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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MwaO" data-source="post: 6703344" data-attributes="member: 12749">The Naturally Talented: RacesThe Naturally Talented: RacesIn general, you are fine with any race with a dexterity bonus. Elves and humans are my favorite monk races, and they excel equally at all traditions - in particular, they both have the ability to get an almost assured hit.This is crucial to setting up Nova rounds for Monks - DW want to add fire damage to all their melee attacks, ET and CB want to position opponents. Another uber race is Revenant, for its ability to pick up racial abilities(aka Twin Strike). Finally, Pixies are great at positioning themselves for maximum effect. Beyond that, Thri-kreen for Stone Fist and Eternal Tide. For Centered Breath wilden and githzerai. For Iron Soul, halflings. For Desert Wind, halfling, eladrin and satyr.Strong RacesBladeling: Has perfect stats for a Centered Breath, but no feat support. The racial attack gives you an additional FoB opportunity if you miss in a given turn. Drow: Perfect stats for CB and DW traditions and some tasty racial powers make them good monks.Changeling: They've got perfect stats for DW, but the rest of the racial powers seem ill-suited for a monk.Kapak Draconian: Most Dragonborn are still bad, and probably outright Red now due to Dragon 421. Because Kapak Draconians get +2 Dex/Cha as an option and some reasonably useful flight at almost no cost. Very good support without getting stuck without a +2 to Dex is awesome! The online character builder will accidentally give them an additional +2 Cha, so be sure to make sure your stats are accurate.Eladrin: They have the Dex, long sword prof for free, racial training with all spears, and feat support for heavy blades as implements.  As the Firewind Blade is only a heavy blade, Eladrin are one of the best races for DW monks.Elf: Perfect stats for Centered Breath, inherent mobility, and free bow training!  What is not to like? Also very good for Desert Wind due to the reroll to make sure Blistering Flourish lands and access to Sarifal Feywarden. Githzerai: Perfect stats for Centered Breath, defensive racial traits, and solid feat support make these one of the best monk races.   As this is also the only race whose culture is built around monks, I wouldn't expect anything less.  Decent heavy blade support also allow the use of the Firewind Blade, which means Githzerai are also decent DW monks.Gnoll: Dex/Con bonuses makes them perfect for Iron Soul.  They have some solid feats and make good chargers.Gnome: A dex bonus and a lot of stealth abilities.  Small size doesn't affect monks much, but the slow speed hurts. Goblin: Right stats for Centered Breath or Desert Wind, but not a lot of support. They make excellent Centered Breath Monk|Sentinels for their ability to ride their companion, though.  Half-Elf: You have your choice of two secondary stats and Diletante opens up some nice options. Combining Twin Strike and a Blurred Strike Ki Focus is quite tasty. Ought to be strictly worse than its Revenant Half-Elf cousin, but problem is that feats are usually so incredibly tight that Half-Elf still has value.Halfling: Perfect stats for IS and DW traditions, solid defensive racial traits, solid racial feats, and no real penalty for being small means that the little people make excellent monks.Hengeyokai: Perfect CB or DW stats, high speed and some interesting racials. Human:  A Dex bonus, NAD bonus, and a free feat make humans great monks for any tradition. Heroic Effort makes sure that setup attack works. There's even a spellscar option for adding fire damage to all encounter/daily powers.Half-Orc:  Perfect stats for a Stone Fist or Iron Soul. Some racial abilities are useful for monks, but racial feats don't match up with monks very well.Kobold: Ok IS monks, not a lot of supportPixie: Dex, tiny size, and at-will flight makes pixies uber monks of any tradition and super uber DW monks.  Just to be clear, you can use close bursts against enemies in your square, which effectively enlarges your close bursts and makes positioning much easier.Revenant: Perfect IS or DW monks that can qualify for another race's feats is awesome for monks.  This is especially true if that race doesn't have a Dex bonus, like Dragonborn, Genasi, Half-elf and Tiefling.   However, this race is commonly seen as cheesy. Note that Revenant Genasi gain the power with Past Soul, they don't actually gain the manifestation. Which means no Shocking Flame. Also, Revenant Monks who are focused on the racial power tend to be ridiculously expensive from a feat perspective. They're sky blue, but they're not as good as they think they are.Satyr: Good DW monks, and some ok racial features. Unlike many DW monks, they have the ability to easily slide targets, which can really boost their DPR.Shadar-Kai: Perfect stats for a Centered Breath, some interesting racial features, and some strong controller feats makes for a solid monk. The need for feat investment on something that will last a round(and uses up your defensive/movement option) can make it complex to put into practice. Very close to Sky Blue.Shade: There are probably better races for Monk. That said, really not as horrible as its reputation if you're a DW monk. Part of that is that by RAW, One with Shadow can be used out of combat.Shifter, Razorclaw: Perfect stats for a Centered Breath, and nice defensive boost once bloodied makes for a solid monk.Thri-Kreen:(DSCS): Perfect stats for Stone Fist and Centered Breath, high speed, low light vision, and useful racial traits and feats all make for an awesome monk race. The racial attack gives you an additional FoB opportunity. Just be aware that Thri-Kreen Weapon Master is broken in Character Builder and you'll have to manually fix it - that's not truly a horrible thing really - you likely want two weapons anyway in Heroic and certainly do by Paragon for Starblade FlurryVryloka: Perfect stats for DW monks, high speed and decent racial ability make for decent monks. Low surge value while bloodied doesn't help though.Wilden: Perfect stats for a Centered Breath and a choice of solid racial options makes these very good monks. There also is even some racial feat synergy now.[/COLOR]Corner-case RacesIn many cases, the Revenant is nearly strictly better than the actual race.Deva: Decent racial powers, but no real synergy except for some radiant builds.Dwarf: The slow speed and lack of dexterity hurts.   However, they can have bonuses in all the different secondary stats, and their natural durability redeems them somewhat.Goliath: Monks can put the Double-roll-for-jump racial trait good use. Genasi: Nice racial abilities and feats, but poor stats for a monk.  Some of the racial attacks will give you an additional FoB opportunity. Shocking Flame can do some interesting things with FoB as well.Kalashtar: No real synergy.Minotaur: Can have any secondary stat, but its racial abilities and feats just doesn't gel well with being a monk.Mul (DSCS): Can have any secondary stat, and a useful racial ability.Shardmind: Their benefits don't generally lend themselves to the life of a monk.Shifter, Longtooth: Bonuses in both secondary stats and a nice damage boost once you've become bloodied makes them passable monks.Tiefling: Fire specialists could make decent DW monks.Warforged: As always, Warforged can make decent chargers[/COLOR]Implements of DestinyThings you should know about monk implementsBefore reading about specific implements, you need to make sure you understand how the monk works.  The following should give you what you need to know.Weapons as implements clarification:  A monk is an strictly implement-based class - none of the monk powers have the weapon keyword.  Non-magical weapon properties only matter for weapon attacks (like OAs and charging). A monk using a fullblade as an implement gets roughly the same benefit a monk using a longsword as an implement.Weapon proficiency means implement proficiency: A monk can use a Ki Focus or any weapon they're proficient with as a implement. Feat, item and power synergy determines a implement's usefulness:  Some feats and items only work for melee powers (which are typically single-target powers) or area powers (which are typically multi-target powers). Iron Armbands of Power are probably the best example of this, as they only work with melee powers, which are typically single-target powers.Specific weapon/implement typesGeneral notes about specific weapons:One-handed weapon/implements are superior to two-handed weapon/implements because they allow the use of Starblade Flurry at paragon tier and/or a parrying dagger (aka, a sai).Club:  Clubs are weapons that are usually held in the main hand to take the feat Crashing Tempest Style (as per the FAQ). You should probably be attacking with an off-hand accurate dagger.  Attacking with a accurate ki focus is also a decent option, but you can't use dragonshards with ki focus, which makes ki focus do lower damage than an accurate dagger would. As a club is a one-handed weapon, you can use an off-hand dagger at paragon for Starblade Flurry. If you are attacking with a club, a club does provides access to the cheapest radiant weapon available: a Crusader's Weapon.  Dagger: A dagger is a surprisingly awesome weapon for a monk.  You can take Superior Implement Proficiency to get an Accurate Dagger for a +1 to hit. You also get to add an additional creature to your flurry of blows with Starblade Flurry, without changing your off-hand weapon.  Nimble Blade gives an additional +1 to hit if you have combat advantage, which is especially good for Centered Breaths with Deadly Draw.  Lastly, daggers have access to the only way a monk can get a magially expanded critical range on non-melee powers: a Jagged Weapon or less common based on DM, Melegaunt's Darkblade. Quarterstaff/Staff:  Monks use quarterstaves as implements, which I believe means that they can use staff enchantments, like the Staff of Ruin, but must wield them two-handed like a quarterstaff. CS consistently has agree with this interpretation.  However, if your DM rules you can use quarterstaves one-handed, like a wizard with staff implement proficiency, quarterstaves get to be a lot better as you can use a Rhythm Dagger with Starblade Flurry at paragon and save yourself a defensive feat.   Superior Implement Proficiency allows you to get an Accurate Staff for a +1 to hit. At paragon and epic however, a quarterstaff's two-handed nature means your losing some DPR and control due to missing out on Starblade Flurry. As a result, if your must wield a quarterstaff two-handed, I strongly suggest you take a multiclass feat that gives profeciency with staff implements to free up a hand sometime around level 11 so you can free a hand for Starblade Flurry. The Staff of Ruin provides one of the only ways most races can get an item bonus to damage on non-melee powers, which is a significant advantage if you do a lot of multi-attacking.Ki Focus/Unarmed: The rules for Ki focus use by monks are strange and unclear. There are three distinct interpetations of the Ki Focus rules for how Ki Focus interact with weapons (such as the monk's unarmed attacks), so make sure you know how your DM interprets Ki Focus before you decide to use them.1) Recent rules appear to clarify the PHB3 rules for Ki Focus, and specify that you must use a ki focus directly as an implement.  This makes ki focus only ok as implements, as neither the weapon feats, nor the unarmed feats or powers work with monk powers.  For example, Unarmed Mastery and Fighting Fury cease to work under this ruling. This is the  almost certainly the intended use.2) Newer rules, such as in HoS,  mention that Ki Focus can take the form of weapons, so your DM could say your Ki Focus is a weapon. This of course doesn't allow Ki Focus to work with unarmed feats, but it would allow ki focus to take advantage of weapon feats.  This makes ki focus good as implements if you want to use a true weapon like a dagger.  However, the ki focus presumably can't take the form of your fist, so unarmed feats or powers probably won't work with the use of a ki focus under this interpretation.3) Both versions of the character builder as well as customer service allow you to simultaneously make use a ki focus and a weapon  for both weapon and an implement attacks.  Under this ki focused weapon-as-implement interpretation, you apparently count as attacking with both a ki focus and some sort of weapon, like an unarmed attack or a dagger attack.  Under this interpretation, Unarmed Mastery and Fighting Fury work effectively with monk powers.   With the ki focused weapon-as-implement interpretation, the ki focus grants its enhancement bonus and the magical properties to any weapon or unarmed attack you attack with, but you lose any existing enhancement bonuses and magical properties of the weapons you were using.  The ki focused weapon-as-implement interpretation gives ki focus a big advantage, as they can benefit from weapon feats and passive weapon properties (like a Shielding Blade, a Rhythm Blade, or an off hand Ki weapon)  and also use a ki focus. This makes ki focus very goodas implements.   Under all interpetations, both of your hands are also free to hold weapons, daggers for Starblade Flurry, and clubs for Crashing Tempest Style feat (as per the FAQ). Superior ki focus do exist, so I recommend every ki focus user pick up the superior implement feat by mid-heroic.  The problem with ki focus is that dragonshards won't work with Ki Focus, so you're losing 1-5 damage relative to every weapon.  In addition, ki focus don't have a ton of really nice  properties, and some of the best properties (such as Rain of Hammers Ki Focus) can be used even if you don't attack with the ki focus.  Spear: The usefulness of spears varies dramatically over the course of the game.  Through paragon tier, a basic spear is most useful for Centered Breaths focusing on slides at the heroic tier,  push/Draconic Arrogance builds, and charging builds. Pointed Step Style allows you to trigger flurry of blows on an enemy up to 2 squares away, which is useful. For example, it allows Centered Breaths a decent amount of board control, especially in heroic. It also allows a monk to kill a minion that is just out of normal reach or target another enemy if it dies from the main attack. (You should note however, that some DMs have Flurry of Blows trigger before you roll damage on the attack.)Shuriken: As far as monks are concerned, anything you can do with a shuriken, you can do better with a dagger. Shuriken also don't have the off-hand property, which strictly limits their uses.How do I use unusual monk weapons without a generic proficiency feat? A few races naturally have proficiency with a weapon, such as Elves, and many more races have nice proficiency feats that also provide a damage bonus with their racial weapons, such Dwarves, Eladrin, and Githzerai. Backgrounds can also be used to gain proficiency in a weapon, such as Gritty Sergeant or Noble Sicon. A few monk PPs are give proficiency and benefit if you use usual monk weapons like the hand crossbow (Unseen Hand) and heavy blades (Soaring Blade). Multiclass feats also frequently grant proficiency with implements, with rods and holy symbols being the most popular.Why would I want to use an unusual monk weapon/implement?Some races gain good bonus damage using these unusual weapons as monk implements. Also, a few monk PPs are designed around unusual monk weapons like the hand crossbow (Unseen Hand) and heavy blades (Soaring Blade) and only give major benefits if you use them. Charging a lot is another way to increase Monk's single target damage and some unusual weapons might grant significant damage bonuses in those circumstances.  Specific Unusual Weapon TypesAxes:  Axes aren't particularly good monk weapons, but Dwarves and Goliath can easy get proficiency with them.  The kopesh also is an interesting axe that is also heavy blade, so Githzerai may decide to use axes as well. Axes can be used to crit-fish using multi-attack powers combined with Rending and Melee Training.  Axes, such as a Vanguard Waraxe, can make good charging weapons Bow/Crossbow: Bows and crossbows make surprisingly good monk implements, especially the hand crossbow.  Bracers of Archery give an item bonus to all attacks using a bow or crossbow, which is one of the only ways to get a decent item bonus on monk area attacks.  As a monk, you also have a good ranged basic attack. In addition, the hand crossbow is one-handed so it can be used wth Starblade Flurry or a parrying dagger. The hand crossbow can also potentially be used to crit-fish with Two-Fisted Shooter. Hand crossbow users also have their own paragon path: Unseen Hand.  However, hand crossbow users may run into loading problems, as you need a free hand to load the hand crossbow. Lastly, bows and crossbows can use the Mindiron enchantment to give their attacks the psychic keyword.  This further opens up Psychic Lock and +1 to hit with the Headband of Intellect.Hammers: Hammers aren't particularly good monk weapons, but Dwarves and Goliath can easily get proficiency with them. The Avalanche Hammer is the best charging weapon until Epic, when Thundergod become better. Heavy Blades: Heavy blades make decent monk weapons, especially for the githzerai and eladrin. Their accuracy and size make them good charging weapons. In addition, Heavy Blades have access to many great enchantments, such as Jagged and the Harmony Blade. These enchantments make heavy blades good crit-fishing weapons to use with multi-attack powers. The Firewind Blade also is great for DW monks, but only available as a heavy blade.  The Githyanki Silver Weapon also allows the psychic suite detailed above in the bow/crossbow section. Soaring Blade is a monk paragon path that specializes in Heavy Blades.Holy Symbols: Holy symbol expertise means you never grant CA if you make an attack, which is great for a class that likes to fight surrounded.  Holy symbols also are slotless, so you can have two weapons, a ki focus, and a holy symbol all equiped at the same time. Taking a multiclass paladin or cleric feat is probably the best way to get profeciency. The downside is that for the most part, the Holy Symbol classes don't hand out great non-standard action attacks to poach. Polearms: On the one hand, monks have great stats for Polearm Momentum and Polearm Gamble.  Hafted Defense allows some additional defense and polearms are good charging weapons.  In addition, many polearms are spears, and they therefore have access to Pointed Step Style and Surprising Charge.  One the other hand, monks are best when they are adjacent to enemies.  Polearms are also two-handed, which removes access to Starblade Flurry and parrying daggers.  Eladrin, Dwarves, Githzerai, and Goliath all have access to at least one polearm through their racial weapon feat.Rods: Rods can be used by Monks that take a multiclass feat that grants implement profeciency from a rod using class, like Artificer or Invoker.  Rod expertise grants a shield bonus to defense, which is nice.  Rods can be really fun for dragonborn monks by turning all monk implement attacks into multi-elemental rainbows of awesomeness by using the Rod of the Dragonborn and their breath feats. Spears: Spears have many of the qualities of polearms for Monks and not as many of the downsides. Eladrin can make use of a Short Spear in Heroic with a Club and then swap the Club over to Dagger in Paragon.[/B]</blockquote>

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