By this I mean parties between 2 and 5 PCs in size. I realize that experience and skills rise more quickly with fewer members; however, in a non-ironman game, what is your opinion? Also, what race and class combos do you see as best fitting each party size? Note class changes and appropriate levels. These are my impressions.

2
-Lizard Fighter
-Elf Bishop

3
-Lizard Fighter
-Elf Bishop
-Human Bard

4
-Lizard Fighter
-Elf Bishop
-Human Bard
-Fairy Ninja

5
-Lizard Fighter
-Elf Bishop
-Human Bard
-Fairy Ninja
-Mook Ranger

-EE

I like smaller parties both for increased levelling and increased chances for skill development. It also can add to the challenge of the game, which is invaluable for veteran players. Taken to an extreme, these are the same motives for people who enjoy playing solos. To this day, I've never heard of anyone completing the game with a solo gadgeteer, which may very well prove to be the ultimate challenge. Personally, I tend to prefer faerie bishops rather than elves for improved spell point regeneration. I tend not to play fighters too often, even with small parties, although there are obvious advantages to doing so. In general, I do tend to play bishops in almost all my parties regardless of size, both to balance out the spell books, and because they're probably my favourite characters overall. On the whole, I see small parties as a chance to more fully develop a character, so the hybrids are my favourite choice because it's much more difficult to raise their skills sufficiently in a full party. One of my favourite small parties without a bishop was an asian themed party of monk, ninja, and samurai. Obviously the early game with a party like this is quite difficult, but if you can hang in there, and develop your hybrid's magic a bit, it's really quite thrilling, and makes you think of the game in a new way. It all depends on the level of challenge that suits you at the time. Also, Flamestryke's mod now makes it possible to consider smaller parties that might not seem viable otherwise.

I Ascended a Bard--to-Gad solo with 5 Bard levels, one Rogue level, and then Gad for 11 and back to Bard.

In Flame's New Mod i finished a solo Gad who had one Rogue level.

Trio is the largest party i've played (with occasional larger "theme" parties) since i started doing Solos.

The bad thing about smaller parties is you have less portals. If you aren't anal retentive like me and insist on going to all areas and picking up everything that can be picked up, maybe it doesn't matter as much. Also if you play solo it's a real bummer when you get swallowed.

I enjoy 3 the best. I like to have a gad. just because I hate picking up things I can't use. I like to play a dwarf Fighter/priest instead of a lord just for roll playing, and a monk or samari. I tried 1,2 and 4 but three seems to be perfect.

I just started a solo Dwarf Monk. I got to Arnika at level 4 on novice no problem. I switched to normal and it's been a little hairy but I have made it to level 10 and am doing ok. No trainning and my stealth is still 78, martial arts 72. I've been building up Artifacts with my level ups just so I can Identify and use son things. I pump 2 points strength, 2 vit, and 2 speed. I am now going to get my dex up to 60 so I can use the dagger from the rogue leader and then max st, vt, sp.

I'd have maxxed Dex first, while adding one each to Str, Vit, Spd. Once Dex is 100, 3 Str, 1 Vit, 2 Spd.
You're a Dwarf, and you can Heal Wounds; you don't need to max Vit.
Dex makes you hit stuff much more often, and can add as much as 6 to AC once maxxed.
Artifacts skill is moot for ID'ing stuff if you have the spell; it does help you when you have to "use" stuff, though.

Assuming you mean the defiler, you may need to edit it because it's not useable by monks.

I have no problem using the defiler as long as my dex is 60 that seems to be the only requirement along with speed of 60. I stopped pumping artifacts at 33 now that I have the spell. I was building vit. for the damage resistance for the dwarf and the monk to see how high it would go. Does that actually effect the damage resistance? If not I will go striaght to dex it's a lot more important.

Well, Sinteuil is correct in that the Defiler was made to be used only by FRSNRGB, so yah, must be edited for a Monk.