I haven't found it yet, so I'm wondering if it was just wishful thinking on that poster's part, or if I'm not looking hard enough.
Yeah, I could use it, personally. Rought to play a monk in epic, when you have no utility powers for level 22.
Doesn't stop you, it's just an inconvenience. Just pick a level 2, 6, 10, or 16 utility. Or pick that moment to multiclass and take the feat to get another class' utility at level 22. However, I agree that it isn't exactly enjoyable as it stands.
I have heard no official word that an updated Monk playtest was in the works. It'd be nice, but I doubt it. The Hybrid playtest update is very much an exception, not so far the rule. See Artificers, Barbarians, Wildens, and such for example playtests without updates.
And the Monk article is only available to DDi subscribers.
The monk was clearly called a playtest.
The Monk was and is not a "Playtest" it is a partial release of the full class that will be in the PHB3. It is a part of a whole completed class.
And the Monk article is only available to DDi subscribers.
The Monk is different from the Psion. The Psion, that is a complete unchanging build of the Psion. The Monk though is labeled as a Playtest, so it isn't the final product. You'll likely find that the Monk look a bit different in the PHB3 than it does in it's current incarnation while the Psion should look identical to how it currently looks.
It is a part of a whole completed class.
It isn't, and thank the Queen for that. A friend of mine played one for one session before becoming disillusioned by his monk's lack of survival. I do hope they get an AC boost in the final version, or elsewise they'll not survive long in melee.
The Monk was and is not a "Playtest" it is a partial release of the full class that will be in the PHB3. It is a part of a whole completed class.
And the Monk article is only available to DDi subscribers.
So I guess in the issue's Table of Contents and on the page 21 where the Monk article starts, the word "Playtest" was just a misprint? ;)
So I guess in the issue's Table of Contents and on the page 21 where the Monk article starts, the word "Playtest" was just a misprint? ;)
Wouldnt be the first time they misprinted something
And yes for some reason I was confusing it with the Psion release.
It isn't, and thank the Queen for that. A friend of mine played one for one session before becoming disillusioned by his monk's lack of survival. I do hope they get an AC boost in the final version, or elsewise they'll not survive long in melee.
Their AC is inline with the other strikers.
Their AC is inline with the other strikers.
Mostly I'm comparing them to the other clothy striker, the avenger, who has more hit points and can opt to go as far as hide armor without losing armor of faith, which gives a higher bonus than unarmored defense. I compared two "typical" specimens (standard array, racial bonus to both primary and secondary), and came up with a 1st-level monk having AC 16 and a 1st-level avenger in leather having AC 18.
Of course, I won't see the monk in action until two weeks from now when we start our Eberron game, and I can't vouch for anything past heroic. @_@ I tell you, gaming only twice a month (at best) means you can only get ten levels of play in one year.
Having seen the monk in action, I'd say he probably needs at least 1 more AC, if not 2. Or more HP. Or both. I don't know, he's just really really squishy, and his hit-and-run ability is limited by the fact that he doesn't have any hit-and-run abilities :P.
Hmmm I guess that Dragons Tail and Five Storms at wills dont fall into this? Or Drunken Monkey or Open the Gates of Battle encounters dont fall into this? And thats just 1st level stuff.
No doubt they'll have an AC boosting feat.
Definitly needs it but damage needs to be boosted too. Monks should be able to lay the smack down not just 1d8 plus stat bonus or 1d6 plus stat bonus. I am thinking of iron skin feat that allows monks to do 1d10 plus stat bonus worth of damage.
Hmmm I guess that Dragons Tail and Five Storms at wills dont fall into this? Or Drunken Monkey or Open the Gates of Battle encounters dont fall into this? And thats just 1st level stuff.
If the monk isn't supposed to linger in melee, they should have some sort of run-hit-run abilities. All they seem to have is hit-and-run or run-and-hit.
With our monk the scenario was usually thus: He moves in next to his target and attacks. Then he proceeds to get his ass handed to him by the enemy. On his next round he attacks the enemy again, moves away, and stays away for the rest of the battle.
If the monk isn't supposed to linger in melee, they should have some sort of run-hit-run abilities. All they seem to have is hit-and-run or run-and-hit.
With our monk the scenario was usually thus: He moves in next to his target and attacks. Then he proceeds to get his ass handed to him by the enemy. On his next round he attacks the enemy again, moves away, and stays away for the rest of the battle.
Sounds like you have some **** poor Defenders in your party then. Maybe you need to work on your group tactics.
Sounds like you have some **** poor Defenders in your party then. Maybe you need to work on your group tactics.
The defender can't be everywhere at once, and we only have one.
The defender can't be everywhere at once, and we only have one.
As I said the group tactics sound like they need tweaking. If the monk is running around not taking advantage of the defenders marks etc then he just has a death wish and its nothing wrong with the class its the player.
We had 2 monks run tonight in two different settings. They both did fine once they figured out how to use their disciplines correctly.
The monk in the 1st module run today got hurt a lot but thats because he provoked a lot from movement, and we were in tight quarters so not a lot of moving around. But he survived just fine although I dont think he will jump over a centipede swarm that is next to another centipede swarm and provoke from both again
I might seem a bit upset, but that's because monk has always been one of (if not) my favorite classes. And now, well, they just suck! It makes me really sad, and angry. I hope they give the monk for of an overhaul than the barbarian, but at least that playtest let us know they do care what we say about the class.
Thank the lord that monk article IS a playtest because it's shameful. This "striker" class can be outdamaged by, well, pretty much anything. The combination of, effectively, only ever being able to wield a longsword, but without the "sword" category, with their **** poor striker damage feature just makes them abysmal strikers. Oh sure they can move around real good, but once you get dazed, immob, stun, restrained, say goodbye. Their NADs are respectable, but their AC is lacking, it only needs a minor boost though. Not a complete overhaul like their damage. flurry of blows should just say "make a melee basic attack using your dex to hit and damage." Instead of this horribad thing we have now. Nonscaling one stat based set damage, ew.
I might seem a bit upset, but that's because monk has always been one of (if not) my favorite classes. And now, well, they just suck! It makes me really sad, and angry. I hope they give the monk for of an overhaul than the barbarian, but at least that playtest let us know they do care what we say about the class.
Agreed, and Flurry of blows actually puts a priority on spreading out your damage over doing it to single targets, which just seems counter-productive for a striker. Their damage is certainly sub-par; it feels like warlock damage without any of the control aspects. Getting only a 1d8 is quite irritating.
I think Flurry of Blows just needs to go off automatically, hit-or-miss. It would be a lot like hammer rhythm/scimitar dance, but a little earlier, and would help bridge the gap a lot. And don't limit it to 1/round.