Vanguard Monks

I am quickly coming up on level 15 and I am really torn right now on what to do.  I am hoping that you guys can help me out here and save me hours of headaches.

My situation and what I am looking for:

I am ALWAYS grouped with atleast my Psionicist brother.  I need a path that will allow me to do well with him.
I want to do great damage
I want to be useful to guilds and groups all the way from 15-50 and beyond. 


I am afraid that if I go dragon i will ONLY do DPS and won't be as good of a puller as drunken - and I could easily be replaced by a Ranger or something.  I want to be useful and needed.  I have a complex where I need to feel needed I guess.  :embarassed:

So any suggestions are appreciated!  Right now I am leaning towards Drunken because of their utility as pullers late game and they have a DPS stance (which i hope helps them do good dps).

Thanks!

I understand where you're coming from but as this is a choice that could lead to regret, I will tell you the following:

Play the game for yourself, not for others.
Be a dragon monk.
Be a drunken monk.
Be a harmonious monk.
Be the one you feel you are.  Not what others might prefer you to be.
Play the game for yourself, not for others.

The DPS Stance in Drunken Mastery is as follows:
10% Damage, 25% more aggression (The other "DPS" stance gives 10% haste)

Not really that much of a DPS boost, but it helps.  I agree with what Mace said, however I can see you obviously will enjoy the monk no matter what path you choose, but you wish to be more group-friendly as well.  What I suggest is trying out what you first feel in your gut.

From what I hear, Dragon's DPS isn't as buff as it was in beta.  I have monk friends who have switched over to Drunken or Harmonious because they were rather disappointed with the Dragon style's attacks.  Pick one and play it.  If you don't like it, you can always do the quest to try another style. 

Ennder
25 Drunken Monk
<Shadows of Legend>

Hey Ender,  how did your friends switch to another stance?  They do a quest or reroll?

Thanks for the replies! :)  I have decided to go with Drunken and if I don't like it I will repick.

But as the poster above said - how? :)

Yes there is a pretty involved quest that requires you to visit many places and complete many tasks - I will ask them tonight where the quest starter is and what is involved :)

To change stances is actually pretty easy, just take some running around.

You visit the Monk Grandmaster in Khal foreign district.  He then tells you to go to a specific two of the three possible style masters to get a document signed then return to him.

Once you return to the Grandmaster you then have all styles removed and no longer able to use any of the abilities you current have on your toolbar from the prior style.

Then you can just pick a new style path and do its quest.

Speaking of my monk friends, Hey Vinrius :)

Ok cool Vinrius.  Thanks for the info.  From what I remember,  I spoke with the Grandmaster near khal and he wouldn't talk to me anymore since I finished the stance quest.  Will check again.  It's the one outside the west wall of Khal right?  The one you originally speak with to get the quest at 15?

Heya Ender, you still kicking my ass in levels?


Correct, the Grandmaster

Hehe bout to hit 26 here soon...  8)

Could someone list the effects on the Harmonious stances?  I can't find anyone that knows what they are in game.

I too am interested in more information on Harmonious. I'm trying to decide between it and Dragon and would like to make an informed decision before I level one more level to 15.

Harmonious Stances:

Harmonious Stance : Generates Jin slowly over time
Tiger Stance:  +20% Crit Chance +50%  End Costs
Crane Stance: +20 To block parry dodge -25% End Usage and -25%Dmg (At least I think its -25% to dmg i'l have to double check when I get home)

-Ample

I just chose Drunken this afternoon and I am currently hoping it's not too "tankish".  The stance that adds 10% damage adds 25% aggression - but the path that ads like 30% dodge rocks.

Anyone here choose Drunken and love it?

Drunk and loving it ;)

Hey Ender what makes drunken appeal to you so much?  THE main reason I chose it was because in EQ1 I did so much pulling with my monk and I figured with the huge defensive bonuses drunken would help a ton.

I am hoping it pans out that way.

This goes out to anyone who chose Drunken - Why do you like it?

I have a question.  When we pick a path do we only get the higher level abilities of that path?

For example if i pick dragon, will i not get the upgrade to fegin death 1?  or even worse do i lose feign death 1?

Thanks in advance for any information!

-K

I duo / trio a lot with my friends / guildies and find myself in tanking positions 80% of the time I'm in combat.  Regardless of whether or not there's a tank in the group, I do enough damage to pull agro and take the hits.  The high dodge chance and the taunt-like attacks really aid with my assumed role as "make-shift tank". 

I do solo quite a bit too, and the extra dodge just further adds to my survivability.   8)

Thanks Ender!

My monk right now will ALWAYS be grouped with atleast my Psionicist brother and I tank the whole time.  In groups I also pull aggro even when I goading slap for the tank and I find the dodge rocks.

Drunken mastery does sound as a good choice really. But I have a question :)

Aum of the Stumbling Master      

Chanting this while meditating will allow you the chance to learn an available ability.

What exactly does that mean?

Basically, it allows you to learn hidden master level abilities.   These abilities will be unique for your style.  For example a Drunken monk can meditate and use Aum of the Stumbling Master at 15 to learn Jeering Kick (http://www.vanguardmonks.com/index.php?option=com_monkabilities&Itemid=56&ability=Jeering+Kick+I) which is a Drunken Master move.  A Dragon or Harmonious Body style monk wouldn't be able to learn that ability.

I see. I assume that the other masteries have something alike for their path?

Yes, each master has there own special Aum and hidden abilities.  Though I've yet to see a complete list of all of the hidden Master level moves.

Wrong thread

Whatever you do- Dont go with Harmonious form until they do something about this Melee Evasion nerf. Dragon Monks finish fights with more HP because of their dmg. Right now against -1 level mobs Im finishing the fight with an average of 35-45% Health left, when before i was finishing with 85-90% Health left after even lvl 2 dot mobs.

I agree with the wise Valant, stay away from Harmonius, this last patch just killed a huge part of what was so enjoyable with Harmo.

Wasn't the nerf of Drunken even worse?

Anyway, right now, I don't really feel like playing a Monk at all.

With Drunken u are nerfed to getting 10% dodge at cost of 10% accuracy. (Down from 30%)

With Harmonious u are nerfed to getting 13% melee avoidance (8% dodge 8% parry)  at cost of 20% dps but also get -25% end cost. (Down from getting 51% melee avoidance, 20%dodge 20%parry 20%block)

Which one is nerfed more badly?  I'd say both were hit pretty bad.