[4e] Save my Monk

[Eorran]

I have a Half-Orc monk, in an undersize group with a human Wizard and a dwarf Paladin.
Build:

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====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Brom Kzada, level 11
Half-Orc, Monk, Mountain Devotee
Build: Stone Fist Monk
Monastic Tradition: Stone Fist
Background: Geography - Forest (+2 to Perception)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 19, Con 15, Dex 23, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 9.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.


AC: 25 Fort: 23 Reflex: 25 Will: 25
HP: 77 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 19

TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +16, Thievery +16, Acrobatics +16, Athletics +14, Religion +10

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +5, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Dungeoneering +8, Endurance +9, Heal +8, History +5, Insight +8, Intimidate +6, Nature +8, Perception +11, Streetwise +4

FEATS
Level 1: Initiate of the Faith
Level 2: Improved Monk Unarmed Strike
Level 4: Thirst for Battle
Level 6: Anger Unleashed
Level 8: Spring Step
Level 10: Acolyte Power (retrained to Paragon Defenses at Level 11)
Level 11: Strength From Pain

POWERS
Monk at-will 1: Crane's Wings
Monk at-will 1: Five Storms
Monk encounter 1: Rising Storm
Monk daily 1: Masterful Spiral
Monk utility 2: Careful Stride
Monk encounter 3: Eternal Mountain
Monk daily 5: Steel Warrior Technique
Monk utility 6: Purifying Meditation
Monk encounter 7: Strike the Avalanche
Monk daily 9: Strength to Weakness
Monk utility 10: Internal Power

ITEMS
Monk Unarmed Strike, Periapt of Cascading Health +2, Bag of Holding (heroic tier), Fireheart Tattoo (heroic tier), Potion of Healing (heroic tier) (4), Adventurer's Kit, Shuriken, Sling, Counterstrike Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing) +2, Boots of Spider Climbing (heroic tier), Strikebacks (heroic tier), Ironskin Belt (heroic tier), Bracers of Brachiation (heroic tier), Survivor's Preparation, Intensifying Quarterstaff +2, Headband of Perception (heroic tier)

The guy's a lot of fun, but has one drawback. In combat, he takes it upon himself to shut down enemy artillery, which he can do pretty well thanks to his maneuverability and seconday controller aspect. However, this usually puts him square in the middle of a bunch of monsters who really have nothing better to do than give him a smackdown. He usually goes through 2-3 healing surges per fight, and often drops to 1/4hp or less.

So, I'm looking for build advice or tactical advice to let this guy keep handing out the beats to monsters vulnerable to melee while worrying less about dying.

Party tactics: we usually (ie 90% of the time) get the drop on monsters, since the Wizard has maxed his Stealth, and he can usually throw almost as much damage as I can. The Paladin packs a mordenkrad and has an uncanny ability to roll a crit at least every other fight. The Paladin usually holds down brutes & soldiers, while the Wizard blasts anyone who needs it. Oh, the DM gave the wizard a pair of dogs (lvl7 soldier monsters) to fill the party out a bit.

[Mando Knight]

The guy's a lot of fun, but has one drawback. In combat, he takes it upon himself to shut down enemy artillery, which he can do pretty well thanks to his maneuverability and seconday controller aspect. However, this usually puts him square in the middle of a bunch of monsters who really have nothing better to do than give him a smackdown. He usually goes through 2-3 healing surges per fight, and often drops to 1/4hp or less.

This just isn't going to work with your group. You need allies to help lock down the other monsters, and your AC is pretty low. Your allies can't help you much, since the Paladin is almost dead-last in terms of Defender mobility.

You also didn't boost your Strength with your level boosts, which is wrong for a Stone Fist Monk. I don't care that you took Initiate of the Faith, Cleric powers aren't really going to help you, and you don't need more than 13 Wis for Initiate of the Faith. You even took powers and feats that emphasize your Strength modifier! Unarmored Agility would serve you much better than Thirst for Battle (you're going to be near the top of the initiative order anyway), since it'll help your AC a lot.

A blitz-Swordmage would do much better here, since their AC is sky-high and they can slip in, mark the artillery/controller, and then slip out, dealing damage along the way. Target lockdown is the realm primarily of the Defender and Controller, not the Striker. A Striker can kill the targets more quickly, sure, but the other two can "turn off" the enemy's ability (or possibly just willingness) to attack someone else. A pure-offense melee Striker is going to find trouble defending himself if he travels too far from the Defender. Especially in smaller groups, where you can't focus fire quite as easily to bring down one monster each round, a Striker should generally pick off whatever the Defender is holding down for you, while the Controller and Defender keep everyone else at bay.

Oh, the DM gave the wizard a pair of dogs (lvl7 soldier monsters) to fill the party out a bit.

The DM gave you the wrong kind of buddies for evening out the party: you need a dedicated Leader. Although dogs should be fairly mobile Soldiers, which could function like a blitz-style Swordmage in terms of jumping in and holding down targets for you.

[Danin]

Well, just looking at your build you should train out either Anger Unleashed, Spring Step or Improved Monk Unarmed Strike for Unarmored Agility from phb3 for a free +2 to ac. I never understood why anyone would want to boost the unarmed damage apart from the cool points. Most your abilities use your ki focus + static damage, so you only really see a benefit on your basic attacks, whereas training out for say, Crashing Tempest Style and using a club would net you a +2 damage on all your flurry attacks which you use more often.

As to your survivability, boots of the fencing master (AV1) are particularly good with monks as you shift a lot and that will net another +1 to ac and ref. Also, Iron Armbands of Power is a wrist slot that grants +2 damage for the level 7 heroic one. A good choice for any melee striker. Finally, using a quarterstaff would allow you to use the hafted defense feat (phb3) for a +1 shield bonus to ac and ref.

Hope this helps and happy gaming!

[WitchSlayer]

The monk in the game I run does the exact same thing, our paladin is a decent defender but the monk usually takes the spot the paladin should take.

[Kurald Galain]

Play an unarmed Swordsage


Seriously though, I'd recommend investing in (1) resistances, and (2) teleportation items. Whenever you get mobbed, either activate some item daily that gives you Resist All 5, or use some item to teleport out of there. There are several that let you do so as an immediate action, e.g. bracers of escape.

[WitchSlayer]

Play an unarmed Swordsage

DOHOHOHOHOHOHO

[holywhippet]

I'd not have taken masterful spiral. IIRC it lets you make melee attacks at range 2 - but if you are in the middle of a group of enemies you have opponents at range 1 you can hit.

I forget the name, but the monk has a daily while lets them shift at their movement speed and take a swing at anyone they move adjacent to during their shifting. That one is what a striker should be using in order to get in, do damage and get back with your allies at the end.

You should also look into the endurance utility power that lets you ignore a certain amount of damage until the end of the next turrn. That will help you survive until the end of the next turn at which point you should get out of there pronto.