If so, what for?

I have a Deep Gnome Monk with a 13 INT I'm using as a decoy. The only skills I give her is Hide and Move Silently (maxed out), and the extra point I spend on Search (just because).

Do I need Concentration for anything in this game? What about any other skills (for this character, I've got a Diplomat and a Loremaster)?

No. 4 ranks in Concentration are needed for Maximized Attacks but a Monk wouldn't use that feat anyway since it also requires weapon specialization (in 2 weapons).

Alright, what are some good feats for a single classed monk? After the save-boosters, dodge, expertise, and improved critical, I'm leaning towards toughness (!!!!).

Lol. No way!? :eek:

I guess you would have considered Power Attack and Cleave if your character was strong enough.

Dirty Fighting is not that bad (especially after taking Improved Criticals). It's always better than Toughness.

For what it's worth you could take Rapid Shot (not really effective except when using darts, slings, bows or thrown weapons which is not what a Monk usually do).

Apart from these feats I cant see anything useful for a single class Monk.

Dash for sure, maybe Dirty Fighting or Cleave.

Don't forget to be LE/LN and take a Bane level near the end.

Rapid shot is essential for added flexibility. Dash can help a lot. Dirty fighting and cleave are also worth considering.
Toughness isn't that bad, on the long run surely better than the unneccessary save-boosters you took.

Caradhras: You're right, I'd take PA and Cleve if I could, but my STR is only 8. I'm curious about Dirty Fighting... does it actually work? Rapid Shot is an option, since the rare times I use a missile weapon it'll be a throwing axe.

JT: my 6th level Monk runs circles around the rest of the party... what do I need Dash for? BTW, I'm avoiding the Bane level... I know I'd be more powerful with it, but I just hate that XP penalty. Besides, this Monk is a decoy, and can reach AC 72 without the Banite bonus.

kmonster: The only reason I'm really considering toughness is because I can't think of any other useful feats.

Take blind fight!
It has saved my decoy a few times in the past. You never know when you'll fail a fort save and get blinded and now it won't affect you.

If you have the EOU-component that makes fists finessable then take weapon finesse.

As have been said before, rapid shot, dash and dirty fighting are all better than toughness and I would probably even pick strong back before spending a feat for 3 lousy HP.

Ooooh, Strong Back is a pretty decent option! I'll throw that one in there.

Dash really is silly though. I'd rather have 3 more HP than run even faster.

Yeah, dash is useless for pure monks. A straight up monk is so ridiculously fast, any additional speed boost is pointless.

Dirty fighting does work, I've seen it happen, but never when it really would have mattered, but that's just the general rarity of criticals.

Though I am curious why you only have 8 strength. Monk level bonuses for armor cover for expertise, so you can min intelligence out to get strength.

"Yeah, dash is useless for pure monks. A straight up monk is so ridiculously fast, any additional speed boost is pointless."
Dash is also useless if you wear the boots of speed?
Or they stack?
TIA

Expertise is essential for reaching max AC of 72.

Dirty Fighting indeed works, but I am not sure about its DC. It works well against low fortitude save enemies but tougher ones resist it so easy it is kinda useless. Also, you can activate your own Stunning Fists, they are way better than Dirty Fighting in terms of accuracy and effect.

Rapid Shot is a very useful feat, I give it to all my characters who can afford it.

I am not sure if Dash stacks with monk's natural high speed, if it does, I say go for it. +3 HP from Toughness will make very very little difference in the big picture, but there is a 'big' difference between 'running fast' and 'flying around.' :shake:

Paladins need Concentration for using Lay on Hands ability. I fear this may be true for monk's innate healing power, and other pseudo-magical abilities. If Concentration is too low he may fail to initiate them in the midst of a group melee! Also this may be true for Deep Gnome's racial illusion spells. You don't need to be hit to be disrupted, if your Concentration score is too low, simply having flanks of enemies around 'may' disrupt your casting and using of abilities. Think about it.

Though I am curious why you only have 8 strength. Monk level bonuses for armor cover for expertise, so you can min intelligence out to get strength.As Silverstar mentioned, it's needed for an AC of 72. I haven't used it much in the early game (just finished Chapter 1).

Her stats are as follows:
S:8 D:20 C:12 I:13 W:20 Ch:1

Paladins need Concentration for using Lay on Hands ability. I fear this may be true for monk's innate healing power, and other pseudo-magical abilities. If Concentration is too low he may fail to initiate them in the midst of a group melee! Also this may be true for Deep Gnome's racial illusion spells. You don't need to be hit to be disrupted, if your Concentration score is too low, simply having flanks of enemies around 'may' disrupt your casting and using of abilities. Think about it.Hmmm. If I find this to be true, I'll start adding points into Concentration. If I never get disrupted, I'll keep CC'ing points into Search.

S:8
D:20+7+5-2 (LvL,Slippers,Potions of Trans)
C:12
I:13
W:20+5+4 (Every God's, Pot)
Ch:1

10 Base
4 Race
1 Feat
5 Monk Levels
10 Dex
9 Wisdom
6 Spirit Armor
5 Ghost Armor
5 Barkskin
4 Haste
5 Expertise
5 Brazen Band
3 Sunfire Talisman

AC 72

Yeah, you were right about the armor. I'm too used to characters that have Banite and Rogue levels to cover with Swing from the Mast and the Banite Quest.

As for speed I had a maybe level 15? monk. It moved so damn fast w/o dash that I couldn't click fast enough to control it. You really don't need it. But if you have enough feats to have to pick between Toughness or Dash... well I guess dash would beat it?

Two things: You get a +6 to AC at level 30, and a single classed Monk can not use Every God's Ring.

As far as I know, all speed modifiers stack, though some combinations aren't possible (Monk/Barb). More speed is always worthwhile in my experience, especially for a scout or tank.

Strong Back is junk; it is like +3 to STR -- but for carrying capacity only.

I know Strong Back is junk... but after the character I've presented above, I don't know where to turn after the basics (Expertise, Dodge, Weapon Finesse, >blank<, Improved Critical).

Strong back is almost always junk but for some low strength characters it can make the difference between being able to carry a certain items/weapon or not and then it can be ok as a filler in feat.

There is always wands/spell of Bull's Strength, which should (75%) give at least +3 STR. If your character is so weak that it needs Strong Back *and* Bull's Strength just to walk around unburdened, then that is probably your fault for only giving him 5 STR at creation...

Regardless of your current speed, the Dash boost will help you and your party far more than 3 more MaxHP will.

(Pssst, JT: he's got an 8 STR)

Right. 8+Bull's Strength = plenty for a monk.

"to cover with Swing from the Mast and the Banite Quest."

Banite quest? Where did I miss that?

Must have meant the Banite bonus for killing the Banite cleric in the graveyard near Kuldahar.

You lost me, JT. Your posts seem contradictory.

Strong Back is one of the only feats that actually lets me get extra ability points to put elsewhere, when them points are at a dire shortage.

Reason? A character with STR 8 (or less) isn't going to do much good with a melee or thrown weapons/slings anyway, which suggests the use of bows/crossbows. At that point, the only thing STR is good for is just the carrying capacity. Since there's no need to carry a body armor for a monk, even STR 4 with Bull's Strength & Strong Back shouldn't pose much of a problem. That's 4 ability points for ya in a single feat - not all that bad, IMHO.

So basically, when it all shakes out, there aren't really any good feats or skills for a decoy Monk aside from those I'm already dedicated to taking (Dodge, Expertise, Weapon Finesse, Improved Critical... Hide, Move Silently, and Search).

Sounds like it's a fight between crappy and slightly-less-crappy. ;)