Level 30 Monk ideas

[rushblitz]

Have a level 30 rogue that has the convert option to a monk available. Wouldn't consider going rogue to monk but the stats on the rogue are painful and would be expensive to fix. Wisdom and logic started at 50. I have two builds in mind, the THW build and the UAC hide ambush build. Character is in Voln at step 22. Converting comes with a fixstat right?

Half-elf stats set for growth:

Normal (Bonus) ... At Level 0
Strength (STR): 60
Constitution (CON): 62
Dexterity (DEX): 70
Agility (AGI): 47
Discipline (DIS): 50
Aura (AUR): 82
Logic (LOG): 73
Intuition (INT): 60
Wisdom (WIS): 82
Influence (INF): 74

This gives 100 in all stats except dis, inf, int which are at 90's. At level 30 have 40 agi/dex bonus for three seconds of RT reduction.

THW Build - 45 physical and 42 mental starting

2x Two handed weapons
2x Combat Maneuvers
1x Multi-Opponent Combat - 30 ranks, two focused strikes
20 ranks of Ambush
2x Physical Fitness
2x Dodging
20 ranks of climb/swim
1x Perception
1x Harness Power - might be too much
7 Minor mental spells
3 Minor spiritual spells
5 Mental lore transformation - for armor bump

Combat Maneuvers:
5 Feint
3 Surge of Strength
3 Burst of Swiftness
2 Perfect Self

Using a maul as a primary weapon but since there is no bonding switching to a katana claid or battle axe is possible for more power or more speed without that loss associated with it. Combat wise open with feint, force project them to the ground then multi-strike or ambush the head. Monk brings perfect self and burst of swiftness over other two handed users which impacts the multi-strike RT more. Focused 3 strikes with a maul is possible in 7 seconds because of race and monk at cap. Unsure what 4 strike RT would be.

UAC Build

2x Brawling
1 rank of Two Weapon Combat
2x Combat Maneuvers
1x Ambush
2x Physical Fitness
2x Dodge
20 ranks of climb/swim
1x Perception
2x hide/sneak
20 ranks of harness power
9 minor mental spells
3 minor spiritual spells

Combat Maneuvers
5 Shadow Mastery - MONKS don't get this, build ruined
5 Dirtkick
2 Punch Mastery

Maneuvers focus on staying hidden and boosting main attack. Could drop second rank of punch mastery for 8 free points for some ki focus to tier up on non hideable critters. None of the stances seem worthwhile as hiding helps defend vs CS by not being able to be targeted.

[Aluvius]

Converting comes with a fixstat.

However, I wouldn't recommend converting the rogue to monk. Maybe just make a new monk instead. At the very least wait until HSN is over and we see how the changes work out. I doubt anything will change enough to knock rogues off from their #1 ambush UAC build spot anyway.

The THW build on a monk is nice, but they still lack access to key cman's in that area. Maybe that will change.

Either way, just wait a bit.

[Donquix]

your THW build is similar to what i did, i .5ed climb/swim and HP. Other than that, worked great. I also had mongoose stance but, i honestly don't recommend it. It's fun and all when it procs but, just general effectiveness was not worth the points, at least at those levels and with your parry chance. I didn't get more transform lore until 50+ (to get full coverage brig with the natural level growth, 15 ranks and left it there). Did way more ambushing head than mstrike....like, way more. As far as mstriking better, i'd say it is EASIER for a monk to do that, but anyone can spend the silvers and get full enhancives :D it is damn nice not relaly needing str/agidex and only +30 max of stats in general though!

for the uac build...i assume you're missing hiding in there? monks can't learn shadow mastery soooo....even then, you really would need to 2x s/h and i would prefer 2x ambush to make this really work, and that is expensive as hell. keep in mind the typical hide/ambush classes (rogue and ranger) either have hugely augmented ability for hiding through a professional bonus or spells, which monks do not as far as i know (spirit fog not withstanding, which both of those other classes do still have anyway)

I'm very eager to see some high post cap exp with sh+ambush some day for a monk, but as it stands i think it's prohibitively expensive before then.

[Androidpk]

your THW build is similar to what i did, i .5ed climb/swim and HP. Other than that, worked great. I also had mongoose stance but, i honestly don't recommend it. It's fun and all when it procs but, just general effectiveness was not worth the points, at least at those levels and with your parry chance. I didn't get more transform lore until 50+ (to get full coverage brig with the natural level growth, 15 ranks and left it there). Did way more ambushing head than mstrike....like, way more. As far as mstriking better, i'd say it is EASIER for a monk to do that, but anyone can spend the silvers and get full enhancives :D it is damn nice not relaly needing str/agidex and only +30 max of stats in general though!

for the uac build...i assume you're missing hiding in there? monks can't learn shadow mastery soooo....even then, you really would need to 2x s/h and i would prefer 2x ambush to make this really work, and that is expensive as hell. keep in mind the typical hide/ambush classes (rogue and ranger) either have hugely augmented ability for hiding through a professional bonus or spells, which monks do not as far as i know (spirit fog not withstanding, which both of those other classes do still have anyway)

I'm very eager to see some high post cap exp with sh+ambush some day for a monk, but as it stands i think it's prohibitively expensive before then.

Figures you don't like mongoose.. :lol:

[Donquix]

Figures you don't like mongoose.. :lol:

it was fun as hell when it worked, it was just so infrequent hard to justify the points. it would be really nice when things start mstriking potentially but, i was THW pre-50. I tried to play around with mongoose + duck and weave in a warcamp as well, might be better higher levels when i did it the stupid grim could barely hit each other so they didn't do much damage. heh.

still though, one of my fondest gemstone memories ever was voln smiting a tree spirit (which i could reliably hit things with smite even with zero brawling...), then it attacked me, i parried, mongoose procced and i chipped its head off (as it was still corporeal from the smite)

fuck you tree spirit. you're a jerk.

[rushblitz]

Hmm thats right monk's can't get shadow mastery just checked in game. Spreadsheet trainer had it as one that was available. Scrap the hide/sneak UAC then.

Has anyone played with the CM headbutt? How effective is it with a good helmet?