D&D 5E High Level Monks

[Xeviat]

Hi everyone, or specifically everyone who has seen high level monks in action. How is the balance on Quivering Palm? It really jumps out at me as an intense ability. 3 ki? 10d10 damage on a failed save? For 1 ki, and an action and bonus action, is doing a potential 4d12+20 damage (46), or 92 over 2 rounds for 2 ki. For 3 ki, over two rounds, the monk does 3d12+15 (34.5) and at least 10d10 (55), or 89.5. On a failed save. On a successful save, fool's dead.

Compared to the Long Death monk, who has to spend 10 ki for 10d10 damage, Quivering Palm looks a little intense. How does it work out in actual play?


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[Horwath]

Hi everyone, or specifically everyone who has seen high level monks in action. How is the balance on Quivering Palm? It really jumps out at me as an intense ability. 3 ki? 10d10 damage on a failed save? For 1 ki, and an action and bonus action, is doing a potential 4d12+20 damage (46), or 92 over 2 rounds for 2 ki. For 3 ki, over two rounds, the monk does 3d12+15 (34.5) and at least 10d10 (55), or 89.5. On a failed save. On a successful save, fool's dead.

Compared to the Long Death monk, who has to spend 10 ki for 10d10 damage, Quivering Palm looks a little intense. How does it work out in actual play?


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It is very powerfull, but that ability was alsways powerfull.

But it's 17th level, people can pull meteors from space, make wishes come through and fly around as a dragon

 

[CapnZapp]

Please change title from "High Level Monks" to "High Level Open Hand Monks". Thank you.

 

[CapnZapp]

Keep in mind you need both an attack and a full action to make this happen.

A fighter spending one attack and then a full action's worth of more attacks is capable of doing, not "reduce Tiamat to 0 hp" worth of damage, but certainly 10d10 worth of damage.

The cost of Quivering Palm is after all five attacks worth (in max-level fighter currency). More if you're a Monk.

 

[CapnZapp]

Besides, the Assassin called and wanted its Death Strike back.

I haven't realized until now that for some reason the designers thought "reduce to 0 hp" was to good for the Rogue, but apparently not the Monk.

That can do it once every two rounds, and not merely once per combat.

*sigh*

 

[CapnZapp]

Compared to the Long Death monk

It's simply a harsh truth that when it comes to Monks, some subclasses are simply better than others.

Long Death is from SCAG, right? Haven't memorized that one, but already in the PHB there is a wrong choice.

Therefore I'm not sure it's a relevant comparison. I'd certainly hate for all monks to be brought down to the level of Four Elements. (Again, can't use Long Death here)

 

[Lanliss]

The Long Death monk can deal 2d10 per Ki point spent, up to 10 points, so that is up to 20d10. Sounds scary enough to me. Also able to scare off death for 1 Ki point, gets ton of temp HP, and is scary.

 

[lowkey13]

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[kbrakke]

Nitpick [MENTION=6799753]lowkey13[/MENTION], you don't get proficiency to damage, so the monk does at its base 44 (4d10+20) damage per round (At the cost of 1 ki with the benefit of 2 chances for prone/knockback). Nitpick at op, how is your monk getting a d12 for their martial arts die? It only goes up to 1d10.

At the end of the day boss type monsters should not fail the save, either because at level 17 most of these things have high con saves or legendary resistances. It takes 3ki, an action, and requires an unarmed attack to hit. And unless they fail the save 10d10 damage is not mind blowing. Monsters in 5e are huge bags of hit points with not much AC. 55 damage is probably a good 1/5 to a quarter of their hp, but it took the monk two actions and 3 ki points to do it, not really out of line with other classes. It's not even out of line with itself. With 3 ki points you can flurry + 2 stunning strikes which will usually be better, 44 damage, 2 chances to stun and two chances for prone/knockback

Conversely if you're fighting a group of mid CR monsters where they are likely to fail the saving throw and you quivering palm their leader, that's just purely bad ass. Stare each of the mooks on the eye while you make their boss explode. That's a fitting way for a level 17 character to end a fight.

Caveat, I have not seen this in actual play. The monk I dm for is only level 10 right now, so she won't have the ability for a few levels. The other monk I dm for is a modified elemental monk and does not have this ability. But your math even shows how in line it is, it's not much better than two rounds of attacks, and it loses out on the chance for prone with flurry of blows. Unless you can kill the guy, then it's great, but I wouldn't count on high level monsters failing the save.

 

[lowkey13]

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