Trying to get started with DnD 5e after playing BG3. I've read the player handbook. I have this idea for my first character that seems pretty simple and I've already made a character sheet on DnD Beyond.
The character I want to create is a Human Monk who is a retired Pirate and uses a comically large Halberd as his main weapon alongside punches and kicks (and some Elemental Disciplines later on).
I've given the character some extra weapon and tool proficiencies that make sense due to his background as a Soldier and Pirate before becoming a Monk, like: Scimitars, Water Vehicles, Navigation Tools, Tridents, and Pistols. Of course I've also given him proficiency in Halberds to make sure he gets the proficiency bonus when attacking, but the other weapon proficiencies are just for flavor and I don't intend to use those weapons.
The problem is that this background is custom and nowhere in the player handbook does it say I can make a custom background and use it as justification for why the character gets a few bonus weapon proficiencies.
Is this gonna be problem? Will I not be able to use the character during a campaign?
DnD seems like it's all about roleplay, so i don't know how seriously most people are about class restrictions.
( I know there's also a problem with using a Halberd and the Monk's Martial Arts feature to increase the damage of unarmed attacks. This isn't an issue in BG3 because of how the game works. Would a DM be willing to accept that the Halberd is a monk weapon or that the unarmed attacks still get to use a martial arts dice despite it not being a monk weapon? )
Hello and welcome to DnD. Great to see BG3 bringing interest to the tabletop game. I'm having a ton of fun with it myself! My own 2 cents here:
- For the weapon proficiencies you are looking for it seems you want to take a level of fighter to start, then you could always multiclass into anything else. I know you say you don't intend to use anything other than the halberd, but that is a lot of extra proficiencies without a multiclass dip or a racial reason to have them.
- Halberds have the weapon properties Heavy and Reach, neither of which any monk weapon has. They also do more damage than any other monk weapon. I can't see many DMs saying you can use a halberd in conjunction with a monk's martial arts features. There is always an exception to every rule, but that seems like the kind of thing you're more likely to find in a small campaign with just a player or 2 where rule bending to make player character's more powerful than as written in the rules can sometimes make sense.
Finding something you are interested in playing that is within the normal DnD framework I think is going to make it easier for you to find a group to get started with, but some DMs are more flexible than others.
Again, welcome, and hope you find DnD becomes something you really enjoy.
Hello and welcome to DnD. Great to see BG3 bringing interest to the tabletop game. I'm having a ton of fun with it myself! My own 2 cents here:
- For the weapon proficiencies you are looking for it seems you want to take a level of fighter to start, then you could always multiclass into anything else. I know you say you don't intend to use anything other than the halberd, but that is a lot of extra proficiencies without a multiclass dip or a racial reason to have them.
- Halberds have the weapon properties Heavy and Reach, neither of which any monk weapon has. They also do more damage than any other monk weapon. I can't see many DMs saying you can use a halberd in conjunction with a monk's martial arts features. There is always an exception to every rule, but that seems like the kind of thing you're more likely to find in a small campaign with just a player or 2 where rule bending to make player character's more powerful than as written in the rules can sometimes make sense.
Finding something you are interested in playing that is within the normal DnD framework I think is going to make it easier for you to find a group to get started with, but some DMs are more flexible than others.
Again, welcome, and hope you find DnD becomes something you really enjoy.
Taking a level in Fighter was my first idea but it's gonna cost me more than it gives me since I literally just want Halberd proficiency to fit the character's aesthetic and backstory.
I also don't know how multiclassing works for a brand new character. On my character sheet I set his level to "Level 2 Monk" since starting at level 1 seems incredibly boring since I won't have access to Ki or Flurry of Blows until a DM decides I'm a higher level. I don't know if saying "this is my brand new character and he's got 1 level in Fighter and 2 levels in Monk" is better than just saying "Let me use a dang Halberd".
As for the Martial Arts thing, it's not that much more damage tbh since a Quarterstaff (Monk weapon) is a d8 when used 2 handed and a Halberd is a d10. That's 2 extra damage in exchange for letting the player have the fantasy they want to have. Is it that serious for most DMs? Plus DnD Beyond's character sheet still calculates the damage of my unarmed attacks using a d4 at level 2 so..... is it wrong?
Let's say that all of this IS a problem though, can't I just say that the Halberd is actually just a spear that does its d8 as Slashing damage and looks very similar to a Halberd. There's a small paragraph at the end of the Martial Arts feature that mentions monasteries using "specialized forms of monk weapons", and they give an example of changing a Sickle into a Kama which wouldn't be able to do slashing damage anymore if that was the case.
I could always just avoid overly meticulous DMs, but i was hoping to find a way for this to work despite the game restricting the Monk class so much.
A spear is a different weapon type (piercing vs the halberd's slashing, spears can be thrown and used one or two handed, halderds have reach). But your point in general is reasonable for some DMs - saying you are using a "halberd" with the same stats as a monk weapon is going to get you farther than making a heavy, 2-handed weapon with reach into something a monk can use.
The DM will set the initial levels for a campaign, so it will be up to them where you might start level-wise. Certainly not all start at lvl 1.
In general you are going to have an easier time getting a DM to accept a new player if you are planning to play something requiring little to no rule bending. Once you make friends in the community then more options will open up.
A spear is a different weapon type (piercing vs the halberd's slashing, spears can be thrown and used one or two handed, halderds have reach). But your point in general is reasonable for some DMs - saying you are using a "halberd" with the same stats as a monk weapon is going to get you farther than making a heavy, 2-handed weapon with reach into something a monk can use.
The DM will set the initial levels for a campaign, so it will be up to them where you might start level-wise. Certainly not all start at lvl 1.
In general you are going to have an easier time getting a DM to accept a new player if you are planning to play something requiring little to no rule bending. Once you make friends in the community then more options will open up.
I really wish weapon use wasn't so restrictive. I understand that the game needs rules to provide structure, but it makes no sense to say that there's absolutely no monasteries where monks train using weapons like Glaives (especially when the Naginata exists which was a real weapon used by Warrior Monks).
Alright. If I can convince a Dm that the character has a Halberd that uses similar stats to a Quarterstaff and that his training allows him to use it as a "Monk Weapon" then I'll do that, if not then I'll just go back to playing BG3 until I find another DnD group lol.
This was demoralizing.
(Edit: Just noticed that the damage output of using a Halberd and still using Martial Arts dice for unarmed attacks is the exact same as using a Longsword with Kasha's optional Monk feature "Dedicated Weapon". Both weapons can hit with a d10, and the only difference is that the Halberd has more REACH. So the damage increase isn't a relevant factor unless the DM rejects the optional feature form Kasha.)
Personally, I’d let you use a spear and just say, for flavor purposes, it looks like anything you want, including a comically large halberd. So long as the game stats were those of a spear. I’ll say you are not alone in wishing the weapon rules were less restrictive, but after you play a while, you realize that the restrictions do serve a game balance purpose, and end up being necessary. No one who gets a halberd proficiency, for example, can ever run across water, or get proficiency in all saving throws, or catch arrows. It’s all about trade-offs. I should note, I’m using a monk in my second BG3 playthrough. It’s a bit more effective in the video game than in tabletop. Monks in 5e are notoriously a bit underpowered. The video game made some changes to the rules that make them a bit better, imo.
Meh, "notoriously underpowered" is more a myth perpetuated by power gamers, imo. They're MAD, but hardly the only such class, and they've easily got the most versatile kit of the pure martial classes. The big issue is that they're very Short Rest dependent, which can swing performance strongly between tables. But purely running on non-Ki powered attacks they're going to match or exceed a TWF Fighter for attacks per round and damage dice in the first two tiers unless the Fighter invests in the Dual Wielder feat, and even that barely moves the needle the other way, and by 3rd you've got enough Ki that you can get a lot of mileage from FoB or SS.
(Edit: Just noticed that the damage output of using a Halberd and still using Martial Arts dice for unarmed attacks is the exact same as using a Longsword with Kasha's optional Monk feature "Dedicated Weapon". Both weapons can hit with a d10, and the only difference is that the Halberd has more REACH. So the damage increase isn't a relevant factor unless the DM rejects the optional feature form Kasha.)
Monks are also not proficient with long swords, which that optional rule in Tasha's requires. If you take the lvl in fighter that you mentioned it works as long as the DM is willing to ignore the Heavy restriction for a true halberd. Or you might be able to give up something else in your background or racial package to get the halberd to work as a proficiency.
Meh, "notoriously underpowered" is more a myth perpetuated by power gamers, imo. They're MAD, but hardly the only such class, and they've easily got the most versatile kit of the pure martial classes. The big issue is that they're very Short Rest dependent, which can swing performance strongly between tables. But purely running on non-Ki powered attacks they're going to match or exceed a TWF Fighter for attacks per round and damage dice in the first two tiers unless the Fighter invests in the Dual Wielder feat, and even that barely moves the needle the other way, and by 3rd you've got enough Ki that you can get a lot of mileage from FoB or SS.
Not to thread-jack, but Crawford is on record saying they looked at the numbers and monks were weaker than they should be. I mean, the playtest boosted their martial arts die for a reason. I absolutely agree they get a worse rap than they deserve, but I’ll stand by underpowered.
Personally, I’d let you use a spear and just say, for flavor purposes, it looks like anything you want, including a comically large halberd. So long as the game stats were those of a spear. I’ll say you are not alone in wishing the weapon rules were less restrictive, but after you play a while, you realize that the restrictions do serve a game balance purpose, and end up being necessary. No one who gets a halberd proficiency, for example, can ever run across water, or get proficiency in all saving throws, or catch arrows. It’s all about trade-offs. I should note, I’m using a monk in my second BG3 playthrough. It’s a bit more effective in the video game than in tabletop. Monks in 5e are notoriously a bit underpowered. The video game made some changes to the rules that make them a bit better, imo.
Here's the problem though, weapon restrictions aren't a good balancing method, especially when things like Wizards and Sorcerers can do absolutely ridiculous encounter-breaking damage without even having a weapon in their inventory.
So I seriously doubt that giving Monks or other Non-magic-focused classes more weapon options would break the game's balance. A monk with a Halberd doesn't just NOT break the game, it also makes sense given the real-life inspiration behind the class and can be made to make even more sense by giving the monk a long history of training with and using that weapon.
There also seems to be nothing in the rules that would prevent someone from saying that their character was trained how to use a specific weapon or set of weapons before the start of a campaign through a process similar to the downtime training mechanic. If there is, I'd love to know.
At this point I'm just looking for ways to make this Character work as intended. If I can do that without needing a cool DM who is ok with slightly bending the overly-restrictive rules then that would be great.
Another thing: According to DnD Beyond the character's unarmed strikes are using the Martial Arts dice even though the character is wielding a Halberd. Is that incorrect? Like is it just an error in the program or is that the widely recognized interpretation of the rule? (This is the same way BG3 calculates unarmed attack damage for monks)
Comparatively, there's some road bumps, particularly if you want to go straight up bare-handed. But not nearly enough to significantly affect play unless you're in a group with several optimizers. Not gonna thread-jack either, was just giving a counterpoint.
With respect to being proficient with a longsword, you could always be a Variant Human and take the Weapon Master feat as your starting feat (or be a normal human, wait to L4 and take that feat instead of an ASI, which would be better overall, but means waiting before getting the halberd). Weapon Master gives you +1 to Str or Dex, and a proficiency in four simple or martial weapons.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
As others pointed out, if you are being a human then use the human variant option and select the Weapon Master feat.That will allow you gain proficiency in the weapons you want. You will have to redo your ability scores if you select this feat at level one.
Now, regarding the Monk Weapon discussion, I don’t think many DMs are going to allow a weapon with the Heavy and Reach properties to quality as a Monk Weapon.
If you goal is to have a ridiculously large bladed weapon with a bevel as long as gnome; then just get proficient in a battleaxe and call the weapon whatever you want.The naming convention of weapons in 5E is more about giving things an entertaining classification.Saying “glaive” or “halberd” is more fun than saying “d10-slashing-2handed-heavy-reach weapon”.It comes down to classifications of a weapon type so that feats and other game features can be applied. They way you describe it and your actions with it have very little limitations.
Hello and welcome to DnD. Great to see BG3 bringing interest to the tabletop game. I'm having a ton of fun with it myself! My own 2 cents here:
- For the weapon proficiencies you are looking for it seems you want to take a level of fighter to start, then you could always multiclass into anything else. I know you say you don't intend to use anything other than the halberd, but that is a lot of extra proficiencies without a multiclass dip or a racial reason to have them.
- Halberds have the weapon properties Heavy and Reach, neither of which any monk weapon has. They also do more damage than any other monk weapon. I can't see many DMs saying you can use a halberd in conjunction with a monk's martial arts features. There is always an exception to every rule, but that seems like the kind of thing you're more likely to find in a small campaign with just a player or 2 where rule bending to make player character's more powerful than as written in the rules can sometimes make sense.
Finding something you are interested in playing that is within the normal DnD framework I think is going to make it easier for you to find a group to get started with, but some DMs are more flexible than others.
Again, welcome, and hope you find DnD becomes something you really enjoy.
Taking a level in Fighter was my first idea but it's gonna cost me more than it gives me since I literally just want Halberd proficiency to fit the character's aesthetic and backstory.
I also don't know how multiclassing works for a brand new character. On my character sheet I set his level to "Level 2 Monk" since starting at level 1 seems incredibly boring since I won't have access to Ki or Flurry of Blows until a DM decides I'm a higher level. I don't know if saying "this is my brand new character and he's got 1 level in Fighter and 2 levels in Monk" is better than just saying "Let me use a dang Halberd".
As for the Martial Arts thing, it's not that much more damage tbh since a Quarterstaff (Monk weapon) is a d8 when used 2 handed and a Halberd is a d10. That's 2 extra damage in exchange for letting the player have the fantasy they want to have. Is it that serious for most DMs? Plus DnD Beyond's character sheet still calculates the damage of my unarmed attacks using a d4 at level 2 so..... is it wrong?
Let's say that all of this IS a problem though, can't I just say that the Halberd is actually just a spear that does its d8 as Slashing damage and looks very similar to a Halberd. There's a small paragraph at the end of the Martial Arts feature that mentions monasteries using "specialized forms of monk weapons", and they give an example of changing a Sickle into a Kama which wouldn't be able to do slashing damage anymore if that was the case.
I could always just avoid overly meticulous DMs, but i was hoping to find a way for this to work despite the game restricting the Monk class so much.
My advise is to slow down a bit on the mechanical aspects until you find a actual group that you like. Things like I set his level to "Level 2 Monk" may not work with the rest of the group if they are starting at level 1, or they could be starting at level 5. Tabletop gaming is a lot more of a group effort than a 1 player video game. And since its your first time doing tabletop, I suggest playing strictly by the rules for a bit before tweaking things. That's just generally good advice in every area of life, IMO.
Some things on monks and open hand damage - the monk class as a class is more based on the early Bruce lee movies and the 70’s TV show “Kung Fu” than on any real life monks as such it was centered on bare hand combat not weapon combat. Normally, barehand is 1 point + strength bonus, so the change to both Dex or strength and a D4 for empty hand damage was a big step up. The AC10 + Dex + wis for non armored AC represented your ability to dodge and predict the attacks coming at you. The extra empty hand attacks ( or any empty hand attacks) can be permed whether holding weapons or not as they include kicks, elbows, knees, and head butts as well as punches and chops. sooooo - were there oriental martial artists that used halberds, spears, long swords, etc? Of course, but many were not technically monks they were warriors with martial training. Perhaps the best way to mimic this is, as others have suggested, start as a fighter - but take the bare handed fighting style from Tasha, that gets you a D6 damage instead of a D4, and also gets you proficiency with martial weapons allowing you to wield a halberd ( I would go with spear as it’s not a heavy weapon which is what causes the problems with monk and halberd) ( also, keep in mind that the terms light and heavy is not about weight really but about how unwieldy and space filling a weapon is so “light” weapons are small enough to be wielded two handed but don’t control much space alone while heavy weapons are unwieldy but control much larger spaces.) Another confusion in terms are finesse and versatile - finesse means you can use either strength or Dex for to hit and damage while versatile means you can use the weapon either one or two handed. No weapons are both finesse and versatile. The other problem is that to do a halberd you have to have high strength while to get good AC you need both good Dex and good wisdom ( and you always want good con) making a strength and Dex based monk very difficult to build without rolling and getting great rolls. To fully come on line the PC needs to be L3 (F1/M2) to get the Tasha’s dedicated weapon which at least allows two handed and versatile weapons but not heavy - this would allow the use of a spear but wouldn’t give you reach. finally, yes as others have said find a group first then talk over your ideas with the DM and sort out what they will allow.
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Hey there,
Trying to get started with DnD 5e after playing BG3. I've read the player handbook. I have this idea for my first character that seems pretty simple and I've already made a character sheet on DnD Beyond.
The character I want to create is a Human Monk who is a retired Pirate and uses a comically large Halberd as his main weapon alongside punches and kicks (and some Elemental Disciplines later on).
I've given the character some extra weapon and tool proficiencies that make sense due to his background as a Soldier and Pirate before becoming a Monk, like: Scimitars, Water Vehicles, Navigation Tools, Tridents, and Pistols. Of course I've also given him proficiency in Halberds to make sure he gets the proficiency bonus when attacking, but the other weapon proficiencies are just for flavor and I don't intend to use those weapons.
The problem is that this background is custom and nowhere in the player handbook does it say I can make a custom background and use it as justification for why the character gets a few bonus weapon proficiencies.
Is this gonna be problem? Will I not be able to use the character during a campaign?
DnD seems like it's all about roleplay, so i don't know how seriously most people are about class restrictions.
( I know there's also a problem with using a Halberd and the Monk's Martial Arts feature to increase the damage of unarmed attacks. This isn't an issue in BG3 because of how the game works. Would a DM be willing to accept that the Halberd is a monk weapon or that the unarmed attacks still get to use a martial arts dice despite it not being a monk weapon? )
Hello and welcome to DnD. Great to see BG3 bringing interest to the tabletop game. I'm having a ton of fun with it myself! My own 2 cents here:
- For the weapon proficiencies you are looking for it seems you want to take a level of fighter to start, then you could always multiclass into anything else. I know you say you don't intend to use anything other than the halberd, but that is a lot of extra proficiencies without a multiclass dip or a racial reason to have them.
- Halberds have the weapon properties Heavy and Reach, neither of which any monk weapon has. They also do more damage than any other monk weapon. I can't see many DMs saying you can use a halberd in conjunction with a monk's martial arts features. There is always an exception to every rule, but that seems like the kind of thing you're more likely to find in a small campaign with just a player or 2 where rule bending to make player character's more powerful than as written in the rules can sometimes make sense.
Finding something you are interested in playing that is within the normal DnD framework I think is going to make it easier for you to find a group to get started with, but some DMs are more flexible than others.
Again, welcome, and hope you find DnD becomes something you really enjoy.
Taking a level in Fighter was my first idea but it's gonna cost me more than it gives me since I literally just want Halberd proficiency to fit the character's aesthetic and backstory.
I also don't know how multiclassing works for a brand new character. On my character sheet I set his level to "Level 2 Monk" since starting at level 1 seems incredibly boring since I won't have access to Ki or Flurry of Blows until a DM decides I'm a higher level. I don't know if saying "this is my brand new character and he's got 1 level in Fighter and 2 levels in Monk" is better than just saying "Let me use a dang Halberd".
As for the Martial Arts thing, it's not that much more damage tbh since a Quarterstaff (Monk weapon) is a d8 when used 2 handed and a Halberd is a d10. That's 2 extra damage in exchange for letting the player have the fantasy they want to have. Is it that serious for most DMs? Plus DnD Beyond's character sheet still calculates the damage of my unarmed attacks using a d4 at level 2 so..... is it wrong?
Let's say that all of this IS a problem though, can't I just say that the Halberd is actually just a spear that does its d8 as Slashing damage and looks very similar to a Halberd. There's a small paragraph at the end of the Martial Arts feature that mentions monasteries using "specialized forms of monk weapons", and they give an example of changing a Sickle into a Kama which wouldn't be able to do slashing damage anymore if that was the case.
I could always just avoid overly meticulous DMs, but i was hoping to find a way for this to work despite the game restricting the Monk class so much.
A spear is a different weapon type (piercing vs the halberd's slashing, spears can be thrown and used one or two handed, halderds have reach). But your point in general is reasonable for some DMs - saying you are using a "halberd" with the same stats as a monk weapon is going to get you farther than making a heavy, 2-handed weapon with reach into something a monk can use.
The DM will set the initial levels for a campaign, so it will be up to them where you might start level-wise. Certainly not all start at lvl 1.
In general you are going to have an easier time getting a DM to accept a new player if you are planning to play something requiring little to no rule bending. Once you make friends in the community then more options will open up.
I really wish weapon use wasn't so restrictive. I understand that the game needs rules to provide structure, but it makes no sense to say that there's absolutely no monasteries where monks train using weapons like Glaives (especially when the Naginata exists which was a real weapon used by Warrior Monks).
There's also Shaolin Monks. https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=ShaolinWarriors15Artists&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=#:~:text=They include the common axe,divided between short and long.
Alright. If I can convince a Dm that the character has a Halberd that uses similar stats to a Quarterstaff and that his training allows him to use it as a "Monk Weapon" then I'll do that, if not then I'll just go back to playing BG3 until I find another DnD group lol.
This was demoralizing.
(Edit: Just noticed that the damage output of using a Halberd and still using Martial Arts dice for unarmed attacks is the exact same as using a Longsword with Kasha's optional Monk feature "Dedicated Weapon". Both weapons can hit with a d10, and the only difference is that the Halberd has more REACH. So the damage increase isn't a relevant factor unless the DM rejects the optional feature form Kasha.)
Personally, I’d let you use a spear and just say, for flavor purposes, it looks like anything you want, including a comically large halberd. So long as the game stats were those of a spear. I’ll say you are not alone in wishing the weapon rules were less restrictive, but after you play a while, you realize that the restrictions do serve a game balance purpose, and end up being necessary. No one who gets a halberd proficiency, for example, can ever run across water, or get proficiency in all saving throws, or catch arrows. It’s all about trade-offs.
I should note, I’m using a monk in my second BG3 playthrough. It’s a bit more effective in the video game than in tabletop. Monks in 5e are notoriously a bit underpowered. The video game made some changes to the rules that make them a bit better, imo.
Meh, "notoriously underpowered" is more a myth perpetuated by power gamers, imo. They're MAD, but hardly the only such class, and they've easily got the most versatile kit of the pure martial classes. The big issue is that they're very Short Rest dependent, which can swing performance strongly between tables. But purely running on non-Ki powered attacks they're going to match or exceed a TWF Fighter for attacks per round and damage dice in the first two tiers unless the Fighter invests in the Dual Wielder feat, and even that barely moves the needle the other way, and by 3rd you've got enough Ki that you can get a lot of mileage from FoB or SS.
Monks are also not proficient with long swords, which that optional rule in Tasha's requires. If you take the lvl in fighter that you mentioned it works as long as the DM is willing to ignore the Heavy restriction for a true halberd. Or you might be able to give up something else in your background or racial package to get the halberd to work as a proficiency.
Not to thread-jack, but Crawford is on record saying they looked at the numbers and monks were weaker than they should be. I mean, the playtest boosted their martial arts die for a reason.
I absolutely agree they get a worse rap than they deserve, but I’ll stand by underpowered.
Here's the problem though, weapon restrictions aren't a good balancing method, especially when things like Wizards and Sorcerers can do absolutely ridiculous encounter-breaking damage without even having a weapon in their inventory.
So I seriously doubt that giving Monks or other Non-magic-focused classes more weapon options would break the game's balance. A monk with a Halberd doesn't just NOT break the game, it also makes sense given the real-life inspiration behind the class and can be made to make even more sense by giving the monk a long history of training with and using that weapon.
There also seems to be nothing in the rules that would prevent someone from saying that their character was trained how to use a specific weapon or set of weapons before the start of a campaign through a process similar to the downtime training mechanic. If there is, I'd love to know.
At this point I'm just looking for ways to make this Character work as intended. If I can do that without needing a cool DM who is ok with slightly bending the overly-restrictive rules then that would be great.
Another thing: According to DnD Beyond the character's unarmed strikes are using the Martial Arts dice even though the character is wielding a Halberd. Is that incorrect? Like is it just an error in the program or is that the widely recognized interpretation of the rule? (This is the same way BG3 calculates unarmed attack damage for monks)
Comparatively, there's some road bumps, particularly if you want to go straight up bare-handed. But not nearly enough to significantly affect play unless you're in a group with several optimizers. Not gonna thread-jack either, was just giving a counterpoint.
With respect to being proficient with a longsword, you could always be a Variant Human and take the Weapon Master feat as your starting feat (or be a normal human, wait to L4 and take that feat instead of an ASI, which would be better overall, but means waiting before getting the halberd). Weapon Master gives you +1 to Str or Dex, and a proficiency in four simple or martial weapons.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
As others pointed out, if you are being a human then use the human variant option and select the Weapon Master feat. That will allow you gain proficiency in the weapons you want. You will have to redo your ability scores if you select this feat at level one.
Now, regarding the Monk Weapon discussion, I don’t think many DMs are going to allow a weapon with the Heavy and Reach properties to quality as a Monk Weapon.
If you goal is to have a ridiculously large bladed weapon with a bevel as long as gnome; then just get proficient in a battleaxe and call the weapon whatever you want. The naming convention of weapons in 5E is more about giving things an entertaining classification. Saying “glaive” or “halberd” is more fun than saying “d10-slashing-2handed-heavy-reach weapon”. It comes down to classifications of a weapon type so that feats and other game features can be applied. They way you describe it and your actions with it have very little limitations.
My advise is to slow down a bit on the mechanical aspects until you find a actual group that you like. Things like I set his level to "Level 2 Monk" may not work with the rest of the group if they are starting at level 1, or they could be starting at level 5. Tabletop gaming is a lot more of a group effort than a 1 player video game. And since its your first time doing tabletop, I suggest playing strictly by the rules for a bit before tweaking things. That's just generally good advice in every area of life, IMO.
Some things on monks and open hand damage -
the monk class as a class is more based on the early Bruce lee movies and the 70’s TV show “Kung Fu” than on any real life monks as such it was centered on bare hand combat not weapon combat. Normally, barehand is 1 point + strength bonus, so the change to both Dex or strength and a D4 for empty hand damage was a big step up. The AC10 + Dex + wis for non armored AC represented your ability to dodge and predict the attacks coming at you. The extra empty hand attacks ( or any empty hand attacks) can be permed whether holding weapons or not as they include kicks, elbows, knees, and head butts as well as punches and chops.
sooooo - were there oriental martial artists that used halberds, spears, long swords, etc? Of course, but many were not technically monks they were warriors with martial training. Perhaps the best way to mimic this is, as others have suggested, start as a fighter - but take the bare handed fighting style from Tasha, that gets you a D6 damage instead of a D4, and also gets you proficiency with martial weapons allowing you to wield a halberd ( I would go with spear as it’s not a heavy weapon which is what causes the problems with monk and halberd) ( also, keep in mind that the terms light and heavy is not about weight really but about how unwieldy and space filling a weapon is so “light” weapons are small enough to be wielded two handed but don’t control much space alone while heavy weapons are unwieldy but control much larger spaces.) Another confusion in terms are finesse and versatile - finesse means you can use either strength or Dex for to hit and damage while versatile means you can use the weapon either one or two handed. No weapons are both finesse and versatile. The other problem is that to do a halberd you have to have high strength while to get good AC you need both good Dex and good wisdom ( and you always want good con) making a strength and Dex based monk very difficult to build without rolling and getting great rolls. To fully come on line the PC needs to be L3 (F1/M2) to get the Tasha’s dedicated weapon which at least allows two handed and versatile weapons but not heavy - this would allow the use of a spear but wouldn’t give you reach.
finally, yes as others have said find a group first then talk over your ideas with the DM and sort out what they will allow.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.