Monk Question

Remove all ads!

Yep.

The d8 classes(Clerics/Druids/Monks) only get the d8+Con bonus up to 8th level, then +2 per level. Warriors get d10+Con bonus up to 9th level, then +3 per level. Rogues/Bards get d6 up to 9th and I believe Mages get d4 up to 10th level. Could be the other way around with Thieves/Mages though, I don't remember.

A 10th level Human Monk would get at best 8d8+20 HP. A 10th level Dwarven Fighter with 19 Con would get at best 9d10+48 HP. A big difference.

 

But they are more warriors than clerics - strange that they get the cleric progression table.

 

Clerics get 9 HD.

 

I was just pointing out that I was unaware and surprised, not that the change is ultimately unfair. I just figured that monks get fighter HLAs, they act as fighters in the party, and thus they'd get the d10 roll like fighters - with the commensurate hp bonus for having a CON above 16, just like fighters do. Since I'm planning on playing a monk in my next play through, I'm glad I found this out, as there is no real benefit of having a CON above 16, which I almost certainly would have done had I not known this.

 

IMO, that's worth relatively little to me. By the time I reach ToB, all of my front line guys have some form of regeneration from an item that far surpasses what you'd get from having a high Constitution. In BG1 and SoA, it's more valuable as there aren't many of such items to go around.

Regarding monks, I assume that helms count as armor, but ioun stones are fine, right?

 

I thought monks were like paladins - human only.

 

Depending on the temperment of your character, you could always side with the prince, kill the king, then betray the prince and kill him too - maximum loot and experience that way.

Does an extra trip across the map really count as a drawback?

 

Monks can use ioun stones. I never realised they only had benefit of CON until 16, though. On the other hand, what else stat can you put points in as a Monk. Once you have STR and DEX at 18, anything else is strictly optional.

 

Wisdom. S.T. bonuses..... Int as well, helps against Mind-Flayers. Or just pump Charisma and your monk is your party-leader. Versatility baby!

 

As far as I know, WIS should give you bonuses to your saving throws, but it doesn't in BG/BG2. But you're right, you could just put some more in those stats for greater versatility of your monk.

 

The flipside is that unless you plan on having a dump stat the lowest monk requirement for Con/Dex/Wis is 9, which means that monks will generally have lower overall stats than other classes anyway.

If assassin were a class, then monk would be an assassin kit. Monk playstyle is more "get in, get out, try not to get hit" rather than "charge!". Fighters always have the option to switch to a setup that gives them more staying power.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I did not realize that the gauntlets were omitted from the booty in this case. Logically, if you take out both the prince and the king, you should get all of their stuff. But in practice, I guess it doesn't always work out that way. I stand corrected.

 

You can still get all the gear, but you have to kill the prince first, get the reward from the king, then kill the king.

 

Okay, that rings a bell. I *believe* that you get the gauntlets that way, but not the Rod of Absorption. The other way around gives the rod, but not the gauntlets. I might be misremembering this too... it's been a while.

 

Shadow Keeper allows otherwise just make sure to make your avatar a human monk or you won't get the monk only unarmed attack animations.