1. Introduction

The embodiment of the righteous might of the Church of Odin, the monk class finds itself reborn in Ragnarok Online 2. While some acolytes choose to follow the path of the priest to heal the wounded, others choose to follow the path of discipline and holy vengeance that is the calling of the monk.

2. Requirements

You must be an acolyte that has reached level 25. You do NOT have to have all stat and skill points distributed when you change.

3. How to Change

Accept the quest from the monk class changer "Twin Faye" in the Church of Odin in Prontera.
Accept and complete any quests she gives you. These are generally just confirmations that you want to follow the path of the monk.
Eventually she will give you a quest to speak to the main priest of the church. Talk to him to complete it and accept the quest from him.
Go around to the back of the west side of the church. a priestess will appear and be assaulted by three enemies behind the church. Kill the three as fast as possible!
The priestess will send you to the lead monk on the far east side of Prontera. Talk to her and she will give you a quest to defeat a wolf nearby.
Defeat the wolf and return to the lead monk. She will ask if you are sure you want to become a monk (or something similar). Confirm and complete the quest.
Return to the monk class changer and choose to change class. Congratulations, you are now a monk!

4. Stats

There is a bit of customization available depending on what you would like to accomplish. An important note about monks is that STR and INT have the same effect. This means as an acolyte, putting your points in INT until class change is correct. Thanks to potions, WLL at the moment is almost useless. VIT would be useful for a tank build, but not otherwise.

STR: Each point raises damage by 2 and block by 2.
INT: Each point raises damage by 2 and block by 2.
AGI: Each point raises critical rate by 5 and evasion by 2.
WLL: Each point raises Max MP by 10.
VIT: Each point raises Max HP by 5.

Building a DPS Monk

There are two kinds of DPS monk builds obvious at this point: Pure Damage for reliably high damage, or Pure Crit for medium damage, with a high chance for extremely high damage critical hits.

Pure Damage Monk

The idea of a Pure Damage Monk is to have consistent, high damage strikes. You will know roughly what you will hit for at all times, with occassional, impressive critical strikes. In this build, you would put equal points into STR and INT, with a small portion of points to go into AGI. The exact number of points for optimal results will have to be determined once the game is released.

Pure Crit Monk

The idea of a Pure Crit Monk is pumping your AGI high enough that critical hits happen often enough to offset the lower damage. In this build, you would put majority of your stat points into AGI with a smaller (but equal) portion of points in STR and INT. The exact number of points for optimal results will have to be determined once the game is released.

Building a Tank Monk

Thanks to Stone Skin/Diamond Body/Mental Strength and their two tanking emergency cooldowns, monks would work well as a tank/off tank! Most likely, the Pure Damage build would work just as well thanks to the block points and evasion granted. This is likely to be tweaked and changed in the release version of the game.

5. Skills

Due to translation and the nature of betas, any of this information is subject to change or inaccuracies.

Summary

Quadruple Blow (Combo, generates spheres, no cd)
Drop of Grand Collapse (Combo, generates spheres, 6s cd)
Double Dragon Kick (Combo, generates spheres, no cd)
Summon Spirit Sphere (Calls 5 spheres, but with 2 min cd)
Throw Spirit Sphere (Range, more damage with spheres)
Iron Mountain Attack (Combo, more damage with spheres)
Unknown (Passive Buff)
Unknown (Unknown Debuff)
Earth Shaker (AoE)
Unknown (Short Evasion Buff for tanking)
Protective Ki (Short damage reduction buff for tanking)
Stone Skin (Permanent buff for tanking)
Lightning Walk (Move swiftly towards enemy, knocks enemy back(?))
Ki Explosion (Short damage buff)
Guillotine Fist (Tremendous strike that requires 5 spheres and has a 2 minute cd)
Specifics

Quadruple Blow

Default combo skill that the monk starts with. Each successful use generates a spirit sphere and has no cooldown.

Drop of Grand Collapse

A somewhat stronger combo skill that generates a spirit sphere, but the skill has a six second cooldown.

Double Dragon Kick

An impressive double flying kick combo. Each successful use generates 2 spirit spheres, but the skill has a six second cooldown.

Summon Spirit Sphere

At level 5, calls 5 spheres automatically, but has a 120 second cooldown. This would be most useful for a quick max damage Iron Mountain Attack, Throw Spirit Sphere, or Guillotine Fist.

Throw Spirit Sphere

A ranged attack where the monk hurls a ball of spirital energy at an enemy, augmented by spirit spheres. This skill will consume any available spirit spheres, with each sphere adding 20% damage. There is an untranslated modifier on this as well (60%). This skill has a 12 second cooldown.

Iron Mountain Attack

A vicious open palm and elbow combo strike, infused with spiritual energy. This skill will consume any available spirit spheres, with each sphere adding 65% damage. This skill has a 6 second cooldown.

Unknown (Passive Buff)

Untranslated, unknown. Likely a passive buff that raises damage in some way.

Unknown (Passive Debuff)

Untranslated, unknown.

Earth Shaker

At level 1, is an aoe with no cooldown that does roughly the amount of damage of a single auto attack strike to all enemies within range. Likely a respectable AoE in very large mobs at level 5. Nice big lightning animation too!

Unknown (Short Evasion Buff)

A skill which makes the monk preternaturally swift and difficult to strike. At level 5, it increases evasion by 30% for 10 seconds. This is mainly useful as an emergency skill while tanking. This skill has a 120 second cooldown.

Protective Ki

A skill which wreathes the monk in a divine shield. At level 5, it reduces all damage taken by 50% for 10 seconds. This is mainly useful as an emergency skill while tanking. This skill has a 300 second cooldown.

Stone Skin (Diamond Body, Mental Strength)

The monk focuses their resolve into strengthening their resistance, increasing their ability to take damage at the cost of weakening their ability to deal it. Damage is reduced while defense and evasion are both increased. This ability has no cooldown and lasts until cancelled by the monk.

Lightning Walk

The monk launches forward in a burst of speed, instantly appearing next to and dealing a small amount of damage to the target. Currently, this skill seems bugged as the enemy will appear further away from the monk. At level 5, this skill has a 40 second cooldown.

Ki Explosion

A burst of power is released from the monk, providing a 30 second damage buff that, at level 5, increases damage by 30%. This has a cooldown of 90 seconds and so can be up for 1 minute of every 3 minutes.

Guillotine Fist

The monk focuses all their power into one massive, destructive strike. With a Pure Damage Build at level 50, it strikes for ~2200 normally and is capable of a critical strike (highest I had was ~5300). Unfortunately, it can only be used once every two minutes, so it will have to be tactically used in PvP. On the plus side, it does not consume all of the monk's MP

6. Skill Rotations

Full Combo Sample Rotation: Drop of Grand Collapse, Double Dragon Kick, Quadruple Blow, Quadruple Blow, Iron Mountain Attack
If the time per cast is long enough, optimal rotation is Double Dragon Kick, Drop of Grand Collapse, Double Dragon Kick, Iron Mountain Attack

Skill Calculator

http://www.ro2skillsim.com/class/mnk.html?107bsqBqOrBeFrA (Way of the monk)

how do u suggest i dont learn acolyte skills until 25? lol

this is after u reset u cant keep acolyte skills after reset

Man monk is a power house in this game
Guilotine Fist still a 1HKO wonder

yeh guilotine fist is ro1's asura strike.

Its easier to use here too
Doesn't drain all mana lol

And with the cooldown reset skill can double guilotine

And yea lot of stuff from Ro is brought back one way or another

Some stuff looks weird tho

Warrior looks to make a better tank than the Knight for example lol
Knight looks like it's a shitty ass class in this version

Snow wrote:

Warrior looks to make a better tank than the Knight for example lol
Knight looks like it's a shitty ass class in this version

RO2 Knight <=> RO1 Crusader
RO2 Warrior <=> RO1 Knight

Most or Less

so you lose your acolyte skills when you swap to monk? so its not a hybrid class it becomes a pure class?

Facade wrote:

so you lose your acolyte skills when you swap to monk? so its not a hybrid class it becomes a pure class?

Yes. For Monk & Beast Master, they cannot use Acolyte & Archer skills. All their skill points get refunded. (other 2nd Classes do not)

Top HP Holders

1. Warriors
2. Beast Master
3. Monk

wow sa thats a nice thing to know

ValKrice wrote:

Facade wrote:

so you lose your acolyte skills when you swap to monk? so its not a hybrid class it becomes a pure class?

Yes. For Monk & Beast Master, they cannot use Acolyte & Archer skills. All their skill points get refunded. (other 2nd Classes do not)

I see, that is quite weird haven't played a mmo which you cant use your previous skills o.o

Yes that sounds wrong Vami

Cuz in Ro you always got to keep your previous class skills

Are you sure this is the case?
Was it not just a bug or something during this beta?

monk job change video

Only Monk and Beastmaster get free skill reset for free :(

its unfair :S

The type of class Beastmaster and Monk are they will need to reset their skills (I want that D:).

you can get skill reset for $$ hahaha acash :) just remember i am always here for you LOLLLLLLL

Kenny sponsoring free skill resets for the whole guild

ty boss

I'm so excited I can't wait to punch those adorable monsters in the face.