About to start my solo monk run..

Kank

Just finishing up the game with my Half-Orc Fighter/Cleric (Been a blast by the way) and am about to start a solo monk play through. Lots of re-loading and lots of cheese tactics.. but I think this is doable. I'll post again if I actually finish it.

Dino

Youre in for a lot of pain.

Xiviriel

I hope you know where the L and Q keys are. You're going to need them.

Darkovan

Its probably cheating for a solo run, but black pits has a pair of monk gauntlets after round 2? (i think?) with -4thaco and +4 damage to unarmed attacks. Get them with a different toon, import into multiplayer game, make your monk, give the gloves, export monk start solo run.

Vissious

A level 1 monk is basically a civilian with delusions of grandeur and a bad hair-cut. You know that, right? Right. Please do record your first encounter with a gibberling, because the arm-flailing factor is going to be stratospheric

I salute you, Sir, for doing the things that the rest of us are too tame to attempt.

CaptRory

Be sure to use a ranged weapon.

Focus on the stealth abilities.

The Cloak of the Wolf might help. I gave it to rasaad. It's kidna crazy, he speeds waaay up and he's already fast.

Kank

I'll keep this post updated. I'll stat roll him later tonight. Going to be a bit slow going. I'm also doing a multi run with my fiance.

I plan to tool around until I can kill ankegs.. then max his level. Then just zoom through the plot. Wolf cloak is a good idea.. just going to have to maneuver around flesh golems.

CaptRory

That nets you the Con Book early, so that's handy. Just need to watch out for the traps. A Potion of Invisibility will get you to the treasure then you just need to hoof it out.

Khrondor

Shield Amulet from Carnival

Oxford_Guy

How are you going to cope with Durlag's Tower? You have no way to disable traps, so will need a) to be lucky and b) a large number of healing potions, even then I'm not sure it's possible

Kank

I'm not going to do the tower. I want to complete the game. That doesn't mean I'll do every part of it.

Kank

Almost level 4 and it's getting easier. My first encounter was a Gibberling.. one sling shot killed him. Second, Xvart.. he two shot me.

Being able to stun enemies has been a life saver.. that's how I took out the Ogre with the belt fetish at level 1. I should be ok until the bandit camp.. we'll see how that goes.

Aasimar069

Kank said:

Just finishing up the game with my Half-Orc Fighter/Cleric (Been a blast by the way) and am about to start a solo monk play through. Lots of re-loading and lots of cheese tactics.. but I think this is doable. I'll post again if I actually finish it.

Good luck, you're gonna need it !

O_Bruce

Well, good luck, dude. From my experiences, soloing BG1 while using a monk is something that can be done, thought it requires lot of patience, planning and good thief skills and weapons (+) managament.

Mind to share some screenshoots with us? Or any updates of your progress?

Morvian

You'll probably want the Claw of Kazgoroth. I don't recall a need to make a lot of death saving throws in BG1. Also, can you put on the new guy's boots? If you can, then go for it. Make sure your Wisdom is high enough for the AC bonus at the start. IIRC you get like an extra -2 bonus to AC if your Wisdom is 15+.

I'd stick to the sling and kiting whenever that's an option, and stealth past tough opponents if you can.

I hope low level monks are better with decent stats, because Rasaad has been dying all over the place in my playthroughs. I've been blaming his underwhelming stats, but if I'm wrong you are in for quite the challenge.

Vuki

Morvian said:

Make sure your Wisdom is high enough for the AC bonus at the start. IIRC you get like an extra -2 bonus to AC if your Wisdom is 15+.

There is no AC bonus for high wisdom. It is 3rd edition rule but BG1/BG2 is based on 2nd edition.

Shrimp

@Morvian @ Vuki There's a mod that also adds that AC increase at character creation if your monk has 15+ Wisdom, I don't remember its name though.

Anyway, good luck with that playthrough. I once tried that with BGT, didn't get really far but the beginning was especially boring; essentially, you have to stay far away and use slings/darts to not get gibbed by the first gibberling you meet.

Cener

It's doable, i have finished BG1 + BG2 with a solo monk, for Sarevok just hide and hit

Southpaw

Tried that once. Doable, but very difficult first ~ 5 levels.
A couple of tricks for people who would like to try that out
- get the shield amulet from Nashkel Carnival asap (like a Kensai run)
- be good or evil alignment to get healing/vampiric touch
- roll good stats and try to kite the enemies on low levels. Throwing daggers attack 2x a round.
- steal Drizzt's +3 scimitar (get Imoen to do it) and use it when fighting enemies ith good AC
- get 18sta and use claw od kazgaroth. you should lose no HP, but gain substantial bonuses.
- get the gauntlets of +THAC0 from the guy at Firewine bridge
- don't do it, rather try to solo with a Bounty Hunter or Assasin. much more fun.

on my second attempt, I actually gave in and took a healer (Viconia) and Imoen thief/mage with me and 3-manned it.
with luck and patience, you can do it without thief+mage, but a healer is necessary.

Kank

On chapter 3. The mines were easy but Greywolf was a major pain. I came close to killing him 3-4 times and said screw it and dropped the difficulty. Level 6 right now and I can FINALLY farm Ankhegs. I'll do that until I cap and then I'll go through the rest of the plot.