Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 phase May 28, 2010 1:41:34	I just DM'd (well in the process) of the groups first adventure in awhile, so after my turns up, the party should be level 3, and i'll proceed to join the group when someone else takes over the DM slot.... Now, I love to deal damage, and lots of it. But im really feeling the monk. I have a couple builds in mind, but nothing really fleshed out besides following the handbook. Main things in question are stone fist vs centered breath. What it kinda comes down to is feat selection, as centered first can basicly get CA all the time, while stone fist gets roughly 2-3 more damage a round with  stone fist, and well.. lets face it, mountain devotee is pretty awesome. So I guess im looking for some input to anyone who has played a monk, and is it worth it or not for a striker, or should I just stick to a basic bread and butter TWF ranger to put out the hurt in its place?
#2 Kaviyd3 May 28, 2010 3:03:29	I have had a lot of fun with a hybrid ranger|monk (Centered Breath, with mostly archery powers on the ranger side).  I picked Centered Breath in part because I heard that our party was a little short on the controller role -- and the Centered Breath flurry of blows power is great for sliding enemies into the "killing zones" of other PCs.  I originally gave the character a longspear as a melee weapon, but I found that to be rather pointless -- even without Unarmed Combatant, a hybrid monk really does not need a melee weapon.
#3 m4kitsu May 28, 2010 5:14:47	...and most of what Kaviyd said about hybrid Monks is true of base ones as well. They're the fastest things on the battlefield by a long shot and are capable of mixing a surprising amount of battlefield control and even some Defender into their striking. I personally favor Centered Breath over Stone Fist -a few extra points of damage here and there are worth less to me than the control that Centered Flurry brings -but as you note, Mountain Devotee is a spectacular PP and the other three are somewhat decidedly 'meh' in comparison. Consider Paragon MC.   In either case, they're not going to be able to crank out the raw DPR that a TWF Ranger can, but you can essentially guarantee you can get to where you need to go, and Monks in my experience are surprisingly good at taking on multiple opponents at the same time thanks to a good number of close bursts and blasts in their arsenal. Weapons are... of dubious use. Your powers are actually implement-based, and while you can use any weapon you're proficient in as an implement, the only benefit you gain from doing so is the magical properties of the weapon in question. Overall, you're better off going with a Ki Focus for your implement and keeping your hands free to do other things or simply pummel your opponents with whatever happens to be nearby... including other opponents, since unlike similar strikers, your damage curve doesn't care if you're wielding a dagger, a fullblade or a steak (<--not a typo).
#4 diggles May 28, 2010 20:54:57	anything but a ranger. god playing with rangers is the group is god awful boring twin strike twin strike twin strike twin strike ad nausem
#5 phase May 31, 2010 1:39:21	I'll agree ranger is basicly twin strike oriented, but they do alot of damage, and that makes me happy. Im still unsure what im ganna do, im on the last session tuesday of my mod, so i'll have about a 3-7 days till we play again. I like barbs, but if they arent charging, they seem weak to me. I like the monk style, especially attacking other def's other then AC, but they dont seem like they would deal enough damage.
#6 brashnir May 31, 2010 5:07:37	Are you starting with a level 2, 3 and 4 magic item per the rules in the DMG?  (I personally think this is too much to give sub-level 6, but hey, that's the official rule) If so a charge-based Barbarian with a Vanguard weapon (level 3), Badge of the Berserker (level 2) and a level 4 item (probably armor) of your choice is a lot of fun to play. If you want a little versatility, Barbarian/Warlord is a pretty solid hybrid.