How to build a monk?

[jasta85]

So, I'm on my first run and just beat the Monk trainer lady in the arena and unlocked the Monk. It looks fun and I had recently gotten this adventurer in the Tavern who is basically a perfect all rounder.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3320508125

Talented + faster learner gives me a boost in everything, and although the huge trait gives her a dexterity growth penalty that is countered by the fact that she has a talent in dexterity. And with the physical damage boost from huge monk seemed like a good idea.

The question is, what is the best way to build them, are there are other classes with good synergy with monk or do you just fill out the monk and martial arts tree? Rogue looks like a good starter class but I wanted to make sure as I didn't want to mess up this character.

[Caktuar]

Disclaimer: I'm not claiming to be an expert on monks, this is just what I currently think.

So I went into the monk class thinking dex would be super important for dodging (both for survivability and forcing crits on counters with parry), and it definitely is important, but eventually I started thinking that if you want your monk to actually kill things, you really have to prioritize strength.

By default, monks get an extra 25% of their strength added to their Physical Attack Bonus; okay, that sort of makes up for the lack of weapon. However, the level 16 talent "Fists of Steel" adds ANOTHER 75% of their strength to their PAB, which means that once a monk hits level 16, you basically get twice as much damage from raw Strength.

You can build all-rounder for dodge tanking and chasing down casters or whatever and that will work fine, but if you can build a monk with 200% or close to 200% strength growth, you can do crazy damage even to tanks. This is especially true because monks get a lot of skills that let them do True Damage based on their PAB, which lets them ignore enemy resistances.

Regarding skills, Monks have the Battle Tactics skill tree; I feel like you should definitely taking the two counter skills. Monks are pretty inarguably built to synergize with them because otherwise the Parry skill that makes you crit on counters when you dodge is totally pointless until you get Martial Master at level 24. Besides that I just go monk/martial arts and Pathfinder, but your mileage may vary.

TLDR, dex is definitely important for survivability and soaking counters and obviously endurance for health (and physical resistance with the Body of Steel skill) but if you want to do some damage when you throw hands, you should prioritize getting a boatload of strength.

[Rubidium]

I'd argue that strength is the most important stat for all physical attackers, even folks like rogues or archers (although with archers it's probably closest, just due to the accuracy penalties they'll likely face). That's even more true for monks, who don't get an attack bonus from a weapon (which could otherwise partly compensate for lower strength), and who do get an extra bonus to damage from strength (making each point of strength even more valuable that way).

The best way to dodge an attack is for the would-be attacker to always be dead.

That said, dex is probably number two. Hitting a target is obviously needed to actually kill them, and the way healing and injuries work, never getting hit is always much better than getting hit but having HP to spare.

[jasta85]

thanks for the advice, does it matter what class I start as (I don't have the minimum stats to make monk yet so I need to level up something else first)?

[Caktuar]

Originally posted by Rubidium:

I'd argue that strength is the most important stat for all physical attackers, even folks like rogues or archers (although with archers it's probably closest, just due to the accuracy penalties they'll likely face). That's even more true for monks, who don't get an attack bonus from a weapon (which could otherwise partly compensate for lower strength), and who do get an extra bonus to damage from strength (making each point of strength even more valuable that way).

Yeah, that's definitely true; I just think it's MOST important for monks, because they get double the value from it.

I would also add - I don't think you can really plan builds around this or anything, but once you get to the gold tier of trinkets, there's a trinket that makes PAB scale off DEX rather than STR (and gives +5 DEX). So you can make a rogue/archer with insane dexterity but subpar strength if you're fine with them doing subpar damage until you get that trinket, at which point they'll turn into a monster. Doesn't work well for monks though, and you don't start getting gold trinkets until late in the game, so I dunno.

[Iguana-on-a-stick]

Originally posted by jasta85:

thanks for the advice, does it matter what class I start as (I don't have the minimum stats to make monk yet so I need to level up something else first)?

Get a class with good stat growths that will help you meet the qualifications.

EIther warrior if you want strength growth, or rogue for highest all-around stat growth.

Or, if you're really min-maxing, avoid levelling the character and grind events/potions to get bonus stats and become a monk at level 1.

I don't recommend that though.

[马孔多在下雨]

monk——》blade master

Gain high strength and agility through monk.， and promote to baldemaster.

With "high STR DEX" +"high ini"+"frostbite & frostguard （ skill ice age）"+ “skill first stick ”, you can get a nuclear Bomb

see：
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3369989043

[Rubidium]

Monk is a good intermediate class for any physical attacker, because it has great stat growth.