Monk and General help needed

[zekk]

I've tried a few characters, and I've never been able to get past the first few levels of the dungeon. Can someone give me some tips as to how to start off with a monk? I've been using half-elf monks so far if that changes anything, and I've been investing in throw at least 1 point as to help defeat the mutant rat as I can't seem to beat him without it. Any other general help for how I'm supposed to get through a dungeon without dieing? (when I finally get to a level with monsters that don't give 0 exp seemingly )
Putting on any armor at all seems to encumber my movement?
Leather gloves make my unarmed combat get bugged. I'll post that in the bugs section.

(Should I *not* have an avatar? no one else does. >.>)

[Variaz]

For Monk, it's a bit difficult at the beginning, since your attacks do 1d3 damages. Martial Arts skill gets lower damages and bonus if you wear a body armor(but you can wear helms, boots, gloves and cloak without penalities), but on the other, each points raises your base AC, which can be increased with Agility. So a good monk should also have some Agility, in my opinion. Wearing gloves will also improve your damages a bit, and you can find branded gloves as well. You're telling me they are bugged though?

Early monsters will not give any experience, unless their level is equal or superior to yours. If you're level 3, killing level 1 monsters will not give you any experience(well, not the low depth monsters anyway. Killing a level 1 Mature Dragon will still give you experience... but level 1 Mature Dragons don't exist. )

Also check some Fighter abilities once you reach class level 3. Sheer Power and Throw can be useful abilities that combines well with a Monk. For Monk abilities, you should probably take 1 point in Ki Punch, to beat monsters immune to physical. Since you get a good amount of blows with Martial Arts, but some lower damages at the beginning, combat feats can allow you to replace normal attacks by special abilities, which can help(Spin Kick and Ki Punch are two good abilities to use with combat feats. Leaping Sommersault and the Fighter's Throw are good finishing moves!).

Martial Arts is not the easiest skill to use in the beginning, especially with monsters that can be quite difficult. Since Monks have good wisdom, use it to cast some spells to assist you in the beginning.

Don't give up!

[nork]

First, spend all of your skill points in martial arts for the first few levels (at least till you have 2 or 3 attacks).

Spend your first two ability points on grappling throw and hard kick, this will give you defensive options (if the monster is to heavy to throw use hard kick on it till it dies).

Stat points are not quite so easy to place. I would say some Dex so you can hit monsters, some Con so you can survive getting hit, and some Wis so you can use P for casting spells (like a 10 point healing and a cheep elemental attack you can use often). Wis will also get you closer to more skill points faster than putting points in to int.

As far as race goes I have not played Half Elf with the new changes to that race yet (but it looks like a great race for monks). I went Celestial for the improved Wisdom and light damage/immunity.

As far as the gloves go I think it has been patched, try downloading the combat LUA file. I am not sure if he updated the most recent patch of that in to the main download or not.

Use as much armor as you can find aside from body armor. The encumbrance notification that you are getting refers to the mana penalty for having armor on (every class gets that) but if you are Wis casting it does not effect you.

Nothing wrong with having an Avatar, I'm just to lazy to include one

[zekk]

I found a purple jelly.... I let it breed a bit and the pick tem all off with a missile spell that I bought. easy exp! ;D

er... I have 186 hp, at dungeon level 2, a develing mage hit me with magic missile and I die. He was an elite though, I couldn't check his ability. probably double magic damage >.<

[kokleong]

Seeing as there're two posts on how good Divine Blood is, I decided to go Priest first and then switch to Monk. 1 pt of that ability already mad the Mutant Rat a piece of cake -- I wasn't ever in any danger.

For skills I worked on Fighting with plans to concentrate of Martial Arts later. For stats, I worked on strength and dex but just found out how necessary a few points into constitution is for melee types -- despite Divine Blood (can't regen if you're dead in one hit).

I'm not done being a Priest but I switched to Monk on a back up and it wasn't bad -- just that I still had to rely on melee weapons and at times wish I'd some points into some sort of range attacks for those annoying bosses. Low level Spin Kicks wasn't working for me. I'd like to hear suggestions on the first Monk skill to work on.

[zekk]

I usually use wisdom casting as a ranged attack. but. I'm confused. I can't find jinar. It says go north, but the numbers coordinates go down, and I need to get to 81,84 or something, and that isn't north. Well, I found it now and I'm lost. Can't get to the castle....

[Variaz]

81,84? Where does that comes from? The message tells you to go to 48,41, which is indeed north of Udor!

[zekk]

eh, whoops.^_^; I found it, anyway, though I'm having problems with the invisible monster.

[Variaz]

But if you really cannot defeat it for some reasons... there IS an alternative to fighting it to enter the castle!

[sam12six]

variaz - is could you put a spoiler file somewhere on the side quests when you get everything you want fleshed out? what I mean is: i don't know how to get into X dungeon, etc...

[zekk]

Well, it kills me in 2 hits and I can't see it. should I have gotten more con or something? I have, I think 299 hp... >.>

um, I was wondering... Is there anyway to make a macro so that It choses a specific thing at the list instead of a letter? If I wanted to make a macro for something at the U menu and something else replaces the letter it can be problematic.

Do the Passive abilities Elemental adept etc count for wisdom casting too?

[Variaz]

Well, I guess the sewers boss is kinda hard, but I did defeat it with a fighter!

Heh heh... all right, I will reveal it's stats!

(Spoilers! Do not read if you want the surprise!)



Level: 20
Hp: 30400

Str: 43
Dex: 23
Mind: 10
Attack skill: 4
Magic skill: 6

Attacks:
Poison Slime (Poison), 41-415 damages.
Acid Slime (Acid), 41-415 damages.

Spells(33% to cast 1 spell):
Noxious Cloud(Poison), 160 damages (5/level, radius 3)
Corrosive Cloud(Acid), 160 damages. (5/level, radius 3)

Hit Rate: 201
Defense: 292
Speed: 114 (Fast +4)

---
There are many ways you can defeat it. Resistances to poison and acid will obviously be of great help, so try to find some. Two rings of resist poison and an amulet of resist acid, complemented by some poison/acid resistance gear, will provide great help. Though as far as ring goes, a ring of see invisible may be the best option. And of course, extra Con is never bad! Try gaining 2 or 3 levels, and spend them in Con... and find a life item to make you even tougher!

It's speed is only normal speed, and you can surely find gear that will allow you to outrun it. Use some speed items, and a source of Haste, be it a cheap "Haste" spell, or a potion of speed. If you can be a lot faster than it is, you should win fairly easily.

Now! To attack it! It is immune to poison and acid, as you probably guessed, but also to Water and Radio, and has 50% resistance to physical. So! If you're a mage, choose an element to which the monster is not immune against. If your hp is really low, you may wish to summon some monsters. Zombies are an interesting choice here, for poison immunity and good hp. Ghosts may be even better! The same tactic will apply to archers as well. For archers, try branded arrows too! And if you chose Burning Shots over Poison Shots, you'll be dealing some good damages!
For melee, the 50% is not fun, but my own fighter was hitting quite hard, and had a branded weapon as well(a 6d6 holy mace with Light brand). A branded weapon will help you overcome the 50% resistance.

With all this, you will triumph. If you REALLY can't beat it, there IS an alternative method of entering the castle, but I will let you find it on your own!

[totallyang]

Zekk, from what you are saying you have bypassed Fidac.
This is worth a visit if you are interested, and it has its own challenge/puzzle as well.

[zekk]

I'd still like to know about the macro thing. and, any random dungeons I can enter, or are there just one of those every wilderness map? I think I should gain more levels, especially since lower level than the sewer jellies even.

What I'm wondering about the macro, If I have a lot of macros, and I get a new skill that takes slot a in the U menu, all my macros will get messed up. anyway to avoid this at all. Thanks for all the help.

[Variaz]

Well, right now, there's no way to fix it... but the next thing in my agenda is to remake the abilities menu so that when you gain a new one, it will add it after the other ones, so if you have Accurate Strike, and learn Spin Attack, Spin Attack will be after Accurate Strike in the menu, not before, thus avoiding messing the macros. "Talk" and "Unsummon" will likely get their own keys, instead of being abilities...