Monk Attack sequences

[FrogReaver]

it is a power balance issue, I am just worried the fifth level thing would shoot past the mark...In effect, through 4th level, 95% of my attacks look just like a normal monk weapon attack plus unarmed strike. Periodically I expend one of my 4 ki points to do flurry of blows in addition to the usual attack sequence.

The thing that seemed unbalanced to my DM, I am speculating, is that the fighter character, when expending superiority die (forgive me, just learing the 5e system so some of this be off) they can end up with rounds where they are delivering easily 20 or more points of damage while the monk character, spending a ki point maxes out around 16 if the normal unarmed strike is removed in order to spend that ki point.

A well played open hands monk can easily cause much more damage than a well played fighter using two weapons (at least until the fighter reaches level 11+). Chance to hit matters for damage. Open hand monks excel at proning enemies and thus granting themselves and other melee allies advantage. Monks are beast and don't really need additional help.

That said monks struggle to keep up with what feats can grant other classes for damage. In such a scenario you just fall back more on control and buffing your allies (stunning strike and proning enemies).

 

[Brotton Goodfellow]

I am currently playing a monk and can consistently keep up with the fighter specifically because of the amount of attacks I get. Don't be afraid to spend the Ki points because they come back after a short rest.

 

[Dausuul]

Monks won't match a fighter's raw damage output... but they get Stunning Strike, which is crazygood. You walk up to the enemy, whack it on the head, and if it fails its save, the entire party unloads with advantage while it stands there going "Duh." All for the low, low price of 1 ki. And if it makes the save, you still deal all the damage you normally would.

I DMed a two-year campaign with a monk in it, and I soon learned that any boss monster without Legendary Resistance or a super-high Con save was going to spend most of its time standing there going "Duh." And then the paladin would smite it into oblivion. They had a vicious little one-two punch going there.

 

[FrogReaver]

Monks won't match a fighter's raw damage output... but they get Stunning Strike, which is crazygood. You walk up to the enemy, whack it on the head, and if it fails its save, the entire party unloads with advantage while it stands there going "Duh." All for the low, low price of 1 ki. And if it makes the save, you still deal all the damage you normally would.

I DMed a two-year campaign with a monk in it, and I soon learned that any boss monster without Legendary Resistance or a super-high Con save was going to spend most of its time standing there going "Duh." And then the paladin would smite it into oblivion. They had a vicious little one-two punch going there.

Yes stunning strike really shines for monks. Though I dispute the RAW damage concern. Monks keep up just fine with fighters damage for most of the game (unless we are talking about the -5/+10 feats). I'm not even sure that fighters pull way ahead at level 11. Monks at that point still have the same number of attacks but can get advantage for them and their allies on a lot more of them.

Advantage (from proning or stunning strike) on 2-3 of your attacks per turn and possibly 2-3 attacks from allies a turn likely trumps the damage the fighter is causing.

 

[jaelis]

To be fair, fighters can be pretty good at knocking opponents prone, too.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

As soon as I saw the words "...in the real world" I was thinking there would be trouble. The monk is powerful enough as is. If it works for your game, have fun, but it's not something I'd have at my table.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Warmaster Horus]

The monk's defining ability is Stun. Stun locking is as dangerous to a Demon Lord as any fighter. Sure, they might get Legendary Resistances but a Monk can pump out 4 Stuns a turn. And being stunned in the 5e is just a short way from death.

 

[jaelis]

I wonder if its an issue of the monk feeling weak from levels 1-4. There's a case for that: your AC is probably low, you don't have stunning strike, and your ki points are pretty limited. You probably do feel pretty weak compared to a fighter in those levels.

If that's the case, you could go for a more targeted fix. Have to be thoughtful about multiclassing though.

Would it be crazy to move Step of the Wind into Martial Arts and not have it require ki?

 

[Warmaster Horus]

I wonder if its an issue of the monk feeling weak from levels 1-4. There's a case for that: your AC is probably low, you don't have stunning strike, and your ki points are pretty limited. You probably do feel pretty weak compared to a fighter in those levels.

If that's the case, you could go for a more targeted fix. Have to be thoughtful about multiclassing though.

Would it be crazy to move Step of the Wind into Martial Arts and not have it require ki?

In my experience running and playing 5e, the monk is one of the more powerful classes, especially as they get into the 7-11th level area. They get a class boost EVERY level and most of them are very nice - Deflect Missiles, Stunning, Evasion, becoming immune to poison, being able to remove conditions by taking an action, becoming proficient in all saves, on and on...