I created a monk subclass (D&D 2024) where I put all the things I would like it to have. It's probably a little too strong, but I would welcome your opinion.
Old version
Unarmed Master
Lev 3: Physical Focus
At 3rd level, your intensive focus in martial arts give you a supernatural physic. As a result, whenever you make an Athletics check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). In addition, you gain proficiency in Athletics.
Lev 3: Unarmed Mastery
Starting at 3rd level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can choose a mastery property listed below to use only with your unarmed strikes:
Cleave. If you hit a creature with an unarmed attack roll, you can make an unarmed attack roll against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the Martial Arts die damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Graze. If your unarmed attack roll misses a creature, you can deal damage to that creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage is the same type dealt by your unarmed strike, and the damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier.
Push. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from yourself if it is large or smaller.
Slow. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Topple. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 plus the ability modifier used to make the attack roll and your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition.
You learn an additional mastery property of your choice at 6th and 11th level. Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. You can use only one mastery property per attack and cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike."
Lev 6: Rapid Strike
Starting at 6th level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can use your "Bonus Unarmed Strike" as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Lev 11: Light feet
At 11th level, when you use Step of the Wind while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Lev 17: The World
At level 17, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional bonus action. Once you use this feature twice, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
New version:
Unarmed Combat
Master of unarmed combat, it possesses mastery of various unarmed techniques and is able to optimize its athletic abilities to the point where it exceeds its limits and is no longer limited even by gravity.
Lev 3: Physical Focus
At 3rd level, your intensive focus in martial arts gives you a supernatural physic. As a result, whenever you make an Athletics check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). In addition, you gain proficiency in Athletics.
Lev 3: Unarmed Combat Techniques
Beginning at 3rd level, you can learn three unarmed combat techniques from the list below. At the start of your turn, you can choose to spend 1 Focus Point to perform this techniques. Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can impose one of the technique learned effect on that target. Additionally, for the rest of your turn you may use Flurry of Blows, or Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind without expending additional Focus Points. After completing a Long Rest, you can retrain in unarmed combat and swap out your chosen techniques for new ones.
Addle. The target can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.
Cleave. You can make an unarmed attack roll against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the Martial Arts die damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Push. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, you can still push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from you if it is Large or smaller.
Slow. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or its speed is halved until the start of your next turn. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, its speed is reduced by 10 feet. If the creature is hit more than once by this property, the speed reductions do not stack.
Topple. You can force the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition.
Lev 6: Rapid Strike
Starting at 6th level, when you use Unarmed Combat Techniques during your turn, you can use your "Bonus Unarmed Strike" as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Lev 11: Footwork Technique
At 11th level, you can learn one Footwork Technique from the following options:
Light Step. When you use Step of the Wind you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Fleet Step. Once per turn, when you take a Bonus Action other than Step of the Wind, you can also use Step of the Wind immediately after that Bonus Action.
Stable Step. When you use Step of the Wind and you use your acrobatic movement to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids, you can end the turn without falling and resume movement in your next turn.
Lev 17: Limitless
At level 17, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional bonus action and you can use all unarmed combat techniques, not just the ones you have learned. Once you use this feature twice, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
No comment on the specific features, but requiring the monk be unarmed really isn't much of a big deal. Except at low levels, there is no reason for a monk not to be unarmed, and even at low level, the boost you get from a two-handed quarterstaff isn't exactly a big deal. Weapons vs unarmed is almost entirely a matter of personal style, so really all the requirement does is restrict the character's flavor.
No comment on the specific features, but requiring the monk be unarmed really isn't much of a big deal. Except at low levels, there is no reason for a monk not to be unarmed, and even at low level, the boost you get from a two-handed quarterstaff isn't exactly a big deal. Weapons vs unarmed is almost entirely a matter of personal style, so really all the requirement does is restrict the character's flavor.
With this subclass I wanted to make the monk the opposite of a fighter, thus the opposite of a weapon master.
The monk has been portrayed as a warrior who does not need weapons or armor, it trains its body and mind to achieve the perfection of independence from material possessions. So for one part it was a design choice taken to the extreme.
My concern was not the damage value of weapons, but their combination with weapon mastery accessible by multi-class or through feat.
Another reason is to distinguish these features from weapon mastery and perhaps also as a protest to the fact that the monk class has been somewhat excluded from the development of weapon techniques in D&D 2024 and that there has not been much development in unarmed combat.
So aside from fears about an abuse of different mastery properties, mine was an aesthetic choice taken to the extreme of the monk design concept. Leading as you say to the restriction of character flavor.
So you would recommend that I remove this restriction. I will try to imagine what variables it might bring, but my concerns are probably exaggerated. I will give it some thought.
Monks don’t need weapon masteries. They already have them. They can grapple and shove better than anyone as they do damage and add the effect. Shove is effectively either push or topple mastery. Some other effects are embedded within the subclasses.
I agree with jl8e, I’m not quite sure what niche this is filling.
Starting at 3rd level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can choose a mastery property listed below to use only with your unarmed strikes:
Change this to "...you can learn a Mastery Property listed below..." The text as written leans towards "I can pick and choose whichever of these I want on each successful hit." for the third level, and only subsequently reveal that that may not have been your design intention when discussing 6th and 11th levels later. I would also add some way to switch these out; short rest, long rest, level up, or when you gain a new one; whichever you feel fits. I'd probably go with Long Rest.
You learn an additional mastery property of your choice at 6th and 11th level. Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. You can use only one mastery property per attack and cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike."
"Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. "
This is an extremely light limitation that primarily results in one more thing to track for the Monk Player, who's probably already keeping track of a lot of things, and you're already limited by Focus Points. I'd cut this.
"cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike.""
I'd cut this, too. You're only getting one chance at a Stunning Strike per Turn, and you're probably going to be spending more Focus points that Turn anyway.
So you would recommend that I remove this restriction. I will try to imagine what variables it might bring, but my concerns are probably exaggerated. I will give it some thought.
I wouldn't actually recommend removing it, just that you shouldn't consider it a balancing factor. (Which probably wasn't clear in my initial response.)
Starting at 3rd level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can choose a mastery property listed below to use only with your unarmed strikes:
Change this to "...you can learn a Mastery Property listed below..." The text as written leans towards "I can pick and choose whichever of these I want on each successful hit." for the third level, and only subsequently reveal that that may not have been your design intention when discussing 6th and 11th levels later. I would also add some way to switch these out; short rest, long rest, level up, or when you gain a new one; whichever you feel fits. I'd probably go with Long Rest.
You learn an additional mastery property of your choice at 6th and 11th level. Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. You can use only one mastery property per attack and cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike."
"Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. "
This is an extremely light limitation that primarily results in one more thing to track for the Monk Player, who's probably already keeping track of a lot of things, and you're already limited by Focus Points. I'd cut this.
"cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike.""
I'd cut this, too. You're only getting one chance at a Stunning Strike per Turn, and you're probably going to be spending more Focus points that Turn anyway.
I probably misspelled the feature text and so it comes out unclear. English not my native language.
The concept of this “Unarmed Mastery” feature is different from the static “Weapon Mastery” feature, where you choose a property and can only use that only property with a weapon during combat. I find it boring that every attack has the same property.
So I thought that in the “Unarmed Mastery” feature, when you get the 6th level, you can have a second property and then choose to use different properties during the same turn, but with the difference of being limited in the number of use based on the proficiency bonus.
For “Stunning Strike,” I thought it would be strange to have multiple feaures that can be used in the same attack. Maybe a bad idea?
From your advice, the feature would become (something) like this:
Lev 3: Unarmed Mastery
Starting at 3rd level, you learn one unarmed property listed below. At 6th and 11th level, you learn an additional unarmed property. This unarmed property can only be used if you consume one Focus point during your turn. You can use all learned unarmed properties in the same turn, but you can only use one unarmed property per attack. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice unarmed combat drills and change your unarmed propriety choices.
Cleave. If you hit a creature with an unarmed attack roll, you can make an unarmed attack roll against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the Martial Arts die damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Graze. If your unarmed attack roll misses a creature, you can deal damage to that creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage is the same type dealt by your unarmed strike, and the damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier.
Push. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from yourself if it is large or smaller.
Slow. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Topple. If you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can force the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition.
This new version of “Warrior of Unarmed Combat” has become very similar to “Warrior of the open hand,” but with the difference of being freer and with more choice in the use of unarmed techniques. I eliminated the “Graze” technique being too convenient for multiple techniques and in its place put “Addle,” good for opponents too big to push. “Rapid Strike” is tied directly to the feture “ Unarmed combat techniques,” but I wonder if “Flurry of Blows” should be excluded. For the “Light Feet” feture, I am still undecided. There are already several species or objects that offer the ability to fly, resulting in this feature being useless. So, I thought of letting players choose between 3 Footwork Techniques.
Limitless is very powerful, which is why it is limited to 2 times per short rest. The advantage is that it does not consume focus points and its free to combine the different features that use the bonus action. I also wondered what would happen if the monk used the two bonus actions to perform 2 “Steps of the Wind” so that it would have even more movement and if this could also add another creature that it can move together.
Unarmed Combat
Master of unarmed combat, it possesses mastery of various unarmed techniques and is able to optimize its athletic abilities to the point where it exceeds its limits and is no longer limited even by gravity.
Lev 3: Physical Focus
At 3rd level, your intensive focus in martial arts gives you a supernatural physic. As a result, whenever you make an Athletics check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). In addition, you gain proficiency in Athletics.
Lev 3: Unarmed Combat Techniques
Beginning at 3rd level, you can learn three unarmed combat techniques from the list below. At the start of your turn, you can choose to spend 1 Focus Point to perform this techniques. Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can impose one of the technique learned effect on that target. Additionally, for the rest of your turn you may use Flurry of Blows, or Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind without expending additional Focus Points. After completing a Long Rest, you can retrain in unarmed combat and swap out your chosen techniques for new ones.
Addle. The target can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.
Cleave. You can make an unarmed attack roll against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the Martial Arts die damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Push. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, you can still push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from you if it is Large or smaller.
Slow. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or its speed is halved until the start of your next turn. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, its speed is reduced by 10 feet. If the creature is hit more than once by this property, the speed reductions do not stack.
Topple. You can force the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition.
Lev 6: Rapid Strike
Starting at 6th level, when you use Unarmed Combat Techniques during your turn, you can use your "Bonus Unarmed Strike" as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Lev 11: Footwork Technique
At 11th level, you can learn one Footwork Technique from the following options:
Light Step. When you use Step of the Wind you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Fleet Step. Once per turn, when you take a Bonus Action other than Step of the Wind, you can also use Step of the Wind immediately after that Bonus Action.
Stable Step. When you use Step of the Wind and you use your acrobatic movement to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids, you can end the turn without falling and resume movement in your next turn.
Lev 17: Limitless
At level 17, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional bonus action and you can use all unarmed combat techniques, not just the ones you have learned. Once you use this feature twice, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
I created a monk subclass (D&D 2024) where I put all the things I would like it to have. It's probably a little too strong, but I would welcome your opinion.
Old version
Unarmed Master
Lev 3: Physical Focus
At 3rd level, your intensive focus in martial arts give you a supernatural physic. As a result, whenever you make an Athletics check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). In addition, you gain proficiency in Athletics.
Lev 3: Unarmed Mastery
Starting at 3rd level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can choose a mastery property listed below to use only with your unarmed strikes:
You learn an additional mastery property of your choice at 6th and 11th level. Unarmed Mastery can only be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per turn. You can use only one mastery property per attack and cannot use it in combination with "Stunning Strike."
Lev 6: Rapid Strike
Starting at 6th level, if you use a Focus point during your turn while you are not wielding any weapons or shields, you can use your "Bonus Unarmed Strike" as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Lev 11: Light feet
At 11th level, when you use Step of the Wind while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Lev 17: The World
At level 17, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional bonus action.
Once you use this feature twice, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
New version:
Unarmed Combat
Master of unarmed combat, it possesses mastery of various unarmed techniques and is able to optimize its athletic abilities to the point where it exceeds its limits and is no longer limited even by gravity.
Lev 3: Physical Focus
At 3rd level, your intensive focus in martial arts gives you a supernatural physic. As a result, whenever you make an Athletics check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). In addition, you gain proficiency in Athletics.
Lev 3: Unarmed Combat Techniques
Beginning at 3rd level, you can learn three unarmed combat techniques from the list below. At the start of your turn, you can choose to spend 1 Focus Point to perform this techniques. Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can impose one of the technique learned effect on that target. Additionally, for the rest of your turn you may use Flurry of Blows, or Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind without expending additional Focus Points. After completing a Long Rest, you can retrain in unarmed combat and swap out your chosen techniques for new ones.
Lev 6: Rapid Strike
Starting at 6th level, when you use Unarmed Combat Techniques during your turn, you can use your "Bonus Unarmed Strike" as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
Lev 11: Footwork Technique
At 11th level, you can learn one Footwork Technique from the following options:
Lev 17: Limitless
At level 17, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional bonus action and you can use all unarmed combat techniques, not just the ones you have learned. Once you use this feature twice, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
No comment on the specific features, but requiring the monk be unarmed really isn't much of a big deal. Except at low levels, there is no reason for a monk not to be unarmed, and even at low level, the boost you get from a two-handed quarterstaff isn't exactly a big deal. Weapons vs unarmed is almost entirely a matter of personal style, so really all the requirement does is restrict the character's flavor.
With this subclass I wanted to make the monk the opposite of a fighter, thus the opposite of a weapon master.
The monk has been portrayed as a warrior who does not need weapons or armor, it trains its body and mind to achieve the perfection of independence from material possessions. So for one part it was a design choice taken to the extreme.
My concern was not the damage value of weapons, but their combination with weapon mastery accessible by multi-class or through feat.
Another reason is to distinguish these features from weapon mastery and perhaps also as a protest to the fact that the monk class has been somewhat excluded from the development of weapon techniques in D&D 2024 and that there has not been much development in unarmed combat.
So aside from fears about an abuse of different mastery properties, mine was an aesthetic choice taken to the extreme of the monk design concept. Leading as you say to the restriction of character flavor.
So you would recommend that I remove this restriction. I will try to imagine what variables it might bring, but my concerns are probably exaggerated. I will give it some thought.
Monks don’t need weapon masteries. They already have them. They can grapple and shove better than anyone as they do damage and add the effect. Shove is effectively either push or topple mastery. Some other effects are embedded within the subclasses.
I agree with jl8e, I’m not quite sure what niche this is filling.
I
Commenting on the abilities...
Change this to "...you can learn a Mastery Property listed below..." The text as written leans towards "I can pick and choose whichever of these I want on each successful hit." for the third level, and only subsequently reveal that that may not have been your design intention when discussing 6th and 11th levels later. I would also add some way to switch these out; short rest, long rest, level up, or when you gain a new one; whichever you feel fits. I'd probably go with Long Rest.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
I wouldn't actually recommend removing it, just that you shouldn't consider it a balancing factor. (Which probably wasn't clear in my initial response.)
I probably misspelled the feature text and so it comes out unclear. English not my native language.
The concept of this “Unarmed Mastery” feature is different from the static “Weapon Mastery” feature, where you choose a property and can only use that only property with a weapon during combat. I find it boring that every attack has the same property.
So I thought that in the “Unarmed Mastery” feature, when you get the 6th level, you can have a second property and then choose to use different properties during the same turn, but with the difference of being limited in the number of use based on the proficiency bonus.
For “Stunning Strike,” I thought it would be strange to have multiple feaures that can be used in the same attack. Maybe a bad idea?
From your advice, the feature would become (something) like this:
This new version of “Warrior of Unarmed Combat” has become very similar to “Warrior of the open hand,” but with the difference of being freer and with more choice in the use of unarmed techniques. I eliminated the “Graze” technique being too convenient for multiple techniques and in its place put “Addle,” good for opponents too big to push. “Rapid Strike” is tied directly to the feture “ Unarmed combat techniques,” but I wonder if “Flurry of Blows” should be excluded. For the “Light Feet” feture, I am still undecided. There are already several species or objects that offer the ability to fly, resulting in this feature being useless. So, I thought of letting players choose between 3 Footwork Techniques.
Limitless is very powerful, which is why it is limited to 2 times per short rest. The advantage is that it does not consume focus points and its free to combine the different features that use the bonus action. I also wondered what would happen if the monk used the two bonus actions to perform 2 “Steps of the Wind” so that it would have even more movement and if this could also add another creature that it can move together.