Diablo 3 Monk Basic Guide to Creating Builds

Diablo 3 Monk Basic Guide to Creating Builds by Tripwire

Hey fellow Monks,

Recently I have been seeing some builds come up on the forums some being very solid builds or some needing alot of work. With this loose guide i am looking to guide people with some of there choices to pick out what is better than others or what just does not belong for there builds. I do not intend on making clear cookie builds in this post but just explaning the moves and how they can help your charicter.

All general balanced builds should have at least this:

1-2 Spirit generators
1 Survival move

Below i am going to talk about the runes and how they can help what area you wish to look to for choosing your spells

Spirit Generators

Fist of Thunder

Tank Role – As a tank this is great way to help stay alive, you can use this every so often to just keep it up while spamming another move in between.
Damage Role – with runestones you can get elemental damage to help with physical resistant mobs.
Spirit generation help – with high Critical this spell can help you with a yellow rune stone.

Deadly Reach

Tank role – 80% armor buff with 10s duration, good to have if you are not using armor rune with mantra of evasion.
Damage role – great AOE spam move, good for physical resistant packs, +30% damage increase modifier for a secondary move to keep debuff up.
Spirit generation help – with high critical this spell can help you with a yellow rune stone.

Crippling Wave

Tank role – only good modifier is 50% less damage on monster damage for 9 seconds + slow.
Damage role – nice 80% damage modifier debuff for mobs for AOE packs.
Spirit generation help – with a high critical this spell can help you with a yellow rune stone.

Exploding palm

Tank role – Nothing for a tank to gain here.
Damage role – This spell is very strong for AOE or high burst or elemental damage VS. physical immunity, good for single target.
Spirit generation help – potentally can help get a lot of spirit back if you are able to finish off a few mobs with AOE.

Sweeping Wind

Tank role – nothing for a tank gain here.
Damage role – moderate elemental AOE damage for physical immunes.
Spirit generation help – this can help a spirit focused build due to the fact you can keep the buff up out of combat.

Way of a Hundred Fists

Tank role – Nothing for a tank to gain here.
Damage role – very high sustained damage with great rune modifiers for spam.
Spirit generation help – 15% chance on use to give you 7 spirit. * may work out of combat have to test*

Mantras

Mantra of evasion

Tank role – Group support, + armor modifier, moderate AOE damage.
damage role – Moderate AOE damage, Or can help lower imparing effects by half on you.
Support role – Group support, armor modifier, imparing effect by half on party.

Mantra of retribution

Tank role – Nothing too outstanding for a tank.
damage role – +40% IAS(increase attack speed), damage reflected, light AOE damage.
spirit generation help – 1-8 spirit if you are getting hit and successfully reflecting.

Mantra of Healing

Tank role – 40% shield based on life when activated, +50% reistances, +45% Vitality (self only i think).
damage role – low damage aura nothing too good for damage.
support role – 2 spirit regened per second great for casters, 40% shield based on life when activated, +50% reistances,

Mantra of Conviction

Tank role – 45% monster damage aura modifier, slow aura on mobs.
damage role – 55% damage increase on damage to mobs, low damage aura
support role – 75% chance to have party heal with yellow rune stone for 958-1064, 45% damage reduction on monster damage

Passives

Resolve

Great in combination with other spells to cap the -%damage mobs will be dealing should you choose this.

The Guardian’s Path

Tank role – +10% dodge makes this a great choice
Damage role – Spirit hounds using staves might like this or fist users for midigation they might be lacking.
Support role- the + spirit can be invaliuble if you generate enough. Its effectiveness is better with the more spirit you gain.

Fleet Footed

All – +10% speed increase, basic but helpfull.

Chant of Resonance

All – Increased duration and +1 spirit could help any build less mantras = more other spells.

Seize the Inititave

All – A little early to tell much about how well this will effect us.

Exalted Soul

Tank role – More spirit is more use on opener but after you are alow if your build has trouble getting topped back up it may not be worth it.
Damage role – More spirit is more use on opener but after you are alow if your build has trouble getting topped back up it may not be worth it.
Support role – Very usefull to having more spirit to work with, not usefull when you are out of spirit.

Sixth sense

Tank role – with offensive gear you can still balance out your dodge.
damage role – as a full out damage or hybrid you may be a high crit build the more crit you have the more midigation you will get to help you stay in.
Support – Nothing really worth while for a support caster build unless you plan on being in melee alot

Pacifism

All – Especially in PvP or Vs some mobs this may come in all to handy for any build

Near death experience

Tank role – may not need this being so defensive as it is mainly a save ability but if you skip others it may come in handy.
Damage/support role – The more you plan on being in melee and are not using defensive abilities this may help more.

Guiding light

Need testing on some spells before i talk about this

One with everything

All – Depending on how hard it might be to get resistances this spell looks better and better, the major part of end game will include high elemental damage this may come into play with good gear setups

Beacon of Ytar

All – This spell needs you to have a good spirit build with good regen or you will be suffering with using generators alot more than finishing moves.

Spirit spender ( Fun time!!!)

Blinding Flash

Tank role – Two rune stones help here with +65% miss rate on enemies or the ability to confuse enemies to buy you time
Damage role – Additional damage per strike
Support role – Confusion on enemys or long control to help party or + 65% miss rate on enemies

Lashing Tail Kick

Tank role – Nothing too amazing. 3.0s stun could potentially be usefull.
Damage role – Moderate to high AOE fire damage or a physical increased damage. Very powerfull potentially.
Support role – *Super knockback*, 3.0 Stun, slow.

Breath of Heaven

Tank role – self healing, increased self healing, or a fear move. depends on build to use this at all.
Damage role – +20% damage for 33s increase when used, moderate AOE damage.
Support role – alot stronger heal, when comboing with yellow runestone for 33s you gain 1 spirit per combo, fear.

Dashing Strike

Tank role – 30% dodge for 12s you could maintain this with thundering fists in melee for high dodge, gap closer, 3.5s stun.
Damage role – not high damage but a gap closer and stun.
Support role – could slow/stun enemys to help party if desired not too increbily usefull.

Lethal decoy (Many monks! Handle it!)

Tank role – Simulacrum could potentially keep you alive or allow you to keep holding attention should you fall.
Damage role – High explosion damage, can help you if surrounded,
Support role – so much can come from this with using it while you get spirit back in melee to not get hit or rez yourself or distract and save allies.

Inner sanctuary

Tank role – 55% less damage from all sources for everyone could help, healing yourself or getting enemies away from party members.
Damage role – Moderate AOE damage for a short duration.
Support role – so much can come for this true support spell. +55% damage midigation for party or AOE healing, or saving allies, Slowing enemies.

Tempest Rush

Tank role – low duration (3 seconds) 60%/65% enemy damage reduction or your damage taken not super usefull but helps.
Damage role – Very fast travel spell to get around, not much in the damage department.
Support role – Low duration -Damage modifiers and slows for enemies semi usefull.

Serenity

Tank role – Can stop CC, long immunity, can extend this to party members, Reflection that can help you greatly.
Damage role – the potential damage of Reflection is amazing, Moderate AOE damage when leaving Serenity.
Support role – with rune stones can extend this to party members to help them survive or break CC.

Seven Sided Strike

Tank role – High spirit cost but could stun/confuse enemies.
Damage role – Incredibly high damage modifiers allowing you to let your presence be known the right way (*Wink*).
Support role – Mostly a damage ability with high spirit cost could use it for stunning or damage if a hybrid build.

Mystic Ally

Tank role – With the proper Rune stones Mystic ally can Taunt with you and take hits, Can be rune stoned to Slow enemies.
Damage role – Can fight with you and dish out damage as well as take hits with you allowing you to stay in more.
Support role – With Golden runestone Mystic ally can do a 10% chance to generate 17 spirit for you or taunt for your groups tank.

Wave of Light

Tank role – 5.0s Stun is helpfull but expensive.
Damage role – KA-BOOM!??!?!, This 800% nuke after 2 seconds with Obsidian runestone can make someone feel bad. can be spammable as well as AOE.
Support role – 5.0s Stun with a critical build could help but it is expensive to use alot.