D&D 5E Do monks get enough Ki?

[Xeviat]

The basic assumptions of encounter/day design spelled out in the DMG suggest 6-8 encounters a day, with 2 short rests a day. It even specifically spells out that if you have more than a 3rd of the recommended daily XP in challenges between short rests, you're pushing the difficulty of the encounters up.

If you take the monk's Ki and triple it, then compare it to the Spell Point progression in the DMG, you'll see that a Monk's Ki is very similar to a half-caster's (Paladin/Ranger) spell points:
[TABLE="width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]Level[/TD]
[TD]Monk Ki x3[/TD]
[TD]Paladin SP[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]33[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]39[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]45[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]51[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[TD]64[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]60+[/TD]
[TD]64[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

So, I consider a monk's ki to make them akin to a half-caster. At lower levels, 1 ki for +1 attack (flurry of blows over martial art's bonus action) is really comparable to the damage from a 2 sp smite (level 1) when misses are taken into account.

As for comparing the Monk to the Battle Master Fighter at low levels ... if you compare the Battle Master Fighter's potential damage across a day to a Champion or a Eldritch Knight, you may end up agreeing with me that the battle master has too many dice at low levels. I'd give them a progression 2/3rds of the monk's ki progression (since the Eldritch Knight is 1/3rd a Wizard, and the Monk is 1/2 a wizard, the Battle Master could be 2/3rds a Monk).

With 2 encounters per short rest, and an average of 3 rounds per encounter, a 6th level monk can easily start using 1 ki per round. Past that, they can easily start doubling up sometimes; stun and flurry some rounds, just stun and martial arts on other rounds.

 

[FrogReaver]

IMO monks compare very favorably with a 2 weapon fighter at lower levels. They trade some durability for mobility etc. But their damage output is pretty similar.

Level 1
Monk: 1d8+mod (offhand 1d4+mod)
Fighter: 1d6+mod (offhand 1d6+mod)

Level 2 (only listing short rest abilities now)
Monk: (shortrest 2x: 1d4+mod)
Fighter: (shortrest 1x: 1d6+mod)

Level 3 (only listing short rest abilities now)
Monk: (shortrest 3x: 1d4+mod)
Fighter: (shortrest 4x: +1d8 AND 1x: 1d6+mod)

Level 4 (only listing short rest abilities now)
Monk: (shortrest 4x: 1d4+mod)
Fighter: (shortrest 4x: +1d8 AND 1x: 1d6+mod)

So IMO, they are very comparable to a battlemaster fighter with their current compliment of KI. So giving them very much more ki early would probably break that balance.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

That's one reason I prefer shadow monks. Their core abilities (teleport and turn invis) don't require ki. In any case when you play a monk plan accordingly and use you ki where appropriate. There's a reason they limit resources for characters, after all. My latest monk is a goblin for the precise reason that I can disengage and hide as a bonus action without using ki.

 

[CydKnight]

I have been playing a Way of the Fist Monk. The character is level 5 now and I honestly have only used up all of my Ki points once that I can recall and that was at level 2 when you start with only 2. It certainly hasn't felt like it hasn't been enough so far. Maybe that is a product of the adventure I have been playing or the other party members but it really hasn't been a glaring issue for me yet.

 

[jgsugden]

Monks are not fighters. They are not paladins. They are not rangers. Their combat styles have some elements that overlap, but they also have distinct abilities that allow them to do things that these classes can't do. As a result, they lose just a bit of damage potential. Also, their Ki points do not give them the same spell diversity of other classes. However, in totality, they are just fine as is and will be able to contribute in fun and exciting ways.

 

[nswanson27]

I should also point out that as level goes up, so do the length of combats. So even though a monk has more ki, he/she is still going to have to use some restraint as to where/how much is used. You definitely can still run out.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I'm a bit disappointed. This thread almost made it to three years without a post. That would have been a nicer necro.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

When I saw the thread, I thought the obvious answer would be given (that monks are quite good as they are, and more ki would be going overboard), but then I realized it was an old thread and the discussion made sense.