Monk

The Monk is the 4th character confirmed to be in the game D3 by Blizzard.

Gameplay

The Monk was described by Blizzard as a combination of the D2 Assassin and the WoW Rogue. It uses fast hand to hand combat, plus weaponry such as staffs and claw weapons. Fragile, yet very fast melee action.

Resource system: Monks use Spirit, which is generated by doing melee damage and the "Spirit Generation" skills. Spirit does not degrade like Fury, and is not generated by taking damage. http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3390853

Skills

Spirit Generator

Spirit Generator	Unlocked at	Generates	Cooldown	Description
Fists of Thunder	lvl 1	6 Spirit per attack		Deal a series of extremely fast punches that deal 100% weapon damage as Lightning damage. Every third hit deals damage to all enemies in front of you. Each strike has a 15% chance to interrupt enemy attacks.
	20 px	Alabaster	Lightning Flash	Each hit with Fists of Thunder increases your Dodge chance by 2.5%. This effect stacks up to 8 times.
	20 px	Crimson	Thunderclap	Each punch causes a shockwave that hits all enemies within 8 yards of your primary target for 105% weapon damage as Lightning damage. Also enables you to teleport a short distance during the ability's first strike.
	20 px	Golden	Rolling Thunder	Critical hits with this skill generate 7 Spirit.
	20 px	Indigo	Chain Lightning	The third strike creates chain lightning that can jump to up to 9 other nearby targets. Each lightning strike inflicts 80% weapon damage as Lightning damage.
	20 px	Obsidian	Static Charge	Enemies attacked are charged with static for 10 seconds. Charged enemies take 130% weapon damage as Lightning damage when you attack other nearby enemies with Fists of Thunder.
Deadly Reach	lvl 4	6 Spirit per attack		Project lines of pure force over a short distance for 125% weapon damage. Every third hit extends out 25 yards.
	20 px	Alabaster	Keen Eye	The third strike of Deadly Reach increases the armor of the monk by 80% for 10 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Foresight	The third strike of Deadly Reach increases the damage of all attacks by 10% for 17 seconds. This effect can stack up to 3 times.
	20 px	Golden	Strike from Beyond	Critical hits with this skill generate 7 Spirit.
	20 px	Indigo	Piercing Trident	The second and third strike of the skill have an increased area of effect. Also increases skill damage to 212% of weapon damage.
	20 px	Obsidian	Scattered Blows	The third strike is replaced with an attack that will hit up to 9 enemies withing 15 yards for 125% weapon damage as Lightning damage.
Crippling Wave	lvl 8	6 Spirit per attack		A series of large sweeping attacks that causes 100% weapon damage to all enemies in front of you. Every third hit damages all enemies around you and dazes them, slowing movement by 50% for 4.5 seconds.
	20 px	Alabaster	Breaking Wave	Affected targets take 80% additional damage from all attacks for 9 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Mangle	Increase damage to 220% weapon damage.
	20 px	Golden	Rising Tide	Critical hits with this skill generate 7 Spirit.
	20 px	Indigo	Tsunami	Crippling Wave's third attack range increases to 17 yards.
	20 px	Obsidian	Concussion	Enemies hit by Crippling Wave inflict 50% less damage for 9 seconds.
Exploding Palm	lvl 12	6 Spirit per attack		The first two strikes in the attack deal 100% weapon damage. The third strike causes the target to bleed for 65% of weapon damage per second for 3 seconds. If the target dies while bleeding, it explodes, dealing 40% of the target's maximum Life as physical damage to all other enemies nearby.
	20 px	Alabaster	Essence Burn	The third strike causes the target to burn for 95% weapon damage as Fire damage every second for 3 seconds. If the target dies while burning it explodes causing all nearby enemies to burn for 100% weapon damage as Fire damage for 2 seconds. This effect can chain repeatedly.
	20 px	Crimson	Impending Doom	Increases the duration of the bleed effect to 10 seconds.
	20 px	Golden	Strong Spirit	If a target dies and explodes with the bleed on them, gain 7 Spirit for each enemy hit by the explosion.
	20 px	Indigo	Creeping Demise	The bleed effect hits up to 8 targets standing in front of you.
	20 px	Obsidian	The Flesh is Weak	The first two strikes cause the enemy to take 10% additional damage for 5 seconds. This effect stacks up to 8 times on each target.
Sweeping Wind	lvl 17	6 Spirit per attack		Strike a target for 100% weapon damage. Every third hit creates a vortex of air that surrounds you. The vortex of air lasts 5 seconds and deals 20% weapon damage per second to all enemies within 10 yards. This vortex effect can stack up to 3 times for a total of 60% weapon damage per second to nearby enemies.
	20 px	Alabaster	Master of Wind	Increases the duration of the vortex buff to 12 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Blade Storm	Intensify the vortex, increasing the damage per stack to 44% weapon damage per second. This increases the damage with 3 stacks to 132% weapon damage per second.
	20 px	Golden	Inner Storm	As long as your vortex is at the maximum stack count, you gain 2.4 Spirit per second.
	20 px	Indigo	Fire Storm	Increases the radius of the vortex to 14 yards and the damage per stack to 36% weapon damage per second as Fire damage. This increases the damage with 3 stacks to 108% weapon damage per second.
	20 px	Obsidian	Cyclone	While your vortex is at the maximum stack count, every third hit spawns a lightning tornado that periodically shocks nearby enemies for 66% weapon damage as Lightning damage. Each spawned lightning tornado lasts 3 seconds.
Way of the Hundred Fists	lvl 21	6 Spirit per attack		A rapid series of punches strikes enemies for 135% weapon damage.
	20 px	Alabaster	Windforce Flurry	The third strike generates a wave of wind that deals 149-163 physical damage to enemies directly ahead of you.
	20 px	Crimson	Fists of Fury	Affected targets will take an additional 35 Holy damage per second for 5 seconds. Also enables the first hit to dash a short distance.
	20 px	Golden	Spirited Salvo	Every activation of the skill has a 15% chance to generate 7 additional Spirit.
	20 px	Indigo	Hands of Lightning	Increase the number of hits in the second strike from 8 to 22 hits.
	20 px	Obsidian	Blazing Fists	Critical hits increase your attack speed by 22% and movement speed by 11%. This effect lasts for 5 seconds and can stack up to 3 times.

Spirit Spender

Spirit Generator	Unlocked at	Cost	Cooldown	Description
Blinding Flash	lvl 1	50 Spirit		Create a flash of light that blinds all enemies within 20 yards for 5 seconds. Blinded enemies have a 30% chance to miss with attacks and will not attack unless they are attacked first.
	20 px	Alabaster	Searing Light	Increases the chance affected enemies will miss attacks to 65%.
	20 px	Crimson	Faith in the Light	For 24 seconds after using Blinding Flash, all of your attacks are infused to deal 17-34 additional Holy damage.
	20 px	Golden	Self Reflection	Increases the duration enemies are blinded to 12 seconds.
	20 px	Indigo	Blinding Echo	3 seconds after using Blinding Flash, a second flash of light will blind enemies within 20 yards for 2 seconds.
	20 px	Obsidian	Blind and Confused	Blinded enemies have a 100% chance to attack each other.
Lashing Tail Kick	lvl 3	25 Spirit		Unleash a deadly roundhouse kick, knocking enemies back and dealing 130% weapon damage.
	20 px	Alabaster	Scorpion Sting	Instead of knocking enemies back, affected enemies are stunned for 3.0 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Vulture Claw Kick	With a torrent of fire, strike all nearby enemies for 312% weapon damage as Fire damage and knock them back.
	20 px	Golden	Sweeping Armada Kick	All enemies around you are knocked back 260% farther and slow their movement by 40% for 10 seconds.
	20 px	Indigo	Spinning Flame Kick	Hurl a column of fire that pierces through enemies, causing 312% weapon damage as Fire damage to each enemy it strikes.
	20 px	Obsidian	Hand of Ytar	Smite all enemies within 5 yards of a target location for 312% weapon damage and slows their movement by 40% for 10 seconds.
Breath of Heaven	lvl 5	75 Spirit		A blast of holy energy heals you and all allies within 12 yards for 4790-6387 Life.
	20 px	Alabaster	Penitent Flame	Enemies hit by Breath of Heaven run in fear for 9 seconds, and take 14 Holy damage per second as they flee.
	20 px	Crimson	Circle of Scorn	In addition to healing, Breath of Heaven also sears enemies for 57-91 Holy damage.
	20 px	Golden	Infused with Light	Gain 1 additional Spirit from each combo attack for 33 seconds after using Breath of Heaven.
	20 px	Indigo	Circle of Life	Increases the healing to 9820-13093 Life.
	20 px	Obsidian	Blazing Wrath	Increases all damage done by 20% for 33 seconds after Breath of Heaven is used.
Dashing Strike	lvl 6	10 Spirit		Dash quickly at the targeted enemy or location dealing 50% weapon damage.
	20 px	Alabaster	Flying Side Kick	Perform a flying kick that has a 50% chance to stun your target for 3.5 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Soaring Skull	Fly through the air head first, slowing the movement of all enemies along the path by 50% for 10 seconds.
	20 px	Golden	Quicksilver	The cost of Dashing Strike is reduced to 3 Spirit.
	20 px	Indigo	Way of the Falling Star	Increases movement speed by 55% for 3 seconds after using Dashing Strike to an enemy.
	20 px	Obsidian	Blinding Speed	Receive a 30% increased chance to dodge for 12 seconds.
Lethal Decoy	lvl 7	75 Spirit		Create an illusion of pure holy energy that attracts enemies to itself and explodes after 5 seconds for 43-78 Holy damage.
	20 px	Alabaster	Simulacrum	If you die while the decoy is alive, you are resurrected at the decoy's location with 100% Life. The decoy no longer attracts enemies and the duration is increased to 26 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Explosive Decoy	Increases damage of the explosion to 94-172 Holy damage.
	20 px	Golden	Spirit Link	When the decoy explodes it also heals all allies within 25 yards for 3726-4471 Life.
	20 px	Indigo	Many Monks	Spawn 3 decoys. Each decoy deals 31-56 Holy damage when it explodes.
	20 px	Obsidian	Lethal Combatant	Summons a stronger decoy for 13 seconds. The decoy can move and attack enemies for 85-149 damage per swing.
Inner Sanctuary	lvl 11	80 Spirit		Create a circle of protection on the ground for 8 seconds that cannot be passed by enemies.
	20 px	Alabaster	Sanctified Ground	When Inner Sanctuary expires it becomes Sanctified Ground for 6 seconds, slowing the movement of all enemies on it by 60%.
	20 px	Crimson	Forbidden Palace	Enemies within the area of effect of Inner Sanctuary when it is activated take 185-199 Holy damage.
	20 px	Golden	Safe Haven	You and all allies regenerate 1170.9 Life per second while inside the circle.
	20 px	Indigo	Consecration	Increase the duration of Inner Sanctuary to 15 seconds.
	20 px	Obsidian	Circle of Protection	You and all allies standing in the area of effect of Inner Sanctuary take 55% less damage from attacks.
Tempest Rush	lvl 16	3 Spirit plus an additional 12 Spirit per second.		Run directly through your enemies knocking them back and hobbling them, slowing their movement by 50% for 3 seconds. Also deals 75% of weapon damage per second while running.
	20 px	Alabaster	Flurry	Increases the potency of the hobbling effect, slowing enemy movement by 71%.
	20 px	Crimson	Bluster	Affected enemies also have their damage reduced by 60% for the duration of the effect.
	20 px	Golden	Northern Breeze	Reduces cost to 5 Spirit per second.
	20 px	Indigo	Tailwind	Increases the movement speed of Tempest Rush to 140% of normal.
	20 px	Obsidian	Slipstream	Damage taken while running is reduced by 65%.
Serenity	lvl 18	35 Spirit	60 seconds	You are enveloped in a protective shield that intercepts all incoming damage for 3 seconds and grants immunity to all control impairing effects.
	20 px	Alabaster	Reap What is Sown	90% of the damage absorbed by Serenity is unleashed as an explosion when Serenity expires, dealing up to 146 Holy damage to enemies within 20 yards.
	20 px	Crimson	Peaceful Repose	Heal yourself for 6387-8409 Life when Serenity is activated.
	20 px	Golden	Tranquility	Extends the protective shield and immunity to control impairing effects to allies within 45 yards for 3 seconds.
	20 px	Indigo	Instant Kharma	While Serenity is active, 100% of all projectiles and melee attacks are reflected back at the attacker.
	20 px	Obsidian	Ascension	Increases the duration of Serenity to 6.5 seconds.
Seven Sided Strike	lvl 24	50 Spirit	30 seconds	Dash rapidly between many nearby enemies 7 times striking for 130% weapon damage with every hit.
	20 px	Alabaster	Fulminating Onslaught	Each impact explodes to deal 75-82 Holy damage around the target.
	20 px	Crimson	Sudden Assault	Teleport to the target location for the strike, and damage increases to 234% weapon damage per hit.
	20 px	Golden	Sustained Attack	Reduces the cooldown of this ability to 16 seconds.
	20 px	Indigo	Several Sided Strike	Increases the number of strikes made to 14 attacks.
	20 px	Obsidian	Pandemonium	Enemies hit by the barrage have a 55% chance per hit to be charmed or stunned for 3 seconds.
Mystic Ally	lvl 27	50 Spirit		Summon an elemental ally capable of engaging enemies in combat until it is destroyed. The ally deals 21-36 physical damage per swing.
	20 px	Alabaster	Eternal Ally	Imbue the ally with the essence of life. When the ally dies it has a 75% chance to be reborn after 4 seconds. In addition, the physical damage of the ally's basic attack is increased to 55-92 per swing.
	20 px	Crimson	Fire Ally	Imbue the ally with the essence of fire. The ally gains the ability to fire kick for 46-77 Fire damage plus an additional 28 Fire damage per second for 2 seconds to all enemies in a straight line.
	20 px	Golden	Air Ally	Imbue the ally with the essence of air. Every attack made by the ally has a 10% chance to generate 17 Spirit for you. In addtion, the ally is surrounded in a torrent of wind that deals 32-49 physical damage per second to all nearby enemies.
	20 px	Indigo	Water Ally	Imbue the ally with the essence of water. The ally gains the ability to perform a wave attack that deals 65-109 physical damage and slows the movement of affected targets by 60% for 2 seconds.
	20 px	Obsidian	Earth Ally	Imbue the ally with the essence of earth. Maximum Life for you and the ally is increased by 50%. The ally also gains the ability to create a wave of earth, dealing 53-85 physical damage to a single enemy and forcing that enemy to attack the ally for 25 seconds.
Wave of Light	lvl 29	50 Spirit	15 seconds	Focuses the power of Light to smite all enemies in front of you for 57-85 Holy damage followed by an additional 36-57 Holy damage to all enemies in a line.
	20 px	Alabaster	Blinding Light	Critical hits stun enemies for 5.0 seconds.
	20 px	Crimson	Wall of Light	Increases damage of the initial impact to 116-175 Holy damage.
	20 px	Golden	Empowered Wave	Reduces the cooldown to 6 seconds.
	20 px	Indigo	Explosive Light	Shoot out bursts of energy in all directions that deal 170-202 Holy damage to nearby enemies.
	20 px	Obsidian	Pillar of the Ancients	Summon an ancient pillar that deals 100% weapon damage followed by an additional 800% weapon damage after 2 seconds.

Mantras

Mantras	Unlocked at	Cost	Cooldown	Description
Mantra of Evasion	lvl 2		30 seconds	Recite a Mantra that grants you and all allies within 40 yards a 30% chance to dodge attacks. Lasts 120 seconds. This is a Mantra. You can only have one Mantra active at a time.
	20 px	Alabaster	Divine Protection	When you or an ally under the effect of Mantra of Evasion is reduced below 20% Life, a shield of protection forms around that target, reducing incoming damage by 80% for 10 seconds. Each target can be protected at most once every 120 seconds by this effect.
	20 px	Crimson	Backlash	Successfully dodging an attack creates a burst of flame dealing 120% weapon damage as Fire damage to all nearby enemies.
	20 px	Golden	Wind Through the Reeds	Mantra of Evasion also grants an increase in run speed by 10%.
	20 px	Indigo	Unstoppable	Mantra of Evasion also reduces the duration of all control imparing effects by 45%.
	20 px	Obsidian	Hard Target	Mantra of Evasion also grants an increase in armor by 180%.
Mantra of Retribution	lvl 9		30 seconds	Recite a Mantra that grants you and all allies within 40 yards to reflect melee damage back at enemies, dealing Holy damage equal to 40% of the damage sustained. Lasts 120 seconds. This is a Mantra. You can only have one Mantra active at a time.
	20 px	Alabaster	Collateral Damage	An attacker that triggers Mantra of Retribution has a 30% chance to suffer a feedback blast, dealing 39-46 damage to itself and surrounding enemies.
	20 px	Crimson	Retaliation	Increase amount of damage reflected by the Mantra to 75%. The Mantra will now reflect ranged damage as well as melee damage.
	20 px	Golden	Against All Odds	Mantra of Retribution also restores 1-8 Spirit when reflecting damage done to you.
	20 px	Indigo	Transgression	Mantra of Retribution also increases attack speed for you and all allies by 40%.
	20 px	Obsidian	Indignation	When Mantra of Retribution damages an attacker, the attacker has a 100% chance to be stunned for 2 seconds.
Mantra of Healing	lvl 14		30 seconds	Recite a Mantra that causes you and all allies within 40 yards to gain increased Life regeneration by 106.4 Life per second. Lasts 120 seconds. This is a Mantra. You can only have one Mantra active at a time.
	20 px	Alabaster	Time of Need	Mantra of Healing also increases all resistances by 50%.
	20 px	Crimson	Sustenance	Increases the Life regeneration granted by Mantra of Healing to 292.7 Life per second.
	20 px	Golden	Soothing Breeze	Mantra of Healing also grats you 2.0 Spirit per second.
	20 px	Indigo	Boon of Protection	When Mantra of Healing is activated a temporary shield is placed on you and your allies for 10 seconds. The shield will absorb up to 40% of each person's maximum Life in damage.
	20 px	Obsidian	Heavenly Body	Mantra of Healing also increases Vitality by 45%.
Mantra of Conviction	lvl 22		30 seconds	Recite a Mantra that causes all enemies within 20 yards of you to take 20% additional damage. Lasts 120 seconds. This is a Mantra. You can only have one Mantra active at a time.
	20 px	Alabaster	Intimidation	Enemies affected by Mantra of Conviction inflict 45% less damage.
	20 px	Crimson	Overawe	Increases Mantra strength so that enemies take 55% additional damage.
	20 px	Golden	Reclamation	You and your allies have a 75% chance to be healed for 958-1064 Life when striking an enemy under the effects of Mantra of Conviction.
	20 px	Indigo	Submission	Enemies affected by Mantra of Conviction take 28-32 Holy damage per second.
	20 px	Obsidian	Demoralize	Slows the movement of enemies within 20 yards by 48%.

Passive Skills

Passive Skills	Unlocked at	Description
Resolve	lvl 10	Damage you deal reduces enemy damage by 10% for 2.5 seconds.
The Guardian's Path	lvl 10	While dual-wielding, you gain a 10% chance to dodge incoming attacks. While using a two-handed weapon, all Spirit generation is increased by 20%.
Fleet Footed	lvl 12	Increase base movement speed by 10%.
Transcendence	lvl 13	Every point of Spirit spent heals you for 42.6 Life.
Chant of Resonance	lvl 15	Duration of all Mantras increased by 120 seconds. While one of your Mantras is active you gain 1 Spirit every second.
Seize the Initiative	lvl 17	Your Defense is increased by 25% of your Attack.
Exalted Soul	lvl 19	Increases maximum Spirit by 100. Spirit fuels your defensive and offensive abilities.
Sixth Sense	lvl 20	Your dodge chance is increased by an amount equal to 50% of your chance to critical hit.
Pacifism	lvl 23	When stunned, feared or charmed, all damage taken is reduced by 75%.
Near Death Experience	lvl 25	When receiving fatal damage, you are instead restored to 35% of maximum Life and 35% Spirit. This effect cannot occur more than once every 90 seconds.
Guiding Light	lvl 26	Whenever you heal another player with an active skill, you and the other player deal 16% more damage for 10 seconds.
One With Everything	lvl 28	Your resistance to all elements is equal to your highest elemental resistance.
Beacon of Ytar	lvl 30	The cooldown on your Lashing Tail Kick, Seven-Sided Strike and Wave of Light abilities is removed, but their Spirit cost is increased by 50%.

Builds and Guides

None yet.

Lore

The last weeks of autumn had settled upon Ivgorod, and the first breath of winter had crept into the air. As night fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, I was all too grateful to take refuge in a tavern. As I entered, I noted a certain tension in the room. Despite the hour, it was not busy, with only scattered, small groups huddled at the tables around the edges of the room. The benches at the center of the room were empty except for one man.

The man seemed ignorant of the cold. He was dressed like a beggar, wearing little more than an orange sheet wound around his body, leaving half of his chest exposed. A garland of large wooden beads hung around his thick neck. His head was completely shaved, with the exception of a wild bushy beard. Then, recognition struck me: upon his forehead he had a tattoo of two red dots, one larger than the other. As any informed student of the peoples and cultures of this world must also realize, this man was one of the monks of Ivgorod, the secretive and reclusive holy warriors of the country.

I had heard countless fantastic stories about the monks, tales that were surely the beneficiary of significant embellishment. The monks’ skin, the accounts said, was as hard as iron, impenetrable by the blade of any sword or by the point of any arrow, and their fists could break stone as easily as you or I would snap a twig. Though the unassuming man before me seemed miles away from what I had heard and read of the monks, I approached cautiously, sliding down onto the bench across from him, eager to take his measure. He beckoned me forward with a small wave of his hand.

"Ah, a soul brave enough to sit with me. Come, friend."

Food was placed before me, but I had little hunger for it, focusing instead on recording the details of the monk's life. He told me of his belief in the existence of a thousand and one gods, gods he believed could be found in all things: the fire in the hearth, the water in the river and the air that we breathed. Pretty enough for a story, perhaps. But any reasoned individual must surely, as I did, scoff at such a view of the world as little more than superstition. He went on to describe his intense mental and physical training, his unending quest to hone his mind and body into an instrument of divine justice. Though I do wonder for what need his thousand gods would require a mortal man to implement their will. When I asked him why he did not carry a sword or, indeed, any weapon at all, he simply replied, "My body is my weapon." Then raising his hand and tapping his forehead, he added, "As is my mind."

Most unexpectedly, I would be treated to a display of this mastery.

A group of men approached our table, knocking my book to the floor and shoving me out of the way, producing knives and other weapons as they advanced. They were focused only on the solitary figure of the monk seated across from me. I scrabbled beneath the table, having an inkling of what was to come. I watched as at some unseen signal, they attacked.

Without rising from his seat, the monk met the first man's lunging slash, grabbing his wrist and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder, throwing him into a table with a loud crash. The suddenness of the monk's attack momentarily stunned the men, and as they stood there, he rose.

That was when chaos broke out.

The monk was a fluid mass of restrained energy, meeting every attack with hardly a moment's distress. He fought with hands and feet in a way I had never seen before. In my days, I have witnessed my share of drunken bar brawls, but this was something else altogether. The sound of bones crunching with each of his strikes mixed with something I could not quite believe: the monk was laughing as he fought. One by one, he dispatched his foes until only one remained. That one picked up a chair and hurled it toward the monk. The monk swung his arm forward and struck the incoming projectile, meeting the solid oak of the chair with his closed fist. The wood broke apart, splinters filling the air as the shattered pieces of the stool fell harmlessly to the ground around him.

"You don't fool me, demon," the monk spat. He pulled his arms back to his sides, then extended his hands before him and began to chant. A nimbus of white light appeared around his head, growing larger and more intense until it completely encompassed the monk’s body. He roared, and the light blew outward. As it washed over the other man, his skin peeled away, revealing a red-skinned demon beneath and threw the creature through the front doors of the tavern.

The monk hurtled forward, but his individual movements were too fast for my eyes to track. It seemed as though there were seven of him raining blows upon the demon from every side. Staggered, the demon stumbled. The monk grabbed the demon by the neck, grinning as he pulled his free arm back, crackling energy glowing on his open hand. He shoved his palm forward, and when it struck the demon, its body exploded: muscle, skin and bones tore apart, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own two eyes. It seems the stories of these peerless warriors might not have been as exaggerated as I first thought. - www.blizzard.com/diablo3