What's boring for some, is exciting and enjoyable to others. Weapon Master feat to get the Light weapon property mastery. I would consider a dip in Barbarian for the Rage or Warlock for the Hex. For Extra damage or Resistance to BPS (or both from rage). Plus any +1,+2,+3 weapons your DM provides. Do your damage, while deflecting or evading. When it becomes too much just Step of the Wing to exit melee. That's not even using your subclass features. :)
Spending a valuable Monk ASI on the Weapon Master feat is doable...but I'm not certain getting a single Weapon Mastery is worth the cost. I feel like the feat should give at least two.
A Monk probably shouldn't dip Warlock just for Hex. If all you want is the 1d6 extra damage on attacks, go Ranger for Hunter's Mark. Unlike Warlock, Ranger has the same Primary Ability Requirements as Monk, so any Monk capable of Multiclassing (13+ DEX, 13+WIS) can take a level in Ranger, whereas the Monk would need a 13+ Charisma to pick up Warlock.
Dipping Ranger also adds two Weapon Masteries (so you can pick up Nick and Vex), Martial Weapon Proficiency, Expertise*, two First-level Spell Slots, Favored Enemy (allowing 2 slotless castings of Hunter's Mark per Long Rest) and Spellcasting that allows you to swap out one of your 2 Prepared Spell every Long Rest, a compatible Spellcasting Ability Score (WIS), and a d10 hit die.
(Edit: Whoops, you need two levels of Ranger to pick up Expertise)
Dipping Warlock gives you 2 spells and 2 Cantrips that are only swappable at Warlock Level Up, y 1 Pact Magic Slot, and 1 Eldritch Invocation (which, admittedly are not to be sneezed at, but pretty limited at Level 1), and a separate Spellcasting Ability Score (CHA)
If primarily Monking, Ranger seems a better choice. Up to 4 Hunters Marks per Long Rest seems more viable than up to 1 Hex per Short Rest. That said, both Hex and Hunter's Mark consume the incredibly useful Monk Bonus Action.
(Edit: Hunter's Mark is also a Verbal-only spell, so you don't have to worry about component or focus-juggling like a Warlock using Hex might)
Dipping Barbarian...Gotta have a Strength of 13+, and the Rage Damage Bonus only works on Strength-based attacks, and not boosting DEX slows your Monk Features. You get 2 Weapon Masteries this way as well, but they're limited to Melee weapons. Again eating that valuable Monk Bonus Action to Activate (or, if necessary, Extend) your Rage.
I'm open to Barbarians and Warlocks, and interested in weapon mastery, but spend my time looking over the DnDBeyond's Monk character sheet. Once I get to forth level, I will either get a weapon master, Grappler, or Speedy feat, because I am not sure how long the campaign is going to last. The DM needs some help working with the monsters, I found the encounter builder and will show him DnDBeyond on his phone for the links between the Monster Manual and Players Handbook. Dicy and Spicy, the Ripe Mango Monk is my flavor of choice, I look over the other classes to suit my fancy like the Thief which gets juicy when they can change some of there dice pool in for other effects.
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I love the new app, I can teach the combat system over a few days, as I am a good teacher.
Spending a valuable Monk ASI on the Weapon Master feat is doable...but I'm not certain getting a single Weapon Mastery is worth the cost. I feel like the feat should give at least two.
A Monk probably shouldn't dip Warlock just for Hex. If all you want is the 1d6 extra damage on attacks, go Ranger for Hunter's Mark. Unlike Warlock, Ranger has the same Primary Ability Requirements as Monk, so any Monk capable of Multiclassing (13+ DEX, 13+WIS) can take a level in Ranger, whereas the Monk would need a 13+ Charisma to pick up Warlock.
Dipping Ranger also adds two Weapon Masteries (so you can pick up Nick and Vex), Martial Weapon Proficiency, Expertise*, two First-level Spell Slots, Favored Enemy (allowing 2 slotless castings of Hunter's Mark per Long Rest) and Spellcasting that allows you to swap out one of your 2 Prepared Spell every Long Rest, a compatible Spellcasting Ability Score (WIS), and a d10 hit die.
(Edit: Whoops, you need two levels of Ranger to pick up Expertise)
Dipping Warlock gives you 2 spells and 2 Cantrips that are only swappable at Warlock Level Up, y 1 Pact Magic Slot, and 1 Eldritch Invocation (which, admittedly are not to be sneezed at, but pretty limited at Level 1), and a separate Spellcasting Ability Score (CHA)
If primarily Monking, Ranger seems a better choice. Up to 4 Hunters Marks per Long Rest seems more viable than up to 1 Hex per Short Rest. That said, both Hex and Hunter's Mark consume the incredibly useful Monk Bonus Action.
(Edit: Hunter's Mark is also a Verbal-only spell, so you don't have to worry about component or focus-juggling like a Warlock using Hex might)
Dipping Barbarian...Gotta have a Strength of 13+, and the Rage Damage Bonus only works on Strength-based attacks, and not boosting DEX slows your Monk Features. You get 2 Weapon Masteries this way as well, but they're limited to Melee weapons. Again eating that valuable Monk Bonus Action to Activate (or, if necessary, Extend) your Rage.
I agree that warlock is not worth Hex, but with true strike and the some of the eldritch invocations, it might be a worth while dip. I am not sure if true strike works with unarmed. If you dip 2 levels, you can get multiple origin feats, like alert and toughness and skills.
True Strike also gives you one attack, period, for your Magic Action. And you do not have the option to use your Strength or Dexterity modifiers on that attack if they are superior; unlike with Shillelagh, True Strike always uses the Spellcasting Modifier attached to your acquisition.
So before Monk Level 5, it's less optimal even assuming you get the Martial Arts Die with True Strike, and assuming the Warlock dip for the spell;
For a character that's a Monk dipping Warlock, Option 1 is almost always going to be superior at least up through Monk Level 10. Raw Action Damage starts to pull ahead
Ultimately I think True Strike is too reliant on the Spellcasting Ability Modifier to be worth it on a melee character that isn't going to be pushing that Spellcasting Ability through the roof, and Monk has both DEX and WIS to push. It's a bit easier if you pick up True Strike through Magic Initiate (Wizard) and select Wisdom for the Spellcasting Modifier, but with all the benefits of prioritizing DEX as a character who's primarily Monking, I think True Strikefalls behind.
For low-damage Ranged Weapons or ones with the Loading property (that do not use the Martial Arts die, because Monk Weapons are melee-only) it might be a viable option, given the limited number of Cantrips most characters get, I'd suspect other Cantrips are better choices.
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🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
The Warrior of the Open Hand is not inherently ordinary.
I love the new app, I can teach the combat system over a few days, as I am a good teacher.
What's boring for some, is exciting and enjoyable to others. Weapon Master feat to get the Light weapon property mastery. I would consider a dip in Barbarian for the Rage or Warlock for the Hex. For Extra damage or Resistance to BPS (or both from rage). Plus any +1,+2,+3 weapons your DM provides. Do your damage, while deflecting or evading. When it becomes too much just Step of the Wing to exit melee. That's not even using your subclass features. :)
Spending a valuable Monk ASI on the Weapon Master feat is doable...but I'm not certain getting a single Weapon Mastery is worth the cost. I feel like the feat should give at least two.
A Monk probably shouldn't dip Warlock just for Hex. If all you want is the 1d6 extra damage on attacks, go Ranger for Hunter's Mark. Unlike Warlock, Ranger has the same Primary Ability Requirements as Monk, so any Monk capable of Multiclassing (13+ DEX, 13+WIS) can take a level in Ranger, whereas the Monk would need a 13+ Charisma to pick up Warlock.
Dipping Ranger also adds two Weapon Masteries (so you can pick up Nick and Vex), Martial Weapon Proficiency,
Expertise*, two First-level Spell Slots, Favored Enemy (allowing 2 slotless castings of Hunter's Mark per Long Rest) and Spellcasting that allows you to swap out one of your 2 Prepared Spell every Long Rest, a compatible Spellcasting Ability Score (WIS), and a d10 hit die.(Edit: Whoops, you need two levels of Ranger to pick up Expertise)
Dipping Warlock gives you 2 spells and 2 Cantrips that are only swappable at Warlock Level Up, y 1 Pact Magic Slot, and 1 Eldritch Invocation (which, admittedly are not to be sneezed at, but pretty limited at Level 1), and a separate Spellcasting Ability Score (CHA)
If primarily Monking, Ranger seems a better choice. Up to 4 Hunters Marks per Long Rest seems more viable than up to 1 Hex per Short Rest. That said, both Hex and Hunter's Mark consume the incredibly useful Monk Bonus Action.
(Edit: Hunter's Mark is also a Verbal-only spell, so you don't have to worry about component or focus-juggling like a Warlock using Hex might)
Dipping Barbarian...Gotta have a Strength of 13+, and the Rage Damage Bonus only works on Strength-based attacks, and not boosting DEX slows your Monk Features. You get 2 Weapon Masteries this way as well, but they're limited to Melee weapons. Again eating that valuable Monk Bonus Action to Activate (or, if necessary, Extend) your Rage.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
I'm open to Barbarians and Warlocks, and interested in weapon mastery, but spend my time looking over the DnDBeyond's Monk character sheet. Once I get to forth level, I will either get a weapon master, Grappler, or Speedy feat, because I am not sure how long the campaign is going to last. The DM needs some help working with the monsters, I found the encounter builder and will show him DnDBeyond on his phone for the links between the Monster Manual and Players Handbook. Dicy and Spicy, the Ripe Mango Monk is my flavor of choice, I look over the other classes to suit my fancy like the Thief which gets juicy when they can change some of there dice pool in for other effects.
I love the new app, I can teach the combat system over a few days, as I am a good teacher.
I agree that warlock is not worth Hex, but with true strike and the some of the eldritch invocations, it might be a worth while dip. I am not sure if true strike works with unarmed. If you dip 2 levels, you can get multiple origin feats, like alert and toughness and skills.
True Strike explicitly requires the use of a weapon and thus does not work with Unarmed Strikes.
pronouns: he/she/they
True Strike also gives you one attack, period, for your Magic Action. And you do not have the option to use your Strength or Dexterity modifiers on that attack if they are superior; unlike with Shillelagh, True Strike always uses the Spellcasting Modifier attached to your acquisition.
So before Monk Level 5, it's less optimal even assuming you get the Martial Arts Die with True Strike, and assuming the Warlock dip for the spell;
At Monk level 5, you get your Extra Attack, and your Martial Arts Die hits d8.
Level 11:
Level 17:
For a character that's a Monk dipping Warlock, Option 1 is almost always going to be superior at least up through Monk Level 10. Raw Action Damage starts to pull ahead
Ultimately I think True Strike is too reliant on the Spellcasting Ability Modifier to be worth it on a melee character that isn't going to be pushing that Spellcasting Ability through the roof, and Monk has both DEX and WIS to push. It's a bit easier if you pick up True Strike through Magic Initiate (Wizard) and select Wisdom for the Spellcasting Modifier, but with all the benefits of prioritizing DEX as a character who's primarily Monking, I think True Strikefalls behind.
For low-damage Ranged Weapons or ones with the Loading property (that do not use the Martial Arts die, because Monk Weapons are melee-only) it might be a viable option, given the limited number of Cantrips most characters get, I'd suspect other Cantrips are better choices.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage