D&D 5E TCoE Monk buffs and Way of the Four Elements

[doctorbadwolf]

I think one of the main problems of the class is running against the expectation that Monks should always get to do something with their bonus action, because they always get an attack with it after the attack action and have various disengaging or dodging or what have you which they can do with Ki. The Four Elements Monk, meanwhile, would lay down a Ki based spell and then find that they would have to either waste their bonus action or spend more Ki. Not being able to make use of a bonus action sometimes is par for the course for some classes, but for a Monk it's strange and makes you feel like you are wasting your turn. Or you burn Ki on dodging, etc. just to feel like you are using your turn and then end with no Ki left, and this subclass gives you basically nothing when you are out of Ki.

I don't really much care about the number crunch, because I don't think the problems with the subclass were ever really with the number crunch as much as they were an issue of it being frustrating to players. Tasha's has done away with the wasted bonus action problem by ensuring that you can still make an attack. This does a lot to make the subclass less frustrating.

There is still the problem that once all the Ki is used up the subclass features boil down to having access to a prestidigitation-like pseudo-cantrip whereas other Monk subclasses continue to have more tangible benefits. It seems like the obvious fix is to introduce a few more elementary disciplines to chose that grant non-ki-powered abilities or passive benefits. Honestly they could just rewrite some Warlock invocations and call it good.

I think an at-will elemental Stance would do the trick. Gain elemental damage, and at X level gain resist to that damage as well, while in the stance.
Edit: Well, that and reducing the ki cost. The ki cost is absolutely part of what makes the subclass frustrating in play.

1ki/spell level would be fine.

 

[Xeviat]

I think so, and reading back, it looks like the person suggesting stunning strike was invalid was unaware of the word "part" in the full text of the ability.

Upon looking back, yeah, sure, you can interpet the new ability to get a weapon attack as a bonus action when you use stunning Fist. But you already could use martial arts or flurry to get 1 or 2 unarmed attacks as a bonus action, so at best it's a tiny gain at lower levels (unless you have a real nice magic weapon).

I still feel like stunning Fist is more of a response to a trigger, not an action itself.

 

[Ancalagon]

oooh man

Kensei Monk. Take the archery expert feat (-5 to hit, +10 dmg) and a longbow.
If you miss, you can spend Ki to increase your roll
And this triggers your ability to get a bonus attack - which can be with a monk weapon! Blam, third arrow at +10 damage....