Divinity: Original Sin - monk-like build [WIP]

divinity-monk.md

Rules:

I am defining a monk as a character who uses magical attacks and defenses in close combat. This basically means that we can create a monk-like character by simply restricting which spells he or she is allowed to learn. The restriction, then, is simply that the monk-like character cannot cast any spell with a range of greater than 5 meters.

There are some odd bits about certain skills that fit within this restriction, but don't seem like they would. For example, breath-like weapons have a length, not a range (the range is basically "self", since the spell initiates at the character), and are therefor allowed. You could make an argument that dart spells also originate at the character, but I'm differentiating between the two.

The really odd one is Boulder Dash. I don't know whether or not that should go on the list. However, purely because this character is already having issues at low levels, I'm allowing it.

Also, it should be noted that charge/teleport skills don't exist in the magical traditions, so you might think about putting a point in something that can charge or teleport, to get into (or out of) combat quickly. Marksman has a level one teleport (Tactical Retreat); man-at-arms has a level one charge (Battering Ram). I prefer Tactical Retreat because of the lower AP cost.

Allowed Skills:

Note: "Int for 1:1 cooldown:duration" will be the same as the int for a 1-turn cooldown for targetted effects (because for example, petrifying touch can petrify more than one enemy). However, for self-buffs or self-centered AoE (de)buffs, it will instead be the int required for you to be able to re-cast the buff/debuff on the turn that it expires.

Skill	Base Cooldown	Int for 1:1 cooldown:duration	Required Skill Level	Required Level
Aero
Shocking Touch	7 Turns	16	Aero 2	4
Become Air	8 Turns	14	Aero 2	4
Invisibility	6 Turns	8	Aero 2	7
Immune to Elec.	5 Turns	10	Aero 3	7
Geo
Boulder Dash	10 Turns	22	Geo 2	4
Petrifying Touch	7 Turns	16	Geo 2	7
Acid Breath	12 Turns	26	Geo 3	10
Blessed Earth	8 Turns	14	Geo 4	13
Earthquake	16 Turns	34	Geo 5	18
Hydro
Water of Life	12 Turns	20	Hydro 1	1
Immune to Burn	5 Turns	12	Hydro 2	4
Freezing Touch	7 Turns	16	Hydro 2	7
Mass Slow	12 Turns	26	Hydro 4	16
Winterblast	15 Turns	32	Hydro 4	16
Pyro
Burning Touch	7 Turns	16	Pyro 1	1
Immune to Freeze	5 Turns	10	Pyro 1	1
Firefly	8 Turns	18	Pyro 1	4
Self-Immolation	4 Turns	10	Pyro 2	7
Explode	4 Turns	10	Pyro 3	10
Lava Core	100 Turns	202	Pyro 4	20
Witch
Enfeebling Touch	6 Turns	14	Witch 1	1
Vampiric Touch	9 Turns	20	Witch 3	7
Horrific Scream	9 Turns	20	Witch 4	13
Death Punch	12 Turns	26	Witch 4	16
Invulnerability	100 Turns	202	Witch 5	18

Guide:

Starting build:

Note 1: It may be useful to get the Marksman teleport or Man-At-Arms charge immediately. I'm not doing it because at the start of the game, you're going to have very little to do each turn. Using an ability point for a single skill that is situational seems like a waste to me, at the start of the game. Past level 4, you should have enough skills to fill up a turn, so you can start thinking about situational skills like that.

Note 2: The reason for putting everything in int at low levels is that you're really going to want the cooldowns to decrease as much as possible on your touch spells. Around 16 int, the majority of your touch spells will be down to a 1-turn cooldown, so you can ease off the int and start putting points in other stats.

Attributes:

Attr	Value
Str	5
Dex	5
Con	5
Int	10
Spd	5
Per	5

Abilities:

Ability	Value
Hydro	1
Pyro	1
Witch	1

The rest can go wherever you want. Defenses, crafting, Marksman or Man at Arms for the teleport/charge ability, or one of the other magical schools. Hydro, Pyro, and Witch are the only three schools with spells that you can get at level 1, which is why you should start with at least one point in each of them.

Skills:

1. Enfeebling Touch
2. Burning Touch
3. None (unless you took Man-at-Arms (Battering Ram) or Marksman (Tactical Retreat))

Unfortunately, even though both Immune to Freezing and Water of Life are level 1 skills, you can't choose them at character creation. You'll have to find the skill books.

I highly recommend finding a Water of Life skill book ASAP. It grants you a bonus to both your max health and current health; when it expires, it only decreases your max health. So it's basically a very powerful self-heal that can be cast preventatively.

Immune to Freezing doesn't really become useful until around level 3, when you start to see mages in rainy areas, so you don't really need to rush to find that skill book.

Talents

It's really up to you, here. Keep in mind that neither Bully nor Guerrilla work with spells, so they'll be useless to you. Also, keep in mind that Zombie will cause Vampiric Touch to damage instead of heal you, so it's really not recommended.

Leech is really good here, as you'll heal every time there is blood anywhere near you (including when you bleed).

Levels:

Level 2:

Attr: +1 int (11 total)

Abilities: Aero 1

Level 3:

Talent: All Skilled Up is a good choice here, but you can save it for level 7 if you have something else you want.

Abilities: Save one point for Aero 2. If you took All Skilled Up, you should use those points to get Hydro 2 for Immune to Burning at level 4.

Level 4:

Attr: +1 int (12 total)

Abilities: Aero 2.

Skills:

1. Shocking Touch. Absolute must-get ASAP.
2. Become Air. Really nice buff that you can almost keep up indefinitely. Two more points of int and you can keep it up indefinitely.
3. Firefly. Only requires Pyro 1, but you can't get it until level 4.

If you already have Hydro 2: Immune to Burning. There are a number of places that this might be useful, including things like using Burning Touch to ignite a poison cloud that you're not certain you're outside the blast radius of.

Level 5:

Abilities: Save it.

Level 6:

Attr: +1 int (13 total)

Abilities: Here, your abilities should be:

Ability	Value
Aero	2
Geo	0
Hydro	2 (or 1 if you skipped All Skilled Up at level 3)
Pyro	1
Witch	1

Your choice here depends on which path you want to tread. If you feel like you have enough skills to fully keep you occupied for a turn, get Witch 2 in preparation for Witch 3 and Vampiric Touch. If you are still wasting AP waiting for skills to cool down, get Geo 1 and Geo 2 now, then get Pyro 2 at level 7, so that you can get Petrifying Touch, Boulder Dash (you'll need to craft the skill book), and Self Immolation all at the same time.

Skills: Boulder Dash, if you have a decent crafter.

Level 7:

Talent: All Skilled Up if you haven't gotten it yet. If you have, you can get whatever looks nice.

Abilities: If you didn't get Hydro 2 at level 3, get it now. It's required for Freezing Touch. After that, If you got Witch 2 last level, get Witch 3 now. If you got Geo 1 and 2 last level, get Pyro 2 now.

Skills:

1. Freezing Touch. Now you have a decent array of touch spells: Burning Touch, Shocking Touch, Enfeebling Touch, and Freezing Touch.
2. Invisibility. Nice to have, not necessarily that important in the immediate future.

Depending on what you spent your ability points on:

1. Vampiric Touch. Yet another touch spell. This one has a longer cooldown, but will heal you.

-- or --

1. Petrifying Touch. Yet another touch spell. Hooray for taking an enemy out of combat for a while.
2. Boulder Dash. Nice skill, but the skill book isn't sold - you need to craft it.
3. Self Immolation. Yay, an AoE (that has a good chance to hurt you)! Pretty nice to have Immune to Burning before you have this skill.

From here on, you should be able to figure out what to do. Use the chart above to decide which skills you want to aim for, then put your ability points in the abilities required for those skills.

Remember that the primary reason for increasing int has been to reduce cooldowns, so once your cooldowns are low enough that you're never twiddling your thumbs, you can start putting points into constitution, speed, or other attributes. However, also remember that intelligence will still increase the damage your spells deal, so it will never be useless.

Hi, I liked the idea and I'm making this build, you still play D:OS?
What items should I use?
Thanks