DeviousQuail
Hero
I do appreciate how straight forward it is. And unlike most monks it can actually afford to snag a feat. The loss of AC can be made up from Agile Parry or just hanging out at range.
Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.I do appreciate how straight forward it is. And unlike most monks it can actually afford to snag a feat. The loss of AC can be made up from Agile Parry or just hanging out at range.
It makes a monk that can use a longbow, with some flavorless non-scaling damage bonuses.Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.
Deft Strike works for melee and ranged weapon attacks. The Kensei archer gets at-will damage buffs, one of which very much is scaling, and has a reduced need to use it’s ki for damage output.It makes a monk that can use a longbow, with some flavorless non-scaling damage bonuses.
Okay.I guess we can call that "zen archery"..I would not call it excellent.
I did misread the deft strikes bit. Read it as weapon damage die rather than martial arts die. So it does scale, but I was giving it more credit than it deserved for half the level range.Deft Strike works for melee and ranged weapon attacks. The Kensei archer gets at-will damage buffs, one of which very much is scaling, and has a reduced need to use it’s ki for damage output.
Okay.
Yep. Plus I liked the Kensei in 1E (as a Fighter though) and I am happy with the Monk (as a martial) version in 5E. Could it be a bit better, maybe, but it is fun to play and fairly well balanced IMO.Makes an excellent zen archer, and tbh is just as quintessentially a Monk as the Open Hand is.
Yeah IMO it fits monk more than fighter, and I have seen it used a lot to make monk characters that are part of non East Asian esoteric warrior traditions, from occultist swordmasters inspired by Thibault and other eccentric European sword manual writers, to a really cool African philosophy inspired swashbuckler, a North African inspired Dervish, and a couple different Sikh inspired characters.Yep. Plus I liked the Kensei in 1E (as a Fighter though) and I am happy with the Monk (as a martial) version in 5E. Could it be a bit better, maybe, but it is fun to play and fairly well balanced IMO.
I hadn't considered Monks getting 3-4 attacks at lv1 with the TWF change. Then add Hunter's Mark and Hex on top of each of those hits if you want to get absurd...I hope that in the upcoming playtest version of the monk, that character could dual wield and use flurry of blows.
So, monk/ranger, with magic initiate feat…oof.I hadn't considered Monks getting 3-4 attacks at lv1 with the TWF change. Then add Hunter's Mark and Hex on top of each of those hits if you want to get absurd...
They're going to have to revise with a bit heavier hand than they've shown so far.
The playtest ranger doesn’t concentrate on hunters mark.I don't know what TWF change you're talking about, but Hunter's Mark and Hex are both concentration, so you can't use both...
Ah, got it. Thanks.The playtest ranger doesn’t concentrate on hunters mark.
I don’t care much about whether it keeps up with some other subclass or not, it’s fun to play and gets the job done.I did misread the deft strikes bit. Read it as weapon damage die rather than martial arts die. So it does scale, but I was giving it more credit than it deserved for half the level range.
After re-thinking it, deft strikes does eventually give access to a sizable pool of per short rest damage adds (though it only pulls even with battlemasters at level 8, is more restrictive to use, comes with zero rider effects, and competes with other monk abilities).
I'm still not fond of it, but it's better than I thought.
The hunters mark playtest is basically the same, but more fun.Ah, got it. Thanks.
They should have just gone with our MOD rule IMO: You add your proficiency bonus to damage against your favored foes.
Is it only "free" against favored foes??? Or can you just cast it without requiring concentration now?The hunters mark playtest is basically the same, but more fun.
There is no old school favored enemy, you just cast hunters mark on a particular enemy and don’t have to concentrate on it.Is it only "free" against favored foes??? Or can you just cast it without requiring concentration now?
Ah, that is what I was afraid of-- more power creep... sigh.There is no old school favored enemy, you just cast hunters mark on a particular enemy and don’t have to concentrate on it.
It still costs a spell slot. It’s the same power level as adding PB to damage against a select group of creatures.Ah, that is what I was afraid of-- more power creep... sigh.Don't care for it.
Well, thanks for the reply.
That is even worse IMO!It still costs a spell slot.