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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Esker" data-source="post: 7854829" data-attributes="member: 6966824">Ok, so going through the 11th level comparison:Build 1: Vuman Battlemaster, Empty hands, Unarmed Style, 20 STR, Prodigy, (Some other Feat)Build 2: Vuman Astral Monk, Prodigy, 20 WIS, 16 DEX (prioritizing WIS makes the actual grapples equally effective since both have Prodigy, and allows two free BA attacks with the arms instead of spending ki to do Flurry of Blows)We'll assume 2x 5 round encounters per short rest, which is too many rounds, IME, but it should favor the monk since they are spending ki per encounter rather than per round.For simplicity, I'll assume a 60% base chance to hit with your main stat, and for extra simplicity just assume that both characters hit often enough to get their bonus damage from other superiority dice and empowered arms, respectively, since both are triggered after you know you hit. I'll also assume that the grapples are successful; both have a +13 on their Athletics check, though the fighter gets a +1d10 on the initial attempt.Fighter:E1, R1: 2H Unarmed Strike, BA Grapple (Restraining Strike), 5x 1H Unarmed Strike (Action Surge) at Advantage from RestrainedExpected Damage: (1d8+5 + 1d4) w/o advantage + 5x(1d6+1d4+5) with advantage= (4.5+5 + 2.5)0.60 + 5(3.5+2.5+5)*0.84 = 53.4E1, R2-R5: 3x 1H Unarmed Strike at AdvantageExpected Damage: 4x(3x(1d6+1d4+5)) at advantage = 4*3*(3.5+2.5+5)*0.84 = 110.9Total Damage in Encounter 1 (w/o Superiority Dice): 164.3Encounter 2: Same but no action surge, so reduced by 3*(3.5+2.5+5)*0.84 = 27.7Total Damage in Encounter 2 (w/o Superiority Dice): 136.6Remaining Superiority Dice: 3d10 = 3*5.5 = 16.5Total Damage / SR: 317.4Monk:E1, R1: BA summon arms, Unarmed Strike (using DEX)Damage on Hit: 1d8+3 = 7.5Expected Damage: 7.5 * (0.50) = 3.75E1, R2-R5: 4 Attacks With Arms (using WIS)Damage on Hits: 4x(1d8+5) = 4*(4.5+5) = 38Bonus Damage: 4d8 = 18Expected Damage: 4*(38*0.60+18) = 163.2Total Damage in E1: 167E2, R1 (assume w/i 10 min so arms already out): Grapple + 3 Attacks w/ Arms (using WIS)Damage on Hits: 3x(1d8+5) = 3*(4.5+5) = 28.5Bonus Damage: 1d8 = 4.5Expected : 28.5 * 0.60 + 4.5 = 21.6E2, R2-R5: 4 Attacks With ArmsExpected DPR: 163.2Total Damage in E2: 184.8Total Damage / SR: 352So, with these simplifications, the monk is edging out the fighter's damage by about 10%. The assumption of longer encounters favors the monk, since they have a relatively weaker 1st round, whereas the fighter gets a boost from action surge in one first round per SR. The assumption that the fights are within 10 mins of each other also helps the monk. And the fighter is also getting some debuffing with restraining strike, though to be fair the monk has ki to spare that they are likely going to be using on stunning strike, so that's close to a wash I'd say. The fighter also has a feat to spare, which could be used on something like Magic Initiate to get Hex, which will add a fair bit of damage for two or so encounters per day, since the bonus action is currently not being used after the 1st round.So anyway, I think it winds up being fairly close. I thought the fighter would be comfortably ahead, which isn't the case, at least with these long encounters. But I had also missed the Empowered Arms feature before.</blockquote>

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