Ghostwise halfling long death monk

[Klorox]

Urchin background (I think it's cool and it helps a lot with the stealthy stuff; subject to change)

Level 1: 8/16/14/10/16/10

I plan on boosting DEX and WIS with my ASI until they're both at 20. As I can't imagine my game will go to level 19, so that should handle all my ASI.

I've never played a monk (other than a one-shot) before, so what's more important, boosting DEX or WIS first?

Any tips for a newbie to the monk class?

[Easy_Lee]

Urchin background (I think it's cool and it helps a lot with the stealthy stuff; subject to change)

Level 1: 8/16/14/10/16/10

I plan on boosting DEX and WIS with my ASI until they're both at 20. As I can't imagine my game will go to level 19, so that should handle all my ASI.

I've never played a monk (other than a one-shot) before, so what's more important, boosting DEX or WIS first?

Any tips for a newbie to the monk class?

Dexterity is, generally, more important. It controls your AC, attack bonus, a proficient save, initiative, and your attack damage. Wisdom controls your ability DC, AC, and a non proficient save (until 14).

[JellyPooga]

It depends on your focus.

Pumping Wisdom means your Stunning Fist, Touch of Death, Hour of Reaping and eventually Touch of the Long Death will be that much more effective. Not to mention improved Perception and Wis Saves (certainly not to be underestimated). This is obviously better for the more spiritually inclined character, from an in-character point of view, or for a player more interested in the control aspects of the Monk.

Dexterity improves both your offensive and defensive output. To hit, damage, AC, Stealth and Dex Saves (common vs. AoE effects) are your primary boons. For the more martially inclined Monk, Dex is where it's at, but as a player I'd really only focus it over Wis if there wasn't at least one other melee guy in the party. If your GM is particularly aggressive with what he throws at you, with regards to physical challenges, then Dex might also be preferable.

[Fflewddur Fflam]

Urchin background (I think it's cool and it helps a lot with the stealthy stuff; subject to change)

Level 1: 8/16/14/10/16/10

I plan on boosting DEX and WIS with my ASI until they're both at 20. As I can't imagine my game will go to level 19, so that should handle all my ASI.

I've never played a monk (other than a one-shot) before, so what's more important, boosting DEX or WIS first?

Any tips for a newbie to the monk class?

Dex is more important but you will find that you need to get your Wis up too if you want your stunning strikes to pay off consistently. I have a level 8 monk that I pumped Dex at level 4 but around level 7 I found that too many creatures were making their Con saves vs my stunning strikes so I pumped Wisdom at level 8.

[Citan]

Dexterity is, generally, more important. It controls your AC, attack bonus, a proficient save, initiative, and your attack damage. Wisdom controls your ability DC, AC, and a non proficient save (until 14).
I beg to differ. It REALLY depends on the party and, consequently, the monk's priorities.

If monk is the only one (or nearly) able to stay in front lines, and nobody can help his defenses (such as a Paladin with Shield of Faith), DEX will be the priority, because it's more directly affecting survivability.

If he was a Shadow Monk, then it would be DEX first indeed since the only ability depending on it would be Stun.

If he's the only one with WIS-based skills, notably Perception or Insight, WIS will be the priority (although for scouting, DEX is nearly as important).

If Monk is in a party which has a Cleric (which will certainly cast Bless in most cases) or Bard (Faerie Fire), or if he is supposed to be a controller (stun for martial friends, frighten to protect casters) WIS will be the priority without doubt.

More generally, there are many many ways to increase chance to hit on a weapon attack. There are nearly no ways to affect the saving throw roll of an enemy.
Based on this, Dex should be favored "by principle" only for a lone wolf type character, because it indeed affect many aspects of survivability, among which the first, Initiative.
For others... :)

[krunchyfrogg]

I am afb, but if your background grants either a Int or a Cha skill, I would drop one stat to 8 and boost the other to 12.

that being said, i love the gw halfling monk of the long death. i think it's really powerful, and its so cool because no player or dm can claim cheese when youre using a single classed character and where the race and class even came from the same book.

[Lollerabe]

And here I thought I was a unique little snowflake when I thought of a female ghost wise long death monk that never spoke and was SUPER creepy and waaay to fond of corpses, oh well..

[djreynolds]

What does a ghostwise get?

[Lollerabe]

Standard halfling stuff plus + 1 wis and telepathy - so no need to speak (kind of cheesy for a moondruid but hey)

[djreynolds]

Standard halfling stuff plus + 1 wis and telepathy - so no need to speak (kind of cheesy for a moondruid but hey)

I like that for a monk though.

[Arkhios]

I think the Monk is intended to be somewhat in line with paladins and rangers, and like for both of those classes, they are primarily warriors, and only secondarily "casters". I suppose (but don't take my assumptions as a fact) Monk's ki abilities could be seen as roughly equivalent to half-casting.

In that regard, dexterity is more important to a monk than wisdom is, because their combat prowess relies in dexterity. Ki powers only add up to that and all of them can be used whether you have high wisdom or not.

[Fflewddur Fflam]

I think the Monk is intended to be somewhat in line with paladins and rangers, and like for both of those classes, they are primarily warriors, and only secondarily "casters". I suppose (but don't take my assumptions as a fact) Monk's ki abilities could be seen as roughly equivalent to half-casting.

In that regard, dexterity is more important to a monk than wisdom is, because their combat prowess relies in dexterity. Ki powers only add up to that and all of them can be used whether you have high wisdom or not.

I'm going to disagree a little here, I've played a bit of monks, and the #1 thing they contribute to the battlefield is their stunning strikes whose save DC is based on Wisdom. You need to pump your wisdom up right next to your Dex. A monk with Wis 16 is NOT going to cut it. If you are a monk who can't pull off many stunning strikes, you're just a hard to hurt guy out there that doesn't do a whole lot of damage.

[Starman973]

I have recently chosen to do Ghostwise Halfling Monk of the Long Death Myself. Thankfully I was allowed to do a blended background. Perception to me is a must in just about any situation. So I got a Far Traveler background mixed with an Urban Bounty Hunter. So I can use Thieves tools and take Stealth. then went Insight and Acrobatics. They stuck me with a point buy so I should still be maxing my Dex and Wisdom. Since Dex Saves are More Common, which made it the tie breaker for raising Dex First before Wisdom. Personally I'm going for a One level Dip into Tempest Cleric and at my third stat raise I was opting for Pole Arm Master because the attacks of Opportunity happen as a reaction instead of a Bonus action to give me another attack. The Cleric dip gives a little healing. The Cantrip gives me a small Ranged option, and the Thunderclap, can knock a Big Bad back so he can trigger my Pole Arm Master feat as he steps into to attack again. If he's a spell caster, just stun him and let the other party members kill him. And I opted for Tempest because until I can get pole arm Master I can use lighting as my rebuke to getting smacked around. The reason I want to be attacking, Bonus attacking and reaction attacking, is so I can making the kill shot so the Temp HP happens. Now will all this planning work? No Idea. We're all Still First level, but I'm still hopeful. So what do you think? Some of these Ideas Sound good to you? If I get so blessed to get one of those wondrous magic items that gives me a stat raise when I haven't gotten my last one though level progression, I'd go Magic Initiate and opt for druid Mostly for the healing and also because throwing a fireball as a monk just seems cool to me.

[RickAllison]

I'm going to disagree a little here, I've played a bit of monks, and the #1 thing they contribute to the battlefield is their stunning strikes whose save DC is based on Wisdom. You need to pump your wisdom up right next to your Dex. A monk with Wis 16 is NOT going to cut it. If you are a monk who can't pull off many stunning strikes, you're just a hard to hurt guy out there that doesn't do a whole lot of damage.

And that becomes even more important for a Long Death Monk. Their temporary HP goes off Wisdom, their fear effect goes off wisdom, and nothing else but the monk chassis works off Dexterity. A MLD could theoretically don heavy armor and be quite the tank for a party with a focus on Strength, with the ability to both shut down mook groups and stun bosses since Flurry of Blows can be used with armor.

Wouldn't be optimal, but it sure could be done.

[Starman973]

After some reconsideration looks like I'm going to focus on Wisdom before Dex for stat raises. But since the DM is letting me blend tempest cleric with Death Cleric, I will not only get the reaction attack of the thunder, but also the necrotic channel effect on a Melee hit. I even get the Chill touch cantrip. I'm going with Umbralee as a patron god of the drowned dead and still get the option of a quick heal spell in desperation. I still haven't figure out when I'll take the extra levels of cleric beyond the first one at 5th level. Personally I'd like to go back to monk after my first level in Cleric just to get the extra Melee attack. Maybe I'll just do it after ability improvements.

[djreynolds]

After some reconsideration looks like I'm going to focus on Wisdom before Dex for stat raises. But since the DM is letting me blend tempest cleric with Death Cleric I get the reaction attack of the thunder, but the necrotic channel effect on a Melee hit. I even get the Chill touch cantrip. I'm going with Umbralee as a patron god of the drowned dead and still get the option of a quick heal spell in desperation. I still haven't figure out when I'll take the extra levels of cleric beyond the first one at 5th level. Personally I'd like to go back to monk after my first level in Cleric just to get the extra Melee attack. Maybe I'll just do it after ability improvements.

This is very cool and shocking grasp is sweet. Plenty of damage.

It would be cool if you have sacred flame with both radiant and necrotic damage