Barbarian/Monk (Ravager) build anybody?

[zanospi]

Hi guys/gals,

 

Has anyone tried or theorycrafted a barbarian/monk combo? I could not find any post on this multiclass build.

 

I was planning on going Barbarian/Corpse-eater (for sustainability) + Monk/Shattered-pillar (to get wounds from hits). On the paper it seems to synergize quite well with the barbarian high hit-rate + AOEs and the wounds gained from hits by the Monk/Shattered-pillar but maybe I am missing something...

 

If you feel like it's bad, could you advise a better balanced (non glass-canon) melee build, with high burst damage, AOEs ans some croud-control?

Any advice about how to level this build is also welcome

 

Thanks

[Wxdude77]

I was looking at class abilities today and thinking something similar. My main question is If the shattered pillar monk gains wounds from AOE abilities such as torrents reach, carnage, and rooting pain, or only from basic weapon attacks (description just says melee weapon damage). If it does work with AOE melee attacks, then the barbarian/monk could potentially be a wound generating/AOE machine (at least vs low DR enemies)... if not then a class that increases single target damage (rogue, fighter or soul blade cipher), might be a better fit for a shattered pillar monk. 

 

Another thought... if soul whip/biting whip/draining whip works with carnage, then a "Witch" (barbarian + soul blade), could be a melee AOE destroyer. 

[cactot]

Right now I am considering berzerker + nalpazca, since svef sounds like it would remove the confusion from berzerker. If that doesn't work, enlightened agony has an int inspiration to offset confused. The hit to crit from berzerker should make a nice synergy with the flurry abilities from Monk.

 

Wound generation will be a bit slower than shattered pillar (though the self-harm from berzerker should help with that), but you can get a lot more lash/duration or health/armor from the wheel abilities, which would let you take better advantage of the barbarian skills.

 

 

I think standard barbarian + shattered pillar would go great as well. Skip the two skill points on enlightened agony and pick up Savage defiance for the heal over time + armor buff, and thunderous blows can give you the pen you would otherwise get from berzerker. It might even be worth going for a two hander, as you will basically be able to replace auto attacks with torments reach (and skyward kick when you get it), which is primary attack only. If you can get high enough accuracy to be use the greatsword modal, each strike should generate 3-5 wounds (assuming you have lesser wounds).

 

If the wording of the ability is correct, rooting pain should do an instance of the AOE for each wound. If that is the case, you should be able to strip a ton of layers of concentration with each strike, while also doing significant additional aoe damage (which may in turn generate extra wounds?).

 

It seems like the biggest challenge with that build would be to spend your wounds fast enough that you have more wounds to gain with each strike (to activate rooting pain). Refresh thunderous blows after each attack maybe?

[NZV]

The action speed bonuses from swift strikes and frenzy don't stack, right? With those being such a strong appeal of both classes, combining them could be a bit of a bummer.

[cactot]

 

The action speed bonuses from swift strikes and frenzy don't stack, right? With those being such a strong appeal of both classes, combining them could be a bit of a bummer.

That is a very good question. I suspect they don't, and the actual speed bonus will be 40 (25% from frenzy, 15% from the dex boost from swift strikes).

 

I assume bloodlust stacks (since it is technically a passive).

 

Regardless, it seems like it should still be a solid combo even without those two stacking.

[malchiorita]

 

The action speed bonuses from swift strikes and frenzy don't stack, right? With those being such a strong appeal of both classes, combining them could be a bit of a bummer.

You still get quick from monk buff though, and you can upgrade it.

[zanospi]

Thanks for your answers, I guess I will try this build then

[dunehunter]

No speed bonus doesn’t stack either. Actually Monk/Barbarian is not so good because both Monk and Barbarian has access to Str inspiration, and speed bonus. Both doesn’t stack.

[malchiorita]

Well, subclass bonus aside, i still think there are some worth ability, quick strike still gives you some dex/removes dex afflictions, clarity of agony should be useful for any class and later on duality, enervating blows, the improved duality amd heartbeat drumming look kinda cool imho...

[cactot]

No speed bonus doesn’t stack either. Actually Monk/Barbarian is not so good because both Monk and Barbarian has access to Str inspiration, and speed bonus. Both doesn’t stack.

 

You can always use the free talent point on something else other than thunderous blows, there are plenty of good actives and passives to take instead.  

[dunehunter]

Yes u can, I just clarify that both speed bonus doesn’t stack, the rule is active abilities don’t stack, passive stack. An exception is resistance.

[KDubya]

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

[malchiorita]

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

Uh, wait, what triggers carnage? Rooting pain or the aoe or torment reach? Or just the primary target of torment's reach?

[KDubya]

 

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

Uh, wait, what triggers carnage? Rooting pain or the aoe or torment reach? Or just the primary target of torment's reach?

 

 

Definitely the primary target of Torments Reach. I used to get 2 wounds back from Torments, 3 if it crit'd, and that was without any additional targets. So that'd get you one carnage and however many Rooting Pains that you caused wounds for. The carnage is gravy and the multiple AoE interrupts from Rooting Pain should really mess with the enemies ability to do anything.

[zanospi]

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

 

Did you mean "frenzy" or do you really suggest to skip all rage skills and only use the barbarian's passives?

[KDubya]

 

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

 

Did you mean "frenzy" or do you really suggest to skip all rage skills and only use the barbarian's passives?

 

 

Yes I meant frenzy. The berserker version and the normal one for that matter have identical buffs as Thunderous Blows and Swift Strikes so they make a poor match for a Monk. I believe the malus for Corpse Eater is more expensive frenzy so skipping it helps them. Then you can burn your resource on yell or leap or whatever. best of all you are a Kung Fu Cannibal  

[cactot]

If you went Shattered Pillar/ Corpse Eater or plain barbarian and skipped rage you'd avoid the stacking issues. Get your speed boosts from Quick Strikes>Lightning Strikes and your penetration and Might boost from Thunderous Blows. Take Shout or Yell at first level and stick with the passives from Barbarian.

 

Berserkers are great but that friendly fire carnage is going to hurt low level parties as well as that self damage when frenzied.

 

Spamming Torment's Reach which generates wounds which activates Rooting Pain plus carnage is going to be good.

I agree, this combo looks like it would be solid. If I were to go shattered pillar, I would combine it with plain barb and use a greatsword with no armor. Just chain skyward kick and thunderous blows constantly, with modal you would have +100% damage bonus, so you should be able to generate at least 4 wounds per attack (assuming you can free that many up before each strike). That's 5 interrupts on your target and 4 AOE interrupts per attack, as well as +16-32*(might bonus) extra damage combined with the carnage damage. You would probably have to re-activate thunderous blows before every attack to optimize it (since I think that is their only instant-cast wound consuming ability), otherwise you would only get as many procs as skyward kick takes wounds to activate.

 

 

The biggest reason to go berserker (over no-subclass or corpse-eater) is because the hit-to-crit amplifies the effectiveness of drumming heartbeat and swift flurry, which would be optimal for sustained single target damage (particularly if you use turning wheel with a non-shattered pillar build for the +25% extra lash bonus).

 

 

Honestly, you would be hard pressed to make a character that sucks with any combination of barbarian, fighter and monk. They are pretty idiot proof.

[Kirschkern]

I just checked in the beta, checked again, made a second char and checked him as well.

The speed bonus from swift strikes & frenzy DOES stack (at least in the backer beta).

 

Edit: I'm an idiot it was probably the dex buff.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Kirschkern

[Voltron]

So since Frenzy and Swift Strikes don't stuck- if I go Monk/Barbarian I should pick one and upgrade it and pretty much pick different talents from other class, correct?

So between Swift Strikes and Frenzy I think Frenzy is little better for solo? Especially Berserker seems not bad for solo since you don't have to worry about friendly fire. Especially Spirit Frenzy + upgraded Torment Reach looks like nice CC combo (Stagger + Stun all day). But at the same time Frenzy cause penalties while Swift Strikes do not.... So maybe better question would be - who have better other abilities that you could take if you resign from either Frenzy or Swift Strikes?

 

How is btw Monk/Barbarian vs Monk/Soul Blade vs pure Shatter Monk in your opinion?