D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Monk"

Monk article! https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1758-2024-monk-vs-2014-monk-whats-new

Video Breakdown

Base Monk Class Notes

• Knew monk was going to get a lot of attention - both satisfaction scores and actual play numbers have historically tended to be a bit low
• Similar to ranger, monk is largely a "new class"
• Martial Arts feature at 1st level
  • Monk weapons have been broadened to all simple melee weapons and martial melee weapons with light property
  • Can make an unarmed strike as bonus action
  • Can choose to use Dex to set DCs for unarmed strike grapple and shove options (see general notes below)
  • Martial Arts die - starts at d6 at level 1, scales to d12 at level 17
• Monk's Focus feature at 2nd level
  • Ki/Discipline Points are now Focus Points
  • Patient Defense - can Disengage as bonus action for free
    • Spending 1 Focus Point lets you both Disengage and Dodge at the same time
  • Step of the Wind - can Dash as bonus action for free
    • Spending 1 Focus Point lets you both Dash and Disengage at the same time, and additionally your Jump distance is doubled for the rest of your turn
  • Flurry of Blows - Spend 1 Focus Point to make two unarmed strikes as bonus action
• Uncanny Metabolism feature at 2nd level ("I didn't hear no bell.")
  • When rolling initiative, can regain all expended Focus Points and restore a number of hit points (1/long rest)
• Redesigned Deflect Attacks feature at 3rd level
  • Roll d10 + Dex + Monk level to reduce damage from any attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage
  • If damage is reduced to zero, can spend Focus Point to redirect force of attack to someone else - target makes a saving throw and on failure suffers an amount of Force damage based on your Martial Arts die
  • Upgrades to Deflect Energy at 13th level - can deflect any damage type
• Self Restoration feature at 10th level
  • Can end Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned condition on self at end of monk's turn for free
• Heightened Focus feature at 10th level - further enhancements to Patient Defense, Step of the Wind, and Flurry of Blows (not detailed)
• Superior Defense feature at 18th level - mentioned as example of ways they've increased monk survivability, but not detailed
• Disciplined Survivor feature (level not mentioned) - mentioned as example of ways they've increased monk survivability, allows monk to reroll saving throws
• Stunning Strike feature
  • Can only be used once per turn, but always does something
  • If target fails saving throw, they are stunned
  • If target succeeds on saving throw, their speed is halved and the next attack roll against them has advantage
• Epic Boon at 19th level - no example specified

Subclass Notes

• Warrior of Mercy
  • Largely the same, save for tweaks to better integrate subclass with new version of the base monk class
• Warrior of the Elements
  • Completely replaces Way of the Four Elements
  • Elemental Attunement - not always active, costs Focus Points to "turn on"
    • Can increase reach of unarmed strikes using elemental power ("Not a Mr. Fantastic or One Piece style stretchy punch" )
    • Can change damage type to one of elemental themed options (not specified, but generally guessable)
    • Can force target to make a saving throw and move them around battlefield on a failure
  • Gain Elementalism cantrip
  • At 6th level, can take Magic action and expend some Focus Points to cause elemental explosion in 20-foot radius sphere up to 120 feet away, dealing damage based on Martial Arts Die
  • Themed around tapping into Elemental Chaos as a whole, rather than just one of the Elemental Planes
  • At 11th level, gain fly and swim speed when Elemental Attunement is active
  • Elemental Epitome at 17th level
    • Further improves Elemental Attunement
    • Gain elemental damage resistance (can be changed at start of every turn)
    • When using Step of the Wind, speed is increased and you can cause damage to enemies you pass
    • Additional option to deal bonus elemental damage once per turn (not elaborated)
• Warrior of Shadow
  • Can cast Darkness spell as before, but can now see through that darkness
  • Improved Shadowstep at 11th level
    • Can expend Focus Point to remove requirement to start/end teleportation in dim light or darkness, and can make an unarmed strike as part Shadowstep bonus action
  • Cloak of Shadows at 17th level
    • Turn invisible and partially incorporeal (can pass through occupied spaces as difficult terrain), and Flurry of Blows does not cost Focus Points while Cloak of Shadows is active
  • Kendrick: "Would love to see the Archfey Warlock and Shadow Monk teleporting around the battlefield fighting each other."
    • Crawford: "Not a PvP game."
• Warrior of the Open Hand
  • Wholeness of Body feature at 6th level
    • Now a bonus action and can be used multiple times per day
  • Fleet Step feature (level not specified)
    • Whenever you take a bonus action to do anything other than Step of the Wind, you can also use Step of the Wind immediately after that bonus action
  • Revised Quivering Palm
    • Deals a "truckload" of damage on failed save and a "smaller truckload" of damage on a successful one, but can no longer instantly drop creatures down to 0 hp

General Notes

• Baseline (gold?) dragonborn monk iconic art has a tail.
• Unarmed strike redesigned, intended to grant similar tactical versatility to that offered by weapon mastery - now includes three options:
  • Deal damage
  • Attempt to start a grapple
  • Attempt to shove target

 

[Chaosmancer]

A few moments ago, I watched the portion of the clip that talked about the Warrior of the Elements subclass. It sounds better than the 2014 Way of the Four Elements subclass. However, I think the subclass should have offered the player the option to control a single element. As not everyone wants to be the Avatar. I would rather be a simple Earthbender.

Currently I am a fan of the Manual of Adventurous Resources: Complete Elementalist class. An A5e take on PF1's Kineticist class.

You absolutely can do that. I've got a game (that is largely dead and silent) where I have a Warrior of the Elements who just does fire damage. What they did, which I can commend for being an effective solution, is that you don't get different abilities for using different elements. So you still increase reach, damage, and push/pull with Earth just like Fire just like Lightning, which makes it easier to make sure the entire thing is balanced, rather than trying to fit essentially multiple subclasses into a single subclass.

 

[mellored]

It's definitely a strong class feature. Is it too strong? That depends on context.

Yes. A bit.

I've playtest it, and it's overtuned. As long as they aren't getting swarmed, which is pretty easy to avoid with all the extra movement.

Not as bad as a 2014 moon druid or twilight cleric, but it makes monks a top class.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Anyways it seems Deflect Energy can be used in response to getting damaged by Magic Missile, and the return damage might actually do more than Magic Missile itself.

Huh, that's a neat effect.

 

[Nightfly]

This all sounds great. For all the whining about the ranger, it was really the monk which was the most problematic of the 5e classes. Stunning Strike was too strong, and everything else was too weak. This revised monk sounds like a blast, and with a really unique playstyle. Reading the article makes me want to play one NOW.

 

[OB1]

The new monk has really knocked it out of the park. Took me a moment to realize that deflect attacks really just makes up for the lower AC of the Monk class in general (after all, high AC means negating damage from attacks as well). Can not wait to play this class!

Also thinking about the synergies of a party with Shadow Monk, Gloomstalker, Assassin, and a Warlock with the Devil Sight invocation.

 

[Chaosmancer]

It's definitely a strong class feature. Is it too strong? That depends on context. Specifically, how it operates with the Monk's other defensive traits and overall strength.

Monks previously got cast as Rogue-like skirmishers, because they simply didn't have the durability to survive on the front line. But let's assume that's not the intended playstyle, and compare them to the other front line classes. They don't have the AC of a Fighter or Paladin with heavy armor and a shield. They don't have the effective HP pool of a Barbarian with Damage Resistance and a d12 hit die. So how do you get the Monk to stand in the thick of things and not crumple? You give them something like Deflect Attacks.

I think people are getting sticker shock the same way new DMs can freak out over Sneak Attack. But really, in context and comparison to what other front line classes get, I don't think it's out of line. Well, on paper. We'll see how things play out in actual play.

Agreed, and as one poster already pointed out, we know how to deal with the ability already if "needed". More attacks against the monk, or bigger attacks against the monk. So I think in the end it won't be a devastating change, just a notable one.

I also do like how this opens up some cool moments for the Monk. Being a level 2 monk and facing down an Ogre to deflect their massive club is a moment I think is going to be the highlight of a campaign for some new player, and I'm glad they are going to get that.

 

[Stalker0]

Anyways it seems Deflect Energy can be used in response to getting damaged by Magic Missile, and the return damage might actually do more than Magic Missile itself.

Deflect Attack says in response to a "melee or ranged attack". Deflect Energy doesn't change this, it just expands the damage types those melee/ranged attacks can do that it will still work on.

Magic Missile is not a melee or ranged attack. Neither is say a dragon's breath weapon.

 

[Chaosmancer]

One thing that is important: for the first 10 levels it is just bludgeoning, piercing or slashing. That alone will be a big limiting factor. Other monks at level 6, or a 4element monk pierces eight through it.

Complete tangent, but OMG! That idea of a level 6 monk piercing through this immediately brought this fight to mind.

That is a REALLY cool bit of synergy for story-telling.

 

[Chaosmancer]

My only nitpicks:

1) Uncanny Metabolism: I don't like that you have to have a combat to make this ability work. I would have loved a simple "when initiative is rolled, or after 1 minute of mediation" kind of thing. That way you can use it quickly in combat, or slowly out of combat.

2) Perfect Self: More ki is always good, but I would prefer a 15th level ability (aka 8th level spell time) to be a bit flashier than just "if you have no ki get some ki". I also hate the notion that you have to be blow all your ki to use this ability. Just give me X ki whenever initiative starts. If I use a lot of ki, I get 4. If I use a little ki, I get 4.

Agree on both points actually. #2 is a long complaint of a lot of abilities that have had that feature in the past, and I do like the idea of being able to restore yourself and heal outside of combat with the Metabolism ability.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I don't think we will get much gnashing on this thread. Frankly this monk is by far the most improved class we have seen so far. In fact deflect attacks is so good there may be calls that the monk is now OP (who would have thought?). Other than nitpicks, there is really nothing to complain about, the monk has been improved in practically every way possible.

Spoiler: My worries

It is the fact that deflect attacks is so good. There were many people calling the Monk OP and demanding it get nerfed in the playtest. I'm glad most of them haven't started flooding this thread yet, but as soon as they said the ability had largely remained unchanged, I was relieved... and immediately dreading this thread where I just know it is going to devolve into demands for nerfs and accusations of player entitlement