shadowoflameth
Adventurer
How do you feel about the value of grappling for a monk?
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Grappling Monk
- Thread starter shadowoflameth
- Start date
Eric Olson
First Post
A grappling monk would be great for roll-playing. Descriptive martial art combat! Clinch and strike. Grab and throw (grapple then knock down).
Unfortunately, it is weak grappler compared to other class choices. I think the best chance is to get a level of rogue so you can "expertise" athletics.
There is an open-hand technique to knock prone as part of furry of blows.
Otherwise you might need some house-rules to help bridge the gap to make it on-par with Barbarian.
On the monk side, you could add (or replace) some class features - limited by Ki points for balance:
maybe a "grappling strike" (ki point to apply grapple condition after a successful strike - or at least a grapple check)
(note: this help action economy so you can strike/grapple then do furry of blows and knock prone in one turn - which would role-play as a brutal take-down or throw.)
The grapple feat is considered under powered. It could be boosted without unbalancing.
* The 'advantage' feature is of minimal use when the most common strategy is to knock the opponent prone. Since the opponent can replace any of it's attacks to attempt a shove (to escape the grapple), it is preferable to get the opponent prone. So maybe add a feature to "counter" a shove: if a shove misses, the attacker is knocked prone (very jujitsu/aikido flavor)
* Let the feat give the monk some love: Allow wisdom bonus to grapple checks. (which makes total sense if you have ever grappled with a seemingly weak & slow elderly jujitsu master -- you are on the ground before you can think!)
Those would make a difference balancing the monk grappler with another grappler build and give meaning to the grappler feat (without making a Barbarian/Bard/Rogue grappler more powerful)
Unfortunately, it is weak grappler compared to other class choices. I think the best chance is to get a level of rogue so you can "expertise" athletics.
There is an open-hand technique to knock prone as part of furry of blows.
Otherwise you might need some house-rules to help bridge the gap to make it on-par with Barbarian.
On the monk side, you could add (or replace) some class features - limited by Ki points for balance:
maybe a "grappling strike" (ki point to apply grapple condition after a successful strike - or at least a grapple check)
(note: this help action economy so you can strike/grapple then do furry of blows and knock prone in one turn - which would role-play as a brutal take-down or throw.)
The grapple feat is considered under powered. It could be boosted without unbalancing.
* The 'advantage' feature is of minimal use when the most common strategy is to knock the opponent prone. Since the opponent can replace any of it's attacks to attempt a shove (to escape the grapple), it is preferable to get the opponent prone. So maybe add a feature to "counter" a shove: if a shove misses, the attacker is knocked prone (very jujitsu/aikido flavor)
* Let the feat give the monk some love: Allow wisdom bonus to grapple checks. (which makes total sense if you have ever grappled with a seemingly weak & slow elderly jujitsu master -- you are on the ground before you can think!)
Those would make a difference balancing the monk grappler with another grappler build and give meaning to the grappler feat (without making a Barbarian/Bard/Rogue grappler more powerful)
shadowoflameth
Adventurer
Makes sense. I looked for various combos that might work well. In the end, I think that I'll take an ASI with the kensei and go for magic initiate; Warlock for Eldritch blast, another cantrip and Hex. Considering mage hand because these make a fun Sith kind of theme.
Similar Threads
- Poll
