"*__Written by Malkail on 02/10/2025__*\n\n### What is this Overview?\nThis is a very short overview of some of the things a monk can do in Pantheon. There is a lot more about a class than a few paragraphs can cover. Depending on your level, much of this overview may not be applicable. We will touch on what a monk can do in game both in group and out of group, but this is far from all encompassing.\n\n### Role Description\nMonk’s primary role is to do damage(or DPS) and is a good addition to any group in this role. Monks can also work as a tank when the primary tanks are not available, but will often take more damage than one of the pure tank classes. Pantheon often has players sit at a camp spot and monks can be very good pullers. If you pick a monk you should be prepared to pull, offtank, and always be active!\n\nThe monk has a unique resource called chi. This resource will regenerate slowly and is required to activate many of the monk’s abilities. The monk also uses readiness which functions the same as it does for all melee classes in Pantheon. Readiness is required for all techniques.\n\nMonks can also change ‘stances’ which are called gates. Gates can have a major impact on your current abilities and may provide buffs to your damage, aggro, healing etc. Much of this is not currently implemented. (Updated 2/10/25)\nCurrently the class lacks much of its kit. (Updated 2/10/25)\n\n* Monks only have skills up to level 24\n* Only 1 Gate is available currently\n* Gate of anger does not allow chi regen\n* Bo staves do not work properly\n\n### Damage\nThe monk is a melee dps. Maintaining uptime for melee attacks is of utmost importance. Auto-attack is a large portion of any melee class's damage so always be attacking the enemy to maximize damage, but be sure to assist the main assist and not break crowd control effects.\n\nThe monk has a variety of attacks they can activate with chi. Most of these you will just want to activate on cooldown, but pay special attention to wandering fist and blazing hand punch.\n\nWandering fist can be activated for a secondary effect based on what gate you are in. For example while in gate of anger the secondary effect provides a taunt. Without a gate active however, it will provide another defensive called wandering wind guaranteeing a dodge on the next melee attack. (updated 02/10/25)\n\nBlazing hand punch can be held down and charged up, spending additional chi and causing additional damage.\n\nYou have resonating strike which can do a fair amount of damage and give you a small amount of health back. Healing is based on damage done.\n\nYou have wheel kick and elbow strike that can proc passively or on activation for no chi cost.\n\nMonks also do a lot of their damage from their techniques such as iron palm, flurry, and downward thrust.\n\nMonks also have damage cooldowns that will enhance their ability to strike through armor(chi guidance) as well as increase their next technique's damage by 150%(focus chi).\n\n### Utility\nMonks have many abilities just for defensive use. Here is an overview of some of them.\n\nFeign Death is one of their signature abilities allowing us to escape death and split up enemies easily. Feign death has a failure chance so it is not without risk when pulling several powerful enemies at once.\n\nBackflip will guarantee you dodge the next melee attack.\n\nUnion is a channeled heal. This effect is removed upon receiving damage from most sources.\n\nChase the wind a short range dash in a direction of your choice.\n\nChi Shield will negate the next spell attack against you (damage up to your maximum life).\n\nHarmonious Frame will increase your healing received by 20%.\n\n### Pulling\nThe monk is a very good puller. You can feign death to break up enemies and you have soul shuriken to reduce the assist range of enemy aggro. There is a lot to pulling, but this short guide will not cover it all. Practice helps, don't give up!\n\n### GROUPING\n### Monks and Technique states\nOne of the monk's contributions to the technique states is through the use of the exposure technique. For 1000 readiness you can put the target into the [Exposed State]. Some groups will need only one, some will need multiple. Use exposure early to help your group apply their own powerful debuffs to the target. Another way monks can contribute to the technique system is to take advantage of the [Opening Gap] state applying their own powerful debuffs such as pierced armor(-armor), overwhelmed mind(-resist), restrained(actionspeed slow), and grappled(-enemy damage). These debuffs are applied by spending 1000 readiness on either spear hand strike or scorpion kick and using either blunt or hand to hand weapons to alter the effects. _**These debuffs are very important.**_ Coordinate with your group. Communication is key! \n\n***Special note***: There are far more complexities to the group technique system. You can find even more states and ways to destroy your foes. This is a very short example of what’s possible in Pantheon’s group play.\n\n### Interrupts\nInterrupts are important for ALL classes that have them available. ALL roles of monks are no exception. We have a technique to interrupt. Concussive strike will interrupt and silence the target for 1000 readiness on a 20 second cooldown. Coordinate with your group what you will be interrupting. A missed interrupt can easily cause a death or even an immediate wipe.\n\n### Monk group roles breakdown\n**Damage**:\nIf your group doesn't need you to pull or tank, you will just sit at camp and attack the enemy with your abilities. Assist the main tank and if there is major trouble with a loose add, use your off tanking abilities to help pull aggro off of your healer or other squishy targets. This is a very easy role to perform. Remember to have your techniques planned out so you can help apply debuffs to the enemy. This is true no matter what class/role you play in Pantheon.\n\n**Pulling**: If the group has asked you to be the puller. Use your soul shuriken, feign death, chase the wind, and defensive abilities to try to separate the enemies and bring back a single enemy to camp if possible. If not possible to pull a single, communicate with your group before pulling multiple enemies to camp. Learning how to pull can be difficult and daunting. Practice on easier mobs while solo if you are feeling stressed about this role! Remember if you play a monk this is a very important role you will need to learn!\n\n**Tanking**: Monks can also main tank for the group. If a group has asked you to do this it is a difficult job. Monks are set up to tank in a pinch, but you can still do it as a main tank! This works best with 2 healers in a group and a coordinated team helping you get debuffs on the target quickly. Remember to continue to use your techniques to help get these debuffs up as well. Use gate of anger to hold aggro and use your defensive abilities to mitigate big hits from the enemy.\n\n### Soloing\nSoloing as a monk is pretty straightforward. Pull a single enemy and attack, use your wandering wind, and backflip to dodge powerful abilities. Use resonating strike often to keep your health up and hope it doesn't miss! Feign death or run away if your resonating strike misses too much. Beware of caster mobs they hurt badly and often will kill you before you kill them.\n\nUse Union to heal up after battle for quick recovery. \n\nDowntime is the biggest pitfall of soloing.\n\n***Written by Malkail on 02/10/2025***"