Monk Question

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As is usual with me, I'm already considering my next playthrough. I have some questions on the Monk class.

1. Does strength have any impact on to hit and damage during unarmed combat?

2. The description says that I get 1 additional unarmed attack for every three levels. Is this without limit? So a level 30 monk would get 10 attacks per round?

3. AC starts at 9 and improves by 1 every 2 levels. This one I'm pretty sure you don't get bonuses for dexterity. So is there any incentive to pump dexterity?

4. +2 movement at level 1, additional +1 every three levels. Again, without limit? At level 30 I'll be moving faster than a hasted character?

5. Is there any purpose of using a weapon except when you encounter something that is immune to +3 weapons or less? (Not that there are many monk weapons that are greater than +3 anyway...)

 

1. Yes, normal 'to hit' and 'damage' bonuses apply.

2. I believe it caps at 4 attacks per round. But they do get WW and GWW for HLA's.

3. You do get bonuses for dexterity. Dexterity will also help with using slings.

4. It should be +1 move every 5 levels.

5. Early on the bonuses to hit and damage from the Scarlet Ninja-To (along with the additional attack) are better than fists (average of 7.5 versus 5.5 with fists), at 9th level it becomes a wash. I think at 12th level is where I saw the advantage go to fists over the Scarlet Ninja-To. At 15th level there's really no reason for weapons below +3. Also, once you get the Gauntlets of Crushing from the Sahuagin King there is no reason for any other weapon (unless you need +5 for some reason).

 

The answers to 1 and 3 are absolutely lovely. I figured that there had to be a cap on 2 - for the very reason you mention. I knew they got fighter HLAs, so what would be the point of GWW if you got that many attacks normally. With question 4, that still means you will be absolutely moving at high levels.

Finally with 5 - yeah - I guess I'll have something in my inventory like the Star Dagger or the upgraded Short Sword of the Mask, just so I have something if I should need it. I tend to under-utilize those two pieces of equipment anyway.

 

I loved playing a monk -- I should play it again (never finished because my computer crashed). The party had Cernd, Anomen, Nalia, and Mazzy (plus the NPC of the moment). Once Cernd got the GWW and the monk hit ~12th or so it just became unfair.

If you don't apply the "bugfix" then monks can use the necklace of power (no level drain), it was fun to watch a monk and vampire go toe-to-toe.

 

Out of curiosity, how exactly does Cernd get GWW? Granted, I've never played ToB with him, and typically he only accompanies the party until we do his quest, but it never occurred to me that he would be able to get that skill, since he's a pure druid.

I was actually thinking of a party consisting of Monk, Nalia, Jaheira, Anomen, Yoshi/Imoen, although I do need someone to wield all those cool swords, axes, etc., and I'm largely undecided on the last party member. Mazzy actually isn't a great fit for this particular party, as I'm going to be needing a lot of those short bows.

 

For Cernd I used GWW for "Greater Werewolf," sorry about the confusion. Use SK on Mazzy -- change her from a bow expert to the weapons you want. Keldorn or Valygar are also options. But for role-playing purposes Mazzy or Keldorn are probably best for a monk.

 

If you go through BG1 as well (Tutu or BGT), any weapon will usually be better than your fists, if you're forced into a melee. In BG2, I prefer to depend on my fists at least from lvl 9 onwards. From lvl 14 onward there's a good chance he'll be your main damage dealer. 1d20 plus bonuses for strength and the gauntlets of crushing make for a lot of damage.

For melee weapons other than your fists you'll never get more than one attack per round, unless you use the scarlet ninja-to, which grants an additional attack per round. If you do need to give him a weapon - either to deal with magic golems or if your fists aren't high enough enchantment (yet) - any longsword is usually your best bet. Angurvadal and Spectral Brand are pretty good for this. For any early dealings with that one demi-lich, your best bet is Daystar. By the end you'll have +4 fists, so there isn't much that you'd need to take another weapon for.

The number of attacks actually increases with 1/2 an attack per 3 levels. I don't know if the BG2fixpack changes this, but that's what it says in my description for the monk, anyway. Also it says that it caps out at lvl 18 to 4 attack per round.

 

I saw GWW and read Greater Whirlwind.

Which is still a ton o' attacks. I suppose a fighter with grandmastery in his main hand weapon and an offhand weapon that grants an additional attack can get 5. (3 standard that any fighter can get, +1 additional from the ability of the offhand weapon, and another +1 with the actual attack from the offhand weapon.)

 

Remember to take into account that a monk cannot be '(Improved) Haste'd (IIRC) which means your only way of increasing your attacks is through WW, GWW and I suppose Scarlet Ninja-to (though I suspect you are past two fist attacks at the start of the game, certainly before you can buy that weapon, also monks cannot put anything into their offhand so you cannot offhand wield Scarlet Ninja-to to increase your unarmed strikes as a fighter could with Belm or Kundane).

 

Agree with the Scarlet Ninja-to. By the time you can afford that weapon, you're probably better off going with your fists.

 

Except that the Scarlett Ninja-To is a +3 weapon and your fists are only +1 at that point. There are some enemies where +3 is rather handy....

 

While it's true that you'll only be around level 9 when you leave Irenicus' Dungeon, and your fists only count as +1 weapons, I'm typically in no position to have anywhere near the gold I need to buy the scarlet ninja-to at that point. Isn't that one of those weapons that costs around 20K gold? I'm just thinking that if I'm heading off the save Imoen quickly, it may take me quite a while to get around to buying that.

 

True, but that's the only thing you buy a monk. Having a monk is like having one less person in your party to buy stuff for (and use valuble stuff).

 

Thats actually one of the reasons I typically dont use them - I like finding shiny toys for my characters!

 

Truth be told, the only reason I'm even playing a monk is because I never have done so in the past. As such, I have also never used the gauntlets of crushing, as they do nothing if you aren't doing an unarmed attack.

I won't mind siding with the king - there actually is some benefit. If you side with the prince you have to walk all the way back across the screen to kill the king, and then all the way back to where you met the prince to leave for the Underdark. At least if you side with the king, after you give him the heart, you instantly travel back to the Underdark entrance.

And once my fists count as +4 weapons, I should be good for the remainder of the game. Monks can only use one-handed weapons, and since I don't think there's any such thing as an enemy that can be hit with a +5 weapon that can't be hit with a +4 weapon, I should be good. I know that there are a few instances where having a +6 weapon can get through when +5 weapon cannot, but since all of the +6 options are two-handed, my monk couldn't use them anyway.

 

I never have. Even when I betray Adalon, I exchange the eggs with the demon for the magic halberd. So no, I won't be fighting that demon.

 

I find monks to be a lot of fun. Fists all the way (at least since the first patch as originally they got the extra attacks with weapons too).

Oddly monks can use the robe of aprenti (which I warp in just so I can put an item into my armor slot), keldorns armor (if your stats are good enough), and the big metal unit (which I wish would not make you look like a golem). Only the BMU actually improves your AC in the end.

Monks are awesome but remember you HP is sadly lesser than your warriors due to only being able to use up to 16 con (which is hilarious if you think about it when it comes to the monk the master of physical perfection). Other than that they are great survivors and are lots of fun. I do wish they would get detect illusions as a thief skill since that would give a reason for their find traps button...

 

I didn't know about the CON. You can only get +2hp per level?

 

Only +2, but a high con (20+) will still give you regeneration.