One way you could keep up with other classes in terms of damage would be to take the sharpshooter feat. If you use a shortbow and your DM lets you use ki-fueled attack your damage at level 5 could look something like this:
3(1d6+3+10), average: 3(3.5+3+10)=10,5+9+30=49.5 granted unlike a fighter/barbarian who could use reckless attack for advantage, you couldn't do that with this build. What you could do however is to run in, stunning strike, and if it lands run back and unleash your shortbow attacks on your next turn.
You can also achieve a similar result with crossbows, but you'll need crossbow expert as well and monks really need ability score increases.
And from what I can tell many of these builds aren't optimized.
Also while fists scale in damage, other builds and especially fighters are going to make better use of their magic weapons than monks will, even with dedicated weapon.
First.
When the Spread sheet is litteraly named "Optimized DPS" they are optimized builds. Or at least as Optimized as the spread sheet creator could white room.
Second. It's a lie that they can make better us of magic weapons than a monk if a monk wants to make use of them.
3rd. That magical bonus is needed in part to do things like help offset the -5 from GWM to make it more viable at higher level. But there are still ways for monks to mitigate or even nullify even this advantage.
4. Something to keep in mind because it keeps coming up from various people. Monks have ways of getting advantage as well. This is something that going Wisdom Primary can help do because of the Improvement to DC's. Which can be as much as 3 points higher than a Dex Primary monk at times, making for a lot more reliable Stunning Strike just as one example.
Well, this thread seems to be roaming all over the place.
So, why Ki points at all? Why don't they just let you use all the abilities equal to your Proficiency bonus and be done with it?
I'm assuming it was so they wouldn't have people dipping into Monk for 2 levels and then the whole world would have the power of Kung Fu.
But if you like the idea of Kung Fu...would it be so bad?
Well, a 2 level dip would give you Martial Arts, it would be 1d4 and only 1 attack since it is based off Monk level. If you were fine with that, then yes, I guess everyone would have Kung Fu. But you already do with a flat 1 point of damage + STR mod with a non-monk unarmed strike. Or now the Unarmed Fighting style.
As for why Ki at all? I think no Ki would make some of the abilities too powerful and some too weak. Lets look at the base Monk
Flurry of Blows: I think it would be too much for free with an automatic 2 attacks as a bonus action. Limiting it to PB times/short or long rest depending on which you chose might be too weak.
Step of the Wind and Patient Defense: Personally, I would be fine with SotW for free like the Rogue (who also can Hide, which is powerful for them). But PD for a BA Dodge for free would probably be too powerful.
Deflect Missiles: the ability to throw the weapon back at the attacker is cool, not sure if this is too powerful or not, if it was free. But since you need to reduce damage to zero before you can even do this being able to do this PB times/SR or LR I don't think would be too overpowered.
Stunning Strike: One of the signature abilities for the Monk. It is very powerful, when it works, so having no Ki cost would make it way to powerful. PB times per rest might end up making it too limited and too weak.
Diamond Soul: I could see this as PB times per rest (probably long rest, which would be 5 times at the level you get it).
Empty Body: Invisibility for 1 minute as well as resistance to all damage except force for free? As well as Astral Projection? that might be a bit much for 6 times per LR. As it stands, when you get it at 18th level, you can only do the invisibility 4 times, or Astral Projection 2 times (or Invisibility 2/AP 1). So 6 times is a lot. And how do you split that up? 6 times for each? or 3 and 3?
Then you need a new capstone ability at 20th (though I would argue Monks, as well as some other classes need new capstones anyway) since what would you recover if there were no Ki?
Then the other issue is bookkeeping. Does each of your abilities have their own PB times/ Rest? Are they all Short Rest? Are they all Long Rest? Or some SR and others LR. Having 1 pool for all your abilities would be too limiting. And if you did a single pool, but 2 or 3 times your PB you are then basically back to Ki anyway.
Then you have to get into Subclass abilities that rely on Ki. If no Ki, that's even more bookkeeping on PB counts for each of those features.
So I think it was more than just a worry of people taking a 2 level dip.
One way you could keep up with other classes in terms of damage would be to take the sharpshooter feat. If you use a shortbow and your DM lets you use ki-fueled attack your damage at level 5 could look something like this:
3(1d6+3+10), average: 3(3.5+3+10)=10,5+9+30=49.5 granted unlike a fighter/barbarian who could use reckless attack for advantage, you couldn't do that with this build. What you could do however is to run in, stunning strike, and if it lands run back and unleash your shortbow attacks on your next turn.
You can also achieve a similar result with crossbows, but you'll need crossbow expert as well and monks really need ability score increases.
First.
When the Spread sheet is litteraly named "Optimized DPS" they are optimized builds. Or at least as Optimized as the spread sheet creator could white room.
Second. It's a lie that they can make better us of magic weapons than a monk if a monk wants to make use of them.
3rd. That magical bonus is needed in part to do things like help offset the -5 from GWM to make it more viable at higher level. But there are still ways for monks to mitigate or even nullify even this advantage.
4. Something to keep in mind because it keeps coming up from various people. Monks have ways of getting advantage as well. This is something that going Wisdom Primary can help do because of the Improvement to DC's. Which can be as much as 3 points higher than a Dex Primary monk at times, making for a lot more reliable Stunning Strike just as one example.
Was there something wrong with the facts I presented?
A monk taking on an adult dragon?! It could happen...
Well, this thread seems to be roaming all over the place.
So, why Ki points at all? Why don't they just let you use all the abilities equal to your Proficiency bonus and be done with it?
I'm assuming it was so they wouldn't have people dipping into Monk for 2 levels and then the whole world would have the power of Kung Fu.
But if you like the idea of Kung Fu...would it be so bad?
Well, a 2 level dip would give you Martial Arts, it would be 1d4 and only 1 attack since it is based off Monk level. If you were fine with that, then yes, I guess everyone would have Kung Fu. But you already do with a flat 1 point of damage + STR mod with a non-monk unarmed strike. Or now the Unarmed Fighting style.
As for why Ki at all? I think no Ki would make some of the abilities too powerful and some too weak. Lets look at the base Monk
Flurry of Blows: I think it would be too much for free with an automatic 2 attacks as a bonus action. Limiting it to PB times/short or long rest depending on which you chose might be too weak.
Step of the Wind and Patient Defense: Personally, I would be fine with SotW for free like the Rogue (who also can Hide, which is powerful for them). But PD for a BA Dodge for free would probably be too powerful.
Deflect Missiles: the ability to throw the weapon back at the attacker is cool, not sure if this is too powerful or not, if it was free. But since you need to reduce damage to zero before you can even do this being able to do this PB times/SR or LR I don't think would be too overpowered.
Stunning Strike: One of the signature abilities for the Monk. It is very powerful, when it works, so having no Ki cost would make it way to powerful. PB times per rest might end up making it too limited and too weak.
Diamond Soul: I could see this as PB times per rest (probably long rest, which would be 5 times at the level you get it).
Empty Body: Invisibility for 1 minute as well as resistance to all damage except force for free? As well as Astral Projection? that might be a bit much for 6 times per LR. As it stands, when you get it at 18th level, you can only do the invisibility 4 times, or Astral Projection 2 times (or Invisibility 2/AP 1). So 6 times is a lot. And how do you split that up? 6 times for each? or 3 and 3?
Then you need a new capstone ability at 20th (though I would argue Monks, as well as some other classes need new capstones anyway) since what would you recover if there were no Ki?
Then the other issue is bookkeeping. Does each of your abilities have their own PB times/ Rest? Are they all Short Rest? Are they all Long Rest? Or some SR and others LR. Having 1 pool for all your abilities would be too limiting. And if you did a single pool, but 2 or 3 times your PB you are then basically back to Ki anyway.
Then you have to get into Subclass abilities that rely on Ki. If no Ki, that's even more bookkeeping on PB counts for each of those features.
So I think it was more than just a worry of people taking a 2 level dip.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?