Hey all, new player to D&D in a campaign that hasn’t gone far but has gotten kind of strange in a good way and I am loving my monk. We started at level 3 and I love my now level 4 way of the open hand monk, but our campaign just merged with another campaign set in the same world, different time period, and I feel that being just a monk won’t be enough. We did a roll for stats and so my stats are Str10 Dex15 Con12 Int10 Wis13 Cha7 with bonuses of +2 on strength and dex for 12 and 17 respectively. What are some good multiclassings for monks (frost Goliath), plus when is a good time to multiclass?
Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue. While I don't know how much I'd recommend multiclassing any of these, since Monk isn't terribly happy about being multiclassed in general (Unarmed Strikes get better the more you stay Monk), these are your only options with those stats.
I would not generally recommend multiclassing at all if you're super new to the game.
That said, following the rules on ability score requirements, your options for multiclassing are Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue. Which one you might want to choose (and when) depends a lot on what you want the character to be able to do, and what role you want them to fill in the party (so it might also depend on what other classes are present). What are your thoughts on that?
One thing I will say is that if you take one more Monk level, you get the ability to make two attacks with a single Attack action, as well as Stunning Strike. These are both a Big Deal™ and I'd definitely recommend you wait until you have them before taking any levels in another class.
Realize that multiclassing has a lot of down sides if you are not a power gaming one shot build.
As I understand, you are a 4th level monk. You need to compare a 5th level monk with adding what ever new class you choose. Because of the increased things you get with a single level character, sometimes multiclassing will never compare. Realize a 5th level monk gets 2 attacks and stunning strike. Compare that with a 1st level new class? Which is more beneficial? At 6th level your subclass allows you to heal yourself. How does that compare with a 2nd level of what you multiclassed into?
Once you multi class, you will fall behind the power curve. If you are advancing up to level 20, it can be emotionally painful as you see that you are falling behind. It is the minute by minute, session by session grind that creates that baggage. If you start at level 18, there is no emotional baggage, as you don't experience that day to day situation.
If you want to know what is compatible, look at rogue that depends on Dex and Cleric or druid that depend on wisdom.
My first rule for multclassing in a running campaign- get to at least level 5 and look very closely at your next level or two. You’re on the threshold of a big bump in class performance.
Second rule- for a running campaign unless this is a very well established group, always assume you’re only getting 1 or 2 more levels before the character gets shelved. Yes, there’s a lot of very cool 15th level builds on the internet. There are far fewer campaigns- proportionately speaking- that actually get close to that. Unless this is a group that you’ve personally run up that high with before, I wouldn’t take for granted it will happen.
Finally, before you take another class to reflect some side of your character, ask how much of it can be reflected in a feat or just roleplay. A hobby, side project, or even ideology can easily be played out with these rather than going all in on a new class.
There are no good multiclassing options for Monk, monk has many features that build on each other which are lost out if you multiclass and almost no other class features work well with monk. The only classes that have anything to offer Monk is Ranger-1 for Hunter's mark, or Barbarian-1 for Rage, but in general you'd be better off staying pure monk that going for either of those features because Flurry of Blows is better than either Hunter's Mark or Rage most of the time.
Hey all, new player to D&D in a campaign that hasn’t gone far but has gotten kind of strange in a good way and I am loving my monk. We started at level 3 and I love my now level 4 way of the open hand monk, but our campaign just merged with another campaign set in the same world, different time period, and I feel that being just a monk won’t be enough. We did a roll for stats and so my stats are Str10 Dex15 Con12 Int10 Wis13 Cha7 with bonuses of +2 on strength and dex for 12 and 17 respectively. What are some good multiclassings for monks (frost Goliath), plus when is a good time to multiclass?
Why did you bump Strength instead of Wisdom? That extra point of AC is VERY helpful. If it fits the character, taking spellcaster levels could be pretty powerful, since monks have good action economy (cast a spell, use FOB to make two attacks).
I''m going to agree with the folks that point out that the monk class in particular is not great at multiclassing.
That being said, ranger and rogue fit pretty well stat- and role-wise. Cleric spellcasting can be useful as well, and can really change the feel of the character. These are not optimal, but they won't exactly make you dead weight. I do highly recommend you stick with monk for level 5 at least for Extra Attack though.
Rogue/Monk sounds good in the abstract, but they both rely on class level scaling for their main combat stuff, so it tends to fizzle out early and then be underwhelming. Nick helps the synergy a smidge, but practically speaking I'd prefer more focus and other Monk features over an extra 1-2d6 on hit once per turn. Ranger is a little better now as a dip with Favored Enemy- has much stronger synergy with Monks' desire to make a lot of attacks per turn. Cleric is iffy- unless WIS is your primary your spell attack mod/save DC will be on the low end, so there's a fair chance you'll whiff with your handful of casts per day if you try to attack enemies with them. There are utility options, but depending on your party composition it can end up somewhat redundant.
Not saying never ever do this, just breaking down some of the drawbacks to Rogue and Cleric.
As wagnorok says first get to level 5 as a monk for the 2 attacks a round. Cleric and Druid give you cantrips that scale by overall level not class level but their low level spells are low level spells. If your going for a ninja type monk then Druid/ranger (gloomstalker)/rogue(assassin) could be useful. Generally ranger is probably your best over bet for a multiclassing as it’s key stats can match well with monks (dex&wis), it gives you access to hunters mark which affects every hit not just 1/round and gives you useful skills. Still you are probably better off just going monk until you have more experience as a player. If you do go monk 5 then ranger I wouldn’t go past L4. l1-3 give you the meat of your ranger features, and level 4 gives you the asi you would otherwise lose but L 5, 6 & 7 don’t really give you more bang for your buck than L 6-8 as a monk.
As others have pointed out, mechanically there aren't great multiclassing matches for monk, especially if you don't plan for it from the jump. If there's a particular story you're telling with the character or direction they're evolving in, though, that's not as relevant
What's your role within the party? Open hand's specialty is battlefield control with the push/prone attacks, so are you something of a "melee support" character who sets up enemies for your allies, either by moving enemies into the correct position for your wizard's spells. knocking them down for your paladin to whale on with advantage, etc? If so, you can look for a class/subclass with features that add to your options on that front -- Battle Master fighter, for instance, would give you maneuvers that add to your ability to treat people on the field as chess pieces (Bait and Switch and Maneuvering Attack, specifically)
If there's a role nobody in the party is really filling, or isn't adequately covered, you can also pick a class that helps fill that role -- cleric if the party needs extra healing, rogue if nobody's good at the whole traps 'n' locks thing, etc.
You can definitely have fun with a multiclass monk (see my current character list below). It just requires a little more planning, and a little more specificity, than some other combos that are just "how can I get more attacks/do more damage?"
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) PIPA - Planar Interception/Protection Aeormaton, warforged bodyguard and ex-wizard hunter (Warrior of the Elements monk/Cartographer artificer) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The only classes that have anything to offer Monk is Ranger-1 for Hunter's mark, or Barbarian-1 for Rage, but in general you'd be better off staying pure monk that going for either of those features because Flurry of Blows is better than either Hunter's Mark or Rage most of the time.
Agreed, although it should be acknowledged that you can have Hunter's Mark up and still flurry which can have attractive results.
Ranger also gives you weapon masteries and ranged weapon options.
Frankly I prefer to avoid multiclassing just for a narrative. If it’s just backstory/characterization then you don’t need a mechanical choice to cover it.
Hey all, new player to D&D in a campaign that hasn’t gone far but has gotten kind of strange in a good way and I am loving my monk. We started at level 3 and I love my now level 4 way of the open hand monk, but our campaign just merged with another campaign set in the same world, different time period, and I feel that being just a monk won’t be enough. We did a roll for stats and so my stats are Str10 Dex15 Con12 Int10 Wis13 Cha7 with bonuses of +2 on strength and dex for 12 and 17 respectively. What are some good multiclassings for monks (frost Goliath), plus when is a good time to multiclass?
Okay so monks get extra attack at level 5. So definitely don’t multiclass yet. After level 5 I would consider exactly 1 level in ranger to get hunter’s strike for a huge damage boost. This will also give you some archery options. Your wis is too low for most offensive spellcasting, but the buffs are nice. (You could go 3 levels and get a ranger subclass and more features but you won’t get 2nd level spells until ranger 5 so I think a 1 level dip might be all you need. Most people like the Gloomstalker subclass if you go 3+).
One other option I like would be to take a few levels in druid just to unlock shapeshifting for infiltration purposes, and with wisdom that low I would go Moon Druid to improve the shapeshifting options. It probably still won’t be viable in combat at level 8 but you’ll have many more critters to choose from.
One thing to keep in mind with a dip into Ranger (or Rogue) for Weapon Mastery... Vex will greatly improve your chances of hitting.
Say you need to roll a 11+ to hit a target. That's a 50% chance. But if you have advantage from Vex, now it's a 75% chance. Your overall damage output will greatly increase simply because you'll miss less often. And if you took Rogue, then it's an automatic trigger for Sneak Attack.
Since you’re new to the game, learn the mechanics of game play. Don’t overwhelm yourself with multiclassing. Because trying to remember to many features will get you confused (possibly). And all you will be thinking about is “how to “ instead of playing. Just as my advice from someone who’s been playing for 4+ decades. Learn to walk before running a marathon. You’ll enjoy game play more.
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Hey all, new player to D&D in a campaign that hasn’t gone far but has gotten kind of strange in a good way and I am loving my monk. We started at level 3 and I love my now level 4 way of the open hand monk, but our campaign just merged with another campaign set in the same world, different time period, and I feel that being just a monk won’t be enough. We did a roll for stats and so my stats are Str10 Dex15 Con12 Int10 Wis13 Cha7 with bonuses of +2 on strength and dex for 12 and 17 respectively. What are some good multiclassings for monks (frost Goliath), plus when is a good time to multiclass?
Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue. While I don't know how much I'd recommend multiclassing any of these, since Monk isn't terribly happy about being multiclassed in general (Unarmed Strikes get better the more you stay Monk), these are your only options with those stats.
I would not generally recommend multiclassing at all if you're super new to the game.
That said, following the rules on ability score requirements, your options for multiclassing are Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue. Which one you might want to choose (and when) depends a lot on what you want the character to be able to do, and what role you want them to fill in the party (so it might also depend on what other classes are present). What are your thoughts on that?
One thing I will say is that if you take one more Monk level, you get the ability to make two attacks with a single Attack action, as well as Stunning Strike. These are both a Big Deal™ and I'd definitely recommend you wait until you have them before taking any levels in another class.
pronouns: he/she/they
Realize that multiclassing has a lot of down sides if you are not a power gaming one shot build.
As I understand, you are a 4th level monk. You need to compare a 5th level monk with adding what ever new class you choose. Because of the increased things you get with a single level character, sometimes multiclassing will never compare. Realize a 5th level monk gets 2 attacks and stunning strike. Compare that with a 1st level new class? Which is more beneficial? At 6th level your subclass allows you to heal yourself. How does that compare with a 2nd level of what you multiclassed into?
Once you multi class, you will fall behind the power curve. If you are advancing up to level 20, it can be emotionally painful as you see that you are falling behind. It is the minute by minute, session by session grind that creates that baggage. If you start at level 18, there is no emotional baggage, as you don't experience that day to day situation.
If you want to know what is compatible, look at rogue that depends on Dex and Cleric or druid that depend on wisdom.
My first rule for multclassing in a running campaign- get to at least level 5 and look very closely at your next level or two. You’re on the threshold of a big bump in class performance.
Second rule- for a running campaign unless this is a very well established group, always assume you’re only getting 1 or 2 more levels before the character gets shelved. Yes, there’s a lot of very cool 15th level builds on the internet. There are far fewer campaigns- proportionately speaking- that actually get close to that. Unless this is a group that you’ve personally run up that high with before, I wouldn’t take for granted it will happen.
Finally, before you take another class to reflect some side of your character, ask how much of it can be reflected in a feat or just roleplay. A hobby, side project, or even ideology can easily be played out with these rather than going all in on a new class.
There are no good multiclassing options for Monk, monk has many features that build on each other which are lost out if you multiclass and almost no other class features work well with monk. The only classes that have anything to offer Monk is Ranger-1 for Hunter's mark, or Barbarian-1 for Rage, but in general you'd be better off staying pure monk that going for either of those features because Flurry of Blows is better than either Hunter's Mark or Rage most of the time.
Why did you bump Strength instead of Wisdom? That extra point of AC is VERY helpful. If it fits the character, taking spellcaster levels could be pretty powerful, since monks have good action economy (cast a spell, use FOB to make two attacks).
I''m going to agree with the folks that point out that the monk class in particular is not great at multiclassing.
That being said, ranger and rogue fit pretty well stat- and role-wise. Cleric spellcasting can be useful as well, and can really change the feel of the character. These are not optimal, but they won't exactly make you dead weight. I do highly recommend you stick with monk for level 5 at least for Extra Attack though.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Rogue/Monk sounds good in the abstract, but they both rely on class level scaling for their main combat stuff, so it tends to fizzle out early and then be underwhelming. Nick helps the synergy a smidge, but practically speaking I'd prefer more focus and other Monk features over an extra 1-2d6 on hit once per turn. Ranger is a little better now as a dip with Favored Enemy- has much stronger synergy with Monks' desire to make a lot of attacks per turn. Cleric is iffy- unless WIS is your primary your spell attack mod/save DC will be on the low end, so there's a fair chance you'll whiff with your handful of casts per day if you try to attack enemies with them. There are utility options, but depending on your party composition it can end up somewhat redundant.
Not saying never ever do this, just breaking down some of the drawbacks to Rogue and Cleric.
As wagnorok says first get to level 5 as a monk for the 2 attacks a round. Cleric and Druid give you cantrips that scale by overall level not class level but their low level spells are low level spells. If your going for a ninja type monk then Druid/ranger (gloomstalker)/rogue(assassin) could be useful. Generally ranger is probably your best over bet for a multiclassing as it’s key stats can match well with monks (dex&wis), it gives you access to hunters mark which affects every hit not just 1/round and gives you useful skills. Still you are probably better off just going monk until you have more experience as a player. If you do go monk 5 then ranger I wouldn’t go past L4. l1-3 give you the meat of your ranger features, and level 4 gives you the asi you would otherwise lose but L 5, 6 & 7 don’t really give you more bang for your buck than L 6-8 as a monk.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
As others have pointed out, mechanically there aren't great multiclassing matches for monk, especially if you don't plan for it from the jump. If there's a particular story you're telling with the character or direction they're evolving in, though, that's not as relevant
What's your role within the party? Open hand's specialty is battlefield control with the push/prone attacks, so are you something of a "melee support" character who sets up enemies for your allies, either by moving enemies into the correct position for your wizard's spells. knocking them down for your paladin to whale on with advantage, etc? If so, you can look for a class/subclass with features that add to your options on that front -- Battle Master fighter, for instance, would give you maneuvers that add to your ability to treat people on the field as chess pieces (Bait and Switch and Maneuvering Attack, specifically)
If there's a role nobody in the party is really filling, or isn't adequately covered, you can also pick a class that helps fill that role -- cleric if the party needs extra healing, rogue if nobody's good at the whole traps 'n' locks thing, etc.
You can definitely have fun with a multiclass monk (see my current character list below). It just requires a little more planning, and a little more specificity, than some other combos that are just "how can I get more attacks/do more damage?"
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
PIPA - Planar Interception/Protection Aeormaton, warforged bodyguard and ex-wizard hunter (Warrior of the Elements monk/Cartographer artificer)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Agreed, although it should be acknowledged that you can have Hunter's Mark up and still flurry which can have attractive results.
Ranger also gives you weapon masteries and ranged weapon options.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Frankly I prefer to avoid multiclassing just for a narrative. If it’s just backstory/characterization then you don’t need a mechanical choice to cover it.
Okay so monks get extra attack at level 5. So definitely don’t multiclass yet. After level 5 I would consider exactly 1 level in ranger to get hunter’s strike for a huge damage boost. This will also give you some archery options. Your wis is too low for most offensive spellcasting, but the buffs are nice. (You could go 3 levels and get a ranger subclass and more features but you won’t get 2nd level spells until ranger 5 so I think a 1 level dip might be all you need. Most people like the Gloomstalker subclass if you go 3+).
One other option I like would be to take a few levels in druid just to unlock shapeshifting for infiltration purposes, and with wisdom that low I would go Moon Druid to improve the shapeshifting options. It probably still won’t be viable in combat at level 8 but you’ll have many more critters to choose from.
Just my two cents. Lots of great ideas here.
If anything take the 1 level in Ranger (AFTER you get Extra Attack) or nothing and just stay Monk. Anything else will seriously cramp your style.
lvl 5 - Extra ATtack
lvl 6 - subclass feature
lvl 7 - Evasion
lvl 8 - ASI
lvl 9 - Don't count on it. Figure it out if you get here. Most campaigns only make it this far.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
One thing to keep in mind with a dip into Ranger (or Rogue) for Weapon Mastery... Vex will greatly improve your chances of hitting.
Say you need to roll a 11+ to hit a target. That's a 50% chance. But if you have advantage from Vex, now it's a 75% chance. Your overall damage output will greatly increase simply because you'll miss less often. And if you took Rogue, then it's an automatic trigger for Sneak Attack.
Since you’re new to the game, learn the mechanics of game play. Don’t overwhelm yourself with multiclassing. Because trying to remember to many features will get you confused (possibly). And all you will be thinking about is “how to “ instead of playing. Just as my advice from someone who’s been playing for 4+ decades. Learn to walk before running a marathon. You’ll enjoy game play more.