New monk looking for help.

Hey I'm wondering im lvl 8 and wondering what i should train, a Build to use, And what armour i should use+ weapons. Ive spent the 12 k already on runes the -55 cesta which was like 5 k and i bought the totem axe. Its just i think i bought them to early and i didnt use the runes yet just wondering what i should train on and what build I should use. Dont include builds with elites im only lvl 8.


Plz help and ty

Save your money and use the skills you've been given, to start with--If you're in Prophecies, you'll learn skills as you play. You can't do anything with the totem and the cesta until you've grabbed some elites and made level 20, I think, so don't play with the runes either.

I spent the first half of my monk time--up to about level 13, running a mixed smite / heal build...it's entirely nooberific, but it kept me AND my henchies alive.

So, put points mostly in healing, smiting, and divine favor, and leftovers in protection.

Then here are some low level skills I used...it ain't much, but it plays for a few levels:

Orison of Healing
Healing Breeze
Healing whisper / Dwayna's kiss
Signet of Devotion (I think...a healing sig)
Retribution--cast it on a henchie warrior
Bane Signet
Banish
Rez.

The Signets help with energy. You can swap a lot around--if you can't keep energy, ditch Retribution. If you like it, use Reversal of Fortune, Protective Spirit, Vigorous Spirit, or another cheap protection prayer, too.

This is pretty much a hench build--it's not really effective for live parties who might expect you to heal them.

If you run with live people early in game, use the first half of that build. Add Succor or Life Bond instead of retribution, and add the enchantment that gives you energy when ally takes damage---I totally forget its name right now. Use cheap heals (5 energy) as much as possible. Protective Spirit is good with people, too.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your monking.

Thanks im just wondering should i put all my monk stuff in storage for now? until im atleast a higher lvl?

the runes yes. use the totem axe. that extra energy and enchant removal is useful, just dont try to attack.

and for a build try a mix or protection and healing and divine favor. smite sucks. healing breeze sucks. mending is also terrible. englitdaudelin dosnt seem to know what hes talking about. prot is your new best friend.

I wouldn't bother untill you beat the game or ascended and get some elites.You want to store away the runes and you will need radiant insignias as well.I would just play the role of healing or protection monk and learn it.You can not 55 at lvl 8 only lvl 20s can.Please learn to Monk properly and do a good jop.

I wouldnt use the totem axe at all until you are ready to make your 55monk as it only gives you 5 energy. Use a staff or an off hand for the extra enery.

don't go fork out end armor for you 55hp armor set, ascalon, shing jea, kamadan armor will just do aswel, so instead of have to buy min 1k a piece max armor you be paying 15g a piece.

I have it myself so it work don't worry about it.

altho the 55hp builds only really start to work when you got the skills and attribute points for it.

the axe is a handy caster weapon and will make it alot easier to try out weapon swapping, two handed weapons don't give you that flexibility, however two handed weapons also have some configurations which you can't have as one handed and offhand. But the one handed weapon can be combined with focus/shields and have some combo's that two handed don't have, and these are far more then vice versa.

On the priceside, it could be cheaper first to still use staves, since you don't have to buy two items but only one. And also remember there are some good offhands available at collectors

Um, Totem Axe is supposed to be used with an offhand. You get +5 unconditional from the axe and +12 from the focus for a +17 total, thus more than most staves, and +20% enchants FTW for a prot monk.

Concerning the build, put your points in prot and divine and take several cheap prot spells like Reversal of Fortune, Guardian, Shield of Absorption or Shielding Hands, then get Protective Spirit or Spirit Bond if you can, some condition removal like Mend Ailment or Dismiss Condition, some hex removal and a hard rez, preferrably Rebirth for PvE (but don't use it during a fight ) and walla, you're an indispensable little prot monk, ready for whatever the game throws in your general direction.

if you're trying to level fast follow the game and you'll get there faster than anything else. Put all your goodies away and make 2 builds one for healing/protection and one smiting. As much as smiting bites (especially without an elite) sometimes your going to need it. If you are henching along the game you will want smiting since henches are very dumb on offense, carry one solid heal as well since heal henches are dumb too, might as well use what you can. You can try and be a healer with henchies if you want more damage in the group but don't use the totem axe, you need to be able to wand monsters to get your henchies to attack. If your in a group with real people as you move along than you can use the healing build and the totem axe.

When i hench with my monk I use this build:

[card]Signet of Judgment[/card][card]Bane Signet[/card][card]Signet of Rage[/card][card]Banish[/card][card]Spear of Light[/card][card]Balthazar's Aura[/card][card]Gift of Health[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

thats how I beat all three chapters with hench/heroes. If you can match something like that you should have some success leading the AI around by the ear. Depending on what chapter your in you can try these options.

Prophecies:
Ascalon:
[card]Bane Signet[/card][card]Banish[/card][card]Smite[/card][card]Symbol of Wrath[/card][card]Healing Breeze[/card][card]Divine Spirit[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]
Wand and smite.

Once you get to lions arch get [card]holy strike[/card]. Replace [card]healing breeze[/card] with [card]heal other[/card]

keep pushing on, in the desert cap [card]word of healing[/card] and use it in place of [card]heal other[/card]. If you have the other chapters go back to lions arch and take the boat to get the skills you can from what I listed in my build above. Continue on through shiverpeaks and cap [card]Signet of Judgment[/card] when you can. Scrap together what you can and you should make some progress.

Factions is much easier.
use this through shing jea
[card]Bane Signet[/card][card]Banish[/card][card]Smite[/card][card]Kirin's Wrath[/card][card]Healing Breeze[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card] When you get to ran musu gardens get [card]healing whisper[/card] instead of [card]healing breeze[/card]. When you get to the mainland get [card]Gift of Health[/card], [card]signet of rage[/card], [card]Spear of light[/card] and [card]stonesoul strike[/card]. then cap [card]word of censure[/card] or [card]ray of judgment[/card], get [card]Signet of Judgment[/card] in the Naphui Quarter mission. Now you're ready with what you need for all 3 chapters.

Nightfall is the hardest, you'll want to use a smite/heal mix just because there isn't as much to smite with in NF. In istan use [card]Bane Signet[/card][card]Banish[/card][card]Smite[/card][card]Reversal of Damage[/card][card]Healing Breeze[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card] After istan the only smiting skill in NF thats worth getting is [card]Judge's Intervention[/card]. Once you get past Istan, go to factions and get those skills, if you can't go to cantha switch to a healing build and wand enemies while healing your heroes. [card]Glimmer of Light[/card] will be your best bet as an elite for awhile.

Why a hard res when you soft resses and why Smiting when you have Protection.

[skill]reversal of fortune[/skill][skill]Gift of Health[/skill][skill]dismiss condition[/skill][skill]protective spirit[/skill][skill]shield of absorption[/skill][skill]holy veil[/skill]

This is the core of every monk build. Reversal, heal, big prot, small prot, hex+condi removal. You can fit whatever you want in the remaining slots. (a self heal, another prot, self defense, energy management) Later you can start replacing these skills with elites that fill the same purpose. (Shield of Deflection for Prot Spirit (NOT guardian!!), Restore Condition for Dismiss, Zealous Benediction for Gift, Divert Hexes for Veil, things like that)

Of course, you can make minor alterations in this template that fit you. You could use Spirit Bond instead of Prot Spirit for your big prot, or Guardian instead of SoA for your small prot. Or Dwayna's Kiss for your heal if you're expecting a lot of hexes (which you know beforehand in PvE)

This is coming from an experienced monk

A monk with a res signet in PVE... So much to say about that alone.

The guy is lvl 8 let him get his feet wet first in basic healing and protection and learn how to learn how to Monk on your own in 4 man party no hench Monk.You only need about 5 to 6 skills on you bar don't bother smiting if this your first Monk.

what this person said is true but thatis more pvp but can apply to pve but not at your lvl.

Don't take this person advice untill you beat the game.You may get in a group and not know what spells to use or any good builds.

Please there are enough bad Monks in pve as there we don't need anymore.

i was talking about henching through the game, not serious monking. trying to heal or prot with hero/hench can get very frustrating since they don't attack on their own and require you to point them in the right direction. You can't do much healing when you have to refocus your hench every 20 seconds so smiting makes you a crappy caster instead of a distracted healer which I find easier.

I'll keep my hard res for the same reason, if my monk hench or hero go down after my other henchies/heros have burned their res' I have the option to bring back that vital part of the group on my own. If you want to bring 3+ soft res' in your party go ahead.

Since were talking to a lvl8 monk you gotta give him help he can use, the majority of my other post goes through step by step on getting the skills that are useable and available to hench with a monk using my above method of smiting, which like I said, is for henching through the early game quickly and easily so he can get to the areas he wants to and get the skills to 55 which is obviously what he's after. Or you can drive yourself insane trying to heal/prot henchies that stand around in the middle of a fight since you didn't tell them to attack or worse scatter everywhere and kill nothing or aggro more.

EDIT:Age makes a good point, if you do get a good group they'll expect you to heal. My advice is only good for speeding through with henchies.

It doesn't matter if you are henching it or not as this is your first Monk .You need to learn your role as one if he ever gets into group hewon't have clue how to keep a party alive.The only thing he will know is how to smit and groups don't want a smiter they didn't even like protection Monks when the game first came out.Don't give him bad advice as I said in my other post.

if he's trying to get straight to 55 farming, which it seems like the goal here. Henching is faster and that means smiting is easier, I left all the stuff about healing to everyone else and gave him steps to power to 55. We don't know what his goal is, so why don't we leave choice of method up to him to decide. I feel like I gave a pretty good explanation of why/when/what to use my plan for, and I know it works for doing that. The feedback/commentary is helpful and appreciated, but don't dismiss my advice because your theory of playing disagrees with it, this thread isn't for you. I'm just presenting a choice to achieve a goal no one else was covering. Anything more on this from me won't help the OP so i won't continue on. You can have the last word here, or we can talk about it (friendly) between us and not distract everyone else if you'd like.

My last word all I am trying to do is make him a good monk you never know he may want to pvp and you know what they want.Sno's guide is very good place to start or those by Tsunami Rains.