D&D 5E Monk weapon damage

[EzekielRaiden]

The monk uses a d6 for their short sword the d4 relates to the Bonus unarmed strike which would be a d4 + Dex

Short swords are monk weapons, so this feature potentially applies to them as well.

In general, I am against the ambiguity of "can" vs. "must"/"should," because it usually makes things more confusing. This is an unusual case where that doesn't apply; they very appropriately used "can" instead of a more binding term, to allow for such situations where it would actually be an illogical detriment. Eventually, your monk die will be better than the short sword's d6, at which point you'll surely use the monk die instead.

 

[GainVanquish]

Short swords are monk weapons, so this feature potentially applies to them as well.

In general, I am against the ambiguity of "can" vs. "must"/"should," because it usually makes things more confusing. This is an unusual case where that doesn't apply; they very appropriately used "can" instead of a more binding term, to allow for such situations where it would actually be an illogical detriment. Eventually, your monk die will be better than the short sword's d6, at which point you'll surely use the monk die instead.

I didn't read it that way. I'll revisit the phb tonight. I thought the monk die only related to the bonus strike and not to the main strike also.

Looks like been playing my monk incorrectly

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I didn't read it that way. I'll revisit the phb tonight. I thought the monk die only related to the bonus strike and not to the main strike also.

Looks like been playing my monk incorrectly

"You gain the following benefits when you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:
...
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table."

Monk weapons are defined as "shortswords, and any simple melee weapons that don't have the heavy or two-handed property." (Currently, this means all simple weapons except the greatclub; there are no simple melee weapons with the heavy property.)

The bonus attack you get is another, separate benefit provided by this feature (Martial Arts). The second sentence quoted above (from PHB p. 78) clearly states you can use the d4 etc. in place of a monk weapon's "normal" damage. Of course, for the shortsword, you don't get any benefit until level 11 (when the die rises to d8).

 

[GainVanquish]

"You gain the following benefits when you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:
...
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table."

Monk weapons are defined as "shortswords, and any simple melee weapons that don't have the heavy or two-handed property." (Currently, this means all simple weapons except the greatclub; there are no simple melee weapons with the heavy property.)

The bonus attack you get is another, separate benefit provided by this feature (Martial Arts). The second sentence quoted above (from PHB p. 78) clearly states you can use the d4 etc. in place of a monk weapon's "normal" damage. Of course, for the shortsword, you don't get any benefit until level 11 (when the die rises to d8).

Thanks misread that completely then