D&D (2024) D&D 5e 2024 Monk Handbook

[GMforPowergamers]

brief combat comparison
Monk1/Rogue1 (with daggers) vs Monk2

So if I start a game at level 3 (I normally do) and expect it to run to levels 10-15 depending on how things go... would you suggest starting 3rd monk for my player or 2/1... he at first was talking about taking Barbarian 1 as his 1st level then 2 monk, and then changed that to maybe pick up ranger or rogue LATER,

Some backstory if you care: this guy is the least adept at building characters in my group, and often needs help. He ALSO loved every version of the monk but only found 4e one really powerful... so he is hopeing to not only make a GOOD monk this time for our first 5.24 game but he wants to be amazing...

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

this guy is the least adept at building characters in my group

I think you should sit him down and emphasize that you don't need to multiclass (especially Monk, super-especially if he's someone who'd try to smash Ranger into it).

But yes, I personally think MonkX/Rogue1 is the most powerful all-around Monk option, that is also very easy to grasp. I think starting off as Rogue1/Monk2 is the best, simply because picking Rogue as the starting class gets you an extra skill proficiency, no other reason.

Barb/Monk is doable, but it takes so much more work, and has so many more caveats, that you should not let this guy anyone anywhere near that idea.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

But, that said, let me see about a Barbarian1/Monk...

Making a standard pointbuy Monk able to dip into Barb:
Str 13 Dex 15+2 Con 12 Wis 15+1 (not much of a change, you just lower Con to 12)
start off as Barb, to have the maxed d12 hitdie
(multiclassing no longer cares about Unarmored Defense order, you can now pick which to use)
get freebie Nick mastery (but it just deals the base damage die)
Rage gives resistance to physical damage for 10 minutes, basically doubling their hitpoints
so the angry man is the defensive Monk build
flaw: abilities don't help against energy attacks, you don't start with Dex save proficiency to help against AoEs

This one is fine, like they just went to a different, defensive iron shirt Monk school, that started brawls over at the local tavern as a form of sparring. You likely want to pick up Resilient: Dex, though... but on the positive side, then you've covered two of the main saves while also increasing your main stat.

Now, what if we hard commit to making a Str-based Barb1/Monk? same as above, except...
Str 15+2 Dex 14 Con 12 Wis 14+1? (there's no pretty way to do this on standard pointbuy)
your AC is taking a hit, no way around it, those multiclass stat requirements are brutalizing you
you get +2 dmg to every hit you make (making Nick much better)
you can actually jump and climb
flaw: terrible AC, monsters now inflict conditions without a save on hit

This is just awkward on so many levels, and while they do more damage, they most likely won't fulfill the fantasy of being a strong man, when every little thing is able to knock you around (and this gets so much worse with levels, because you want to raise your Str, which does not help your AC at all). Deflecting an attack to zero damage does not protect you from the status effects.

However! Barrier tattoos are like armor. If you can get those, then this major problem vanishes. Then you're just doing extra damage (as long as your Rage stays up, so you're on this 20 minutes and then I need to nap cycle). I'm personally not a fan of builds that rely on one, specific magic item to fix them, but hey, it exists.

 

[Charkomangus]

But, that said, let me see about a Barbarian1/Monk...

Making a standard pointbuy Monk able to dip into Barb:
Str 13 Dex 15+2 Con 12 Wis 15+1 (not much of a change, you just lower Con to 12)
start off as Barb, to have the maxed d12 hitdie
get freebie Nick mastery (but it just deals the base damage die)
Rage gives resistance to physical damage for 10 minutes, basically doubling their hitpoints
so the angry man is the defensive Monk build
flaw: abilities don't help against energy attacks, you don't start with Dex save proficiency to help against AoEs

This one is fine, like they just went to a different, defensive iron shirt Monk school, that started brawls over at the local tavern as a form of sparring. You likely want to pick up Resilient: Dex, though... but on the positive side, then you've covered two of the main saves while also increasing your main stat.

Now, what if we hard commit to making a Str-based Barb1/Monk? same as above, except...
Str 15+2 Dex 14 Con 12 Wis 14+1? (there's no pretty way to do this on standard pointbuy)
your AC is taking a hit, no way around it, those multiclass stat requirements are brutalizing you
you get +2 dmg to every hit you make (making Nick much better)
you can actually jump and climb
flaw: terrible AC, monsters now inflict conditions without a save on hit

This is just awkward on so many levels, and while they do more damage, they most likely won't fulfill the fantasy of being a strong man, when every little thing is able to knock you around (and this gets so much worse with levels, because you want to raise your Str, which does not help your AC at all). Deflecting an attack to zero damage does not protect you from the status effects.

However! Barrier tattoos are like armor. If you can get those, then this major problem vanishes. Then you're just doing extra damage (as long as your Rage stays up, so you're on this 20 minutes and then I need to nap cycle). I'm personally not a fan of builds that rely on one, specific magic item to fix them, but hey, it exists.

" Deflecting an attack to zero damage does not protect you from the status effects." I thought that if no damage had occurred the rider doesn't go through, no? Would be odd to deflect attack entirely and still fall down.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

" Deflecting an attack to zero damage does not protect you from the status effects." I thought that if no damage had occurred the rider doesn't go through, no? Would be odd to deflect attack entirely and still fall down.

Yep - getting knocked down isn't the worst to imagine (it was a powerful hit that pushed you down? though if it was able to be reduced to 0, it likely wasn't), but you still get poisoned even if you take no damage from the bite...

Nothing in Deflect says it prevents the effects and nothing in the monster stat blocks says the effects are dependant on damage being dealt (only on it hitting). And I cannot find anything in the rules that covers 0 damage events otherwise (other than 'it’s possible to deal 0 damage').

 

[Blue]

Added to our Class Guides wiki. First 2024 guide.

Class Guides

Looking for guides on how to best optimise or build a class or concept in your D&D 5th Edition game? Look no further than this thread! This is the initial list. It will contain links to the Wizards of the Coast threads until I move each one over and...

www.enworld.org

 

[Not a Decepticon]

You can't take Element Adept (Fire) for only Goliath's Fire's Burn as it requires spellcasting (it only applies to spells too).

Thanks for making this, was a lovely read!

Oh right, I misread that feat, it only works for spells. I have adjusted the entry

As a counter-argument, you want to hit lv5 mainly for Extra Attack... but Nick gets you that as early as lv2!
You can get it from Fighter (TWF style) and Rogue (sneak attack, skills).

Great math, I added mention of this to Nick's entry in Weapon Mastery and decided it gets its color up to blue.