Monk Character Creation

[Legacy_Adeph]

               

Interesting, I haven't played many modules created by the community so that's useful to know. Thanks for the replies.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

This is a late reply, probably too late to be helpful to the original poster.  But I am playing through the OC now after haven't looked at it for many years, and playing a Monk.  It is a very powerful character.

 

I started with Human with STR 12, DEX 16, WIS 16, all other abilities 10.  Ability increases have been in Dexterity.  Feats so far have been (1) Dodge, Luck of Heroes, (3) Weapon Finesse, (6) Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike, (9) Blind Fight, (12) Improved Critical: Unarmed Strike.  Skills have been Discipline, Heal, Listen, Persuade, Tumble.

 

(I took Heal to use Healing Kits in combat without provoking attacks of opportunity.  However, I think that using them leaves me flat-footed, which is very bad.  So if I had it to do over again, I'd take something besides Heal.)

 

Right now I'm at level 14.  Throughout the game, AC has been so high that even bosses have trouble hitting.  I keep a stock of potions of Cat's Grace/Owl's Wisdom/Barkskin for the bosses, but in most cases that is overkill.  CON 10 has been fine; with the high AC I don't need the extra hit points, and the Monk's defensive feats make Fortitude saves an infrequent occurrence.

 

I went with fists rather than Kama to make use of Stunning Fist.  I haven't multi-classed, to maximize the DC on Stunning Fist and Diamond Soul.

 

My attack and damage are quite sufficient without adding in Fighter levels.  I don't think it worthwhile to dilute Diamond Soul, which has had a huge impact.  Though I carry Tomi around as a henchman, to detect traps and such, he is more of a liability than a help in combat, and gets a Stand Your Ground whenever I spot a tough looking enemy.

 

The only problem with the character is that Monk Speed is often more of a curse than a blessing.  I have to be careful not to outrun Tomi's range for detecting traps.  At one point I dumped Tomi to bring along Sharwyn, but it was too easy to run out of her Bard Song radius when battle starts.  (i don't want henchman who are going to fight in melee- my Monk is such a good tanking character that I don't want henchmen unnecessarily drawing attacks away from me.)

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

This is a late reply, probably too late to be helpful to the original poster.  But I am playing through the OC now after haven't looked at it for many years, and playing a Monk.  It is a very powerful character.

Still on list so still help anyone. Posting is good.

I started with Human with STR 12, DEX 16, WIS 16, all other abilities 10.  Ability increases have been in Dexterity.  Feats so far have been (1) Dodge, Luck of Heroes, (3) Weapon Finesse, (6) Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike, (9) Blind Fight, (12) Improved Critical: Unarmed Strike.  Skills have been Discipline, Heal, Listen, Persuade, Tumble.

Only use Listen/Spot in module you know has NPCs that use stealth or else wasted skill.

(I took Heal to use Healing Kits in combat without provoking attacks of opportunity.  However, I think that using them leaves me flat-footed, which is very bad.  So if I had it to do over again, I'd take something besides Heal.)

Skill still better than pots in battle cuz pot cause AoOs and can heal hench w/o them stop attacking for round to get their own AoO.

Right now I'm at level 14.  Throughout the game, AC has been so high that even bosses have trouble hitting.  I keep a stock of potions of Cat's Grace/Owl's Wisdom/Barkskin for the bosses, but in most cases that is overkill.  CON 10 has been fine; with the high AC I don't need the extra hit points, and the Monk's defensive feats make Fortitude saves an infrequent occurrence.

 

I went with fists rather than Kama to make use of Stunning Fist.  I haven't multi-classed, to maximize the DC on Stunning Fist and Diamond Soul.

If nice gloves in module it good choice. Fist do better dmg to skels than kama anyway.


StF DC have nothing to do with class lvl. DC is for character lvl so if go fighter 4 lvls, DC the same and get higher APR. Owl pots help DC, too. Main reason taking monk/ftr4 is feats and extra APR, but like you say, not need for OC.

My attack and damage are quite sufficient without adding in Fighter levels.  I don't think it worthwhile to dilute Diamond Soul, which has had a huge impact.  Though I carry Tomi around as a henchman, to detect traps and such, he is more of a liability than a help in combat, and gets a Stand Your Ground whenever I spot a tough looking enemy.

Try install that TonyK Hench AI for next time. Work much better but prolly need install from new game. Dunno for sure. Can use hench inventory in OC if you want, too, but don't have to. Yah, monk SR is nice to have... very nice.

The only problem with the character is that Monk Speed is often more of a curse than a blessing.  I have to be careful not to outrun Tomi's range for detecting traps.  At one point I dumped Tomi to bring along Sharwyn, but it was too easy to run out of her Bard Song radius when battle starts.  (i don't want henchman who are going to fight in melee- my Monk is such a good tanking character that I don't want henchmen unnecessarily drawing attacks away from me.)

Yah, speed sometime hard to control. Easy way just do detect mode when have haste robe or boots. Then see traps pretty fast. Or put many point to Search so don't need so many rolls to see them. Think dice rolls per 6 secs not in detect but per 3 secs in detect plus distance when dice start to roll is double in detect so that what a fast monk need to see trap.


Maybe try Glinkle if toon good tank. He stay back far enough. But spend lot of his time buffing. Still, should try all for a little time just to see what work best with tanker monk. Some archer work but when  I play fast monk in OC I always lose Sharwyn and need to reload so she come back to me. 


Dex build good for monk cuz when it see Mestil or Element sheath can switch to sling with high AB still. No monk APR with sling but also no dying from hitting too much acid dmg in one round. Or just wait til dmg shield expire if you will wait around.  Slaad make bad Mestil dmg usually.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

Only use Listen/Spot in module you know has NPCs that use stealth or else wasted skill.

 

I went with Listen because, according to the Wiki, a character who hears an enemy and has Blind Fight will not be caught flat-footed by a hidden melee attacker.  I don't know whether it is actually helping or not.

 

Try install that TonyK Hench AI for next time. Work much better but prolly need install from new game. Dunno for sure. Can use hench inventory in OC if you want, too, but don't have to.

 

Despite the fact that the henchman AI for the OC is awful and annoying, I wouldn't upgrade it with a mod.  A combat-competent henchman would make the OC too easy.  The ability to equip a henchman would make it way too easy.  Plus I view it as something of a challenge to figure out ways to keep Tomi alive despite the AI.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               

(I took Heal to use Healing Kits in combat without provoking attacks of opportunity.  However, I think that using them leaves me flat-footed, which is very bad.  So if I had it to do over again, I'd take something besides Heal.)

It doesn't leave you flat-footed. It totally does leave you flat footed, just doesn't break Stealth or trigger and AoO. Whether Heal is useful entirely depends on the module -- the more healing available, the less valuable it is. In the OC you'll be swimming in full Heal potions (always heals to max HP) in Chapter 2 and beyond at a minimum so the Heal skill isn't so great. But in modules that have more limited potions and cash, it can be extremely efficient in terms of cost of healing AND in terms of healing per round.
 

CON 10 has been fine; with the high AC I don't need the extra hit points, and the Monk's defensive feats make Fortitude saves an infrequent occurrence.

Yeah, past the first few levels Con has severely diminishing benefits in most modules, especially since most healing is either a flat amount (so more raw HP doesn't mean much) or is massively plentiful (so you can freely splurge healing supplies).
 

The only problem with the character is that Monk Speed is often more of a curse than a blessing.  I have to be careful not to outrun Tomi's range for detecting traps.  At one point I dumped Tomi to bring along Sharwyn, but it was too easy to run out of her Bard Song radius when battle starts.  (i don't want henchman who are going to fight in melee- my Monk is such a good tanking character that I don't want henchmen unnecessarily drawing attacks away from me.)

You can tell them to use ranged weapons all the time via dialogue, which will help keep them out of melee.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

Despite the fact that the henchman AI for the OC is awful and annoying, I wouldn't upgrade it with a mod.  A combat-competent henchman would make the OC too easy.  The ability to equip a henchman would make it way too easy.  Plus I view it as something of a challenge to figure out ways to keep Tomi alive despite the AI.

Yah, the gear is fine way it is. But if you try using caster or singer, it almost impossible to get them to follow leader's plan in OC so the convo menu like HotU make it not so "awful and annoying". Melee hench easy to control mostly. So it just a choice. Lots like the way the tweak make their play time more controlled instead of chaos. Makes no matter for my playing cuz my toon alway solo for max XP on highest diff

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

You can tell them to use ranged weapons all the time via dialogue, which will help keep them out of melee.

 

Tomi frequently runs into melee range despite using his bow.  If he doesn't have perfect line of sight on a target, he will run right up to it.  He will choose targets he knows are there but doesn't have a line of sight.  If a target moves a little he may run up to it.  If he moves to get into range, he will not stop at the edge of range, but move right up to his target.  And there are times when he runs up beside my character during combat for reasons I can't figure out.  Add to that that enemies will randomly disengage from my character to run and attack Tomi, and he has no switch-to-melee AI and no Point Blank feat.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

It doesn't leave you flat-footed. Whether Heal is useful entirely depends on the module -- the more healing available, the less valuable it is. In the OC you'll be swimming in full Heal potions (always heals to max HP) in Chapter 2 and beyond at a minimum so the Heal skill isn't so great. But in modules that have more limited potions and cash, it can be extremely efficient in terms of cost of healing AND in terms of healing per round.

 

Early in the game, I faced enemies who were visible and directly in front of me who suddenly started getting off sneak attacks, and hitting a lot, whenever I used a healing kit.  The only explanation that came to mind is that I must have suddenly become flat-footed.

 

ETA: I just tested it.  With an AC of 40, I used a healing kit in battle, I was hit twice on rolls of 36 and 26 from an enemy.  I'd be effectively AC 23 flat-footed.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               Well I'll be damned. It doesn't break Stealth or provoke an Attack of Opportunity but it does in fact leave you flat footed. That definitely makes it look worse given that a potion doesn't leave you flat footed and the Mobility 4 AC applies to it...
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Empyre65]

               

Despite the fact that the henchman AI for the OC is awful and annoying, I wouldn't upgrade it with a mod.  A combat-competent henchman would make the OC too easy.  The ability to equip a henchman would make it way too easy.  Plus I view it as something of a challenge to figure out ways to keep Tomi alive despite the AI.

I've never used it myself, but as I understand it, TonyK's AI makes your enemies smarter, too, so it makes the game harder, not easier.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

I've never used it myself, but as I understand it, TonyK's AI makes your enemies smarter, too, so it makes the game harder, not easier.

Yah, it does.  Tweak of monster AI lot of fun cuz can make easy module very hard with no DM.  Monster also get better rolls and they crits and crits and crits some more. Mobs smarter, too. Then when it get too hard, use hench inventory to help make more even agin.  When SoU/HotU make hench inventory & AI menu, ppl like to use some gear they find for their hench cuz else they must sell all and end with uber gold that useless. TonyK make this AI when default OC get very stale. I am thinking he did very good job to let ppl still play old campaign in different way.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

Well I'll be damned. It doesn't break Stealth or provoke an Attack of Opportunity but it does in fact leave you flat footed. That definitely makes it look worse given that a potion doesn't leave you flat footed and the Mobility 4 AC applies to it...

But when use skill on party target, they (either NPC or other PC) not lose round, not get AoO, not flatfoot.  Only healer get flatfoot so skill still better than pots for party heal. Also, if party get diseas/poison with dmg, need 2 pots drop on them... heal + antidote. 2 round to do that. Skill use 1.

 

edit:  ummmm... I sry to OP cuz I am thinking all the AI and heal talk maybe derail the Monk topic.  Prolly should be talking Monk in thread. '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

A Dex-based Monk is inviting death by using Heal in combat.  In my recent playthrough of the OC as a Monk, every attempt to use Heal in combat meant I was going to be hit by every single attack launched against me that round, and that was usually a pretty big battering.

 

Now for a character who doesn't rely on DEX/Tumble/Dodge for a significant AC bonus, and/or a character who lets others handle the melee, healing kits can be great in combat.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Empyre65]

               

Healing kits are great for after combat. Use potions as needed during combat to survive, then use healing kits (or rest).

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndrueD]

               

A Dex-based Monk is inviting death by using Heal in combat.  In my recent playthrough of the OC as a Monk, every attempt to use Heal in combat meant I was going to be hit by every single attack launched against me that round, and that was usually a pretty big battering.

 

Now for a character who doesn't rely on DEX/Tumble/Dodge for a significant AC bonus, and/or a character who lets others handle the melee, healing kits can be great in combat.

I am thinking you miss main point I make.  You right for solo using skill.  But for party heal, skill always better for party. 

 

If monk [or any class, no matter] want combat healing for other PC/NPC in party just need use stealth or invis pot b4 using skill for this use so never attacks vs. healer. Course vs True see NPC like dragon or self-buff caster.... healer needs UMD scroll or spell ready to use GS to hide so maybe build not have UMD or caster lvl with multi. That toon screwed vs Tru See foes and get attacked.  Sure.  Giving pot always break healer's hide plus AoOs from all flanking foe hurt party PC/NPC you force using pot.

 

If no hench ready to die or with bad dmg in OC then yah, use pot on self.  You test for yourself if you don't believe but it always work this way any SP or server unless they nerf skill somehow and make like using pot.  Maybe I don't tell this right but for helping party skill always best.  NWN built mostly for AD&D party play so solo make own play rules.

 

Also, only AC get lost flatfoot, not reflex so still good vs. fireballs and most other evoc spells that maybe sent in against party you try to heal with skill.