D&D 5E Fist of Unbroken Air ... broken?

[Caliban]

If it did work like the Paladin's Smite, it'd actually be useful.

Alas, it clearly does not. And it's just another testament to the utter failure in design that is the Elemental Monk.

No that "clearly", obviously.

 

[Saeviomagy]

"As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend."

For you to be spending the ki up front, it would have to say "you can spend 2 or more ki points". As is, it seems really clear that you spend 2, then get to spend the extra later on the failed save.

The four elements monk is still pretty awful even when you allow it to do that.

 

[Blue]

The monk discipline Fist of Unbroken Air says:
"As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend."

That looks to me like you decide to use FoUA (spending 2 ki points), then the target rolls its save, and if it fails you can decide spend extra ki points for damage. This isn't an elemental spell, so there's no cap on how many points you can spend. So a level 20 monk could use the ability, and if the save fails, spend all his ki to deal 21d10 damage.

Sound correct, or would you read it that you have to decide to spend the extra ki when you first use the ability, before the save? Or maybe it should count as a spell in terms of the max ki spent?

I'm not really saying it's broken, though it seems like decent nova ability (for an otherwise underwhelming subclass). The thread title is more for the pun

Yup. If a 20th level monk is completely fresh in terms of Ki and wants to spend their entire allotment on a single hit, you can do 21d10, averaging 115.5 damage. Which isn't even half the HPs to a regular foe at that level, much less anything impressive.

As you mention, it's not broken - it's actually a really wasteful use of the power considering that dribbling it out in drabs can give you stunning, dodge, etc.

It's working as designed, nothing to see here, move along.

 

[Harzel]

I would read it like I do a math problem or if I were coding something. I.e.:

damage=3d10+((1d10*(kispent-2))

IF save=fail THEN targetHP=targetHP-damage


So basically ki has to be declared first.

Bug: missing ELSE clause.
(See, code inspections are a good idea. )

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Bug: missing ELSE clause.
(See, code inspections are a good idea. )

It would be an unnecessary else clause: on a successful save, no damage is taken.

 

[Barolo]

I would interpret the same as other posters, that is, the ability probably was intended to be equated to a spell.

Said that, compared to open hand in high levels, even the most generous interpretation presented in this thread is lame. Beginning at 17th level, quivering palm deals 10d10 damage on a successful save and simply reduces the enemy to 0 HP on a failure, for measly 3 ki points expenditure. Actually, the cost and effect of this ability alone makes me question the whole ki costs for four elements abilities, as this is comparable to very high level spells (stronger effect than harm, finger of death, maybe similar to imprisonment, which is 9th level), but still costs the equivalent of a 2nd level spell for the four elements.

 

[Corwin]

IMO, this falls on the ol' truism: If there is more than one way to interpret something, go with the one that isn't borked.

 

[Blue]

IMO, this falls on the ol' truism: If there is more than one way to interpret something, go with the one that isn't borked.

Ah, but reading these responses it seems there is no clear consensus on which option isn't borked.

 

[jaelis]

Reckon both are borked. Only solution is to not play a WotFE monk

 

[Krachek]

IMO, this falls on the ol' truism: If there is more than one way to interpret something, go with the one that isn't borked.

This could cut in half the numbers of threads and post in this forum.