D&D (2024) Playtest Packet 6: Monk reactions?

[mellored]

I like this a lot! I think the two bonus Unarmed Strikes off of the attack action may be too much. You can now get 3/4 attacks, SotW and PD all in a single round for 3 ki. I'd suggest keeping one of the extra Unarmed strikes as a bonus action (unless I'm reading this wrong and your saying FoB still takes a bonus action).

Agreed

Flurry, when you take the attack action, you can spend 1 ki to make an additional attack.

Then you bonus action for your 3rd/4th ttack. Or to any of your other things.

 

[mellored]

You also use your Monk ability DC (8+wis+prof bonus) for unarmed strike DCs and escape DCs.

I would make it Dex.
But yea. They need that too.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I would make it Dex.
But yea. They need that too.

Disconnected from everything else, I would be with you. But since the monks ability save DC is already defined, I think it is more elegant to stick with that.

On the other hand, unarmed combatant exchanges str for dex.

Maybe the whole monk save DC should be changed to dex. And wis can still be relevant for AC and extra discipline points.

 

[Clint_L]

I like this a lot! I think the two bonus Unarmed Strikes off of the attack action may be too much. You can now get 3/4 attacks, SotW and PD all in a single round for 3 ki. I'd suggest keeping one of the extra Unarmed strikes as a bonus action (unless I'm reading this wrong and your saying FoB still takes a bonus action).

No, you are reading it correctly, and I don't think it's too much. 3 di is a lot of resources for a monk -they would only be able to do that rarely at low levels, per my example, and then they'd be resource depleted. So it would actually permit that monk fantasy of being able to channel your discipline to leap in there, get off a strong attack, and defend yourself for a round before escaping...but after that you are severely weakened. Or for 2 di per round you can hit hard and capably defend yourself, but again that will deplete your resources so you can't sustain it; you'll have to pick your moments.

I get where you are coming at in leaving the unarmed strike as a bonus action per martial arts at level 1, and having FoB add one unarmed strike to the action, but wonder if that could be confusing? If the above is too strong, this would be one way of balancing it. It's a good suggestion - I'll try both out.

 

[Clint_L]

So, with OB1's tweak, it looks like:

2ND LEVEL: MARTIAL DISCIPLINE
Your self-discipline and martial training allow you to harness a well of extraordinary energy within yourself. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Discipline Points. Your Monk level plus your wisdom ability score modifier determine the number of points you have, as shown in the Discipline Points column of the Monk table.

You can spend these points to fuel various Martial Discipline features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more Martial Discipline features as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a Discipline Point, it is unavailable until you finish a Short Rest or Long Rest, at the end of which you regain all your expended points.

Some of your Martial Discipline features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC equals 8 plus your Proficiency Bonus plus your Wisdom modifier.

Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 Discipline Point to make one additional Unarmed Strike. You may still take an additional unarmed strike as your bonus action.

Patient Defense. You can spend 1 Discipline Point to take the Dodge action as a reaction.

Step of the Wind. You can spend 1 Discipline Point to take both the Disengage and Dash actions as a Bonus Action, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah, that is actually pretty good, making them choose between even more offence or escape for the bonus action. And it keeps the martial arts bonus attack from becoming irrelevant. This is why multiple brains are better. That's the version I will playtest.

 

[OB1]

Yeah, that is actually pretty good, making them choose between even more offence or escape for the bonus action. And it keeps the martial arts bonus attack from becoming irrelevant. This is why multiple brains are better. That's the version I will playtest.

Can't wait to hear your results! One thing that did hit me about the new Patient Defense is that as is, you could use it to gain advantage on an AOE attack when it happens, which combined with Evasion is gonna give the Monk a really solid chance to take no damage at all, while still getting 3/4 attacks per round and with the certainty that the Ki point is only used when actually needed. Not sure if that will be OP, but probably worth testing. As a potential fix, could make PD only give disadvantage on attacks (not advantage on dex saves).

 

[Clint_L]

Or, if you want to simplify the discipline points column, don't tie it to wisdom, tie it to proficiency as some have suggested.

So:

Level Discipline
Points
1st --
2nd 4
3rd 5
4th 6
5th 8
6th 9
7th 10
8th 11
9th 13
10th 14
11th 15
12th 16
13th 18
14th 19
15th 20
16th 21
17th 23
18th 24
19th 25
20th 26

This gives enough di points for the monk to do cool monk stuff right from level 2, yet they have enough that their high level abilities don't need to focus so hard on giving them more di points. In fact, I would add a high level ability that consumes a ton of di points - 5-6 - to act as a sort of sink, similar to a high level spell slot.

 

[Vael]

For Patient Defense, I like changing it to a reaction, but remember reactions need a trigger to be used, and timing ought to be figured out. So, I'd guess the intent that you can react to being attacked. So it'd be:

Patient Defense: When you are targeted by a (melee?) attack, you can spend one Discipline Point as a reaction to take the Dodge action.

 

[OB1]

Or, if you want to simplify the discipline points column, don't tie it to wisdom, tie it to proficiency as some have suggested.

This gives enough di points for the monk to do cool monk stuff right from level 2, yet they have enough that their high level abilities don't need to focus so hard on giving them more di points. In fact, I would add a high level ability that consumes a ton of di points - 5-6 - to act as a sort of sink, similar to a high level spell slot.

I prefer tying it to Wisdom personally. Feels more thematic that way and prevents muti-classers from gaining the additional Di without Wis bumps.

How about the 3 key abilities get upgraded options at 11

Something like:

Storm of Blows - 6 di - Action - Make 1 unarmed strike against each adjacent enemy of your choice. You deal maximum damage on each hit.

Dance of the Wind - 8 di - Bonus Action - For one minute, you are under the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell. Using Step of Wind does not cost di during this time. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Aggressive Defense - 6 di - Reaction (after being hit with an attack roll) - The attack misses and you can move up to 2x your speed toward the attacker without provoking opportunity attacks, if you end this movement adjacent to them, you can make 2 unarmed strikes against them.