I know maxed out monks even at 85 proboly do well, but at lower levels if your tank mercs not there and there is more than one, you really cant kill anything by yourself quickly enough. A lower level in a place like the undershore even with a a tank merc would not have much of a chance even pulling one or 2. I know 85+ with j5 is prob a defrint story altogether and that monks are group pullers. I also know that most mmorpgs are not ballenced around lower levels. Yet one dose need to level on there own sometimes and monks hits are week, more so at low levels where they mostly miss a bit.
My lower level rouge with her posien kills pretty quickly comparativly speaking, though of course not like a caster or anything.
I dont have acsess to a constant poison buff unless there is an item I can buy, I would hate to pester someone to find me and buff me every hour on the hour.
I levelled a Monk alt up to 75 before the Heroic option came out. At lower levels the tank merc had significantly higher DPS than my Monk. Eventually I had to switch to a healer merc. Potions are very useful - haste, skinspikes, poison. There are safe places to pull in zones like Undershore, but you have to look for them. I used that zone as an opportunity to learn how to single pull with a Monk. I still need practise, but am getting better at it.
Was trying to edit my post to grum form being buggy today, anyway was going to say I'll level monk thwe old fashion way.
That depends on your bazaar economy. They're tiny coin amount from vendors for rogues while being extra expensive typically for other classes, which isn't money a new player would have. I agree though with Dre. Rogue poisons at early levels are possibly too strong. That said we were the weakest and hardest to level solo class for a decade so some swing back in the othe direction isn't an issue. ;-) Without the poisons, monks still trounce rogues for solo/molo play. PS. Try unequipping weapons on the monk. Maybe he'll hit harder without them! It's a bizarre thing at times.
I never agreed with the veiw point that if anything works, its op, rouges at low levels are just barely effective compared to other melee classes, if that makes them op there are some serious issues with other low level melee dps.
Using a merc with a Monk I found I had to keep the merc on passive until I got a single. The problem for some zones is constantly wandering mobs with large aggro ranges making a lot of areas unsafe for camping. The Monk can FD, but then your merc dies and you are stuck waiting for it to be revived. Old Bloodfields is an example - if you aren't pulling to one of the few safe spots, be ready for adds. Monks are a fun class and worth the effort getting over levelling 55-85.
http://www.monkly-business.net/forums/showpost.php?p=207148&postcount=32 HtH damage/delay chart by level. Often bare fists are better than a weapon at the level.
Yes this has been my exsperence but I agree, well worth it. Thats more easily said than done try completing the hotzone quest at 55 bloodfeilds at 55 or the lobsterman one at 60 in undershore. Even if the mobs seem alone as long as it takes you to kill it others come, running like its there birthday. At extream lower levels in places like Mara su or however you spell that having 8 greyhoppers on you is not much of a issue, the merc can hadle it, or frontir mountans, burning woods, or even A caverns with a little effort. However its not really safe untill plane of justice, and a couple of the other planes at the perfect level. Gregs end is supossed to be wonderful and was for a caster but for my monk the xp seems to bite.
