Barbarian > Monk (or vice versa)

[Nightowl2]

Yeah, if it's speed you're after, don't bother with barbarian. Monks are quite fast at higher levels, and you won't need the small add from the barbarian class.

On the other hand, if you want a killing machine, work up a Fighter 4/Monk 16. With dual kamas, improved two-weapon fighting, flurry of blows, and haste, you can have 10 attacks per round. Don't take all the fighter levels at once. Hold off at least one fighter level until your AB is at least +4 so you can have weapon specialization in kama. You might want to do some trial builds in Chewy's mod first so you know the correct sequence.

Nightowl2

[Dace De'Briago]

Originally posted by Nightowl2: Yeah, if it's speed you're after, don't bother with barbarian. Monks are quite fast at higher levels, and you won't need the small add from the barbarian class. On the other hand, if you want a killing machine, work up a Fighter 4/Monk 16. With dual kamas, improved two-weapon fighting, flurry of blows, and haste, you can have 10 attacks per round. Don't take all the fighter levels at once. Hold off at least one fighter level until your AB is at least +4 so you can have weapon specialization in kama. You might want to do some trial builds in Chewy's mod first so you know the correct sequence. Nightowl2

I was thinking a 10% bonus on top of a 50$ movement bonus for being a monk would make this character more-or-less uncatchable.

Anyway, I've decided against the barbarian side of things, and I'm currently running the character through the game as a monk. Up to L4 at the moment in the white dragon caves.

My starting stats were:
STR 10
DEX 17
CON 12
WIS 13
INT 14
CHA 8

I'm aware of the 'odd numbers' not providing a bonus, it was just so I could prepare for future stat increases. Dexterity is now up to 18. My next increase will go into Wisdom to get the extra +1 Monk AC bonus.

The reason that INT was set to 14 was because its one of the few stats where bonuses are not retroactively applied (as far as skills are concerned). I'm slightly regretting taking 14 in it, because there arent really a great deal of skills that a monk really needs. Ahh well, live and learn.

[robertthebard]

It will come in handy down the road. Any extra skill points you can get, you'll need for something somewhere. You may want to invest a few here and there into traps, at least, and maybe locks. A couple or three points in each, with an amulet of the master in a bag for future reference is all you should really need. I took a monk through the first campaign with that, and various lockpicks.

[ZFR]

Originally posted by Sir Degrader: From a roleplaying perspective, its pretty damn hard to be more wrong then that.

Really? IMHO it's not so difficult to roleplay a barbarian/monk. How about a barbarian, who after having his life saved by a monk, decided to repent from his chaotic ways and become a monk himself? Or a person who was forced by his parents to join a monastery, but after some time his true chaotic instincts took control?