Monk Equipment: Best in Slot

[Kyle Smith, Role Player]

I'm wanting to know what other players like to see their Monks wearing (if they can stomach the class) when they play one. It's a fun and challenging class but I'm curious how other players build them. Going off of Treantmonk's guide, I've been building Monks off of Strength. What are your favorite items? What do you think are must-haves? Thanks!

[Panish Valimer]

Until level 6 or 7 I prefer to use potions of mage armor over a +1 or +2 bracers of armor. If you can strike a deal with the party wizard to cast mage armor on you in exchange for a pearl of power level 1 - so much the better.

[Jon Otaguro 428]

I use a wand of mage armor (I have max ranks in UMD; also works if you party with a wizard or some other class that can cast mage armor). Bracers are just not cost efficient at lower levels. Potions of mage armor would work also, though they are more expensive.

My other items are pretty standard fare - cloak of resistance, ring of protection, amulet of natural armor, magic weapon.

As I get higher, I will probably get boots of speed (for haste) or some ability to fly - either potions or items.

[Ice Titan]

Monk's robe.

Winged boots.

Those are what I noticed the monk in my game got the most use out of.

[Alex Smith 908]

Ice Titan wrote:

Monk's robe.

Winged boots.

Those are what I noticed the monk in my game got the most use out of.

Of course upgrading the boots to wings of flying when available.

[Muser]

I like half-orc and dwarf monks and especially monks of the Sacred Mountain. Why? Well, they all can qualify for the Improved Natural Armor feat eventually. This means you can stack on natural armor until AC scores become ridiculous. Naturally this means you feats are spent quickly, but doing so restricts a monk much less than it restricts a cleric for instance.

I've wanted to do a half-orc monk/inquisitor with high natural armor for a while. And of course you'll go unarmored.

[YawarFiesta]

Amulet of Migthy Fists (guiding), a headband of wisdom, a pearl of power level 1 and 3 for Mage armor and Greater Magic Weapon, everything else is standar.

Humbly,
Yawar

[Remco Sommeling]

Muser wrote:

I like half-orc and dwarf monks and especially monks of the Sacred Mountain. Why? Well, they all can qualify for the Improved Natural Armor feat eventually. This means you can stack on natural armor until AC scores become ridiculous. Naturally this means you feats are spent quickly, but doing so restricts a monk much less than it restricts a cleric for instance.

I've wanted to do a half-orc monk/inquisitor with high natural armor for a while. And of course you'll go unarmored.

There is a feat in APG giving dwarves or half-orcs +1 natural armor, so you can even do this without Sacred Mountain.

You will probably still need DM permission for using feats from the bestiary though.

[kits119710]

Deliquessent gloves, monk's robe, haste boots, potions of shield, wand of mage armor. Umd as a class skill w/ dangerously curious trait.

[Alejandro Acosta]

Monk w/ reach weapon: You can fight armed or unarmed while wielding a reach weapon using elbows, knees, feet or head.
Glaive: 8 gp, 1d10 x3 — 10 lbs. S reach CRB
M1: stunning fist, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, Combat reflexes, martial weapon Glaive, improved initiative. Use your reach and combat reflexes to trip opponents. you're armed (no attacks of opportunity) and you get +4 bonus for using 2 hand weapon. On the move, use bull rush to knock them prone (same pluses applies). then move in on your prone opponents and follow up with your weapon or FOB (whichever does more damage). If they move or try to get up you get free trip attacks to keep them down. If you get grappled, use stunning fist for release.
M2 dodge
M3 power attack, use on your prone opponents.
M5 lighten weapon (prerequisite. don't worry about this yet)
M6 improved bull rush (more pluses for bull rushing)
M7 improved trip (ditto)
M9 improved evasion, greater bull rush gives you a free hit on prone opponents, good time to power attack.
M10 improved critical, apply to your Glaive.
M11 Improved lighten weapon (a large Glaive does 2d8 damage and your reach is 15-20 ft.). for people 10 ft. or closer 5 ft. step, then weapon or FOB, whichever does more damage at the time.

[Pehbel]

I'm gearing my monk in the best ways I possibly can. I'm the speed demon leaper in my group. I have the standards; ring of protection, cloak of resistance, bracers of armor.

Then I added stat gear to the mix, like the headband of inspired wisdom and the belt of giant strength.

Then the fun gear, like the braid of a hundred masters from a scenario I played, a ring of jumping, daredevil boots, and a snakeskin tunic. My one regret is that the braid takes up the neck slot, so I lose out on an amulet of mighty fists or natural armor. The boost to unarmed damage and move speed has been worth it.

The end result is a freshly level 5 monk that can jump 35 feet across or eight feet straight up. If I roll a 1.

I picked Snake Style as a feat and have Sense Motive at max, with the Shadow Diplomat trait. This has allowed me to surpass the level 7 Armored Hulk half-orc barbarian we use as a tank in AC a few times. Top it off with a CMD of 26 and I'm right there in the thick of it with him.

STR 16
DEX 20
CON 10
INT 12
WIS 15
CHA 12
AC 21, touch 20

I botched my starting feats a bit, but in all fairness this is my first character. Now I plan my picks ahead of time.

[StreamOfTheSky]

It depends heavily on whether or not I have to get all 3 physical stats in the belt slot (outside the belt slot without paying extra for "wrong slot," at least).

I have heard it interpreted both ways and am still unclear. Thus far, it's just been a DM's call in every game I've played.

[master arminas]

Yes, it is far cheaper to pick up Gloves of Dexterity +6 and a Belt of Strength +6 (36,000 gp each; 72,000 gp total) than to buy a Belt of Physical Might +6 (90,000 gp) or a Belt of Physical Perfection +6 (144,000 gp).

Pathfinder doesn't have 'wrong slot' price increases, by the way . . . and my reading is that it is possible to 'reslot' items (waist to hands, for example).

In fact, for the game that I run, I reslot the Amulet of Mighty Fists to the ring slot. Which still leaves my players agonizing over an Amulet of Natural Armor or an Amulet of Constitution (or pay the increased price for a two-stat belt). LOL

MA

[StreamOfTheSky]

Well, are there official rules for "re-slotting"?

How does PF Society handle it (not that anything they do is "official" at all, but still I'm curious)?

It makes a huge difference. Most casters don't care one lick about the other 2 mental stats, but noncasters always need at least 2 of the physical stats, if not all 3. Being locked to one item slot for all of them is gigantic nerf if played that way.

EDIT: I would reslot AoMF to the robe slot. It shares the slot w/ armor, which monks and eidolons don't wear anyway and druids don't get much use out of until they can afford the wild enhancement (I think that covers most of the primary PC buyers of AoMF), so little confliction. And since unarmed strike is literally your entire body, using the slot that drapes most of your body seems fitting. Heh, pun.

[Bearded Ben]

StreamOfTheSky wrote:

How does PF Society handle it (not that anything they do is "official" at all, but still I'm curious)?

PFS bans all custom magic items, so you can't reslot magic items in PFS.

[Dabbler]

HeroLab doesn't do custom items either, which is a pain.

[SoulGambit0]

Masterwork Quarterstaff
Masterwork Meteor Hammer
Some Nets
Some Shuriken
Weapon Blanches for those shuriken
Assorted Alchemical Items
Caltrops
Pearl of Power Level 1 -OR- Wand(s) of Mage Armor
Potions of Shillelagh
Potions of Enlarge Person
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone
Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone in a Pathfinder
Menacing Cestus
Amulet of Mighty Fists appropriate to my build
Belt of +Strength -> Belt of Physical Perfection
Headband of Wisdom
Greater Hat of Disguise
Cloak of Resistance
Eversmoking Bottle + Goz Mask (Not if your using the hat, above)
Haste Boots
Masterwork 7-Branched Sword

[SoulGambit0]

Oh, not Haste Boots. Those ones that negate severe terrain. I forget the name. :/

[StreamOfTheSky]

I believe they're named after Feather Step, the spell they're based on. Boots of Feather Stepping or something like that. From UE.

[Grizzly the Archer]

Feather step slippers.
Boots of speed are good for the extra attack, not the extra speed, since it won't stack.
Ki mat
Ring of ki mastery

[Mike Lindner]

There are several great items in Ultimate Equipment for a tetori monk:
Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver 4,000 gp - +2 [untyped] bonus to grapple (or any one maneuver)
Shirt of Immolation 8,000 gp - the first 10 rounds per day grappling (or grappled) inflict 1d6+10 fire damage
Anaconda's Coils 18,500 gp - +2 Str, constrict (1d6 + Str modifier), +2 competence bonus to grapple

[DanceSC]

YawarFiesta wrote:

Amulet of Migthy Fists (guiding), a headband of wisdom, a pearl of power level 1 and 3 for Mage armor and Greater Magic Weapon, everything else is standar.

Humbly,
Yawar

Once per day on command, a pearl of power enables the possessor to recall any one spell that she had prepared and then cast that day. The spell is then prepared again, just as if it had not been cast.

How does the Monk specifically utilize this without the ability to cast, or are you purchasing this for a party member who can cast those spells?

[Firebug]

Bearded Ben wrote:

StreamOfTheSky wrote:

How does PF Society handle it (not that anything they do is "official" at all, but still I'm curious)?

PFS bans all custom magic items, so you can't reslot magic items in PFS.

There have been a couple on chronicle sheets, but they typically are 50% more expensive.