To Monk or not to Monk on P99?

[Lhancelot]

Just curious what people's perspective is on this class... Are monks tanks, dps, or just supreme pullers? I am am also looking for tips as to how to properly pull with FD (how to split pulls), if I need antonian javelins (or will shurikens do), etc.

Any tips on the class are welcome!

I am thinking of making human, I realize how many advantages iksars have but simply cannot get over their movements in combat (I hate them) as well as how they look when they run etc. Does this choice gimp the character at all later on, or does being human work out fine?

I realize many questions here will be answered by different perspectives, but I am honestly curious as to what experienced players have to say about this class and opinions are great to listen to.

I appreciate any feedback, thanks!

[Jimjam]

Monks mitigate as well as warriors, given the same worn ac (keep in mind AC is easier for warriors to acquire). They get a further bonus to their tanking if they are low weight. They avoid and take hits well.

Monks have a better DMG multiplier, good offence and easy access to good ratio weapons, making them top tier dps. Their weapon ratios mean they can generate lots of aggro (useful if you need to tank), but FD also lets them drop off aggro they do not want.

Human over iksar "gimps" the monk from level 1, BUT a human monk is still very strong compared to other class/race combinations.

For pulling sneak is glorious, mobs with their backs to you won't aggro while you are sneaking, even if you throw something at one of their mates. But be careful of being hit (or breaking sneak) too early in any other way.

This functionality of sneak couples well with FD as you can essentially force mobs to turn their back to you. Normally mobs would forget you when they return to their spawn point after FD, but if you sneak before standing it can work right away. FD gets a little weaker at higher levels as mobs become wise to your tricks.

Monks are a very forgiving starting class in terms of having mend/fd for when things go badly. Furthermore having sneak lets you vendor/bank in places you wouldn't otherwise be able to. That said, mastering pulling in everquest is an art in itself as you need to learn the pathing of each zone you operate in.

If you do sell yourself out and roll iksar for min/max, it isn't the end of the world; you can always beg for wolf form or boon of garou from druids or enchanters to alleviate your appearance some of the time. Maybe one day you'll even find an Amulet of Necropotence for skeleton form!

I've written more than I expected. Hopefully if I've missed anything (or worse, made errors) some one with more experience can correct me!

[Kutsumo]

Especially once the eventual "end of velious" melee patch goes in, Monk is basically the master class for melee min/maxing.

Would be cool if they move on to some non-classic balance patches after finishing the velious cycle.

[Nixtar]

Split pulls: Sneak, Make sure the back(or the back arc is turned towards you. They will con indifferent when they are), use ranged attack and DO NOT stop sneaking until the mob you want is out of social aggro range.

If you get more: FD, wait till the mobs are turned, sneak and redo the previous step.

Javelins become more important(or convenient) as you reach level 40+ then javelins certainly makes things easier. You should be able to make it work up till around 50s though. Sometimes body pulling is preferable as well(edging up till you are just within aggro range).

As you level up, good zones to get into pulling are unrest/MM/CoM. Practice makes perfect.

Anyone who tells you a human monk is bad is an idiot. Iksars do have advantages but only the people who completely and utterly fail so hard they should not be playing monk to begin with claim iksars is the only choice. Monk is a powerful class no matter what race you pick. Playing a human monk also annoys minmaxers which is another good reason to do so.

Also, monk are a ton of fun. One of those classes I recommend to everyone because you get to see parts of dungeons and learn tricks you simply won't on other classes.

[supermonk]

some of the stuff you are able to get away with and pull is ridiculous. unfortunately, too many people think they are better than they actually are. the learning curve is really high, but rewarding in the end.

[maskedmelon]

Originally Posted by supermonk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

...too many people think they are better than they actually are...

^ This is a class requirement. If you are not feeling overconfident by level 3, you need to reroll, there is something wrong with you.

[mgellan]

Originally Posted by Nixtar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Playing a human monk also annoys minmaxers which is another good reason to do so.

This was my go to strategy for my human monk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Regards,
Mg

[thedonkdonk]

Human monks can have a mustache, Q.E.D. best monks.

[Tethler]

Originally Posted by thedonkdonk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Human monks can have a mustache, Q.E.D. best monks.

I went Iksar on my monk for the regen, but the mustache allllmost made me go human.

[Jimjam]

Female iksar have some pretty epic face paint though.