So lots of talk has been about the monk and how ineffective it can be in combat.
I enjoyed playing mine but to test out some ideas to improve the monk I ran/still running a full six to seven player one shot to test out some things to help make the monk more versatile and usable.
One of the things I did was introduce Maneuvers - similar to a Battlemaster except this is based on proficiencybonus for the amount of uses.
I think the guys just aren't use to using the maneuvers. But Martial adept just didn't add enough superiority dice and manuevers for me.
One of the main ones they are concerned about was the amount of ki they had.
So I even made something they could use to meditate to regain a ki in battle. Still not happy.
Another used the Maneuvers and used them as ki instead but still said there wasn't enough ki.
For me my idea is just to have it so the monk can be more versatile and utility on the field to help trip/disorientate etc foes to give advantage to their allies. But most just won't yo act like tanks.
I'm thinking now I might just increase the superiority dice given in Martial adept or even ki.
Ideally I just want people to still play or at least try a monk in the games I run and to help improve them somewhat.
Do I add in more ki and the maneuvers into using ki?
Increase the dice for superiority dice for the Martial adept feat?
Or just let people pick one to two Martial maneuvers to use without them costing anything?
In my opinion, you should not only make the versatility of the monk based on the special attacks of the battle master, but also from a non-resource-based system. Below is a link to a monk redesign I did, with pretty much the same concepts you listed.
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield: <<Here I introduced the Dedicated Weapon feature directly into martial arts, as it was meant to be from the beginning.>>
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of Strength (Athletics) check.<<Martial arts such as judo/jujitsu and MMA use technique and dexterity rather than strength in grappling and lever techniques.>>
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.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space.<<this allows the monk to disengage from at least one opponent per turn and is convincing as a martial art.>>
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.<<Here I instead free the monk's bonus unarmed strike from the attack action by also introducing the Ki-Fueled Attack feature in martial arts, diminishing features added only to correct monk design errors.>>
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. Additionally, when you score a critical hit you regain 1 ki power. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Defensive Stance and Lightning Step. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki power, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki powers. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: <<Gaining a ki point during the critic allows the monk to enhance his critic with a Ki Martial Art and make it more exciting.>>
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of Blows. You can spend 1 ki power to make one more unarmed strikes on your turn.<<This way even if I use a feature that uses a bonus action I am not forced to give up the Flurry of blow.>>
Defensive Stance. You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks to any creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach without using your reaction.<<I find it more balanced since it costs a ki point.>>
Lightning Step. You can spend 1 ki point to teleport up to twice your movement to an unoccupied space that you can see as a bonus action on your turn. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.<<This includes disengagement, Dash, and jump, but also includes a surprise attack a dippendence of how it is used.>>
<<With these ki techniques I wanted to make them a little more elastic. Defense is not only defense, but it can be attack.>>
Ki Martial Arts
Starting at 2nd level, you learn the KMA techniques that are fueled by your Ki. You learn two KMA techniques of your choice. You can use only one KMA technique per attack. You learn one additional technique of your choice at 5th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one techniques you know with a different one. You can use one technique for any attacks you successfully perform, each technique consumes 1 ki. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
<<These techniques are divided by level, because the monk is already quite strong at low levels. Among the techniques in the list I introduced the fetures Stunning Strike and Quickened Healing and Focused Aim (although I preferred the battle master's version). If you are interested look for the list in the link I put above.>>
<<I was also thinking of adding new KMA techniques just for subclasses, kind of like the Warlock does with its Eldritch Invocations for its subclasses.>>
In addition, I modified some details in the different monk features to make them useful to the group and not just to himself. I find that having a power useful only for himself makes it not very usable and ineffective. Because the situations in which you will use it will be very few due to that unconsciously the master will avoid using unnecessary attacks on the monk, these powers will be unused and thus for the player it will seem as if he does not even have them.
If you are interested I have also included the 3 initial sub-classes readjusted to my redesign.
Instead in this link below is has another monk redesign I am working on. In this case he is closer to a Daoism than a martial arts master.
Hey all.
So lots of talk has been about the monk and how ineffective it can be in combat.
I enjoyed playing mine but to test out some ideas to improve the monk I ran/still running a full six to seven player one shot to test out some things to help make the monk more versatile and usable.
One of the things I did was introduce Maneuvers - similar to a Battlemaster except this is based on proficiencybonus for the amount of uses.
I think the guys just aren't use to using the maneuvers. But Martial adept just didn't add enough superiority dice and manuevers for me.
One of the main ones they are concerned about was the amount of ki they had.
So I even made something they could use to meditate to regain a ki in battle. Still not happy.
Another used the Maneuvers and used them as ki instead but still said there wasn't enough ki.
For me my idea is just to have it so the monk can be more versatile and utility on the field to help trip/disorientate etc foes to give advantage to their allies. But most just won't yo act like tanks.
I'm thinking now I might just increase the superiority dice given in Martial adept or even ki.
Ideally I just want people to still play or at least try a monk in the games I run and to help improve them somewhat.
Do I add in more ki and the maneuvers into using ki?
Increase the dice for superiority dice for the Martial adept feat?
Or just let people pick one to two Martial maneuvers to use without them costing anything?
In my opinion, you should not only make the versatility of the monk based on the special attacks of the battle master, but also from a non-resource-based system. Below is a link to a monk redesign I did, with pretty much the same concepts you listed.
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N2hgQPfu4S59XT2gRNa
https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/P_cVG3IK-7cM
But to be direct, the main changes I made are:
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield: <<Here I introduced the Dedicated Weapon feature directly into martial arts, as it was meant to be from the beginning.>>
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. Additionally, when you score a critical hit you regain 1 ki power. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Defensive Stance and Lightning Step. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki power, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki powers. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: <<Gaining a ki point during the critic allows the monk to enhance his critic with a Ki Martial Art and make it more exciting.>>
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
<<With these ki techniques I wanted to make them a little more elastic. Defense is not only defense, but it can be attack.>>
Ki Martial Arts
Starting at 2nd level, you learn the KMA techniques that are fueled by your Ki. You learn two KMA techniques of your choice. You can use only one KMA technique per attack. You learn one additional technique of your choice at 5th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one techniques you know with a different one. You can use one technique for any attacks you successfully perform, each technique consumes 1 ki. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
<<These techniques are divided by level, because the monk is already quite strong at low levels. Among the techniques in the list I introduced the fetures Stunning Strike and Quickened Healing and Focused Aim (although I preferred the battle master's version). If you are interested look for the list in the link I put above.>>
<<I was also thinking of adding new KMA techniques just for subclasses, kind of like the Warlock does with its Eldritch Invocations for its subclasses.>>
In addition, I modified some details in the different monk features to make them useful to the group and not just to himself. I find that having a power useful only for himself makes it not very usable and ineffective. Because the situations in which you will use it will be very few due to that unconsciously the master will avoid using unnecessary attacks on the monk, these powers will be unused and thus for the player it will seem as if he does not even have them.
If you are interested I have also included the 3 initial sub-classes readjusted to my redesign.
Instead in this link below is has another monk redesign I am working on. In this case he is closer to a Daoism than a martial arts master.
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N3Li0zdhboQCL_pFbdm