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

 

[mellored]

...and then they save for half is the thing.

True .
But your going to be using it vs lower level swarms. Not single big monsters.

Anyways, I agree it's a niche feature, but it never hurts to have some AoE.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

True .
But your going to be using it vs lower level swarms. Not single big monsters.

Anyways, I agree it's a niche feature, but it never hurts to have some AoE.

And you still can flurry.

Minion clearance tools are very undervalued in white room analyses.

 

[mellored]

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.

In the playtest, it only worked on attacks. They might of added saves.

So I would wait to see the final wording before concluding about magic missile.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Monk has such a tight theme, that it's still just the wuxia class. Or ninja, if you go for the MonkX/Rogue1 dip, who, besides the extra attack of Nick, opens up your life with Expertise so much.

You could say your Monk is a gentleman duelist, but they're not known for kicking people that often. Maybe if you reflavor that bonus action unarmed attack as a hilt strike? At least now you can push with it.

I like the Monk, I just feel like the class automatically comes with flowy orange robes and a bald head.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I haven't read any of this thread yet, I know there will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth.

But before that.

I am so relieved and excited for this new monk. This isn't even exactly what I was hoping for, because the Stunning Strike got reworked into a very interesting ability. Monks are going to be so much fun to play, and I am so, so, so ready for them.

///

As a note, if you haven't checked out the article: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1758-2024-monk-vs-2014-monk-whats-new there is a subtle nerf in there.

The Warrior of Mercy section says "The most significant change is that Flurry of Healing and Harm can now be used a number of times per Long Rest equal to your Wisdom modifier." I'm not sure if that is both parts of the flurry, just the harm, just the healing, but since it was something most people wouldn't see, I wanted to highlight it.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm very surprised they kept deflect attacks intact as is from the playtest, I thought for sure they would tone it down.

Honestly this monk is looking HOSS. More damage, WAY more defense, less Ki point spam needed. Its a brand new ballgame.

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.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Can't make any promises on providing a detailed breakdown like @Kobold Stew has been doing for previous videos, but figured I'd at least get this thread up and running.

Video should go live at the top of the hour (9 AM PDT).

Thank you very much!

 

[Zaukrie]

Monk has such a tight theme, that it's still just the wuxia class. Or ninja, if you go for the MonkX/Rogue1 dip, who, besides the extra attack of Nick, opens up your life with Expertise so much.

You could say your Monk is a gentleman duelist, but they're not known for kicking people that often. Maybe if you reflavor that bonus action unarmed attack as a hilt strike? At least now you can push with it.

I like the Monk, I just feel like the class automatically comes with flowy orange robes and a bald head.

Not at all. It can be from any society that outlawed weapons for peasants (or anyone not a lord). It doesn't need to be tied to robes and a bald head at all.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

If you skirmish with deflect attacks then you are insanely strong.

Individually, yes. If you're a gun monk who keeps running away while hitting people with ranged attacks (that can trigger Stunning Strike), you're even more unkillable.

It's just, it's a team game, and health pools are a resource. If you're not attracting enough attention to dip into yours, those attacks are going to the other partymates.

 

[Stalker0]

I haven't read any of this thread yet, I know there will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth.

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.