What if they made Flurry of Blows 1 Ki to add one attack to the Attack action. The. You can choose to use your BA to make another unarmed strike or Step of the Wind or whatever you like.
Personally I'm now leaning towards a different direction...
...Basically the idea is that the monk has a choice of "free" bonus actions every round as a baseline, a bit weaker than the current resource cost options, but each can be boosted by spending Discipline...
I'd prefer a "stamina bar" approach where class abilities all do cost disc/focus/ki but as a free action. limit on how many points you can spend per round and opportunity to "limit break" to spend more. hard cap on max points you can spend in a round. when you break the limit you pay same points cost again at start of next turn or else take that many points of fatigue (stacking poison-like effect?). cure that fatigue with a short rest so that multiple fatigues don't become exhaustion. always allow 1min short rest if exactly one hit-die was spent on healing or if one hit-die is forfeited for this effect. "limit" and "max" go up at certain levels (there'd be a brief chart).
so, spend your stamina bar on dark souls dodge rolls and extra hits, but expect to be quickly out of breath. I like that this gives the monk an identity as a warrior who pushes their bodily limits. plus it explains away their d8 (instead of d10) hit-die because they're putting such a strain on their body.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: providefeedback!
That’s a difficult multiclass. Str, Dex, Wis 13 and you will always want Con.
True, but it's possible with a lucky roll or with point buy (15 13 14 8 13 9, Str+1 and Con+2 from Laborer/custom background). You also won't have to invest in Wis beyond the initial 13, and Dex might just want to add 1 to get the mod to +2.
Also, even if its not optimized, I think it's a fun option RP-wise. The contrast between the focus and discipline ot the monk and the intuitiveness and rage of the barb can be interesting to explore.
It’s good RP, I’ve rolled up and played a Barb 2/Monk 6, but I had good rolls and didn’t mind being sub optimal. Remember you push your ASI back 1 to 2 levels so taking dual wielder feat is more costly.
And for a more fantasy scenario, on the classic movie The Young Master (Jackie Chan, 1980) the police was able to use swords (looks like scimitar type) for helping to set order. So the own set in which is based the fantasy MA shows that MA users uses weapons and even martial weapons.
The Ninjas use Katana (would be like longsword), and it fits more to the Shadow Monk.
So not all monks are Kensai, and many of them use martial weapons.
Maybe some limit as Heavy not able to use Dex but for the Kensai who all weapons would be used like monk (allowing all the monk features with any weapon). Many feats and interesting weapon mastery are to be used with Heavy weapons, so it would be that point the Kensai needs but without limiting so much the other monks. Also a subclass Kensai feature could be to gain any "martial" feat at that level, and maybe able to change it at level up.
Another solution could be giving the monk class to choose a martial weapon proficiency each X levels (starting at 1), giving all to Kensai at level 3, so each monk could decide what limited group of weapons wants to use.
So, even in real world monks didn't fight unarmed because it was impractical. You know what else wasn't used in real world? Magic and supernatural abilities. But we're ralking about a fantasy game in which a skilled rogue can literally dodge a lightning strike (which is physically impossible).
But don't close to mention only the real life example I showed, as also mentioned fantasy like movies. Was for adding even more cases.
My Monk rework would be:
- Primary stats: Str or Dex, and Wis.
- Level 1: add Fighting Style, allowing to get Defensive with unarmored defense that is nice if want to focus on unarmed attacks.
- Unarmored Defense: 10 + greater of Dex/Wis bonus + proficiency bonus of the level sum of all your classes with unarmored defense. Negative Dex subtract AC.
- Weapons: you get proficiency on one martial weapon you choose at level 1, then add another weapon at each ASI level of the monk class.
- Monk weapon: you can use your monk weapon features for any weapon you have proficiency.
- Evading "mode" at level ??: option to use your Reaction when you are hit to add +1? AC until the start of your next turn. You improve your defense at the cost of losing your opportunity attack and others. Just like a "bad" patient defense, but not spending Discipline points.
- Discipline points: 2 + monk level.
Note: the unarmored defense would also apply to the other classes but for the corresponding ability score. I think is bad that if you want defense you can only increase your 2 stats Dex and the unarmored defense one with all the feats you get. In the case of Barbarian I see hard to increase the three Str, Dex and Con.
Notice that this way we can create so many monk variants, i.e.:
- Stealth: focus on Dex, we get AC and maximize thieving skills, more acrobatic.
- Warrior monk: this is, a Street Fighter character. Focus on Str and Wis to maximize your monk abilities, and get a more warrior subclass like warrior of the hand. We get the AC from Wis, also improving monk abilities. Leave Dex at 10 for not losing AC with negative value. With Str is more athletic and better at Grapple and other alternative attacks. Balance Str and Wis as you wish.
- Brute monk: for this we multi-class with Barbarian to get the option to use Con for unarmored defense, not losing any effective level to compute it. As multi-class it requires 13 Str and 13 Wis (now that Str is also a primary). Then focus on Str and Con (from we get the AC). You are less focused on monk skills but more brute. Balance Str and Con as you wish. Also this version is bidirectional, balancing Monk and Barbarian classes as you wish. A Berserker/Warrior of the Hand could be so fun to play :)
About equipment, we need to add the Gloves weapon, that really does nothing, only applies features to unarmed attacks. Then it is a magical item that can be found, crafted or purchased like any other, solving the problem IMO a fair way for the others about compensating the MA and the loot items. For those like me that for magical loot get the features and roll the item type randomly (but of the same type: weapon or armor), add it to the table of possibilities to be found.
There has been mention of a deflect attacks idea. Would gaining your prof bonus to ac as a reaction be a good enough little bump? Or perhaps wisdom bonus, not sure if that would be overall worse.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
There has been mention of a deflect attacks idea. Would gaining your prof bonus to ac as a reaction be a good enough little bump? Or perhaps wisdom bonus, not sure if that would be overall worse.
You mean like the Parry reaction some monsters get?
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Is someone compiling a list of all the suggested fixes for the Monk? I know I have my preferences. If no one else wants to compile a list, I'll try making one requiring suggestions be made by more than 1 person (to filter out my harengon brain ideas).
Is someone compiling a list of all the suggested fixes for the Monk? I know I have my preferences. If no one else wants to compile a list, I'll try making one requiring suggestions be made by more than 1 person (to filter out my harengon brain ideas).
Maybe a dedicated thread for everyone to write their monk rework only, not discussing about the options.
Survivability: d10 hp, AC=13+Dex+1/(every fourth level in monk).
Resource starvation: start with 6 discipline points +1/(every three levels in monk), refresh upon rolling initiative. Big and noncombat features are per long rest.
MAD: AC no longer depends on Wis. Monk save DC works off Dex.
There, fixed it on a basic level. Monks' spiritual side need not manifest in dependency on Wis. Barbarians' primal aspect and flavor don't require Wis, now do they? It's in the class features themselves.
Is someone compiling a list of all the suggested fixes for the Monk? I know I have my preferences. If no one else wants to compile a list, I'll try making one requiring suggestions be made by more than 1 person (to filter out my harengon brain ideas).
Remove monk entirely as a class. Instead replace it with the following feats:
Unarmed Fighter 1st level feat
You can use your Strength or Dexterity for unarmed strikes and their damage die becomes a 1d6 and have the Light weapon property. Alternatively, you can use both hands to simultaneously make an unarmed strike increasing the damage die to a 1d8 and replace the Light weapon property with the Heavy weapon property. You can replace Strength with Dexterity when calculating your Grapple / Shove DC.
If you have the Weapon Mastery Feature, your unarmed strikes gain the Vex weapon mastery property.
If you have the Fighting Style Feature, your unarmed strikes can benefit from Two-Weapon Fighting, or Dueling (if used one-handed/Light) or Great Weapon Fighting (if used two-handed/Heavy).
Mystic Strikes 4th level feat
You gain +1 to either your Strength or Dexterity.
Your melee weapon attacks made with non-magical weapons and unarmed strikes can deal force damage instead of their normal damage type, and gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. If you have the Weapon Mastery feature, at the start of your turn you can decide which weapon mastery property applies to these weapons from those they meet the prerequisites for.
Unarmoured 1st level feat
While you aren't wearing armour you gain +10 bonus to your movement speed and your AC = 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Is someone compiling a list of all the suggested fixes for the Monk? I know I have my preferences. If no one else wants to compile a list, I'll try making one requiring suggestions be made by more than 1 person (to filter out my harengon brain ideas).
Maybe a dedicated thread for everyone to write their monk rework only, not discussing about the options.
Just made exactly that. Pugilistic Propositions. It's not exactly brimming at the moment, but the idea is I'll add suggestions as they come.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
And for a more fantasy scenario, on the classic movie The Young Master (Jackie Chan, 1980) the police was able to use swords (looks like scimitar type) for helping to set order. So the own set in which is based the fantasy MA shows that MA users uses weapons and even martial weapons.
The Ninjas use Katana (would be like longsword), and it fits more to the Shadow Monk.
So not all monks are Kensai, and many of them use martial weapons.
Maybe some limit as Heavy not able to use Dex but for the Kensai who all weapons would be used like monk (allowing all the monk features with any weapon). Many feats and interesting weapon mastery are to be used with Heavy weapons, so it would be that point the Kensai needs but without limiting so much the other monks. Also a subclass Kensai feature could be to gain any "martial" feat at that level, and maybe able to change it at level up.
Another solution could be giving the monk class to choose a martial weapon proficiency each X levels (starting at 1), giving all to Kensai at level 3, so each monk could decide what limited group of weapons wants to use.
So, even in real world monks didn't fight unarmed because it was impractical. You know what else wasn't used in real world? Magic and supernatural abilities. But we're ralking about a fantasy game in which a skilled rogue can literally dodge a lightning strike (which is physically impossible).
But even in fantasy movies tons of monk/martial artists use weapon. I mean there is a whole range of monk-specific weapons like nunchuks, katanas, shirukens, meteor hammers. As well as many popular representations that use: quarterstaffs, flails, whips, or daggers.
The TMNT all used weapons in addition to their kicks/punches, Jackie Chan uses all kinds of improvized weapons not just his fists, Hundred Eyes in Marco Polo uses shortswords or a katana on occasion, Mulan uses a sword, etc... etc...
A Monk shouldn't be required to only use unarmed strikes, they should be equally adept at using weapons.
...The TMNT all used weapons in addition to their kicks/punches, Jackie Chan uses all kinds of improvized weapons not just his fists, Hundred Eyes in Marco Polo uses shortswords or a katana on occasion, Mulan uses a sword, etc... etc...
whoa, whoa, whoa, Mulan? wasn't she entirely army trained in a month or two? is that really martial arts mastery or is that "hand to hand combat training" typical of armies everywhere? i believe she's shown doing some group building activity tai chi, but that doesn't make her a martial artist anymore than it made her a man. and there's an entire song where they claim to have made her a man.
can some martial artists use a sword? yes, weapon arts are ubiquitous.
can dnd monks be proficient in swords? maybe, it's complicated.
can dnd fighters wear flowy cloth belts and yell "ki-UYA!" while kicking sometimes? yes, flavor is free.
In fact it can be very funny to use weapon variants, like fans, ropes, and etc. we see using in movies to visually define your martial artist style. Simply assign it the corresponding weapon from the weapons table, but is cool :D
In MA fantasy, like movies, I repeat is very usual for MA to use weapons and it helps. I.e. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, could be a good example of MA fantasy? With the MA masters being able to use their bare hands at full potential (as with a d10 and more even d12 probably using weapons is even less helping). Not being the use of weapons so required as with unarmed attacks they are very capable, and in any case always have the extra Bonus Action MA attack to insert there your MA strike.
And if anyone wants to specialize in unarmed combat, the rework I wrote propposed previously (please read it) can handle that, simply focusing in Str and Wis, getting the AC from Wis + proficiency bonus, getting the Fighting Style Defense to get +1AC or Blind Fighting, and with this you have a better martial artist for special attacks like Grapple or Topple, and with harder to resist monk abilities with high Wis.
Monks having access to a Fighting Style pool would be positive.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Monks having access to a Fighting Style pool would be positive.
Right now, they're once again getting the short end of the stick.
The current design goal is to grant the monk a mix of both weapon and unarmed strikes. You're not solely supposed to do one or the other, because your weapons (and Weapon Mastery) grant you new tactical options: Flex, Nick, Sap, Slow and Vex. Flex is one of those "it's so obvious it needs to be there" options, but it's also completely uninteresting and lacks tactical depth. It's also unusable without a feat, and between that and Sap (from the mace, it's a no-brainer.
On one hand, I can deal with this. They're buffing unarmed strike damage to make this a tad more interesting. I think the damage die should still start at d4 and grow with the Proficiency Bonus (5th:d6, 9th:d8, 13th:d10, 17th:d12), but that's another subject entirely. No, my problem is Weapon Mastery is supposed to be what separates the Warrior group apart from everyone else.
And monks are no better than paladins and rangers.
I actually like that Weapon Mastery is taking the role of cantrips for those classes. But then they should learn more as they level up; just like any other class with cantrips. The artificer starts with 2, and learns 1 more at 10th and 14th levels. Now, I don't like that scaling because I think it's weird. But I sort of understand it. And I'd be fine if those classes picked them up at the same levels. They're half-casters and half-martials. Or even third, since they're also belonging to other groups. A single extra Mastery at 10th level would be enough.
But then Monks should be "full-warriors" with even more available Weapon Masteries, and they don't. It's disgraceful. And I don't think it really helps define their role. The monk has a strong class identity, sure, but damage isn't everything. And in the one thing they're supposed to get to be better at than paladins and rangers, they're objectively not.
I'd prefer a "stamina bar" approach where class abilities all do cost disc/focus/ki but as a free action. limit on how many points you can spend per round and opportunity to "limit break" to spend more. hard cap on max points you can spend in a round. when you break the limit you pay same points cost again at start of next turn or else take that many points of fatigue (stacking poison-like effect?). cure that fatigue with a short rest so that multiple fatigues don't become exhaustion. always allow 1min short rest if exactly one hit-die was spent on healing or if one hit-die is forfeited for this effect. "limit" and "max" go up at certain levels (there'd be a brief chart).
so, spend your stamina bar on dark souls dodge rolls and extra hits, but expect to be quickly out of breath. I like that this gives the monk an identity as a warrior who pushes their bodily limits. plus it explains away their d8 (instead of d10) hit-die because they're putting such a strain on their body.
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
True, but it's possible with a lucky roll or with point buy (15 13 14 8 13 9, Str+1 and Con+2 from Laborer/custom background). You also won't have to invest in Wis beyond the initial 13, and Dex might just want to add 1 to get the mod to +2.
Also, even if its not optimized, I think it's a fun option RP-wise. The contrast between the focus and discipline ot the monk and the intuitiveness and rage of the barb can be interesting to explore.
It’s good RP, I’ve rolled up and played a Barb 2/Monk 6, but I had good rolls and didn’t mind being sub optimal. Remember you push your ASI back 1 to 2 levels so taking dual wielder feat is more costly.
So, even in real world monks didn't fight unarmed because it was impractical. You know what else wasn't used in real world? Magic and supernatural abilities. But we're ralking about a fantasy game in which a skilled rogue can literally dodge a lightning strike (which is physically impossible).
I'm not claiming it's optimal, I'm claiming it's viable (and fun)
But don't close to mention only the real life example I showed, as also mentioned fantasy like movies. Was for adding even more cases.
My Monk rework would be:
- Primary stats: Str or Dex, and Wis.
- Level 1: add Fighting Style, allowing to get Defensive with unarmored defense that is nice if want to focus on unarmed attacks.
- Unarmored Defense: 10 + greater of Dex/Wis bonus + proficiency bonus of the level sum of all your classes with unarmored defense. Negative Dex subtract AC.
- Weapons: you get proficiency on one martial weapon you choose at level 1, then add another weapon at each ASI level of the monk class.
- Monk weapon: you can use your monk weapon features for any weapon you have proficiency.
- Evading "mode" at level ??: option to use your Reaction when you are hit to add +1? AC until the start of your next turn. You improve your defense at the cost of losing your opportunity attack and others. Just like a "bad" patient defense, but not spending Discipline points.
- Discipline points: 2 + monk level.
Note: the unarmored defense would also apply to the other classes but for the corresponding ability score. I think is bad that if you want defense you can only increase your 2 stats Dex and the unarmored defense one with all the feats you get. In the case of Barbarian I see hard to increase the three Str, Dex and Con.
Notice that this way we can create so many monk variants, i.e.:
- Stealth: focus on Dex, we get AC and maximize thieving skills, more acrobatic.
- Warrior monk: this is, a Street Fighter character. Focus on Str and Wis to maximize your monk abilities, and get a more warrior subclass like warrior of the hand. We get the AC from Wis, also improving monk abilities. Leave Dex at 10 for not losing AC with negative value. With Str is more athletic and better at Grapple and other alternative attacks. Balance Str and Wis as you wish.
- Brute monk: for this we multi-class with Barbarian to get the option to use Con for unarmored defense, not losing any effective level to compute it. As multi-class it requires 13 Str and 13 Wis (now that Str is also a primary). Then focus on Str and Con (from we get the AC). You are less focused on monk skills but more brute. Balance Str and Con as you wish. Also this version is bidirectional, balancing Monk and Barbarian classes as you wish. A Berserker/Warrior of the Hand could be so fun to play :)
About equipment, we need to add the Gloves weapon, that really does nothing, only applies features to unarmed attacks. Then it is a magical item that can be found, crafted or purchased like any other, solving the problem IMO a fair way for the others about compensating the MA and the loot items. For those like me that for magical loot get the features and roll the item type randomly (but of the same type: weapon or armor), add it to the table of possibilities to be found.
There has been mention of a deflect attacks idea. Would gaining your prof bonus to ac as a reaction be a good enough little bump? Or perhaps wisdom bonus, not sure if that would be overall worse.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
You mean like the Parry reaction some monsters get?
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Sounds about right.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Is someone compiling a list of all the suggested fixes for the Monk? I know I have my preferences. If no one else wants to compile a list, I'll try making one requiring suggestions be made by more than 1 person (to filter out my harengon brain ideas).
Maybe a dedicated thread for everyone to write their monk rework only, not discussing about the options.
There, fixed it on a basic level. Monks' spiritual side need not manifest in dependency on Wis. Barbarians' primal aspect and flavor don't require Wis, now do they? It's in the class features themselves.
Remove monk entirely as a class. Instead replace it with the following feats:
Unarmed Fighter
1st level feat
You can use your Strength or Dexterity for unarmed strikes and their damage die becomes a 1d6 and have the Light weapon property. Alternatively, you can use both hands to simultaneously make an unarmed strike increasing the damage die to a 1d8 and replace the Light weapon property with the Heavy weapon property. You can replace Strength with Dexterity when calculating your Grapple / Shove DC.
If you have the Weapon Mastery Feature, your unarmed strikes gain the Vex weapon mastery property.
If you have the Fighting Style Feature, your unarmed strikes can benefit from Two-Weapon Fighting, or Dueling (if used one-handed/Light) or Great Weapon Fighting (if used two-handed/Heavy).
Mystic Strikes
4th level feat
You gain +1 to either your Strength or Dexterity.
Your melee weapon attacks made with non-magical weapons and unarmed strikes can deal force damage instead of their normal damage type, and gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. If you have the Weapon Mastery feature, at the start of your turn you can decide which weapon mastery property applies to these weapons from those they meet the prerequisites for.
Unarmoured
1st level feat
While you aren't wearing armour you gain +10 bonus to your movement speed and your AC = 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Just made exactly that. Pugilistic Propositions. It's not exactly brimming at the moment, but the idea is I'll add suggestions as they come.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
But even in fantasy movies tons of monk/martial artists use weapon. I mean there is a whole range of monk-specific weapons like nunchuks, katanas, shirukens, meteor hammers. As well as many popular representations that use: quarterstaffs, flails, whips, or daggers.
The TMNT all used weapons in addition to their kicks/punches, Jackie Chan uses all kinds of improvized weapons not just his fists, Hundred Eyes in Marco Polo uses shortswords or a katana on occasion, Mulan uses a sword, etc... etc...
A Monk shouldn't be required to only use unarmed strikes, they should be equally adept at using weapons.
whoa, whoa, whoa, Mulan? wasn't she entirely army trained in a month or two? is that really martial arts mastery or is that "hand to hand combat training" typical of armies everywhere? i believe she's shown doing some group building activity tai chi, but that doesn't make her a martial artist anymore than it made her a man. and there's an entire song where they claim to have made her a man.
can some martial artists use a sword? yes, weapon arts are ubiquitous.
can dnd monks be proficient in swords? maybe, it's complicated.
can dnd fighters wear flowy cloth belts and yell "ki-UYA!" while kicking sometimes? yes, flavor is free.
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
In fact it can be very funny to use weapon variants, like fans, ropes, and etc. we see using in movies to visually define your martial artist style. Simply assign it the corresponding weapon from the weapons table, but is cool :D
In MA fantasy, like movies, I repeat is very usual for MA to use weapons and it helps. I.e. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, could be a good example of MA fantasy? With the MA masters being able to use their bare hands at full potential (as with a d10 and more even d12 probably using weapons is even less helping). Not being the use of weapons so required as with unarmed attacks they are very capable, and in any case always have the extra Bonus Action MA attack to insert there your MA strike.
And if anyone wants to specialize in unarmed combat, the rework I wrote propposed previously (please read it) can handle that, simply focusing in Str and Wis, getting the AC from Wis + proficiency bonus, getting the Fighting Style Defense to get +1AC or Blind Fighting, and with this you have a better martial artist for special attacks like Grapple or Topple, and with harder to resist monk abilities with high Wis.
Monks having access to a Fighting Style pool would be positive.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Right now, they're once again getting the short end of the stick.
The current design goal is to grant the monk a mix of both weapon and unarmed strikes. You're not solely supposed to do one or the other, because your weapons (and Weapon Mastery) grant you new tactical options: Flex, Nick, Sap, Slow and Vex. Flex is one of those "it's so obvious it needs to be there" options, but it's also completely uninteresting and lacks tactical depth. It's also unusable without a feat, and between that and Sap (from the mace, it's a no-brainer.
On one hand, I can deal with this. They're buffing unarmed strike damage to make this a tad more interesting. I think the damage die should still start at d4 and grow with the Proficiency Bonus (5th:d6, 9th:d8, 13th:d10, 17th:d12), but that's another subject entirely. No, my problem is Weapon Mastery is supposed to be what separates the Warrior group apart from everyone else.
And monks are no better than paladins and rangers.
I actually like that Weapon Mastery is taking the role of cantrips for those classes. But then they should learn more as they level up; just like any other class with cantrips. The artificer starts with 2, and learns 1 more at 10th and 14th levels. Now, I don't like that scaling because I think it's weird. But I sort of understand it. And I'd be fine if those classes picked them up at the same levels. They're half-casters and half-martials. Or even third, since they're also belonging to other groups. A single extra Mastery at 10th level would be enough.
But then Monks should be "full-warriors" with even more available Weapon Masteries, and they don't. It's disgraceful. And I don't think it really helps define their role. The monk has a strong class identity, sure, but damage isn't everything. And in the one thing they're supposed to get to be better at than paladins and rangers, they're objectively not.
I gave my suggestion for an overhaul of the OneD&D Monk over in the "Pugilistic Propositions" thread.