Curse

Ashe. · Jan 13, 2007, 08:19 AM // 08:19

I wanna make a monk to farm but know I can't afford everything needed for the 55 hp build. I also noticed you can not get the grim cesta from Cities of Ascalon quest so that has to cost a fortune now.

I wanted to know if it would be worth make a non-55 hp monk.

If possible could whoever responds list a link to a build and possibly what these monks can farm. (If it isn't worth it im just going to make a dervish lol)

MercenaryKnight · Jan 13, 2007, 08:47 AM // 08:47

You could, but it'd be a bit harder. 105 monks still work well (5 superior runes). But, dervish might sound cheaper and easier for you to do.

My Green Storage · Jan 13, 2007, 09:53 AM // 09:53

Can't get the grim cesta from the quest?

I just took an Ele (After 7 months I figured what the hell, let's beat prophecies) and I got it just a few days ago.

Enko · Jan 13, 2007, 10:03 AM // 10:03

where'd you hear you couldn't get the -50 hp cesta anymore?

White_Chaos · Jan 13, 2007, 11:43 AM // 11:43

You cant get a -50hp monk offhand anymore
If you make a 55/105 monk is pays off becasue you can farm allot
Just dont use Droknars armor for 55/105 monk
Lions Arch tattos are good enough or Jea Temple armors

aB- · Jan 13, 2007, 07:53 PM // 19:53

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can still get the -50 offhand.

Racthoh · Jan 13, 2007, 08:01 PM // 20:01

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Cities_of_Ascalon

Quote:

There is often misinformation about the availability of the quest items above. It comes in either the form of "This quest is no longer available," or "The -50 health focus is no longer rewarded." This is neither correct nor incorrect.

There are likely three main causes for the rumors:

The conditions to make this quest available are not very straight forward. Thus if people arrive in Ascalon City and expect to find this quest immediately, they would be misled into thinking the quest has been nerfed. Additionally, the quest reward summary when accepting the quest does not show the full stats of the reward, especially the "-50 health" detail, misleading people into thinking the -50 health focus quest reward has been removed from the quest.
Because the -50 health plays a very vital role in 55 Monking, there are people simply creating the rumors to increase the price so they can make a bigger profit.
The quest now produces a random second item, which can be the famous -50hp Cesta, an Inscribed Chakram, or a Protective Icon.

Technicolour · Jan 13, 2007, 08:02 PM // 20:02

I just got me another one from the cities quest the other day because I accidentaly merch my other one...

So yeh where did you guys get that you cant get it anymore

Maybe it's thats its a prophecies character only quest...

Amarande · Jan 13, 2007, 08:18 PM // 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by White_Chaos

You cant get a -50hp monk offhand anymore

Not completely true.

What seems to have changed, according to the Wiki is that the -50 cesta has gone from being a guaranteed reward to being a random choice out of what appears to be 3 different focus items (and the other 2 are garbage, sadly). There has been some research attempted on seeing if there is a way to induce the game to select the cesta but the general thought is that it's random, which would leave about a 1/3 chance to get the Cesta for each time you do the quest.

Add this to the campaign distribution of new toons. There's really no incentive to make a Prophecies character anymore unless you really, really like the look of Tyrian characters or really, really want to do a specific Ascalonian or Northern Shiverpeaks quest - Prophecies characters just get the shaft on so many levels it isn't funny - bad economic balance (you have to constantly scrimp just to afford armor and the salvage kits you need to get the mats for the armor), the last 30 attribute points are unduly hard (especially compared to Elonians who just get the points thrown at them but even Canthans have a much easier time of it), you have to lfg (granted it's only a group of 2 but still you have to lfg) to get your rez sig without wasting a skill point for it, you have pre-searing (why do they persist in making guild hall/Xunlai inaccessible in PSA? Noob islanders in Cantha and Elona get to have both, and I could swear there was a time when guild halls were in pre-searing and that way back in May 05 I saw a Xunlai agent hanging around there too).

So you have fewer characters who can do the quest and even fewer who actually get the -50 cesta reward, which makes it a somewhat rare and valuable thing now. Granted the quest is early enough in the game that throwaway farming is possible but still this is tedious and most players don't want to take time to do this ...

But the cesta itself still exists and CAN still be gotten.

I Phoenix I · Jan 13, 2007, 09:26 PM // 21:26

Uhh...105 PS/SoA works quite well...but it requires Sup Runes...

Don't know of any non-55/105 Monk farming builds except for PS/SB, but that doesn't work anymore.

Ye Olde Jim · Jan 13, 2007, 10:07 PM // 22:07

SoA builds are the future IMO, they can eliminate the need for points in healing prayers, you can tank an unlimited ammount of mobs with it unless you have loads of degen and, what you'll find most interesting, they work at anything from 1hp to over 200hp.

If you run 200hp, in theory you should take 15,10, and 5 damage every time you have to recast SoA so it isnt much of a problem. Havent tried 300hp but theoretically again, you'll take 25,20,15,10 and then 5 damage, coming to a total of 75 which can be healed with divine favour.

For the build, just swap out healing breeze for shield of absorption and reallocate all the points in healing prayers into protection prayers. With blessed aura and a near perfect enchanting mod, SoA should last 10 seconds.