D&D 5E Feats for Monks

[Li Shenron]

I kind of think that being more melee than ranged is part of the character concept of a Monk, but I think it would be nice if there was a feat which allowed it to take full advantage from darts (i.e. shuriken), for example:

Darts Expert

• darts count as monk weapons for you
• when using the Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows features, you can make a ranged attack with a dart in place of unarmed attacks
• when you attack with darts, you can draw them without using any action or objects interaction

This would allow a Monk to make 2 darts attacks per round and 3 after level 5 (+1 when spending a ki point), and with increased martial arts damage at higher levels. For example at 11th level the base damage would be 1d8, and the Monk would be as good as a Fighter with a bow!

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I...might have to try that.

Same.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

(I think using a quarterstaff is most common until your martial arts damage reaches 1d8).

I think spear is most common, unless playing a Kensei monk.

 

[SkidAce]

One of the things I would like to see for monk is the option to not have AC depend on dexterity (without having to play a ninja tortle). I tried to come up with a way to do that that made sense, and eventually came up with this:

Elemental Discipline (enhances Way of the Four Elements)

Armour of Stone. As an action you can spend 2 ki points to surround yourself with stone armour similar to full plate. This armour lasts for 8 hours or until you dispel it as a bonus action. Whilst the Armour of Stone is in effect your AC is 15+your proficiency bonus, and cannot be affected by any other modifiers. It does not interfere with any monk abilities.


Now, on it's own this is only of value to 4e monks, but if you combine it with a feat that lets you acquire an elemental discipline, like the one I posted earlier, anyone can spend a feat to pick it up.

I think it would also make 4e monks suck less.

I have an order of stone monks that use con in place of wisdom. So their AC is actually their resistance to pain.

 

[jgsugden]

One of my first official 5e PCs was a shadow monk with magic initiate. Hex works awesome for a monk, almost like it was made for a monk. And Eldritch blast solves the ranged attack problem very well

I play a Magic Initiate Warlock with Haste. He uses a shortbow for range - so no problem there. However, Hex often goes unused because we're better off making the attacks with the bonus rather than casting it. I tend to use it:

a.) To give a foe disadvantage on specific ability checks,
b.) When I'm going to be making ranged attacks because the target is flying or otherwise inaccessible for melee.

I would also use it when we're dealing with a tank of a foe, but so far it comes up too rarely to be useful.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I play a Magic Initiate Warlock with Haste. He uses a shortbow for range - so no problem there. However, Hex often goes unused because we're better off making the attacks with the bonus rather than casting it. I tend to use it:

a.) To give a foe disadvantage on specific ability checks,
b.) When I'm going to be making ranged attacks because the target is flying or otherwise inaccessible for melee.

I would also use it when we're dealing with a tank of a foe, but so far it comes up too rarely to be useful.

While the monk has great movement, it's not always enough to engage in the opponent you want (like the caster in the back), so hex on round 1 works since you really can't use bonus action to attack. Also, I single handily took out a roper by kiting it with hex and eldritch blast and my 45' movement

 

[Mistwell]

Monks badly need more Ki (I personally think they were originally intended to have more and it got nixed at the last minute without re-balancing them). I'd say a Ki feat would give 2 to a non-monk with some things to do with them, or your proficiency bonus in Ki to a monk so at least it scales a little.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well we're already depending on 1 elemental of UA that might not make it (because people hate feat somehow and don't want us to have fun?) so I didn't want to count on ANOTHER UA and went for core fighting styles only.

Yes, maybe a case of counting chickens before hatching?

But I think I am really trying to emphasise the added value of a feat that you can change when you level up over a feat that is static. And the more options, the greater the value added.

 

[Fullmetal_Potato]

Unarmed Fighting style but it actually sucks for Monks (or rather, it is good at low level but loses value when your martial arts damage increases).

The fighting initiate feat allows you to change the fighting style when you gain a level. Once you get to level 11 where your Martial arts die becomes d8, nullifying the feat, then you can change the fighting style to a different one of more use. Until then, you can have the damage output of a level 11 monk by level 5 with this feat.

 

[Weiley31]

Honestly, I think a feat ala Eldritch Adept, Metamagic Adept, etc is probably the best option, outside of the other feats that are good with Monk. That+having it where you get extra Ki points based on your Wisdom Modifier.