Essential Protections

No matter what your training, it's important to ensure that your Monk possess items with these properties. Some of these items are optional, but most of these should be handy (if not worn) at all times.

Update 17's revised augment slots have made providing these essential protections much easier to manage, reducing your need to run specific quests for items that may contain that specific property. For each protection listed, the augment slot color and minimal level required for that augment will be provided for you, along with a sample named item that contains one or more augment slots.

Remember that augment gems inserted in an item will raise the minimum level of that item to that of the augment gem with the highest level requirement.

Update 29 has adjusted the random loot types very liberally, adding items that add stacking Insightful bonuses to some protections as well as increasing the potency of Enhancement bonuses of such items.

Armor Class

Blue augment gem.

Available as a Natural Armor bonus or Protection bonus.

Can be used in Blue, Purple or Green augment slot.

Your armor class as a Monk will be higher than specialist classes like a Rogue but lower than heavy armored classes such as Fighters. In all difficulties, your AC helps to mitigate damage from physical attacks.

A Monk receives a special Armor Class Bonus that has two effects. While you are Centered (outfits only, ki weapons only, not encumbered), you get AC bonuses at levels 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20, as well as additional AC based on your WIS modifier.

While you'll gain AC naturally as you level, as a melee class, it's still a good idea to add to your AC in any way possible.

Armor bonuses of the same type often do not stack, and there are many types of bonuses that can confuse you.

You should read more about how to improve this number in the chapter on Armor, Dodge and Physical Resistance Rating. Unlike other melee classes, a Monk's true "armor" is based heavily on their evasive abilities, which is based on their saving throws. While AC is important, saves are more important.

Fortification

Blue augment gem.

Can be used in Blue, Purple or Green augment slot.

Minimal levels: 1, 4, 8 (Light, Moderate, Heavy)

One early challenge is in wearing something with at least 25%, or "Light" Fortification. Fortification reduces the chance of catastrophic damage from critical hits and sneak attacks by enemies. When you encounter a nasty hobgoblin with a pick axe or an ogre, you’ll need it. Get something with 75% (Moderate) Fortification as soon as possible (Outfits, belts and rings commonly come with this property).

By Level 9, you need 100% (Heavy) Fortification items on at all times. Belts also come with this property.

The Update 17 version of the Nightforge Gorget in the quest “A Relic of a Sovereign Past” allows you to get an necklace in the quest from ore you collect there that gives Heavy Fortification as well as a Yellow Augment slot--perfect for adding a Deathblock gem or other essential protection.

Many fighters consider grinding for tapestry parts in the Necropolis's Orchard of the Macabre to get the Minos Legens helmet, which has both Toughness and Heavy Fortification.

A Ring of Heavy Fortification you may find later will allow you to use specialized belts that help with Concentration (such as the Belt of Thoughtful Remembrance) as well as other belts that add CON or STR, or that may be part of sets in Epic Levels.

Warforged characters gain inherent fortifications as they level, making the choices easier in terms of gear.

With Update 29, you can find helms with properties that add an Insightful fortification bonus. With some planning for your Epic character, there's no reason why you can't have at least 150% fortification.

Epic Elite protection requires far more fortification than 100%. See the chapter, "Naraka" for more.

Striding Items

Yellow augment gem.

Can be used in a Yellow, Orange or Green augment slot.

Minimal levels dependent on Striding percentage.

Monks receive a granted feat that increases their running speed naturally as they level. Striding isn't a protection, per se, except when you need to get the hells away from an overwhelming force.

To boost your movement speed, wear Striding items of 10% and better. Speed items, often on boots and gloves, have replaced most items with the Striding prefix in the past few updates, but also provide an Enhancement bonus to ranged and melee attack speed.

Haste often overwrites Striding and improves your attack speed. Wind Stance stacks with Striding unless the benefits are from the same type, such as Enhancement bonuses. Boots often possess this property.

What may be the ultimate striders are near your end-game at Heroic levels, with the Cannith Boots of Propulsion. These babies are 30% speed, Feather falling, Jump +10 plus enhanced Jump. They also have a one-shot clicky equivalent of Abundant Step that non-Monks appreciate. Also look for boots such as the Treads of Falling Shadow from the "High Road of Shadows" epic quest chain.

Remember that Monks naturally move faster than most classes as a matter of course--speed that stacks with Striding bonuses. If you're low on AP to train on enhancements that improve movement speed, simply use Striding items to help a bit.

Feather falling

Yellow augment gem.

Can be used in a Yellow, Orange or Green augment slot.

Minimal level: 4.

Monks receive a granted feat, Slow Fall, at Level 4. You’ll fall less faster as you gain levels as this feat upgrades itself. Still, a continuous-feather falling item will not only ensure against damage from too high a fall, but allow you a better “glide” as you fall, allowing greater access to ledges and other places. Monks look better gliding than any other class--very qinggong.

The Seal of Shan-To-Kar adventure drops the rare no minimum level Ring of Feathers, but many boots and rings often come with this property. Don't spend thousands of platinum for feather falling.

By level 20, you needn't wear any Feather Fall item unless you want maximum glide, thanks to Perfect Slow Fall, where you can fall from any height with no damage.

Proof Against Poison and Disease Immunity

Yellow augment gems.

Can be used in Yellow, Orange or Green augment slots.

You’ll need both poison and disease resistance items (found on rings, belts and clothing) before Level 5. At Level 5, you gain the granted feat Purity of Body and are effectively immune from (natural) disease. Since Update 14, all players can gain resistance or immunity from natural diseases, but magical and supernatural ones such as Mummy Rot will not be stopped by Purity of Body or other enhancements unless stated.

At Level 11, you gain the granted feat Diamond Body to make you effectively immune from natural poisons.

The Shintao Monk elemental curative, The Receptive Earth, will remove disease effects from yourself and others.

Update 14 revised immunity as a state where rolling a 1 is still a success. As such, additional types of poisoning and disease were added that can now affect a Monk adversely (often from a boss enemy). Pay attention to these exceptions; if a typical ally cannot rely on their Proof of Poison items, you cannot rely on your innate abilities here.

Update 19 greatly changed the nature of poison caused by enemies, and how Monks (and all classes) resist them.

• Natural poisons come from most spiders and animals. By level 5, a Monk has immunity from natural poisons.
• Magical poisons come from enemy weapons, spells, and certain creatures. Monks are not immune from magical poisons but have better-than-average resistances against them. Troglodyte Stench is a poison that slows you; it can be removed with Poison Neutralization potions, too.
• Supernatural poisons from the the deadlest enemies such as pit fiends, medusas, green dragons and bebiliths. This poison will kill you suddenly if left untreated. As part of the quest dynamic, the spider poisons in "The Spinner of Shadows" cannot be removed by any Neutralize Poison potion or spell; you'll need the Guardian Flame NPC to save you.

Ninja Spies now specialize in their magical poison, Ninja Poison. It's a damage-over-time effect that can hurt even Red-Named enemies.

Blindness Immunity

Yellow augment gem.

Can be used in a Yellow, Orange or Green augment slot.

Minimal level: 8.

While Light Monks gain the Lifting the Veil spell-like enhancement to remove blindness, practicality requires you to have a blindness immunity item handy (although not always equipped) at all times.

It’s too easy to get waylaid quickly while you’re blinded by spells or glitterdust--and the last thing you need to discover is that you’ve not enough ki to restore your sight. Have Lifting the Veil handy for allies but don’t rely on it yourself.

Carry a few blindness removal potions just in case.

Deathblock and Death Ward

Deathblock is available as a Yellow augment gem.

Can be used in a Yellow, Orange or Green augment slot.

Minimal level for Deathblock: 12.

Death Ward is not available through an augment gem.

By level 8 or so, some of your foes will have spells and weapons that can kill you with a single wave of the finger or with a swipe of a blade. To reduce the chance of instant death, you need at least a Deathblock item. It's a property commonly found on robes and outfits. Deathblock saves you from common death spells.

For added protection against energy draining spells, negative leveling effects and effects that will leave you uncentered, at the least, you need Death Ward. There is one clicky you can search for that gives you an 7-minute buff: The Visor of the Flesh Render Guards, in Tangleroot. It's not an exclusive item; run this chain several times to gain several Visors for this much-needed protection, especially if you run solo.

Death Ward can be removed from you by nasty beholders. Deathblock will give you a second's more chance to survive but will not protect you from many other beholder attacks. Move fast and kill such things before they kill you.

A Warforged Monk couldn't care less about many death or draining attacks, should you consider a character with this class.

Look for special events or vendors that may also offer Deathblock or Death Ward effects. While there are Epic items that also help in advanced training, you will want Deathblock and Death Ward sooner, not later.

In Epic play, in the village of Eveningstar, the Clerics of Amaunator sell 20-minute ML:18 Death Ward potions for only 1 commendation.

The Shadowdancer epic destiny offers Sealed Soul ability to make you immune from the energy drain effect of negative energy (but not death effects).

Special events might give you opportunity to purchase (using special ingredients) an Eternal Flask of Death Ward, for 10 minutes of Death Ward, reusable at 10 minutes. This is a great resource saver but carry other Death Ward options in case you die or shrine since this flask's cooldown does not reset on this conditions.

Sapphires of Heavy Fortification might drop for you, and can be purchased using Tokens of the Twelve from the Epic Vendor in the Twelve. But perhaps you can find one gem for yourself if you seek out Phinnian Barkbow in Stormreach Harbor, and have the right currency.