Class deep dive
The Monk
The Monk at a glance
| Role | Melee: damage, pulling, self-heal, emergency tank |
| Armor | Leather |
| Key stats | Agility, Stamina |
| Arrived | Launch class (1999) |
Allakhazam’s class guide sums the monk up as a martial artist with very strong burst and sustained damage, who helps prevent emergencies and adapts well when they happen.
Sources: Allakhazam: EQ:Classes (wiki)
What a monk does
Monks devote themselves to physical perfection, shaping their bodies into deadly weapons. They are a melee class that wears leather, wields blunt weapons and fights unarmed.
They give up heavy armor and almost all weapons to master combat with their fists and a stout staff. They learn special attacks to add damage, including the dragon punch and the legendary flying kick.
Their training also teaches them to move silently and to fall safely from great heights. Experienced monks learn to feign death, slowing their bodies enough that most watchers believe they are dead, which often lets them escape as monsters wander off.
Monks are specialists in physical combat. They are powerful allies in a group, but it is not unusual to see one adventuring alone, and the official text says the class suits players who enjoy leading groups through dungeons.
Sources: Library of Erudin: EverQuest Library — The Classes of Norrath (official text) · Allakhazam: EQ:Classes (wiki)
The epic: Celestial Fists
Epic quests came to EverQuest in September 2000, shortly after The Ruins of Kunark. They were modelled on the paladin’s Fiery Avenger quest: long, multi-step journeys through the highest-level dungeons, usually needing groups to kill powerful creatures. Each ended in a unique weapon with its own model and particle effects. The monk’s reward was the Celestial Fists, with the effect Celestial Tranquility.
Who could be one
In the classic era recreated by Project 1999, the monk epic could be used by Human, Iksar. The Iksar appear there because they joined with The Ruins of Kunark.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: Class Epic Quest List
Titles
After level 50, each class earns titles that show in /who. A monk became a Disciple at 51, a Master at 55 and a Grandmaster at 60.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: Character Classes and titles
Playing a monk today
The class is still in the game on Daybreak’s live and time-locked progression servers. Project 1999 recreates the Classic, Kunark and Velious eras, so it has the original fourteen classes. See EverQuest Today for where the game stands now.
All class deep dives → The Shaman
Illustrations are original fan art made for this site, not in-game screenshots.