D&D 5E 5th edition monks

[Morlaf]

{...this is especially for those transitioning from 3, 3.5 to 5.}
Dex has always been an important stat. Apart from class-specific stats (e.g. cha for sorcerers) dex is the most over-used stat.
Now I have been playing and running 5th edition for a while and I detest how str has become a dump stat for monks.
i.e. they need str as much as a sorcerer needs it. This is silliness.
Your chance to hit with melee weapons is determined by str because the stronger you are the faster you can move your axe to hit.
Dex determines how accurate you can be to hit specific vitals points. At least that is how the game tries to SIMULATE combat. Fine.
So in 3/3.5 you can take the finesse feat. This obliged you to be careful with selecting feats and it allowed for high-str build monks.
And still damage is determined by str.
Some future source books (unofficial or not?) offered feats to further make dex play a part in damage with finesse weapons. This seems balanced and realistic.
A degree of realism is not a bad thing....

is 5th edition balanced? yeah it probably is. But I have huge beef with 5th edition for doing this.
I take the opportunity to bitch and moan about it all the time and I am in the process of house-ruling certain stuff regarding monks.
I have also made my own Monastic Traditions that offer AS AN OPTION increased combat prowess bast on str.

Any old-skool playaz here (or indeed newbies) that feel the same?

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I feel exactly the same; Go-Ku was no weakling.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

This will just make Monks triple multi bility dependent rather than double multi ability dependent as they are now. Monks are ASI starved as is, having to max Dex and Wis while maintaining respectable Con. Throwing Str into the mix will just break them.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

This will just make Monks triple multi bility dependent rather than double multi ability dependent as they are now. Monks are ASI starved as is, having to max Dex and Wis while maintaining respectable Con. Throwing Str into the mix will just break them.

Which is why all stats should be vitally important to all characters, regardless of class.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Which is why all stats should be vitally important to all characters, regardless of class.

Great, now the meta spread is 13 13 13 12 12 12 and nobody's hitting their shots or making their saves.

 

[NotAYakk]

If you want Monks to not be weaklings (reasonable), you could add a feature to monks.

Perfect the Body, then the Mind (Alternative class feature to Ability Score Improvement)

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase your Str, Dex and Con ability scores by 1 point. You can also increase either two ability scores by 1 more point, or a mental ability score (int, wis or cha) by 2 points. As normal, you cannot increase a score over 20 in this manner. If one of your Str, Dex or Con scores is already 20, you can include Wisdom instead of Str Dex and Con (but you cannot increase Wisdom by 3).

Using the optional feats rule, you can instead take a feat then increase Str, Dex and Con by 1 (substituting Wisdom if any of them are already 20).

Going futher, you could change:

Martial Arts

* You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack rolls of your Unarmed attacks and monk weapons. If you do so, you can add 1/2 of your Dexterity and Wisdom bonuses to the damage roll.

12 str/14 wis/18 dex deals +1+6/2 = +4 damage, same as before.

That'll give you (a) monks who become closer and closer to physically perfect as they gain levels, and (b) ensures that strength determines damage more than dex/wis.

I doubt it would break the game either. Sure, you'd have some 20/20/20 physical stat monks (this grants +5 to Dex/Str/Con by level 20, with up to 1 stat overflowing into Wisdom). But that is thematically appropriate in my opinion.

A 20 str/dex/wis monk will deal +10 damage on a blow, which will bring them up a damage tier at epic tiers. Their lack of access to the "power attack" feats should prevent them from being ridiculously out of gamut.

 

[Morlaf]

This will just make Monks triple multi bility dependent rather than double multi ability dependent as they are now. Monks are ASI starved as is, having to max Dex and Wis while maintaining respectable Con. Throwing Str into the mix will just break them.

"...will break them."?? they are already broken..... that is my point..... they have paid too much attention to "multi-stat-dependency"..... when there was a system in place already that was perfectly fine while more adaptable and customizable....

 

[Morlaf]

not sure i would go as far as to say all stats equally important to all classes....
my main 2 issues are:
a) dex is (to use an overused phrase) OP and
b) monks (as I envisage them) should need high str.

 

[ad_hoc]

You should treat 5e as its own game.

Viewing it from the framework of 3e is just going to give you endless headaches.

The philosophy of 5e is entirely different.

 

[Morlaf]

You should treat 5e as its own game.

Viewing it from the framework of 3e is just going to give you endless headaches.

The philosophy of 5e is entirely different.

I am respecting its individuality perfectly.... which is why I only complained about monks. Everything else works fine. I am usually the one laughing at ppl who say things like Ranger Beastmasters are under-powered. I don't mind possible imbalance issues. The entire "philosophy" of monks that do not need strength is for me silly.....