Monks & Weapon Finese

[JoeGKushner]

What's the rule with monk weapons and weapon finese? One of my friends swears that it's an official rule that all monk weapons are automatically suititble for weapon finese.

 

[jpargeter]

What's the rule with monk weapons and weapon finese? One of my friends swears that it's an official rule that all monk weapons are automatically suititble for weapon finese.

Well, IIRC all monk weapons (even the 1/4-staff and the 3-section staff) are either light weapons or are considered light weapons for the monk - so, I'd say yes. As weapon finesse allows DEX mod instead of STR for attack bonus, light weapons only -> it follows that monk weapons are included. yes?

-Jason

 

[PurplePCEater]

All monk weapons [1] are listed as light weapons; finesse applies to light weapons only (plus the couple of oddities of whip, rapier and spiked chain).

Therefore, all monk weapons can be finessed. Unarmed strikes (and indeed all natural weapons) also count as light weapons and can be finessed (c.f. PHB p113, near top of RH column).

[1] Except the quarterstaff, since that isn't a light weapon.

c.f. Weapon Finesse feat (PHB p102), Weapon size (PHB p113), Table 7-5 Weapons (PHB p117).

HTH.

(edit: of course, you can still flurry with a staff, it just doesn't count as a light weapon to enable it to be finessed)

 

[JoeGKushner]

I should have been more clear. My bad.

There are several 'unofficial' and I'm sure official sources, that allow a monk to spend a feat and use other weapons like for instance, a long sword. My buddy just assumed that he would be able to use Weapon Finese with it.

Another book, Quintessential Monk II, notes some 'Smoke Style' where you use a weapon but it also requires Weapon Finese but the weapon you pick (greatsword?), isn't a finesibisble weapon.

 

[Thanee]

At least I wouldn't know that monks can use Weapon Finesse on any different weapons than any other character.

Bye
Thanee

 

[hong]

There are several 'unofficial' and I'm sure official sources, that allow a monk to spend a feat and use other weapons like for instance, a long sword. My buddy just assumed that he would be able to use Weapon Finese with it.

Your buddy would be incorrect, as far as I know. There are feats in Eberron (for instance) that let you use either a longsword, spear or quarterstaff with a flurry of blows, but they don't make the weapon automatically finessable. Of course, there may be third-party feats that let you do this, but I'm not aware of any.


Hong "I have created a marvellous monk replacement class, but this post is too small to pimp it" Ooi

 

[ARandomGod]

Another book, Quintessential Monk II, notes some 'Smoke Style' where you use a weapon but it also requires Weapon Finese but the weapon you pick (greatsword?), isn't a finesibisble weapon.

Well... THAT is either poorly written (well, it's definitely poorly written if it doesn't address this obvious dichotomy) or it meant for the greatsword to be finessable in this case only.

IE, use the rules, don't let them use you. If you like it, if it seems balanced, let it happen. If you don't like it, tell him to redo that part of his character.