Anticipating Sunder Changes Build

[RumbIe]

So I am about to TR my monk. Maybe a few more Von3 runs to get to cocoon before I do. A few questions:

Preface - I know that sunder will no longer add to QP, but QP, especially while soloing, can still be useful. I still want to build for this but know that stunning and pure dps in groups for EE content will be more important

So what is the best build shaping up to be to get all of this?

- I was thinking Horc as the race, but all of the enhancements are THF right? So none are useful for added monk dps except STR bumps. I guess sunder is still nice to have regardless. I don't want to go BF unless Paladin levels are part of the build. I'm tired of buying +1 LRs. They should only be like 500 TP. Sadly they are not. Already grabbed one for my PM Sunelf and picked up another for TBD, but not willing to burn it just yet.

- Does anyone go pure any more? I guess by only going 16 monk you can go 2 fighter for kensei enhancements to include
3 tactics. Will +3 tactics in general still help QP? I know it will with stunning. I guess the other 2 levels go to something that can use empower healing. I've always like cleric for 2 levels splashes here since you get wand and scroll tier 1 in RS. Other goodies in WP like toughness and wall of steel.

- Going 4 fighter though would lend to more dps and you could get better crits in tier 4, though you loose on empower healing.

- On the other hand going 4 cleric you could get Ameliorating Strike which is quite nice, but you miss out on some dps.

- I've always gone dark monk. Back in the old days that seemed the best to me for pure killing. Does it even matter now? Though Violence Begets seems pretty nice. Is that the new must go route?

In short I'm confused which way to go. I'm tired of BF/WF. Gone that route enough. I want self sufficient. I want to insta kill fairly reliably while solo-ing, but if not I know I can stun them and dps them down fairly quick. I've scanned through the builds out there, but none really call to me.

[Rhysem]

It is a little too early to call what the devs will do with QP on u21. I'm guessing it'll stay and that the super nerf was the devs little psychological game in action, but you never know if the scruffy nerf herders will get it lowered again.

Pure is okay but isn't as compelling. 18/2 is a no-brainer choice if you aren't taking a capstone, and you probably shouldn't be. Maybe for shintao, depends. Doing 16 is okay, though then you'll probably burn a feat into grandmaster, so it is also sort of a wash.

As a horc you could probably make staff a solid choice if you wanted, like the older horcrobat builds, between your racial tree and henshin. You won't be SF'ing, but with enough tactics focus to make QP work, you could also probably make stunning blow work reliably? As a side bonus, you get to do dark and light then, which I hear is sorta cool. I'd actually like to run this sort of build next life, but I'm probably doing an iconic due to timing with friends, so that's not ideal.

I'm not a dark fan. Others are. YMMV. On the other hand, as a half-orc, you might like the healing it provides. I've considered going back dark with my half-elf, because I've got cleric dilly. On the other hand, not having to scroll and just doing FoL is nice too.

[whomhead]

If current Lama notes are correct and QP loses sunder bonuses but keeps general tactics bonuses, then I'd probably go with a dwarven 16 monk, 2 fighter, 2 druid. You still get access to empower heal, +6 bonus to tactical feats from dwarf and fighter, and druid offers ram's might for a nice little boost to DPS. All that said, cleric, wizard, or paladin splashes will all still be solid, viable choices.

Paladin has the potential to be more DPS and defense than druid, if built correctly, but won't get empowered heals. So if that's OK for you, then Pally is a solid choice.