I was telling Slamz about the Monk tank build and didn't have a chance to look at all the Monk classes well.
Primarily you make Aasimar Monk (only race that gets the 2 plus 2's you need, plus resist), I suggest Sensai or Regular Monk. You pump their Dex and Wis up to both 18. Their AC is based on your Wis and Dex bonuses so at level 1 that is +8 which is equal to half plate at level 1. Their are multiple plus Dex/Wis items in the game, you should be able to get that Dex/Wis AC bonus up to +14 without any other arm bracers or rings. That is higher than any plate class can achieve.
Scaled First monk is same as above but Char/Dex based. Their are less Char/Dex items in the game so I am not sure you can max out the AC on him as high as a Dex/Wis monk.
Traditional Monk I don't like since the skills are all pre-chosen.
Sensai is an interesting choice since they now operate as a Bard.
The Standard Monk however gets more avoidance and evasion than a Sensai so if you want to build a tank the Standard Monk is better.
Either way not an easy choise between Sensai and Monk.
Now for DPS,
You can leave them at their build but the problem with Monks is their attacks are based on STR not Dex. So unless you also build up their str they will have weak DPS and not hit very often. 3 18 plus stats is not likely.
Their is a fix to that.
Start your primary character as a Monk. Then immediately take 3 levels of Rogue (not knife master, thug or Eldritch), at level 3 Rogue you take Finesse Training as Unarmed. After that you take the rest of your levels as Monk. That now makes all unarmed attacks now based on Dex. You will see an immediate change in DPS.
So it takes a while to get him going however once you do Monks can DPS well, stun, are VERY hard to hit, move fast, and can pull better than any other class.
Most importantly now your Rogue guy IS your tank. If you go Sensai, you get a Rogue, Bard and Tank all in one guy. Even though you are only taking 3 levels in Rogue that is enough if you continue to put points into Trickery, Stealth and Perception that he will satisfy all Rogue needs.
So when you engage in an encounter your main Tank sneaks up to the target and lays down multiple sneak attacks (if it isn't dead by then) now your main tank has complete agro. Send in the rest of your party afterwards. It makes tanking so much easier. No more running in and getting shots of opportunity on your tanks. That is what typically kills them or gets you in a situation you can't heal out of. Monks/Rogues can negate most shots of opportunity with their skills. So having 6 guys on him no longer hurts as bad.
I hope that helps with a proper tank. The other alternative is Invul Rager Barbs but that is another page altogether. Rather than write it out, Every group should have a Aasimar Invul Rager wielding 2h Axes, just try one and you will immediately see the potential as tanks as well as DPS.
Monks tank everything equally well but are still vulnerable to Crits, Invuls Ragers tank less well than Monks but no damage including crits ever hit them that hard. Take your choice, one if each is even better.
With a properly built Monk you can play the rest of your party however you wish. Even all pure casters, Monks get free movement and speed so you could dot the landscape with vines and webs and your tank still doesn't care. Once you have a well built Monk you are free to play the game however you like.
That to me is why you have to have one in your party.
Primarily you make Aasimar Monk (only race that gets the 2 plus 2's you need, plus resist), I suggest Sensai or Regular Monk. You pump their Dex and Wis up to both 18. Their AC is based on your Wis and Dex bonuses so at level 1 that is +8 which is equal to half plate at level 1. Their are multiple plus Dex/Wis items in the game, you should be able to get that Dex/Wis AC bonus up to +14 without any other arm bracers or rings. That is higher than any plate class can achieve.
Scaled First monk is same as above but Char/Dex based. Their are less Char/Dex items in the game so I am not sure you can max out the AC on him as high as a Dex/Wis monk.
Traditional Monk I don't like since the skills are all pre-chosen.
Sensai is an interesting choice since they now operate as a Bard.
The Standard Monk however gets more avoidance and evasion than a Sensai so if you want to build a tank the Standard Monk is better.
Either way not an easy choise between Sensai and Monk.
Now for DPS,
You can leave them at their build but the problem with Monks is their attacks are based on STR not Dex. So unless you also build up their str they will have weak DPS and not hit very often. 3 18 plus stats is not likely.
Their is a fix to that.
Start your primary character as a Monk. Then immediately take 3 levels of Rogue (not knife master, thug or Eldritch), at level 3 Rogue you take Finesse Training as Unarmed. After that you take the rest of your levels as Monk. That now makes all unarmed attacks now based on Dex. You will see an immediate change in DPS.
So it takes a while to get him going however once you do Monks can DPS well, stun, are VERY hard to hit, move fast, and can pull better than any other class.
Most importantly now your Rogue guy IS your tank. If you go Sensai, you get a Rogue, Bard and Tank all in one guy. Even though you are only taking 3 levels in Rogue that is enough if you continue to put points into Trickery, Stealth and Perception that he will satisfy all Rogue needs.
So when you engage in an encounter your main Tank sneaks up to the target and lays down multiple sneak attacks (if it isn't dead by then) now your main tank has complete agro. Send in the rest of your party afterwards. It makes tanking so much easier. No more running in and getting shots of opportunity on your tanks. That is what typically kills them or gets you in a situation you can't heal out of. Monks/Rogues can negate most shots of opportunity with their skills. So having 6 guys on him no longer hurts as bad.
I hope that helps with a proper tank. The other alternative is Invul Rager Barbs but that is another page altogether. Rather than write it out, Every group should have a Aasimar Invul Rager wielding 2h Axes, just try one and you will immediately see the potential as tanks as well as DPS.
Monks tank everything equally well but are still vulnerable to Crits, Invuls Ragers tank less well than Monks but no damage including crits ever hit them that hard. Take your choice, one if each is even better.
With a properly built Monk you can play the rest of your party however you wish. Even all pure casters, Monks get free movement and speed so you could dot the landscape with vines and webs and your tank still doesn't care. Once you have a well built Monk you are free to play the game however you like.
That to me is why you have to have one in your party.