D&D (2024) Monks and the Weapon Mastery Feat

Ashrym

Legend
So as I peruse the PHB more I can see monks can use scimitars as monk weapons being martial weapons with the light property to which we can add Nick at 4th level (+1 DEX too). That seems like a lot of attacks by 5th level with Extra Attack, a bonus action Unarmed Attack, and Nick. Has anyone already looked at this?

Or daggers later. I'll call him Nick Dagger.
 

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mellored

Legend
It works, and it scales by monk weapon die too.
But you don't get to add your Dex to damage.

So your adding 3-6 damage per turn, assuming you hit.
Not bad, but nothing overpowered about it either.
 

Ashrym

Legend
It works, and it scales by monk weapon die too.
But you don't get to add your Dex to damage.

So your adding 3-6 damage per turn, assuming you hit.
Not bad, but nothing overpowered about it either.

They should add DEX to damage.

Dexterous Attacks. You can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes and Monk weapons. In addition, when you use the Grapple or Shove option of your Unarmed Strike, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to determine the save DC.

That's part of the monk martial arts feature at first level.

EDIT: I should clarify. The 2 regular attacks and the monk bonus attacks should add DEX mod damage. The off-hand weapon damage would not.
 

ECMO3

Legend
A level in Fighter or Ranger will do it too without the feat and 2 levels earlier and get you both nick and vex.

For a Monk a Dagger is better than a Scimitar for Nick because it can be thrown and does the same damage. I think ideal is Hand Axe and Dagger using Vex and Nick.
 

Ashrym

Legend
A level in Fighter or Ranger will do it too without the feat and 2 levels earlier and get you both nick and vex.

For a Monk a Dagger is better than a Scimitar for Nick because it can be thrown and does the same damage. I think ideal is Hand Axe and Dagger using Nick and Vex.
So would other classes. The issue I would have with that is every other class feature gets delayed a level including feats and the loss of a good capstone if the campaign does play that far.
 

ECMO3

Legend
So would other classes. The issue I would have with that is every other class feature gets delayed a level including feats and the loss of a good capstone if the campaign does play that far.

For a Monk Fighter or Ranger seem to be ideal, although I guess Rogue could be good as well.

It gets delayed by 1 level, but you are getting an extra attack 2 levels earlier and don't need to use a feat for the mastery (not to mention the other things that come with the multiclass).
 

Ashrym

Legend
For a Monk Fighter or Ranger seem to be ideal, although I guess Rogue could be good as well.

It gets delayed by 1 level, but you are getting an extra attack 2 levels earlier and don't need to use a feat for the mastery (not to mention the other things that come with the multiclass).

Right, the build gets those extra attacks earlier but loses everything else later. Once the straight class has hit level 5 it's caught up on the initial extra attacks and is ahead by the extra attack feature. The multiclass catches that up a level later but by then any advantage to have gotten those attacks earlier is gone because they're available to both builds.

I'd rather wait earlier when it matters less than wait for higher level abilities for a longer portion of the campaign. The same thing happens at 10 level monk when flurry attacks increase. I'd rather have that at 10th level than 11th on a splash build. At that point we're talking 1st attack, nick attack, second attack, and 3 unarmed attack from flurry of blows.

Monks get a lot of attacks. The difference in splashing is 2nd level vs 4th level but then there's another discrepancy the other way at 5th level vs 6th level.
 

ECMO3

Legend
Right, the build gets those extra attacks earlier but loses everything else later. Once the straight class has hit level 5 it's caught up on the initial extra attacks and is ahead by the extra attack feature. The multiclass catches that up a level later but by then any advantage to have gotten those attacks earlier is gone because they're available to both builds.

This is where I disagree, yes at level 5 the single class is ahead, but the multiclass is ahead at level 2 and 3 and they are the same in number of attacks in level 6+. Also the fighter gets the fighting style as well, which is a significant bump in damage if you are using Nick.

The multiclass gets an extra feat in the deal, which means you can take something like grappler, sentinel, speedy, charger or skulker while having the same Dexterity boost and also having more weapon masteries.

Even if I did not take it at level 2, I would still take the multiclass later instead of using a feat. A Feat is a really high price to pay for just one mastery IMO, but each to his own.
 

Ashrym

Legend
This is where I disagree, yes at level 5 the single class is ahead, but the multiclass is ahead at level 2 and 3 and they are the same in number of attacks in level 6+. Also the fighter gets the fighting style as well, which is a significant bump in damage if you are using Nick.

It's also the extra flurry attack at 10th level, but it's not just the number of attacks. It's Extra Attack, Stunning Attack, Evasion, feats, other abilities from Heightened Focus, Self Restoration, Deflect Energy, Disciplined Survivor, Perfect Focus, every subclass feature, and anything else in the class progression list. The class is almost always behind the curve splashing.

The multiclass gets an extra feat in the deal, which means you can take something like grappler, sentinel, speedy, charger or skulker while having the same Dexterity boost and also having more weapon masteries.

I don't beleive I want any of those on a monk. I'd be more inclined to take Skill Expert or just ASI my DEX, but I'd still be behind something in all those other class features almost the entire build by splashing.

Even if I did not take it at level 2, I would still take the multiclass later instead of using a feat. A Feat is a really high price to pay for just one mastery IMO, but each to his own.

I don't think the feat is that high a price for an extra attack plus an ability score boost I need.
 

I think 1 level of Rogue is an amazingly cheap price to pay for a scaling extra attack from Nick + sneak attack + Expertise. But you really don't want/need more than just that 1 level.

A pure monk + Weapon Master is an option, but it's lacking the other goodies besides Nick, and 1 level is just a smaller price to pay than something you get once every 4 levels.

Now, however you get to Nick, daggers are better than scimitars, because you can throw them.
 
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