D&D 5E How Good/Bad are Monks?
Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
I'm playing a Kensei Monk right now and recently reached level 4. Two nights ago I essentially saved the party's bacon by tanking for a few critical rounds - we were lighting bolt-ed at point blank range and the fighter went down like a sack of potatoes.
I don't think that the Kensei is the "ultimate archer", but he's pretty good at it. Combine that with high mobility and defenses vs returning fire on top of all the other monk goodness? It's very nice.
I don't think that the Kensei is the "ultimate archer", but he's pretty good at it. Combine that with high mobility and defenses vs returning fire on top of all the other monk goodness? It's very nice.
Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
Did you keep playing this character? How did it turn out?
Weiley31
Legend
I'm all for Jiangshi monks attacking the party.I think the real question is whether this is the monk in question
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Because this is thread necromancy at it's finest! Not that there's anything wrong with that!
Weiley31
Legend
Monks are pretty cool despite the 5E opinion on them be very mixed. The Way of Astral Self monk subclass from the new Tasha's is pretty wicked cool though.
Also, the Way of Soul Knife Monk by Mearls is pretty cool. And it pretty much has the potential of doing double damage to enemies by having the ability to switch it's damage type to Psychic damage and then giving itself the ability to make enemies vulnerable to Psychic damage. Meaning your hits basically could do double damage in theory.
Also, the Way of Soul Knife Monk by Mearls is pretty cool. And it pretty much has the potential of doing double damage to enemies by having the ability to switch it's damage type to Psychic damage and then giving itself the ability to make enemies vulnerable to Psychic damage. Meaning your hits basically could do double damage in theory.
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Guest 6801328
Guest
That about sums it up. If you are the type who gets worried about whiteroom analysis then this might not be your class. But if what you want is to have fun options at the table and feel like you are contributing, monks are great.
One of my favorite abilities is Deflect Missiles. It's a blast to contemptuously swat aside an enemy's arrow.
Or not contemptuously, but retort with an improvised Buddhist-sounding aphorism about serenity.
EDIT: I will agree with the criticism of the class (shared with sorcerer) that when a subclass gives you a new option for a way to spend a class resource, it becomes a trade-off to actually use that ability. So it may be an increase in versatility, but with an opportunity cost. WotC is apparently in agreement, because some of the new designs give you some finite number of free uses before abilities start costing Ki.
But that's a theorycrafting criticism, and doesn't make the class less fun.
Weiley31
Legend
Beyond Damage Dice: Monk Weapons, Part 1 - Kobold Press
Kobold Press's Beyond Damage Dice pretty much gives Monks the option of doing a Maneuver, that uses an Attack Action, that when making a Melee Attack Roll via an Unarmed Strike, you can immediately use the a Dodge Action free. In theory that could help out with the Monk's ability to tank a bit more.
Kobold Press's Beyond Damage Dice pretty much gives Monks the option of doing a Maneuver, that uses an Attack Action, that when making a Melee Attack Roll via an Unarmed Strike, you can immediately use the a Dodge Action free. In theory that could help out with the Monk's ability to tank a bit more.
