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Hands down, the most awesome character possible in IWD2....

20th level svirfneblin monk/1 lvl cleric of illmater/ 9 more levels of monk (with an xp penalty for multiclassing)

A svirfneblin monk at any level has an obscene AC. At 20th level with bracers AC4 and some other gear, you should have ~40 AC. At twentieth level you also have some other advantages....
1. 20/+1 damage reduction. If your foes don't have magic weapons, they ain't going to hit you.
2. Even if they do have magic weapons, they ain't going to hit you. Besides the insanely high AC, you also get the ability to go ethereal 1/day per each 2 levels you have. While ethereal you can attack with no problems.... but every time someone would hit you, you get to make a saving throw to see if they miss you after all.

Why take a level of cleric, you ask? Because of the Ring of All Gods, which is only usuable by clerics and adds +5 to wisdom. For a monk, that translates into an extra 2-3 AC points.

Agreed. I refuse to play with monks as they have made them ridiculously powerful in 3rd edition. To the point of...what's the point?

Originally posted by Ned Flanders
Agreed. I refuse to play with monks as they have made them ridiculously powerful in 3rd edition. To the point of...what's the point?

Because 1) you don't have to power play 'em, 2) they get all sorts of neat feats, and 3) they're just damn fun.

by fable
Because 1) you don't have to power play 'em, 2) they get all sorts of neat feats, and 3) they're just damn fun.

1. What does it mean to power play them? They are too powerful in their own right. It isn't possible to turn off abilities and resistances that are always automatically 'on'.

2. Some of the feats are neat and others contribute to their godliness.

3. I won't disagree they are fun to play. I played one in BG2 and NWN. by the end of bg2, he was powerful but still needed to be managed. In NWN, by the time the monk hit 12th level, he was on autopilot. There wasn't a thing in the game capable of standing up to him. 3rd edition rules had a lot to do with that. Perhaps IWD2 monks work a little different


I guess it's my own opinion that once they reach a certain level, the rest of the party becomes insignificant. I guess I'd try a monk solo under 3edition in IWD2 or perhaps make a dwarf monk, however improbable one would seem, just to limit him/her a little.

I hardly see how a dwarf monk would be unlikely. With as highly regimented as the dwarven society tends to be monks would seem more likely among dwarves than any race besides humans, at least as likely. You guys are likening the monk too much to the Shaolin monk, which obviously is where the idea came from, but since such a tradition doesn't exist in the in D&D, unless of course your DM adds one, it shouldnt limit your thinking. You have to take it down to its lowest common denominator and strip away the idea of the Eastern fighting style, and just think of the monk as someone with great discipline and a highly effective unarmed style. Then its easy to think of a tradition of monks among any race. Besides a shield or gray dwarf would hardly seem to limit the monk any as the monk really has no use for charisma. A gold dwarf would be a little limiting with its dex penalty though.

Originally posted by Ned Flanders
1. What does it mean to power play them? They are too powerful in their own right. It isn't possible to turn off abilities and resistances that are always automatically 'on'.

Aren't you forgetting, though, that this holds true as well for enemies? You'll find ECL's among 'em, too. And enemy AI among magicusers is much better in IWD2 than in any previous Infinity Engine game.

@Mathurin,

A dwarf does not strike me as the type to have a highly effective unarmed style but either way it doesn't matter which race is most or least qualified to fit the monk persona. I only limiting the monk by choosing races with minuses to wis or dex. Choose a dwarf monk and give em a level of druid and barb to incur an xp penalty. Such things would slow the monk down a little.

@fable,

I have noticed an improved AI for spellcasters. Even when facing ECL enemies, I don't see how that affects the overpowering monk. How far are you through the game fable? Just curious if you're walking around with a level 20+ monk clearing out area after area. If so, do you even need the assistance of the rest of the party. If you do, then that is great and I may give a monk a chance.

Yeah, those dwarf monks are lethal.

Feat - knee chop.
Feat - shin kick.

Ouch!

If I'm not mistaking at high lev. monk fist are considered +1 weapon, what if you have to fight monsters that require higher enchantments to be hitten (if there are in IWD2?)?
I rarely play a monk (in BG2), but you get all the bonus to compensate the fact the not using weapons and armours you also lose their enchantments.
In IWD2 monk is really so unbalanced? That maybe means also that that the stuff you find is not so great (no CF, Crom, FoA, Carsomir, Red Dragon scale only to remain in BG2 and not counting ToB!!).

A gnome monk? It make me think at Yoda in the last movie!

Ki-Strike improves up to +3 !

I have noticed an improved AI for spellcasters. Even when facing ECL enemies, I don't see how that affects the overpowering monk. How far are you through the game fable? Just curious if you're walking around with a level 20+ monk clearing out area after area. If so, do you even need the assistance of the rest of the party. If you do, then that is great and I may give a monk a chance.

I've played through--needed to, when I did a review of the game. And yes, you do encounter situations where IMO that monk is well-matched by forces on the opposing side. If you find the early stages unbalanced, though, consider ratchetting up the game difficulty. And if that doesn't work, try HoF mode, at least for a good laugh.

And if that doesn't work, try HoF mode, at least for a good laugh.

Y'know, as I played the regular game, I really wondered where all the powerful magic items were. Once I got to HOF mode, though, I knew where to find them. Jeez, the first couple of shops are packed up with +5 weapons

Originally posted by cjdevito
Y'know, as I played the regular game, I really wondered where all the powerful magic items were. Once I got to HOF mode, though, I knew where to find them. Jeez, the first couple of shops are packed up with +5 weapons

And boy, do you ever need 'em.

Fable, how do you get the HoF mode?
It will be in the package with IWD2 or is a separate thing?

Heart of Fury mode is included with IWD2. Just go into the configuration page, I believe the 'game play' tab. From there, you should find a difficulty meter with a 'heart of fury' check box available. Just click the heart of fury and the difficulty will skyrocket.

Thanks fable, it is good to know regarding the monk. I found them way to powerful in bg2, as I stated previously. In NWN, at least in the single player campaign, using a monk is all too easy.

Heart of fury mode was a riot in IWD1. can't wait to get there

did i hear cheese???

user is back...

did i hear cheesy stuff???

does dale keeper II exist???

bun bun is reborn in incewind dale 2....


rabbits do real well in the snow, you know...

'Bout time you showed up, User. I was beginning to think I was going to have to come up with all the cheese myself....

Originally posted by Gruntboy
Yeah, those dwarf monks are lethal.

Feat - knee chop.
Feat - shin kick.

Ouch!

rofl, good one grunty!

How about 8 levels of monk, 12 of cleric?

Cool you showed up User, BTW...