Wizard vs. Monk...Winner?

[Zimbel]

The wizard.

Seconded.

The only way a well-played core LV 20 Monk would win against a well-played core LV 20 Wizard is is the Monk could take the Wizard out before the Wizard got a chance to act (keeping the Wizard stunned is a theoretical way to do so). Barring sneaking up on the Wizard and coup-de-gracing them in their sleep (which a competant wizard could also likely avoid if desired), this is unlikely to happen.

Mind you, at very low levels, I'd favor the Monk, but here are how a few strategies would likely work:
1) Grapple the Wizard:
Wizard: Teleport away (say, home, or up 1/4 mile) come back a few rounds later (or 1 with time stop) fully spelled up. Blow the Monk away (unless the Monk is smart, and chose to hide really well).
2) Take the Wizard out round 1:
Wizard: if you don't have the HP to take a single large hit from a Monk, you're unlikely to have lived long enough to hit LV 20. Later in the round, blow the Monk away.
3) Steal the spell component bag:
Wizard: Teleport to a major city. Buy another one. Teleport back, this time fully spelled up. A few minutes later, blow the Monk away (unless the Monk is smart, and chose to hide really well).
4) Stun, round 1. Continually stun until dead:
Wizard: Actually, this has the largest chance of working. The Wizard's fort save should give them a decent chance of saving, but well under 100%. The Wizard might not have a protection against this, and the Monk is likely to pierce any DR. A decent Wizard build by this level should have around +15-+16 Fort Save. The Fort save should be in the range of 24-26. this gives the Monk around a 48.5% chance of stunning (best case), and they should be able to pound on the Wizard until the contingency intervenes, the familiar intervenes, or the Wizard dies (assuing that the Wizard continues to fail saves every round).

Caveat: I've never played a Wizard at this level (or a Monk) so I may be missing something. I have, however, played a Sorcerer at this level, who would essentially do the exact same things I described above.

 

[Goolpsy]

a Monk made solely for a dual vs a wizard would have a chance...and a good one.
with improved evasion.. high saves.. some good items.. and he is untouchable from anything that allows a save.
Monks usually have a higher initiative first too...
And a monk got something called spell resistance.. that will make some of the wizzies spells fail.

But.. if you really wanted to powergame the wizard.. he would be dominating the battlefield.

i'dd say 60-40 in favor of the wizard

 

[Lamoni]

In my opinion, if the wizard was prepared specifically for the battle with the monk, it would win the majority of the time, even when the monk won initiative. If the wizard didn't prepare for the specific battle then I think they would still win more often, but the monk would win more than 50% of the time when they won initiative. All in my opinion of course... and my opinion shouldn't count for much when I haven't ever played past 15th level.

 

[Zimbel]

The main problem for the monk will be dealing with the mobility of the spellcaster. Most 20th level wizards will have dimension door, teleport and fly, and many will memorize all three. If the wizard teleports enough distance away that he can then use fly to get above the monk's abundant step ability (and the monk's caster level is only one-half his character level), the wizard can use various long range spells for which the monk will have no viable counter. Once out of the monk's retaliation range, the wizard can use his myriad of other spell options that avoid the monk's high saves, or don't need to deal with the monk's touch AC: time stop, ice storm, true strike followed by meteor storm. Or he could just pound out lots of damaging long range spells and wait for the monk to miss a save: delayed blast fireball, horrid wilting and so on.

The monk has to close with the wizard, and has to either grapple him or stun him. And he better hope the wizard doesn't have a contingency in place that will whoosh him away.

Even worse, a high-level Wizard can dramatically effect a Monk's mobility without affecting his/her own.

Minor points: 1) After getting Teleport, I'd be unlikely to prepare Dimension Door.
2) The Monk will still take damage on a made save with Horrid Wilting. It's the SR check that could be mildly annoying.
3) There's no intrinsic reason that the Wizard needs to remain in the same plane with the Monk.

 

[Storm Raven]

Even worse, a high-level Wizard can dramatically effect a Monk's mobility without affecting his/her own.

Minor points: 1) After getting Teleport, I'd be unlikely to prepare Dimension Door.
2) The Monk will still take damage on a made save with Horrid Wilting. It's the SR check that could be mildly annoying.
3) There's no intrinsic reason that the Wizard needs to remain in the same plane with the Monk.

1. It can still be useful to have a backup "get me out of here" option.

2. Mildly so - the monk's spell resistance will work on about half of the wizard's spells that allow for it. But I'm a 20th level wizard, I have spells to burn.

3. True.

 

[Aloïsius]

I'm quiet sure there may be a mean to get some portable antimagic field....



The stun tactic is good, it is better with "freeze the life blood" and CDG. Or maybe that feat allowing you to blind your opponent. A blind wizard will have a hard time against a monk (he can of course teleport away).

 

[Storm Raven]

I'm quiet sure there may be a mean to get some portable antimagic field....

Not in the core rules, and if there was a custom item it would be ridiculously expensive (probably an epic item).

The stun tactic is good, it is better with "freeze the life blood" and CDG. Or maybe that feat allowing you to blind your opponent. A blind wizard will have a hard time against a monk (he can of course teleport away).

And return, healed, buffed, and ready to go. That's the problem for the monk in this scenario.

 

[Sejs]

The one who goes first wins.

 

[Klaus]

Like any other "Same CR" fight, this one has exactly 50% chance of going either way.

But you have to pit a wizard and a monk who DON'T expect to fight each other (i.e., average preparation for their level). A well-prepared character (one who knows what's coming) is worth a bump in CR.

 

[IcyCool]

These duels pretty much come down to who wins initiative.

The moment you start throwing preps and buffs in like Contingent Teleport or Monk designed to kill wizards, you'll generally have to favor the most prepared.