WotC announced that, moving forward, all natural weapons will “count as simple/martial weapons for you, with which you are proficient” like those Barbarian natural weapons or the Dhampire’s Bite.
How do you think this will affect the flow of monk? How do you want to see it played at your table?
I guess that this was mostly to simplify the whole Druid/Monk multiclass, since Beastshape's attacks were still defined as natural weapons, but not as simple weapons, with which you are proficient. So it was unclear if Martial Arts and all other Ki-Related features could still be used with a druid's beastshape because they couldn't be considered as monk weapons.
Now I'm curious to see if they will also use the "they count as a simple weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes" clause, this may be even more of an incentive to multiclass Druid and Monk.
If they can't be used to make unarmed strikes then it's going to negatively affect Monks, because it means you can no longer use them with the Martial Arts bonus action attack, or Flurry of Blows and similar abilities.
I guess what I'm unclear on is whether this a general change to the rules of natural weapons to make them also simple weapons with which you are proficient, in which case the change may be fine.
However if as rumoured they are changing the wording so that the "with which you can make unarmed strikes" part is removed then this will negatively effect Monks pretty much exclusively and for no reason at all, in which case I'm going to be furious (and will not be buying the book).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
From what I have found, every single race in Monsters of the Multiverse that had a natural weapon in previous publications still states that you can use these attacks to make unarmed strikes. The only change is that they are no longer called natural weapons. So I'm not sure where you are getting this idea from that they are now considered simple/martial weapons.
From what I have found, every single race in Monsters of the Multiverse that had a natural weapon in previous publications still states that you can use these attacks to make unarmed strikes. The only change is that they are no longer called natural weapons. So I'm not sure where you are getting this idea from that they are now considered simple/martial weapons.
Where are you getting access to Monsters of the Multiverse content?
The problem is that right now we have people claiming different things; if the language is still there that these natural weapons (whether they're simple or whatever now) are still used to make unarmed strikes, then great, that'll be ideal.
That's the case I'm hoping for because it means nothing will actually change (which seems to often be the best-case scenario for Monks); since nearly all Monk features work with unarmed strikes there was never any need for them to count as "simple weapons with proficiency" or whatever, and they already worked for stuff like poisons, Magic Weapon and so-on. I believe the only functional difference then is that claws etc. would technically become valid choices as Kensei weapons, so you could have a Kensei who doesn't use a single "proper" weapon but then that could be fun to play as and hardly OP.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
From what I have found, every single race in Monsters of the Multiverse that had a natural weapon in previous publications still states that you can use these attacks to make unarmed strikes. The only change is that they are no longer called natural weapons. So I'm not sure where you are getting this idea from that they are now considered simple/martial weapons.
Where are you getting access to Monsters of the Multiverse content?
The problem is that right now we have people claiming different things; if the language is still there that these natural weapons (whether they're simple or whatever now) are still used to make unarmed strikes, then great, that'll be ideal.
That's the case I'm hoping for because it means nothing will actually change (which seems to often be the best-case scenario for Monks); since nearly all Monk features work with unarmed strikes there was never any need for them to count as "simple weapons with proficiency" or whatever, and they already worked for stuff like poisons, Magic Weapon and so-on. I believe the only functional difference then is that claws etc. would technically become valid choices as Kensei weapons, so you could have a Kensei who doesn't use a single "proper" weapon but then that could be fun to play as and hardly OP.
Had a friend buy the gift set as he didn’t have any of the other books in it, and we had a look over the race updates. All the “natural weapons” can still be used as unarmed strikes. They are also now all 1d6, which I thought was neat because it meant that’s race with one of these features gets a stronger unarmed strike out the gate when playing a monk at early levels.
If there is an official statement about natural weapons being Simple/Martial weapons now, I haven’t seen it but I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed some announcement somewhere to be fair.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
I apologize if I'm causing confusion here I just wanted to bring this to the right section to discuss...I might have unintentionally left information out as I don't have the new book yet and am working on second hand information.
I apologize if I'm causing confusion here I just wanted to bring this to the right section to discuss...I might have unintentionally left information out as I don't have the new book yet and am working on second hand information.
Does anyone have a copy of the book handy?
No need to apologize. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to see the book again until Saturday as it belongs to the host of our D&D game, but we did talk a bunch about the new updates and potential builds which is why I was confused when saw you saying the natural attacks were simple/martial weapons and not unarmed strikes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
WotC announced that, moving forward, all natural weapons will “count as simple/martial weapons for you, with which you are proficient” like those Barbarian natural weapons or the Dhampire’s Bite.
How do you think this will affect the flow of monk? How do you want to see it played at your table?
I guess that this was mostly to simplify the whole Druid/Monk multiclass, since Beastshape's attacks were still defined as natural weapons, but not as simple weapons, with which you are proficient. So it was unclear if Martial Arts and all other Ki-Related features could still be used with a druid's beastshape because they couldn't be considered as monk weapons.
Now I'm curious to see if they will also use the "they count as a simple weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes" clause, this may be even more of an incentive to multiclass Druid and Monk.
If they can't be used to make unarmed strikes then it's going to negatively affect Monks, because it means you can no longer use them with the Martial Arts bonus action attack, or Flurry of Blows and similar abilities.
I guess what I'm unclear on is whether this a general change to the rules of natural weapons to make them also simple weapons with which you are proficient, in which case the change may be fine.
However if as rumoured they are changing the wording so that the "with which you can make unarmed strikes" part is removed then this will negatively effect Monks pretty much exclusively and for no reason at all, in which case I'm going to be furious (and will not be buying the book).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
From what I have found, every single race in Monsters of the Multiverse that had a natural weapon in previous publications still states that you can use these attacks to make unarmed strikes. The only change is that they are no longer called natural weapons. So I'm not sure where you are getting this idea from that they are now considered simple/martial weapons.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
Where are you getting access to Monsters of the Multiverse content?
The problem is that right now we have people claiming different things; if the language is still there that these natural weapons (whether they're simple or whatever now) are still used to make unarmed strikes, then great, that'll be ideal.
That's the case I'm hoping for because it means nothing will actually change (which seems to often be the best-case scenario for Monks); since nearly all Monk features work with unarmed strikes there was never any need for them to count as "simple weapons with proficiency" or whatever, and they already worked for stuff like poisons, Magic Weapon and so-on. I believe the only functional difference then is that claws etc. would technically become valid choices as Kensei weapons, so you could have a Kensei who doesn't use a single "proper" weapon but then that could be fun to play as and hardly OP.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Had a friend buy the gift set as he didn’t have any of the other books in it, and we had a look over the race updates. All the “natural weapons” can still be used as unarmed strikes. They are also now all 1d6, which I thought was neat because it meant that’s race with one of these features gets a stronger unarmed strike out the gate when playing a monk at early levels.
If there is an official statement about natural weapons being Simple/Martial weapons now, I haven’t seen it but I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed some announcement somewhere to be fair.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
I apologize if I'm causing confusion here I just wanted to bring this to the right section to discuss...I might have unintentionally left information out as I don't have the new book yet and am working on second hand information.
Does anyone have a copy of the book handy?
No need to apologize. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to see the book again until Saturday as it belongs to the host of our D&D game, but we did talk a bunch about the new updates and potential builds which is why I was confused when saw you saying the natural attacks were simple/martial weapons and not unarmed strikes.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
I recommend checking out FryMinis’ channel, he has a playlist going over all the reworked races and there you can see the changes to natural weapons