Slaughtered!

Loved this game up until level 4 or so, then the Sundering/Searing happened, and into the burnt-out version of Ascalon now. However, now when I wande outside, I get killed within a few minutes by almost anything around!

I am a Level 4 Monk. Is it mandatory that I team up now? Is the game soloable in any way from now on, perhaps with a change in class to warrior/necro or something?

You cannot solo as in you being totally alone much after the searing. Luckily for you quests are also quickly going to become pointless as XP and such is earned through missions.

The game is designed for party play, and anything that is completely soloable is far too easy for groups of players. If you don't want to team up with other people, you can always take henchmen.

Thanks for the replies! So how do "missions" differ from "quests"?

yeah use the henchman i didnt know this until like i was lvl 7 or so i spent a lot of time dieing and dieing again trying to get to guard hollis

Missions take place in one area entirely, but usually involve several goals inside the area... plus they have cut scenes and a lot more story. The missions contain the "main story" of the game, and playing through the missions will bring you to new areas that you may otherwise take a while to travel too.
They also give good EXP, and extra skill points.
All in all, you should definatly do all the missions... especially early in the game. Playing through missions is the most effective way of reaching Lion's Arch, in my opinion.

As you have already found out - the game's difficulty increases greatly following post-searing. It's always recommended you do a complete run through of the Pre-Searing tutorial world before entering the academy, and make sure you're at level 7 or better. Once I did that, I found that I don't need a party to do much travelling or battling, except for some of the tougher missions and quests. My characters are Level 10 in Post currently, and I have hardly needed any help at this point.

Hanok Odbrook
Real Millennium Group Guild
http://www.realmillenniumgroup.com/guild.html
Truth * Knowledge * Peace

At level 4, you're a little underpowered for post searing work, though you'll catch up quickly by doing a few quests or missions.
Also, playing a monk alone can be challenging, since the character isn't built for doing damage.

My advice is this:
1) Take henchmen or friends along for every journey. Always leave town with a full party.
2) Get all the quests you can in Ascalon before you head out. Many quests have waypoints that are very close in location, so sometimes you can complete 2 quests in 1 trip! (Once you've completed a few, some new ones will probably be available, too)
3) Pay special attention to quests that have skills as a reward. These are specific to your class, and it beats using a skill point at the trainer.
4) If you are REALLY having a hard time, talk to the skill trainer, he's got a lot of new skills that can help you, but you'll pay money and a skill point for them. (Almost all the skills the trainer has can be obtained through quests.)
5) Get better armor. Though a monk's armor isn't very good, you can do a little better by buying new armor from the crafter. You'll need resources and pleny of money to do this.

Don't get dismayed, the game is only really starting for you now. Once you get a little tougher, you'll be having a lot more fun! Also, being a monk, you'll never have to worry about joining a group, everybody loves monks!

A note about being a monk:
When you join a group as a monk, your primary role is to keep the party alive, NOT to do damage. Leave damage dealing to the Warriors and Elementalists. You'll find that if you join a group and starting running into the fray, people will get frustrated with you. The group will operate much better if everyone plays the role that their character does best.

I hope all this helps! Enjoy GW, I'm having a blast!

Dwig

er... what if he's a smiting monk... they are designed for damage?

Always make sure you let the group know what type of monk you are.

Yes, this is true. But for the most part, when a monk joins a group, the group is expecting them to perform the healing role. So it is a MUST to let them know if you are planning otherwise.

For some missions against undead, a smiting monk can do some real damage. It is appropriate here to have a smiting monk within a party.

Just don't try to be a tank!!!

Dwig

these will be helpful

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...-10-id1195.php

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...lon-id1264.php

at level 4 his smiting monk isn't doing any damage

You beat me to it

Save up cash, grab Superior Smiting Rune, stick the bulk of available attribute points into Smiting, the rest into Protection, aggro a bunch of Stone Elementals, cast Symbol of Wrath and Shielding Hands, and most should be near dead, in which case you can either kill the rest with a wand/staff, or have Retribution on and spam heals until they've killed themselves.

If you're a mo/e, you can use Lava Font with Symbol of Wrath to wipe them out.

Monks, Warriors, and Elementalists are some of the most easily soloable characters, but in many cases, you need a highly specialized build for it. You'll need to unlock a lot more skills though. Monks are highly soloable eventually due to their assortment of heals, protection, and damage. There're a number of builds posted to look at that people have had success with.

My very favourite thing about protection prayers that cap damage: Each death only makes things easier. :P

I beg to differ. I entered post-searing with my lvl 3 smiting monk and got to killing stuff right away.


Eh? The guy just started. No sense in wasting that amount of money on a Superior Rune that early in the game.


edit: thread necromancy!

ROFLOL, Yeah, I bet the char were shivering in their hides! THATS why they call you CRAZY Diamond!

It's not like I ran all the way to the breach at lvl 3(although I did do it at 4). Even still, it's not like I claimed to wipe out a bunch of lvl 6-8 Charr with my lvl 3 smiting monk.

The devourers, gargoyles, and stone elementals are easy pickings if you take them one-on-one. Just stick around the edges of the city, learn where the devourers mainly hide, and pull stuff. I made lvl 6 in no time just fighting stuff out there solo.

Its not as impossible or unbelievable as you people make it out to be.

Honestly man, I don't know what half these people are talking about...

As an experienced monk player myself, I can definately say your monk can put out some damage, and soloing is completely viable.

Just make sure when you first start to get some solid spells and self healing until you get the hang of it. Put all your attributes into smiting and healing, and if anything is leftover into divine.

Take some of your starter smites and play around with them until you see what they are capable of doing, as to not attack to many enemies at one time. AoE Smites are generally the way to go. When attacking run right into the middle of the pack and slap some AoE effects on.(EX: Symbol of Wrath/Balthazar's Aura) They will start dropping like flies. Just keep a good eye on self healing and be careful not to "splurg" on so many smite spells at once that you do not have enough mana to self heal with.

If you have any questions at all feel free to PM me.

I play a monk primary(lvl 16) and a monk secondary(me/mo lvl 12). So I totally agree with what you say about monks smiting. I was just joking, in a light way, about how tough a lvl 3-4 monk would be to say... a char overseer with a few others mixed in. I meant it to be a bit of good humor, not a putdown. Now, if ther monk has the better ascelon armor, and a weapon found in the underworld, then it will really help. However, most don't have that.

I would like to add that doing quests are very worthwile (spelling?) for you, as you get alot of the skills people are recommending from quests.

I bring all my new characters to post at level 3-4 now. As long as you transfer some gold and materials to get the best armor from ascalon you'll have a very easy time. My warrior is currently level 12 at lions arch and has even been to bergen hot springs, so don't say the game gets harder as you go on! Possibly you need more experience as you go on, but it about ends there.. And don't tell me lions arch isnt far or anything like that. I already know this much and I have the game beat as well.

edit: smiting isn't good against undead............... smiting is good against EVERYTHING

The tough part is the heal to smite ratio. There aren't a ton of smite skills and this is very limiting. Banish, bane, and 2-3 others is all I have ay my lvl 16 guy's stage. And only the two I mentioned specifically are ranged. everything else is on a person to return or give out radius damage. We need more offensive smite skills, IMHO, to really enjoy a smiting monk build. It's just not worth it to me, at this point. So I remain a healer who caries two smite skills to "help" out.

Sure, at my level I can waltz aroung Piken Square killing char to farm. However, I can do no such thing further on as even though I may win, it takes forever since I do relatively low damage and spam heals to keep me going until they drop...... finally!