Level 2' Monk's Focus allows them to either Disengage & Dodge (Patient Defense) or Disengage & Dash (Step of the Wind), for a Focus Point. Any idea why the third combo isn't in there (Dodge & Dash)?
Not a huge deal, just seems an odd absence. It makes sense mechanically & thematically. Call it Bob & Weave?
Level 2' Monk's Focus allows them to either Disengage & Dodge (Patient Defense) or Disengage & Dash (Step of the Wind), for a Focus Point. Any idea why the third combo isn't in there (Dodge & Dash)?
Not a huge deal, just seems an odd absence. It makes sense mechanically & thematically. Call it Bob & Weave?
Not always trying to avoid an OA. Sometimes you may want to cover ground and dodge. Likely wasn’t included because of what jl8e said about Dodge not being a free BA for Monks.
That said, can still Dodge with action and BA anything else. Or spend the focus point to Dodge & Disengage if you want to preserve your action.
Not always trying to avoid an OA. Sometimes you may want to cover ground and dodge. Likely wasn’t included because of what jl8e said about Dodge not being a free BA for Monks.
That said, can still Dodge with action and BA anything else. Or spend the focus point to Dodge & Disengage if you want to preserve your action.
I literally never used dodge or dash for anything. Even if I did, it wouldn't be often enough to break me in Focus Points the way I play. I didn't even start using FoB's until after 5th level and never needed Uncanny Metabolism to renew FP's. I actually forgot I could heal some points with it, because Short Rests were allowed. Deflect helped out more than anything.
As someone who's playing a Warrior of the Elements Monk, I use Focused Patient Defense all the time.
I was the main (sometimes only) melee fighter until the party reached 6th Level, and I had AC 17, and really didn't have the HP to go toe-to-toe with a lot of the larger foes. A couple good hits would absolutely thrash me. So at level 3 and level 4, I'd normally be using my action to Dodge and doing my damage with Flurry of Blows (or Bonus Unarmed Strike if I'd run dry.)
Past level 5 (with Grappler coming on-line at level 4) it's been almost always Focused Patient Defense as the Bonus Action unless a Stunning Strike or a Reach-15 Grapple lands, or I'm pretty sure that the foe is going to be dead before its next Turn.
My thinking: Deflect Attacks is a Reaction, and you get one of those between the starts of your Turns, and it only affects one attack when used. It can absolutely eat up a lot of damage, so if I'm fighting something with Multiattack, or am being ganged up on / in range of multiple attackers, I need to try to make sure I take one or fewer hits per Turn I get. Advantage on Dex Saves is also very nice; will probably be even better with Evasion coming online at Level 7.
That said, Warrior of the Elements is a low-Focus-use Subclass, so I can afford to burn Focus that way. With the party composition changing, I think I need to think about doing more damage, and might switch up how I do things. But Focused Patient Defense is quite useful in doing things like riskily soloing Deadly encounters.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵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.🎵
Interesting. Very similar to my (Mercy) monk's start. Deflect Attacks is doing some real heavy lifting. That plus highest AC of 17 (now 18 at level 4) makes me the tankiest in our group at the moment. I also took Grappler at 4, though that makes me even more a target if I land the grapple. So being able to Dodge could be useful since the attack is likely coming to me. But no simple Dodge option for a Monk's BA, so considering whether it's worth it to spend a Focus Point to do so, regardless of whether I'm trying to Disengage also. One level later at 5, I'd be able to still do 2 attacks if I used BA for Patient Defense like that.
That said, Mercy Monk is always tempting me to use FPs on Hand of Harm and of course reserve some for healing. So maybe I'd reserve Patient Defense if I were surrounded.
Level 2' Monk's Focus allows them to either Disengage & Dodge (Patient Defense) or Disengage & Dash (Step of the Wind), for a Focus Point. Any idea why the third combo isn't in there (Dodge & Dash)?
Not a huge deal, just seems an odd absence. It makes sense mechanically & thematically. Call it Bob & Weave?
There's no free BA dodge ability at all. They may have decided it, and the combo, were too good defensively.
Because that would provoke an opportunity attack?
Not always trying to avoid an OA. Sometimes you may want to cover ground and dodge. Likely wasn’t included because of what jl8e said about Dodge not being a free BA for Monks.
That said, can still Dodge with action and BA anything else. Or spend the focus point to Dodge & Disengage if you want to preserve your action.
I literally never used dodge or dash for anything. Even if I did, it wouldn't be often enough to break me in Focus Points the way I play. I didn't even start using FoB's until after 5th level and never needed Uncanny Metabolism to renew FP's. I actually forgot I could heal some points with it, because Short Rests were allowed. Deflect helped out more than anything.
As someone who's playing a Warrior of the Elements Monk, I use Focused Patient Defense all the time.
I was the main (sometimes only) melee fighter until the party reached 6th Level, and I had AC 17, and really didn't have the HP to go toe-to-toe with a lot of the larger foes. A couple good hits would absolutely thrash me. So at level 3 and level 4, I'd normally be using my action to Dodge and doing my damage with Flurry of Blows (or Bonus Unarmed Strike if I'd run dry.)
Past level 5 (with Grappler coming on-line at level 4) it's been almost always Focused Patient Defense as the Bonus Action unless a Stunning Strike or a Reach-15 Grapple lands, or I'm pretty sure that the foe is going to be dead before its next Turn.
My thinking: Deflect Attacks is a Reaction, and you get one of those between the starts of your Turns, and it only affects one attack when used. It can absolutely eat up a lot of damage, so if I'm fighting something with Multiattack, or am being ganged up on / in range of multiple attackers, I need to try to make sure I take one or fewer hits per Turn I get. Advantage on Dex Saves is also very nice; will probably be even better with Evasion coming online at Level 7.
That said, Warrior of the Elements is a low-Focus-use Subclass, so I can afford to burn Focus that way. With the party composition changing, I think I need to think about doing more damage, and might switch up how I do things. But Focused Patient Defense is quite useful in doing things like riskily soloing Deadly encounters.
🎵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
Interesting. Very similar to my (Mercy) monk's start. Deflect Attacks is doing some real heavy lifting. That plus highest AC of 17 (now 18 at level 4) makes me the tankiest in our group at the moment. I also took Grappler at 4, though that makes me even more a target if I land the grapple. So being able to Dodge could be useful since the attack is likely coming to me. But no simple Dodge option for a Monk's BA, so considering whether it's worth it to spend a Focus Point to do so, regardless of whether I'm trying to Disengage also. One level later at 5, I'd be able to still do 2 attacks if I used BA for Patient Defense like that.
That said, Mercy Monk is always tempting me to use FPs on Hand of Harm and of course reserve some for healing. So maybe I'd reserve Patient Defense if I were surrounded.