builds?

2. Can you get dex or wisdom to damage on a monk/druid?

3. How does the monk die step progression affect the wolf stance? Monks get die-steps with more levels, but the monk/druids often only have a couple levels. Is there something special about monk that allows the +w on the weapons to transfer through? (Not getting the +w on weapons was one of my frustrations when I tried to build a wolf melee before.)

4. Why so little use of pets and primal avatar? Does swapping to dreadnaught just add so much pure dps that you do more without them? Or maybe the reliance on tactical feats i.e. stunning?

[redoubt]

About 2 above, Ninja spy gives dex to hit and damage with pierce and slashing. Does this carry into wolf form or do you lose it because wolf damage is somehow typed as blunt?

[unbongwah]

See this thread for discussion of how TWF feats are (or were) boosting animal-form DPS; as well as Cordovan confirming this is not WAI.

2. Can you get dex or wisdom to damage on a monk/druid?

On a wolf / bear build: no to both, unfortunately. IIUC, the DEX-to-dmg thing only works w/weapons and animal-form atks are considered unarmed, even though they can do pierce/slash dmg. And the WIS-to-dmg from Flame Blades or certain weapons (e.g., Stave of the Seer) don't carry over, either.

3. How does the monk die step progression affect the wolf stance? Monks get die-steps with more levels, but the monk/druids often only have a couple levels. Is there something special about monk that allows the +w on the weapons to transfer through? (Not getting the +w on weapons was one of my frustrations when I tried to build a wolf melee before.)

+[W] modifiers on weapons don't carry over to animal-forms, except for Shillelagh if you've got a wooden club or staff equipped; that's one of the main shortcomings to epic wolf builds who go the S&B/Shield Mastery route. OTOH, the +[W] modifiers for centered monks (e.g., from higher monk lvls or GMoF) will also apply to centered Drunken Wolfs.

4. Why so little use of pets and primal avatar?

Mostly because (A) pets & summons don't scale up in power very much in epics (esp. not compared to EE mobs) and (B) the AI is, umm, not very smart. Which tends to turn them into liabilities / healing sponges rather than assets in epics. Primal Avatar is okay and Rejuvenation Cocoon is every self-healer's best friend; but it doesn't have the raw melee DPS of LD or FotW. Plus some of it is just bizarre or pointless: what good is rust dmg outside of House Cannith and a handful of constructs in epic quests?

[redoubt]

+[W] modifiers on weapons don't carry over to animal-forms, except for Shillelagh if you've got a wooden club or staff equipped; that's one of the main shortcomings to epic wolf builds who go the S&B/Shield Mastery route. OTOH, the +[W] modifiers for centered monks (e.g., from higher monk lvls or GMoF) will also apply to centered Drunken Wolfs.

So every 4 levels of monk splash you get +0.5w and dance with flowers twist gives another 1.5w. Fully upgrade antipode is another 1w. Did I miss any other common +w options?

The builds I'm seeing seem to either have 2 monk or go pretty deep into the 8-10monk level range. It also appears that the die step damage increase is better than any of the other weapon options out there if you are going to melee.

Do I have this correct so far?