Syncletica's Riddle: What to Wear

Syncletica originally distilled this dilemma for herself and students to this question:

How can you attain maximum hit points, AC, Seeker and saves while still providing blindness and poison immunity, heavy fortification and deathblock all at once, without the use of rings, belts or necklaces?

With the recent updates to the game, from the new enhancement class trees, Epic Destinies and Epic gear, Syncletica has revised her question a bit.

What is the best way for you to attain the highest Wisdom, hit points, fortification, AC, saves, miss chance, attack or defense power without sacrificing other abilities, situational defenses such as deathblock, negative levels and blindness immunity?

This chapter summaries the items you should consider as you train your Monk. Later sub-chapters will go into greater detail on why these protections and other gear are important for consideration.

Ability Scores and Hit Points

With recent updates to the game, Monks (as well as many other classes) have greater options in customizing their character's ability scores based on race or class.

Here are a few general tips based on three types of Monk you may play, no matter what class trees or race you select.

When unarmed, Monks should have a high STR for greater damage but require WIS to improve difficulty checks (DCs) to successfully stun or use other monastic abilities. This includes unarmed Ninja Spies, who do NOT gain the Dexterity to Damage skills while fighting unarmed. DEX is important for to-hit and Reflex saves, so this number should also be only a few points less than STR for unarmed attack.

Ninja Spies that plan to fight only with shortswords, kamas and shuriken can opt to maximize DEX for both attack and damage but should not neglect WIS to aid in Concentration. WIS is especially important for star-throwers, who cannot generate ki from thrown weapon combat and need a large stable ki pool. Do have at least a STR 12 to allow for some unarmed attack should you encounter oozes and rust monsters that can damage conventional weapons.

CON is not a dump stat for any Monk. Be sure that your HP rests close to 400 unbuffed or more by the time you reach level 20 or you may not survive in Epic adventures. Tankers should look to 700 as a base goal. CON aids your Fortitude save to shake off holding spells.

Add INT only if you want a few more skill points per level or if you want to use the Combat Expertise feat (INT 13) to improve overall AC by 10%.

Never add points to CHA. Use free tomes or items to improve this stat for two uses: the DC check for the level 20 finishing move, Shining Star, or the Shintao Monk's distant stunning ability, Kukan-Do.

Take advantage of Human Versatility/Elven racial enhancements to add to ability scores in addition to options found in the Monk class trees.

Epic Feats count only Inherent and base numbers for their prerequisites.

You'll need to plan early to be ready for these feats. They don't count any ability boosts from enhancements or Epic Destinies. For instance, to attain the Vorpal Strikes feat, you must have a WIS 23, counted only from your base WIS and any tomes.

Use augment gems with Insightful or Exceptional abilities to increase ability scores. Remember that same types of these abilities can't stack from other sources.

Augment gems with False Life placed in a blue shot and items with Vitality can give a much-needed boost to HP.

Fortification

As a melee class, you must always wear as much fortification as you can to avoid critical hits and reduce sneak attack damage. While rings and belts often have this property, you'll want to reserve ring slots for more dynamic changes to AC and Dodge or ability scores.

Augment slots come to rescue again. Several robes with empty blue augment slots can be outfitted with Light, Medium and Heavy Fortification gems. By level 12, you'll find stronger options.

By level 20, enemies will have more and more Combat Rating (enemy levels) that will bypass 100% fortification. You'll need to attain stacking extra fortification using better Fortifying items as well as Epic Destiny options. The Fabricator's Ingenuity set of bracers and gauntlets can add 25% stacking fortification once unlocked. The Epic Destiny, Unyielding Sentinel, offers an ability to add a 40% stacking fortification. In an Epic Elite adventure, the most difficult of challenges, a fortification of 150 or better will lessen the chance of severe damage.

Armor Class

Monks gain natural bonuses to their AC based on their WIS and DEX modifiers. The higher these stats, the higher your general Armor Class.

Robes, outfits and other gear help, but it is your Monk elemental stance that plays a role in your AC. Earth Stance grants the best AC bonus with a 20% general boost to all AC numbers (this stacks with Combat Expertise's 10% for a 30% total). However, Earth Stance also increases your Threat, making you a likely target by mobs.

Fire Stance may be the least preferable for defense, as it increases your STR but decreases your WIS. While Wind Stance increases your DEX and melee attack speed, it decreases your CON and makes you physically weaker with less HP.

Keep your WIS and DEX as high as you can. Read the chapter on Armor and other protections to see how the various numbers break down and how you can increase each category.

Saves

Each ability score improves your saves. Enhancements and feats can also improve saving throws, as well as gear. Monks have the highest saves of any character but these can be improved.

Gear with the Resistance property works well, but only the highest bonus in your gear set applies. Ocean Stance adds a stacking bonus to all saves.

Miss chance

Dodge, Incorporeality and Concealment work with your saving throws to avoid damage altogether. Each effect is rolled separately to determine if you are hit. These effects are critical in all levels of play.

Work on getting these numbers as high as possible. Ninja Spies have an advantage. For more, see the chapter on Dodge, Concealment and Incorporeality.

Situational Defenses

Monks are natural anti-mage fighters with their high saves, speed, stunning ability, and spell and natural resistances. That said, some attacks still can kill or disable a Monk that lacks essential protections.

Blindness: Have a Blindness Ward item (goggles) handy if not always equipped. Should you become blinded, always carry Blindness removal potions or use the Shintao Elemental Curative that removes blindness.

Deathblock: Always wear something with this ability. It prevents some common death spells from killing you instantly. The Topaz of Deathblock is an inexpensive gem from the DDO Store that can be added to any yellow augment slot. Items also have the Deathblock property. Robes and outfits with this property aren't recommended as you'll change your clothing for more AC and other protections.

Death Ward: Monks should run the "Attack on Splinterskull" chain as many times as desired for the end-chain reward, the Visor of the Flesh Render Guards, a 7-minute Death Ward clicky. These aren't exclusive so you can farm and carry as many as you need. Death Ward blocks all death spell effects but (unlike Deathblock) also protects against negative levels (energy drain) and negative energy effects. Death Ward is likely dispelled from you if you encounter a beholder, but a swift Monk will not let the monster live long to take advantage of that dispelling.

Suggestions on What to Wear by Level

This is a very general list of items that, at certain levels, may be good combinations to wear to complete Syncletica's Riddle as appropriate for your Monk. Updates may change this list's results, so be sure to adjust your apparel accordingly.

Items with a light blue background are set items that may provide other benefits when other items of the set are equipped together. Items with a green background are Monk-specific that augment Monk abilities in some capacity.

Items listed are commonly found in end-rewards or on the Auction House, which should help expedite equipping yourself as fast as you desire.

Items found through events, such as the Treasure of Crystal Cove, aren't listed here due to their rarity without the event in-progress for their availability, since most items generated there are bound-to-account or character. For similar reasons, items generated through Challenges aren't listed since it's complex to obtain the item.

Ranged characters such as the Zen Archer should seek out items to improve their WIS, as they use the Zen Archery feat.

Levels 1-4

• Armor: Sewer Smock, Robe of Duality, Vestments of Light
  • Each of these has a blue augment slot to allow the use of a Light Fortification gem or other gem
• Belt: Bloodknuckle's Loincloth Waistband, Gatewarden's Girdle, Rugged Belt
• Gloves: Protector's Gloves, any Gloves of Dodge 1-2%, Nimble Grasp
• Wrists: Black Widow Bracers, Axe Bane, Spear Bane, Bracers of Assistance
• Goggles: Devoted Goggles, Blessed Goggles, Trapblast Goggles
• Rings: Acrobat's Ring, Ring of Feathers, any Feather Falling ring, Ring of Waterbreathing
• Boots: Anger's Step, Pathfinder's Boots, Boots of the Long Step
• Helm: Straw Hat, Tattered Cowl, Battleworn Helm, Corsair's Cap, Mask of the Asylum
• Necklace: Amulet of Inner Focus, Anger's Gift, Devoted Necklace, Necklace of Contemplation, Pathfinder's Necklace, Protector's Brooch, Cloven Jaw War Beads
• Trinket: Bottle of Air, Jeeka's Spangle, Kneeza's Bauble, Moog's Ornament, any Ioun Stones except a suppressed Pink Lavender Ioun Stone
• Weapons/Handwraps: Eternal Rest, +1 Starter Handwraps, Min's Handwraps, Soren's Handwraps, Pillar of Light, Weeping Handwraps

Levels 5-8

• Armor: Quicksilver Cassok, Delera's Vestment, Robe of Winter
• Belt: Any that provides 75% fortification
• Gloves: Charged Gauntlets
• Wrists: Jidz-Tet'ka
• Goggles: Blindness Immunity, Deadly/Accuracy goggles, Concentration skill
• Rings: DEX/CON/STR and Feather Falling
• Boots: Striding 10-20%, Feather Falling
• Helm:
• Necklace:
• Trinket:
• Weapons/Handwraps: Holy/Pure Good, Elemental bursting, Adamantine-lined, Devotion (handwraps)

Levels 9-13

• Armor:
• Belt:
• Gloves:
• Wrists:
• Goggles:
• Rings:
• Boots:
• Helm:
• Necklace:
• Trinket:
• Weapons/Handwraps:

Levels 14-18

• Armor: White Dragonscale Robe
• Belt: Belt of Thoughtful Remembrance
• Gloves:
• Wrists: Jidz-Tet'ka
• Goggles:
• Rings: Dexterity/Wisdom/Constitution/Strength +6 ring
• Boots:
• Helm:
• Necklace: Golden Guile (Improved Deception)
• Trinket: Melee/Ranged Alacrity 10%
• Weapons/Handwraps:

Levels 19-20

• Armor: White Dragonscale Robe
• Belt:
• Gloves:
• Wrists:
• Goggles:
• Rings:
• Boots:
• Helm:
• Necklace:
• Trinket:
• Weapons/Handwraps:

Level 21 and beyond

Here, set items from the Eveningstar Commendations may be too good to pass up at Level 20.

As you complete the Epic quests, incredibly powerful items will entice you to steer off the early Epic gear. Keep in mind that now you need to raise your fortification beyond 100% and that your miss-chance effects should be maximized, your AC should be 90 or better, your HP at 500 or better, your DCs at 50 or better, and your saves around 50 or better. Your Concentration score will be used heavily in quests as a DC to complete some objectives, and should now be at least 50 by level 20.

• Armor:
• Belt:
• Gloves:
• Wrists:
• Goggles:
• Rings:
• Boots:
• Helm:
• Necklace:
• Trinket:
• Weapons/Handwraps: