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

[UngeheuerLich]

Eeeeh ... I'd rather they just get some worthwhile class abilities ontop of their additional spells known.

4e monk is really underestimated. The other subclass abilities are more fluff than anything. The monk chassis is already in a good shape after tasha. Even just using stunning strike and the specially attuned weapon means 1 ki point grants you 3 attacks with 1d10+dex modifier damage (a long sword or a battle axe) and the possibility to stun.
Take utility powers that don´t use too many points and you are good to go.

So how about elemental points? They are like ki points but can only be used to fuel 4e powers. How many are needed do you think? Equal to class level, but only refiling after a long rest?

Since it is a 4e monk, they should get a few encounter and a few daily powers.
On a more serious note, give just proficiency bonus free uses per day. Maybe with level 11+ powers costing 2 uses instead of 1. That means 2 to 3 free fireballs per day (which are a bit worse than ki fueled fireballs, because they don´t allow for an extra attack if you don´t upcast it with ki-points)

 

[Xeviat]

4e monk is really underestimated. The other subclass abilities are more fluff than anything. The monk chassis is already in a good shape after tasha. Even just using stunning strike and the specially attuned weapon means 1 ki point grants you 3 attacks with 1d10+dex modifier damage (a long sword or a battle axe) and the possibility to stun.
Take utility powers that don´t use too many points and you are good to go.

Since it is a 4e monk, they should get a few encounter and a few daily powers.
On a more serious note, give just proficiency bonus free uses per day. Maybe with level 11+ powers costing 2 uses instead of 1. That means 2 to 3 free fireballs per day (which are a bit worse than ki fueled fireballs, because they don´t allow for an extra attack if you don´t upcast it with ki-points)

Flurry has to be unarmed attacks, not weapon attacks, and only some races get access to a versatile 1d10 weapon, so you won't be doing that much damage till higher levels.

The other Monk subclasses get plenty that isn't just new ways to use their ki.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Flurry has to be unarmed attacks, not weapon attacks, and only some races get access to a versatile 1d10 weapon, so you won't be doing that much damage till higher levels.

The other Monk subclasses get plenty that isn't just new ways to use their ki.

Didn't speak about flurry.
At level 5 you get extra attack. You spend 1 ki for stun as part of your action. You trigger the new level 3 tasha ability that may be an attck with a monk weapon.
Of course, flurry is a bit more damage, but 3 d8 or d10 as elf or dwarf is good enough for me.
And I can always take weapon master feat. Not too bad as monk. Allows a human to start with 16 dex and wis.

And then you have the option of burning 2 ki to whater whip pull someone and hit once again. Trip the enemy and follow up with advantage.

 

[Xeviat]

Didn't speak about flurry.
At level 5 you get extra attack. You spend 1 ki for stun as part of your action. You trigger the new level 3 tasha ability that may be an attck with a monk weapon.
Of course, flurry is a bit more damage, but 3 d8 or d10 as elf or dwarf is good enough for me.
And I can always take weapon master feat. Not too bad as monk. Allows a human to start with 16 dex and wis.

And then you have the option of burning 2 ki to whater whip pull someone and hit once again. Trip the enemy and follow up with advantage.

That's not how the new ability works. Stunning Fist works on an attack. The new tasha ability let's you make a bonus action attack when you use an action that costs ki (like casting a spell).

 

[Daghoulish]

That's not how the new ability works. Stunning Fist works on an attack. The new tasha ability let's you make a bonus action attack when you use an action that costs ki (like casting a spell).

It actually says if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, which would include Stunning Strike and Deft Strike from the Kensei.

 

[Xeviat]

But stunning strike isn't part of the action. It's in response to hitting. I'm not sure I'd rule it that way.

 

[Ancalagon]

EVEN SO it doesn't matter! You get a bonus action as part of making an attack for free anyway!

What this does is for the somewhat niche case where you use ki to do something - but dont attack, you could then have a single bonus action attack for free.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

But stunning strike isn't part of the action. It's in response to hitting. I'm not sure I'd rule it that way.

Depends on the reading I guess.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Depends on the reading I guess.

As pointed out, it doesn't matter, because you already got a bonus action attack from using stunning strike, or any ability that involves making an attack.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The way of four elements Monk still has a huge weakness that few point out: it's class features are all just new ways to spend the points they already had.

To clarify - it's new ways to spend the points they already had at a time they'd already spend them. The Way of Shadow monk gets new ways to spend Ki points through spellcasting, but the spellcasting from the Way of Shadow is on its own worth more than the entire Four Element schtick.

This is because the Way of Elements abilities are almost all combat evocations. Monks, with flurries and stunning fists are not short of ways to spend Ki for combat power meaning that it competes with class abilities. By contrast the Way of Shadow gives you four spells, of which Darkvision and Pass Without Trace spring to mind. Those are both long term non-combat spells that may compete for ki points (or may not if you have resting time) but there's basically no time at which you're uncertain whether in this instant it's better to cast Pass Without Trace or punch someone in the head while a flurry vs Burning Hands is much more competition.