I’ve been throwing around the idea of a Lycan Monk as a backup character. Let me know if you have any thoughts, ideas, criticisms, or how do you think it will play out. This build would be using Blood Hunter 2020. I didn't see any build mixing Monk with the Blood Hunter 2020, so I threw this together.
Reason for the build: (1) Option for Slashing vs. Bludgeoning (2) More Damage than normal Monk punches (1D8 Slashing or 1D6 Bludenging) and Rite Damage (1D8) (3) Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks not made with silver weapons (4) Being a Lycan Monk
Ability Scores: We roll for our stats, but if you were to the standard array, it would be 10 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 14 Intelligence, 13 Wisdom, 8 Charisma. Choosing Wood Elf would allow you to get bonuses to Dex and Wisdom, causing you to be at 17 Dexterity and 14 Wisdom.
Overall Build: In this build, we are aiming for the majority of bonus damage coming from Blood Hunter. 9 Shadow Monk / 11 Blood Hunter gets the most out of Blood Hunter but, at the same be functional as a monk. I think that it would make the most sense background wise to start as a Monk.
1-5 Monk - You get Stunning Strike, 2nd attack, and a functional amount of Ki for one maybe two combats. You can also select your ASI or Feat, being at 17, it makes sense to take Elven Accuracy and get up to 18 Dexterity for triple advantage if flanking.
The character would be bitten by a Lycan or cursed by a different source. During adventures, they would start to feel the ailments of the bite or curse; you would have to seek out answers and how to deal or fix what is happening. You would be led to a secret group of blood hunters that would explain what is happening and how to deal with it. - A simple reason for going into blood hunter, that still could be hashed out more with the DM.
1 Blood Hunter - Blood Maledict. Few options on what to take, it is up to you and how your party is built. You will get additional Blood Curses known at Blood Hunter 6 and 10. It is important to keep in mind your Bonus Action economy (Lycan form, Crimson Rite, Flurry of Blows) so adding a bonus action might be more situation than you think:
(Bonus Action - Control) Blood Curse of Binding - As a bonus action, you can attempt to bind a creature you can see within 30 feet of you that is no more than one size larger than you. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have their speed be reduced to 0 and they can’t use reactions until the end of your next turn. Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute and can affect a creature regardless of their size category. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed creature can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.
If you need to isolate a creature and possibly take them out of combat if they do not have a ranged option. This would be a good way to do it with the Amplify feature. Not limited to combat, it could interesting out of combat
(Bonus Action - Debuff and DPS if multi-striker) Blood Curse of Bloated Agony - As a bonus action, you curse a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you to painfully swell until the end of your next turn. For the duration of this curse, the creature has disadvantage on strength and dexterity ability checks, and suffers 1d8 necrotic damage if it makes more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn. Amplify. This curse lasts for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed creature can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, this curse ends.
This does soak up another bonus action, but can last multiple turns (no initial save until the end of the creature’s turn) and be combined with other moves from party members due to disadvantage on strength and dexterity checks. Not limited to combat, it could interesting out of combat
(Reaction - Support) Blood Curse of Exposure - When a creature you can see within 30 feet is hit with an attack or spell, you can use your reaction to temporarily weaken their resilience against it. Until the end of the turn, the target loses their resistance to the damage types of the triggering attack or spell. Amplify. The target instead loses invulnerability to the damage types of the triggering attack or spell, having resistance to them until the end of the turn.
If you have some casters using different types of elemental damage, if a Fighter will be using their action surge against an enemy that has resistance to their type of attack, or a caster uses a high level spell that may be resisted it might be helpful to use this. This seems more situational, but is a reaction. With the amply and if the spell caster took elemental adept, you could combo a creature that would normally be immune to that damage to take straight damage.
(Reaction - Defensive) Blood Curse of the Eyeless - When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to roll one hemocraft die and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s attack roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature’s roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll succeeds. The creature is immune if it is immune to blindness. Amplify. You apply this curse to all of the creature’s attack rolls until the end of the turn. You roll a new hemocraft die for each affected attack.
Can cause a miss, helpful if low on health and possibly to make up for the lower constitution.
(Reaction - DPS) Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet - When a creature you can see within 30 feet drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to make that creature immediately make a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range. Amplify. You can first move the cursed creature up to half their speed, and you grant a bonus to the cursed creature’s attack roll equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).
Good to use up your reaction, can be used on fallen allies or enemies.
(Bonus Action - Setup DPS) - Blood Curse of the Marked - As a bonus action, you can mark a creature within 30 feet of you. Until the end of your turn, whenever you deal rite damage to the target, you deal an additional hemocraft die of rite damage. Amplify. The next attack roll you make against the target before the end of your turn has advantage.
This is an interesting option, however since it will take (1) Bonus action to activate Lycan (2) Bonus action to activate Crimson Rite (3) Bonus action to activate (4) Only lasts until the end of your turn. It would be hard to justify this.
(Bonus action - Anti-Caster with concentration) Blood Curse of the Muddled Mind As a bonus action, you curse a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you that is concentrating on a spell. That creature has disadvantage on the next Constitution saving throw it must make to maintain concentration before the end of your next turn. Amplify. The cursed creature has disadvantage on all Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration of spells until the end of your next turn.
Might not get much use, the creature must be a caster AND have to be concentrating.
Non-Combat Blood Curses
(Bonus Action - Intimidation) - Blood Curse of the Anxious As a bonus action, you magnify the adrenaline in the body of a creature within 30 feet of you, making them susceptible to forceful influence. Until the end of your next turn, all creatures have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks directed at the target creature. Amplify. The next Wisdom saving throw the target has to make before this curse ends has disadvantage. Once you’ve amplified this blood curse, you must finish a long rest before you can amplify it again
Charisma and strength (sometimes can be used for intimidation) both are dump stats, so unless you roll for stats or want this for RP reasons, you should probably leave Charisma to someone else
2 Blood Hunter - Crimson Rite 1D4 (Rite damage choice between Fire, Cold, or Lightning). Fighting style. None of these really help us in the melee portion of our build, but it might be beneficial to pick up archery.
3 Blood Hunter - Getting up to level 3 Blood Hunter will introduce your resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, also to a +1 to melee damage rolls. You can apply the Crimson Rite to unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes have an option between slashing and bludgeoning. At this point, you have 1d6 for Unarmed Strike and 1D4 for Rite Damage. So if you wanted you can apply your rite damage to unarmed strikes you would deal 3-11 (1D6 unarmed + 1D4 Rite + 1 Lycan) damage per attack on 4 attacks, counting flurry of blows, vs., if you were using a spear with rite damage, applied you would deal 3-13 (1D8 Spear + 1D4 Rite + 1 Lycan) damage with 2 attacks with spear and 2 unarmed attacks at 2-7 (1D6 unarmed + 1 Lycan) damage with flurry of blows. Only unarmed strikes 12-44 damage vs. 2 spear and 2 unarmed strikes 8-40 (Excluded dex in this calculation). If you wanted to see with Dex mod, a +4 Dex per attack that would result in 28 - 60 vs 24 - 56.
BH Level 4 - ASI +2 Dex (20 Total Max) - You can choose to take Wisdom here instead if you want to have a better chance at stunning strike / better control of Lycan form.
BH Level 5 - 1D6 Rite Damage
Monk 6 - Teleport up to 60 feet in dim-lit areas. (Option - Up to you if you want the teleport and one extra Ki point or or hold off to get to level 11 Blood Hunter sooner)
BH Level 6 - Brand of Castigation. You always know the direction to the branded creature. Each time the branded creature deals damage to you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you, the branded creature suffers psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 damage). This is a situational ability, being able to track someone might be super useful. The +2 psychic damage would not apply if you are flanking, only if you are next to them which may or may not come up depending on your party's composition. 2 blood curses known.
BH Level 7 - Speed increased by 10 feet, long jumping increased by 10 feet, high jump increased by 3 feet. +1 bonus to unarmed attack rolls and magical attacks when crimson rite active.
BH Level 8 - ASI + 2 Wisdom (16) or Constitution (14)
BH Level 9 - Grim Psychometry - Advantage on history check on evil/darker related objects or places.
BH Level 10 - Dark Augmentation - Your speed increases by 5 feet, and whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Intelligence modifier. 3 Blood curses known.
BH Level 11 - Crimson Right increased to 1D8. Total of +2 to melee damage rolls, Total of +2 attack rolls, 1D8 unarmed strikes - slashing. Can use Lycan transformation twice per rest. If below 50% hp and at least 1 hp, at the start of your turn, add 1 + constitution modifier. Brand of Tethering - Psychic damage from your Brand of Castigation feature increases to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 2) - 4 on this build.
Getting to level 11 Blood Hunter is really where this class shines. Next 3 you can go Monk 9 levels just add extra padding for Ki, extra ASI. If you want to be even better at preventing the enemy from escaping you can continue to go to 2 more levels into Blood Hunter 13 instead to get the following enhanced ability: a branded creature can’t take the Dash action, and if a creature that is branded by you attempts to teleport or leave their current plane via ability, spell, or portal, they take 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the teleport or plane shift fails - Good if you are hunting someone, but could be very situational. Another option is Fighter 3 to get Action surge, second wind, and you can grab Either Champion (crit on 19s or 20s) or UA Brute add additional 1D4 per hit (the max damage would increase to 108 on non-crits) if DM rules unarmed strikes as “weapon”.
Monk 7 - Evasion - Halves failed dex based AoE saves and nullifies passed saves. Stillness of mind - use an action to end fear or charm.
Monk 8 - ASI - Wisdom (18) or Constitution (16)
Monk 9 - Could opt to take Blood Hunter 12 and get another ASI to get Wisdom 20, Constitution 18, or even go for a feat
End Result:
Lycan Form - resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical non-silver weapons.
Crimson Rite - 1D8 Damage (can select 2 out of the 3 options Flame, Frozen, Lightning)
If damaged or allies within 5 feet damaged = (Intelligence modifier) physic damage to the enemy.
Marking the target when hit with a crimson rite, always know where they are.
Lycan regeneration, 1 + Con modifier (if under 50% hp but at least 1 hp).
Bloodlust DC is 8 Wisdom Save - if fail run towards closets target (friend or foe) make at least 1 attack, then regain control
Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track fey, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence ability checks to recall information about them.
You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
30 extra movement speed between Monk and Lycan
9 Ki points
Can cast darkness, darkvision, pass without trace, or silence with 2 Ki points
As a bonus action, If in dim light can teleport 60 feet to another location in dim light and get advantage on the 1st attack.
36 Damage reduction for slow fall.
Evasion - Halves failed dex based AoE saves and nullifies passed saves.
Stillness of mind - use an action to end fear or charm.
Assuming already set up Lycan and Crimson Rite Damage and using Flurry of Blows - 4D8 (Slashing) + 4D8 (Lightning Crimson Rite) + 20 (Max Dex) + 8 (Predatory Strikes). Min damage 36 || Average damage 60 || Max Damage 92 (not accounting for crits).
Let me know what you think. Give me any feedback. :)
Prety cool, i like thr flavour of shadow monk with lycan and think the moon dip is worth it just to be sn unarmoured werewolf and have some punching ability when not transformed.
Just a pity they switched it to Int instead of Wis, with the other changes it eould genuinely be quite potent.
In the campaign I'm currently in, my monk recently ended up cursed with an atypical case of lycanthropy and rather than opting to just break the curse, I ran a homebrewed feat by our DM that he eventually approved. It allows a monk to use their ki to control the werewolf transformation (to balance things out, there are negative consequences if they maintain the transformation for too long): 吠える拳 (Howling Fist)
This build while awesome seems completely broken. The amounts of damage, options and survival of the chracter is is the highest I have ever seen. Cool flavor for sure, but seems too strong to me.
I'm working on my monk character for dnd which I plan to put in to multiclass. So far, I was thinking about a multiclass with Gloom Stalker or Warlock, but I came across this fantastic concept and it hit me a lot. It's been 3 years since 2020, so maybe there's a chance that someone has some experience with this build and would be willing to share their observations :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Lycan Monk
A build by a ReallyBoredMan
Artist's Website: www.deviantart.com/yamaorce/art/Werewolf-comm-604240505
DMs Guild for PDF: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/301641/Blood-Hunter-Class-for-DD-5e-2020
Original Post: www.reddit.com/r/3d6/comments/i6q6eg/blood_hunter_order_of_the_lycan_shadow_monk_build/
Hey everyone,
I’ve been throwing around the idea of a Lycan Monk as a backup character. Let me know if you have any thoughts, ideas, criticisms, or how do you think it will play out. This build would be using Blood Hunter 2020. I didn't see any build mixing Monk with the Blood Hunter 2020, so I threw this together.
Reason for the build: (1) Option for Slashing vs. Bludgeoning (2) More Damage than normal Monk punches (1D8 Slashing or 1D6 Bludenging) and Rite Damage (1D8) (3) Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks not made with silver weapons (4) Being a Lycan Monk
Ability Scores: We roll for our stats, but if you were to the standard array, it would be 10 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 14 Intelligence, 13 Wisdom, 8 Charisma. Choosing Wood Elf would allow you to get bonuses to Dex and Wisdom, causing you to be at 17 Dexterity and 14 Wisdom.
Overall Build: In this build, we are aiming for the majority of bonus damage coming from Blood Hunter. 9 Shadow Monk / 11 Blood Hunter gets the most out of Blood Hunter but, at the same be functional as a monk. I think that it would make the most sense background wise to start as a Monk.
1-5 Monk - You get Stunning Strike, 2nd attack, and a functional amount of Ki for one maybe two combats. You can also select your ASI or Feat, being at 17, it makes sense to take Elven Accuracy and get up to 18 Dexterity for triple advantage if flanking.
The character would be bitten by a Lycan or cursed by a different source. During adventures, they would start to feel the ailments of the bite or curse; you would have to seek out answers and how to deal or fix what is happening. You would be led to a secret group of blood hunters that would explain what is happening and how to deal with it. - A simple reason for going into blood hunter, that still could be hashed out more with the DM.
1 Blood Hunter - Blood Maledict. Few options on what to take, it is up to you and how your party is built. You will get additional Blood Curses known at Blood Hunter 6 and 10. It is important to keep in mind your Bonus Action economy (Lycan form, Crimson Rite, Flurry of Blows) so adding a bonus action might be more situation than you think:
Non-Combat Blood Curses
2 Blood Hunter - Crimson Rite 1D4 (Rite damage choice between Fire, Cold, or Lightning). Fighting style. None of these really help us in the melee portion of our build, but it might be beneficial to pick up archery.
3 Blood Hunter - Getting up to level 3 Blood Hunter will introduce your resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, also to a +1 to melee damage rolls. You can apply the Crimson Rite to unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes have an option between slashing and bludgeoning. At this point, you have 1d6 for Unarmed Strike and 1D4 for Rite Damage. So if you wanted you can apply your rite damage to unarmed strikes you would deal 3-11 (1D6 unarmed + 1D4 Rite + 1 Lycan) damage per attack on 4 attacks, counting flurry of blows, vs., if you were using a spear with rite damage, applied you would deal 3-13 (1D8 Spear + 1D4 Rite + 1 Lycan) damage with 2 attacks with spear and 2 unarmed attacks at 2-7 (1D6 unarmed + 1 Lycan) damage with flurry of blows. Only unarmed strikes 12-44 damage vs. 2 spear and 2 unarmed strikes 8-40 (Excluded dex in this calculation). If you wanted to see with Dex mod, a +4 Dex per attack that would result in 28 - 60 vs 24 - 56.
BH Level 4 - ASI +2 Dex (20 Total Max) - You can choose to take Wisdom here instead if you want to have a better chance at stunning strike / better control of Lycan form.
BH Level 5 - 1D6 Rite Damage
Monk 6 - Teleport up to 60 feet in dim-lit areas. (Option - Up to you if you want the teleport and one extra Ki point or or hold off to get to level 11 Blood Hunter sooner)
BH Level 6 - Brand of Castigation. You always know the direction to the branded creature. Each time the branded creature deals damage to you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you, the branded creature suffers psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 damage). This is a situational ability, being able to track someone might be super useful. The +2 psychic damage would not apply if you are flanking, only if you are next to them which may or may not come up depending on your party's composition. 2 blood curses known.
BH Level 7 - Speed increased by 10 feet, long jumping increased by 10 feet, high jump increased by 3 feet. +1 bonus to unarmed attack rolls and magical attacks when crimson rite active.
BH Level 8 - ASI + 2 Wisdom (16) or Constitution (14)
BH Level 9 - Grim Psychometry - Advantage on history check on evil/darker related objects or places.
BH Level 10 - Dark Augmentation - Your speed increases by 5 feet, and whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Intelligence modifier. 3 Blood curses known.
BH Level 11 - Crimson Right increased to 1D8. Total of +2 to melee damage rolls, Total of +2 attack rolls, 1D8 unarmed strikes - slashing. Can use Lycan transformation twice per rest. If below 50% hp and at least 1 hp, at the start of your turn, add 1 + constitution modifier. Brand of Tethering - Psychic damage from your Brand of Castigation feature increases to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 2) - 4 on this build.
Getting to level 11 Blood Hunter is really where this class shines. Next 3 you can go Monk 9 levels just add extra padding for Ki, extra ASI. If you want to be even better at preventing the enemy from escaping you can continue to go to 2 more levels into Blood Hunter 13 instead to get the following enhanced ability: a branded creature can’t take the Dash action, and if a creature that is branded by you attempts to teleport or leave their current plane via ability, spell, or portal, they take 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the teleport or plane shift fails - Good if you are hunting someone, but could be very situational. Another option is Fighter 3 to get Action surge, second wind, and you can grab Either Champion (crit on 19s or 20s) or UA Brute add additional 1D4 per hit (the max damage would increase to 108 on non-crits) if DM rules unarmed strikes as “weapon”.
Monk 7 - Evasion - Halves failed dex based AoE saves and nullifies passed saves. Stillness of mind - use an action to end fear or charm.
Monk 8 - ASI - Wisdom (18) or Constitution (16)
Monk 9 - Could opt to take Blood Hunter 12 and get another ASI to get Wisdom 20, Constitution 18, or even go for a feat
End Result:
Let me know what you think. Give me any feedback. :)
Prety cool, i like thr flavour of shadow monk with lycan and think the moon dip is worth it just to be sn unarmoured werewolf and have some punching ability when not transformed.
Just a pity they switched it to Int instead of Wis, with the other changes it eould genuinely be quite potent.
In the campaign I'm currently in, my monk recently ended up cursed with an atypical case of lycanthropy and rather than opting to just break the curse, I ran a homebrewed feat by our DM that he eventually approved. It allows a monk to use their ki to control the werewolf transformation (to balance things out, there are negative consequences if they maintain the transformation for too long): 吠える拳 (Howling Fist)
This build while awesome seems completely broken. The amounts of damage, options and survival of the chracter is is the highest I have ever seen. Cool flavor for sure, but seems too strong to me.
Brilliant concept and very detailed....something I hadn't considered.
Hi!
I'm working on my monk character for dnd which I plan to put in to multiclass. So far, I was thinking about a multiclass with Gloom Stalker or Warlock, but I came across this fantastic concept and it hit me a lot. It's been 3 years since 2020, so maybe there's a chance that someone has some experience with this build and would be willing to share their observations :)