The bonus unarmed attack can be a kick, a headbutt or knee strike, or he can take a hand off the spear to do it. The only time he needs to have two hands on the spear to get the d8 Versatile bonus is when he's actively attacking with it.
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
If he is attacking two handed you cannot do unarmed strike unless you drop your weapon.
No, they can use two hands. Spears don't have the Two-Handed property, they have Versatile. This allows them to use it two hands, and still make an unarmed strike as a bonus action.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
If he is attacking two handed you cannot do unarmed strike unless you drop your weapon.
Not true. The weapon objectively has the “versatile” property, but it objectively does not have the “two-handed” nor “heavy” properties. It doesn’t matter how many hands you use, only that it not have those properties.
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
If he is attacking two handed you cannot do unarmed strike unless you drop your weapon.
Are you trying to imply that quarterstaves are not monk weapons?
Anyway, as others pointed out the versatile property is a different property than the two-handed property.
Versatile weapons can be monk weapons. Monk weapons wielded with 2 hands do not stop being monk weapons (as there is no rule that says that).
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
If he is attacking two handed you cannot do unarmed strike unless you drop your weapon.
And if anyone is saying Versatile == Two Handed or heavy, Remember there is always the Kensai monk.
"Kensei Weapons. Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the heavy and special properties."
Unfortunately, all of the two handed weapons (Except the great club) ALSO have the heavy property so they can't be used as kensai weapons. (It also means that there are no Great Weapon Master feat kensai monks except in homebrew).
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Monks have no problem using versatile monk weapons with two hands though. The Sage Advice compendium even makes it clear that the weapon needs to be held in two hands only when making the attack but monk unarmed strikes can be made with any part of their body so it doesn't really matter anyway.
If this is true, Why is my spear not using Dex modifier for the spear. It's still using strength even though I dipped a level into monk. My strength has a -1 modifier while my dex has a +3. But my spear is only getting a +2 and I'm only assuming that's because I went up a level because I tested by increasing the modifier on my dex and the attack modifier is not increasing on the spear.
If this is true, Why is my spear not using Dex modifier for the spear. It's still using strength even though I dipped a level into monk. My strength has a -1 modifier while my dex has a +3. But my spear is only getting a +2 and I'm only assuming that's because I went up a level because I tested by increasing the modifier on my dex and the attack modifier is not increasing on the spear.
I'd I had to guess: you are wearing armor. Monks lose half their class features if so much as a scrap of leather touches their skin (an exaggeration obviously, but yeah).
If not, post a link to the character and I'll see if I notice something.
If this is true, Why is my spear not using Dex modifier for the spear. It's still using strength even though I dipped a level into monk. My strength has a -1 modifier while my dex has a +3. But my spear is only getting a +2 and I'm only assuming that's because I went up a level because I tested by increasing the modifier on my dex and the attack modifier is not increasing on the spear.
I just made a Monk and tested this and DnDBeyond is using my 16 dex for attack and damage rolls instead of my 8 strength. Is your character wearing armor or wielding a shield?
Edit: With further testing I found that wearing Padded armor switched my attack and damage roles to using Strength but interestingly my AC remained the same. Here is the character: https://ddb.ac/characters/69056550/AHJOaW. They have a 16 dex and a 14 wis so unarmored their AC is 15. Padded armor should be 11 + dex for a 14 total but it looks like DnDBeyond doesn't detect that I no longer qualify for Unarmored Defense and still picks it as the better AC calculation.
Askatu, hyperfocused vedalken freedom fighter in Wildspace (Zealot barb/Swashbuckler rogue/Battle Master fighter) Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Brooo I feel so dumb LOL. I saw my AC and saw that I was getting boost from the Monk class's Unarmored Defense so I assumed I didn't have any armor on, but per your reply, I noticed that I still had the armor on in my inventory. I just screamed Oh my gosh and face palmed 'til my face turned red. It's working now after I unequipped the armor lol thank you guys sooo much.
Does a short spear count as a monk weapon?
If so, can he use the spear with two-hands (1d8) and still use the bonus unarmed attack?
Yes, spears count as monk weapons.
The bonus unarmed attack can be a kick, a headbutt or knee strike, or he can take a hand off the spear to do it. The only time he needs to have two hands on the spear to get the d8 Versatile bonus is when he's actively attacking with it.
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At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
If he is attacking two handed you cannot do unarmed strike unless you drop your weapon.
No, they can use two hands. Spears don't have the Two-Handed property, they have Versatile. This allows them to use it two hands, and still make an unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Not true. The weapon objectively has the “versatile” property, but it objectively does not have the “two-handed” nor “heavy” properties. It doesn’t matter how many hands you use, only that it not have those properties.
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Are you trying to imply that quarterstaves are not monk weapons?
Anyway, as others pointed out the versatile property is a different property than the two-handed property.
Versatile weapons can be monk weapons. Monk weapons wielded with 2 hands do not stop being monk weapons (as there is no rule that says that).
My apologies your lordship that was copy paste directly from dmg
Why don’t you want kung fu monks to kick?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
And if anyone is saying Versatile == Two Handed or heavy, Remember there is always the Kensai monk.
"Kensei Weapons. Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the heavy and special properties."
Unfortunately, all of the two handed weapons (Except the great club) ALSO have the heavy property so they can't be used as kensai weapons. (It also means that there are no Great Weapon Master feat kensai monks except in homebrew).
---
Monks have no problem using versatile monk weapons with two hands though. The Sage Advice compendium even makes it clear that the weapon needs to be held in two hands only when making the attack but monk unarmed strikes can be made with any part of their body so it doesn't really matter anyway.
Too bad you can't have a lance as a monk weapon as Kensei.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
If this is true, Why is my spear not using Dex modifier for the spear. It's still using strength even though I dipped a level into monk. My strength has a -1 modifier while my dex has a +3. But my spear is only getting a +2 and I'm only assuming that's because I went up a level because I tested by increasing the modifier on my dex and the attack modifier is not increasing on the spear.
I'd I had to guess: you are wearing armor. Monks lose half their class features if so much as a scrap of leather touches their skin (an exaggeration obviously, but yeah).
If not, post a link to the character and I'll see if I notice something.
I just made a Monk and tested this and DnDBeyond is using my 16 dex for attack and damage rolls instead of my 8 strength. Is your character wearing armor or wielding a shield?
Edit: With further testing I found that wearing Padded armor switched my attack and damage roles to using Strength but interestingly my AC remained the same. Here is the character: https://ddb.ac/characters/69056550/AHJOaW. They have a 16 dex and a 14 wis so unarmored their AC is 15. Padded armor should be 11 + dex for a 14 total but it looks like DnDBeyond doesn't detect that I no longer qualify for Unarmored Defense and still picks it as the better AC calculation.
Whoops - thanks
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Brooo I feel so dumb LOL. I saw my AC and saw that I was getting boost from the Monk class's Unarmored Defense so I assumed I didn't have any armor on, but per your reply, I noticed that I still had the armor on in my inventory. I just screamed Oh my gosh and face palmed 'til my face turned red. It's working now after I unequipped the armor lol thank you guys sooo much.
No worries! I made a thread about this in the Bug & Support forum and it seems like this is a known issue.