2nd Playthrough Character Advice

[isamu]

I recently finished my first playthrough with a Brute (Devoted/Barbarian) and had a blast. I dual wielded sabres and had a good time with the carnage caused. A few difficult parts such as the engwithan drake and the messenger but that was about it.

 

I’m thinking about my next playthrough as a single class shattered pillar monk. I role played my brute as a good character who didn’t enjoy being thrust into his position but made the best out of it. This shattered pillar monk will be different. Thinking of him as being born into the Huana as a roparu slave? He left the deadfire because he hated the caste system and joined the monks. Made his way to the dyrford as a drifter and eventually became the watcher of caed mua. He has a bit of a cruel streak (due to his upbringing and shattered pillar background) and hates the huana. Believes that huana society needs to be overhauled and is willing to do anything to get his way. Feels that Eothas and the Gods are petty and need to be destroyed too. Probably going to side with the Royal Deadfire Company this time.

 

How should I build this guy? He’s going to be a big badass island Aumaua who’s intimidating and can hold his own in battle.

[Marigoldran]

Why not just a normal monk? They generate wounds faster than Shattered Pillar and has a higher wound threshold.  Shattered pillar is, I think, a downgrade to the normal class.  

 

The easiest way to play a monk is to build it as a tank with max Perception.  As tanks they automatically get +10 Con and +3 armor (Iron Wheel), which means they can take more hits than a Paladin (though Paladin defenses are better and can self-heal).  Monks really start to shine with Resonant Touch and Whispers, at which point they are a tank... .that does massive amounts of damage.  

 

But before getting those abilities just send them off to the front lines in heavy armor and large shield, preferably next to a Herald tank that can heal your monk.  Set the AI to spend your wounds punching enemies into the ground.   It's simple and effective and requires 0 micro.  Once you've leveled enough to get Whispers of the Wind, Inner Death, and Resonant Touch, you've won the game.  The rest is easy mode.  

Edited January 7, 2019 by Marigoldran

[Haplok]

Indeed, Shattered Pillar is a bad choice after the nerfs.

Either Vanilla Monk, Nalpasca if you don't mind the drug reliance or Helwalker if you don't mind living on the edge.

 

Heavy armor till you're confident about your character's durability is sound advice. Even moreso for a Helwalker.

[uuuhhii]

shattered pillar are weak but at least doesn't require hurting self to get wound when no enemy attack the monk

Edited January 7, 2019 by uuuhhii

[Frog Man]

Nice RP back story! For your guy I’d recommend the ‘intimidate’ passive skill. It’s really fun in conversations and fits your character.

[Enoch]

The easiest way to play a monk is to build it as a tank with max Perception.  As tanks they automatically get +10 Con and +3 armor (Iron Wheel), which means they can take more hits than a Paladin (though Paladin defenses are better and can self-heal).  Monks really start to shine with Resonant Touch and Whispers, at which point they are a tank... .that does massive amounts of damage. 

Easy, I guess, but not particularly fun.  Iron Wheel comes pretty late, and even after you get it, using it means you're not using INT-Duality and Turning Wheel, which are fantastic. 

 

Why make everything into a wannabe Paladin?  Build the Monk for Offense, keep it alive with tactics, healing, buffs, and equipment (and by killing stuff before it can hit you too much) and you don't have to wait until Whispers for them to put out pretty massive damage numbers. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Enoch

[Enoch]

Heavy armor till you're confident about your character's durability is sound advice. Even moreso for a Helwalker.

Alternately, start with Light Armor and move up a step only if/when you find that over-PEN is making too big a dent in your survivability. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Enoch

[Marigoldran]

Cuz I've tried front line monks built for offense and they die, without Iron Wheel.  Or they consume so much healing that your paladins run out of spells.  Single class monks get Duality at level 10, and Iron Wheel at 13 or 14, so it's not that late.  

 

I hate glass cannon strikers.  EVERYONE should be tank.  When shi- hits the fan, and the backline gets swamped, tanks are the best.  

Edited January 7, 2019 by Marigoldran

[isamu]

Hey guys thanks for the responses.

 

So I guess for me shattered pillar is out. I didn’t know that only autoattacks give wounds. That was a big bummer.

 

Do you guys have any good ideas for good multiclassing synergies with monk?

 

I was thinking a Monk/Steel Garrote might be interesting. But the fact that steel garrotte works for woedica kinda goes against the role playing a little.

 

What about Monk/Streetfighter or Rogue? Not sure how that would gel together.

 

I’m trying to avoid barbarian or fighter classes as I already played those classes in my first playthrough. Open to suggestions!

[Haplok]

Monk / Streetfighter is deadly... but squishy in melee. However if you do a helwalker / streetfighter dual blunderbuss mortar build... that one rocks.