It's definitely possible I'm missing something, but I have trouble seeing how monks fit in 5e. In early editions they were weak at low levels and then became powerful at high levels. In 4e they were powerful strikers that did a lot of damage while using mobility to avoid counterattacks. In 5e they just seem kinda underpowered. They still lack the durability to go toe to toe with a fighter or barbarian, but also do less damage, especially if they need to use their bonus action to disengage. I like them thematically, and the bonuses against falling/magic/arrows/etc. are nice, but a melee character that can't survive in melee and doesn't do enough damage to quickly kill an enemy confuses me. I haven't actually played one yet in 5e so I'm hoping someone can fill in what I'm missing.
They’re skirmishes. Get in, hit, and get out. Because they have a lot of attacks they can hit more reliably than fighters, but each of their attacks does less damage. They can use Ki points to dodge while attacking which makes them incredibly difficult to hit. And their stunning fist is a show stopper when they’re working with a big damage fighter. Advantage on all attack rolls for a full round usually means that opponent goes down.
I feel like a lot of classes can seem underpowered when compared 1v1 to another class. However, you can't overlook how well they complement and benefit the party as a whole.
The monks in games I've played are good at moving around the battlefield and chasing down fleeing enemies/spellcasters with their superior movement speed. A monk with a medicine kit can also be a literal life saver. While the barbarian and paladin focus down the big bad with big damage, the monk picks off the minions that are slinging arrows at our big hitters. Their multiple attacks are also fantastic against spellcasters trying to maintain concentration. I see them almost as much as strategic support as a melee hitter. Some subclasses are more underpowered than others (looking at you, Way of the Four Elements) but is overall strong in a team.
I agree with AK30. Monks are great with teams. I play a kensei Monk with my son's Ancestral Barbarian. He hits, and now thst target is at a disadvantge to hit me, and i can unload with flurry for 2d10+2d6+18 if all hit, which they usually do. And since he moves at 40 and I at 50, we can chase down things before they get to our casters.
Having our cleric putting a prorection from evil on me and then attacking undead...again all the ki to flurry.
Ive ferried potions in combat, much like AK30's medicine case. Ive run evadion, attacked one target snd and then moved to a different one so the rogue can sneak attack.
So Monks can be the ultimate team player. It isnt always about the highest dpr.
I find that monk is the most creative melee fighter, meaning they don't really need specific gear to get the job done. My monk fights with a grappling hook (Its a grappling hook rigged to a light crossbow using a rope which the monk has proficiency in anyways) and my favorite fighting tactic is judo slamming people from heights. I would jump off a sky scraper while grappling an enemy. I take reduced damage so if I'm a level 5 monk thats 25 reduced damage. If I fall 50 feet (5D6) I take a maximum of 5 damage (and thats extremely improbable) and my enemy takes a big hit. I took the mobile ability for an extra +10 movement and so I don't draw opportunity attacks from people I already attacked.
I also like to do things like shoot my grappling hook at a chandelier or other hanging item then swing across the room while kicking an enemy in the face/jumping on top of them and grappling them. This way even if I do attack them its like a flyby attack (no opportunity attack provoked)
The point is, monks can be incredibly fun to play, even if they don't seem powerful. The rogue who's dealing 3x as much DPR as you are will be jealous.
It doesn't have to be powerful as long as its fun!
Monks are very mobile, capable of making a large number of attacks on demand, and have the very rare ability to inflict the stunned condition. They're also able to attack effectively even if both hands are occupied. That makes them great at:
Dealing with groups of weak enemies
Shutting down distant ranged attackers and spellcasters
Breaking a spellcaster's concentration
Taking enemies out of the fight temporarily by stunning them
Setting up allies to deal big damage with their attacks by stunning enemies
Attacking grappled opponents
Monk subclasses also add utility. Open Hand monks can push enemies, knock them prone and take away their reactions. Shadow Monks are great at stealth and exploration - and even help the rest of the party sneak around better with Pass Without Trace. Kensei monks have great offense and defense and double as archers. Sun Soul and Four Element monks get limited spell-like abilities. Long Death and Drunken Master monks are great at handling crowds.
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It's definitely possible I'm missing something, but I have trouble seeing how monks fit in 5e. In early editions they were weak at low levels and then became powerful at high levels. In 4e they were powerful strikers that did a lot of damage while using mobility to avoid counterattacks. In 5e they just seem kinda underpowered. They still lack the durability to go toe to toe with a fighter or barbarian, but also do less damage, especially if they need to use their bonus action to disengage. I like them thematically, and the bonuses against falling/magic/arrows/etc. are nice, but a melee character that can't survive in melee and doesn't do enough damage to quickly kill an enemy confuses me. I haven't actually played one yet in 5e so I'm hoping someone can fill in what I'm missing.
They’re skirmishes. Get in, hit, and get out. Because they have a lot of attacks they can hit more reliably than fighters, but each of their attacks does less damage. They can use Ki points to dodge while attacking which makes them incredibly difficult to hit. And their stunning fist is a show stopper when they’re working with a big damage fighter. Advantage on all attack rolls for a full round usually means that opponent goes down.
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I feel like a lot of classes can seem underpowered when compared 1v1 to another class. However, you can't overlook how well they complement and benefit the party as a whole.
The monks in games I've played are good at moving around the battlefield and chasing down fleeing enemies/spellcasters with their superior movement speed. A monk with a medicine kit can also be a literal life saver. While the barbarian and paladin focus down the big bad with big damage, the monk picks off the minions that are slinging arrows at our big hitters. Their multiple attacks are also fantastic against spellcasters trying to maintain concentration. I see them almost as much as strategic support as a melee hitter. Some subclasses are more underpowered than others (looking at you, Way of the Four Elements) but is overall strong in a team.
I agree with AK30. Monks are great with teams. I play a kensei Monk with my son's Ancestral Barbarian. He hits, and now thst target is at a disadvantge to hit me, and i can unload with flurry for 2d10+2d6+18 if all hit, which they usually do. And since he moves at 40 and I at 50, we can chase down things before they get to our casters.
Having our cleric putting a prorection from evil on me and then attacking undead...again all the ki to flurry.
Ive ferried potions in combat, much like AK30's medicine case. Ive run evadion, attacked one target snd and then moved to a different one so the rogue can sneak attack.
So Monks can be the ultimate team player. It isnt always about the highest dpr.
I find that monk is the most creative melee fighter, meaning they don't really need specific gear to get the job done. My monk fights with a grappling hook (Its a grappling hook rigged to a light crossbow using a rope which the monk has proficiency in anyways) and my favorite fighting tactic is judo slamming people from heights. I would jump off a sky scraper while grappling an enemy. I take reduced damage so if I'm a level 5 monk thats 25 reduced damage. If I fall 50 feet (5D6) I take a maximum of 5 damage (and thats extremely improbable) and my enemy takes a big hit. I took the mobile ability for an extra +10 movement and so I don't draw opportunity attacks from people I already attacked.
I also like to do things like shoot my grappling hook at a chandelier or other hanging item then swing across the room while kicking an enemy in the face/jumping on top of them and grappling them. This way even if I do attack them its like a flyby attack (no opportunity attack provoked)
The point is, monks can be incredibly fun to play, even if they don't seem powerful. The rogue who's dealing 3x as much DPR as you are will be jealous.
It doesn't have to be powerful as long as its fun!
Monks are very mobile, capable of making a large number of attacks on demand, and have the very rare ability to inflict the stunned condition. They're also able to attack effectively even if both hands are occupied. That makes them great at:
Monk subclasses also add utility. Open Hand monks can push enemies, knock them prone and take away their reactions. Shadow Monks are great at stealth and exploration - and even help the rest of the party sneak around better with Pass Without Trace. Kensei monks have great offense and defense and double as archers. Sun Soul and Four Element monks get limited spell-like abilities. Long Death and Drunken Master monks are great at handling crowds.