monks are a fun class, play them (just remember if you multiclass you can't go back). I've got a party of monks atm with a few levels in something else.
Challenging, interesting, and improved a bit in the Co8 mods. I wouldn't recommend multi-classing one, and you'll probably want a heavily enchanted quarter staff or similar for the demon fights, but they make a nice option for the blocker, scout, and mage killer roles. Not really all that much raw power compared to other classes in ToEE, but they're fun.
At high levels a monk can whup pretty much anybody else even when everything is taken away from him. At low levels though they are not worth much. For the high level demon fights there are inherent problems in how the class works, but the game does a pretty good job of giving access to monk usable weapons which can be enchanted (post Co8 that is). I use my monk as a trapfinder/lockpicker. He's very stat intensive, but with a high intelligence he's decent with 1 level of rogue and the rest monk. Good luck on your path to righteousness and inner peace FR
Good but not great, but very cheap to equip (they need almost nothing, anything you do give them is gravy).
well... the later amulets and magic stuff certainly dont come cheap but yes, early equipment costs pretty much nothing.
A monk as I recall was more of a secondary support... good for dps... can take damage.. fast as hell (for killing mages) but in the end it does not have the raw health of a barbarian, the enchanted armor of a warrior. and weapons to go with it... really and most important would be how you play him. My favorite classes have been the monk and cleric for p&p gaming!
in ToEE, monks have the potential to increase their AC well above a fighter of equal level, the trick is to take a crafting oriented druid in the group. High Dex and Wis scores can give a monk an AC of up to 19 at level 1, equip bracers of armour, amulet of natural armour, a ring of protection, a defending monk weapon, and don't forget the monks get a class bonus to AC when they are a high enough level.
I'm not sure if it's DnD 3.5 rules compliant, but in TOEE & TOEE co8 5.0, my monks (and fighters classes) are naturally proficient with the cleaver. It's the only one handed 1d10 dmg weapon in the game that I have ever found with the exception of a bastard sword. It's also naturally keen (better critical %). They are available as treasure in one of the early levels of the temple dungeon well before needed for the big baddies at the end of the game. The new modded co8 weapons seem to be a more natural fit for a monk character. My female half-orc monk (Josephine) loved her some cleaver though.
In PNP monks are the mage-killers. Excellent saves, high touch ACs, able to cross most battlefields in one round and Tumble through anyone in their way. Once there they can grapple the mage, and unless he's got a Contingent or Stilled Dimension Door or Teleport, he's pretty much SOL while the monk chokes him to death.
Even in ToEE they're actually pretty good in that role. With Evasion and great saves they can run all over the battlefield while your casters rain area spells around him and he'll rarely take damage. Still, the lack of enemy spell casters limits the usefulness of that tactic.
