Do features that alter Unarmed Strikes stack? I'll explain the question with an example:
The Tabaxi rules say, "...your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike."
The Monk rules say, "You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon."
So if you're a Tabaxi Monk, do your unarmed strikes deal 2d4 + STR modifier in slashing damage? Or is it 1d4 + STR modifier slashing & 1d4 bludgeoning? Or do you have to choose one or the other damage traits?
Generally speaking, no. "In place of" means that it replaces. The 1d4+STR of the Tabaxi is its "normal" damage, which can be replaced by Monk damage.
Basically, a monk can treat their body like a weapon. If you are already wielding a weapon (Natural Weapon), there is no additional benefit, other than variable damage types.
Generally speaking, no. "In place of" means that it replaces. The 1d4+STR of the Tabaxi is its "normal" damage, which can be replaced by Monk damage.
Basically, a monk can treat their body like a weapon. If you are already wielding a weapon (Natural Weapon), there is no additional benefit, other than variable damage types.
Agree here. The monk rules override the baseline for the PC's race. For most races, that baseline is your STR modifier, but for Tabaxi (and Aarakocra i believe) the baseline is 1d4+STR.
The monk rule scales overtime (there is a table that shows what dice you use at what level), so it will become the best option fairly quickly regardless of the race you chose. Regardless, if you are tabaxi or aarakocra, your unarmed strikes will deal slashing damage rather than bludgeoning (similarly, you can change the damage type by wielding a monk weapon with that type)
Do features that alter Unarmed Strikes stack? I'll explain the question with an example:
The Tabaxi rules say, "...your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike."
The Monk rules say, "You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon."
So if you're a Tabaxi Monk, do your unarmed strikes deal 2d4 + STR modifier in slashing damage? Or is it 1d4 + STR modifier slashing & 1d4 bludgeoning? Or do you have to choose one or the other damage traits?
The unarmed strike does 1d4. Martial Arts lets you choose Str or Dex, and the Tabaxi claws let you choose Slashing or Bludgeoning.
Do features that alter Unarmed Strikes stack? I'll explain the question with an example:
The Tabaxi rules say, "...your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike."
The Monk rules say, "You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon."
So if you're a Tabaxi Monk, do your unarmed strikes deal 2d4 + STR modifier in slashing damage? Or is it 1d4 + STR modifier slashing & 1d4 bludgeoning? Or do you have to choose one or the other damage traits?
It would be less accurate to say they stack and more accurate to say they both apply (stacking is what bonuses and dice might do).
Tabaxi says you can do 1d4+STR slashing instead of 1+STR bludgeoning. Monk has 2 parts: you can use DEX instead of STR for unarmed strikes (and monk weapons); and you can do 1d4 (martial art die) instead of normal damage with unarmed strikes (and monk weapons).
The monk features listed can apply to all unarmed strikes, including cat's claws. And all of these features are replacement not bonus, so nothing "stacks."
What it comes down to is, with an unarmed strike you can do:
So a lvl 4 Monk Tabaxi vs LVL 1 Fighter Human. The Level 4 tabaxi has: Monk d4+STR (or DEX), (Claws 1d4+STR), and Tavern Brawler UA d4+STR. And the human Unarmed Fighting (bare hands d8+STR). So the Level 1 naked Human will beat up the lvl 4 monk WHICH STILL has just a d4... AND also deal automatic d4 damage if he grapples the monk.
Dumb as it sounds yes, you can’t even help the monk with his bonus action openhand attack for D4 +stat since the fighter has the two weapon fighting bonus action option for 1d8 no stat bonus. Welcome to what happens when WOTC doesn’t think thru the impacts when it adds things in later books. So now since you will probably not go to L20 you start as a L1 fighter - more HP, op. Hand fighting etc. then go monk at L2 , yes your a level behind in monk but now you get the good damage and then can on the other besets the monk gets.
So a lvl 4 Monk Tabaxi vs LVL 1 Fighter Human. The Level 4 tabaxi has: Monk d4+STR (or DEX), (Claws 1d4+STR), and Tavern Brawler UA d4+STR. And the human Unarmed Fighting (bare hands d8+STR). So the Level 1 naked Human will beat up the lvl 4 monk WHICH STILL has just a d4... AND also deal automatic d4 damage if he grapples the monk.
The level 1 Fighter without weapons or shield can make just one d8+STR unarmed attack against the level 4 Monk - no bonus action attack. If the Fighter decides to grapple, that uses up their Attack action for the turn.
Meanwhile, the level 4 Monk could make a d8+STR|DEX attack with a monk weapon, then choose to either do a grapple as a bonus action (Tavern Brawler), or do a d4+STR|DEX unarmed strike as a bonus action, or spend a ki point to do 2 d4+STR|DEX unarmed strikes as a bonus action (Flurry of Blows). Even without Flurry of Blows, the Fighter potentially deals 1d8+STR (or 1d4+1d8+STR with the Monk grappled) vs the Monk potentially dealing 1d8+STR|DEX+1d4+STR|DEX. Assuming they have equivalent attack modifiers, the Monk still comes out ahead numbers-wise.
Not to mention the Monk likely has a higher AC than the "naked" Fighter...
So a lvl 4 Monk Tabaxi vs LVL 1 Fighter Human. The Level 4 tabaxi has: Monk d4+STR (or DEX), (Claws 1d4+STR), and Tavern Brawler UA d4+STR. And the human Unarmed Fighting (bare hands d8+STR). So the Level 1 naked Human will beat up the lvl 4 monk WHICH STILL has just a d4... AND also deal automatic d4 damage if he grapples the monk.
Well... No. Because 2d4+6 DPR with 16 AC and 31 HP should win against 1d8+3 DPR with 12 AC and 13 HP, even if the human fighter had an extra feat to grapple as a bonus action so they didn't have to give up a turn of attacking to get the 1d4 extra damage. Only if they were both the same level would the monk have to actually use Ki to stand a chance (and depending on fighter subclass, might still win).
I do recommend the unarmed fighting style as a feat for monks that are going completely weaponless, they can swap it out at level 12 for blind fighting once martial arts catches up. Or you could just use a staff like other monks... And taking a fighter level is almost never worth it.
(And the unarmed fighting style can not use the 2 weapon fighting bonus action)
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Do features that alter Unarmed Strikes stack? I'll explain the question with an example:
The Tabaxi rules say, "...your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike."
The Monk rules say, "You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon."
So if you're a Tabaxi Monk, do your unarmed strikes deal 2d4 + STR modifier in slashing damage? Or is it 1d4 + STR modifier slashing & 1d4 bludgeoning? Or do you have to choose one or the other damage traits?
Generally speaking, no. "In place of" means that it replaces. The 1d4+STR of the Tabaxi is its "normal" damage, which can be replaced by Monk damage.
Basically, a monk can treat their body like a weapon. If you are already wielding a weapon (Natural Weapon), there is no additional benefit, other than variable damage types.
Agree here. The monk rules override the baseline for the PC's race. For most races, that baseline is your STR modifier, but for Tabaxi (and Aarakocra i believe) the baseline is 1d4+STR.
The monk rule scales overtime (there is a table that shows what dice you use at what level), so it will become the best option fairly quickly regardless of the race you chose. Regardless, if you are tabaxi or aarakocra, your unarmed strikes will deal slashing damage rather than bludgeoning (similarly, you can change the damage type by wielding a monk weapon with that type)
The unarmed strike does 1d4. Martial Arts lets you choose Str or Dex, and the Tabaxi claws let you choose Slashing or Bludgeoning.
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It would be less accurate to say they stack and more accurate to say they both apply (stacking is what bonuses and dice might do).
Tabaxi says you can do 1d4+STR slashing instead of 1+STR bludgeoning. Monk has 2 parts: you can use DEX instead of STR for unarmed strikes (and monk weapons); and you can do 1d4 (martial art die) instead of normal damage with unarmed strikes (and monk weapons).
The monk features listed can apply to all unarmed strikes, including cat's claws. And all of these features are replacement not bonus, so nothing "stacks."
What it comes down to is, with an unarmed strike you can do:
But never 1d4+[martial arts die]+whatever.
Thank you for your replies. This makes much more sense now.
So a lvl 4 Monk Tabaxi vs LVL 1 Fighter Human. The Level 4 tabaxi has: Monk d4+STR (or DEX), (Claws 1d4+STR), and Tavern Brawler UA d4+STR. And the human Unarmed Fighting (bare hands d8+STR). So the Level 1 naked Human will beat up the lvl 4 monk WHICH STILL has just a d4... AND also deal automatic d4 damage if he grapples the monk.
Dumb as it sounds yes, you can’t even help the monk with his bonus action openhand attack for D4 +stat since the fighter has the two weapon fighting bonus action option for 1d8 no stat bonus. Welcome to what happens when WOTC doesn’t think thru the impacts when it adds things in later books. So now since you will probably not go to L20 you start as a L1 fighter - more HP, op. Hand fighting etc. then go monk at L2 , yes your a level behind in monk but now you get the good damage and then can on the other besets the monk gets.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
The level 1 Fighter without weapons or shield can make just one d8+STR unarmed attack against the level 4 Monk - no bonus action attack. If the Fighter decides to grapple, that uses up their Attack action for the turn.
Meanwhile, the level 4 Monk could make a d8+STR|DEX attack with a monk weapon, then choose to either do a grapple as a bonus action (Tavern Brawler), or do a d4+STR|DEX unarmed strike as a bonus action, or spend a ki point to do 2 d4+STR|DEX unarmed strikes as a bonus action (Flurry of Blows). Even without Flurry of Blows, the Fighter potentially deals 1d8+STR (or 1d4+1d8+STR with the Monk grappled) vs the Monk potentially dealing 1d8+STR|DEX+1d4+STR|DEX. Assuming they have equivalent attack modifiers, the Monk still comes out ahead numbers-wise.
Not to mention the Monk likely has a higher AC than the "naked" Fighter...
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Well... No. Because 2d4+6 DPR with 16 AC and 31 HP should win against 1d8+3 DPR with 12 AC and 13 HP, even if the human fighter had an extra feat to grapple as a bonus action so they didn't have to give up a turn of attacking to get the 1d4 extra damage. Only if they were both the same level would the monk have to actually use Ki to stand a chance (and depending on fighter subclass, might still win).
I do recommend the unarmed fighting style as a feat for monks that are going completely weaponless, they can swap it out at level 12 for blind fighting once martial arts catches up. Or you could just use a staff like other monks... And taking a fighter level is almost never worth it.
(And the unarmed fighting style can not use the 2 weapon fighting bonus action)