If I don't go STR to level... advice needed

[SarangHeyo]

Greetings, I'm a new adventurer in the lands who has played with quite a few classes over the last fortnightI've fallen completely in love with my Coercer and my Monk! My monk is level 11, she's the 2nd monk I've made because I was unhappy with how the first was leveling around Kelethin (ugh it's horrid compared to the lovely run I had in Darklight Woods with my Coercer). I remade my Monk intending to play her differently and I took her to Timorous Deep to level and I LOVE the quest progression there, I'm having a great adventure.Now my first Monk started progressing down the STR line as this seemed to follow the most recent advice I'd found on these forums regarding leveling a Monk.But I found what I loved most was: rounding up a bunch of mobs and hitting them with my (single) AE art and picking the rest off one at a time whilst barely getting damaged. Plus I saw some terrific screenshots of Monk weapons and I want to enjoy the animations of those (well I also like seeing my little Fae taking on huge mobs with bare hands).So I thought... ok my new monk will spec WIS for extra AEs... yeehah! And one day (not necessarily right now) I want a couple of Katanas... woot!Except... any advice I can find here seems to suggest that IF you don't level with STR you should fill out INT first for the crits, and AGI for the reuse shortener.<b>Questions:(1) Am I gimping my progression if I don't level STR? I know I'll have to spend a small fortune (for a newbie) every 10 levels to upgrade my weapons, but taking the cost out of the equation, will I really do so much less damage?(2) If I do go ahead leveling outside of STR.... will I be ok starting with WIS or is it really better to take either INT or AGI first?</b>Bare in mind I will be mostly soloing by default. I don't know a soul who plays and I have never grouped yet on any character, my Coercer is 21 and my highest chara. I'm very open to grouping if the opportunity arises and while I want to build my Monk for solo dps, I'm fine to take on a tanking role in a group and have a general background in understanding tanking mechanics from other mmo games. (I even feel WIS might help at low levels when tanking in a group due to having a slight advantage on holding multiple aggro).My new monk picked up the Fae racial AE ability (Fae Fire) and it's fantastic at level 11 XD I hope it scales as I level but even if it doesn't, I'm glad I picked it at a time that I can use it to good effect since AE is limited at my level. This is the 5th Fae/Arasai I've tried and the first time I chose that ability. I wish Fae looked as sexy as Arasai but I love my Monk enough not to care really.Thanks in advance for any advice you can give! I have searched the forums but I can't find any recent information regarding the WIS line for beginner monks.

[Errolflynn]

I never went down strength with my monk.I went Int, Wis and lastly Agility when I got to lvl 70.

[Morgane]

<cite>Errolflynn@Befallen wrote:</cite><blockquote>I never went down strength with my monk.I went Int, Wis and lastly Agility when I got to lvl 70.</blockquote><p>Nor did I. While I was leveling up my Monk I never used the STR line... I just didn't know any better. I used INT/WIS/STA for awhile then switched to the from STA to the AGI line later for Altruism, which comes in handy during raids. </p><p>I managed just fine although I can't help but wonder how much quicker my solo leveling might have gone had I tried the STR line. And there is the added bonus of not having to spend the gold on weapons. </p>

[SarangHeyo]

Thanks for the feedback. So it sounds like both of you took INT before WIS.I'm worried if I pick my path this will happen:<cite>Morgane@Everfrost wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite></cite>I can't help but wonder how much quicker my solo leveling might have gone had I tried the STR line. </blockquote> I'm going to be a fairly casual player and will be focusing on my coercer. I'd like to keep the monk within 5 levels though.

[stfields]

<cite>SarangHeyo wrote:</cite><blockquote>Thanks for the feedback. So it sounds like both of you took INT before WIS.I'm worried if I pick my path this will happen:<cite>Morgane@Everfrost wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite></cite>I can't help but wonder how much quicker my solo leveling might have gone had I tried the STR line. </blockquote> I'm going to be a fairly casual player and will be focusing on my coercer. I'd like to keep the monk within 5 levels though.</blockquote>The noticeable difference with the STR line is that your "weapons" upgrade every level along with you.  Whereas if you stuck with mastercrafted stuff (for example), your weapons will not get any stronger until you upgrade them 10 levels later.  <div></div><div>I tried the STR line out myself when I was in my 60s just out of curiousity.  At first it looked impressive, but there is a point (probably in the 50s?) where the STR line is obsolete.  For soloing, I could see it having its benefits.  The difference in damage between MC weapons and barefists at lower levels is minor, so the double attack and quick attack speed might work out in the end.  IMO, try out STR and respec if you don't like it.  </div><div></div><div>Ultimately, I started with STR, and then when I had enough AA, I respec'd to have AGI and INT, adding WIS as I got more points.  At lower levels, I don't think INT or AGI or WIS <span class="Apple-style-span">alone</span> is necessarily better than STR.  But when you have enough to open up the crits from INT and the reuse timers from AGI, it is a good time to switch.</div>

[SarangHeyo]

Cheers - I actually did try STR again because it really seemed the logical choice. I'm a beginner. I have no money. I will be soloing. The double attack is as far as I got with my points and it's nice!BUT... it's just not fun for me, can't explain it XDSo I went and respecced to INT - didn't get much of a chance to try it out before servers went down but I have to say, stylisticaly I enjoy it a lot more. I like the extra health I get from my weapon stats and I like the big numbers from my 2h crushing weapon (I actually plan to dual wield once I can afford to buy weapons, again a stylistic choice). I LOVE the crits.I'm glad I didn't go WIS right away. I still round up groups of 3-5 mobs depending on level but I've noticed my limited AE is getting weaker as I level and I mostly survive by taking each mob out very quickly in succession rather than all at once.I'm only 20 now XD still a long way to go but I really feel I made the right class choice.It's going to be expensive. I was planning to be a tailor so I could at least upgrade my armor at cost every 10 levels but... carpenter is so much more fun for me. My only other chara I will be leveling for now is a carpenter also. Isn't that nuts? But it's just the funnest even if it won't make me rich. At least both their houses will look great XDSo now on my monk, every 10 levels: 2 weapons and new armor to be effective. Food, potions, new spells will all cost me. I'm harvesting hard on both charas so I can afford this. I figure also my other chara (Coercer) isn't as reliant on gear so only needs the spells and can get by on dropped loot.