Looking for improvement ideas for my monk

[plonkster]

Primary: Tranquil Staff
Range: Totem of the Warrior Spirit
Shoulders: Wurm Scale Coat
Chest: Fungus Covered Scale Tunic
Back: Cloak of Confusion
Waist: Spiked Seahorse Hide Belt
Legs: Drake-hide Leggings
Feet: Footpads of the Tiger
Finger: Velium Fire Wedding Ring x 2
Wrist: Dragon Bone Bracelet x 2
Arms: Drake-hide Sleeves
Hands: Celestial Fists
Ear 1: Black Sapphire Electrum Earring
Ear 2: Earring of Magic Reflection
Neck: Qeynos Badge of Honor
Face: Crystal Spider Eyes
Head: Crystal Chitin Circlet
Bag: all 100% WR bags


My human monk is 57 and I'm planning on soloing to 60. What would you change? So far it works for me, but I wonder if I'm missing some obvious upgrades that wouldn't be too hard to get. I'm pretty much out of cash at this point so buying anything expensive is out of the picture. I'm also unguilded and not going to join a guild at this point (probably when I hit 60 though).

It took me some wiggling and compromises to clear the 20 WT limit and I intent on keeping this constraint.

[WarpathEQ]

Re-roll Iksar

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Primary: Tranquil Staff
Range: Totem of the Warrior Spirit
Shoulders: Wurm Scale Coat
Chest: Fungus Covered Scale Tunic
Back: Cloak of Confusion
Waist: Spiked Seahorse Hide Belt
Legs: Drake-hide Leggings
Feet: Footpads of the Tiger
Finger: Velium Fire Wedding Ring x 2
Wrist: Dragon Bone Bracelet x 2
Arms: Drake-hide Sleeves
Hands: Celestial Fists
Ear 1: Black Sapphire Electrum Earring
Ear 2: Earring of Magic Reflection
Neck: Qeynos Badge of Honor
Face: Crystal Spider Eyes
Head: Crystal Chitin Circlet
Bag: all 100% WR bags


My human monk is 57 and I'm planning on soloing to 60. What would you change? So far it works for me, but I wonder if I'm missing some obvious upgrades that wouldn't be too hard to get. I'm pretty much out of cash at this point so buying anything expensive is out of the picture. I'm also unguilded and not going to join a guild at this point (probably when I hit 60 though).

It took me some wiggling and compromises to clear the 20 WT limit and I intent on keeping this constraint.

Nice gear! A lot of upgrades at this point would only provide fairly small benefits compared to the money spent, and you are out of plat hehe. Monks have less gear options in the mid range sadly.

Crown of King Tranix + Crown of the Froglok Kings would be a good addition to your kit. You need resists, and they aren't super expensive. You are looking at ~5k or so for tranix crown when averaging prices across both servers. Crown of the Froglok King is a few hundred plat, and can be solo farmed.

You probably want player crafted resistance rings/bracelets/earrings as well for swap when fighting casters.

[BradZax]

Legs: Golden Efreeti legs because human monk and they are cool.

[Defo]

The only items I'd change:

Legs: Black Pantherskin Leggings / Oiled Greaves
Arms: Azure Sleeves / Black Pantherskin Sleeves
Head: Netted Kelp Cap


Going over the weight limit doesn't seem to affect mitigation TOO much. But it's definitely the case that you get the largest AC losses at the first few stone over weight. However, some items are worth it, like Barbed Dragonscale Boots and Silver Chitin Wristbands.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

The only items I'd change:

Legs: Black Pantherskin Leggings / Oiled Greaves
Arms: Azure Sleeves / Black Pantherskin Sleeves
Head: Netted Kelp Cap


Going over the weight limit doesn't seem to affect mitigation TOO much. But it's definitely the case that you get the largest AC losses at the first few stone over weight. However, some items are worth it, like Barbed Dragonscale Boots and Silver Chitin Wristbands.

I am always over the monk weight limit on my 52 monk to be honest. It has yet to affect my solo ability. It seems like OP doesn't want to do that, but I agree those are good options if OP is willing to put on some extra weight.

[WarpathEQ]

I am always over the monk weight limit on my 52 monk to be honest. It has yet to affect my solo ability. It seems like OP doesn't want to do that, but I agree those are good options if OP is willing to put on some extra weight.

You just have yet to hit a level that it really matters. 52-60 is a huge spike in difficulty.

[BradZax]

Barbed Dragonscale Boots and Silver Chitin Wristbands.

And golden efreeti legs on a an eyepatch monk.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

You just have yet to hit a level that it really matters. 52-60 is a huge spike in difficulty.

It largely depends on what you are fighting. If you are fighting normal XP trash from 52-60, it probably won't matter much. You can level to 60 in PoM rat maze, where the xp is great and the mobs are easy.

I agree that you want all the advantages you can get when doing something like fighting Fungi King for a solo kill challenge.

[plonkster]

It largely depends on what you are fighting. If you are fighting normal XP trash from 52-60, it probably won't matter much. You can level to 60 in PoM rat maze, where the xp is great and the mobs are easy.

I agree that you want all the advantages you can get when doing something like fighting Fungi King for a solo kill challenge.

What level can I start soloing the rat maze? I've never tried that. Are the rats there tougher than the 2nd floor mobs in CoM? I mostly solo that and sometimes a highest level pop can be a close fight.

[Zuranthium]

Re-roll Iksar

The best advice, aside from cleansing your soul.

Why is a Monk listing a bunch of gear? Monks are supposed to be about living without worldly possessions. Your power comes from within.

(Verant broke that roleplaying identity with the expansions; Monks were previously the best melee DPS at Level 50 with just hand-to-hand)

[DeathsSilkyMist]

What level can I start soloing the rat maze? I've never tried that. Are the rats there tougher than the 2nd floor mobs in CoM? I mostly solo that and sometimes a highest level pop can be a close fight.

Ratlings are 46, ratfinks are 48, and terilings are 49. You should be fine with Ratlings, as mist golems and greater war bones can go up to 46. They are all just regular warrior mobs.

I haven't tried rat maze on a Monk personally, but I've seen Monks up there before, and you got pretty good gear. I leveled both my SK and Shaman to 60 in Rat Maze.

You may want to wait until 58 before trying it out though.

[kjs86z2]

You're basically BiS if you don't want to raid.

Time to join the best guild on the server and DPS monk for months (years?) and save for an Abashi.

[Defo]

Ratlings are 46, ratfinks are 48, and terilings are 49. You should be fine with Ratlings, as mist golems and greater war bones can go up to 46. They are all just regular warrior mobs.

I haven't tried rat maze on a Monk personally, but I've seen Monks up there before, and you got pretty good gear. I leveled both my SK and Shaman to 60 in Rat Maze.

You may want to wait until 58 before trying it out though.

55 is a good level for the maze as monk, but even at 55 you will need to recover after terilings. However, it's really no big deal since they are all warriors if you get into trouble you can just FD.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

55 is a good level for the maze as monk, but even at 55 you will need to recover after terilings. However, it's really no big deal since they are all warriors if you get into trouble you can just FD.

Good to know! Yeah rat maze is quite chill. Most mobs are singles, you just need to learn some of the pathers. And you never lose faction, so you won't be attacked on sight. You usually have plenty of time to FD if you feel uneasy about the fight.

[kjs86z2]

PoM sucks

LDCs are where its at, especially for this monk he can def solo the stone spider pop

gypsy camp and druid ring nearby, etc

[DeathsSilkyMist]

PoM sucks

LDCs are where its at, especially for this monk he can def solo the stone spider pop

gypsy camp and druid ring nearby, etc

I leveled two characters to 60 in PoM rat maze. XP is top tier. I was getting like 1 blue bubble per hour on my Shaman at level 58 and 59.

For reference, I think I was getting ~60% of a blue bubble per hour at Neriak Arena at 58 and 59 on my Shaman.

[Jimjam]

I leveled two characters to 60 in PoM rat maze. XP is top tier. I was getting like 1 blue bubble per hour on my Shaman at level 58 and 59.

For reference, I think I was getting ~60% of a blue bubble per hour at Neriak Arena at 58 and 59 on my Shaman.

Did you get through a lot of bandages on your shaman in PoM?

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Did you get through a lot of bandages on your shaman in PoM?

I didn't use bandages. I had Fungi Tunic, Fungi Staff, JBB, and Shawl 7. I just spammed JBB and slow tanked for the most part. I summoned my pet for some extra DPS. Root adds away from the main target. It worked well.

[Jimjam]

I didn't use bandages. I had Fungi Tunic, Fungi Staff, JBB, and Shawl 7. I just spammed JBB and slow tanked for the most part. I summoned my pet for some extra DPS. Root adds away from the main target. It worked well.

Thank you. That is an interesting point of what to expect. I’ve been flirting with getting a bit more xp on my 53 monk.

[Zuranthium]

PoM sucks

LDCs are where its at, especially for this monk he can def solo the stone spider pop

Don't the lowest level lava duct crawlers become light blue at 59? PoM would be a little better at that point, assuming the current listed ZEM's are correct.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Don't the lowest level lava duct crawlers become light blue at 59? PoM would be a little better at that point, assuming the current listed ZEM's are correct.

LDC's are levels 43-45 according to the wiki. PoM Rats are levels 46-49. PoM ZEM was good the last time I leveled there with my SK. I don't think anything has changed since, but I haven't tested it in 2026.

[Mortdecai99]

LDC's are levels 43-45 according to the wiki. PoM Rats are levels 46-49. PoM ZEM was good the last time I leveled there with my SK. I don't think anything has changed since, but I haven't tested it in 2026.

pom has same zem as the hole

[Snaggles]

LDC’s are going to have a lower difficulty ceiling than some places like PoM or Chardok. Where a higher type npc might simply not be killable (I’m not certain a 57 monks capacity outside using clickies), it’s better to kill some low blues than run into walls. You also might weigh ease of a rez. PoM is certainly the easiest if you know a buddy with a cleric parked there; most guilds have at least someone with a cleric in PoM. Sol B is a quick run and drag with local ports so probably the easiest spot to find a cleric.

I personally have seen too much of sol b and due to Chardok farmers there is usually a cleric accessible. I’d be tempted to finish off 60 at the entrance and exit for sake of keeping it interesting. There isn’t much card value in the rat maze that I’ve seen at least…gimme some vendor gems, SoS and tribal war boots for that dopamine hit. Beats a cloak of shadows.

[Snaggles]

Gear wise I’d be tempted to swap some of those pieces out. Tranix crown and earring of essence are more obvious picks; eyepatch of shadows if it’s in your budget. Maybe BD bracelets for the dragon bone for general use since I’m a SV’s freak. However, they likely won’t give a lot of boil blood resists so the str and dex will keep your kill speed a bit higher…plus the rat maze and Chardok ent/zone out will be 99% warrior type mobs so the BD’s will give zero benefit.

[Crede]

I twinked out a monk pretty well. Honestly kinda struggle still in CoM depending on the mob at 55. Very unwhelming solo class at least until massive raid gear compared to my sk who could go like hours with no breaks.

LDCs are much better.

[plonkster]

The thing is that CoM mobs don't run. Last time I tried SolB (bats) it was allright but everything ran and it was pretty annoying.

[Jimjam]

The thing is that CoM mobs don't run. Last time I tried SolB (bats) it was allright but everything ran and it was pretty annoying.

The critters are socially factioned. They won’t run if there is a friend round corner.

[kjs86z2]

PoM sucks.

[Defo]

I twinked out a monk pretty well. Honestly kinda struggle still in CoM depending on the mob at 55. Very unwhelming solo class at least until massive raid gear compared to my sk who could go like hours with no breaks.

LDCs are much better.

Well the greater war boned are monks, so they dual wield innately with double attack. I'd always use stonestance on them.

And the wraiths / phantoms proc the lifetap. They are pretty rough also.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Another nice thing about PoM rat maze (at least when I leveled there), is there are usually less players there. LDC is a much easier camp to get to, so it can be more contested.

Well the greater war boned are monks, so they dual wield innately with double attack. I'd always use stonestance on them.

And the wraiths / phantoms proc the lifetap. They are pretty rough also.

Ah I forgot about that. Haven't leveled in CoM in years. Yeah the rats in PoM are all just warriors.

[plonkster]

Greater war bones of the highest level are absolute PITA to kill event at 57 - it takes me a disc, a mend, and quite some luck (aka tstaff procs) to kill one. Half the time I have to FD and reset.

[kjs86z2]

LDCs are all you need to 60

and you can keep doing /who all shaman 54 - 59 and find one LFG and they're literally 5 mins away tops and you can go do imps / freeti

[Zuranthium]

PoM sucks.

It seemingly has a high zone exp mod (whereas SolB has a low one) and the NPC's stay dark blue through 60, why are you so anti-PoM?

[DeathsSilkyMist]

It seemingly has a high zone exp mod (whereas SolB has a low one) and the NPC's stay dark blue through 60, why are you so anti-PoM?

The XP in PoM is top tier when soloing to 60.

PoM's biggest downside for a melee class is it can be difficult to get your corpse when you die. This is because you cannot bind yourself in zone. People do park clerics in PoM, but it may take some time to get a res lined up.

Monks have FD though, so PoM is much safer in that sense. My SK could easily FD any fight I wasn't confident in. He was able to level from 58 to 60 without any deaths.

[kjs86z2]

It seemingly has a high zone exp mod (whereas SolB has a low one) and the NPC's stay dark blue through 60, why are you so anti-PoM?

Because you're trapped there.

Look, I get it. If you're a full blown autist and are fine with staying parked in 1 spot from all of 58-60, you do you. I'd imagine this is the majority of people still playing p99.

There's just a lot more fun to be had otherwise. Or there used to be, anyway.

[Defo]

Because you're trapped there.

Look, I get it. If you're a full blown autist and are fine with staying parked in 1 spot from all of 58-60, you do you. I'd imagine this is the majority of people still playing p99.

There's just a lot more fun to be had otherwise. Or there used to be, anyway.

Yeah, I tend to agree here, but if you are a skilled monk, you can get to PoM without needing a CoTH. Made even easier if you're bound at ToV entrance.

It helps if it's shortly after 7 days are killed. The flurries can be a pain to flop past, but it's not too difficult.

However, it's still a pain, it takes some time, and is not doable with any other class except monk.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Because you're trapped there.

Look, I get it. If you're a full blown autist and are fine with staying parked in 1 spot from all of 58-60, you do you. I'd imagine this is the majority of people still playing p99.

There's just a lot more fun to be had otherwise. Or there used to be, anyway.

There's nothing autistic about soloing mobs for XP lol.

If you are planning on soloing from 58-60 anayway, might was well do it in a place with great XP. You are also "trapped" at LDC's if all you do is log in, kill LDC's, and then log out. Same with CoM, or any other zone.

If OP groups often, then I agree PoM rat maze is harder to go back and forth from as a melee. It's probably not the best place to go. On my Shaman it was easy to leave PoM and do other things, as you can bind at the exit tree.

I enjoy grouping as much as the next player, but it is a bit depressing when you are in an amazing group chain pulling for 2 hours, and yoi get like half the XP you would have soloing.

[Crede]

I enjoy grouping as much as the next player, but it is a bit depressing when you are in an amazing group chain pulling for 2 hours, and yoi get like half the XP you would have soloing.

Good Duos/trios are typically the only compositions where you can outpace solo xp. My monk has a lot of downtime bandaging. But yea, anything over 3 and xp is pretty brutal. There's not enough difficult group content in classic to warrant needing a bigger group. Later on live you have zones that were like mini raid zones that were more full group friendly.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Good Duos/trios are typically the only compositions where you can outpace solo xp. My monk has a lot of downtime bandaging. But yea, anything over 3 and xp is pretty brutal. There's not enough difficult group content in classic to warrant needing a bigger group. Later on live you have zones that were like mini raid zones that were more full group friendly.

I agree duos and trios can be amazing. From my experience a lot of public groups are 4 to 6 players. This is because the people who create public groups typically aren't picky about who they invite.

To be clear, I am not complaining that public groups are eager to invite people. I think it is a good thing that people can easily get into a group of 4 people and get some XP. This is especially true if they are a class that cannot solo well like Rogues.

Obviously this slows down XP significantly. I always assume a public group is going to end up being 4+ people. When I join these kinds of groups, I am not expecting amazing XP. I just want to have some fun with other people.

[OriginalContentGuy]

OP your load out as posted puts you I'd guess ahead of 95% of active monks. You don't need any more gear to 60. Congratulations.

[Snaggles]

I’ve soloed every class outside my cleric to 60 (stopped nuking undead around 55 and just found an enchanter friend).

Four classes to 60 in highkeep (2 before the Bodyguards were added).
Four classes in Neriak
Bard in Velious and cleric in Velks.

I’m not into self-diagnosing and definitely not diagnosing others. I might be on the spectrum. There are tinges of obsessive compulsion there, tolerance for routine, and a lack of new hobbies.

Pushing the soapbox aside, Neriak arena wouldn’t be a bad place (they all respawn the same level). There are other spots to try since the monk isn’t as limited as some…whatever is tolerable, go there. Clock in, clock out, you will be 60 eventually. If you grind like it’s a job you won’t have have an issue. If you treat it like an adventure you will enjoy yourself but it will take longer.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

I’ve soloed every class outside my cleric to 60 (stopped nuking undead around 55 and just found an enchanter friend).

Four classes to 60 in highkeep (2 before the Bodyguards were added).
Four classes in Neriak
Bard in Velious and cleric in Velks.

I’m not into self-diagnosing and definitely not diagnosing others. I might be on the spectrum. There are tinges of obsessive compulsion there, tolerance for routine, and a lack of new hobbies.

Pushing the soapbox aside, Neriak arena wouldn’t be a bad place (they all respawn the same level). There are other spots to try since the monk isn’t as limited as some…whatever is tolerable, go there. Clock in, clock out, you will be 60 eventually. If you grind like it’s a job you won’t have have an issue. If you treat it like an adventure you will enjoy yourself but it will take longer.

Yeah Neriak Arena is fine. As I said, it is like 60% of the XP per hour as PoM rat maze the last time I checked. I did Neriak Arena on my Shaman when PoM rat maze was fully camped.

[plonkster]

I’ve soloed every class outside my cleric to 60 (stopped nuking undead around 55 and just found an enchanter friend).

Four classes to 60 in highkeep (2 before the Bodyguards were added).
Four classes in Neriak
Bard in Velious and cleric in Velks.

I’m not into self-diagnosing and definitely not diagnosing others. I might be on the spectrum. There are tinges of obsessive compulsion there, tolerance for routine, and a lack of new hobbies.

Pushing the soapbox aside, Neriak arena wouldn’t be a bad place (they all respawn the same level). There are other spots to try since the monk isn’t as limited as some…whatever is tolerable, go there. Clock in, clock out, you will be 60 eventually. If you grind like it’s a job you won’t have have an issue. If you treat it like an adventure you will enjoy yourself but it will take longer.


bro u need to roll another cleric and solo to 60. how can u poissibly stop one class short?

[Snaggles]

bro u need to roll another cleric and solo to 60. how can u poissibly stop one class short?

I’m working on a rogue finally but this comment will bother me the more I think about it, lol.