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Monk FAQ .996 by Akumu X for Final Fantasy XI on Seraph server character name Kirei (75Mithra MNK)
E-mail - AkumuXhotmailcom
Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/goushoryuuken/

My First FFXI movie: http://www.fileplanet.com/153377/download/Final-Fantasy-XI
---Movie-Project ^(no spaces)^

My First WoW movie (if ya like that game): http://files.filefront.com/WoW_Arathi_Basinwmv/;4158598;;/ fileinfo.html ^(no spaces)^

Soon...My 2nd FFXI movie. (Much better editted.)

To start - thanks for being interested in my FAQ. Please report any grammar/spelling errors, or just errors in general.

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=====Contents======
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I.Intro to Monk
II. Ver. History
III. Job Abilities
IV. Job Traits
V. Stat Equipment Importance
Vb. Artifact Armor
Vc. Artifact II Armor/Relic Knuckles
Vd. Dynamis Explination
Ve. The Black Belt
Vf. Shura Set (Dryadic Abjuration Set)
Vg. God Armor
VI.Job Combinations
VII. Playing as a Monk
VIII. Listed Equipment
IX. Weapon Skills
X. FAQ (Maat FAQ in this section)
XI. Credits & Thanks
XII. Summary


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I. Welcome to Monk.

It is pretty much fact, that by most NA players Monk is one of the more overlooked jobs. It's not "advanced", we get no damn "circles" abilities or "killer" traits. We just do damage. It is a pretty simple class to play, however still possible to screw up. Wielding a set of knuckles, a monk attacks twice per round. These two attacks are actually considered as one by the game. Boosting before battle gets your first series of attacks a boost in damage. NOT just the first punch. (I've done extensive research on this.) Well, that said. Let's see what this "simple" job has going for it.

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II. This is version
.1 More revisions will be forthcoming as they are deamed necessary.
.2 Added a question and answer to the FAQ chapter.
.3 Fixed a spelling error, added the to be more updated, Equipment section.
.4 Added an AF How to guide, under Equipment.
.5 It seems I left out a whole damned section "Playing as a Monk"
>.> That's now corrected.
.6 Added a FAQ, Added Artifact II Armor Stats and Location
.7 cleared up a few typos
.8 Added in Tourney Patas (40)
.9 With the new Oct-Dec 2004 Update I added the equips that I thought should take over the "old" equips position. (What's better for you.)
Also, added in Black Belt quest how to, since I literally had to figure out how to do it myself. (Yea, I got my Black Belt ^_^) Also added Monk/Samurai/Ninja cursed gear. Shura set. Also added God
Armor.
.99 Small word changes.
.991 Small text changes, and added new level 30 Bracers
.992 Added further, more accurate, info on upgrading Dynamis Knuckles
.993 Added AF +1 armor
.994 More minor text changes
.995 Added WS dmg determination and section 'Weapon Skills'
.996 Completed how to get Sprahai
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III. Job Abilities

Hundred Fists - Level 1 - 2:00:00 timer - 1:00 Duration

If you've seen this, you know the beauty of it. Hundred Fists is awesome, there's no way around it. Assuming you can actually hit the target, it not being IT+++, this will take a significant chunk out of a target's HP. However, it will draw hate onto you, so the healer had better be prepared to shell out some cures. Use this for a chain 5, or if your group maybe pulls a link into camp.

Boost - Level 5 - :15 timer - 3:00 Duration

Many monks don't know if boost is worth it or not. Yes, it can seem repetitious to keep boosting while the puller is out getting a new mob. I can only tell you that it is indeed worth it. It is even more worth it when you get Chi Blast, which is highly effected my how many times you've boosted, and yet even more worth it when you get you AF gloves (Temple Gloves) which increase the power of boost yet further. Please boost before new fights, I would not recommend boosting during fights, as it slows do your attacks, unless you, for some reason are tanking. Boost draws small aggro, and a Monk tanking can use that to an advantage.

Dodge - Level 15 - 5:00 timer - 2:00 Duration

Dodge is what is says. Once every 5 minutes, for 2 minutes you get a slight evasion increase. The increase strenghtens with AF boots
(Temple Gaiters), this is primarily a hate generating tool for when you're tanking. There really is no reason to use it otherwise. The evasion bonus isn't too noticeable, and especially not to IT monsters.

Focus - Level 25 - 5:00 timer - 2:00 Duration

Focus is a beautiful thing. It noticeably increases you accuracy for two minutes. Use this as soon as it's up.

Chakra - Level 35 - 5:00 timer - Instant (on self)

Chakra is simply a healing ability. Your VIT multiplied by 2 (or 3 with AF body gear Temple Cyclas). Very good for farming, also very good when fighting mobs with nasty AOEs.

Chi Blast - Level 41 - 3:00 timer - Instant (to monster)

Chi Blast, early on, is simply a means for the Monk to tack on more damage as the mob is coming in to the camp. Chi Blast power is affected by how many times you've boosted in conjunction with your
MND stat. Late game, for HNM fights Monks are called on to use
Boost and Chi Blast (along with as much MND gear as they can get their hands on) to Chi Blast the HNM. Doing 700-1100 damage is NOT uncommon. Use this ability whenever it's up, and properly boosted.
It's more damage done by you, the damage dealer.

Counterstance - Level 45 - 5:00 timer - 5:00 Duration

Counterstane drops you def down to 30-60, while greatly increasing your chance to counter. It's typically not worth it to use
Counterstance unless you have a large amount of +counter gear or the AF2 boots (Melee Gaiters) and even then. It's still more of a personal preferance to use. You either like this ability, or you don't. I don't use it that much, maybe when farming if I can remember, but I'd rather not play around with Counterstancing on VT/ITs. That's just me.
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IV. Job Traits

Martials Arts Level 1, 31, 46, 61, 75.
Unlike any other job save Ninja, Monk get their own built in Haste.
Monk's Hand to Hand fighting has a default delay of 480. The chart below shows how your base delay drops, as your levels rise.

HTH Delay = 480
HTH Delay with Martial Arts I [Monk Lv1] 400
HTH Delay with Martial Arts II [Monk Lv16] 380
HTH Delay with Martial Arts III [Monk Lv31] 360
HTH Delay with Martial Arts IV [Monk Lv46] 340
HTH Delay with Martial Arts V [Monk Lv61] 320
HTH Delay with Martial Arts VI [Monk Lv75] 300

As you can see, Monks get quite speedy come 61+ - 75. Tack on your weapon delay (usally +86, +96, +112) and you have a not so bad damage over time situation. ^_^

Counter - 10 - You will occasionally counter a mobs attack, directed at you. (Will never hear anyone complain about this)

Max HP Boost - 15, 35, 55, 70. Ahh, what monks are known for before the fights even begin. Is that an Elvaan WAR? No, it's a Taru MNK.
Monk get sick HP, which is very nice, considering we need an offset to our pretty damn low defense. You Galka monks better get used to being 150-400 HP above the next highest HP character in your party.

Kick Attacks - 51, 71.
Kicks are completely random, but do generate TP and are an extra attack in the Monk's favor. They typically do roughly 1/2 of the damage of a punch. Fun to watch, more damage on the mob, who can complain?
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V. Stat Equipment Importance

Being a damager dealer, the main purpose of the job is to (of course) deal damage. However, Monk are the most straight-forward damage dealers in the game. No spells to debuff, no break WSs to use for the benefit of the party, no acid/sleep etc arrows/bolts. Just straight out damage. That being said, Monk is pretty easy to go shopping for. My list of importance for all Monks save Elvaan, and maybe Galka goes STR>ACC>ATK>DEX. Elvaan would be ACC>STR>ATK>DEX, due to their high STR. Build your gear accordingly. Haste items are more often than not, a luxury. If you can afford them, and can still hit hard and often with them, more power to you.

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VI. Job Combinations

First off, I'm just gonna list possible VIABLE combinations. Crap like
MNK/DRG is RIGHT OUT. (Don't give me that haste earring crap, it's
RIGHT OUT!)

MNK/WAR - This subjob leads the Monk in it's highest dmg output w/o relying on skillchains. Double Attack, Berserk, Warcry, Atk Bonus, Defense Bonus.
These things can not be disputed. However, there are situations when you'll be forced to sub THF.

MNK/THF - Not worth it before 67. Gaining Steal, Gilfinder, and Sneak
Attack. While discarding Double Attack, Berserk, Atk Bonus and Def Bonus is not a choice you should willingly want to make. However after 67 in bones parties if there isn't a Dark Knight closing the Light skillchain. You WILL be asked to close it, and if you value your life and the sanity of your Paladin and White Mage, you WILL sub THF (with it being at least level 30, for Trick Attack) You don't sub THF in a bones party, you die or AT LEAST have unnecessary cures burned on you while the Paladin tried frantically to get hate back, not to mention doing less damage because both hits of your Dragon Kick aren't guarenteed to connect like with /THF. (Also use /THF for farming. Treasure Hunter at 15, and
Flee (which is really fun) at 25. Why not just take the bugger to 30 for the Trick Attack? Right?)

MNK/SAM - I'm not a fan of it. Monks are already typically waiting for every other job besides RNG and SAM (maybe a non tanking WAR/NIN) to get TP. Thus being at being at 175TP (due to your Store TP traits) when the DRK, DRG, PLD and what have you get 100, isn't worth it. That extra TP means just about bugger. Try it sometime. Do a 100TP Howling
Fist. The a 175TP Howling Fist, the difference makes you wonder. ...and
Meditate then soloing your WS. >.> Why bother? Especially since this game is built on leveling off of things like crabs and beetles. As mentioned in the MNK/THF part. Come 67, if you're in a bones party, that MNK/SAM just don't play. Cuz now you're hitting too damn HARD.
Thus screwing up the hate system for the PLD, draining the healers MP, trying to heal our gross HP. Causing unnecessary agg on the WHM for having to spam Cure IVs. It just doesn't fly...on bones MNK are Dragon
Kick closers or using Raging Fists to make Fusion for the DRK/THF.
And a DRK/THF no way, no how can keep up with a MNK/SAM in TP.


MNK/Mage - No. Only time a MNK/mage works is for HNM battles. The hard ones. And that's MNK/WHM (MAYBE MNK/SMN) for the MND bonus. From, if