D&D 5E Monk with Q-Staff -- why not?

[Mouseferatu]

Unless you've got the polearm master feat, you don't get the offhand attack with the quarterstaff... nor any other pole weapons.

And the extra attack via the PM feat does not, IIRC, say anything about not getting the stat bonus. It's still not two-weapon fighting.

 

[aramis erak]

And the extra attack via the PM feat does not, IIRC, say anything about not getting the stat bonus. It's still not two-weapon fighting.

I tend to agree.

The QS or Spear wielding PM feat Monk has 3 options for bonus action attack:

• Second (blunt if spear) end of QS or Spear — PM Feat — 1d4 + Ability ?†
• QS/S in one hand, unarmed in the other — Monk MA Feature — 1d4 + Ability †‡
• QS/S in one hand, light weapon in the other — Inherent Two Weapon Fighting of all PCs. — weapon's damage die, no abilty mod.

† The first two do 1d4 damage. They say nothing about whether or not this gets ability bonus, so, the general rule applies, and that should mean the damage gets the attribute bonus.
The third doesn't get damage bonus by its own explicit text.

‡ Actually, on thinking about it, normal damage is 1+Str Mod for unarmed; the listed die "in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon." So...


There are times to use all three.

• Offhand whip to be able to hit a target at 10'.
• Target resistant to bludgeoning but not slashing/piercing
• second weapon is magical
• Second weapon is poisoned.
• Want the guaranteed more-than-one damage instead of the dX‡

 

[Lidgar]

I tend to agree.

The QS or Spear wielding PM feat Monk has 3 options for bonus action attack:

• Second (blunt if spear) end of QS or Spear — PM Feat — 1d4 + Ability ?†
• QS/S in one hand, unarmed in the other — Monk MA Feature — 1d4 + Ability †‡
• QS/S in one hand, light weapon in the other — Inherent Two Weapon Fighting of all PCs. — weapon's damage die, no abilty mod.

† The first two do 1d4 damage. They say nothing about whether or not this gets ability bonus, so, the general rule applies, and that should mean the damage gets the attribute bonus.
The third doesn't get damage bonus by its own explicit text.

‡ Actually, on thinking about it, normal damage is 1+Str Mod for unarmed; the listed die "in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon." So...


There are times to use all three.

• Offhand whip to be able to hit a target at 10'.
• Target resistant to bludgeoning but not slashing/piercing
• second weapon is magical
• Second weapon is poisoned.
• Want the guaranteed more-than-one damage instead of the dX‡

I don't think this is quite right. Third option only works if you are wielding two light weapons. So the typical bonus attack options for a monk would be:

1. Monk weapon + unarmed strike (include Dex modifier to damage for both attacks).
2. Quarterstaff with PM feat (can't use this feat with a spear). Include Dex modifier to both attacks (note at first level, this is the same damage output as option 1).
3. Wield two light monk weapons (like two shortswords). Bonus attack would not get Dex modifier on damage.

Monks are fun.

 

[Tormyr]

I don't think this is quite right. Third option only works if you are wielding two light weapons. So the typical bonus attack options for a monk would be:

1. Monk weapon + unarmed strike (include Dex modifier to damage for both attacks).
2. Quarterstaff with PM feat (can't use this feat with a spear). Include Dex modifier to both attacks (note at first level, this is the same damage output as option 1).
3. Wield two light monk weapons (like two shortswords). Bonus attack would not get Dex modifier on damage.

Monks are fun.

#3 could get ability bonus to damage with 2 light monk weapons for a monk that already has its second attack. The bonus attack can be an unarmed strike with another part of the body (feet, head butt, etc.). Because martial arts allows the monk to replace the weapon damage die with its current damage die based on the monk level. A higher level monk could wield two different magic weapons (if they had different kinds of bonuses). So a higher level monk could use a +1 dagger and short sword that did elemental damage and do d8s for the base weapon damage.

I had never thought about this before. The party can give the interesting but "weak" magic weapons to the monk, and it can get the full use out of them for the entire life of the character.

 

[Stalker0]

So the players who care about that 1 point of damage will use a staff or spear, that is like saying more people will go with the maul over the great axe because of 2d6 vs 1d12.

Yep I hear you, maul everyday of the week

At least in that example you are giving up a little average damage to gain the "big damage" more often. With the Qstaff vs short sword, there is no contest. I am not a fan of weapons being mechanically better than their "equivalents", forcing a player to choose between flavor and mechanics.

I just say that any monk weapon does a d8...monks are cooler with short swords than other people, no issue with that.

 

[Tormyr]

Yep I hear you, maul everyday of the week

At least in that example you are giving up a little average damage to gain the "big damage" more often. With the Qstaff vs short sword, there is no contest. I am not a fan of weapons being mechanically better than their "equivalents", forcing a player to choose between flavor and mechanics.

I just say that any monk weapon does a d8...monks are cooler with short swords than other people, no issue with that.

You could also say that any monk weapon only does the damage based on the monk level. Although the monk player may go kicking and screaming that way.

 

[PnPgamer]

Besides, why not use quarterstaff always two handed? Unarmed attacks are not necessarily punches, they can be attacks made with foot, elbow, knee, shoulder, butt...

 

[Zaukrie]

Agreed, feet and elbows and whatnot also count.

 

[Mouseferatu]

2. Quarterstaff with PM feat (can't use this feat with a spear).

This is a bit off-topic, but adding spears to the PM feat was one of my very first house rules. I mean, c'mon!

 

[James Metcalfe]

It is not a monk weapon, due to it being two handed though?
surely the moment you use it two handed, you cant use it as a monk weapon.