Why play a Monk?

Because at least in a game you can get away with trying to parry a sword with your fist.

Monks are highly mobile melee damage dealers who specialize in rapid attacks.

Through their three stances, Monks can change the way they approach battle.

• Sun Style: Increase Offense, for regular damage
• Moon Style: Increase Dodge and Block, for off-tanking
• Wind Style: Increase Movement Speed, for mobility and exploration

When you use your Celestial Strike ability, it will deal damage but also give you additional effects based on the stance.

• Celestial Sun Strike: Deal additional magic damage
• Celestial Moon Strike: Further increase block chance and reduce physical damage taken
• Celestial Wind Strike: Grant you a chance to hit twice for a duration

For mobility, Monks gain both Flying Kick as a gap closer and Fleet of Foot for a short duration sprint. Double-Handed Strike gives them a knockback with movement speed reduction and Pinning Throw allows them to immobilize an enemy.

Monks have access to the Feign Death skill, which guarantees they can escape from nearly any poorly thought out engagement.

Monks perform decently when solo, being able to stun with both Sweeping Kick and Hundred Fists. And again Feign Death will allow them to escape fights that do not go in their favour.

In groups, Monks are primarily there to provide damage, with a bit of off-tanking should the situation call for it.

When out in the world, Monks are able to gain several beneficial effects through their mastery of their bodies, of which only one can be active at once (until higher levels).

• Spiritual Sustenance: Reduces food and drink consumption
• Slow Breathing: Allows you to stay underwater longer
• Falling Petal: Reduce falling damage
• Ascendant Body: Allows you to activate all three aspects of body mastery at once.

In closing, choose Monk if you are really into the class of playing a person who has mastered their body and mind, who likes doing damage, prefers simple stance switching mechanics and who likes having access to a wide variety of short duration crowd control.

Starter Quest: Night Harbor

Before we begin: You can always reference what NPCs have told you by accessing your journal (default key: J) and you can always ask follow up questions to them by simply targeting them and writing in Say chat, as if they were players. For instance: “Where can I find [key word]?”

Open your inventory and memorize any spells you might’ve started with, then read the Humble Note. Enter Night Harbor through the West Gate in front of you and continue down the road in front of you until you reach Seabreeze Park. Head down into the park and turn slightly to the right, crossing the park diagonally until you reach a doorway in the wall. Head through the door and circle around to the right until you reach the stairs. Go up the stairs and inside the build, around circular pit and down the stairs opposite the entrance. Follow the stone tunnel and walk along the ledge until you reach the area with the blue floor, then continue on a little further and head down into the sparring area where Chahaya Tam stands. Hand Chahaya your Humble Note and she will hand you a Fourfold Sash and ask you to spar with the nearby Monks.

Equip the Fourfold Sash and hail (default key: H) one of the nearby sparring monks and tell them “Let’s spar!” to fight them and earn a Training Emblem. Once you have defeated three, return to Chahaya and hand her three Training Emblems along with your Fourfold Sash to gain the First Degree Fourfold Sash.

REQUIRED LEVEL: 3

Chahaya will ask you to venture outside of Night Harbor to fight the Ashira and claim three of their Scouts’ necklaces. Head out the West Gate and follow the cobblestone road and you should see Ashira Scouts on either side of the road before you enter Shaded Dunes. Gather three Ashira Scout Necklaces from them and return to Chahaya to hand them in along with your First Degree Fourfold Sash, which she will upgrade to a Second Degree Fourfold Sash.

REQUIRED LEVEL: 5

Hand Chayaha your Second Degree Fourfold Sash and she will ask you to head out into the Shaded Dunes to find the Waterfall of Serenity, as well as an Elixir of Mental Focus you are to drink when you find it.

Exit Night Harbor through the West Gate and follow the cobblestone road until you enter Shaded Dunes. Continue along the cobblestone road until you pass the last of the ruins on your right, then turn left and you should see the palms of the oasis where the waterfall is. Head towards it and go near the waterfall until the message “The serene waterfall gently flows down the dune into the oasis below. It seems to match Chahaya's description.” appears. Make sure you are standing on solid ground and not in the water and drink the elixir. Do not fight back, simply wait it out.

Return to Chahaya and hand the medallion you were given along with your belt to her and she will give you a Third Degree Fourfold Sash.

Congratulations! You are now done with the Monk starter quest-line for now.