What makes a good monk build?

[ShadowOnTheSun]

I always liked playing monks, but i always encountered a problem with them. Whats better to focus on: strength or wisdom (or dex could also be another alternative)? I mean wis helps your ac and feats like stunning blow and stuff but strength helps your dmg and attack rolls. Anyways if you have any ideas i would appreciate it

[GawainBS]

I'd say STR, maybe DEX. Focussing on WIS will result in hitting nothing.

[Claudius]

Here's my monk I designed albeit it is a sacred fist mostly. But that allows some monk abilities along with spell progression in cleric. Then I rounded it out by taking Divine Champion for a couple of epic feats.

Haste Makes Waste - Cleric(11), Monk(3), Sacred Fist(10), Divine Champion(6)
Race: Human
Cleric Domains: Travel, Time
Alignment: Lawful good
Deity: Chauntea

Advantages:

19 level Cleric (casting) with 23 caster level
26 BAB supported by buffs and sacred flames damage + flurry/persistent haste
VERY fast: persistant haste, Travel, treated as Monk 13 = FAST
Impossible to disarm

Disadvantages:

Possible to strip buffs

STR: 14(22)
DEX: 12
CON: 14
WIS: 16(20)
INT: 12
CHA: 10

{Quick To Master, Skilled}

Bonusfeats: %: Sacred Fist, &: Divine Champion

Lvl 01: Cleric(1): Background: Devout, Able Learner, Combat Casting, {Turn Undead, Spontaneous Conversion, Barbarian Fast Movement, Impr. Initiative}
Lvl 02: Monk(1): {Impr. Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Flurry of Blows, Monk AC Bonus, Unarmed Strike}
Lvl 03: Cleric(2): Practiced Spellcaster (cleric)
Lvl 04: Cleric(3): WIS+1, (WIS=17)
Lvl 05: Cleric(4)
Lvl 06: Cleric(5): WF (Unarmed Strike)
Lvl 07: Cleric(6)
Lvl 08: Sacred Fist(1): WIS+1, Sacred Fist Spellcasting Class (Cleric) %, {Sacred Fist AC Bonus 1, Sacred Fist Unarmed Damage, Sacred Fist Fast Movement, Sacred Fist Code of Conduct}, (WIS=18)
Lvl 09: Sacred Fist(2): Blind-Fight
Lvl 10: Sacred Fist(3)
Lvl 11: Sacred Fist(4): {Sacred Fist Sacred Flames 1}
Lvl 12: Sacred Fist(5): STR+1, Extend Spell, (STR=15)
Lvl 13: Sacred Fist(6): {Uncanny Dodge}
Lvl 14: Sacred Fist(7)
Lvl 15: Sacred Fist(8): Impr.Crit. (Unarmed Strike)
Lvl 16: Sacred Fist(9): STR+1, (STR=16)
Lvl 17: Sacred Fist(10): {Sacred Fist Inner Armor}
Lvl 18: Cleric(7): Persistent Spell
Lvl 19: Cleric(8)
Lvl 20: Cleric(9): WIS+1, (WIS=19)
Lvl 21: Divine Champion(1): Great Strength I, {Lay on Hands}, (STR=17)
Lvl 22: Divine Champion(2): Epic Prowess &, {Sacred Defense}
Lvl 23: Monk(2): Expose Weakness, {Deflect Arrows, Evasion}
Lvl 24: Divine Champion(3): STR+1, {Smite Infidel}, (STR=18)
Lvl 25: Divine Champion(4): Great Strength II, Great Wisdom I &, (STR=19), (WIS=20)
Lvl 26: Divine Champion(5): {Divine Wrath}
Lvl 27: Divine Champion(6): Great Strength III, Armor Skin &, (STR=20)
Lvl 28: Cleric(10): STR+1, (STR=21)
Lvl 29: Cleric(11): Great Strength IV, (STR=22)
Lvl 30: Monk(3): {Monk Speed, Still Mind}


BAB: 26
AB 34/29/24/19/14/9 (mundane fist) 2d6 +6 (19-20 x2)
(Owl's Wisdom, Bless, Divine Favor, Aid, Prayer, Divine Power, Recitation, Battletide, Sacred Flames, unarmed)
55/50/45/40/35/30/55 2d6 + 10 + 5 (magic) +8 (divine) +9 (fire) (19-20 x2)
(+8 to strength, +8 to wisdom, Bless, Divine Favor, Aid, Prayer, Divine Power, Recitation, Battletide, Sacred Flames, +7 gloves)
63/58/53/48/43/38/63 11+2d6 +5 (magic) +9 (divine) +10 (fire) (19-20x2)

* also flurry
* expose weakness
* divine wrath (short with CHA item)

AC: 20 (naked)
56 (wIS +8, DEX +8, Robes +7, Dodge +7, Deflection +7, Natural Armor +7)
61 (Inner Armor, Persistant Haste (or Battletide))

Saving Throws (Fortitude/Reflex/Will): 27/19/24
+6 to spells
+4 inner armor with SR 25 (duration 5 rounds (9 with WIS +8 gear))


Spell Casting: Cleric(9)
Detailed Spell Casting (Level 0-9): Cleric: 6 • 8 • 8 • 7 • 7 • 7 • 6 • 5 • 4 • 4

Hitpoints: 312

Skillpoints: 158

Concentration: 33(36), Diplomacy: 24(23), Lore: 8(9), Spellcraft: 30(31), Spot: 33(38), Tumble: 30(31)

Lvl 01 (C): Concentration 4(4), Diplomacy 4(4), Lore 4(4), Spellcraft 4(4)
Lvl 02 (M): Concentration 1(5), Diplomacy 1(5), Lore 1(5), Spellcraft 1(5), Tumble 2(2)
Lvl 03 (C): Concentration 1(6), Diplomacy 1(6), Lore 1(6), Tumble 1(3)
Lvl 04 (C): Concentration 1(7), Diplomacy 1(7), Lore 1(7), Tumble 1(4)
Lvl 05 (C): Concentration 1(8), Diplomacy 1(8), Lore 1(8), Tumble 1(5)
Lvl 06 (C): Concentration 1(9), Diplomacy 1(9), Tumble 2(7)
Lvl 07 (C): Concentration 1(10), Diplomacy 1(10), Tumble 2(9)
Lvl 08 (SF): Concentration 1(11), Diplomacy 1(11), Spellcraft 2(7), Tumble 2(11)
Lvl 09 (SF): Concentration 1(12), Diplomacy 1(12), Spellcraft 3(10), Tumble 1(12)
Lvl 10 (SF): Concentration 1(13), Diplomacy 1(13), Spellcraft 3(13), Tumble 1(13)
Lvl 11 (SF): Concentration 1(14), Diplomacy 1(14), Spellcraft 1(14), Spot 2(2), Tumble 1(14)
Lvl 12 (SF): Concentration 1(15), Diplomacy 1(15), Spellcraft 1(15), Spot 2(4), Tumble 1(15)
Lvl 13 (SF): Concentration 1(16), Diplomacy 1(16), Spellcraft 1(16), Spot 2(6), Tumble 1(16)
Lvl 14 (SF): Concentration 1(17), Diplomacy 1(17), Spellcraft 1(17), Spot 2(8), Tumble 1(17)
Lvl 15 (SF): Concentration 1(18), Diplomacy 1(18), Spellcraft 1(18), Spot 2(10), Tumble 1(18)
Lvl 16 (SF): Concentration 1(19), Diplomacy 1(19), Spellcraft 1(19), Spot 2(12), Tumble 1(19)
Lvl 17 (SF): Concentration 1(20), Diplomacy 1(20), Spellcraft 1(20), Spot 2(14), Tumble 1(20)
Lvl 18 (C): Concentration 1(21), Diplomacy 1(21), Spellcraft 1(21), Tumble 1(21)
Lvl 19 (C): Concentration 1(22), Diplomacy 1(22), Spellcraft 1(22), Tumble 1(22)
Lvl 20 (C): Concentration 1(23), Diplomacy 1(23), Spellcraft 1(23), Tumble 1(23)
Lvl 21 (DC): Concentration 1(24), Diplomacy 1(24), Spellcraft 1(24), Tumble 1(24)
Lvl 22 (DC): Concentration 1(25), Spellcraft 1(25), Spot 1(15), Tumble 1(25)
Lvl 23 (M): Concentration 1(26), Spellcraft 1(26), Spot 3(18), Tumble 1(26)
Lvl 24 (DC): Concentration 1(27), Spellcraft 1(27), Spot 1(19), Tumble 1(27)
Lvl 25 (DC): Concentration 1(28), Spellcraft 1(28), Spot 1(20), Tumble 1(28)
Lvl 26 (DC): Concentration 1(29), Spellcraft 1(29), Spot 1(21), Tumble 1(29)
Lvl 27 (DC): Concentration 1(30), Spellcraft 1(30), Spot 1(22), Tumble 1(30)
Lvl 28 (C): Concentration 1(31), Spot 3(25)
Lvl 29 (C): Concentration 1(32), Spot 3(28)
Lvl 30 (M): Concentration 1(33), Spot 5(33)

[ShadowOnTheSun]

i'm not really the type that uses buffing. i ll go with my 21 monk, 1 shadowdancer, 1 cleric, 7 sacred fist and raise strength. as for race i would of gone for aasimar but id get an exp penalty so i ll go with human. i ll use HiPS and knockdown or stunning fist and sacred flames when i get toe to toe.

Will this build have a bab penalty since my sacred fist level is not 8 or 4?