Re: Saris Monk Suggestions
Fitter is a great crafting class for monks, as you get the maximum strength per level.
Re: Saris Monk Suggestions
With Gez I was 50-something STMD when I hit 100 FIT. With Goz I was 32 SPRD when I hit 100 MSN (9 str/lev). So my answer would be "as **** fast as you can stand." ;) Monk and disciples are probably the most broken classes in the game at this moment (but I wouldn't play anything else.) The sooner you get your strength up, the more you'll be able to enjoy monk.
As for what other support classes, that really depends on what monk you're going in the end. Pure monk? Disciple? Also, I'd suggest monk 20 before clr 20, since it's vastly more easy to multiclass with monk in your backpack than the other way around.
Re: Saris Monk Suggestions
What are the pros and cons of staying plain monk, going spirit disciple, storm disciple, or flame disciple, or ice disciple?
Re: Saris Monk Suggestions
Hm.... Well, let's treat what the different classes get for distinguishing traits, instead.
First and foremost, all monk classes are one-on-one classes. Going toe-to-toe with a single big, bad mob will be very rewarding for you, once you've learned how to play the class (and added some more classes for strength, additional magic, etc, of course.) On the other hand, due to your evasion and, as a disciple, your large spell selection, you can be very successful fighting scores of lower level mobs, too.
Base monks get the small spell bracket - that is revits, raises, bolts, etc, like most melee classes do. They also get no fistbuffs. What they do get is an additional dex and UA per level over the disciples for 10/level. They also get a few more special abilities, including a somewhat more effective HoT (though not very), a scant few stunners and delay debuffs. They also get the abilities every disciple gets a level or two earlier. Overall I'm not impressed with base monks.
Now for the disciples. They all have a few traits in common, in addition to what they have in common with base monks. First of all, they're slightly less skilled in the melee departement than base monks, but that difference is nearly infintesimal. The biggest thing is that they all get 10/level in a magic school. However, since they only have monk 20 as pre-req, this only starts at level 20 (or is that 21? I can never remember), so you'll end up with 800 skill at level 100. This can make your magic very inefficient at lower levels, but it will pick up around level 50. All disciples also get magic wards for their spell school, which totals out at 150 at L100.
FLMDs get one less evasion than the other disciples, for 9/level. Their fist buff deals additional flame damage for each hit. It's not much, but it's power modified and adds up over a fight. They also get a damage shield (and an aura version, too!), and several direct damage abilities. They also have access to most (all?) of the arcane spells, which I'm sure you know is mostly high damage spells, and some snares and mind debuffs. Of course, you only get flame from FLMD.
ICED's fist buff will slow your enemy down. Only works on what you're punching of course. They get an ice armor ability, which gives you additional armor and ethereal armor, as well as an aura variant of it. They also get a few more delay debuffs, and the ice tomb+shatter combo, which I believe first stuns your enemy, then deals great damage. They have access to the same spells a FLMD do.
SPRD's fist buff allows them to heal a portion of damage done on some of their hits. It's a small amount per hit, but it can really be a saving grace as it adds up. Unlike the other disciples, SPRD has no group buff. Instead they get the eth armor that SPRT does (but only Eth Armor II at most), and the spirit walk ability, which greatly enhances evasion, and allows you to deal ethereal damage with all attacks. SPRD have access to the larger mystic spell bracket, meaning pretty much all mystical spells except the health line. This means all the good buffs, nature nukes & stuns, and spirit leeches.
A STMD's fist buffs lets you stun your target. At highest level it's 40% chance per hit. During a flurry you can keep pretty much anything permastunned for the duration. Add in inherent nature stuns and you have a class very effective at keeping a single target stunned. Their single/group buff is a delay mod, which is -15% delay at highest level. (The self-only used to be -20%, until we raised the issue about the inconsistency, upon which it got lowered to -15%.) They also get two special attack stuns which are completely ineffective. For spells they have the same opportunities as SPRD.
I, personally, prefer the two mystical disciples, for their better buffs, health leeches and stuns. I feel these spells very effectively support the melee aspect of the disciples. The arcane disciples, on the other hand, are all about more damage (and for ICED, somewhat less damage for you.)
In the end it comes down to personal taste. Give each of the disciples a short whirl of a few levels each, and see which one appeals the most to you. I'm a STMD at heart myself, but I've also had a good time as SPRD and FLMD. ICED I'm sorry to say I haven't tried yet.
In closing I'll give you just one more advice: Don't stay base monk. ;)
