Looking for a good Monk build

jarlaxlecq · Oct 14, 2003

Looking for a good balanced monk build. Using a 30 point buy. Standard 3.5E and FR Material. Looking for a 4th Level Char (joining a game already in progress) Max HP first 2 levels. roleing for the next two. Have about 2500gp of bling bling to spend on niceties with no magical items >1000gp. Any suggestions, both now and when i level them up? Thanks

Legildur · Oct 14, 2003

You probably need to outline a role for your character. Will the game focus on roleplaying or combat? What are the other races and characters in the party? What role do you normally like to fill? What races appeal to you as a player?

There are so many options out there for monks, but not enough feats to go around, so you really need to focus on building synergies with your bonus feats to maximise potential (both survivability and contribution).

jarlaxlecq · Oct 14, 2003

Legildur said:
You probably need to outline a role for your character. Will the game focus on roleplaying or combat? What are the other races and characters in the party? What role do you normally like to fill? What races appeal to you as a player?

There are so many options out there for monks, but not enough feats to go around, so you really need to focus on building synergies with your bonus feats to maximise potential (both survivability and contribution).

Good point, so far we've tended to focus on Combat. The Other characters are a huge Half Orc Barbarian, a Wild Elf Sorc, a halfing rogue and a Human Paladin. (yep we're a montly crew

) We have a High Elf Wizard but they are going on sabatical for a few sessions.

As to a race i lean Human or Elf, i'm curious with how well a Half Orc could do.

Legildur · Oct 14, 2003

My current dwarven monk was originally going to be a half-orc - purely for the Str bonus. But the DM warned me that half-orcs were going to have a particularly tough time culturally in the areas we were traveling. Reading between the lines, I decided to take a dwarf and make him a grappler.

Loss of speed hurts a bit initially, but the +2 racial bonuses to saving throws vs spells and spell like effects, and poison, the bonus to Con in exchange for a penalty to a dump stat (Cha), stability bonus against trips (that synergy with bonus feats I was talking about) and darkvision seemed to me to outweigh the benefits of the additional feat and skill points of humans. YMMV.

I don't know much about the sub-races, maybe there is a really nice elf sub-race that would also prove beneficial.

For raw hitting/grappling power, the half-orc is the way to go. For survivability, I'd say a dwarf (hit points, hit points and more hit points). For utility take human. And like I said, maybe the right elf would fit the package.

Once you address the race and role issue, then you can start building something with synergies and tactics in mind. For instance, with the right skill set, a darkvision able monk can make a very useful scout if you don't have a rogue.

jarlaxlecq · Oct 14, 2003

Legildur said:
My current dwarven monk was originally going to be a half-orc - purely for the Str bonus. But the DM warned me that half-orcs were going to have a particularly tough time culturally in the areas we were traveling. Reading between the lines, I decided to take a dwarf and make him a grappler.

Loss of speed hurts a bit initially, but the +2 racial bonuses to saving throws vs spells and spell like effects, and poison, the bonus to Con in exchange for a penalty to a dump stat (Cha), stability bonus against trips (that synergy with bonus feats I was talking about) and darkvision seemed to me to outweigh the benefits of the additional feat and skill points of humans. YMMV.

I don't know much about the sub-races, maybe there is a really nice elf sub-race that would also prove beneficial.

For raw hitting/grappling power, the half-orc is the way to go. For survivability, I'd say a dwarf (hit points, hit points and more hit points). For utility take human. And like I said, maybe the right elf would fit the package.

Once you address the race and role issue, then you can start building something with synergies and tactics in mind. For instance, with the right skill set, a darkvision able monk can make a very useful scout if you don't have a rogue.

Ok so the Half Orc sounds like it will work. Overall i see my character as a jack of all trades, part fighter, part scout etc. Since we already have Two fighers (though the Barb won't be in all gaming sessions) a rogue i don't think I have to take on one of those roles, I want to go for flexability. For Role playing perposes being a Half Orc wont be an issue, we're playing near the Silver marches and waterdeep so half orcs aren't loved but they are at least tolorated.

Darklone · Oct 14, 2003

No cleric in the group?

Dwarven or halfling Monk2/cleric.

jarlaxlecq · Oct 14, 2003

Darklone said:
No cleric in the group?

Dwarven or halfling Monk2/cleric.

So far we've been getting by on a Wand of Light Cure. Its a temparary solution, The Paladin might take a level of Cleric

Storminator · Oct 15, 2003

If you can use any FR material, there's a feat in Races of Faerun called Jotunbrund (I think...) that makes you a brutal grappler. IDHTBIFOM, but I think it requires human from the North, and it treats you as one size larger. So it's a +4 to grapples.

Add in Improved Grapple, and a bit of a Str mod, and you can get around +13 grapple at 4th level. Go sneaking with the rogue, grapple the sentry, silence them, and have the rogue knife the heck out of 'em.

Later on you can get to the wizard and grapple them no end. Leave the mooks to the barbarian...

PS

MarauderX · Oct 15, 2003

Steal mine

I would take my first 2 levels in Fighter for the Max HP and 2 bonus feats. Then a level in Wizard so you can cast Mage Armor (+4 to AC really helps out in melee) as well as have other options available, like Prestidigitation, Magic Missle, Charm Person or Summon Monster. Plus you can summon a familiar to help you out if you want. Take your last level in monk, and your saves will be pretty good or better than any 5th or 6th level party member.

I did the above solely to get the feat Great Throw (out of OA) at 4th level. It's great fun throwing enemies around, and pumped up my tumble skill so he will be able to get nearly anywhere in a battle. With Great Throw and Combat Reflexes, he gets 3 AoOs on enemies standing from prone, and if instead they decide to attack him while down they get enough penalties to most likely miss with his high AC. With the bonus feat for being human I was able to make it. I took Improved Grapple at 6th level (3rd monk), and will take Improved Disarm and Grappling Block (OA) at 9th. Mostly my monk (now 6th level) is a gimmick guy who can get anywhere in a battle and start tossing wizards and other back line guys around at 2 per round.

Your BAB and damage will be a little lackluster to start, but it will only get better as you keep adding levels in monk. AC is good at the start though, 15+4 w/mage armor, and will only get better once you find a Ring of Protection or such. Your HP should be really good with the 2 levels of fighter to offset the 1 level of wizard.

Here are my stats with around a 30+ point buy:

Str 14
Dex 14
Con 10
Int 14
Wis 16
Cha 8

I think that works out correctly, and will add points into Dex to increase his AC and skills. Also try to get your party mage to cast Enlarge on you in the future, as your threat range increases, allowing you to toss foes that much farther. Now get into a fight near a cliff, top of a wall, etc., and you become the party's MVP.

Gnome Berzerker · Oct 15, 2003

Ask, and ye shall recieve:

The biggest, munchiest thread EVAR about Monks

This really does detail a few different, really good Monk builds, depending on what type of Monk you want to play.