D&D 5E Another monk thread! Fixing the Way of the 4 Elements

[Parmandur]

Ultimately the greatest failing of the class in representing ATLA is its not at will. Ultimately that’s what a player really wants, it’s basically martial warlock with elemental powers as the invocations.

so making the abilities cheaper helps, but ultimately what players really really want so is elemental control at Will

...which is what the Sun Soul did.

 

[Leatherhead]

...which is what the Sun Soul did.

Not quite.
Ignoring the elemental damage (which can just be re-flavored with minimal trouble); the Sun Soul lets you shoot off Sun Bolts to attack from a distance, but not punch people with fire.

 

[Parmandur]

Not quite.
Ignoring the elemental damage (which can just be re-flavored with minimal trouble); the Sun Soul lets you shoot off Sun Bolts to attack from a distance, but not punch people with fire.

I mean, if you let off the Sun Bolt at close range, same difference. It's at will, up to three times a round: the Zuko factor is high.

 

[Asisreo]

I mean, if you let off the Sun Bolt at close range, same difference. It's at will, up to three times a round: the Zuko factor is high.

You'd have disadvantage, though

 

[Parmandur]

You'd have disadvantage, though

Then use Burning Hands. Point is, that's the Firebender, and it does have at will fire attacks.

 

[Asisreo]

Then use Burning Hands. Point is, that's the Firebender, and it does have at will fire attacks.

Yeah you could.

Although, by this point in time, the burning hands seems like a waste when you could rather do your flurry for half the ki which would do more damage to the expected number of foes (it sorta depends on AC and dex saves of the enemy but it's generally true).

 

[Ancalagon]

If I had to do a quick fix, I would give the 4e monk bonus "elemental ki" that cannot be used for standard monk abilities (I don't want the 4e monks stunning-fist ing gazillion times). Perhaps equal to their stat bonus.

I think the real problem is that , as Asireo said, you're often better off using those standard monk abilities anyway!

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I see a lot of people asserting that the Wot4E monk is meant to be a "bender" (which I believe references a TV show). But from what I can gather, the "bender" use elemental magic as martial arts, while the Wot4E monk combines elemental magic with and through martial arts. I don't see them as the same thing at all. Am I wrong here?

 

[Sacrosanct]

...which is what the Sun Soul did.

No, it didn’t. There are more elements than fire. Not only in what the monk was to represent (avatar), but it’s literally in the name. FOUR elements. Doing a sun soul just gave a nod to fire. That was it. And thus, it was equally lacking, if not more so

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

No, it didn’t. There are more elements than fire. Not only in what the monk was to represent (avatar), but it’s literally in the name. FOUR elements. Doing a sun soul just gave a nod to fire. That was it. And thus, it was equally lacking, if not more so

Why do you think the Wot4E monk was meant to represent Avatar? They concepts of "elemental magic as martial arts" is completely different compared to "combines elemental magic with and through martial arts."