I haven't really played a monk before, so I was wondering if there were any good guides out there. Specifically:
1) Basics of how they work (up-to-date, so it includes the major clarification that happened a while ago)
2) Optimization
3) Multi-classing (things to keep in mind/specific classes and archetypes that go well with them)
Or short of that, feel free to give your own advice here. Specifically, the character I'm looking at would be a Weapon Adept (Quarterstaff). No point in suggesting other archetypes (unless they also would work in addition to Weapon Adept) or pointing out how sub-optimal the archetype and weapon choice is.
Thanks!
The guide to class guides sticky has a list of class guides. There are two main guides for monks: one by Treantmonk, which is a bit dated by it is fairly solid advice for most monks in terms of stats and general role for the general mechanics, and Revel's guide, which is more up to date and includes advice on roles, archetypes, and multiclassing. The second also includes lists of which archetypes stack, although the options for weapon adept are a bit slim.
There is also a guide for the Zen archer archetype, if that is your cup of tea. but that is not what you are here for
Thank you!
BTW, you should almost always take Qinggong archetype too. It stacks with all the others and lets you give up only those features you don't want for something else (except that you can't give up features from another archetype).
Note I say always take it purely from an optimization point of view.
I am not looking to be optimal, at all. But if I can make some optimal choices along the way to the character concept, all the better.
I think I'm being lured away from the initial character concept to Master of Many Styles.
My advice, if you're going "normal" default monk, dump STR and jack DEX and WIS through the roof. Get Weapon Finesse and amulet of might fists with the Agile enhancement.
My advice, if you're going "normal" default monk, dump STR and jack DEX and WIS through the roof. Get Weapon Finesse and amulet of might fists with the Agile enhancement.
That is why I kind of lean towards the Treantmonk guide myself, since it basically suggests that you build it more like a TWF ranger stat-wise. You basically have a ton of TWF feats with your flurry of blows (TWF, ITWF, GTWF, double slice, etc). Since you can flurry with one weapon, you could even do so for a cheaper price than a ranger if you use weapons. It loses some defense, but this build does a lot more damage without having to rely on a specific enchantment. It can be quite a hassle since you have to wait about 4-5 levels before you can even dream of doing significant damage otherwise, and that is if you scrounge up all of your wealth for a single item that could be sundered.
The MoMS can be fairly interesting. You can really free yourself from that expectation of the 'classic' monk with it. If you decide not to have a high Wisdom, you could easily outfit yourself out like a rogue if you so choose even without any outside dips. Short swords are in the monk proficiencies, and even if you are not proficient with armor, you could grab something like leather since it has a 0 armor check penalty. I tend to try to get as much of the Crane style as possible in the early levels so that the deflection would handle any problems I could have with defense. A dip in fighter for armor and weapon proficincies would not be unusual, much like a Strength based Rogue build. The archetype also stacks with Monk of the Sacred Mountain, which gives you +1 natural armor and the Toughness feat at level 2, so you can see why it is a popular for dipping.