Are monks as good as they seem?

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I would like to hear more opinions about this class. At the moment i'm going through the game with a monk as main character (the second one, I might add), and I feel quite invincible at level 16+. Is it just me ? I can assure you I'm not that good at this game.

[ September 23, 2002, 23:56: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Yes, a monk is very powerful, I assure you . He can't be hasted, though .

 

Monks are cool . They can kill adamantine golem in few minutes (no weapon needed) and their imunites + resistance to magic rocks though they are quite weak in the begining.

 

I am currently playing a MP game with a Monk (lvl 10). I am waiting patiently for her to get real powerful, but for now she is only mediocre. However, her saving throws are great and the vampiric touch, stunning blow and horror abilities are nice. She doesn't really deal out that much damage yet, and tends to get hit alot in melee due to a meager -1 AC. Is there a certain level where monks become real powerful or is it just a gradual progression? I have found my Barbarian to be by far the more powerful character to this point.

 

@ Jim Babwe:

Monks receive magic resistance at level 14. That's when the breakthrough occurs. Other than that, their main attributes (AC, THAC0, speed) increase gradually, without limits (if there are limits, please let me know).

 

hah, get to when you get the palm thing and you'r invincible!

 

My two multiplayer monks, Leto and Ghanima, were two of the most powerful characters I've ever made. I did edit them a bit, to give them some abilities belonging to a certain monk in TOB that will remain nameless, but it might as well have been legit since I only used the abilities in about three battles.

Monks become very powerful.

 

There's a monk in TOB! Awww, look what you've done! Now I really have to play it...

 

@Jim: He/she will be very powerful when you get the Guantlet of Crushing from certain quest in Chapter 4, it has +4 to damage and thac0 (unarmed combat only)

 

Monk is the most powerful character in the game, and no need to think much about the equipment.
- At the end it can do d20+4 damage I think it is better than the best weapon (d12+4).
- The AC decreasing constantly you can have -12 easily (like Firkraag's the red dragon).
- 78% the cap of the magic resistance, but with other magic items you can increase is (Ring of Gnax for example) I had 98% which is practicaly 99%... (if 100% equals to 99% i don't know this)
- With the gauntlets, which give you +4 THACO and +4 Damage you are over powered
- Haste is good thing, but i think the monk moves faster than the others

Only disadvantage, that, in the begining, it is not strong enough, so don't think about soloing...

 

I play my monk in sologame, I had no troubles killing my enemies in the beginning, but sure, some other classes may be a better choice in solo...but nothing can beat the way they fight, solo, multi, doesn't matter!

 

When you solo a monk, just do some "easy" quest first to get some exp (like collecting 15000 gp, slave's quest, circus's tent quest, etc)

@Valer: haste sure isn't very good, but you can't use improvehaste, which is very powerful (double your attack/round, ahhh!)

 

Monks do get ridiculously powerful in the higher levels. There's a savegame somewhere of this guy who kitted out this monk just to kill Firkrag... you can see the savegame after he kills him as well. He managed to do it in a few seconds (Quivering thingy of death that he has )

 

Yeah, monks are powerfull, but I personally find Kensai better. Even that the AC in comparison to a monk sucks, you can get it to -2. Ring of regeneration combined with ring of Gaxx (not sure about spelling), combined with the regeneration / +1 AC stone and boots of speed make wonders ... In case that you have a druid - barkskin helps a lot.

The +1 to hit / damage every 3 levels makes your thac0 REALLY interesting. Kiai is very good too. And with the high level skills - no problem with any of the bosses.

The main advantage is the damage - you are able to dispatch the enemies much faster than a monk. Just make sure that you have decent wisdom - for the spell saving throws.

As for the ranged weapons - just give him / her some throwing dagger or axe.

I have been playing a MP game with both kensai and monk in the party - and where monk is VERY good to attract the enemies and avoid / absorb damage to buy time for the party, a kensai simply cuts his way through the battlefield.

The only thing that sucks is level draining - but what are the scrolls of undead protection for?

Hassasin

 

one thing about monks, I eventually made it to the level cap with my monk. I rerolled in the begening so much until i got a STR 18 CON 18 DEX 18 WIS 18 INT 5 CHAR 6. So get this by the time he hit the level cap he was so amazing I had to remove all but viconia from the group because all the other characters slowed me down. Monks are gods, they could take gods. If you want the game to be a bit of a challenge do not be a monk. If you like playing god be a monk. But i was cheap to, I would do quivering palm on a dragon till i beat it, a lot of reloading though, about 20x times, but the satisfaction of taking a red dragon in one hit was so worth it.

 

The most common misconception about monks is probably that they are at their most powerful in unarmed combat.
This is true only if you don`t have the bonus merchants installed.

Jouluv in the Coronette sells the Scarlet Ninja-Toe +3. This weapon is ESSENTIAL especially at early levels.
It grants an extra 1/2 attack per round, and does poison damage.
What`s so good about that you ask ??
Poison damage kills trolls.
So a solo monk should have this weapon as their primary weapon in the early stages (until their unarmed damage overpowers it), and after that keep it on them, to be used in troll killing.

 

A lot of things kill trolls, starting with fire arrows and ending with Sword of Flame. They aren't major opponents; just allow Nalia to come with you and say 'Goodbye, big green uglies...'
And you don't need special editions for her.

[ September 30, 2002, 12:41: Message edited by: r'Hant ]

 

You don`t need special editions for the bonus merchants either; you can download them almost everywhere now.
And the Scarlet Ninja-To is a monk-only item; and it also improves on their unarmed attacks per round.
In other words, a solo monk should NOT be without it. A party monk will probably have a Made, a Cleric, and another Tank to back him up, so the abilities of the Scarlet Ninja-To aren`t as important, but still quite worthwhile.

 

Soloing a monk?

Have any of you done it? How do you open chests? Can you complete the game without picking ability?

Sirfin~

 

Monks are very powerful, but a bit boring towards the end. and he starts very weak. he's cool though...