I haven't played a Monk yet, but I've just recently glommed on to Patient Defense. I like builds with high survivability/AC (Eldritch Knight plus Shield/Blur), so I think it would be really fun to spend Ki to give your attackers regular Disadvantage.
That said, since you won't have a ton of Ki right away, and it's more fun to attack, I figured I wouldn't regularly use Patient Defense until level 5 when Extra Attack comes along. That way I could attack twice with my Action, and then use a Bonus Action to Dodge.
THAT said, level 5 is also when Stunning Strike comes along, and it sounds like it's a favorite in terms of Ki usage. So Monks, are you using Patient Defense much?
I'm hoping that it's something people are using to take advantage of the Monk's mobility (running into a pack of baddies, and taking out the leader, all while the minions attack you with Disadvantage). In practice I'm worried that it doesn't get that much use.
I'm not a fan. It uses a Ki point AND burns your bonus action. I'd much rather have an extra attack as my bonus action. I like the mobility feat for the ability to dance though a combat to get where you want, making enemies with my action and bonus action along the way.
I absolutely love Patient Defense. Imposing disadvantage on all attacks is huge for a squishy melee fighter. If I can't get in and out, I plan on using Patient Defense. Not having a lot of HP or ways to reduce damage, you gotta avoid getting hit, and the Dodge action is very strong.
Taking Dodge as a bonus action is huge, but I don't use it too often. Usually only if I'm fighting something I can't see or I can't get out of the way. I have the Mobile feat, so I would rather use the bonus action for an extra attack or extra movement. That being said, Patient Defense has saved me more than once.
I've never used it. My level 8 open hand monk has the Mobile feat so I just walk in, do my kung-fu magic, then simply walk away and let the meat shields in the party do their job. I typically just use my ki points for flurry of blows for extra attacks with open hand techniques, step of the wind for extra movement with dash (and to go over difficult terrain undeterred thanks to the Mobile feat), and stunning strike.
I used it with a monk who is retired regularly to turn him into a meat shield. We only had one front line melee fighter so imposing disadvantage on every attack against him soaked up a lot of attacks without taking much damage. Except when the DM rolled two 20's on his attack of course.
At higher level Patient Defense is not as effective because of the attack bonus scaling and other modifiers from magic. I can see why people would take the Mobility Feat now.
I played a Monk from 1-12 (I took Mobility as 4th level), and I can't say I used it all the time. Often times when I did use it the enemies just started targeting the rest of the group because I wasn't worth that attacks.
I used it when either there are A LOT of minions (and you don't want to get nickle and dimed) or if the monster if big enough that you just can't afford to get hit. I will agree with an above poster at high level the baddies general have ToHits so high it won't matter, but it still can against all the minions!
P.S. I was a Way of the Shadow Monk, so my Bonus Action was very contested: +1 attack for 0 Ki, +2 attack for 1 Ki, Dodge for 1 Ki, teleport <=60' with Adv on my next attack for 0 Ki.
I think I've used it once and I'm level 9. Like most people who play a monk, I took mobile. I would always run in, hit people, run away, and leave the fighter and paladin to take the return attacks.
I did use it when I was down to 18 health and fighting some HP draining spirit bastards.
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I haven't played a Monk yet, but I've just recently glommed on to Patient Defense. I like builds with high survivability/AC (Eldritch Knight plus Shield/Blur), so I think it would be really fun to spend Ki to give your attackers regular Disadvantage.
That said, since you won't have a ton of Ki right away, and it's more fun to attack, I figured I wouldn't regularly use Patient Defense until level 5 when Extra Attack comes along. That way I could attack twice with my Action, and then use a Bonus Action to Dodge.
THAT said, level 5 is also when Stunning Strike comes along, and it sounds like it's a favorite in terms of Ki usage. So Monks, are you using Patient Defense much?
I'm hoping that it's something people are using to take advantage of the Monk's mobility (running into a pack of baddies, and taking out the leader, all while the minions attack you with Disadvantage). In practice I'm worried that it doesn't get that much use.
I'm not a fan. It uses a Ki point AND burns your bonus action. I'd much rather have an extra attack as my bonus action. I like the mobility feat for the ability to dance though a combat to get where you want, making enemies with my action and bonus action along the way.
I absolutely love Patient Defense. Imposing disadvantage on all attacks is huge for a squishy melee fighter. If I can't get in and out, I plan on using Patient Defense. Not having a lot of HP or ways to reduce damage, you gotta avoid getting hit, and the Dodge action is very strong.
Taking Dodge as a bonus action is huge, but I don't use it too often. Usually only if I'm fighting something I can't see or I can't get out of the way. I have the Mobile feat, so I would rather use the bonus action for an extra attack or extra movement. That being said, Patient Defense has saved me more than once.
I've never used it. My level 8 open hand monk has the Mobile feat so I just walk in, do my kung-fu magic, then simply walk away and let the meat shields in the party do their job. I typically just use my ki points for flurry of blows for extra attacks with open hand techniques, step of the wind for extra movement with dash (and to go over difficult terrain undeterred thanks to the Mobile feat), and stunning strike.
I don't use it too often but when I do it's a huge benefit. I used it more often prior to picking up the mobile feat.
I used it with a monk who is retired regularly to turn him into a meat shield. We only had one front line melee fighter so imposing disadvantage on every attack against him soaked up a lot of attacks without taking much damage. Except when the DM rolled two 20's on his attack of course.
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At higher level Patient Defense is not as effective because of the attack bonus scaling and other modifiers from magic. I can see why people would take the Mobility Feat now.
It is useful when you are surrounded and/or there are many ranged attacks from enemies.
I'm with filcat.
I played a Monk from 1-12 (I took Mobility as 4th level), and I can't say I used it all the time. Often times when I did use it the enemies just started targeting the rest of the group because I wasn't worth that attacks.
I used it when either there are A LOT of minions (and you don't want to get nickle and dimed) or if the monster if big enough that you just can't afford to get hit. I will agree with an above poster at high level the baddies general have ToHits so high it won't matter, but it still can against all the minions!
P.S. I was a Way of the Shadow Monk, so my Bonus Action was very contested: +1 attack for 0 Ki, +2 attack for 1 Ki, Dodge for 1 Ki, teleport <=60' with Adv on my next attack for 0 Ki.
I think I've used it once and I'm level 9. Like most people who play a monk, I took mobile. I would always run in, hit people, run away, and leave the fighter and paladin to take the return attacks.
I did use it when I was down to 18 health and fighting some HP draining spirit bastards.