D&D 5E Why do Monks only have d8 HP instead of d10 HP?

[UngeheuerLich]

I have an incredibly difficult time articulating why the D&D monk disappoints me so much. I could think of a few easy quality of life changes that I think would really benefit it, but nothing that really solves my core issue of it being so unenjoyable for me despite being the closest thing to style of character I most enjoy playing (supernatural martial artist). Giving the base monk the Way of the Open Hand's Open Hand Technique would go a long way towards making them feel like martial controllers, which I personally think is a good niche for them to occupy separate from the other martial classes. Improve the Unarmored Movement ability so that it imposes Disadvantage on enemy Attacks of Opportunity, and you have a much stronger incentive and ability to stay mobile.

Honestly, 5E as a whole would have worked a lot better if they had taken a page out of Fantasy Craft's book and given each class a "Core Ability" that you only get when you start as that class. Then they'd be able to stop worrying about giving classes fun abilities earlier on that get collected via dipping.

Quite a few classes could have some features of their most iconic subclasses baked in. Fighter could have battlemaster maneuvers or at least all the champion stuff by default.
The ranger could have some hunter features baked in, or the beastmaster pets.
The rogue could have the thief features always active...
WotC probably was a bit conservative in giving archetypal features to the base class, because they may not be what you want.
I like what they did with the warlock in principle. A subclass and on top a few choices to pick from afterwards (pact of the X and invocations).

 

[Undrave]

I have an incredibly difficult time articulating why the D&D monk disappoints me so much. I could think of a few easy quality of life changes that I think would really benefit it, but nothing that really solves my core issue of it being so unenjoyable for me despite being the closest thing to style of character I most enjoy playing (supernatural martial artist). Giving the base monk the Way of the Open Hand's Open Hand Technique would go a long way towards making them feel like martial controllers, which I personally think is a good niche for them to occupy separate from the other martial classes. Improve the Unarmored Movement ability so that it imposes Disadvantage on enemy Attacks of Opportunity, and you have a much stronger incentive and ability to stay mobile.

Honestly, 5E as a whole would have worked a lot better if they had taken a page out of Fantasy Craft's book and given each class a "Core Ability" that you only get when you start as that class. Then they'd be able to stop worrying about giving classes fun abilities earlier on that get collected via dipping.

EDIT: I just got it! How about this way of articulating it: The Monk feels off because it feels like a Warlock without Eldtrich Blast or any Invocations.

Ki should be spent like a Battlemaster's Superiority Dice, as an improvement on things you already do, NOT as if they were Spell Slots that are the core of your competency! And the Monk lacks customization outside its subclass choice.

I think the Monk should be closer to an At-Will class like the Rogue with only certain subclass abilities (and probably Stunning Strike) as the expenses of Ki. Maybe keep the healing thing from Tasha's as an equivalent to the Fighter's Second Wind.

 

[Minigiant]

Also my feelings exactly!

MAYBE if there was cool stuff to buy that you could get with the money you save on gear, but that's just not a thing in 5E really...

The benefit of not being on the magic equipment treadmill is weak if your game purposely removed the treadmill.

 

[billd91]

Ki should be spent like a Battlemaster's Superiority Dice, as an improvement on things you already do, NOT as if they were Spell Slots that are the core of your competency!

I think this critique may apply better to monks of certain monastic traditions but not others. And that may indicate that the Ki point structure is being tapped to drive two different types of features that aren't all that compatible. Ki points work fine, I think, for the magical abilities of the Way of Shadow and Way of the Four Elements, but not as well for core class abilities like Step of the Wind or Patient Defense.

 

[Nefermandias]

Honestly, let's just rename them "mooks" and be done with it.

 

[Minigiant]

I think this critique may apply better to monks of certain monastic traditions but not others. And that may indicate that the Ki point structure is being tapped to drive two different types of features that aren't all that compatible. Ki points work fine, I think, for the magical abilities of the Way of Shadow and Way of the Four Elements, but not as well for core class abilities like Step of the Wind or Patient Defense.

I agree. I think the main issue with the Monk is that all but one active "monkism" is tied to the Ki system.

With with a "rogue" combat skeleton and a "fighter" noncombat skeleton, the Monk can't really be good at anything that matters in common D&D play without spending Ki.

And what passive non-Ki features the monk has is tied to 1970s martial arts tv shows and movies with no translation to "medieval heroic fantasy".

This causes the monk to be seen as and at the same time not seen as a warrior class. It's given a few spendable resources for amazing feats like a warrior. However it's base is explicitly made weaker than a base warrior class.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I think the Monk should be closer to an At-Will class like the Rogue with only certain subclass abilities (and probably Stunning Strike) as the expenses of Ki. Maybe keep the healing thing from Tasha's as an equivalent to the Fighter's Second Wind.

Hot Take: I'd go the other way

Make the monk a full-spellcaster with its own spell list specialized around mobility, pre-cognition, touch spells.
Give the 4E monk access to some elemental spells from the wizard or druid list.

Make Step of the Wind, Stunning fist, Quivering Palm etc spells!

*only half kidding.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Hot Take: I'd go the other way

Make the monk a full-spellcaster with its own spell list specialized around mobility, pre-cognition, touch spells.
Give the 4E monk access to some elemental spells from the wizard or druid list.

Make Step of the Wind, Stunning fist, Quivering Palm etc spells!

*only half kidding.

I want the mystical part to be the more spell ish part with only adding ki on top of fighting styles bit for more damage for increased hit odds so that when you need to hit you do or you can hit super hard.

 

[Undrave]

Hot Take: I'd go the other way

Make the monk a full-spellcaster with its own spell list specialized around mobility, pre-cognition, touch spells.
Give the 4E monk access to some elemental spells from the wizard or druid list.

Make Step of the Wind, Stunning fist, Quivering Palm etc spells!

*only half kidding.

So... a Paladin that uses Spell Points instead of Spell Slots and replaces their heavy armor styling with unarmored defenses and bare fists? With unique Fighting Styles and d10 HD?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

So... a Paladin that uses Spell Points instead of Spell Slots and replaces their heavy armor styling with unarmored defenses and bare fists? With unique Fighting Styles and d10 HD?

You can even have 2 classes: the monk with 1/2 fist-spells spellcasting and the mystic. which is an up-to-9th-level spellcaster!