So with the disappointing updates to the Monk in the recent playtest, I decided to have a stab at making my own update. While some of the ideas here are my own, there are a few that have been inspired heavily by discussion in this forum.
Full disclosure, I've playtested pretty much none of this except for the Focused Strikes just to see how players would handle the mechanic, and the class is very likely to be unbalanced. However I've erred towards making it stronger since the Monk in particular, and martials in general desperately need a boost moving forward; so if it comes out stronger than Fighter that's intentional, because the Fighter also needs to be stronger.
I have also omitted any unchanged feature from a currently published sub-class that hasn't appeared in a playtest yet, to avoid reposting paid content, and I've highlighted in blue anything that has been changed from the latest playtest, or red for a feature that has only been moved to a different level. I do not apologise for the sections I've inevitably forgotten to mark properly. 😝
The Monk Class
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice. 1d8 per Monk level Hit Points at 1st-level. 8 + your Constitution modifier. Hit Points at Higher Levels. 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Monk level after the 1st.
As a 1st-level character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 65 GP on equipment of your choice.
Dart (5), explorer's pack, one simple weapon, 9 GP, one set of artisan's tools or a musical instrument.
Expertise
1st-level Monk feature
Choose one of your proficiencies in a skill that appears on the Monk skill list. You gain Expertise in that skill.
Martial Arts
1st-level Monk feature
While you are not wearing armor or holding a shield you gain the following benefits:
Bonus Unarmed Strike. On your turn, when you take the Attack or Dodge action, or another gained from the Monk class or sub-class, you can spend your bonus action to make one unarmed strike. When you do so, all unarmed strikes made during the same turn deal extra damage equal to your Monk level divided by six.
Dextrous Attacks. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for unarmed strikes and weapon attacks without the two-handed property. When you make an unarmed strike and choose to grapple or shove your target, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength to calculate your save DC.
Martial Arts Die. You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strikes. This die changes as you gain Monk levels as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table (see playtest 6).
Unarmored Defense. Your base Amor class is 10 plus your Wisdom modifier plus your choice of either your Dexterity or Strength modifier.
Weapon Mastery
1st-level Monk feature
Your training with weapons allows you to use the Mastery property of two kinds of Simple weapons of your choice, such as Daggers and Spears.
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of Simple weapons you chose. For example, you could switch to using the Mastery properties of Maces and Slings.
Focus
2nd-level Monk feature
In the heat of battle, you can learn to focus your abilities into more potent forms. You gain one Focus point each time you hit an enemy with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike, when an enemy misses you with an attack, and when you succeed on a saving throw against an enemy effect.
Focus points are lost if more than a minute passes without gaining any more. You may only spend Focus if you are wearing no armor and not holding a shield, and may use them to activate special Focus abilities. Some Focus abilities require a saving throw as calculated below:
Focus Save DC: 8 plus your Proficiency Bonus plus your Wisdom modifier.
You know the following Focus abilities:
Flurry of Blows. On your turn, when you take the Attack or Dodge action, or another gained from the Monk class or sub-class, you can spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to make one unarmed strike. When you do so, all unarmed strikes made during the same turn deal extra damage equal to your Monk level divided by six.
Patient Defense. You may spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to Dodge. If no enemies attack you before the start of your next combat turn, you gain 2 Focus points.
Step of the Wind. You can use your bonus action to Dash or Disengage, and your jump distance is doubled until the end of your turn. If you spend 1 Focus point you may both Dash and Disengage as a single bonus action.
Unarmored Movement
2nd-level Monk feature
Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain Monk levels, as shown in the Monk table (see playtest 6).
Deflect Missiles
3rd-level Monk feature
You can use your Reaction to deflect ranged attacks against you, reducing the bludgeoning, piercing and/or slashing damage you take from the attack by a total of 1d10 plus your Dexterity modifier plus your Monk level. If the attack deals additional damage of another type, the extra damage is unaffected.
If you reduce the bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage to 0, you can spend 1 Focus Point to redirect the attack toward another creature. If you do so, choose a creature within 60 feet of yourself that isn’t behind total cover. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die. The damage is the same type dealt by the attack.
Focused Strikes
3rd-level Monk feature
Once during your turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you may choose to deal no damage and instead deliver a Focused Strike to your target, plus any number of additional targets within your reach. To do so, choose one of the Focused Strikes that you know, and spend the required Focus points for each target you wish to apply it to, then resolve its effects. If the strike requires a saving throw, you will regain any Focus points spent for that target if it succeeded on the saving throw (the focused strike failed).
You know the following Focused Strikes:
Distracting Strike (1 Focus). The target has disadvantage on its next ability check or attack roll.
Deadly Strike (2+ Focus). The target takes 1d4 force damage for each point of Focus spent after the first.
Lethargic Strikes (2 Focus). The target must make a Strength saving throw or be slowed until the end of your next turn.
Monastic Tradition
3rd-level Monk feature
You gain a Monk subclass from those available below. You will also gain additional features from this tradition at later levels.
Ability Score Improvement
4th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Slow Fall
4th-level Monk feature
You can use your Reaction when you fall to reduce any damage you take from the fall by an amount equal to five times your Monk level.
Extra Attack
5th-level Monk feature
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strikes
5th-level Monk feature
You gain the following additional Focused Strikes:
Dazing Strike (3 Focus). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be dazed until the end of your next turn. If you spend 5 Focus on this strike, the target must instead make a Wisdom saving throw.
Stunning Strike (5 Focus). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. If you spend 6 Focus on this strike, the target must instead make a Wisdom saving throw.
Empowered Strikes
6th-level Monk feature
Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Monastic Tradition Feature
6th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Evasion
7th-level Monk feature
When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
You don’t benefit from this feature if you have the incapacitated condition.
Purity of Body
7th-level Monk feature
You gain proficiency in Constitution and Strength saving throws. In addition, at the end of your turn you may end one disease or poison effect that you are currently suffering.
Ability Score Improvement
8th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Acrobatic Movement
8th-level Monk feature
While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the movement.
Spiritual Focus
9th-level Monk feature
Whenever you make an Intelligence or Charisma check you may choose to use Wisdom instead. In addition, whenever you perform a Focused Strike with a saving throw, you may spend 1 Focus to change it to a Wisdom saving throw.
Stillness of Mind
9th-level Monk feature
You gain proficiency in Intelligence and Charisma saving throws. In addition, at the end of your turn you may end the charmed or frightened condition upon yourself if you are aware of the charm or fear effect.
Ability Score Improvement
10th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Monastic Tradition Feature
11th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Ability Score Improvement
12th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Deflect Energy
13th-level Monk feature
You can now use your Deflect Missiles feature against any damage type(s) dealt by a ranged attack.
Superior Form
14th-level Monk feature
You can spend 1 Focus to take a second bonus action or reaction. An additional bonus action must not be the same as others taken in the same turn, and you may not take more than one reaction in response to the same trigger.
Perfect Focus
15th-level Monk feature
When you roll for Initiative you now start with at least four Focus points. In addition, whenever you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll or saving throw against an enemy, or an enemy rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll against you, you gain an additional two Focus points (three total).
Ability Score Improvement
16th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Monastic Tradition Feature
17th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Diamond Soul
18th-level Monk feature
You gain the following benefits:
Measured Defense. When you fail a saving throw you may spend 1 Focus point to re-roll it, but you must use the second result.
Defy Death. If you are reduced to 0 hit-points, or an effect would kill you outright, you may spend 4 Focus points to instead be reduced to a number of hit-points equal to your Monk level. The cost of this ability increases by 2 each time it is used until you finish a long rest.
Ability Score Improvement
19th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Perfect Self
20th-level Monk feature
You gain the following benefits:
Flawless Defense. You can use your Deflect Missiles feature against melee attacks.
Mystic Step. Before making an attack you may teleport up to 10 feet, at a cost of 10 feet of movement.
Perfect Form. An additional bonus action granted by Superior Form can now be the same as a bonus action you have already used in the same turn.
Timeless Body. You suffer none of the frailty of old age and cannot be aged magically, though you are not immortal. You also no longer require food or water.
Monastic Traditions
Way of Mercy
Hand of Healing
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
When you make an unarmed strike against a creature you can choose to inflict no damage. In addition you know the following Focused Strike:
Hand of Healing (1 Focus). Target regains hit-points equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice plus your Wisdom modifier.
Hand of Harm
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
Your Deadly Strikes may deal necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice instead of the normal d4 force damage.
When you use Hand of Harm, you can choose to reduce the damage roll by one dice in order to inflict the poisoned condition upon each target until the end of your next turn.
Flurry of Healing and Harm
11th-level Way of Mercy feature
When you perform Hand of Healing you may also choose to trigger Hand of Harm with the same bonus action, and may choose different targets for each.
Hand of Ultimate Mercy
17th-level Way of Mercy feature Unchanged
Way of Shadow
Shadow Arts
3rd-level Way of Shadow feature
Through rigorous training, you have learned to draw on the power of the Shadowfell, gaining the following benefits:
Darkness. You can spend 1 Focus Point to cast the Darkness spell without any spell components. You can see within the spell’s area when you cast it with this feature. While the spell persists, you can move its area of darkness to a space within 60 feet of you at the start of each of your turns.
Darkvision. You gain Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.
Shadowy Figments. You know the minor illusion cantrip and use Wisdom as the spellcasting ability for it.
Shadow Step
6th-level Way of Shadow feature
While entirely within Dim Light or Darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in Dim Light or Darkness. You then have Advantage on the next melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Misdirection
11th-level Way of Shadow feature
You gain the following Focused Strikes:
Misdirecting Strike (2 Focus). You may swap the locations of any pair of creatures among those affected by this strike and optionally yourself. The creatures must be in dim light or darkness, and the new location must be able to support the target without it having to squeeze into the space.
Shadow Bind (2/3/5/7 Focus). A Medium/Large/Huge/Gargantuan or smaller target must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw or become grappled by you until it either escapes, or you are incapacitated or no longer within 30 feet.
Cloak of Shadows
17th-level Way of Shadow feature
As a Bonus Action while entirely within Dim Light or Darkness, you can spend 3 Focus Points to shroud yourself with magical darkness for 1 minute, until you have are [condition]Incapacitated[/incapacitated] condition, or until you end your turn in Bright Light. While shrouded in darkness, you gain the following benefits:
Invisibility. You have the Invisible condition.
Partially Incorporeal. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 Force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.
Shadow Flurry. You can use your Flurry of Blows without spending any Focus Points.
Way of the Astral Self
Unchanged.
Way of the Cobalt Soul
Extract Aspects
3rd-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Extract Aspects (1 Focus). You learn the target's damage immunities, resistances and vulnerabilities. In addition, until you finish a short or long rest, whenever an extracted target misses you with an attack, you may use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against it if it is within your reach.
Extort Truth
6th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
When you make an unarmed strike against a creature you can choose to inflict no damage. In addition, you gain the following Focused Strike:
Extort Truth (1 Focus). The target is unable to speak a deliberate lie, and all Charisma checks made against it have advantage for 10 minutes. An affected creature is aware of this effect, and may choose to be evasive or refuse to answer.
Mystical Erudition
6th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
Unchanged.
Mind of Mercury
11th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
Whenever you roll an Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma saving throw, you may spend 2 Focus to succeed on the saving throw instead.
Debilitating Barrage
17th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Debilitating Strikes (3 Focus). The target gains vulnerability to one damage type of your choice for 1 minute, or until it takes damage of that type.
Way of the Drunken Master
Drunken Technique
3rd-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn. In addition, for every two different enemies you hit with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike during your turn, you gain one additional Focus point.
Tipsy Sway
6th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
You gain the following benefits.
Leap to Your Feet. When you are prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 Focus point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you. If both the attacker and the new target each have one or more of your Focus points, this reaction does not cost any Focus.
Drunkard's Luck
11th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can spend 1 Focus to cancel the disadvantage for that roll.
Intoxicated Frenzy
17th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
Unchanged.
Way of the Four Elements
Elemental Attunement
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You know the Elementalism cantrip.
In addition, at the start of your turn, you can spend 1 Focus to imbue yourself with elemental energy. The energy lasts for 10 minutes or until you gain the Incapacitated condition. You gain the following benefits for the duration:
Elemental Strikes. Whenever you hit with your Unarmed Strike, you can cause it to deal elemental damage, which is damage of your choice of type from acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. When you deal elemental damage with your Unarmed Strike, you can also force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can move the target up to 10 feet toward or away from you, as elemental energy swirls around it.
Reach. When you make an unarmed strike, your reach is 10 feet greater than normal, as elemental energy extends from you.
Elemental Burst
6th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
As a Magic action you can spend four or more Focus points to cause elemental energy to burst forth in a 20-foot radius sphere centred on a point you can see within 120 feet. Each creature in the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw or take elemental damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice for every point of Focus spent, or half as much damage on a successful saving throw.
Stride of the Elements
11th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you use your Step of the Wind, you gain a Fly Speed and Swim Speed equal to your Speed for 10 minutes.
Elemental Epitome
17th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you use the Elemental Attunement feature, you also gain the following benefits for the duration:
Damage Resistance. You gain resistance to one elemental damage type. At the start of each of your turns, you can change this choice.
Destructive Stride. When you use your Step of the Wind, your Speed increases by 20 feet until the end of the turn. For that duration, any creature of your choice takes damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die when you enter a space within 5 feet of it. The damage is the same type you chose for this feature’s damage resistance. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.
Way of the Long Death
Touch of Death
3rd-level Way of the Long Death feature
When a creature is reduced to 0 hit-points with one or more of your Focus points remaining upon it, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of Focus points plus your Monk level.
Hour of Reaping
6th-level Way of the Long Death feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Reaper's Strike (2 Focus). The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Mastery of Death
11th-level Way of the Long Death feature
You gain the Defy Death ability of the 18th-level Diamond Soul Monk class feature. When you reach 18th-level in this class, the cost of using this ability no longer increases.
Touch of the Long Death
17th-level Way of the Long Death feature
Your Deadly Strikes may deal 1d12 necrotic damage instead of the normal force damage, and if you spend at least 5 Focus for a target, you may roll the damage twice and use the better result.
Way of the Open Hand
Open Hand Technique
3rd-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You do not need to replace an unarmed strike in order to perform a Focused Strike, but can still only perform one Focused Strike per turn. You gain the following Focused Strikes:
Addling Strike (1 Focus). The target cannot take reactions until its next turn.
Pushing Strike (1 Focus). The target must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away.
Toppling Strike (1 Focus). The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
Wholeness of Body
6th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You gain the ability to heal yourself. As a Bonus Action, you can spend 1 Focus Point and roll your Martial Arts die. You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 Hit Point regained).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Tranquility
11th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
After finishing a short or long rest you gain a state of inner peace, lasting until your next short or long rest. This state of inner peace can also be lost if you attack or otherwise cause a harmful effect such as casting a harmful spell or otherwise inflicting damage.
While this state persists, whenever a creature targets you with an attack or other harmful effect, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Focus save DC. On a failure, the creature must choose a different target if able, otherwise the attempt is wasted.
You may also regain this state as a bonus action by spending 4 Focus points.
Quivering Palm
17th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Quivering Palm (5+ Focus). When triggered, this Focused Strike immediately spends five or more Focus points to establish lethal vibrations within the target, lasting up to 20 days or until you perform this Focused Strike again.
At any time before the duration ends, you may use your bonus action to trigger these vibrations upon any target on the same plane of existence as you. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d12 + 2 force damage for every point of Focus originally spent, or half as much damage on a success. A target that fails the saving throw is also dazed for one minute, and may repeat the saving throw at the ends of its turns to end this condition.
Way of the Weapon Master (Kensei)
One With the Blade
3rd-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
You gain the following benefits:
Flurry of Attacks. When you take the Attack action on your turn you can spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to make one weapon attack.
Quick Strikes. Your unarmed strikes may deal the same damage type as one melee weapon you are currently holding.
Weapon Mastery. Your Weapon Mastery feature now includes martial weapons, and you are proficient with any martial weapon chosen for mastery.
Sharpen the Blade
6th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
As a bonus action on your turn you may spend 1 Focus point to mystically sharpen one weapon you are currently holding for 10 minutes, or until you use this feature again. For the duration, attacks and Quick Strikes made using this weapon are magical with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus is not cumulative – if the weapon already has a bonus to attack and/or damage rolls you must choose which to use.
Sword Saint
11th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
You gain the following benefits:
Agile Parry. While you are holding a sharpened melee weapon, whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you have a bonus to your AC equal to the number of your Focus points upon the attacker, to a maximum of +5.
Improved Sharpen the Blade. You may now spend up to 3 Focus points when you Sharpen the Blade, gaining a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the points spent.
Weapon Mastery. You gain mastery in two additional Simple or martial weapons of your choice.
Unerring Accuracy
17th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
Unchanged.
Notes
I originally started out messing around with the Focused Strikes idea and… got a bit carried away. I wanted to illustrate how the feature could be built upon by sub-classes and end up adapting pretty much all of them. I purposefully left out Way of the Ascendant Dragon and Way of the Sun Soul, because I figured it's better to get Way of the Four Elements fixed up first as it may either be able to replace these two, or inform how best to change them as well.
Balance is absolutely going to be all over the place; many features may have exploits, unintended side effects or stupid wording written by a fool. Points costs for abilities will most likely need to be changed considerably. Part of the idea was to remove the reliance on the finite Discipline points and instead create a new combat-oriented Focus resource that doesn't have the same limitations of Ki/Disicpline upon the class.
The new, more simplified version of Focus and Focused Strikes should be much easier to keep track of, retaining the same basic build-up mechanic minus the book-keeping or target limitations. You can now also gain Focus from defensive sources (enemies missing, e.g- due to Patient Defense, or succeeding on a saving throw) so you're not entirely reliant on attacking.
Other big changes include giving starting saving proficiencies of Dexterity and Wisdom (arguably the two best), with Self-restoration (10th-level) and Disciplined Survivor (14th-level) becoming Purity of Body and Stillness of Mind at 7th-level and 9th-level, each adding bonus saving throw proficiencies and an effect clearing ability that triggers at the end of a turn (no action economy required). The Monk also now has a 10th-level Ability Score improvement similar to the Rogue.
I've put a link to this thread into my feedback survey response, here's hoping someone official looks at it, though I've made many of the suggestions as part of my response!
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
1. I'm not sure why you are giving them expertise and at level 1. Generally the monk isn't an "expert" class, but I'm not exactly saying no either. Of all the things this newest release seems to contain, this would be the least broken.
2. The darts seem fine, but I think you get 5 daggers which can be thrown and have better damage. I'd keep it as an option but you could do either. The simple weapon instead of a spear is nice.
3. the strength or dex for unarmored doesn't make sense, as monk is a dex class, and I worry about multiclass implications, though dex is probably the most useful across classes.
4. The focus points should just be ki points. and they seem ok
5. you have the "catch bullets" feat twice, third and 5th level. the UA has it at third.
6. now I see the focus points. Sorry, but I'd keep this as it is.
7. magical hits unarmed stries for the purpose of overcoming resistances to nonmagical attacks is
8. with purity of body, that's a no. Again, you're trying to put strength and now con proficiencies on a dex class. And at level 7 that's a bit much.
9. and now at 9th level you are proficient in all 6 abilities? Hell no. ending charmed and frightened aren't game breaking, they're a handful of elven/fey character species bonuses, but the 6 main ability scored getting proficiency is a hard no.
10. the extra ability score increase is also a hell no. You're asking for 6 in total, which is enough to push every score up 2. Nobody gets that.
11. your superior form i'm having trouble tracking. I'd have it cost a little more. It's like a flurry of blows, but it's not because it's an extra bonus action, which has more options, though your restrictions about it being the same action are bit weird at the moment (all of this reviewing it is on the fly BTW), but I'd rather it cost a little bit more.
12. Perfect self has a lot of features. The deflecting is broken. the bonus action plus bonus action plus bonus action.... just instead of three bonus actions, you can get two actions and a bonus action or something. (again, it's hard to track just how many actions/bonus actions this version of the monk is getting.
Not sure why you say hard no on the STR, con, etc proficiencies. It’s Diamond Soul broken up into two different features. Monks already get these proficiencies but at 14th. So if it’s the level they get then, ok. But not liking them because it’s a Dex class, too late it’s been there since 2014
Not sure why you say hard no on the STR, con, etc proficiencies. It’s Diamond Soul broken up into two different features. Monks already get these proficiencies but at 14th. So if it’s the level they get then, ok. But not liking them because it’s a Dex class, too late it’s been there since 2014
Sorry. I misread and thought he was asking for proficiency in the abilities.
Having all ability checks is where I was having issues.
It's still a bit early, but in some ways, breaking them up does make it nice to chase levels.
EDIT: I also may have miscounted with the ability score improvements.
The big issue is with the focus points and discipline points. If it's trying to solve a resource problem it's better to give more of the resource in question and create a new resource that's identical to the one you're already using. On the one hand it feels like a bonus for multiple rounds of hitting the same enemy, but...
I'm also looking over my answer again, and I think I may have misread about his deflection at 20th applying to all melee and interpreted as all attacks (meaning magical and otherwise). It's not AS bad as I thought and as a 20th level ability, it's fine.
What is the need to be a "Dex class"? Can be Str/Dex class just like the Fighter, a muscled monk is not rare at all in many sets, like fighting video games. Change avoid by parry and you get your Str unarmored defense based.
Str monk should be a choice, and I'd change unarmored defense by: 10 + Dex/Str + proficiency bonus of monk class level.
The typical Dex monk would be for more stealth/rogue type ones, the Str monk would be for more fighter/wrestler ones. If don't open the Str option, then all the Str combat stuff should be allowed to use Dex for the monk (like unarmed strike shove and others). But allowing both Str and Dex monks, well you open the options with no need of creating exceptions, let the player choose.
1. I'm not sure why you are giving them expertise and at level 1. Generally the monk isn't an "expert" class, but I'm not exactly saying no either. Of all the things this newest release seems to contain, this would be the least broken.
My thinking is that Monks don't have a lot of out of combat utility aside from Dexterity and Wisdom abilities being somewhat useful (decent skills mix). Most pure martial classes need more to do outside of combat, because currently spellcasters are masters of pretty much every aspect of the game.
Rangers get Expertise (as part of Deft Explorer) with another benefit, Weapon Mastery, and Spellcasting all at first level.
3. the strength or dex for unarmored doesn't make sense, as monk is a dex class, and I worry about multiclass implications, though dex is probably the most useful across classes.
Why is it a dex class? Why can't it be Strength based? The change to Unarmored Defense is so minimal and it's literally all that's required to make a Strength based Monk viable. Monk has always had the option of using Strength because Martial Arts isn't limited to Dexterity (it only allows Dexterity as a choice), the only reason they usually don't go for Strength is because of how it hurts the AC to not focus on Dexterity.
5. you have the "catch bullets" feat twice, third and 5th level. the UA has it at third.
I think I already fixed that; you may have been replying at the time. I originally moved it to 5th-level then changed my mind, must have copy/pasted instead of cut/pasted.
7. magical hits unarmed stries for the purpose of overcoming resistances to nonmagical attacks is
Seems like you didn't finish the point here?
If you were going to say that force damage is better, in my version of the class it can now do added force damage with Deadly Strikes and having the attacks be magical is arguably better as there are a handful of monsters that are resistant or immune to force damage, and also non-magical attacks, for example a helmed horror, against which the Monk has the choice of doing half damage or no damage, while characters with magic weapons can deal full.
8. with purity of body, that's a no. Again, you're trying to put strength and now con proficiencies on a dex class. And at level 7 that's a bit much.
9. and now at 9th level you are proficient in all 6 abilities? Hell no. ending charmed and frightened aren't game breaking, they're a handful of elven/fey character species bonuses, but the 6 main ability scored getting proficiency is a hard no.
It's just the saving throw proficiencies; Monks already get this with Diamond Soul or Disciplined Survivor, but the intent is to bring these in sooner and in stages rather than relegating them to a 14th-level feature you might never get to.
For comparison, a Paladin gets Aura of Protection at 6th-level which adds their Charisma bonus to all saving throws not only for themselves, but for all allies within 10 feet, which is still an arguably superior feature (as it stacks with proficiency) so a Paladin could actually have a better Wisdom saving throw than a Monk even if they don't invest in Wisdom.
10. the extra ability score increase is also a hell no. You're asking for 6 in total, which is enough to push every score up 2. Nobody gets that.
Six total is the same as the Rogue, Fighters get seven (extra at 6th- and 14th-levels).
11. your superior form i'm having trouble tracking. I'd have it cost a little more. It's like a flurry of blows, but it's not because it's an extra bonus action, which has more options, though your restrictions about it being the same action are bit weird at the moment (all of this reviewing it is on the fly BTW), but I'd rather it cost a little bit more.
It's worth keeping in mind that Discipline in this version is a long rest resource, so a single point means it does cost more compared to the previous short rest resource, but like I say the costs of things likely need to be tweaked.
The reason you can't make the same bonus action twice is to prevent double Flurry of Blows for six attacks at this point, but you can do Flurry + Martial Arts for five attacks. Also worth pointing out that unless you use only the basic ("free") bonus actions, this does get more costly as double Flurry at higher levels, or Flurry + mobile Patient Defense etc. will cost you 3 Discipline points for the turn.
12. Perfect self has a lot of features. The deflecting is broken. the bonus action plus bonus action plus bonus action.... just instead of three bonus actions, you can get two actions and a bonus action or something. (again, it's hard to track just how many actions/bonus actions this version of the monk is getting.
It's not three bonus actions, it just lets you lift the "no two bonus actions the same" restrictions of Superior Form, so now you can do the double Flurry if you want.
Also I don't see how deflecting is broken? All it does is extend from ranged attack deflection to also include melee attacks. This is a 20th-level capstone feature, and you can still only do it once per turn (twice if you spend a Discipline point) so it can be overwhelmed by multiple attacks, and even for a 20th-level Monk there are enemies that can do more damage than you can fully block with it, and it only works against attacks; even with all saving throw proficiencies and Evasion Monks can still be caught out by saving throw effects.
For comparison at this level a Wizard can be absent from all battles by sending a simulacrum in their place while the real them hides in a Demiplane, and is thereby 100% incapable of being harmed by combat.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
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It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat
So don't blame your DM if requires you to be present. Also:
The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots.
Then could not the best bet to create a full-caster copy. And more when finally:
snow or ice in quantities sufficient to make a life-size copy of the duplicated creature; some hair, fingernail clippings, or other piece of that creature's body placed inside the snow or ice; and powdered ruby worth 1,500 gp, sprinkled over the duplicate and consumed by the spell
So a caster copy is better to think it as 1500 gp set of scrolls with legs equal to my spell slots and prepared. Or a martial copy as bodyguard, now more worth to repair at cost:
My thinking is that Monks don't have a lot of out of combat utility aside from Dexterity and Wisdom abilities being somewhat useful (decent skills mix). Most pure martial classes need more to do outside of combat, because currently spellcasters are masters of pretty much every aspect of the game.
Rangers get Expertise (as part of Deft Explorer) with another benefit, Weapon Mastery, and Spellcasting all at first level.
3. the strength or dex for unarmored doesn't make sense, as monk is a dex class, and I worry about multiclass implications, though dex is probably the most useful across classes.
Why is it a dex class? Why can't it be Strength based? The change to Unarmored Defense is so minimal and it's literally all that's required to make a Strength based Monk viable. Monk has always had the option of using Strength because Martial Arts isn't limited to Dexterity (it only allows Dexterity as a choice), the only reason they usually don't go for Strength is because of how it hurts the AC to not focus on Dexterity.
7. magical hits unarmed stries for the purpose of overcoming resistances to nonmagical attacks is
Seems like you didn't finish the point here?
9. and now at 9th level you are proficient in all 6 abilities? Hell no. ending charmed and frightened aren't game breaking, they're a handful of elven/fey character species bonuses, but the 6 main ability scored getting proficiency is a hard no.
It's just the saving throw proficiencies; Monks already get this with Diamond Soul or Disciplined Survivor, but the intent is to bring these in sooner and in stages rather than relegating them to a 14th-level feature you might never get to.
10. the extra ability score increase is also a hell no. You're asking for 6 in total, which is enough to push every score up 2. Nobody gets that.
Six total is the same as the Rogue, Fighters get seven (extra at 6th- and 14th-levels).
11. your superior form i'm having trouble tracking. I'd have it cost a little more. It's like a flurry of blows, but it's not because it's an extra bonus action, which has more options, though your restrictions about it being the same action are bit weird at the moment (all of this reviewing it is on the fly BTW), but I'd rather it cost a little bit more.
It's worth keeping in mind that Discipline in this version is a long rest resource, so a single point means it does cost more compared to the previous short rest resource, but like I say the costs of things likely need to be tweaked.
The reason you can't make the same bonus action twice is to prevent double Flurry of Blows for six attacks at this point, but you can do Flurry + Martial Arts for five attacks. Also worth pointing out that unless you use only the basic ("free") bonus actions, this does get more costly as double Flurry at higher levels, or Flurry + mobile Patient Defense etc. will cost you 3 Discipline points for the turn.
12. Perfect self has a lot of features. The deflecting is broken. the bonus action plus bonus action plus bonus action.... just instead of three bonus actions, you can get two actions and a bonus action or something. (again, it's hard to track just how many actions/bonus actions this version of the monk is getting.
It's not three bonus actions, it just lets you lift the "no two bonus actions the same" restrictions of Superior Form, so now you can do the double Flurry if you want.
Also I don't see how deflecting is broken?
My response just above yours kind of clarifies on this. A lot of my complaints were because of misreading as ability checks, not just saving throws. The ASI's with that would be completely off the rails.
And I was thinking all attacks with the deflection later for some reason. I get wires crossed. I haven't edited it out because my errors are worth seeing.
EDIT: I forgot the other points: With dex and strength, you can swap strength for dex for much of the monk's attacks, the design has been to make them a dexterity class. Unless you are giving them the ability proficiency of strength, there's little to no reason to have this work in reverse, because if you're optimizing for all the outside of combat skills, you'd be putting it into dex, or wis and not strength. Unless you're trying to multiclass... which this seems far more reasonable than what I read, but you're still doing funky things.
The unarmed strikes for nonmagical content at that level seems fine. I wasn't complaining. I swear!
As for deflection being once per turn (versus round, though high level, you're more likely to be fighting less foes but more powerful ones), that's quite a lot. As a capstone, if it's JUST physical attacks.... It's a lot, but it's a capstone.... I'd probably allow it.
Don't use the wizard for a comparison. I'm itching for a nerf on the casters with some of their spells.
Right now it looks lie you're trying to combine rogue with monk.
A low level mobility feature would be required if the monk is stuck at Dex, because most are Str based. So the monk is very bad climbing, until level 9 bypassing directly to be the best one. Allow it to use Dex instead Str for those, or grant some kind of Reliable Talent at low level but only for those mobility checks.
A low level mobility feature would be required if the monk is stuck at Dex, because most are Str based. So the monk is very bad climbing, until level 9 bypassing directly to be the best one. Allow it to use Dex instead Str for those, or grant some kind of Reliable Talent at low level but only for those mobility checks.
But again, are you wanting to play a monk or a rogue? Though I feel like both classes could benefit from better mobility and AC respectively,
I think giving away reliable talent and the rogue features like that that extend well beyond just granting mobility would be abused. (I can argue rogue getting monk AC ability is a bit harder break as its self contained getting higher AC doesn't grant higher ability checks). If climbing is the issue, give them the mobility earlier. Or more movement speed. (whih with the rogue, i've argued higher AC or more movement as well).
EDIT: for both though, I feel climbing should be able to be checked with acrobatics or atheletic, though maybe its a table issue, and once again, the dex classes need this sort of stuff spelled out.
I mean I see a lot of gymnasts that get fairly high altitude compared to bodybuilders... ;)
(also if strength is raw strength to pull yourself up, dex would be the ability to now your body within its surroundings to use said surroundings to your benefit and getting leverage and being able to use less strength to get up high).
By description climbing is Str, so is more about rules than tables. They should be more precise. Also we have other things like swimming not very clear. The movement speed is not the issue but succeeding the ability checks, annoying.
The Rogue already have Light Armor, and I see no reason for them to get unarmored AC but maybe some subclass. Their extra defense are disengaging with Bonus Action for free, that shows how elusive Rogues are.
While the Monk could use more skill utility (akin to the Barbarian gaining Strength-based checks during Rage), giving them Expertise isn't the best way of going about it, and especially not giving them a 2nd-level ability that lets them gain advantage on any ability check, which is far more potent than Expertise at early levels.
Using "Monk level divided by 6" is overly complicated, and never states whether the figure is rounded down or up (the default is down, but features almost always specify for clarity's sake). If it's rounded down, just make it a separate feature that states which levels the bonus further increases.
You want Strength to be equally suitable for Monks, but ultimately there's no real difference between a Strength-focused Monk and a Dexterity-focused Monk.
The Focused Strikes mechanic adds an unnecessary level of complexity, as either the player or DM has to keep track of these "Focus" points. The abilities aren't even particularly enticing, and the fact that it's all lost if you miss during a turn (especially since you get this feature before your Extra Attack) makes it all the more burdening.
i really like the idea of focus as "combo points" but i have to agree that the idea isn't refined yet. keep thinking. tying stunning strikes to consecutive strikes has merit.
expertise is something i'd have to be talked into, though. monk, to me, is as much of a skill monkey as a barbarian (but calmer): what can't punching fix?
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Focus points & strikes are an interesting concept, however in practice this is a huge nerf to Monk because on average a Monk will be hitting 2-2.6 times per round, which means any Focus Strike that costs more than 2 Focus Points will be usable on average every 2 rounds which depending on the combat means many / most enemies will die before that Focus Strike can be used on them. Add to this that most of the Focus Strikes are really weak and I can't see anyone having that much fun with this monk. Plus it just adds a huge headache in terms of keeping track of it. Combo moves should be contained within a single turn of a character to (1) make them easier to keep track of and (2) make them easier to pull off.
E.g.
Focused Strikes
3rd-level Monk feature
As you hit creatures multiple times with your melee weapon attack or unarmed strikes you can produce more and more powerful combos by focusing on the same target. At the end of your turn, you can produce one of the effects of your choice on each creature that you hit the required number of times on this turn. In addition, at the end of your turn you can spend DP to affect one or more creatures you hit at least once on that turn with a Focus Strike of your choice, you must spend one DP per creature to affect them in this way.
Staggering Strike (Hit 1 time). The target cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Distracting Strike (Hit 2 time). The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Open Hand Strike (Hit 2 times). The target is knocked prone or shoved 20 ft away from you.
Deadly Strike (Hit 3 times). The target takes force damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die
Improved Focus Strikes
5th-level Monk feature
You gain the following additional Focused Strikes:
Dazing Strike (Hit 2 times). The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be dazed until the end of your next turn.
Stunning Strike (Hit 3 times). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
I think these manage to capture the fantasy of the Monk: i.e. running into melee, hitting 3-4 different enemies and sending them all flying in different directions. And because they don't cost DP if you hit the required number of times it means the Monk never runs out of cool things they can do provided they manage to hit enemies.
Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Significantly more interesting than the UA6 monk and your version fixes most of the issues that UA6 did not even acknowledge.
Moving Monk into the Expert group? I agree that Monks need more to do outside of combat. But Expertise feels like a copycat. IMO the wall-running and water-running of Monk are thematic, unique, and useful outside of combat. If they were available in Tier 1 these abilities would be more useful.
"all unarmed strikes made during the same turn deal extra damage equal to your Monk level divided by six." Precisely correct on the math. Slightly clunky wording. It might be better to list it as a 6th level feature as that is where it takes effect. And add a similar bonus to hit.
Thank you for the basic fix to fix to Grapple/Shove DC.
Flurry of Blows being free might be a bit much. I think the cost would be reasonable at 1 Discipline Point for 1 minute usage.
I approve of the Patient Defense change.
I like the idea of Focused Strikes. "Focus points are spent only if the target fails the saving throw." Yassss!
I like how you handled Purity of Body and Stillness of Mind.
For Open Hand Monk, you left in Tranquility? I'm guessing that was a copy/paste without remembering to edit. Not that the UA6 Fleet Step (free Step of the Wind) is that appealing.
Expertise isn't the best way of going about it, and especially not giving them a 2nd-level ability that lets them gain advantage on any ability check, which is far more potent than Expertise at early levels.
The advantage ability does cost a Discipline point so it's costing a resource you need for other abilities during the adventuring day; it's also advantage on the roll, so it's a preemptive ability you could end up wasting (maybe it's just me but like 90% of the time I get to roll with advantage, the second roll is the worst of the two 🤬).
Using "Monk level divided by 6" is overly complicated, and never states whether the figure is rounded down or up (the default is down, but features almost always specify for clarity's sake). If it's rounded down, just make it a separate feature that states which levels the bonus further increases.
I should have said this would probably be put in a class features table, same as the Martial Arts die or a Barbarian's Rage bonus damage; but I decided against including the table in the post as it's too complicated to edit and another thing to get wrong when I make changes.
You want Strength to be equally suitable for Monks, but ultimately there's no real difference between a Strength-focused Monk and a Dexterity-focused Monk.
It's just personal preference really; originally I didn't allow grapple/shove to use Dexterity, so you would go Strength if you want to use these more, but that just made it a thing you can get wrong at 1st-level (go Strength for grappling then find you don't use it much, or go Dexterity and find you'd like to do more grappling).
Dexterity does still feed into your Deflect Missiles/Energy/Whatever ability, as well as boost your Dexterity saving throws (which are usually more common than Strength saving throws), while Strength affects carrying capacity for things like lifting, dragging etc. It's more likely to help broaden multiclassing I guess.
Focus points & strikes are an interesting concept, however in practice this is a huge nerf to Monk because on average a Monk will be hitting 2-2.6 times per round, which means any Focus Strike that costs more than 2 Focus Points will be usable on average every 2 rounds which depending on the combat means many / most enemies will die before that Focus Strike can be used on them. Add to this that most of the Focus Strikes are really weak and I can't see anyone having that much fun with this monk. Plus it just adds a huge headache in terms of keeping track of it. Combo moves should be contained within a single turn of a character to (1) make them easier to keep track of and (2) make them easier to pull off.
E.g.
Focused Strikes
3rd-level Monk feature
As you hit creatures multiple times with your melee weapon attack or unarmed strikes you can produce more and more powerful combos by focusing on the same target. At the end of your turn, you can produce one of the effects of your choice on each creature that you hit the required number of times on this turn. In addition, at the end of your turn you can spend DP to affect one or more creatures you hit at least once on that turn with a Focus Strike of your choice, you must spend one DP per creature to affect them in this way.
Staggering Strike (Hit 1 time). The target cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Distracting Strike (Hit 2 time). The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Open Hand Strike (Hit 2 times). The target is knocked prone or shoved 20 ft away from you.
Deadly Strike (Hit 3 times). The target takes force damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die
Improved Focus Strikes
5th-level Monk feature
You gain the following additional Focused Strikes:
Dazing Strike (Hit 2 times). The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be dazed until the end of your next turn.
Stunning Strike (Hit 3 times). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
I think these manage to capture the fantasy of the Monk: i.e. running into melee, hitting 3-4 different enemies and sending them all flying in different directions. And because they don't cost DP if you hit the required number of times it means the Monk never runs out of cool things they can do provided they manage to hit enemies.
Being able to build the points over a couple of turns was part of what I've found fun about Focused Strikes when I did a playtest of it (it's the only part I've had time to playtest so far), though some kind of simplification is probably in order. My playtest group never found the points all that difficult; most of the time we were only focusing on one target, or we would do a quick burst over two turns to hit a group.
Definitely the area I want to develop further though so I'll keep all focus suggestions in mind!
Flurry of Blows being free might be a bit much. I think the cost would be reasonable at 1 Discipline Point for 1 minute usage.
Whoops, that's a mistake, Flurry of Blows is supposed to still cost 1 Discipline point, the bonus unarmed strike is the free option since it now gets stronger. I'll correct that.
For Open Hand Monk, you left in Tranquility? I'm guessing that was a copy/paste without remembering to edit. Not that the UA6 Fleet Step (free Step of the Wind) is that appealing.
I didn't like Fleet Step, and personally Tranquility was one of my favourite features. I made it refresh on short rest though so you can get more use out of it.
Thanks everyone for the feedback! I'll definitely be working on some improvements to Focused Strikes to try and make them simpler/more impactful, and I'll rethink Expertise as the class may not need it so much with the other changes, though I still feel like there's something needed. Maybe the ability to use Wisdom for some checks? This could end up replacing Measured Action if people don't like that either.
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So thinking about Focused Strikes; how about if the points weren't tied to specific targets, they were simply built up by continuously hitting? In this case it wouldn't matter how many times you hit each target you want to affect, only that you hit them at all since the combat began, and you'd take the total Focus and spend it how you like between eligible target(s).
For example, if you get a combat of 5 Focus during a fight, you could attempt Stunning Strike on one target, or Slowing Strike on two etc. Would probably need to tweak some of the abilities and points costs (probably need to anyway).
But this way you're only tracking Focus for the combat, and which target(s) you hit in the current or previous round? Or could maybe even ignore target tracking as well, all that matters is who is in range of the strike? I'd maybe shorten the range to simply being reach in this case.
So the sample updated feature might look something like (changes in blue):
Focused Strikes
Whenever you hit a target with a melee weapon attack, you gain one point of Focus. Focus points remain until used, or until you end your turn without hitting any target(s).
Once during your turn you may replace one of your unarmed strikes with a Focused Strike. A Focused Strike costs 1 Discipline unless the attack is made as part of a Flurry of Blows.
Choose one of the Focused Strikes that you know, and any number of targets within your reach. Focus points are spent immediately unless the strike requires a saving throw before it takes effect, in which case the Focus points are spent only if the target fails the saving throw.
I'm also wondering about maybe having some of the fixed Focus cost Focused Strikes having some kind of bonus for spending more Focus, e.g- some of the basic strikes with saving throws might have a higher cost version that imposes disadvantage, or targets a different saving throw? So while Constitution might be the default for Stunning Strike for the regular version, it might target Wisdom if you spend more Focus, like you're striking the target's spirit rather than merely their body.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
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Whenever you hit a target with a melee weapon attack, you gain one point of Focus. Focus points remain until used, or until you end your turn without hitting any target(s).
Once during your turn you may replace one of your unarmed strikes with a Focused Strike. A Focused Strike costs 1 Discipline unless the attack is made as part of a Flurry of Blows.
Choose one of the Focused Strikes that you know, and any number of targets within your reach. Focus points are spent immediately unless the strike requires a saving throw before it takes effect, in which case the Focus points are spent only if the target fails the saving throw.
This is better but still has some problems:
1) Monks don't want to be surrounded by enemies, but having the same cost apply to use Focus Strikes to one or many targets means there is a strong incentive for the monk to run into the thick of it. Combined with the fact that you'd be crazy to not use this at the same time as using FoB (2 for 1 DP) if enemies don't all fail their saves you've got a dead monk on your hands.
2) Double resource management, keeping track of both DP and Focus points is unnecessary hassle especially if you need to spend them both together. Why not replace DP entirely with Focus Points? Simply give a monk 4 FPs when they roll initiative and then let them use the same resource for all their stuff. (PS it irks me so much that monks are the ONLY martial that has to use limited resources for out-of-combat stuff).
3) Reducing options. By having Focus points vanish if the monk doesn't hit someone you're locking the monk into attacking every round. This greatly limits many of the (albeit circumstantial) uses of their fast movement - e.g. running into combat & pulling out an unconscious ally, running around enemies to activate a trap or grab a McGuffin, darting away to sabotage a thing the enemies are protecting to distract them, etc... Not all combats require just hitting enemies until they are dead, and monks traditionally excel at those more complex combats, it would be a shame to sacrifice that for some minor punching-utility.
4) if Focus Strikes are multitarget how does the failed save vs not failed save focus point cost work?
So with the disappointing updates to the Monk in the recent playtest, I decided to have a stab at making my own update. While some of the ideas here are my own, there are a few that have been inspired heavily by discussion in this forum.
Full disclosure, I've playtested pretty much none of this except for the Focused Strikes just to see how players would handle the mechanic, and the class is very likely to be unbalanced. However I've erred towards making it stronger since the Monk in particular, and martials in general desperately need a boost moving forward; so if it comes out stronger than Fighter that's intentional, because the Fighter also needs to be stronger.
I have also omitted any unchanged feature from a currently published sub-class that hasn't appeared in a playtest yet, to avoid reposting paid content, and I've highlighted in blue anything that has been changed from the latest playtest, or red for a feature that has only been moved to a different level. I do not apologise for the sections I've inevitably forgotten to mark properly. 😝
The Monk Class
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice. 1d8 per Monk level
Hit Points at 1st-level. 8 + your Constitution modifier.
Hit Points at Higher Levels. 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Monk level after the 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor. None.
Weapons. Simple weapons.
Tools. Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument.
Saving Throws. Dexterity and Wisdom.
Skills. Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, Religion, Stealth and Survival.
Starting Equipment
As a 1st-level character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 65 GP on equipment of your choice.
Dart (5), explorer's pack, one simple weapon, 9 GP, one set of artisan's tools or a musical instrument.
Expertise
1st-level Monk feature
Choose one of your proficiencies in a skill that appears on the Monk skill list. You gain Expertise in that skill.
Martial Arts
1st-level Monk feature
While you are not wearing armor or holding a shield you gain the following benefits:
Bonus Unarmed Strike. On your turn, when you take the Attack or Dodge action, or another gained from the Monk class or sub-class, you can spend your bonus action to make one unarmed strike. When you do so, all unarmed strikes made during the same turn deal extra damage equal to your Monk level divided by six.
Dextrous Attacks. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for unarmed strikes and weapon attacks without the two-handed property. When you make an unarmed strike and choose to grapple or shove your target, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength to calculate your save DC.
Martial Arts Die. You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strikes. This die changes as you gain Monk levels as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table (see playtest 6).
Unarmored Defense. Your base Amor class is 10 plus your Wisdom modifier plus your choice of either your Dexterity or Strength modifier.
Weapon Mastery
1st-level Monk feature
Your training with weapons allows you to use the Mastery property of two kinds of Simple weapons of your choice, such as Daggers and Spears.
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of Simple weapons you chose. For example, you could switch to using the Mastery properties of Maces and Slings.
Focus
2nd-level Monk feature
In the heat of battle, you can learn to focus your abilities into more potent forms. You gain one Focus point each time you hit an enemy with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike, when an enemy misses you with an attack, and when you succeed on a saving throw against an enemy effect.
Focus points are lost if more than a minute passes without gaining any more. You may only spend Focus if you are wearing no armor and not holding a shield, and may use them to activate special Focus abilities. Some Focus abilities require a saving throw as calculated below:
Focus Save DC: 8 plus your Proficiency Bonus plus your Wisdom modifier.
You know the following Focus abilities:
Flurry of Blows. On your turn, when you take the Attack or Dodge action, or another gained from the Monk class or sub-class, you can spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to make one unarmed strike. When you do so, all unarmed strikes made during the same turn deal extra damage equal to your Monk level divided by six.
Patient Defense. You may spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to Dodge. If no enemies attack you before the start of your next combat turn, you gain 2 Focus points.
Step of the Wind. You can use your bonus action to Dash or Disengage, and your jump distance is doubled until the end of your turn. If you spend 1 Focus point you may both Dash and Disengage as a single bonus action.
Unarmored Movement
2nd-level Monk feature
Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain Monk levels, as shown in the Monk table (see playtest 6).
Deflect Missiles
3rd-level Monk feature
You can use your Reaction to deflect ranged attacks against you, reducing the bludgeoning, piercing and/or slashing damage you take from the attack by a total of 1d10 plus your Dexterity modifier plus your Monk level. If the attack deals additional damage of another type, the extra damage is unaffected.
If you reduce the bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage to 0, you can spend 1 Focus Point to redirect the attack toward another creature. If you do so, choose a creature within 60 feet of yourself that isn’t behind total cover. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die. The damage is the same type dealt by the attack.
Focused Strikes
3rd-level Monk feature
Once during your turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you may choose to deal no damage and instead deliver a Focused Strike to your target, plus any number of additional targets within your reach. To do so, choose one of the Focused Strikes that you know, and spend the required Focus points for each target you wish to apply it to, then resolve its effects. If the strike requires a saving throw, you will regain any Focus points spent for that target if it succeeded on the saving throw (the focused strike failed).
You know the following Focused Strikes:
Distracting Strike (1 Focus). The target has disadvantage on its next ability check or attack roll.
Deadly Strike (2+ Focus). The target takes 1d4 force damage for each point of Focus spent after the first.
Lethargic Strikes (2 Focus). The target must make a Strength saving throw or be slowed until the end of your next turn.
Monastic Tradition
3rd-level Monk feature
You gain a Monk subclass from those available below. You will also gain additional features from this tradition at later levels.
Ability Score Improvement
4th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Slow Fall
4th-level Monk feature
You can use your Reaction when you fall to reduce any damage you take from the fall by an amount equal to five times your Monk level.
Extra Attack
5th-level Monk feature
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strikes
5th-level Monk feature
You gain the following additional Focused Strikes:
Dazing Strike (3 Focus). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be dazed until the end of your next turn. If you spend 5 Focus on this strike, the target must instead make a Wisdom saving throw.
Stunning Strike (5 Focus). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. If you spend 6 Focus on this strike, the target must instead make a Wisdom saving throw.
Empowered Strikes
6th-level Monk feature
Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Monastic Tradition Feature
6th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Evasion
7th-level Monk feature
When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
You don’t benefit from this feature if you have the incapacitated condition.
Purity of Body
7th-level Monk feature
You gain proficiency in Constitution and Strength saving throws. In addition, at the end of your turn you may end one disease or poison effect that you are currently suffering.
Ability Score Improvement
8th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Acrobatic Movement
8th-level Monk feature
While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the movement.
Spiritual Focus
9th-level Monk feature
Whenever you make an Intelligence or Charisma check you may choose to use Wisdom instead. In addition, whenever you perform a Focused Strike with a saving throw, you may spend 1 Focus to change it to a Wisdom saving throw.
Stillness of Mind
9th-level Monk feature
You gain proficiency in Intelligence and Charisma saving throws. In addition, at the end of your turn you may end the charmed or frightened condition upon yourself if you are aware of the charm or fear effect.
Ability Score Improvement
10th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Monastic Tradition Feature
11th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Ability Score Improvement
12th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Deflect Energy
13th-level Monk feature
You can now use your Deflect Missiles feature against any damage type(s) dealt by a ranged attack.
Superior Form
14th-level Monk feature
You can spend 1 Focus to take a second bonus action or reaction. An additional bonus action must not be the same as others taken in the same turn, and you may not take more than one reaction in response to the same trigger.
Perfect Focus
15th-level Monk feature
When you roll for Initiative you now start with at least four Focus points. In addition, whenever you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll or saving throw against an enemy, or an enemy rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll against you, you gain an additional two Focus points (three total).
Ability Score Improvement
16th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Monastic Tradition Feature
17th-level Monk feature
You gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
Diamond Soul
18th-level Monk feature
You gain the following benefits:
Measured Defense. When you fail a saving throw you may spend 1 Focus point to re-roll it, but you must use the second result.
Defy Death. If you are reduced to 0 hit-points, or an effect would kill you outright, you may spend 4 Focus points to instead be reduced to a number of hit-points equal to your Monk level. The cost of this ability increases by 2 each time it is used until you finish a long rest.
Ability Score Improvement
19th-level Monk feature
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Perfect Self
20th-level Monk feature
You gain the following benefits:
Flawless Defense. You can use your Deflect Missiles feature against melee attacks.
Mystic Step. Before making an attack you may teleport up to 10 feet, at a cost of 10 feet of movement.
Perfect Form. An additional bonus action granted by Superior Form can now be the same as a bonus action you have already used in the same turn.
Timeless Body. You suffer none of the frailty of old age and cannot be aged magically, though you are not immortal. You also no longer require food or water.
Monastic Traditions
Way of Mercy
Hand of Healing
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
When you make an unarmed strike against a creature you can choose to inflict no damage. In addition you know the following Focused Strike:
Hand of Healing (1 Focus). Target regains hit-points equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice plus your Wisdom modifier.
Hand of Harm
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
Your Deadly Strikes may deal necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice instead of the normal d4 force damage.
Physician's Touch
6th-level Way of Mercy feature
When you use Hand of Healing on a creature you can also end one disease or the blinded, dazed, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned or stunned condition.
When you use Hand of Harm, you can choose to reduce the damage roll by one dice in order to inflict the poisoned condition upon each target until the end of your next turn.
Flurry of Healing and Harm
11th-level Way of Mercy feature
When you perform Hand of Healing you may also choose to trigger Hand of Harm with the same bonus action, and may choose different targets for each.
Hand of Ultimate Mercy
17th-level Way of Mercy feature
Unchanged
Way of Shadow
Shadow Arts
3rd-level Way of Shadow feature
Through rigorous training, you have learned to draw on the power of the Shadowfell, gaining the following benefits:
Darkness. You can spend 1 Focus Point to cast the Darkness spell without any spell components. You can see within the spell’s area when you cast it with this feature. While the spell persists, you can move its area of darkness to a space within 60 feet of you at the start of each of your turns.
Darkvision. You gain Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.
Shadowy Figments. You know the minor illusion cantrip and use Wisdom as the spellcasting ability for it.
Shadow Step
6th-level Way of Shadow feature
While entirely within Dim Light or Darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in Dim Light or Darkness. You then have Advantage on the next melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Misdirection
11th-level Way of Shadow feature
You gain the following Focused Strikes:
Misdirecting Strike (2 Focus). You may swap the locations of any pair of creatures among those affected by this strike and optionally yourself. The creatures must be in dim light or darkness, and the new location must be able to support the target without it having to squeeze into the space.
Shadow Bind (2/3/5/7 Focus). A Medium/Large/Huge/Gargantuan or smaller target must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw or become grappled by you until it either escapes, or you are incapacitated or no longer within 30 feet.
Cloak of Shadows
17th-level Way of Shadow feature
As a Bonus Action while entirely within Dim Light or Darkness, you can spend 3 Focus Points to shroud yourself with magical darkness for 1 minute, until you have are [condition]Incapacitated[/incapacitated] condition, or until you end your turn in Bright Light. While shrouded in darkness, you gain the following benefits:
Invisibility. You have the Invisible condition.
Partially Incorporeal. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 Force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.
Shadow Flurry. You can use your Flurry of Blows without spending any Focus Points.
Way of the Astral Self
Unchanged.
Way of the Cobalt Soul
Extract Aspects
3rd-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Extract Aspects (1 Focus). You learn the target's damage immunities, resistances and vulnerabilities. In addition, until you finish a short or long rest, whenever an extracted target misses you with an attack, you may use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against it if it is within your reach.
Extort Truth
6th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
When you make an unarmed strike against a creature you can choose to inflict no damage. In addition, you gain the following Focused Strike:
Extort Truth (1 Focus). The target is unable to speak a deliberate lie, and all Charisma checks made against it have advantage for 10 minutes. An affected creature is aware of this effect, and may choose to be evasive or refuse to answer.
Mystical Erudition
6th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
Unchanged.
Mind of Mercury
11th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
Whenever you roll an Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma saving throw, you may spend 2 Focus to succeed on the saving throw instead.
Debilitating Barrage
17th-level Way of the Cobalt Soul feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Debilitating Strikes (3 Focus). The target gains vulnerability to one damage type of your choice for 1 minute, or until it takes damage of that type.
Way of the Drunken Master
Drunken Technique
3rd-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn. In addition, for every two different enemies you hit with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike during your turn, you gain one additional Focus point.
Tipsy Sway
6th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
You gain the following benefits.
Leap to Your Feet. When you are prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 Focus point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you. If both the attacker and the new target each have one or more of your Focus points, this reaction does not cost any Focus.
Drunkard's Luck
11th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can spend 1 Focus to cancel the disadvantage for that roll.
Intoxicated Frenzy
17th-level Way of the Drunken Master feature
Unchanged.
Way of the Four Elements
Elemental Attunement
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You know the Elementalism cantrip.
In addition, at the start of your turn, you can spend 1 Focus to imbue yourself with elemental energy. The energy lasts for 10 minutes or until you gain the Incapacitated condition. You gain the following benefits for the duration:
Elemental Strikes. Whenever you hit with your Unarmed Strike, you can cause it to deal elemental damage, which is damage of your choice of type from acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. When you deal elemental damage with your Unarmed Strike, you can also force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can move the target up to 10 feet toward or away from you, as elemental energy swirls around it.
Reach. When you make an unarmed strike, your reach is 10 feet greater than normal, as elemental energy extends from you.
Elemental Burst
6th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
As a Magic action you can spend four or more Focus points to cause elemental energy to burst forth in a 20-foot radius sphere centred on a point you can see within 120 feet. Each creature in the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw or take elemental damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts dice for every point of Focus spent, or half as much damage on a successful saving throw.
Stride of the Elements
11th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you use your Step of the Wind, you gain a Fly Speed and Swim Speed equal to your Speed for 10 minutes.
Elemental Epitome
17th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you use the Elemental Attunement feature, you also gain the following benefits for the duration:
Damage Resistance. You gain resistance to one elemental damage type. At the start of each of your turns, you can change this choice.
Destructive Stride. When you use your Step of the Wind, your Speed increases by 20 feet until the end of the turn. For that duration, any creature of your choice takes damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die when you enter a space within 5 feet of it. The damage is the same type you chose for this feature’s damage resistance. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.
Way of the Long Death
Touch of Death
3rd-level Way of the Long Death feature
When a creature is reduced to 0 hit-points with one or more of your Focus points remaining upon it, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of Focus points plus your Monk level.
Hour of Reaping
6th-level Way of the Long Death feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Reaper's Strike (2 Focus). The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Mastery of Death
11th-level Way of the Long Death feature
You gain the Defy Death ability of the 18th-level Diamond Soul Monk class feature. When you reach 18th-level in this class, the cost of using this ability no longer increases.
Touch of the Long Death
17th-level Way of the Long Death feature
Your Deadly Strikes may deal 1d12 necrotic damage instead of the normal force damage, and if you spend at least 5 Focus for a target, you may roll the damage twice and use the better result.
Way of the Open Hand
Open Hand Technique
3rd-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You do not need to replace an unarmed strike in order to perform a Focused Strike, but can still only perform one Focused Strike per turn. You gain the following Focused Strikes:
Addling Strike (1 Focus). The target cannot take reactions until its next turn.
Pushing Strike (1 Focus). The target must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away.
Toppling Strike (1 Focus). The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
Wholeness of Body
6th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You gain the ability to heal yourself. As a Bonus Action, you can spend 1 Focus Point and roll your Martial Arts die. You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 Hit Point regained).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Tranquility
11th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
After finishing a short or long rest you gain a state of inner peace, lasting until your next short or long rest. This state of inner peace can also be lost if you attack or otherwise cause a harmful effect such as casting a harmful spell or otherwise inflicting damage.
While this state persists, whenever a creature targets you with an attack or other harmful effect, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Focus save DC. On a failure, the creature must choose a different target if able, otherwise the attempt is wasted.
You may also regain this state as a bonus action by spending 4 Focus points.
Quivering Palm
17th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You gain the following Focused Strike:
Quivering Palm (5+ Focus). When triggered, this Focused Strike immediately spends five or more Focus points to establish lethal vibrations within the target, lasting up to 20 days or until you perform this Focused Strike again.
At any time before the duration ends, you may use your bonus action to trigger these vibrations upon any target on the same plane of existence as you. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d12 + 2 force damage for every point of Focus originally spent, or half as much damage on a success. A target that fails the saving throw is also dazed for one minute, and may repeat the saving throw at the ends of its turns to end this condition.
Way of the Weapon Master (Kensei)
One With the Blade
3rd-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
You gain the following benefits:
Flurry of Attacks. When you take the Attack action on your turn you can spend your bonus action and 1 Focus point to make one weapon attack.
Quick Strikes. Your unarmed strikes may deal the same damage type as one melee weapon you are currently holding.
Weapon Mastery. Your Weapon Mastery feature now includes martial weapons, and you are proficient with any martial weapon chosen for mastery.
Sharpen the Blade
6th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
As a bonus action on your turn you may spend 1 Focus point to mystically sharpen one weapon you are currently holding for 10 minutes, or until you use this feature again. For the duration, attacks and Quick Strikes made using this weapon are magical with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus is not cumulative – if the weapon already has a bonus to attack and/or damage rolls you must choose which to use.
Sword Saint
11th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
You gain the following benefits:
Agile Parry. While you are holding a sharpened melee weapon, whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you have a bonus to your AC equal to the number of your Focus points upon the attacker, to a maximum of +5.
Improved Sharpen the Blade. You may now spend up to 3 Focus points when you Sharpen the Blade, gaining a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the points spent.
Weapon Mastery. You gain mastery in two additional Simple or martial weapons of your choice.
Unerring Accuracy
17th-level Way of the Weapon Master feature
Unchanged.
Notes
I originally started out messing around with the Focused Strikes idea and… got a bit carried away. I wanted to illustrate how the feature could be built upon by sub-classes and end up adapting pretty much all of them. I purposefully left out Way of the Ascendant Dragon and Way of the Sun Soul, because I figured it's better to get Way of the Four Elements fixed up first as it may either be able to replace these two, or inform how best to change them as well.
Balance is absolutely going to be all over the place; many features may have exploits, unintended side effects or stupid wording written by a fool. Points costs for abilities will most likely need to be changed considerably. Part of the idea was to remove the reliance on the finite Discipline points and instead create a new combat-oriented Focus resource that doesn't have the same limitations of Ki/Disicpline upon the class.
The new, more simplified version of Focus and Focused Strikes should be much easier to keep track of, retaining the same basic build-up mechanic minus the book-keeping or target limitations. You can now also gain Focus from defensive sources (enemies missing, e.g- due to Patient Defense, or succeeding on a saving throw) so you're not entirely reliant on attacking.
Other big changes include giving starting saving proficiencies of Dexterity and Wisdom (arguably the two best), with Self-restoration (10th-level) and Disciplined Survivor (14th-level) becoming Purity of Body and Stillness of Mind at 7th-level and 9th-level, each adding bonus saving throw proficiencies and an effect clearing ability that triggers at the end of a turn (no action economy required). The Monk also now has a 10th-level Ability Score improvement similar to the Rogue.
I've put a link to this thread into my feedback survey response, here's hoping someone official looks at it, though I've made many of the suggestions as part of my response!
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
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1. I'm not sure why you are giving them expertise and at level 1. Generally the monk isn't an "expert" class, but I'm not exactly saying no either. Of all the things this newest release seems to contain, this would be the least broken.
2. The darts seem fine, but I think you get 5 daggers which can be thrown and have better damage. I'd keep it as an option but you could do either. The simple weapon instead of a spear is nice.
3. the strength or dex for unarmored doesn't make sense, as monk is a dex class, and I worry about multiclass implications, though dex is probably the most useful across classes.
4. The focus points should just be ki points. and they seem ok
5. you have the "catch bullets" feat twice, third and 5th level. the UA has it at third.
6. now I see the focus points. Sorry, but I'd keep this as it is.
7. magical hits unarmed stries for the purpose of overcoming resistances to nonmagical attacks is
8. with purity of body, that's a no. Again, you're trying to put strength and now con proficiencies on a dex class. And at level 7 that's a bit much.
9. and now at 9th level you are proficient in all 6 abilities? Hell no. ending charmed and frightened aren't game breaking, they're a handful of elven/fey character species bonuses, but the 6 main ability scored getting proficiency is a hard no.
10. the extra ability score increase is also a hell no. You're asking for 6 in total, which is enough to push every score up 2. Nobody gets that.
11. your superior form i'm having trouble tracking. I'd have it cost a little more. It's like a flurry of blows, but it's not because it's an extra bonus action, which has more options, though your restrictions about it being the same action are bit weird at the moment (all of this reviewing it is on the fly BTW), but I'd rather it cost a little bit more.
12. Perfect self has a lot of features. The deflecting is broken. the bonus action plus bonus action plus bonus action.... just instead of three bonus actions, you can get two actions and a bonus action or something. (again, it's hard to track just how many actions/bonus actions this version of the monk is getting.
i'll leave the subclasses for others.
Not sure why you say hard no on the STR, con, etc proficiencies. It’s Diamond Soul broken up into two different features. Monks already get these proficiencies but at 14th. So if it’s the level they get then, ok. But not liking them because it’s a Dex class, too late it’s been there since 2014
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Sorry. I misread and thought he was asking for proficiency in the abilities.
Having all ability checks is where I was having issues.
It's still a bit early, but in some ways, breaking them up does make it nice to chase levels.
EDIT: I also may have miscounted with the ability score improvements.
The big issue is with the focus points and discipline points. If it's trying to solve a resource problem it's better to give more of the resource in question and create a new resource that's identical to the one you're already using. On the one hand it feels like a bonus for multiple rounds of hitting the same enemy, but...
I'm also looking over my answer again, and I think I may have misread about his deflection at 20th applying to all melee and interpreted as all attacks (meaning magical and otherwise). It's not AS bad as I thought and as a 20th level ability, it's fine.
I apologize for that.
What is the need to be a "Dex class"? Can be Str/Dex class just like the Fighter, a muscled monk is not rare at all in many sets, like fighting video games. Change avoid by parry and you get your Str unarmored defense based.
Str monk should be a choice, and I'd change unarmored defense by: 10 + Dex/Str + proficiency bonus of monk class level.
The typical Dex monk would be for more stealth/rogue type ones, the Str monk would be for more fighter/wrestler ones. If don't open the Str option, then all the Str combat stuff should be allowed to use Dex for the monk (like unarmed strike shove and others). But allowing both Str and Dex monks, well you open the options with no need of creating exceptions, let the player choose.
My thinking is that Monks don't have a lot of out of combat utility aside from Dexterity and Wisdom abilities being somewhat useful (decent skills mix). Most pure martial classes need more to do outside of combat, because currently spellcasters are masters of pretty much every aspect of the game.
Rangers get Expertise (as part of Deft Explorer) with another benefit, Weapon Mastery, and Spellcasting all at first level.
Why is it a dex class? Why can't it be Strength based? The change to Unarmored Defense is so minimal and it's literally all that's required to make a Strength based Monk viable. Monk has always had the option of using Strength because Martial Arts isn't limited to Dexterity (it only allows Dexterity as a choice), the only reason they usually don't go for Strength is because of how it hurts the AC to not focus on Dexterity.
I think I already fixed that; you may have been replying at the time. I originally moved it to 5th-level then changed my mind, must have copy/pasted instead of cut/pasted.
Seems like you didn't finish the point here?
If you were going to say that force damage is better, in my version of the class it can now do added force damage with Deadly Strikes and having the attacks be magical is arguably better as there are a handful of monsters that are resistant or immune to force damage, and also non-magical attacks, for example a helmed horror, against which the Monk has the choice of doing half damage or no damage, while characters with magic weapons can deal full.
It's just the saving throw proficiencies; Monks already get this with Diamond Soul or Disciplined Survivor, but the intent is to bring these in sooner and in stages rather than relegating them to a 14th-level feature you might never get to.
For comparison, a Paladin gets Aura of Protection at 6th-level which adds their Charisma bonus to all saving throws not only for themselves, but for all allies within 10 feet, which is still an arguably superior feature (as it stacks with proficiency) so a Paladin could actually have a better Wisdom saving throw than a Monk even if they don't invest in Wisdom.
Six total is the same as the Rogue, Fighters get seven (extra at 6th- and 14th-levels).
It's worth keeping in mind that Discipline in this version is a long rest resource, so a single point means it does cost more compared to the previous short rest resource, but like I say the costs of things likely need to be tweaked.
The reason you can't make the same bonus action twice is to prevent double Flurry of Blows for six attacks at this point, but you can do Flurry + Martial Arts for five attacks. Also worth pointing out that unless you use only the basic ("free") bonus actions, this does get more costly as double Flurry at higher levels, or Flurry + mobile Patient Defense etc. will cost you 3 Discipline points for the turn.
It's not three bonus actions, it just lets you lift the "no two bonus actions the same" restrictions of Superior Form, so now you can do the double Flurry if you want.
Also I don't see how deflecting is broken? All it does is extend from ranged attack deflection to also include melee attacks. This is a 20th-level capstone feature, and you can still only do it once per turn (twice if you spend a Discipline point) so it can be overwhelmed by multiple attacks, and even for a 20th-level Monk there are enemies that can do more damage than you can fully block with it, and it only works against attacks; even with all saving throw proficiencies and Evasion Monks can still be caught out by saving throw effects.
For comparison at this level a Wizard can be absent from all battles by sending a simulacrum in their place while the real them hides in a Demiplane, and is thereby 100% incapable of being harmed by combat.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Simulacrum is not the best example, it says:
So don't blame your DM if requires you to be present. Also:
Then could not the best bet to create a full-caster copy. And more when finally:
So a caster copy is better to think it as 1500 gp set of scrolls with legs equal to my spell slots and prepared. Or a martial copy as bodyguard, now more worth to repair at cost:
My response just above yours kind of clarifies on this. A lot of my complaints were because of misreading as ability checks, not just saving throws. The ASI's with that would be completely off the rails.
And I was thinking all attacks with the deflection later for some reason. I get wires crossed. I haven't edited it out because my errors are worth seeing.
EDIT: I forgot the other points: With dex and strength, you can swap strength for dex for much of the monk's attacks, the design has been to make them a dexterity class. Unless you are giving them the ability proficiency of strength, there's little to no reason to have this work in reverse, because if you're optimizing for all the outside of combat skills, you'd be putting it into dex, or wis and not strength. Unless you're trying to multiclass... which this seems far more reasonable than what I read, but you're still doing funky things.
The unarmed strikes for nonmagical content at that level seems fine. I wasn't complaining. I swear!
As for deflection being once per turn (versus round, though high level, you're more likely to be fighting less foes but more powerful ones), that's quite a lot. As a capstone, if it's JUST physical attacks.... It's a lot, but it's a capstone.... I'd probably allow it.
Don't use the wizard for a comparison. I'm itching for a nerf on the casters with some of their spells.
Right now it looks lie you're trying to combine rogue with monk.
A low level mobility feature would be required if the monk is stuck at Dex, because most are Str based. So the monk is very bad climbing, until level 9 bypassing directly to be the best one. Allow it to use Dex instead Str for those, or grant some kind of Reliable Talent at low level but only for those mobility checks.
But again, are you wanting to play a monk or a rogue? Though I feel like both classes could benefit from better mobility and AC respectively,
I think giving away reliable talent and the rogue features like that that extend well beyond just granting mobility would be abused. (I can argue rogue getting monk AC ability is a bit harder break as its self contained getting higher AC doesn't grant higher ability checks). If climbing is the issue, give them the mobility earlier. Or more movement speed. (whih with the rogue, i've argued higher AC or more movement as well).
EDIT: for both though, I feel climbing should be able to be checked with acrobatics or atheletic, though maybe its a table issue, and once again, the dex classes need this sort of stuff spelled out.
I mean I see a lot of gymnasts that get fairly high altitude compared to bodybuilders... ;)
(also if strength is raw strength to pull yourself up, dex would be the ability to now your body within its surroundings to use said surroundings to your benefit and getting leverage and being able to use less strength to get up high).
By description climbing is Str, so is more about rules than tables. They should be more precise. Also we have other things like swimming not very clear. The movement speed is not the issue but succeeding the ability checks, annoying.
The Rogue already have Light Armor, and I see no reason for them to get unarmored AC but maybe some subclass. Their extra defense are disengaging with Bonus Action for free, that shows how elusive Rogues are.
i really like the idea of focus as "combo points" but i have to agree that the idea isn't refined yet. keep thinking. tying stunning strikes to consecutive strikes has merit.
expertise is something i'd have to be talked into, though. monk, to me, is as much of a skill monkey as a barbarian (but calmer): what can't punching fix?
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Focus points & strikes are an interesting concept, however in practice this is a huge nerf to Monk because on average a Monk will be hitting 2-2.6 times per round, which means any Focus Strike that costs more than 2 Focus Points will be usable on average every 2 rounds which depending on the combat means many / most enemies will die before that Focus Strike can be used on them. Add to this that most of the Focus Strikes are really weak and I can't see anyone having that much fun with this monk. Plus it just adds a huge headache in terms of keeping track of it. Combo moves should be contained within a single turn of a character to (1) make them easier to keep track of and (2) make them easier to pull off.
E.g.
Focused Strikes
3rd-level Monk feature
As you hit creatures multiple times with your melee weapon attack or unarmed strikes you can produce more and more powerful combos by focusing on the same target. At the end of your turn, you can produce one of the effects of your choice on each creature that you hit the required number of times on this turn. In addition, at the end of your turn you can spend DP to affect one or more creatures you hit at least once on that turn with a Focus Strike of your choice, you must spend one DP per creature to affect them in this way.
Staggering Strike (Hit 1 time). The target cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Distracting Strike (Hit 2 time). The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Open Hand Strike (Hit 2 times). The target is knocked prone or shoved 20 ft away from you.
Deadly Strike (Hit 3 times). The target takes force damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die
Improved Focus Strikes
5th-level Monk feature
You gain the following additional Focused Strikes:
Dazing Strike (Hit 2 times). The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be dazed until the end of your next turn.
Stunning Strike (Hit 3 times). The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
I think these manage to capture the fantasy of the Monk: i.e. running into melee, hitting 3-4 different enemies and sending them all flying in different directions. And because they don't cost DP if you hit the required number of times it means the Monk never runs out of cool things they can do provided they manage to hit enemies.
The combo is nice, if u hit with all ur attacks add dmg to all strikes or special effects(a d4 per continuous hit)?
Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Significantly more interesting than the UA6 monk and your version fixes most of the issues that UA6 did not even acknowledge.
I like the Combo option.
Don't expect so deep changes in this revision. I say it because we should be realistic about what we can argue in the survey to be effective.
The advantage ability does cost a Discipline point so it's costing a resource you need for other abilities during the adventuring day; it's also advantage on the roll, so it's a preemptive ability you could end up wasting (maybe it's just me but like 90% of the time I get to roll with advantage, the second roll is the worst of the two 🤬).
I should have said this would probably be put in a class features table, same as the Martial Arts die or a Barbarian's Rage bonus damage; but I decided against including the table in the post as it's too complicated to edit and another thing to get wrong when I make changes.
It's just personal preference really; originally I didn't allow grapple/shove to use Dexterity, so you would go Strength if you want to use these more, but that just made it a thing you can get wrong at 1st-level (go Strength for grappling then find you don't use it much, or go Dexterity and find you'd like to do more grappling).
Dexterity does still feed into your Deflect Missiles/Energy/Whatever ability, as well as boost your Dexterity saving throws (which are usually more common than Strength saving throws), while Strength affects carrying capacity for things like lifting, dragging etc. It's more likely to help broaden multiclassing I guess.
Being able to build the points over a couple of turns was part of what I've found fun about Focused Strikes when I did a playtest of it (it's the only part I've had time to playtest so far), though some kind of simplification is probably in order. My playtest group never found the points all that difficult; most of the time we were only focusing on one target, or we would do a quick burst over two turns to hit a group.
Definitely the area I want to develop further though so I'll keep all focus suggestions in mind!
Whoops, that's a mistake, Flurry of Blows is supposed to still cost 1 Discipline point, the bonus unarmed strike is the free option since it now gets stronger. I'll correct that.
I didn't like Fleet Step, and personally Tranquility was one of my favourite features. I made it refresh on short rest though so you can get more use out of it.
Thanks everyone for the feedback! I'll definitely be working on some improvements to Focused Strikes to try and make them simpler/more impactful, and I'll rethink Expertise as the class may not need it so much with the other changes, though I still feel like there's something needed. Maybe the ability to use Wisdom for some checks? This could end up replacing Measured Action if people don't like that either.
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So thinking about Focused Strikes; how about if the points weren't tied to specific targets, they were simply built up by continuously hitting? In this case it wouldn't matter how many times you hit each target you want to affect, only that you hit them at all since the combat began, and you'd take the total Focus and spend it how you like between eligible target(s).
For example, if you get a combat of 5 Focus during a fight, you could attempt Stunning Strike on one target, or Slowing Strike on two etc. Would probably need to tweak some of the abilities and points costs (probably need to anyway).
But this way you're only tracking Focus for the combat, and which target(s) you hit in the current or previous round? Or could maybe even ignore target tracking as well, all that matters is who is in range of the strike? I'd maybe shorten the range to simply being reach in this case.
So the sample updated feature might look something like (changes in blue):
I'm also wondering about maybe having some of the fixed Focus cost Focused Strikes having some kind of bonus for spending more Focus, e.g- some of the basic strikes with saving throws might have a higher cost version that imposes disadvantage, or targets a different saving throw? So while Constitution might be the default for Stunning Strike for the regular version, it might target Wisdom if you spend more Focus, like you're striking the target's spirit rather than merely their body.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
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This is better but still has some problems:
1) Monks don't want to be surrounded by enemies, but having the same cost apply to use Focus Strikes to one or many targets means there is a strong incentive for the monk to run into the thick of it. Combined with the fact that you'd be crazy to not use this at the same time as using FoB (2 for 1 DP) if enemies don't all fail their saves you've got a dead monk on your hands.
2) Double resource management, keeping track of both DP and Focus points is unnecessary hassle especially if you need to spend them both together. Why not replace DP entirely with Focus Points? Simply give a monk 4 FPs when they roll initiative and then let them use the same resource for all their stuff. (PS it irks me so much that monks are the ONLY martial that has to use limited resources for out-of-combat stuff).
3) Reducing options. By having Focus points vanish if the monk doesn't hit someone you're locking the monk into attacking every round. This greatly limits many of the (albeit circumstantial) uses of their fast movement - e.g. running into combat & pulling out an unconscious ally, running around enemies to activate a trap or grab a McGuffin, darting away to sabotage a thing the enemies are protecting to distract them, etc... Not all combats require just hitting enemies until they are dead, and monks traditionally excel at those more complex combats, it would be a shame to sacrifice that for some minor punching-utility.
4) if Focus Strikes are multitarget how does the failed save vs not failed save focus point cost work?