D&D 5E How Good/Bad are Monks?

[Zardnaar]

We will be starting a new 5E game soon and it looks like we will be trying out a few options that we have not seen before in the game. Our 4 person party might be looking something like this.

1 Barbarian
1 Monk (the beat em up one)
1 Nature Cleric
1 Magic/Light cleric or a wizard/sorcerer. Probably a wildmage.

The Monk is a Rogue type replacement and will be the skill monkey for things like traps. If I am reading this right in general it seems like you want to use a spear or quarterstaff with dex to hit and damage as a versatile 1d8 weapon while having a 1d4+dex bonus action attack that you want to use a ki point on every combat by level 3 and almost every round by level 6-9.

They were sort of informally banned as no one ever wanted to play one. Drow, Dragonborn and Tieflings were also informally banned but once again no one ever wants one anyway so its not a issue any more. Bards and Paladins are now informally banned (seen to many of them).

Looks like the Monk may suck at range though but can at least throw daggers/spears and use crossbows, shortbows and a longbow if a wood elf. Seems to deal a bit more damage than a rogue, worse at range though.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I had a monk in my last campaign go to level 19. While their damage isn't spectacular, it isn't terrible either. They're very mobile and versatile in my experience. While they aren't as tough as a fighter, the ability to dodge as a bonus action can allow them to tank effectively for a time. They really come into their own when they get their stun. Especially at higher levels, when they have a large pool of ki to potentially draw upon, it can be a game changer, with the monk potentially stunning multiple targets in the same round. It can turn what looks like a TPK into a winnable fight. That of course assumes that the monk doesn't waste all of his ki on flurries, so that he has it when he really needs it.

One of the highlights of the campaign was when the monk (who had forgotten to purchase any range weapons) was fighting a flying Efreeti. Without any other options, he used Unarmored Movement to run up an adjacent wall, jumped off the wall, and hit the Efreeti with a stunning fist as he was falling past it. He took a little damage as a result, but Slow Fall ate most of it.

While monks won't be at the top of any damage counts, they're a very effective class when played properly. I'm looking forward to playing one myself when I get the chance.

 

[FrogReaver]

We will be starting a new 5E game soon and it looks like we will be trying out a few options that we have not seen before in the game. Our 4 person party might be looking something like this.

1 Barbarian
1 Monk (the beat em up one)
1 Nature Cleric
1 Magic/Light cleric or a wizard/sorcerer. Probably a wildmage.

The Monk is a Rogue type replacement and will be the skill monkey for things like traps. If I am reading this right in general it seems like you want to use a spear or quarterstaff with dex to hit and damage as a versatile 1d8 weapon while having a 1d4+dex bonus action attack that you want to use a ki point on every combat by level 3 and almost every round by level 6-9.

They were sort of informally banned as no one ever wanted to play one. Drow, Dragonborn and Tieflings were also informally banned but once again no one ever wants one anyway so its not a issue any more. Bards and Paladins are now informally banned (seen to many of them).

Looks like the Monk may suck at range though but can at least throw daggers/spears and use crossbows, shortbows and a longbow if a wood elf. Seems to deal a bit more damage than a rogue, worse at range though.

Monks are strongly dependent on the number of short rests given per long rest. I would not recommend one at all if short rests aren't given very often. That said using stunning strike and flurry of blows as a combo can mean quite a bit of damage. He can even use the combo most every encounter as long as stunning strike lands. The combo provides approximate 35 DPR (with the d10 monk weapon) and stuns the enemy (which also gives allies advantage along with the monk the inherent advantages of the enemy not being able to do anything).

That said a shadow monk can cast pass without trace which is IMO one of the best spells in the game.

 

[Dormouse]

Monks are...okay.

They are effective damage dealers with good mobility without being MAD. If you want to play a character who leaps around the battlefield punching people, they pull that off in spades.

Unfortunately they are a melee class, but they don't have the HP or AC to survive up there so they end up having to take Mobility or spending their Ki on Dodging or Stunning Strike instead of Flurry. This hurts their damage potential which on paper seems incredible.

So basically they fixed the complaints people had with 3e monks, but replaced with a whole new problem.

 

[Eltab]

1 Monk (the beat em up one)

My AL Wood Elf Monk just spent Winter Fantasy playing Ranger: +1 longbow vs insubstantial undead.

- Monks slay the enemy via the Death of 1000 Cuts, not via a nova. Do not expect to pound anybody into the pavement.
- You are a recipient of the naval miniatures "explode-able British Battlecruiser Rule": you can move fast but have no armor and mediocre HP. You are a Skirmisher, not a Tank.
- Think up clever things to do, it's part of the monk mystique. Facing a Mummy, spend your first turn's attack to throw a Flask of Oil all over it. Then your friend uses a Fire spell or flaming arrow. The Mummy is now on fire, which does extra damage at the start of its turn. Plus it is vulnerable to Fire damage !
- When you can use Stunning Strike, you turn into a status-effect Striker. Shut down whoever Team Hero needs to kill next. If you are Open Hand, you can also (for free!) try to push him 15' closer to your friends - make their day easier.
- Quarterstaff in both hands seems like the best melee weapon. Carrying a few Spears along to throw across the room sounds like a good idea too.
- You are mid-range for damage, but can be more consistent at it. At low levels, Attack + Martial Arts (bonus action) FEELS like having "Advantage" - one or the other will hit, sometimes both but rarely neither.
- You are too modest: YOU banned Monks at your table; you've said so in previous threads. But kudos for asking around for opinions on the subject.
- Monks also make good Scouts, since WIS (hence Perception) must be high, plus you can flee danger.

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

Sun Soul Monks have decent ranged options that get better as you level. RSB may not have a long range, but its damage scales unlike darts. At 5th level, they surpass the damage of darts and don't have the limitation of uses per combat being tied to as many as you have on-hand. The real gem is the kamehameha gained at 10th level.

 

[Celtavian]

I had a monk in my last campaign go to level 19. While their damage isn't spectacular, it isn't terrible either. They're very mobile and versatile in my experience. While they aren't as tough as a fighter, the ability to dodge as a bonus action can allow them to tank effectively for a time. They really come into their own when they get their stun. Especially at higher levels, when they have a large pool of ki to potentially draw upon, it can be a game changer, with the monk potentially stunning multiple targets in the same round. It can turn what looks like a TPK into a winnable fight. That of course assumes that the monk doesn't waste all of his ki on flurries, so that he has it when he really needs it.

One of the highlights of the campaign was when the monk (who had forgotten to purchase any range weapons) was fighting a flying Efreeti. Without any other options, he used Unarmored Movement to run up an adjacent wall, jumped off the wall, and hit the Efreeti with a stunning fist as he was falling past it. He took a little damage as a result, but Slow Fall ate most of it.

While monks won't be at the top of any damage counts, they're a very effective class when played properly. I'm looking forward to playing one myself when I get the chance.

This is my experience as well. Not a power gamer class, but can be a fun and effective class to play.

 

[pukunui]

I've seen a few monks in play but haven't played one myself yet (I'm thinking of playing a sun soul monk next time we roll up new PCs in my Thursday game, though). They seem like a pretty decently balanced class. They do their thing well but don't outshine anyone else, nor do they particularly suck at anything - except maybe, as you say, ranged combat.

I haven't seen an elemental monk in play. I've heard they kinda suck because the cost of their abilities is too high, but the open hand and ninja monks are all right. The ninja one makes for a great scout, but their effectiveness is dependent on the amount of dim light on the battlefield.

They're a damn sight better than the 3.5 monks were, though, that's for sure.

 

[Xeviat]

I asked the same question a while back.

At low levels, their damage can be killer. At later levels, it's still pretty good, but they start to run out of things to use their Ki on and can start being really liberal with it, especially if you're getting 1 short rest per 2 encounters. From 11th to 20th, with Ki (which they have plenty of) they have more attacks than the fighter, but they lack a spike type ability.

I'm not worried about their defense. If you start with 16/16 Dex/Wis, you'll have a 20 AC at around level 16 without using any items. You'll start with 16, and go up by +1 at 4, 8, 12, and 16 if you don't worry about feats. You can still use magic items for AC, and you do have your bonus action dodge if you need more. Your HP is only 1 less per level than a fighter with equivalent Con, though you lack their recovery ability.

My only concern is that their damage doesn't really grow past level 5 very much, and you may "feel" weak even if you're performing fine.

 

[Zardnaar]

I asked the same question a while back.

At low levels, their damage can be killer. At later levels, it's still pretty good, but they start to run out of things to use their Ki on and can start being really liberal with it, especially if you're getting 1 short rest per 2 encounters. From 11th to 20th, with Ki (which they have plenty of) they have more attacks than the fighter, but they lack a spike type ability.

I'm not worried about their defense. If you start with 16/16 Dex/Wis, you'll have a 20 AC at around level 16 without using any items. You'll start with 16, and go up by +1 at 4, 8, 12, and 16 if you don't worry about feats. You can still use magic items for AC, and you do have your bonus action dodge if you need more. Your HP is only 1 less per level than a fighter with equivalent Con, though you lack their recovery ability.

My only concern is that their damage doesn't really grow past level 5 very much, and you may "feel" weak even if you're performing fine.

16/16 is doable but the trade off is 13 con. We have the option of 4d6 drop the lowest though. Monks are a bit more MAD than say fighters who only need str/dex and con to be very effective.

The no Monk ban thing has not been enforced in my group for a while due to no need for it (no one wants Monks). Part of th reason for that was also becaue we had players who would do crap like pick a Dragonborn Monk and then use the superior speed to run away from fights leaving everyone else in the lurch or they would sit back and snipe with the monk or throw ninja stars. Hell I was on the front line as a light cleric with everyone else hanging back.

Those players basically got booted though.