Patch 1.0.4 Class Preview: The Monk
Monks are pretty balanced if you were to ask the average player. It has a decent damage output, fair survivability and the builds are fairly different one from another. Still there is one thing that could be improved with this class and Blizzard managed to spot it. The upcoming patch will change a few class mechanics. There will be some changes for Spirit spending skills and a few modifications to some passive traits.
So far, it is safe to say that Spirit is not much of a resource that is difficult to manage. There are very few skills that seem powerful enough to be used in a build. Things will change for the better in patch 1.0.4 and here is how:
Exploding Palm – Damage will be increased from 220% over 3 seconds to 745% over 9 seconds. The damage per second is increased by around 10%.
Seven-Sided Strike – A significant damage boost will be implemented to make the skill much more appealing in builds, giving it a feel of a truly Spirit consuming ability that is powerful and can deliver a heavy punch.
Wave of Light – The damage of the skill will be increased from 215% to 390% with the same 45% as AoE.
Passives – One With Everything managed to get Blizzard interested. It seems that the skill is mandatory in every build. Most probably it will be nerfed but for now, the skill will be left unchanged.
These are the main updates for the Monk. Besides these skill changes, Blizzard mentioned that they will increase the Spirit bonus from The Guardian’s Path from 25% to 35%. This is a direct consequence of the changes in patch 1.0.3 which allowed Monks to use two-handed weapons. With this change, this class of weapons will become more appealing especially since they will be significantly buffed in the upcoming patch.
