BlizzCon 2011: Early monk abilities and the dark side of the force
by Dan O'Halloran 
Oct 24th 2011 at 9:00AM
This is how it works. The basics are very similar to playing a rogue except that there is (currently) no auto-attack. You have a bar of chi that mimics the rogue energy bar. You also have a bar with slots for four light orbs and four dark orbs. The basic level 1 attack, Jab, consumes 40 chi (out of 100) with every shot and grants you both a light orb and a dark orb.
Also at level 1, you get an attack that consumes one light orb that does twice the damage of Jab. If the target is over 50% health, it inflicts three times the damage of Jab. At level 2, you get a kick that inflicts three times the damage of Jab and consumes two dark orbs but returns one if the kick kills the opponent.
So your basic attack sequence becomes: Jab a few times to build up orbs and spend chi, then use the light orb attack while the mob is over 50% health, then one or two dark side kicks to finish them off. Another variation is build up orbs using Jab on an easy opponent, then approach a new enemy and unleash your high-damage, orb-only attacks one after another. The mob will drop like a rock.
Level 3 grants you a fast, forward roll ability which is great for getting to the mob faster, though it will cost you chi. Level 5 grants you a flying kick attack similar to feral druid Pounce including the stun component. So now you can close with enemies quickly and stun them for a few seconds, allowing you to use Jab to build up orbs. By the time the stun wears off, you should have enough orbs to unleash your higher-damage attacks. The flying kick ability costs no chi but is on a 30-second cooldown.
Some people have been concerned about no auto-attack in all this, but I barely noticed. By the time multiple Jabs drained your chi, you have plenty of orbs for high-damage attacks. When you run out of those, your chi will have regenerated.
Though I only got to level 5, I found the class fun to play and look forward to seeing what other abilities the monk gets at higher levels. For more on the Pandaria new player experience, check out Joe Perez's impressions from Friday.
The news is out -- we'll be playing Mists of Pandaria! Find out what's in store with an all-new talent system, peek over our shoulder at our Pandaren hands-on, and get ready to battle your companion pets against others. It's all here right at WoW Insider!Filed under: BlizzCon, Monk, Mists of Pandaria
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Hal Oct 24th 2011 9:08AM
Interesting. With all of those unarmed attacks in there, it makes me wonder if the animations will utilize a monk's weapons. It would be a shame for them to end up like casters, where the only way you see his weapons is hanging on his sides.
I also wonder how they'll interact with on-hit proc effects.
Fletcher Oct 24th 2011 9:22AM
Someone in the Breakfast Topic below linked a clip of the pandaren animations from Blizzcon; they mention the importance of having the weaponless and weapons-using animations look similar, so I'd imagine they will show you using your weapons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E1hGj9gHs00
I'd also heard - and I can't recall where, so don't quote me on this - that the monk's chi-using abilities/orb builders would be unarmed, while their orb-using abilities/finishers would use weapons.
Either way, it sounds like fun. I can't wait to see the gnome roll animation. :D
Curzen Oct 24th 2011 9:48AM
I hope they animate it right, I don't want to see weapons suddenly materialize in my characters hands when using an armed attack after an unarmed one.
lownwolf Oct 24th 2011 10:05AM
at blizzcon in one of the Q&A's (possibly art) they spoke to the idea that a monk fights with both his weapons and his fists and that attacks would utilize both. They said it's fun to attack with your hands to build up your dark or light energy and then you're big 'finishers' would use your weapons.
Tigore Oct 24th 2011 10:29AM
The Monk's animations are making me convinced that the older race revamps are gonna come in MoP, or most likely in 5.0. The video the other guy linked with the Pandaren Animations looks really cool, and with the Monk animations being shown too, they've gotta have similar animations for the other races that choose Monk. And with TOR coming soon, with it's nice animations, I feel like Blizzard have to compete.
Also the Warlock talent that has all those improved demons might hint to some sort of better pet models. Wait, didn't they promise new male/female forms in Cataclysm?
And would it be too much to ask to get non looping animations for casting spells? That's what it seems from the Monk animations for fighting. Maybe for example, on Summon Imp, you would see the Imp gradually crawl out of the ground as the spell's being cast. Or maybe Pyroblast would see the fireball gradually get larger as your casting.
ducss750 Oct 24th 2011 11:04AM
@Tigore
"...older race revamps"
I'd just be happy if they put the plastic surgeon next to the barber shop. If the human male could get his hairlip fixed I might roll one...after 6 years.
Revynn Oct 24th 2011 11:04AM
@ Tigore - They stated at Blizzcon that they're actively working on updating models for older races. My impression was that we shouldn't expect it for 5.0, but probably some time during MoP.
Regarding the male/female demons: Yes, they said they're working on them, but they didn't "promise them during Cata". In fact they all but said not to hold your breath cause it wouldn't be any time soon. I agree, though. Implementing a talent that allows us to have augmented demons would be a perfect opportunity to revamp the old demon models.
Suzaku Oct 24th 2011 2:23PM
They specifically stated during the panels that monks typically fight with their hands and feet, keeping their weapons sheathed, but that they draw their weapons for powerful special attacks.
Which is pretty ingenious, if you ask me. I had never considered that as a possible way to do a fighting style for WoW.
Omacron Oct 24th 2011 3:25PM
It's actually the opposite- the monk's orb builders use the weapon and the finishers are unarmed. Your orb builder attack actually changes names based on the weapon you're using, it's called "strike" when unarmed or using fist weapons but when I picked up a staff it changed to "Clobber" and utilized that weapon, while Tiger Palm and Shadow Kick still used the unarmed attacks.
Travis Oct 24th 2011 9:13AM
From other games I have played that has had a Monk class. It was either all healing and little fight or all fight with no healing. Than it was the Monk was all fight and some last min heal spells(since the monk had the most HP) he could sac X% of his own life to give to the party. as like a special move with a big long cooldown. So I am sort of glad to see blizzard take this into account. DPS / TANK / HEALER. I makes me wonder the way the TP is set up now you would not be able to do some sort of Hybrid class of fighter and healer.
DracoSuave Oct 24th 2011 11:58AM
The talent points will be set up exactly the same as every other class in 5.0--meaning... talent points will have absolutely nothing to do with whether your in a tank spec, dps spec, or healing spec. You choose your spec, and get all your abilities for that spec as you level up. If you respec or dual-spec change, then all your spellbook gets replaced by the spellbook and passives for the other specialization.
Talents and Spec are going to be two completely different unrelated things. Talent points will not be spent to get your spec-specific stuff; you get ALL of it automagically as you level. Talents will be cross-spec stuff that has use for any spec.
Boobah Oct 24th 2011 12:08PM
Hybrid? Almost certainly not. The vast majority of the healing abilities are going to be locked to the healing spec; as an example, non-holy paladins apparently won't have any heals besides Flash of Light (and presumably Lay on Hands, which is more of a cooldown than a heal).
Helper Oct 24th 2011 9:16AM
NERF MONKS!!!!
But no. It sounds fast paced and fun. I totally want to give it a try. I'm super curious about Monk melee healing.
jlpknights82 Oct 24th 2011 9:39AM
Me as well. I have been wanting so badly to play a melee-style healer like you often see in other games (usually called something like a Runepriest or even a Paladin). I play a Paladin now because it's the closest you can get.
The Monk healing mechanics, with the meleeing and the little statues sound really different and fun to me, and exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for. Especially the MOBILITY. Paladin mobility makes me cry.
Severyn71 Oct 24th 2011 10:59AM
Attonement healing of Disc Priests! Same basic concept! a.k.a. Smite Healing
Teaspoon Oct 24th 2011 6:48PM
Is the monk healing spec "Acupressure"?
Necromann Oct 24th 2011 9:14AM
The monk really sounds fun. I really want to try one out. On a side note, do you think a lot of leveling groups on the MoP beta will have 5 monks because they fill all 3 roles and are new?
Helper Oct 24th 2011 9:19AM
I actually really hope this happens while I'm leveling. It would be like a ninja clan!
Literaltruth Oct 24th 2011 9:26AM
Considering that directly after the pre-Cataclysm patch when Irolled a Troll druid, I had multiple RDF groups with nothing but Druids (and quite a few "4 Troll druids and a Tauren Paladin" groups) I would imagine that is a distinct possibility. However, the RDF does try as much as possible to have a mix of cloth, leather, mail and plate DPS at higher levels - so it might be less then.
curzen Oct 24th 2011 9:51AM
;lt&Insane Panda Possee>
:p