D&D 5E Help me build a Shillelagh+GFB Monk?

[faria]

I've seen some really nice Shillelagh+GFB builds recently for paladins, tomelocks, even sorcerers. Staff is a monk weapon and Shillelagh-able, so I see potential for that class. Let's theorycraft for sh*ts and giggles.

The biggest hurdle would be gaining access to both cantrips. How would you dip for this? Is Magic Initiate a necessity?

Gogo Optimizers!

 

[mellored]

You don't get the damage die boost unless your unarmed, and then you need Dex, which you can use to attack with.

You also can't use flurry of blows without making an attack action, which is different from the cantrip.

 

[Coyote81]

Human variant for Magic Initiateruid Get Thorn Whip, Good Berry and Shillelagh (Using Wisdom ability)
1 Lvl in Cleric Arcane domain for Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade (All using Wisdom score ability)

This will get you the combo you want and without going outside of the stats a monk needs as well.

You don't get the damage die boost unless your unarmed, and then you need Dex, which you can use to attack with.

You also can't use flurry of blows without making an attack action, which is different from the cantrip.

You do get boosted damage with monk weapons as well as unarmed, and quarterstaff is a monk weapon. So basically you can get boosted damage to your first attack, but not any of the flurry attacks, since those are unarmed.

You are right overall though, the biggest problem is that you only get to flurry with an attack action and both of the cantrip attacks don't count for that purpose. It's a spell action not an attack action.

 

[mellored]

You do get boosted damage with monk weapons as well as unarmed, and quarterstaff is a monk weapon. So basically you can get boosted damage to your first attack, but not any of the flurry attacks, since those are unarmed.

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield

If you are not wearing armor, you need Dex or your AC is going to be crappy.
If you have Dex, you don't need shillelagh.


If you do wear armor, you don't get to uses the monk damage die.

 

[Coyote81]

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield

If you are not wearing armor, you need Dex or your AC is going to be crappy.
If you have Dex, you don't need shillelagh.


If you do wear armor, you don't get to uses the monk damage die.

The monk's AC is both Dex and Wisdom based, so if you favor dex over wisdom or wisdom over dex your AC is going to be the same.

So if they want to build a monk that has a higher wisdom and is more spell based (From the cleric levels), shillelagh does indeed do more then adding dex to the quarterstaff weapon.

 

[mellored]

The monk's AC is both Dex and Wisdom based, so if you favor dex over wisdom or wisdom over dex your AC is going to be the same.

So if they want to build a monk that has a higher wisdom and is more spell based (From the cleric levels), shillelagh does indeed do more then adding dex to the quarterstaff weapon.

Fair point.

 

[faria]

If you can't use Flurry of Blows, is this build even comparable to straight, unarmed monk? Are there other useful things to spend the Ki on to make up for it? Way of the Open Palm is out, but Shadow and Four Elements seems like it could make up for not using their Ki on Flurry of Blows.

Is this an "optimized" build for a Four Elements monk, having more Ki to use Water Whip (it scales) as their bonus action each turn?

 

[mellored]

If you can't use Flurry of Blows, is this build even comparable to straight, unarmed monk? Are there other useful things to spend the Ki on to make up for it? Way of the Open Palm is out, but Shadow and Four Elements seems like it could make up for not using their Ki on Flurry of Blows.

Is this an "optimized" build for a Four Elements monk, having more Ki to use Water Whip (it scales) as their bonus action each turn?

There's always stunning strike.