D&D 5E 4-Element monks are the only monk archetype that excels against flying enemies

[Asisreo]

I think that's literally everybody's fix for the Four Elements Monk.

I personally like the stuff the Way of the Four Elements Revised adds as well, because if you can't fire punch people, are you even an elemental monk?

Can't you fire punch with Fire Snakes? As soon as you go the subclass?

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Can't you fire punch with Fire Snakes? As soon as you go the subclass?

That's more a fire whip then a fire punch, although I do see your point.

 

[Fenris-77]

I don't do flying PC races. I'm also pretty secure in my encounter building skills. Wacky, I know.

Also, Fire Punching should always be a thing for Monks. For sure. If I had a monk character that could fire punch I think the first thing out of my mouth in pretty much every encounter would be Can I fire punch it? Please? Just once, c'mon. Orcs, trolls, the undead, meeting the king, doesn't matter - Fire Punch!

 

[Asisreo]

I don't do flying PC races. I'm also pretty secure in my encounter building skills. Wacky, I know.

Also, Fire Punching should always be a thing for Monks. For sure. If I had a monk character that could fire punch I think the first thing out of my mouth in pretty much every encounter would be Can I fire punch it? Please? Just once, c'mon. Orcs, trolls, the undead, meeting the king, doesn't matter - Fire Punch!

But you do. If you take Fire Snakes, you fire punch as you wish.

 

[Fenris-77]

But you do. If you take Fire Snakes, you fire punch as you wish.

If only the ability wasn't contained within a subclass that I otherwise struggle to really like. The elemental disciplines are cool but they're too expensive. It's less of an issue at higher levels, but a 6th level monk is spending half his SR Ki to cast Shatter. Shatter, oooohh, that'll show 'em.

The spells you get lag behind the tiers in which they're most useful IMO, and the actual spells you get access to are pretty meh. It would have been way cooler if the abilities had some synergy with the martial arts rather than just being wizard spells. I don't find enough of the options exciting enough to really consider playing the subclass. Really it's just Fire Snakes and Water Whip. Compared to the Shadow list, which I use all the time when I play, it kinda pales. It makes me sad too, because I really want to like the subclass.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I don't do flying PC races. I'm also pretty secure in my encounter building skills. Wacky, I know.

Also, Fire Punching should always be a thing for Monks. For sure. If I had a monk character that could fire punch I think the first thing out of my mouth in pretty much every encounter would be Can I fire punch it? Please? Just once, c'mon. Orcs, trolls, the undead, meeting the king, doesn't matter - Fire Punch!

So your favorite pokemon is Hitmonchan I see...

 

[Fenris-77]

So your favorite pokemon is Hitmonchan I see...

Does he punch things with fire? I seem to remember the card art looking like a lizard pro wrestler, so maybe not. I'd also like to be able to Hadouken a fireball at someone before 11th level.

 

[Asisreo]

If only the ability wasn't contained within a subclass that I otherwise struggle to really like. The elemental disciplines are cool but they're too expensive. It's less of an issue at higher levels, but a 6th level monk is spending half his SR Ki to cast Shatter. Shatter, oooohh, that'll show 'em.

The spells you get lag behind the tiers in which they're most useful IMO, and the actual spells you get access to are pretty meh. It would have been way cooler if the abilities had some synergy with the martial arts rather than just being wizard spells. I don't find enough of the options exciting enough to really consider playing the subclass. Really it's just Fire Snakes and Water Whip. Compared to the Shadow list, which I use all the time when I play, it kinda pales. It makes me sad too, because I really want to like the subclass.

That's just how you play, which is understandable. It's important to take into account that Monks don't get AoE damage like a 4-Elemonk. You're lagging behind in terms of a fullcaster, sure, but you certainly didn't choose 4-elemonk to be a fullcaster did you?

In comparison to other monks, you have the greatest nova potential along with the best AoE and Flying opponent counters. You have battlefield control with Wall spells and shape of flowing river.

And all that is a bundle where you keep a monk's strongest abilities: Their single-target melee abilities, their mobility, and their defenses. A fullcaster doesn't get the defensive boosts a monk does at-will.

And if all of that makes you still not comfortable with the subclass, that's fine. The playstyle isn't for everyone and you should play as you like. But that doesn't mean it's a bad subclass or that it's weak or that it doesn't fulfill the intended fantasy.

 

[Mecheon]

So your favorite pokemon is Hitmonchan I see...

Y'know, I was about to say there's also Blaziken or Infernape, but apparently Infernape can only learn fire punch by breeding?

Does he punch things with fire? I seem to remember the card art looking like a lizard pro wrestler, so maybe not. I'd also like to be able to Hadouken a fireball at someone before 11th level.

Hitmonchan is the boxing pokemon, so it punches with everything and was the only pokemon in the original 150 to learn all three elemental punches. He punches with -everything-

 

[Fenris-77]

That's just how you play, which is understandable. It's important to take into account that Monks don't get AoE damage like a 4-Elemonk. You're lagging behind in terms of a fullcaster, sure, but you certainly didn't choose 4-elemonk to be a fullcaster did you?

In comparison to other monks, you have the greatest nova potential along with the best AoE and Flying opponent counters. You have battlefield control with Wall spells and shape of flowing river.

And all that is a bundle where you keep a monk's strongest abilities: Their single-target melee abilities, their mobility, and their defenses. A fullcaster doesn't get the defensive boosts a monk does at-will.

And if all of that makes you still not comfortable with the subclass, that's fine. The playstyle isn't for everyone and you should play as you like. But that doesn't mean it's a bad subclass or that it's weak or that it doesn't fulfill the intended fantasy.

It's not particularly good at what it does, no, at least not for me when I play it. It does the things you describe, that's for sure, but not well enough for me to really care. If I wanted AoE I'd play a class that actually did AoE. The control also comes really late and doesn't compare to the Wizard at all, and, in fact if you have a Wizard you're always going to feel like the red-headed step child. He's been casting Wall of Stone for 8 levels before you get to do it. Sorry, waiting a ton of levels to get to do something else another class already does isn't exciting. I would have much preferred for the subclass to get their own abilities.

Hitmonchan is the boxing pokemon, so it punches with everything and was the only pokemon in the original 150 to learn all three elemental punches. He punches with -everything-

Well, if he punches everything he can come over to mine for a cuppa, anytime.