D&D 5E Making monks cool again

[TheCosmicKid]

I'm playing a monk in a campaign right now so I'm sure as hell biased, but there's a couple of things I would love to do with my STR 10 monk that'd make him feel super cool.

1) give monks at a certain level (maybe 2) the ability to use DEX acrobatics to grapple and push enemies. Maybe I've watched too many kung fu movies, but this is monk essence in my mind. Monks get a number of attacks and this would be a cool way for them to use one or two up. I envisage tripping two enemies followed up by a flurry when they're down. Cool.

2) also be able to use dex acrobatics to climb and jump long distances. Again too many kung fu movies.

Yes there will be naysayers who claim that I should just pump my strength and choose athletics as a proficency, but it's very limiting and I can't choose other important proficiencies like nature and medicine. You wouldn't put your cat in a box would you? You wouldn't do the same to my poor monk, would you?

No, I say freedom to monks! Make them the zany martial class for people who like fun!

What would you say to a monk player who did pump their Strength and choose Athletics as a proficiency? I feel like players who make different decisions ought to be rewarded in different ways.

 

[S'mon]

It feels to me like the OP maybe screwed up his character build a bit, since it's certainly possible to build a Monk PC that does what he wants. It's just that eg knocking someone over normally uses STR (Athletics) - you can certainly have a Monk who attack action trips foes with his quarterstaff, then bonus action Flurries them while they're prone, all in one round. If he's 5th level he gets 2 attempts to trip, since with Extra Attack each trip attempt only counts as one attack. So you could eg sweep down 2 foes with a single sweep of your quarterstaff (2 x Athletics vs STR), then jump on both and kick them both in the windbox (bonus action - flurry of blows - 1 Ki) and Stun them both (2 Ki)!

Likewise, Open Hand Monks are the most Wuxia, though all Monks get some nice mobility powers.

So maybe talk to your GM about a redesign. STR 10 is workable (12 would be better, & still cheap), but you'll want to have Athletics proficiency at the very least.

 

[delph]

or take 1 lvl of rogue and give expertise to athletic and acrobatic...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

or take 1 lvl of rogue and give expertise to athletic and acrobatic...

There is also the "Prodigy" feat in Xanathar's and some UA skill feats that could be used to become expert in Athletics.

 

[S'mon]

or take 1 lvl of rogue and give expertise to athletic and acrobatic...

Monk/Rogue suits a Drunken Master type well, I think.

 

[jasper]

Toss ice water on them, then they are cool. Or get them a fan boy......

 

[Maestrino]

There's a whole section in the DMG about using alternate stats for ability checks, so any of this is allowable by RAW.

Talk about it to the DM and then describe it appropriately: "I climb the wall using my dextrous monk training to find footholds and handholds invisible to my clumsy fighter allies..." or "I use my extensive martial arts training to gracefully turn my enemy's momentum against him, grappling and tossing him across the room."

A DM that wouldn't allow monks to use DEX for anything like that needs to do some reading on Baguazhang.

 

[Undrave]

Clearly this is a situation where DnD's six abilities scores and the way they're not actually worth the same thing in actual play get in the way...

 

[BookBarbarian]

Since a recent errata any stunned creature will automatically fail to escape grapples.

So even an 8 str monk can grapple with impunity as long as they stun their foe first.

 

[ninjayeti]

Step of the wind lets you double your jump distance for 1 turn. Every monk gets that at 2nd level.