D&D 5E Most fun of these three Monk Subclasses?

[Paul Farquhar]

I’m not entirely clear on what character the flavor even suggests. Some kind of mad death scientist? Experimenting on people at the time of death? I don’t really get it or how it ties in with the monk class overall.

The Long Death monk goes against WotC's current subclass design paradigms - it' supposed to be a member of a specific Forgotten Realms organisation and doesn't easily translate to be used for anything else.

For those that don't know, the Long Death is an always-evil cult of Shar, goddess of darkness, who oppose the Sun Souls, an always-good cult of Shar's sister Selune, goddess of light.

They make an appearance in Beamdog's Baldur's Gate enhanced edition.

 

[Mecheon]

You know, since Way of the Long Death is on blast for having mechanics that don’t really match the fluff, I might as well bring up that I kinda feel the same way about Way of the Drunken Master. Like, don’t get me wrong, I like the subclass quite a lot. But nothing about its abilities really scream “drunken” to me.

Its emulating zuì quán, 'drunken boxing', wherein you act drunk and don't actually be drunk. Its a longstanding thing in real life and also kung-fu movies

The trick is making your opponent think you're drunk when you're actually not and coming at them with something they won't expect

 

[DND_Reborn]

also kung-fu movies

Yep. Jackie Chan does a FANTASTIC drunken master in the movies!

 

[Guest User]

just doesn’t do much to make me feel like I’m playing the character suggested by flavor.

I myself find the flavor text so vague, that I concentrate on the mechanics of the class, which are decent.

I'm in an Eberron game, with a Changeling Long Death monk, that belongs to an monastic order that follows the teachings of the Traveller. The character is basically a Nameless Person from Song of Ice and Fire.

IIRC (I may not) the Long Death Monk only gets THP if you kill an enemy. That may not happen terribly often if your group is large and knows how to focus fire.

If your group knows how to Focus Fire, then presumably they know how to set the monk up as well. Just last weekend, I grappled a weakened foe so the LD Monk could finish the foe and trigger the ability.

The ability to generate Monk Level + Wisdom modifier in Temp HP, per kill,
(while insignificant when compared to the power of the Force), is most definitely
significant in keeping one alive.

Hour of the Reaping, costs no Ki points. The monk can find a critical choke point and crowd control by applying the Frightened Condition. Patient Defense helps keeps the Monk from being hit, from those that made the saving throw.

Like if it gave various benefits that applied when you have the Poisoned condition as a result of alcohol consumption or something

Monks become immune to poison at 10th level.
I understand that the Poisoned condition is separate from Posion damage,
but how does one get poisoned when one is immune to poison?

After attaining 10th level no monk is a drunken monk.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

But nothing about its abilities really scream “drunken” to me.

That’s probably as intended, since the actual fighting style being emulated doesn’t involve actually ever being drunk.

It’s about moving erratically and unpredictably in ways that throw off the opponent and cause them to overextend themselves and allow you to flow through the battlefield unharmed while laying enemies out.
Which the subclass does very, very well.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I am looking at Monks. (To be clear I am not actually stood outside a monastery right now looking at monks). That would be a bad abbot...

Specifically the three subclasses below.

Open Hand, Long Death and Drunken Master

Which one of these for you provides most fun to fight as mechanics wise?

In our Chult game I played a "Stoned" Master, who was smoking whatever jungle plant she could get ahold of. That is probably my favorite character I have played in a long time. Sadly, she died in the Tomb...

 

[MiraMels]

Way of the Open Hand, one hundred percent. The self-heal keeps you in the fight and acting longer than the others, and the enhancements to Flurry of Blows let you do a lot of useful and effective things with a fairly efficient expenditure of ki.

 

[rgoodbb]

Thanks for all your comments folks.

So what I am picking up here is that the Long Death is not generally thought of as the fave of the three, the Open Hand is very effective and the Drunken Master feels like it might be the most fun.

Of course I know that with the right character any could be fun, but the Drunken Master seems to lend itself in that direction already.

So Drunken Master it is.

Not sure of race yet but she's looking like feigning clumsiness instead of drunkenness for her fighting style. Way of the Blundering Fist? With that performance skill she could be socially awkward as well. Way of the Gauche Fist?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Mechanically, wooden elf is the obvious choice. Vuman with mobile feat and variant half elf with fleet-of-foot are also strong options.

Outside the box: wildhunt shifter.

 

[rgoodbb]

Mechanically, wooden elf is the obvious choice. Vuman with mobile feat and variant half elf with fleet-of-foot are also strong options.

Outside the box: wildhunt shifter.

Is Mobile still that effective with Drunken Technique already in the bag?