I'd like suggestions for a monk build for a roleplay-enforced pvp server. I've tried making a few pure monk builds on a character build module, but I'd really like some suggestions from people who actually know how to build characters.

Some notes on the server restrictions:
-Max level is 30
-Must always have three consecutive levels in a class. Also can't take 29 levels of one class and 1 of a second.
-Shifter and Red Dragon Disciple are unavailable (to me).
-Server generally favors mages, and Acid Sheath is unnerfed. Melee characters are still common and useful.
-Hellball and Greater Ruin have been seriously beefed up.

Basic character concept:
-LN monk of Kelemvor, which means the monk's mission is primarily to be an undead hunter.
-Human preferred. Elves are chaotic here. The human subraces are all planetouched (and currently unavailable to me), so ordinary humans don't have natural differences.

Other things:
-I'd like to avoid min-maxing attributes.
-Preferably only monk levels (see the restrictions on multiclassing).
Quote: Posted 11/07/09 18:37 (GMT) -- innic
-Server generally favors mages, and Acid Sheath is unnerfed. Melee characters are still common and useful.
-Hellball and Greater Ruin have been seriously beefed up.

Given these two, monks are at a serious disadvantage against the only things that they are good at (epic spells go through SR).

What type of items can you expect on this server (do you need improved ki strike 5 to damage anything). This also is important for whether you are going strength or dex based. Is devastating critical disabled? What are the restrictions of the server that result in it favoring mages.

You could try improved spell resistance V, but even there a pure mage without pentration feats can still have some spells go through.
Quote: Posted 11/07/09 20:21 (GMT) -- WhiZard

Quote: Posted 11/07/09 18:37 (GMT) -- innic
-Server generally favors mages, and Acid Sheath is unnerfed. Melee characters are still common and useful.
-Hellball and Greater Ruin have been seriously beefed up.

Given these two, monks are at a serious disadvantage against the only things that they are good at (epic spells go through SR).

What type of items can you expect on this server (do you need improved ki strike 5 to damage anything). This also is important for whether you are going strength or dex based. Is devastating critical disabled? What are the restrictions of the server that result in it favoring mages.

You could try improved spell resistance V, but even there a pure mage without pentration feats can still have some spells go through.

While you are right about being disadvantaged against mages, epic characters seem to be pretty uncommon and it takes a long time to get to level 30. Even so, PvP has rules which require role play for it to occur and I don't forsee a need to have to fight other players all the time (none of my other characters needed to, other than the drow). I do imagine that if I have to fight a mage, it would be a necromancer, given the type of monk I had intended to play.

Even if I may be at a disadvantage against the top mages, it's also unlikely that I would be traveling around alone all the time, and surely others will be with me who can overlap for what I lack.

Weapons and armor are +3 at best, from what I can tell, though I think Greater Magic Weapon can improve the most basic weapons to as much as +5 (but not for as long as the spell was designed to last). This means that getting through Stoneskin and Premonition will be a challenge since they have not changed, and, having played a pure wizard there, that is probably the biggest challenge for a melee opponent.

Devastating critical is disabled.
Quote: Posted 11/08/09 02:00 (GMT) -- innic

Weapons and armor are +3 at best, from what I can tell, though I think Greater Magic Weapon can improve the most basic weapons to as much as +5 (but not for as long as the spell was designed to last). This means that getting through Stoneskin and Premonition will be a challenge since they have not changed, and, having played a pure wizard there, that is probably the biggest challenge for a melee opponent.

Then unless improved ki strike V is disabled or nerfed, take it and go a strength monk with fists (you'll be one of the few that can reliably bypass damage reduction and deal a lot of damage even to the crit immune and skeletal).

You might also wish to throw 6 consecutive fighter levels (character levels 17-22) to get epic weapon specialization:unarmed, but the AC bonus of pure monk (and the monk bonus feats and high SR) is also appealing.

The good thing about the level 30 restriction is no epic warding to worry about.

Edited By WhiZard on 11/08/09 03:37

I was thinking along whiz' line of thought. I was contemplating 10 rdd, but that means you need 4 sorc which is now only 16 monk... it doesnt make sense to do it that way, so ftr/monk is the way. The problem with that is that Improved Ki Strike 4 needs 21 wisdom and is an epic feat. Most characters are between 10 and 20 and Stoneskin is available quite early for a wizard. It's not impossible to break through the Stoneskin spells, but if the mage also has Acid Sheath going, then that means ranged combat. If I make a strength monk it will probably be difficult to get monk feats with wisdom requirements.

I did forget to mention that there are ways to add non-physical damage to weapons, but 6 points is the most, they don't stack, and they are very expensive if they are permanent. Monk gloves and armor that were standard in NWN don't seem to exist in this module as far as I can tell, though.
Quote: Posted 11/08/09 04:53 (GMT) -- innic
I did forget to mention that there are ways to add non-physical damage to weapons, but 6 points is the most, they don't stack, and they are very expensive if they are permanent. Monk gloves and armor that were standard in NWN don't seem to exist in this module as far as I can tell, though.

Assuming buffs like flame weapon and deafening clang also have restrictions it does seem that monks do have a niche in the unarmed department. You won't do as well with weapons as a bard/RDD/fighter (they have many valuable immunities even that you do not have).

What I was thinking was

Human Monk 30
Str 16 (18)
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 14
Wisdom 16 (21)
Cha 8

Take Zen archery for ranged, and fight primarily melee.


Even as few as four fighter levels pre-epic (with none epic will spew out another APR and grant weapon specialization:unarmed at the cost of four monk levels, having to take improved ki strike later, and a loss of one monk bonus feat.

Edited By WhiZard on 11/08/09 12:04

Quote: Posted 11/08/09 11:59 (GMT) -- WhiZard

Quote: Posted 11/08/09 04:53 (GMT) -- innic
I did forget to mention that there are ways to add non-physical damage to weapons, but 6 points is the most, they don't stack, and they are very expensive if they are permanent. Monk gloves and armor that were standard in NWN don't seem to exist in this module as far as I can tell, though.

Assuming buffs like flame weapon and deafening clang also have restrictions it does seem that monks do have a niche in the unarmed department. You won't do as well with weapons as a bard/RDD/fighter (they have many valuable immunities even that you do not have).

What I was thinking was

Human Monk 30
Str 16 (18)
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 14
Wisdom 16 (21)
Cha 8

Take Zen archery for ranged, and fight primarily melee.


Even as few as four fighter levels pre-epic (with none epic will spew out another APR and grant weapon specialization:unarmed at the cost of four monk levels, having to take improved ki strike later, and a loss of one monk bonus feat.

Greater magic weapon, magic weapon, holy sword, flame weapon, darkfire and keen weapon do not stack, but blade thirst and bless weapon do. Also both magic weapon spells, darkfire, and flame weapon last for turns rather than hours, and darkfire and flame weapon also cap at level 10.

I think that the items which add temporary or permanent elemental damage do work on ordinary gloves. Other weapons have a minimum level of 3 for +1, 7 for +2, and 11 for +3, though, so I might have to use a kama instead. Monk Undead hunter? how about...

Dex based Kama Monk/Cleric. Magic and Strength domains maybe (Sun if you want to try your hand at turning)

Pre-epic Monk9 Cle11

Make him/her melee & buff focused
Thrown in some divine shield/might.

I assume your god needs clerics of some description to cleanse in their name.



ok ok .. its not a pure monk build. but you can ratchet cleric lvls down to 4 or 5 and still make an effective monk undead hunter.

Edited By jumjones on 11/12/09 04:19