Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
--The Art of War, Sun Tzu
A Monk is surprisingly powerful even at their earliest training levels--if you understand how to maximize damage using elemental attacks.
Quest Strategy chapters offer some hints and tips for popular quests (and a raid or two in later chapters) that you'll likely enjoy, alone or in a party, as you continue your training as an Disciple and beyond.
These hints and such may be a bit of a spoiler for those who are playing DDO for the first time, but I will limit descriptions to what is necessary.
The Grotto
- When Jeets offers a weapon to you, only the quarterstaff will be useful as a Monk. All other weapons will uncenter you.
- You will have very little ki to fight with. Best to use Fire Stance for more effective attacks.
- The hints are annoying, but when playing a new class, they may remind you to do something you haven't considered before as a Monk.
- When Cellimas offers a reward as you leave the Grotto, take Soren's Handwraps--these are your very first handwraps.
Korthos Village
- Start with "Heyton's Rest" as your first quest. Before you go, perhaps you might need a hireling. If you haven't played this since Update 12 or so, it's been freshened up a bit. The quest also has a versatile set of enemies that allows you to test out how a Monk moves and attacks without a lot of risk. The Amulet of Inner Focus will give you a tiny bit of extra Concentration.
- Inside "The Storehouse's Secret" are plenty of opportunities for you to test your mettle. There is no shrine there.
- Successfully defending "The Cannith Crystal" on Hard or Elite difficulty while only at training level 1 or 2 means you're Doing It Right!
- After completing "The Collaborator," sell off all that non-monastic junk. Pick up Min's Handwraps for your second pair of named handwraps, and buy a Starter Siberys Cake through a tiny errand offered by Merla in the tavern. You'll be glad you did.
- "Redemption" is the only quest required of you to stop the cult at "Misery's Peak." However, you should complete "Sacrifices" to get the Devoted Goggles. From completing Misery's Peak, you get the matching Devoted Necklace as an end-reward. Together, they offer you stronger healing spell power. Alternately, Anger's Step and Anger's Gift, together, offer a stacking +2 To-Hit.
- If you're part of a guild or have friends, you can always leave for Stormreach before completing the quests, gather your buffs or more useful gear, then return to complete everything with a bit more resources.
Stormreach Harbor
- Grab your free collectible and ingredients bags. (You must do this before you can access quests.)
- Run through the level 2 quests out in this area at as high a difficulty as you can; you'll want to get to level 3 training and select your Philosophy (Light or Dark). If you're new to Monks, choose the Shintao enhancements, using your AP, for now.
- Kobolds are reptilian and are so weak you could probably kill one by sneezing too strongly. In mobs, they're formidable. Watch out for Shamans and their fog.
- "Irestone Inlet" is arguably the first hard battle test of your Monk by Level 4. The hobgoblin witch-doctors will often enfeeble you if you're not fast or careful, leaving you fighting badly, if at all. Bring Lesser Restoration potions.
- What in Khyber's name is "The Lost Seekers"? Oh, yeah. Most of you know it as "The Waterworks." Get a party and run this one on Elite. Get it out of the way and get some much-needed training.
- "Kobold Assault" can be quite fun to experiment with all your training to date without a lot of worry.
The Cerulean Hills
- A good place to build up your training without overtaxing yourself. It's easy to complete Slayers and Explorers here.
- "The Captives" occasionally spawns a rare encounter boss that gives you the potent Weeping Handwraps. These will make short work of Cannith crystals you may encounter in later quests, especially if you add a red augment gem to them.
- Don't underestimate the attacks of the orcs in "Where There's Smoke." At the end fight, go around the farmhouse's open gate to the valve; don't break down the gate by the valve.
The Marketplace
- Don't forget the last Level 2 quests by the Rusty Nail tavern.
- The "Seal of Shan-To-Kor" is a great early chain. Mobs of hobgoblins, significant traps and cramped passageways make for a good run for experience.
- Dive into destroying "The Sharn Syndicate" on as hard a difficulty as you can to earn your first bump in inventory space through Coin Lords Favor. Most of these quests have no shrine, are short and very challenging on Elite difficulty. Watch out for mages and traps in the Bookbinder's home.
- The quest "Proof is in The Poison" is MUCH harder than other quests at this level.
- Similarly, "Freshen the Air" is tougher than normal at your level, with mobs of enemies that stink so badly, it debilitates you. Enemy mages and throwers rain death from above, and you're going to have to fight in a wide exposed area. Don't enter this timed quest without a good ranged option. There's just one shrine, far off.
- Once you get Slow Fall, feather falling and decent Jump skills, screw that running around stuff. Take to the rooftops and cross the city in half the time. Get your wuxia game on.
The Searing Heights
- Often a neglected wilderness area to explore and slay at Level 4 to 7. Fire resistance recommended.
- Most go visit this area once en route to the quest, "Bargain of Blood."
- You'll need Feather Falling to attain at least one of the Explorer points.
The Catacombs and Delera's Tomb
- The Catacombs is a good quest chain for all Monks where ki management and damage reduction will be tested.
- The Catacombs start off with spiders but quickly work in skeletons, wraiths, wrights, and zombies. Lots of them.
- You can receive the Eternal Rest handwraps (Ghost Touch, Undead Bane, Silver-threaded, Red augment slot) here to use for the next great undead quest arc...
- "Delera's Tomb," which gives great experience, challenges all in a party, is fun to play often (and on many difficulties), and offers important end-rewards at arc completion.
- Most run the Delera's arc for their Voice of the Master.
- New Monks should run this twice for experience, their Voice and a chance at the Devotion handwraps (Holy, Red augment slot, Devotion spell power +48).
- At the final fight of "Thrall of the Necromancer," rush the necromancer and ignore his summoned minions. His electrical attacks could end you in moments if you give him the chance.
- There are more quests to do in House Jorasco and Delera's Graveyard, but you need more training before you attempt them, or death is likely, even with a good party.
Three-Barrel Cove
- These series of Level 5ish quests have just received a loot table refresh. Quests give better loot overall, actually.
- Included with Update 14 are the Scorching Wraps.
- At your level, it's hard to find Underwater Action items so have your complementary Ring of Water Breathing handy for your island hopping. Potions that do the same thing are very inexpensive from a Marketplace vendor.
- Be sure to return to "3BC" later for Epic gear, new encounters and quests with enemy airships you can board, blow up, or fight with your own airship!
Sentinels of Stormreach and House Deneith
- Start off with the level 4/5 combination quests from the four quest givers inside an inn from the central mall of the House. These have quest exits that allow you to complete each one without leaving the instances.
- Three of the four quests here can be run on Epic difficulty, hinting how challenging their Heroic Normal versions can be for low-level players.
- Watch out for the mages and traps in the Bazaar. Not all switches are good.
- The sneaky route of the spymaster in "Storm the Beaches" is likely to keep you alive and with a birds-eye view of all ballistas. A ranged option will save you a lot of running and mobs (unless you like getting a Conquest achievement). IMPORTANT: Once you reach the Epic version of this quest, the ballistas shoot telephone-poles at you with fatal results.
- The undead and hobgoblins in "The Black Loch" are fortified by nasty mages. Remember that your handwraps do less damage against zombies. You may need an slashing edge.
- "The Tide Turns" has difficult traps, more numerous mobs, and an ogre mage as a boss. A good party is needed here. This final quest is built like a raid.
- The oft-forgotten adventure under the Sentinels Tower, "Spies in the House," is built for evasive, jumping, stealthy, mobile characters--like you. The experience gained is very good for this level.
- "The Pit" is a challenging quest for the inexperienced. Find a good leader. You don't need a Muckbane. Unarmed Monks are "Muckbanes." Your handwraps don't suffer damage to oozes, and your Bludgeoning attacks don't break oozes apart. (If they do break apart, you're wearing something that's giving piercing or slashing damage.)
- Complete this series and use the Sigils of the Lion, Goat and Dragon you've received to unlock the Torn Chitin Bracers to create the Jidz-Tet'ka. Craft the Chitins at Visbane's Folly as soon as possible. The Torn Chitin Bracers are received from this series in "The Tide Turns" or as the story arc end-reward.
- House Deneith favor opens their specialty ammo vendor. With the best favor, "Sturdy" (75% returning) arrows and shuriken are available here.