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Mediation, Meditation, Devastation: A Monk's Guide
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<blockquote data-quote="Yunru" data-source="post: 6701052" data-attributes="member: 6780961"><p>Races:</p><p></p><p>Dexterity and Wisdom are your two most important stats, normally in that order. That said, thanks to bounded accuracy it is possible to do well with any of the races. Hyperlink races are homebrew that probably will be close to the offical material when released.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: goldenrod"><strong>Aarakocra:</strong></span> I rated a race gold. Yup. Aarakocra make such good Monks it feels dirty. Fly speed is just perfect for a Monk's hit 'n' run playstyle and the stats are in all the right places.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Humans:</u></strong></p><p><strong>Human:</strong> +1 All is surprising quite good here. Normally half of the +1s have very little effect, but with the Monk you could go 8/15/15/8/8/15 to get 16s in your Dex, Con and Wis.<p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="color: turquoise"><strong><span style="color: skyblue"><span style="color: darkgoldenrod">V</span>ariant <span style="color: darkgoldenrod">H</span>uman:</span></strong></span> As a Monk you'll want stats more than you want feats. That said, having a feat can help. Variant Humans are awesome in that they're the only race that can get a feat from the start. You have to default 30 feet speed and +1 to two stats (Dex and Wis, or Str and Wis). Currently you're also the only race to be able to get +2 Wisdom out of the gate.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Half-Elf:</strong></span> You get an extra skill if you need it, Darkvision and Fey Ancestry. +2 Cha isn't anything special, but at least you get two +1s to other stats.<p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong><span style="color: deepskyblue">SCAG:</span></strong> All the advantages of the Drow, none of the drawbacks.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Tiefling:</strong></span> Hellish Resistance might be useful and you might be able to do something with the acquired Hellish Rebuke. Other than that it lacks synergy.<p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong><span style="color: deepskyblue">SCAG:</span></strong> It's no Aarakocra, but it's close.</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Dwarves:</strong></u></p><p><u><strong></strong></u><span style="color: blue"><strong>Hill Dwarf:</strong></span> Doesn't boost your attack stat, but it's a hefty bonus to Con (and thus your HP). Plus it boosts your Save DC stat and your AC. 25 speed isn't really a problem, thanks to Unarmored Movement. Darkvision is always nice to have. Toughness is great.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Mountain Dwarf:</strong></span> You're locked into making a strength build with this race. You get two +2s so you can spread the love stat wise if you so wish. 25 speed doesn't hurt for the above reason and Darkvision is as nice as always.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Elves:</u></strong></p><p><span style="color: darkvoilet"><strong>High Elf:</strong></span> +2 Dex. Darkvision. Keen Senses. Fey Ancestry. That is what makes you good. Everything else can be disgarded.</p><p><strong>Eldarin:</strong> As above, but Misty Step is awesome so a higher rating.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Wood Elf:</strong></span> Good stats, good speed. Darkvision is good. Keen Senses is good. Fey Ancestry is really good. Superior Hiding, not so much - generally you want to use your action for other stuff.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Drow:</strong></span> Buffs a useful stat (Dex) and a useless stat (Cha), but that's not why you're here. Average speed, but that's not why you're here. Superior Darkvision, which will be made redundant for why you're here. Proficiency in Perception is never bad, as is being immune or resistant to stuff. Sunlight Sensitivity can be bad but ties into why you're here: Drow Magic. Combined with two levels of Warlock and you can run the Darkness + Devil's Sight combo. Yes yes, some will argue it's ally unfriendly (it's not), but even if your DM is "one of those", you're here because you're a Shadow Monk - You can just teleport to the enemy, attack and then run out of the way. You could simply take another level in Warlock, or use some Ki (but a level in Warlock is more Ki friendly), and not need to rely on Drow Magic though, which is why it's not Light Blue.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Hobbits:</u></strong></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Lightfoot Halfling:</strong></span> Don't. You're not bad per say, but you'd be better as a Stout Halfing. Cha does nothing for you, Naturally Stealth does little for you.</p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Stout Halfling:</strong></span> +2 Dex is good, +1 Con not so much. Unarmed Movement counters your lower speed so it's not as much of an issue as with other classes. Lucky lets you reroll a fumble, which is rare but useful. Better chances at not being Frightened (Brave) is good. Moving through opponent's spaces could be useful, if you want to eat an OA. Personally I'd just go around them.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: black"><strong>Half-Orc:</strong></span> Your stats and Relentless make you out to be a good grappler monk, allowing a 14/14/13/8/14/8 pre-racial. Just don't try going Dex/Wis.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Gnomes:</u></strong></p><p><span style="color: darkvoilet"><strong>Forest Gnome:</strong></span> You can't be controlled easily by magic, and you've Darkvision. unfortunately you've only got a +1 to a primary stat and 25 feet speed.</p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>Deep Gnome:</strong></span> See above.</p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Rock Gnome:</strong></span> See above, only worse because you don't even get the +1 Dex.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet"><strong>DMG Aasimar:</strong></span> Wis good, Cha bad. More situational than Tiefling due to more situation spell selection.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Dragonborn:</strong></span> Stats do nothing for you, and neither does your breath.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Goliath:</strong></span> Barbarians, not Monks.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue"><strong>Blue: <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?468610-Thri-Kreen-(Homebrew-Race)&p=6701055#post6701055" target="_blank">Thri-Kreen</a>:</strong></span> Your stats line up, and Chameleon Carapace can be useful for Way of the Shadow Monks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Yunru, post: 6701052, member: 6780961"] Races: Dexterity and Wisdom are your two most important stats, normally in that order. That said, thanks to bounded accuracy it is possible to do well with any of the races. Hyperlink races are homebrew that probably will be close to the offical material when released. [COLOR=goldenrod][B]Aarakocra:[/B][/COLOR] I rated a race gold. Yup. Aarakocra make such good Monks it feels dirty. Fly speed is just perfect for a Monk's hit 'n' run playstyle and the stats are in all the right places. [B][U]Humans:[/U][/B] [B]Human:[/B] +1 All is surprising quite good here. Normally half of the +1s have very little effect, but with the Monk you could go 8/15/15/8/8/15 to get 16s in your Dex, Con and Wis.[INDENT][COLOR=turquoise][B][COLOR=skyblue][color=darkgoldenrod]V[/color]ariant [color=darkgoldenrod]H[/color]uman:[/COLOR][/B][/COLOR] As a Monk you'll want stats more than you want feats. That said, having a feat can help. Variant Humans are awesome in that they're the only race that can get a feat from the start. You have to default 30 feet speed and +1 to two stats (Dex and Wis, or Str and Wis). Currently you're also the only race to be able to get +2 Wisdom out of the gate.[/INDENT] [COLOR=blue][B]Half-Elf:[/B][/COLOR] You get an extra skill if you need it, Darkvision and Fey Ancestry. +2 Cha isn't anything special, but at least you get two +1s to other stats.[INDENT][B][COLOR=deepskyblue]SCAG:[/COLOR][/B] All the advantages of the Drow, none of the drawbacks.[/INDENT] [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Tiefling:[/B][/COLOR] Hellish Resistance might be useful and you might be able to do something with the acquired Hellish Rebuke. Other than that it lacks synergy.[INDENT][B][COLOR=deepskyblue]SCAG:[/COLOR][/B] It's no Aarakocra, but it's close.[/INDENT] [U][B]Dwarves: [/B][/U][COLOR=blue][B]Hill Dwarf:[/B][/COLOR] Doesn't boost your attack stat, but it's a hefty bonus to Con (and thus your HP). Plus it boosts your Save DC stat and your AC. 25 speed isn't really a problem, thanks to Unarmored Movement. Darkvision is always nice to have. Toughness is great. [COLOR=blue][B]Mountain Dwarf:[/B][/COLOR] You're locked into making a strength build with this race. You get two +2s so you can spread the love stat wise if you so wish. 25 speed doesn't hurt for the above reason and Darkvision is as nice as always. [B][U]Elves:[/U][/B] [COLOR=darkvoilet][B]High Elf:[/B][/COLOR] +2 Dex. Darkvision. Keen Senses. Fey Ancestry. That is what makes you good. Everything else can be disgarded. [B]Eldarin:[/B] As above, but Misty Step is awesome so a higher rating. [COLOR=blue][B]Wood Elf:[/B][/COLOR] Good stats, good speed. Darkvision is good. Keen Senses is good. Fey Ancestry is really good. Superior Hiding, not so much - generally you want to use your action for other stuff. [COLOR=blue][B]Drow:[/B][/COLOR] Buffs a useful stat (Dex) and a useless stat (Cha), but that's not why you're here. Average speed, but that's not why you're here. Superior Darkvision, which will be made redundant for why you're here. Proficiency in Perception is never bad, as is being immune or resistant to stuff. Sunlight Sensitivity can be bad but ties into why you're here: Drow Magic. Combined with two levels of Warlock and you can run the Darkness + Devil's Sight combo. Yes yes, some will argue it's ally unfriendly (it's not), but even if your DM is "one of those", you're here because you're a Shadow Monk - You can just teleport to the enemy, attack and then run out of the way. You could simply take another level in Warlock, or use some Ki (but a level in Warlock is more Ki friendly), and not need to rely on Drow Magic though, which is why it's not Light Blue. [B][U]Hobbits:[/U][/B] [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Lightfoot Halfling:[/B][/COLOR] Don't. You're not bad per say, but you'd be better as a Stout Halfing. Cha does nothing for you, Naturally Stealth does little for you. [COLOR=blue][B]Stout Halfling:[/B][/COLOR] +2 Dex is good, +1 Con not so much. Unarmed Movement counters your lower speed so it's not as much of an issue as with other classes. Lucky lets you reroll a fumble, which is rare but useful. Better chances at not being Frightened (Brave) is good. Moving through opponent's spaces could be useful, if you want to eat an OA. Personally I'd just go around them. [COLOR=black][B]Half-Orc:[/B][/COLOR] Your stats and Relentless make you out to be a good grappler monk, allowing a 14/14/13/8/14/8 pre-racial. Just don't try going Dex/Wis. [B][U]Gnomes:[/U][/B] [COLOR=darkvoilet][B]Forest Gnome:[/B][/COLOR] You can't be controlled easily by magic, and you've Darkvision. unfortunately you've only got a +1 to a primary stat and 25 feet speed. [COLOR=darkviolet][B]Deep Gnome:[/B][/COLOR] See above. [COLOR=red][B]Rock Gnome:[/B][/COLOR] See above, only worse because you don't even get the +1 Dex. [COLOR=darkviolet][B]DMG Aasimar:[/B][/COLOR] Wis good, Cha bad. More situational than Tiefling due to more situation spell selection. [COLOR=red][B]Dragonborn:[/B][/COLOR] Stats do nothing for you, and neither does your breath. [COLOR=red][B]Goliath:[/B][/COLOR] Barbarians, not Monks. [COLOR=blue][B]Blue: [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?468610-Thri-Kreen-(Homebrew-Race)&p=6701055#post6701055"]Thri-Kreen[/URL]:[/B][/COLOR] Your stats line up, and Chameleon Carapace can be useful for Way of the Shadow Monks. [/QUOTE]
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