(1st Ed. Spring '97, updated Summer '99)
By Baron Mitchellx
Hello! Welcome to the Guild! As a young monk, it may be difficult to understand the unique nature of the skills we possess. Aye, grasshopper, it is not an easy road to follow. In the long run, however, be assured that these skills make monks among the most respected fighters in the land. To help you get off on the right foot, I have compiled the following list of training suggestions. It is not exhaustive, but it is more than enough for a young monk intent on becoming an old monk to get started.
Getting Started
If you did not learn PHYSICAL TRAINING prior to joining the Guild, I recommend that you do so as early as possible. This skill can be learned to a minimal level at the shop n;;n;;e of Devardec Central Plaza (a.k.a. Dev Recall). In fact, I strongly recommend that you learn it as high as possible whenever your advancement in levels allows you to train in new rooms with the PT skill. I emphasize this skill because it is essential that a monk be able to take as many hits as possible. With the PT skill, you will gain more hit points every time you advance in levels, and you'll regain hps at a faster rate when resting. I can't even count the number of times that my early training in this skill saved my life.
Choosing an Emphasis
Early in life, it is necessary to choose the path you will take. Some monks choose to focus on fighting skills. Others prefer to be healers. This is not intended to mean that fighters should completely ignore healing skills or that healers should completely neglect fighting skills. Choosing a path will help you determine which skills to develop first and how much to focus on developing those skills. Later in life, you can branch out into other areas in order to fully develop your potential. For now, however, focusing on one area will allow you to grow sufficiently to survive and advance.
Offense
The MARTIAL ARTS skill is the cornerstone of a monk's fighting ability. This skill allows you to use Martial Arts Weapons (which are distinct from one-handed and other types of weapons...you need not train in those) and fight with your bare hands. As your skill advances, you will be able to hit more often, and you will be unbalanced much less while fighting. As with any combat skill, however, it must be learned in conjunction with other skills to maximize its benefits. Thus, one should avoid the temptation to focus solely on Martial Arts and instead should see it as part of a larger training regiment.
SPIRITUAL KARMA is extremely important for monks. Although the magical weapons available to a monk are limited, training in this skill allows your bare hands to hit as if they were magical weapons. This is extremely important if you happen to be attacked by a creature that is immune to normal weapons. Learning this skill early in life is also useful since it helps you gain more spell points each time you gain a level and helps you regain spell points faster. In short, learning Spiritual Karma early will ensure your bare hand attacks develop at a faster pace and will serve to help you build the spell points you will need later in life when spells become essential for survival.
When you train in CALLED SHOT, you will be able to AIM at a foe instead of just attacking. Aiming allows one to land a more effective blow than the attack command. This skill, combined with the previously mentioned skills and WARCRAFT (which can be learned at the entrance to the Knight's Guild and behind some portals in the guild), which finds the weaknesses in your opponent's armor and results in the armor absorbing less of the damage, will make a noticeable difference in the effectiveness of your attacks. Without Called Shot and Warcraft, your Martial Arts will be only minimally effective.
As the creatures in the land become more and more resistant to enchants, the STUNNING BLOW skill has become essential. Depending on your level of training, Stunning Blow will incapacitate an opponent for a period of time, allowing you to avoid being hit by their spells and sometimes ferocious blows. Note that this skill is random. Also know that it may not provide much protection until learned to a reasonably high level, and it will not stun a creature that is already stunned (by a prior hit or through the use of a stun enchant). Still, even at lower levels it may mean the difference between life and death.
The MULTIPLE ATTACKS skill is often overlooked by young monks, and yet it may be one of the better skills at lower levels. As a young monk, you will be required to defeat creatures just as a barbarian or knight through the use of straightforward, toe-to-toe combat. Since monks generally do not inflict as much damage as other fighters, we need every opportunity we can get to enhance the damage we do unleash on our opponents. This skill serves this role by allowing those adept in its ways to often strike twice per attack or aim. Later in life, when assassination becomes part of your arsenal, it will provide you a second chance to assassinate when striking from a hidden position.
The RIDING skill was left out of prior versions of this manual, largely because I did not really appreciate its benefits until I was much older. Riding allows you to advance and attack in one move. Thus, it can be useful for those hoping to land the first attack or just finish off a creature that keeps retreating. It also allows you to MOUNT creatures with modifiers which may help you offense and/or defense. As a young monk, it may be best to simply develop this skill to a sufficient level to allow you to mount something small (such as the mounts available at the stables SW of Devardec Central Plaza).
Defense
Since we may never be as large as some of our counterparts, I've found that DODGING is a very useful skill for a monk. As the name suggests, this skill makes it harder for a foe to hit you in a fight. At the highest levels, you may find that many creatures cannot touch you at all. Since enchants are now much weaker than they once were, it is essential to develop this skill as best you can to avoid hits until you find an enchant that takes effect or until you are able to stun your opponent. Note that this skill is essentially worthless while fighting in Berserk mode, but it may be useful if you begin combat in Normal mode and then switch back and forth.
TOUGHNESS is also extremely important because, well, sometimes you will get hit. As your toughness skill is improved, you may notice that the damage you take when hit isn't as bad as it once was. Though monks were once very limited in their training in this skill, it has been increased behind some of the portals to a level that should afford significant protection, especially later in life.
RESILIENCE allows you to take less damage from poison, cold, heat, etc. Do not underestimate the importance of this skill as it may save your life. I noticed a significant drop in this kind of damage when fighting certain creatures after building up this skill. When combined with items which protect against the elements, this skill may ultimately leave you virtually unaffected by such attacks.
Like to be stunned? Who does! Thankfully, SPELL RESISTANCE provides some protection against magical attacks (like mindmaze, brainbleed, etc.). Before level 6 this skill should not be at the top of the priority list (since you can always recall even if stunned and other skills need to be developed first), but it should not be overlooked after you've started building those skills. Since many more creatures are appearing with the ability to stun, I recommend including this to your training program before level 10 and building it as you are able.
Other Skills
AWARENESS is an exceptional skill for any adventurer in the land. This skill improves your chances of finding something when you search, and it also allows one to see certain hidden items/quests. There are also rumored to be several additional benefits to this skill, though I will leave it up to you to determine whether these rumors are true or not.
Some of the most powerful and respected monks in the land are very high on the STEALTH skill. This is the skill that allows one to hide and attack from the shadows. When one attacks while hidden, they need not advance on a creature first. At later levels, this skill will be a necessary addition for those seeking to learn assassination. Even at lower levels, however, it may provide just the edge you need to avoid being attacked or to incapacitate a foe before they can strike.
Spells
Most monks learn some spells whether they focus on healing or not. After all, one of the advantages of being a monk is the ability to learn naturalism spells.
The NATURALISM skill, while entirely useless alone, will ultimately be one of your favorite skills once you start pursuing naturalism spells. The skill will reduce the amount of time it takes to cast naturalism spells and provide a noticeable increase in the effectiveness of some spells (esp. EYE, SHARDS, and STRENGTH). If you're hoping to decrease the delay time of a spell, I recommend building the spell to novice or adequate and then build Naturalism to a higher level.
HEAL is the most basic healing spell. While this spell alone may prove useful at lower levels, it generally isn't enough at higher levels. If you wish to train more in healing spells, it is best to only train in this spell to a level sufficient to learn a more powerful spell.
In order to scribe REGENERATE, you must have the HEAL spell at novice or above. This spell is much stronger than HEAL, and it does a pretty good job of restoring hit points. Nonetheless, most only learn this spell to novice and then train in the next spell...
In order to learn the BODY RESTORE spell, the REGENERATE spell must be at novice or higher. Even after learning it one time, this spell will restore all lost hit points! Of course, the benefit of learning this spell to a higher level is that it will be much less likely to fizzle...
The SHARD spells (Light, Dragon, and Demon) allow the caster to place a hovering shield before themselves or another person. Not only are these very good defensive spells, they are prerequisites for some very useful spells (including resurrection!). They are most effective, however, only after you have developed your other defensive skills. Given the broad range of skills monks must learn to maximize their potential, I strongly advise against learning Shards and Resurrection until those skills are developed.
STRENGTH and EYE spells are also quite useful, but they are not especially effective until AFTER you have learned the necessary offensive skills. Again, I strongly advise members to develop the fighting skills before training in the spells designed to enhance them.
Skills to Avoid
We have access to many skills which, frankly, do not do much other than rob unwary monks of valuable build points. Though monks are supposedly adept at herbalism, we do not have access to most of the necessary herbs for us to truly benefit from this skill. Although swimming might sound nice (and relatively inexpensive at only 2 bps), it too is essentially wasted as other means of traveling across water are much more effective (for example, flying over water by using femfendar, a mount with the fly spell, etc.). The forging skills are also not particularly useful as forgers are easy to come by and the tools needed to forge the nicest weapons and armour are not available to monks. Jeweler is also a tremendous waste.
I'm sure I'm leaving some out, but these are clearly skills one should avoid when left to make a choice. In fact, even if you've learned all you can of all of the other skills in this manual, I strongly recommend saving your bps until you are able to enter new shops which provide worthwhile skills to a higher level.
New Training Rooms
From time to time you will discover that your new level allows you to train in another room in the guild. Some rooms may contain spells or skills that were previously unavailable to you, and I highly recommend that you use the HELP command to find out what the new skill actually does.
If you're still unsure after that, it's best to ask around to see whether the skill is worth training in.
Some Notes on Training and This Guide
First, I highly recommend downloading the Monk's Guide prepared by Dr. Anlin from the help files section. Although I tend to focus more on offensive skills than Dr. Anlin, I fully appreciate and agree with his approach for less offensively-minded monks. Either approach works, and neither offense nor defense should be learned to the exclusion of the other. In any case, no young monk should overlook the wealth of information contained in Anlin's guide.
Second, I feel it is necessary to state that learning skills from others should be avoided at all costs. I NEVER learned a skill from another adventurer, and it did not hinder my advancement at all. Learning skills from others costs additional build points, and build points are extremely difficult to come by, especially later in life. Instead of giving into the temptation to just focus on one skill, it is best to use remaining build points to study other skills and balance your training until new portals open for you.
Although it may seem odd for your fellow monks to refuse to train you, they are really trying to help you make the most of the build points you have. The guild elders do not prohibit training others to the best of my knowledge, but those who refuse to train (such as myself) are doing so for your own good. : )
Third, although many have found this guide useful, it should not undermine your own efforts to understand the intricacies of the skills and tactics you will develop as a monk. Were I to write a comprehensive guide of what I've learned about the skills we use, it would likely fill a book, and I'm still learning more about our abilities as time goes on. Instead, it should be a foundation upon which you build your own knowledge and understanding of being a monk. If you approach it as such, I'm sure at some point (if you haven't already) you will realize just how basic all of this really is.
Fourth, it's a good idea to plot out what you want to train in over the next few levels. This will make it much less likely that you will spend bps on something you might regret later.
Finally, a word on this guild and being a monk...Monks have always been a very difficult class to build and grow into. It does not get any easier, but it does get to be much more enjoyable. Even at the highest levels, monks are constantly broadening their horizons and abilities. I have found that a high level monk usually has more options in combat that most other classes, a fact which makes combat more interesting. If you stick with it and develop a strong understanding of tactics along the way, it will be extremely rewarding.
Well, that should be more than enough to help you get started with your training. As always, feel free to contact your guild elders if you have any questions. Good luck!
Mitch