Monk or pure Fighter??

[Dezarond the Red]

I hate this..everytime i get into a game i start to do alot of reading and find a class that i would rather play (it was the same in BG1&2)..im still searching for the whaterdavion creatures with my level 4 fighter and stupid me gets on the internet and decides to read bout monk....damn im dumb...so now the monk seems soo cool...and i was thinking bout makinga monk armour...and thats bout it...so whats funner monk or fighter...whats tougher monk or fighter...and how can i make an armour for my monk and get it into game?? if you can answer any of these thx soo much

[Chanak]

Well, most of what you're asking is but a matter of opinion; and one thing in particular you're asking is factual. I'll answer the factual first.

Monk armor: You can wear it if you wish, just choose the feats necessary. However, you lose your Wisdom and level bonuses to your AC. If you ask me, one of the neatest things about the monk is his ability to get by without armor. There are a number of feats you may select that will make you very hard to hit in combat, I assure you. In addition, if decide to play a halfling monk (this is so cool ), your small stature makes you harder to hit in combat.

However, you can wear any cloak, ring, or bracers to enhance your AC. There are also robes available at some merchants that you can wear as well that better your armor class. Who needs armor?

What's better, fighter or monk? That's a tough one. Overall, I like the fighter the best, simply because they gain feats at a wonderful pace (every other level a bonus one, in addition to the one every class receives at the normal intervals), and can specialize with weapons, unlike any other class in the game. This can make a fighter an extremely dangerous opponent in combat.

Again, this is a matter of opinion - decide for yourself.

[Zu'l Zorander]

halfling monks attack dmg is alot lower than a Larger monks dmg, ive finished the game with both a pure fighter and a monk and the game is very easy past level 9 with a monk... he is unstoppable if you pick the right feats. If you want a char that will never die be a monk if you want a harder game try the fighter.

[Chanak]

@Zu'l: I've run through a second time with a dwarven fighter, and it's been fun the whole way. Haven't had a problem at all. In fact, I have felt a little overpowered.

Every race/class combo has it's advantages, and although a halfling monk inflicts lesser overall damage than a larger monk, he makes up for that in other ways. I suppose it depends upon how you view things: do you like to roleplay, or do you like to hack and slash? Myself, I enjoy roleplaying more, for powergaming becomes boring after a little while. You can only kill so many of this and so many of that before it all gets blurry.

[Zu'l Zorander]

@Chanak i role play.. and i cant imagin a little halfpint monk running around, arms flailing , and when i said harder for a fighter i meant that it was harder than owning with a monk. the game is very easy.. and only if you perposly mess up your char it is gona be a breeze for any AD&D vet. to beat it.

[limorkil]

Difficult question to answer because, as always, it's down to the individual's tastes.

I really like the monk class. They have the most fun combat moves because they punch, kick and even do flying kicks. If you focus on DEX/WIS and not STR then you can have a very high AC. An elf monk can easily start with 18 DEX and 16 WIS, which gives you 17 AC before adding on bracers, cloaks, boots, rings, amulets and robes - all of which increase AC. If I was going to restart a monk I would do the following:

STR 10 - You really don't need it! Long fights are way cool to watch.
DEX 18 - Good with crossbows and makes you hard to hit.
CON 10 - Don't need it because you rarely get hit
INT 14 - I just like more skill points
WIS 16 - More AC, plus used for some monk special attacks
CHR 8

By the time you get out of the academy you will have 19 AC. You will have 21 AC not long after that simply by spending some money. Most monk items that you find in chests boost AC, so getting hit is not something to worry about much.

Monks also get lots of feats for free: Cleave, Knockdown, Improved Knockdown, Stunning Fist, Improved Unarmed Attack. Also, monks don't need Ambidexterity or Two-Weapon Fighting because they already have them 'built-in' with their fists. In fact, by level 9 my monk had run out of feats that I really considered essential and I ended up taking a Skill Focus feat!

Monks are also pretty safe against magical monsters and casters. They get spell resistance, immunity to disease and poison, plus a boost to will saving throws.

The only downside of the monk is that you really don't have much to spend money on: you don't need weapons and you find most 'armor' (monk robes) while wandering around. You don't really need to collect reagents because there aren't any useful items that you can craft for a monk, unless some appear later in the game.

Another thing about monks is that they are plenty powerful without taking them to level 20. The level 18 ability is very useful, but only 'essential' if you are interested in PvP. Personally, I'd only take a monk to level 16 and I'd get 4 levels of something else. I took 4 rogue levels for the single-player game. For multiplayer I would take 2 or 4 fighter levels. The fighter levels allow you to get weapon speciality, which adds 2 to your damage, plus a fighter/monk actually ends up with more attacks per round than a pure monk or pure fighter (due to a bug).

I know less about fighters. Obviously they are a good choice if you prefer using big weapons and doing massive damage. They also get a bonus feat every 2 levels, which means you have tons of useful combat abilities - adding to the variety. My main issue with fighters is the same one I have with paladins, clerics, wizards and sorcerors - hardly any skill points each level and no skills to spend them on. Of course you don't need those skills, it's just that I like having something to agonize over when I level up.