D&D (2024) Monks and the Weapon Mastery Feat

[Ashrym]

I do like the idea of a rogue better than a fighter. Nick + Expertise is appealing, and a bit more damage from SA certainly doesn't hurt, but then again SA I think becomes less than the TWF Fighting Style a fighter offers. Seems like more of a "2 second winds vs expertise" choice to me.

If the PC every did hit 20th level play, however, I would not consider either of those worth the capstone for a monk. ;-)

Edit: Giving it more thought, the 1 level rogue splash also allows for the Skill Expert feat at 4th level monk instead and would have expertise in 3 different skills early. I think I could see this splash.

 

[Horwath]

xterity boost and also having more weapon masteries.

Even if I did not take it at level 2, I would still take the multiclass later instead of using a feat. A Feat is a really high price to pay for just one mastery IMO, but each to his own.

yeah. a feat for a single mastery is ridiculously expensive.
I dont know if I would take feat for 3 masteries, so I reworked the feat:

weapon master:
pick 2 out of the list:
+1 ASI,
martial weapons,
fighting style,
3 masteries,

 

[Ashrym]

yeah. a feat for a single mastery is ridiculously expensive.

When that feat grants an extra attack and boosts a desirable ability score it doesn't seem so expensive to me. Why do you think so many people were taking PAM for the bonus action attack in their damage calcs? ;-)

 

[Horwath]

When that feat grants an extra attack and boosts a desirable ability score it doesn't seem so expensive to me. Why do you think so many people were taking PAM for the bonus action attack in their damage calcs? ;-)

yeah, extra attack that comes baked in with you weapon and ability modifier so you do not need to spend fighting style on it, but add fighting style to it in addition(sure GWF style sucks, but it really works for that extra 1d4 attack) and you can add IE graze mastery to it, and it has by default 10ft reach, sure it can be 5ft if you want to use quarterstaff to have shield.

by all standards 1 level dip in fighter is better than wasting a feat on extra attack without damage modifier.

and my modified feat that give 3 masteries is also weak as you aim for one specific mastery and rest is just backup gravy that you will not use in 95% of the time.

 

[Ashrym]

yeah, extra attack that comes baked in with you weapon and ability modifier so you do not need to spend fighting style on it, but add fighting style to it in addition(sure GWF style sucks, but it really works for that extra 1d4 attack) and you can add IE graze mastery to it, and it has by default 10ft reach, sure it can be 5ft if you want to use quarterstaff to have shield.

The feat for also adds to DEX and doesn't create later access to all those monk goodies in the class progression, or cost the capstone.

The feat itself is mostly trash but given the monk is one of the few classes that might make effective use of Nick but doesn't have access to it in the class table there's some sudden value.

by all standards 1 level dip in fighter is better than wasting a feat on extra attack without damage modifier.

Which standards are those? The fighter's damage modifier only applies to one attack out of many but the sneak attack option is very likely to land on one of those many attacks. OC, I can fit another feat in to add either Hex or Hunter's mark for an hour per long rest of +1d6 per attack. Eventually the build would have Cloak of Shadows (but wouldn't have to wait quite as long on a straight build) and by then the monk is guaranteed 4 focus points per combat. Cloak of Shadows cost 3 points and lasts a minute, which makes Flurry of Blows no cost.

That's 6 attacks per round with that bonus so the benefits from the SA or TWF style feat are both minor in comparison.

I can see the rogue splash more than the fighter splash, but either splash still leaves the build behind higher level abilities at almost every level.

and my modified feat that give 3 masteries is also weak as you aim for one specific mastery and rest is just backup gravy that you will not use in 95% of the time.

The other masteries don't matter much because the monk only needs Nick for the extra attack. It could be 1 master or 9 masteries but Nick is the only important one. The monk could use another master in the main hand, yes, but it would have to be on a weapon the monk can use. Many of those become superfluous in the shadow monk's darkness.

The monk does need to build DEX tho, which is the other part of the feat.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yes. It is a good feat for the monk.

Some people will tell you that the multiclass is always better, failing to notice that being one level behind on monk levels in an actual game is always noticed.

Usually there are levels where multiclassing is better. And levels where the feat is better.
If you look at all levels together, it is probably a wash.

 

[mellored]

A pure monk + Weapon Master is an option, but it's lacking the other goodies besides Nick, and 1 level is just a smaller price to pay than something you get once every 4 levels.

You can use Dex with any simple weapon, which is most of the masteries.
Slow, Nick, Push, Vex, Topple, or Sap.
All but Graze or Cleave.

Pick a quarterstaff with Topple for instance, getting advantage on flurry of blows will probably do more damage than Nick.

Sap synergies well with Deflect Attacks, as getting hit once per turn will be far less than half the damage of getting hit twice.

Push with the great club if your allies have zones up.

Slow makes it even easier to kite people with javelin.

Nick is only a little extra damage. Maybe if you got some bonus, like dip for hunters mark and a magic dagger.

Vex is probably the worst, since less than half your attacks are with the weapon.

 

[Horwath]

The other masteries don't matter much because the monk only needs Nick for the extra attack. It could be 1 master or 9 masteries but Nick is the only important one. The monk could use another master in the main hand, yes, but it would have to be on a weapon the monk can use. Many of those become superfluous in the shadow monk's darkness.

The monk does need to build DEX tho, which is the other part of the feat.

quarterstaff for Topple and handaxe for Vex, with dagger for Nick.
all 3 are good and all 3 provided by the 1 level of fighter, with a fighting style and 13 pts of self healing.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

quarterstaff for Topple and handaxe for Vex, with dagger for Nick.
all 3 are good and all 3 provided by the 1 level of fighter, with a fighting style and 13 pts of self healing.

The dip is surely not bad. It increases damage by another 3 to 5 later on if you take two weapon fighting style. Or +4 damage if you take take duelling. Interception is also neat as yoi can extend your deflect attacks to others.

It is the question if you are willing to delay your monk abilities one level.

As is always the case with those one or two level dips. Each and every dip is now very useful.

 

[ezo]

That seems like a lot of attacks by 5th level with Extra Attack, a bonus action Unarmed Attack, and Nick.

It is... Welcome to 2024!!!