Flamestrike
Legend
Personally I just increased MA damage by 1 die type (and capstone damage at 20th is 2d8) while limiting Stunning fist to 1/ turn and increasing Ki cost to 2 points.
D&D 5E Buffing Level 11+ Monks
I disagree with the premise that Monk's get weak. While some of the 11th-level features seem undepowered, the 13th and 14th level Monk abilities are among the best high-level abilities in the game. Diamond soul is the equivalent of three feats in one ability. Most of the 17th-level features are really good too. IMO you are going to have to replace or nerf those to give monks better abilities and maintain balance with other classes.
I will also point out that you are using tranquility incorrectly. The idea behind tranquility is that you avoid combat completely. You are right it only lasts until you attack, but normally you won't be attacking if you are using it, you walk right into the cave, right past the 50 guards, search for and find the secret passage while the helpless guards are watching you. Walk right up to the dragon's horde, take whatever you need to take from his horde while he is watching you and leave with it. He probably breathes on you once, which you probably save against for no damage ..... maybe a few of the guards actually make their save and get to attack you but they probably miss since you are taking the dodge action as you walk by them anyway.
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Older additions got things like 5d4 unarmed strikes. I think they nerfed them because they let them apply to weapons. You could just get rid of the martial arts die and just do an unarmed strike die increase at prof bonus levels. So 1d4 > 2d4 > ... 5d4 at level 17. It would bring back ad&d unarmed strikes > weapons and have them cont to scale.
So weapons were 13.5 avg w +3 and 20 stat w unarmed strikes 10.5. Changing to 5d4 would have unarmed strikes do 17.5 per hit. You could keep martial arts die for other class powers like kensei and mercy. You don’t gain much anyway by having a staff go from 1d8 to 1d10....
So weapons were 13.5 avg w +3 and 20 stat w unarmed strikes 10.5. Changing to 5d4 would have unarmed strikes do 17.5 per hit. You could keep martial arts die for other class powers like kensei and mercy. You don’t gain much anyway by having a staff go from 1d8 to 1d10....
1E got bonuses to weapon damage as well. I think it was +0.5 damage per Monk level
Xeviat
Hero
You're putting a lot of faith that something, especially a dragon, isn't going to succeed that Wisdom save.
Well it should be an 18 DC. I am sure something will save but a CR11 Dragon is going to fail more than he is going to save and he is not going to save often enough to do serious damage if the Monk can get in and out. Even a CR17 Dragon is going to have a difficult time doing serious damage to the monk considering he has to save for each attack, then if he saves he has to roll an attack roll against the Monk who will likely be taking the dodge action and the amount of damage done, while substantial, is not huge.
That’s true, but without the unarmed extra attacks. You could keep martial arts die for everything else and add unarmed strike die.
A simpler change would be at level 11 unarmed strike changes to 2d6 and at 17 becomes 2d12.
Xeviat
Hero
You've already pointed out that saves are ok. There are plenty of attacks that aren't attacks, that are saves. Also, where are you getting DC 18? It's 8+prof+wis. A monk probably has a 14 or 16 Wis at 11th (unless they max wis first, in which they'll be even weaker in melee). Even if you give them a 20 Wis, that's DC 17 so I'm questioning your baselines.
Sending a monk into a days worth of encounters sounds like a suicide mission. I don't forsee many groups trying that. A CR 13-14 dragon, who would be the proper boss fight for a level 11 party, is going to do a lot of damage with its breath, not to mention any other spellcasting creatures in the dungeon. Monk has evasion, but a CR 13 white dragon (ignoring that it's breath is Con save) deals 27 damage on a successful save, and the monk probably has 78 hp, so they can only handle 3 of those. Plus lair actions. OH, and your Dex save isn't great because you built for a 20 Wis at level 11.
It's just an odd scenario to get to the most out of an ability that's evocative on paper but isn't very useful unless you bend yourself into contortionist knots to make sure you use it.
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Xeviat
Hero
Looking at base monk, it almost looks like the monk needs something better at 20th, but the last tradition features are often rather big. Quivering palm is huge for its cost. Perhaps adjusting how it works, so it isn't just a benny after spending all of your ki in one encounter?
Warlock gets a 1/day quick recovery of all spell slots. People have suggested a free virtual ki every round that can't be used on healing. I like the extra bonus action idea floating around, but that could just end up meaning an extra attack (the extra attack would balance, even against my level 11 changes, against fighter and rogue, but it may require retooling some other ki uses to have more balanced costs).
Warlock gets a 1/day quick recovery of all spell slots. People have suggested a free virtual ki every round that can't be used on healing. I like the extra bonus action idea floating around, but that could just end up meaning an extra attack (the extra attack would balance, even against my level 11 changes, against fighter and rogue, but it may require retooling some other ki uses to have more balanced costs).
18=8+5prof+5wisdom and they have to save before they cast a spell targeting the Monk. At 11th level it is 17 like you said.
IMO a Monk should max wisdom first and the role of the class is not to do massive damage in melee, maxing dex for the Monk so he can do damage is like maxing strength for a cleric or dexterity for a Bard so they can do maximum damage. It does not jive with the class design IMO.
The enemy has to make a save to target the Monk with anything, so an attack that is not an attack can't be used either unless it is an AOE affect like breath weapon. As for Dragon breath the Monk will take no damage against most dragon breaths if he does save or half damage if he does not save, unless it is a Green Dragon and then he takes no damage regardless because he is immune to poision. Oh and if he is 14th level he gets to roll his save twice. The sanctuary for a Monk is huge for this reason, he can't be targeted directly and indirect AOE spells are usually overcome with evasion.
The scenario is an example. The point is the Monk should not be going into combat while he has sanctuary up and if he makes an attack against the first thing he sees after his rest then he is wasting the ability and not playing the class right IMO. I am not saying he is or should use it all the time, but the basic use should not be 1 free turn of attacks as was implied in the original post. Even if the party is going into combat, as long as it is a minor combat the Monk should still not attack and find other actions to help the party that do not break it. Use help, throw caltrops, use a magic item to buff party members, go stand next to an enemy using a missile weapon so he gets disadvantage.
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