D&D 5E Errata Unarmed Strike

[epithet]

Not as of yesterday! Errata happened.

Gah!

You're right, I was in error, based on the errata.

On a side note, was it really that important to make it impossible for anyone but a monk to be useful with an unarmed strike? Were there just too many fights that came down to the 1-point smack upside the head? Too many rogues getting sneak attack with an elbow drop? So now, even with the brawler feat, unarmed strikes are duds for everyone but a monk.

Added to the fact that the quarterstaff isn't a finesse weapon for anyone but a monk, and it is starting to look like someone at Wizards is playing a monk and is working hard to make sure the monk class has maximum exclusivity. Conspiracy!

 

[Fralex]

Gah!

You're right, I was in error, based on the errata.

On a side note, was it really that important to make it impossible for anyone but a monk to be useful with an unarmed strike? Were there just too many fights that came down to the 1-point smack upside the head? Too many rogues getting sneak attack with an elbow drop? So now, even with the brawler feat, unarmed strikes are duds for everyone but a monk.

Added to the fact that the quarterstaff isn't a finesse weapon for anyone but a monk, and it is starting to look like someone at Wizards is playing a monk and is working hard to make sure the monk class has maximum exclusivity. Conspiracy!

This is merely the monk's revenge for its poor treatment in 3.5. Not merely content to get improved, the monk now must show all the other classes how it felt. They mocked it before. But it will have the last laugh.

 

[Ravenheart87]

This is so goofy. Anybody in the game can stab somebody with two daggers, but only monks have figured out the one-two punch combo.

It's an abstraction, like everything else in D&D combat. You're still fighting with two fists, but unless you're a monk, you don't get an extra attack.

 

[Li Shenron]

This is so goofy. Anybody in the game can stab somebody with two daggers, but only monks have figured out the one-two punch combo.

You can always imagine you are throwing many punches and kicks, as long as you are limited to one target, and you can only get a total damage as one unarmed strike.

 

[famousringo]

You can always imagine you are throwing many punches and kicks, as long as you are limited to one target, and you can only get a total damage as one unarmed strike.

Sounds like a rationalization for what I see as a needless rule complexity.

I don't get why what is already generally the weakest martial attack option needs to get split off into its own category so it stops working with two-weapon fighting, enchantments, damage resistance, multiclassing, and gods know what next. Just make it a weapon, so it can behave like every other melee martial attack in the game.

The general trend with rule amendments seems to be increased technocracy, rather than clarity or balance. 5th Ed wasn't supposed to be like this.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Added to the fact that the quarterstaff isn't a finesse weapon for anyone but a monk, and it is starting to look like someone at Wizards is playing a monk and is working hard to make sure the monk class has maximum exclusivity. Conspiracy!

Locking monks in a cage by making all the abilities of other classes that require a weapon not work with their unarmed strike is pretty exclusive. By RAW I don't think monks can even move in between unarmed attacks now.

 

[Paraxis]

Locking monks in a cage by making all the abilities of other classes that require a weapon not work with their unarmed strike is pretty exclusive. By RAW I don't think monks can even move in between unarmed attacks now.

Very valid point.

I never thought of it before, but warlocks can't move between eldritch blasts either.

MOVING BETWEEN ATTACKS

If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a fighter who can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again.

 

[Paraxis]

Just thought of something else, the only natural attack that isn't a "weapon attack" is an unarmed strike.

Gorillas for instance have a fist attack, that is a "melee weapon attack", all monsters natural attacks are listed as "weapon attacks" except now if you made a stat block for a drunken tavern patron it wouldn't be a weapon attack.

This also means a druid in wild shape has weapon attacks but a human punching you doesn't, no matter the form a cat's claw, crab's claw, or monkey fist are all weapons still.

This errata has some very strange side effects, and I don't see what it fixes.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Just thought of something else, the only natural attack that isn't a "weapon attack" is an unarmed strike.

Gorillas for instance have a fist attack, that is a "melee weapon attack", all monsters natural attacks are listed as "weapon attacks" except now if you made a stat block for a drunken tavern patron it wouldn't be a weapon attack.

This also means a druid in wild shape has weapon attacks but a human punching you doesn't, no matter the form a cat's claw, crab's claw, or monkey fist are all weapons still.

This errata has some very strange side effects, and I don't see what it fixes.

Half-Orc "savage attacks" only lets you reroll the weapon's damage dice, so doesn't work. There are a whole bunch of similar issues, Sneak Attack for instance.

 

[Inconnunom]

This errata has some very strange side effects, and I don't see what it fixes.

Piping in because I've been following all the unarmed strike stuff.

1. Unarmed strike is not a weapon. (you are not registered as a deadly weapon)
2. Unarmed Strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

Thus you CAN move between melee weapon attacks. You CAN use stunning strike. However you CAN'T be disarmed. You CAN'T have your hands/feet/knees/head enchanted with Magic Weapon or some other kind of spell.