Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ski309 05-03-06, 09:21 AM	I'm new to D&D, and I currently have a lvl 5 monk with the following ability points: str 14 (+2) dex 14 (+2) con 10 int 10 wis 16 (+3) cha 8 (-1) I just have a very simple question; as I continue to level up, what abilities should I focus on improving? wis is important as it gives me AC, but a lot of the skills I use need a good dex, and as a monk my attack need a good str. Any thoughts on which I should focus more on?
Merestil Haye 05-03-06, 09:33 AM	It's true that raising Wisdom will increase your AC, but so will raising Dex, and at the same rate. So the question becomes whether the other effects of raising Wisdom (increased Will save, better Wis-baseed skill modifiers) outweigh the other effects of raising Dex (better Reflex saves, higher initiative, better Dex-based skill modifiers). Edit : The AC benefit from high Wis is retained when flat-footed, so that's a point in favour of Wis, but this is partially offset by the fact that Initiative runs of Dex, so the higher your Dex goes the less likeky you are to be caught flat-footed. I'd spend time worrying about Con as well. A 10 Con is a major weakness for anyone who spends time close to enemies. Either that or focus your whole character on getting in and out without peril.
Ganny.Harper 05-03-06, 10:53 AM	It realy depends on what sort of monk you are playing as some need a higher strength for certain things and others a higher dex/wis I say look through the feats/prc's/fighting styles you'd like to take and raise your abilities acording to the prereqs.
Radijs 05-03-06, 10:57 AM	I would consider either lowering your STR by 2 and reinvesting those points in CON and make a stunning fist monk or invest the 2 DEX points in CON and make a grappling monk.
Marcus Majarra 05-03-06, 11:06 AM	Strength should always be top priority for your monk. Let's face it: you've got your flurry, grappling, tripping, and disarming based off it, not to mention your general melee accuracy and damage. Contrary to popular belief, finesse is not an effective battle tactic for your monk. Dexterity is a dump stat, to a certain degree. You already enjoy a good reflex save to begin with, and Improved Evasion makes up for any lacks in that department. AC could be an issue, but this is where a high wisdom score and bracers of armor kick in. Unless you plan on investing a lot in opposable Dex-based skills (like Hide and Move Silently, for example), you can forego investing in Dexterity. 13-14 is the sweet spot if you're going to exploit your fast movement along with Spring Attack. Constitution is a priority ability, if only because it increases your duration in battle. Those d8 hit dice won't get you very far, and a good Con score also helps your fortitude saves. Intelligence is a dump stat. Very few monk skills depend on it, and the monk class provides a fair share of skill points to use, even with lower Int. Wisdom is also a priority ability. Unlike dexterity, your AC bonus from wisdom will even apply when you're flat-footed, plus it helps regulate the save DCs for the very useful Stunning Fist. Boosting your Will saves is an added bonus, as this is the monk's true weak point when it comes to saves. It also makes your monk a great scout and will help your party when faced with duplicity. Charisma is another dump stat, pure and simple.
Bulletproof_Condom 05-03-06, 11:07 AM	Don't worry about Strength so much. Your base damage will increase naturally and your Jump checks will be heavily boosted by your speed. Take Weapon Finesse and focus on Dexterity. That'll boost your attack bonus, AC, and all those skills. Unarmed strikes are one of the few weapons that can benefit from both Weapon Finesse and Power Attack and you've got the Strength prereq, so consider taking the latter.
KoalaKnight 05-03-06, 11:17 AM	My suggestion for a Monk. First.. Monks are all about tricks. You will never outtank or outdamage a Fighter / Barbarian. So don't try. That said... Try this. Go Human for the extra Feat at first level. I've increased your dex and lowered your wisdom. Higher dex will help you with Evasion. A life saver at times. It also helps with Tumble, another Monk trick. Human Monk str 14 (+2) dex 16 (+3) con 10 int 10 wis 14 (+2) cha 8 (-1) Either improve your Con or Str as you raise every four levels. 1st level. Imp. Unarmed Strike. Stunning Fist. Combat Expertise. Dodge. 2nd level. Defelect Arrows. 3rd level. Imp. Disarm. 6th level. Improved Trip. Add a Sai or Numchuck to your gear, and by third level, 1 on 1 you can disarm your opponents with ease and when they go to punch you (as long as they don't have Imp. Unarmed Strike) you generate an Attack of Opp. At sixth, Between Tripping and Disarming, 1 on 1, you're insanely frustrating. This was my monk build. Worked well till I rolled two 1's versus Yellow Mold. Taking 15 points of CON certainly did me in.
ski309 05-03-06, 12:45 PM	... Human Monk str 14 (+2) dex 16 (+3) con 10 int 10 wis 14 (+2) cha 8 (-1) ... 1st level. Imp. Unarmed Strike. Stunning Fist. Combat Expertise. Dodge. Doesn't Combat Expertise requires a 13 intelligence?
KoalaKnight 05-03-06, 01:28 PM	That's what I get for trying to generate characters from memory. You are quite right. I thought it was DEX 13. Redo. 1st level. Imp. Unarmed Strike. Stunning Fist. Improved Grapple. Dodge. 2nd level. Defelect Arrows. 3rd level. Run. (x5 your improved speed will run down anyone) 6th level. Improved Disarm.
kelvinaw273 05-03-06, 02:19 PM	I'll disgagree with some posters and list Strength as less important to a monk - mobility and avoiding getting hurt are more important. Youcan take Improved Natural Attack to jack up your damage if you want, but basically I'd go for Dex and Improved Initiative. This way you can get in, hit hard and get out. Strength is for monks who want to grunt toe to toe with fighters, and a sane monk does not do that.
Nom 05-03-06, 08:49 PM	Caveat: If you are new to D&D (and especially if new to both D&D and RPGs) you are a lot better starting at level 1, or perhaps 2. Level 5 marks the first major "power up" where gameplay gets a lot more complex. If you are joining an existing group then this mightn't be an option, although in that case they should be able to advise you. First question: how are ability scores generated? It looks like point-buy to me, but I count 26 points: Str 6, Dex 6, Con 2, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 0 This could be because you've already spent your point for 4th level, but if you have then it probably isn't well spent. If you spent it on Wis, then your original build was only 24 points. A monk is what we refer to as a MAD character: multiple ability dependency. An effective monk uses a wide range of ability scores. This is in contrast to (say) a SAD (single ability dependency) wizard who basically needs Int, with the other ability scores as backup. MAD characters typically can combine boosts from multiple scores (eg Dex + Wis to AC), but need to spread their points around to do so. As such, you're generally better to start with all scores 14 or below. For example (# in parentheses is point cost): Str 14 (6), Dex 14 (6), Con 13 (5), Int 10 (2), Wis 14 (6), Cha 8 (0) This gives an all-round melee monk. Your level 4 point can go to Str (melee attacks + damage), Dex (AC & init) or Wis (AC & special abilities). Con probably isn't worth boosting (except with magic). Unless you plan on pushing Dex hard, don't get weapon finesse in this build. Weapon Finesse is really only useful if there's a big mismatch between Str and Dex, and for a monk that basically means you're not that interested in close-in brawling. Str doesn't only drive melee damage, but also drives Trip and Grapple. You need to remember that you are the ultimate skirmisher. The monk's job is to pick out light, weak targets behind defenses (eg spellcasters) and take them out of the fight, either through direct damage or grappling. Unlike most classes, your speed and tumbling means that you can go straight through blockers. Stunning fist and grappling are both excellent tools for this.
ski309 05-03-06, 10:42 PM	Caveat: If you are new to D&D (and especially if new to both D&D and RPGs) you are a lot better starting at level 1, or perhaps 2. Level 5 marks the first major "power up" where gameplay gets a lot more complex. If you are joining an existing group then this mightn't be an option, although in that case they should be able to advise you. First question: how are ability scores generated? It looks like point-buy to me, but I count 26 points: Str 6, Dex 6, Con 2, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 0 This could be because you've already spent your point for 4th level, but if you have then it probably isn't well spent. If you spent it on Wis, then your original build was only 24 points. A monk is what we refer to as a MAD character: multiple ability dependency. An effective monk uses a wide range of ability scores. This is in contrast to (say) a SAD (single ability dependency) wizard who basically needs Int, with the other ability scores as backup. MAD characters typically can combine boosts from multiple scores (eg Dex + Wis to AC), but need to spread their points around to do so. As such, you're generally better to start with all scores 14 or below. For example (# in parentheses is point cost): Str 14 (6), Dex 14 (6), Con 13 (5), Int 10 (2), Wis 14 (6), Cha 8 (0) This gives an all-round melee monk. Your level 4 point can go to Str (melee attacks + damage), Dex (AC & init) or Wis (AC & special abilities). Con probably isn't worth boosting (except with magic). Unless you plan on pushing Dex hard, don't get weapon finesse in this build. Weapon Finesse is really only useful if there's a big mismatch between Str and Dex, and for a monk that basically means you're not that interested in close-in brawling. Str doesn't only drive melee damage, but also drives Trip and Grapple. You need to remember that you are the ultimate skirmisher. The monk's job is to pick out light, weak targets behind defenses (eg spellcasters) and take them out of the fight, either through direct damage or grappling. Unlike most classes, your speed and tumbling means that you can go straight through blockers. Stunning fist and grappling are both excellent tools for this. you're right, it was a point buy at startup. The group began at level 3, we've been playing for a couple months. I started off with 14 str, 13 dex, 10 con, 10 int, 14 wis, and 8 cha, and when we reached level 4 I added a point to dex to get that +2 bonus. I feel like I have a very workable character for the moment, but I'm just curious as to where I should go in the future.
kelvinaw273 05-05-06, 05:33 AM	you're right, it was a point buy at startup. The group began at level 3, we've been playing for a couple months. I started off with 14 str, 13 dex, 10 con, 10 int, 14 wis, and 8 cha, and when we reached level 4 I added a point to dex to get that +2 bonus. I feel like I have a very workable character for the moment, but I'm just curious as to where I should go in the future. Keep boosting Dex unless you want to become a Sacred Fist (take a level of Cleric and then the PrC) in which case boost wisdom. Improved initiative is a good choice for the 'skirmisher' build, and so it weapon focus. If you want to multi-class, I would suggest taking the ascetic rogue feat and then taking either rogue, ninja or scout. These will stack with your natural abilities at get in - hit - get out.
babysamurai 05-05-06, 07:27 AM	My suggestion Human Monk str 14 (+2) dex 16 (+3) con 10 int 10 wis 14 (+2) cha 8 (-1) Either improve your Con or Str as you raise every four levels. 1st level. Imp. Unarmed Strike. Stunning Fist. Combat Expertise. Dodge. 2nd level. Defelect Arrows. 3rd level. Imp. Disarm. 6th level. Improved Trip. ...Wow. I don't mean to be rude, but I think that is the worst Monk build I have ever seen in my entire life.