D&D 5E Why do Monks only have d8 HP instead of d10 HP?

[Undrave]

Here's another question:

How come the Martial Artist Class doesn't get a Fighting Style? Unique styles tailored to it? Feels like a very obvious thing they could do to make the Monk's basic attacks more interesting without Ki.

 

[Minigiant]

Here's another question:

How come the Martial Artist Class doesn't get a Fighting Style? Unique styles tailored to it? Feels like a very obvious thing they could do to make the Monk's basic attacks more interesting without Ki.

Minigiant's Martial Arts

Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:

• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
• You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
• You gain one Monk Style of your choice. When you gain a level, you may change your Monk Style for another.

Air: When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action

Earth: When you are grappling a creature grapple a creature on your turn, you can shove the grappled creature as a bonus action. If you succeed in the shove, you also may deal bludgeoning damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die.

Fire: When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to deal extra damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die

Metal: When you use the Dodge action on your turn, you gain a bonus to your AC and Strength saves equal to your proficiency modifier.

Water: When you use the Dodge action on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike or one attack with a monk weapon as a bonus action

 

[Nefermandias]

A feature about fighting (includes healing) that only does reasonably if the intensity of fighting is low enough to have significant left over resources? Doesn't that kind of speak for its general utility? Or lack thereof.

It does indeed. Monk is in a really bad shape in 5e, don't get me wrong.

 

[Nefermandias]

I'd go simpler and let a monk make one unarmed attack as a bonus action if they take the Dodge action. Or get a shield bonus as a bonus action.

Ki Fueled Strikes kinda does that.

 

[billd91]

Here's another question:

How come the Martial Artist Class doesn't get a Fighting Style? Unique styles tailored to it? Feels like a very obvious thing they could do to make the Monk's basic attacks more interesting without Ki.

They effectively do. It's just expressed by their choice of Monastic Tradition at 3rd level.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Ki Fueled Strikes kinda does that.

Not really...

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Here's another question:

How come the Martial Artist Class doesn't get a Fighting Style? Unique styles tailored to it? Feels like a very obvious thing they could do to make the Monk's basic attacks more interesting without Ki.

They sort of get Two-Weapon Fighting automatically, but can't pick anything else.

 

[Greg K]

For a martial artist class, in an ideal world, I would adapt either Blood & Fists, a d20Modern product written by Charles Rice and published by RPGObjects or the system or 2e Complete Ninja's Handbook (slightly revised from 1e Oriental Adventures) along with some related articles from Dragon Magazine. Both give systems for creating new styles with a variety of maneuvers, stances (I think there was an article for the AD&D system giving stances) and special abilities along with many examples of styles.

If going with the former, the book was good (and, imo, the bes MA sourcebook for d20/D&D), I would then go through through the Master Edition, fixing some of the styles brought in from the Hong Kong Knights (e.g. why did the new styles not get signature maneuvres). I also want to address why that some of the signature maneuvers from the original book are found within some other styles. I also need to fix a few styles as I know that they are missing several maneuvers (e.g. Arm Lock) shared between Hapkido, Hwa Rang Do, Jujitsu, and Kuk Sul Won, but missing from the Korean styles before going through references on some of the other styles to see what (if anything I can find) has been missed.

If adapting the latter, it has a few of its own issues to address before adapting.

Either way, I would also go through GURPS Martial Arts, Ultimate Martial Artists for possibly more maneuvers and special abilies (probably, both Ninja's & Superspies and Mystic China, for more special abilities (not the styles). Then I would go through several books,magazines, and websites on specific styles.

At the moment, I am wishing I did not give several of my old Black Belt, Inside Kung Fu, and other MA magazines from the 80s and 90s to my old instructor and sell/trade part of my marital arts library to a used bookstore.

 

[niklinna]

Ultimately, because d8 is better than d4s like they had back in 1e.

Well, 1e monks were monastic aesthetics, after all.

 

[Undrave]

They effectively do. It's just expressed by their choice of Monastic Tradition at 3rd level.

Meh... I think it would be more fair to say 'Martial Arts' is a couple of Fighting Styles stapled together, but they're kinda lacking in customization options compared to something as simple as a Fighter.

Ideally, a Monk should be as versatile as a Battlemaster.