[Senna]

Back like we never left-

Monk class has been falling off, like a lot lately. While I understand Koonie has made a thread on a Monk rework, I'd suggest something else a bit smaller. Nothing too major to help Monk and Martial Arts keep up with the others.

Now the problem with Monk is this. The FP cost, the skill options, and how much damage it does compare to stuff like Boxer and Verglass. Monk's specialty is to use Ki awoken and gather FP. It's good but other classes can do that exact thing, but better. The status Ki Awoken gives, while large, is heavily affected by Diminish returns. This means it gives you a very small bonus but you're using a lot of HP for it. This is part of the reason not many people use this outside of gimmick builds.

Skills, Monk has the same problem boxer had. They have too many high SP costing skills and too taxing FP wise for the damage that doesn't add up. While the other two classes have ways to set up their own combo, Monk on the other hand doesn't.

If anything, Monk is outdated.

Martial Arts is somewhat in the same boat however that class probably only starts from the lack of SP to spend after getting the important techniques within the class.

A rework/Adjustment is greatly needed.

Here's my suggestion: A light adjustment, without the need for a complete rework.

A good way to look at it? I'll display a simple page I use for Monk, display the damage/combo difference between it and something like Verglass. The screenshot talks for itself.






(I can get screenshots for the scaling as well if you want)

Verglass standard scaling being 140% (Higher otherwise)
Monk standard scaling being 120% (Highest being 140% but burns out all the users Ki and the other being Setting Sun at 100% but increase on size. Strong but easy to avoid via walking out of range.)
Boxer standard scaling being between 120%-140% but, it increases base on Sturm.



If we're talking about Ki awoken, It depends on what your building, it can be okay or completely useless for you. If you're already high enough in the diminish effect, you'll find yourself not getting enough out of Ki awoken whatsoever to make up for the HP lost. While the bonus stats are quite helpful, but only if you plan on using this technique as a core part of the build.

Otherwise, your bonus will seem like this:












Bonus with simple as simple as a Cherry tree or any Knighting bonus:

Before:



After


Remember, Ki awoken is a skill that hurts the user each turn and the self inflict increase greatly per a turn yet the bonus is similar to something that doesn't hurt or offer large draw back.


Let's not even get into the bonus Boxer and Verglas classes offer once we get into their core. It puts monk on the back-burner. Just a class people will use for either two attacks or just Power up/Golden aura. Nothing else.

It's safe to say, MONK is underwhelming outside of FP recovery.


Monk Firstly

Dense Thunder - From 5 max to 3 max. Slightly lowered FP cost. (Optional: From 120% Scaling to 140% Scaling)
Sky Chariot - From 5 max to 3 max. Increase the Ki cost on the Knockdown effect. Slightly lowered FP cost.
Dragon Gale - From 5 max to 3 max. Allow it to gain an elemental impact. Wind: Air shaft, Lightning: Light Shaft, Earth: Rocks,  Ice: Ice tiles, Fire: Fire tiles. Slightly lowered FP cost. (Optional: From 120% Scaling to 130% Scaling) 
Terra Strike - From 5 max to 3 max.
Setting Sun - If Ki awoken/Golden Aura is active (One out of the two can gain this effect), after two rounds after the Sun is set on the battlefield, the user is able to Drop the Sun at 1 momentum after using a Monk ability. (Setup Something like, Movement, Dense Thunder into Sun drop which would be 7 momentum)
Body of Isesip - From 5 max to 1 max. (Noone puts any more than 1 point into it)
Backflip - From 3 max to 2 max. 5 FP cost and 0 FP cost.
Aid - From 5 max to 3 max. At max rank, I'd suggest the Healing Mult be increased to 250% with extra mods since it's scaled off will. Ain't none gonna have that much will to make it worth abusing. As well as it already has a CD.
Power Up - From 5 max to 3 max.
Ki Awoken - Due to how underwhelming it is, I had three suggestions in mind. Choose one out of the three-. One was to lower the HP drain and let it cap out at a certain % of HP. The second was to let half of the stats affect base instead. And the final was to let it increase damage output by Ki amount in percentage.
Suppress Ki - From 1 max to 2 max. Two points; the last being similar to DH's passive, letting the user equip without taking up a slot at 2 SP.
Golden Glow - From 5 max to 3 (Or 1) max.

What about the Martial arts part? Well, they also fell under the SP situation. While this shouldn't matter too much, their technique also directly affects monk's offensive capability as well. You'll find yourself with just enough points for one or maybe two offensive skills. Three if you choose to not get cleanse or just have the skill for utility. This is a lot worse if you choose to use empty palm and the other passive.

Example here:



Now for Arts:

Heaven Kick: From 5 max to 3 max.
Peddling Wheel: From 5 max to 3 max.
Light Tomahawk: Scaling increase from 100% to 110% or 120% (It isn't exactly worth having over Heaven kick outside of the guard break. It doesn't help the fact it 1 tile range, or can only reach up to 3-4 tiles with Shukuchi (So 1 extra momentum) with subpar damage)
Kit up: From 3 max to 1 max.

Perhaps this would be enough so Monk is worth more than just a support class or stop people from simply using stuff like Demon Hunter class as an excuse for martial arts since Monk and martial class is subpar.