DeviousQuail
Hero
I do appreciate how straight forward it is. And unlike most monks it can actually afford to snag a feat. The loss of AC can be made up from Agile Parry or just hanging out at range.
Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.I do appreciate how straight forward it is. And unlike most monks it can actually afford to snag a feat. The loss of AC can be made up from Agile Parry or just hanging out at range.
It makes a monk that can use a longbow, with some flavorless non-scaling damage bonuses.Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.
Deft Strike works for melee and ranged weapon attacks. The Kensei archer gets at-will damage buffs, one of which very much is scaling, and has a reduced need to use it’s ki for damage output.It makes a monk that can use a longbow, with some flavorless non-scaling damage bonuses.
Okay.I guess we can call that "zen archery"..I would not call it excellent.
I did misread the deft strikes bit. Read it as weapon damage die rather than martial arts die. So it does scale, but I was giving it more credit than it deserved for half the level range.Deft Strike works for melee and ranged weapon attacks. The Kensei archer gets at-will damage buffs, one of which very much is scaling, and has a reduced need to use it’s ki for damage output.
Okay.
Yep. Plus I liked the Kensei in 1E (as a Fighter though) and I am happy with the Monk (as a martial) version in 5E. Could it be a bit better, maybe, but it is fun to play and fairly well balanced IMO.Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.
Yeah IMO it fits monk more than fighter, and I have seen it used a lot to make monk characters that are part of non East Asian esoteric warrior traditions, from occultist swordmasters inspired by Thibault and other eccentric European sword manual writers, to a really cool African philosophy inspired swashbuckler, a North African inspired Dervish, and a couple different Sikh inspired characters.Yep. Plus I liked the Kensei in 1E (as a Fighter though) and I am happy with the Monk (as a martial) version in 5E. Could it be a bit better, maybe, but it is fun to play and fairly well balanced IMO.
I hadn't considered Monks getting 3-4 attacks at lv1 with the TWF change. Then add Hunter's Mark and Hex on top of each of those hits if you want to get absurd...I hope that in the upcoming playtest version of the monk, that character could dual wield and use flurry of blows.