Bug Monk

[droid327]

Bit of theorycraft I thought I'd throw up for feedback. Havent played one yet, its on my "Try it next time on Lama" list.

Its a WIS based monk paired with Blightcaster, running in Hive Master for Imp Evasion and perma-Displace (is it immune to True Seeing?). You have the full Monk stick fighting package, plus Blightcaster for both HOTs and Death Eater temp HP, and Healing Hands/Healing Shield in Shintao, so it should be very survivable. Its also got a couple solid options for CC casting through BC, which since you're WIS based shouldn't be completely useless, and enough incidental physical damage through things like Grasping Thorns and Earthquake to make it worthwhile to pick up some Force Spellpower.

As a hybrid build, I expect it wont have a high ceiling at endgame - it'll be too hard to reach your DCs for reliable casting - but it's still got the full melee package and self-heals.

Build is tailored as a first life no tomes, but attributes can be tweaked accordingly

Bug Monk
15/5 Blightcaster/Monk
Lawful Neutral Aasimar


Level Order

1. Monk. . . . . . 6. Blightcaster. .11. Monk . . . . . 16. Blightcaster
2. Monk. . . . . . 7. Blightcaster. .12. Monk . . . . . 17. Blightcaster
3. Monk. . . . . . 8. Blightcaster. .13. Blightcaster. .18. Blightcaster
4. Blightcaster . .9. Blightcaster . 14. Blightcaster . 19. Blightcaster
5. Blightcaster . 10. Blightcaster . 15. Blightcaster . 20. Blightcaster


Stats
. . . . . . . .28pt . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . --------
Strength. . . . 15. . . .4: STR
Dexterity . . . 13. . . .8: STR
Constitution. . 15. . . 12: WIS
Intelligence. . .9. . . 16: WIS
Wisdom. . . . . 16. . . 20: WIS
Charisma. . . . .8. . . 24: WIS
. . . . . . . . . . . . 28: WIS
. . . . . . . . . . . . 32: WIS

Skills
. . . . . M .M. M .B .B .B .B .B .B .B .M. M .B .B .B .B .B .B .B .B
. . . . . 1 .2. 3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Concent . 4 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Search. . 1½ ½ .½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½ .½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. 11
UMD . . . 2 .½. ½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½. . .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .11
Heal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. 10
Tumble. . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .12 .3. 3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3. 4 .4 .4 .4 .4 .4 .4 .4 .5


Feats

.1. . . . : Two Handed Fighting
.1 Monk . : Dodge
.2 Monk . : Precision
.3. . . . : Mobility
.5 Blight :
.6. . . . : Swords to Plowshares
.7 Blight : Hive Keeper
.9. . . . : Improved Two Handed Fighting
12. . . . : Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
13 Blight :
15. . . . : Whirlwind Attack
16 Blight :
18. . . . : Greater Two Handed Fighting
18 Blight : Hive Master
21 Epic . : Patience
22 Destiny: Perfect Two Handed Fighting
24 Epic . : Overwhelming Critical
25 Destiny: Doublestrike
27 Epic . : Adept of Forms
28 Destiny: Embodiment of Law
30 Epic . : Master of Forms
30 Legend : Scion of: Arborea
31 Destiny: Deific Warding
33 Epic . : Grandmaster of Forms
34 Destiny: Titan's Blood

.1 Aasimar: Bond: Bond of the Protector

.3 Monk . : Path of Harmonious Balance


Spells

1. Shillelagh (4), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
2. Contagion (6), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
3. Spike Growth (8), Salt Ray (8), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
4. Freedom of Movement (10), Vigor (10), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
5. Death Ward (14), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
6. Grasping Thorns (16), <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
7. <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
8. Regenerate (20), Earthquake (20)

Enhancements (Spent: 80 +0r +0u / Max: 80 +0r +0u AP)

Shintao (34 AP)

• Bastion of Purity, Protection from Tainted Creatures
  1. Shintao Studies, Disciplined Training: Improved Second Strikes III, Fast Hands: Fast Hands: Melee III
  2. Shintao Studies, Iron Skin III, Elemental Ki Strikes: Fists of Iron, Quick Strike III
  3. Shintao Studies, Hands of Mercy: Hand of Healing, Fists of Light: Fists of Light, Stat: Wisdom
  4. Greater Hands of Mercy: Greater Hand of Healing, Stat: Wisdom
  5. Empty Hand Mastery, Meditation of War, Rise of the Phoenix

Henshin Mystic (16 AP)

• Riddle of Fire, Ki Bolt
  1. Exemplar III, Animal Forms: Way of the Patient Tortoise
  2. Elemental Soul, Embrace the Void III
  3. Clear Your Mind III, Stat: Wisdom

Blightcaster (13 AP)

• The Cycle of Decay, Spread the Blight, Death Eater
  1. Prickly III, Kiss of the Blight III, Sharp Edges
  2. Sharp Edges II
  3. Out Break

Ninja Spy (9 AP)

• Basic Ninja Training
  1. Sneak Attack Training, Acrobatic III
  2. Action Boost: Haste III

Aasimar (8 AP)

• Stronger Bonds, Aasimar Ability I: Wisdom, Stronger Bonds II: Protector Bond, Aasimar Ability II: Wisdom
  1. Improved Recovery

 

[Jodro]

Is 15 blightcaster important for you? Cause with 6 monk levels you get adept at forms for free.

Also whats your weapon? I'm assuming q-stuff because of THF. In that case think of dipping 12 points in season's herald for wellspring to get +2[W] instead of 1 (by limiting yourself to wooden q-stuff) and Autumn Winds.

Finally I'm afraid that without the metamagics the spells won't be strong enough

 

[droid327]

Is 15 blightcaster important for you? Cause with 6 monk levels you get adept at forms for free.

Also whats your weapon? I'm assuming q-stuff because of THF. In that case think of dipping 12 points in season's herald for wellspring to get +2[W], by limiting yourself to wooden q-stuff and Autumn Winds.

15 Blight gets you Regenerate + Earthquake, so yes its a meaningful threshold, and you should be able to fit in Grandmaster of Forms by L34 anyway

And 11 in SH is an option, though a bit expensive just for +1W. Bloom->Stout Oak->Ebloom is your basic staff leveling progression, and that's all wood.

 

[Jodro]

15 Blight gets you Regenerate + Earthquake, so yes its a meaningful threshold, and you should be able to fit in Grandmaster of Forms by L34 anyway

And 11 in SH is an option, though a bit expensive just for +1W. Bloom->Stout Oak->Ebloom is your basic staff leveling progression, and that's all wood.

I see. Since you really want earthquake in I would also drop the idea of cutting of at least whirlwind attack (maybe mobility too). Why I'm saying that? its because now earthquake is already down 5 lvls and with no metamagics it will be hard to be effective. But that would leave you with no way to hit many people coming at you. That's where thorn bloom SLA comes in, take that until you get earthquake and then you can redistribute the extra points allocated to the blightcaster tree. Or if you are confident that you'll have enough mp you can take it as normal spell at lvl 8.

Part of the reason I said to take Autumn Winds was also to get extra dodge without the mobility feat .

 

[Alpha Tester]

A wolf would be doable? haven't seen these builds in a while: wolf monk for ultra speed with quaterstaff.
Want to do something like this but still need to do my research since I know nothing about monks.

 

[Jodro]

A wolf would be doable? haven't seen these builds in a while: wolf monk for ultra speed with quaterstaff.
Want to do something like this but still need to do my research since I know nothing about monks.

I asked about it a while ago, but people said its not happening.

EDIT: Coincidentally I have access to a blightcaster/monk with q-staff. So I'll try it and tell you

 

[droid327]

A wolf would be doable? haven't seen these builds in a while: wolf monk for ultra speed with quaterstaff.
Want to do something like this but still need to do my research since I know nothing about monks.

The issue there is you're taking THF for qstaff while in humanoid form, for the strikethrough. BC doesn't have bear form for aoe. So you could drop into wolf form for single target attack speed, but you won't have natural fighting to boost it, and you're likely better off just sticking with bug form

Wolf form as a "sprint boost" might be an option though since i think it does still get extra move speed though

 

[magaiti]

Is there anything that would prevent me from building a functioning centered wolf build?
I'm planning for 6 monk 13 druid 1 fighter, QStaff, natural fighting feats, wolf/bear form (T5 in Shintao, Fatal Harrier, no rage).

 

[Jodro]

Is there anything that would prevent me from building a functioning centered wolf build?
I'm planning for 6 monk 13 druid 1 fighter, QStaff, natural fighting feats, wolf/bear form (T5 in Shintao, Fatal Harrier, no rage).

Not really, but choosing between bear and wolf is slightly more important. Bear will get strikethrough, while in wolf (since you won't use rage) the blight wolf is slightly better than winter wolf (thanks to imbues and death eater).

 

[droid327]

Is there anything that would prevent me from building a functioning centered wolf build?
I'm planning for 6 monk 13 druid 1 fighter, QStaff, natural fighting feats, wolf/bear form (T5 in Shintao, Fatal Harrier, no rage).

No but you're not going to strike through in wolf form even with q staff so there's little benefit to that. You can go centered long sword or kukri instead for better crit profile and also be able to use an off hand item. Or just flame blade for heroic, that's a centered scimitar, and/or midnight greetings for fire immunes

 

[magaiti]

@Jodro @droid327
Thanks for your replies guys, but I just realized I need Fire Elemental form for the Body of the Sun, and the whole point of the build I had in mind was to combine it with Caudron of Flame. So build stays the same, I just have to use THF feats.
Sorry for Hijacking the conversation.

 

[Dandonk]

I was hoping for thri-kreen, ah well.

 

[Jodro]

I was hoping for thri-kreen, ah well.

Instead you got Spiders-Man

 

[unbongwah]

Thanks for your replies guys, but I just realized I need Fire Elemental form for the Body of the Sun, and the whole point of the build I had in mind was to combine it with Caudron of Flame. So build stays the same, I just have to use THF feats.

Cauldron of Flame damage scales with monk levels so it doesn't multiclass well.

Not quite what you had in mind, but consider druid 17 / monk 3 using dagger or kukri: max WIS with 41 Vistani 13 Henshin. Anger of the Noonday Sun for fire vulnerability proc. Melee DPS plus fire damage, use Primal Avatar Mantle plus Divine Crusader plus FotW or GMoF.

 

[droid327]

Cauldron of Flame damage scales with monk levels so it doesn't multiclass well.

Not quite what you had in mind, but consider druid 17 / monk 3 using dagger or kukri: max WIS with 41 Vistani 13 Henshin. Anger of the Noonday Sun for fire vulnerability proc. Melee DPS plus fire damage, use Primal Avatar Mantle plus Divine Crusader plus FotW.

Though worth mentioning you can go the other direction with Water Elemental and VKF, using Raellia at cap. Pure Cold damage, with Icy Soul to break immunes, and Freezing Spray to add 25% to all your weapon damage against everything else. Ice Flowers and Tsunami aint bad either.

Body of the Sun (17 Druid levels + 7 Epic/Leg Knowledge) is going to give you 24d6 every 3 secs...that's 84 average damage, that's a Fireball cast at L13. Not nothing, but not really worth building a build around.

 

[Fisto Mk I]

Instead you got Spiders-Man

...or Ladybug, lol. 8)

 

[Jodro]

...or Ladybug, lol. 8)

Ladybug can dissolve into insects? That's terrifying. I thought it was meant for younger audiences

 

[Fisto Mk I]

Ladybug can dissolve into insects? That's terrifying. I thought it was meant for younger audiences

Can Spider-Man do this? I thought this ability was only available to Ananasi from the WoD settings.

Anyway... My dad is 80 and he's watching this show... I myself... *cough*... see some episodes... *cough*...

 

[magaiti]

Can Spider-Man do this? I thought this ability was only available to Ananasi from the WoD settings.

It's Spiders-Man, not Spider-Man

 

[saekee]

Droid have you considered this with a dragon monk archetype? Might have better synergies. I know you intend THF but a dragon disciple at core 2 gets centered with orbs; could open up a lot of possibilities and make sets easier to complete.