D&D 5E Would You Let a Monk Roll for Stats?

[Mort]

If you inflate everyone else Monk still sucks comparative.

So maybe more points monk's only achieves eonething similar or +2. Wisdom and dexterity.

If you're at the point where a class needs a +2 in one or two stats to stay level? That class needs a redesign badly!

 

[Mort]

Yeah that's a big problem for low level monks with ki points.

But low level that extra attack is also really good comparatively.

Eh, it's just two weapon fighting dressed up. It's ok, not "really good." And, as with two weapon fighting in general, it scales poorly at mid-high levels.

 

[Zardnaar]

If you're at the point where a class needs a +2 in one or two stats to stay level? That class needs a redesign badly!

Well default array isn't the default and one coukd also say 5E design punishes MAD classes more.

Monks aren't the only one in that position.

 

[Mort]

Well default array isn't the default and one coukd also say 5E design punishes MAD classes more.

Monks aren't the only one in that position.

The only class as MAD as the monk is the paladin. But the base class is so strong, it easily compensates.

You don't see too many people complaining that the paladin needs boosting. Usually, it's the opposite.

The monk is punished because the base class is so relatively weak compared to others AND it's MAD to boot.

 

[Zardnaar]

The only class as MAD as the monk is the paladin. But the base class is so strong, it easily compensates.

You don't see too many people complaining that the paladin needs boosting. Usually, it's the opposite.

The monk is punished because the base class is so relatively weak compared to others AND it's MAD to boot.

Some cleric and vard builds are MAD. Start cleric players keying off wisdom are fine.

Casual player of a war cleric thinking weapons matter only to get shown up by a nature or arcana cleric at the one thing they thought they should be good at.

Artifice builds as well but they have work around.

 

[Zardnaar]

Eh, it's just two weapon fighting dressed up. It's ok, not "really good." And, as with two weapon fighting in general, it scales poorly at mid-high levels.

TWF scales badly due to the -5/+10 feats.

Without those feats it scales a lot better and by the time it's better the monk's going to be able to flurry a lot more so it's still even enough.

Lots of little attacks that add up to roughly the sane as fewer big attacks but are better due to overkill factor.

 

[jgsugden]

Well - all PCs get a chance to roll. I used the 2d6+4 method for each attribute (and you get to reroll 2 dice). So, you can get a monk with an 18 and a 17 after racial bonuses.

When someone plays a monk, I usually make sure they have an opportunity to get a bump up in offensive capability. One monk found a +2 quarterstaff at second level. Another gained a blessing that cast Hunter's Mark when they scored a critical hit. A third had rolled for stats and started out with an 18 and a 17 (after racial adjustments). Another found a Headband that set your Wisdom to 19 and gave you Darkvision.

However, I've played monks myself that were built with point buy and were perfectly fine and fun. To me, whether the monk needs a hand up is more of an issue of the perception of the player than it is a true balance issue.... I did one monk that started out with a 16 dex and 17 wisdom ... after racial adjustment and then proceeded to get Fey Touched at 4th level for Hex and Misty Step. They retired at 11, one level shy of getting to a 20 dex - but they were a huge amount of fun.

 

[ECMO3]

If you inflate everyone else Monk still sucks comparative.

So maybe more points monk's only achieves eonething similar or +2. Wisdom and dexterity.

But if everyone rolls not everyone will be inflated and even if everyone gets lucky, some will be more lucky than others.

Rolling stats is a good way to facilitate a player with very good rolls being able to choose to play a Monk without being very deficient. However that only happens if you choose the class after the rolls. It is not a good way, or at least not a reliable way, to ensure the Monk is competitive with other classes.

 

[ECMO3]

So in any given fight, the monk can flurry OR patient defense OR step of the wind, and could do any of those four 1 round? That would seem deeply unsatisfying. None of those merit that kind of nerf.

Yes at level 2 I would say that is accurate. At level 7 it is more like he can do any for of those every turn

If you're worried about stunning strike spamming, just limit stunning strike to once a round, like the OneDnD current play test (though, IMO, that's about the ONLY thing they got right with the play test monk, well that and the 4 elements monk stinks just a bit less).

Ironically, I think this is going to actually improve people's experience with the Monk. The biggest problem with Monks, especially at mid levels is players blow through ki on stunning strike when it is not a wise investment. You don't see that as often with other limited use things like Warlock spell slots or battlemaster maneuvers, but Monk players for some reason want to FOB and SS every turn.

Stunning Strike is often a poor use of ki and FOB is almost always a poor use of ki.

 

[DammitVictor]

Workshopping this:

Standard array (15/14/13/12/10/8) or 27 point buy first, assigned to taste.

Next, roll 6d4 for each ability in order, recording the individual die results.

The player chooses one ability to keep all six dice, two abilities to keep the best five, and the other three abilities keep the best four dice. The character receives the higher of the assigned value or the rolled value in each ability.

Sure, it's mathematically possible that 6d4 can produce a 24. But the average of 6d4 is only... 15.