What I'm about to ask is one of those, "If you have to ask, it probably doesn't work" kind of questions.
But it also feels like something that should be doable from a logical perspective, so here's some Rules-as-written vs logic: Can a Centaur's Hooves feature marry with a Monk's Martial Arts + Flurry of Blows features?
Centaur Race Feature per Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse:
Centaur Race Feature - Hooves: You have hooves that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Monk Class Feature per PHB:
Monk Feature - Martial Arts:
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.
So now the discussion of Limbs: It is common flavor that a Monk doing their bonus attacks (or Flurry of Blows) can utilize kicking in some combination of attacks. This is not abnormal. Some sort of high-kick, or spin-kick as part of a flurry. Now, following this thought: Have you ever seen a horse buck and spin, and "horse-kick" a person, sending them sprawling with broken bones and/or a concussion? Like, that can straight-up kill someone.
The Centaur-Monk build I'm doing is for a character that doesn't have a huge STR stat (12), but a high DEX stat (18). As a Monk, the focus is on nimbleness and agility, which is why Unarmed Strikes can use DEX for damage. Alternatively, getting kicked by Hooves would be an exercise in raw power, thus the improved die and STR damage. Could an argument be made that a Centaur Monk could utilize this Hoof-based Unarmed Strike with Dexterity, as per the Martial Arts modification for Unarmed Strikes, which Hooves states it is?
As it stands, I don't see anything saying I can substitute in Hooves as the unarmed bonus attacks, nor that I can substitute DEX for STR in a Hooves attack. So the other side of the question would state that I would need to keep my 1D6+1 (STR based 2-7 damage) Hooves attack, instead of my 1D4+4 (DEX based 5-8 damage) Monk Unarmed Attack, and potentially not be able to add it to a Monk attack. In this situation, I'd have normal Monk bonuses for things, and the Centaur part would be moot.
Additional Icing on the cake: A Centaur Monk wielding a Quarterstaff (a Monk Weapon), can utilize the staff as part of a flurry of blows. However, a Quarterstaff is a Versatile weapon. So could a Centaur Monk Two-Hand a Quarterstaff in their Humanoid hands, increasing the damage die from D6 to D8, and wheel into Hooves-based Bonus Action of a Martial Arts/Flurry Horse-Kick?
I think the main thing is that it's going to fall to a DM interpretation, but I'm curious if there are other folks out there that would agree with me that:
Centaur Hooves = Unarmed Strike Unarmed Strike + Monk = DEX based MA/FoB Unarmed Strike = Bonus Action So Centaur Hooves = DEX based Unarmed Strike Bonus Action
This idea 100% works. The important note for the Centaur race is that the hooves are overtly designated as "Unarmed Strikes". All Monk features that directly affect Unarmed Strikes (the option to make them with DEX, the ability to use them for Bonus Action attacks) override any wording in the Centaur Hooves feature that might contradict that (such as stating that the Unarmed Strikes are calculated using STR).
But yes, holding a Quarterstaff two-handed for your Attack Action then attacking with your hooves as your Bonus Action is 100% valid. The Versatile feature of Quarterstaffs is part of why they're so popular as monk weapons (aside from the ubiquity of Bo-Staffs as martial artist weapons in fiction). Although personally I like spears over Quarterstaffs... they deal the same amount of damage, but they also have a thrown range... not that you'll need it, for the most part, since as a Monk and a Centaur you'll be able to just catch up to just about anybody out of range, but it's nice to have the option just in case.
Yes. As Transmorpher says, Centaur hooves are Unarmed Strikes and work for anything that functions with Unarmed Strikes, including Monk abilities.
Also there is nothing anywhere that states an Unarmed Strike has to be a punch. It can be flavored as any part of your character's body that they're capable of forcibly impacting a target with. Fists, feet, elbows, knees, headbutt, body check, and a professional wrestling style senton are all the same for rules purposes. Back in middle school we'd try to ambush each other by getting a running jump and turning mid-air to slam our rear ends into the other kid's face; this technique, known colloquially as the "butt buster," would count as an Unarmed Strike. The Centaur's Hooves ability does specify the hooves, though, so RAW you should be describing your blows as being actual strikes by said hooves to get the extra damage. Though I suppose some DMs wouldn't mind describing it otherwise if you can somehow flavor it as still using your equine-like musculature to do so...but horse bodies don't really have other anatomical features particularly suited for striking and I'm not sure if there's an acrobatics check high enough to convincingly justify a horse style butt buster outside of some sort of elaborately contrived situation.
I think I have a new entry for my bucket list, now...
This is not your question but IMHO martial arts should/could enhance your present attack (but this may not apply to all types of attacks and racial body muscular dynamics come into play). So in general I support stepping up the die for a creature that has a natural attack damage die higher than a human. So if a creature has a d6 natural attack if a martial arts style and attack fits then increase the die to a d8.
The main problem is trying to find a one rule to rule them all that fits for all types of creatures and various attacks they may try, or that a PC/NPC may want to try. For a centaur, I would have no issue increasing a strait strike damage with hooves but IMHO I do not think their hooves would be great for a sweep like attack like a humans would be. Thus there would be unique martial arts styles for each basic racial body type and based on the races basic abilities. But again that is deeper then 5e typically wants to go so you might get some strange things such as flying great white shark monks doing martial arts stuff with their front fins that do not make a lot of sense in the real world or the real world of if magic exists.
One thing I have seen over the years in some game systems is having a custom class for a race based on their physical and or mental abilities, in you case this would be making a special monk based class for the centaur that may have different abilities then the standard monk class.
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What I'm about to ask is one of those, "If you have to ask, it probably doesn't work" kind of questions.
But it also feels like something that should be doable from a logical perspective, so here's some Rules-as-written vs logic: Can a Centaur's Hooves feature marry with a Monk's Martial Arts + Flurry of Blows features?
Centaur Race Feature per Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse:
Centaur Race Feature - Hooves: You have hooves that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Monk Class Feature per PHB:
Monk Feature - Martial Arts:
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:
So now the discussion of Limbs: It is common flavor that a Monk doing their bonus attacks (or Flurry of Blows) can utilize kicking in some combination of attacks. This is not abnormal. Some sort of high-kick, or spin-kick as part of a flurry.
Now, following this thought: Have you ever seen a horse buck and spin, and "horse-kick" a person, sending them sprawling with broken bones and/or a concussion? Like, that can straight-up kill someone.
The Centaur-Monk build I'm doing is for a character that doesn't have a huge STR stat (12), but a high DEX stat (18). As a Monk, the focus is on nimbleness and agility, which is why Unarmed Strikes can use DEX for damage. Alternatively, getting kicked by Hooves would be an exercise in raw power, thus the improved die and STR damage. Could an argument be made that a Centaur Monk could utilize this Hoof-based Unarmed Strike with Dexterity, as per the Martial Arts modification for Unarmed Strikes, which Hooves states it is?
As it stands, I don't see anything saying I can substitute in Hooves as the unarmed bonus attacks, nor that I can substitute DEX for STR in a Hooves attack. So the other side of the question would state that I would need to keep my 1D6+1 (STR based 2-7 damage) Hooves attack, instead of my 1D4+4 (DEX based 5-8 damage) Monk Unarmed Attack, and potentially not be able to add it to a Monk attack. In this situation, I'd have normal Monk bonuses for things, and the Centaur part would be moot.
Additional Icing on the cake: A Centaur Monk wielding a Quarterstaff (a Monk Weapon), can utilize the staff as part of a flurry of blows. However, a Quarterstaff is a Versatile weapon. So could a Centaur Monk Two-Hand a Quarterstaff in their Humanoid hands, increasing the damage die from D6 to D8, and wheel into Hooves-based Bonus Action of a Martial Arts/Flurry Horse-Kick?
I think the main thing is that it's going to fall to a DM interpretation, but I'm curious if there are other folks out there that would agree with me that:
Centaur Hooves = Unarmed Strike
Unarmed Strike + Monk = DEX based
MA/FoB Unarmed Strike = Bonus Action
So Centaur Hooves = DEX based Unarmed Strike Bonus Action
Yes, should work that way. And then from Monk level 11 on you switch your strikes up to 1d8 bludgeoning damage.
This idea 100% works. The important note for the Centaur race is that the hooves are overtly designated as "Unarmed Strikes". All Monk features that directly affect Unarmed Strikes (the option to make them with DEX, the ability to use them for Bonus Action attacks) override any wording in the Centaur Hooves feature that might contradict that (such as stating that the Unarmed Strikes are calculated using STR).
But yes, holding a Quarterstaff two-handed for your Attack Action then attacking with your hooves as your Bonus Action is 100% valid. The Versatile feature of Quarterstaffs is part of why they're so popular as monk weapons (aside from the ubiquity of Bo-Staffs as martial artist weapons in fiction). Although personally I like spears over Quarterstaffs... they deal the same amount of damage, but they also have a thrown range... not that you'll need it, for the most part, since as a Monk and a Centaur you'll be able to just catch up to just about anybody out of range, but it's nice to have the option just in case.
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Yes. As Transmorpher says, Centaur hooves are Unarmed Strikes and work for anything that functions with Unarmed Strikes, including Monk abilities.
Also there is nothing anywhere that states an Unarmed Strike has to be a punch. It can be flavored as any part of your character's body that they're capable of forcibly impacting a target with. Fists, feet, elbows, knees, headbutt, body check, and a professional wrestling style senton are all the same for rules purposes. Back in middle school we'd try to ambush each other by getting a running jump and turning mid-air to slam our rear ends into the other kid's face; this technique, known colloquially as the "butt buster," would count as an Unarmed Strike. The Centaur's Hooves ability does specify the hooves, though, so RAW you should be describing your blows as being actual strikes by said hooves to get the extra damage. Though I suppose some DMs wouldn't mind describing it otherwise if you can somehow flavor it as still using your equine-like musculature to do so...but horse bodies don't really have other anatomical features particularly suited for striking and I'm not sure if there's an acrobatics check high enough to convincingly justify a horse style butt buster outside of some sort of elaborately contrived situation.
I think I have a new entry for my bucket list, now...
This is not your question but IMHO martial arts should/could enhance your present attack (but this may not apply to all types of attacks and racial body muscular dynamics come into play). So in general I support stepping up the die for a creature that has a natural attack damage die higher than a human. So if a creature has a d6 natural attack if a martial arts style and attack fits then increase the die to a d8.
The main problem is trying to find a one rule to rule them all that fits for all types of creatures and various attacks they may try, or that a PC/NPC may want to try. For a centaur, I would have no issue increasing a strait strike damage with hooves but IMHO I do not think their hooves would be great for a sweep like attack like a humans would be. Thus there would be unique martial arts styles for each basic racial body type and based on the races basic abilities. But again that is deeper then 5e typically wants to go so you might get some strange things such as flying great white shark monks doing martial arts stuff with their front fins that do not make a lot of sense in the real world or the real world of if magic exists.
One thing I have seen over the years in some game systems is having a custom class for a race based on their physical and or mental abilities, in you case this would be making a special monk based class for the centaur that may have different abilities then the standard monk class.
Have Fun