Well, Monks have a lot going on with abilities every level and Ki points based on level so multiclassing can keep you from important features. But if you feel like doing that then I would suggest MC with a class that also uses DEX or WIS because it can get MAD (Multiple Attribute Dependent) very quickly.
I had considered MCing with Hunter Ranger at one point for the colossus slayer ability or with a Cleric though it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
I would not bulild your chararcter around an effective multiclass.
For example if you haver a particular character concept such as a monk from some holy order that starts to receive divine magic from their God then you can build a monk / cleric that will be reasonably effective but in most cases less effective than if you had gone single monk.
How far is your campaign going, Quivering soul at 17 and Empty body at 18 are both awesome. Multiclassing will mean you either miss out on them or get them late?
The only exception I would make to this the capstone for monk is underwhelming so a single levle dip late in the game is probably optimal. I have a level 18 open hand monk and see his biggest weakness as his armour class. I am probably going to take a level in cleric, (probably twilight their first level features are freat) in order to be able to cast shield of faith (it will probably take up both my slots). Shield of faith can also be got from magic initiate but then you only get one use per day.
While in theory for a single level dip you can choose a class that would normally be MAD in practice you will only be able to multiclass with Dex or Wis based characters as you will not meet the criteria for others For example if there was only one healer in the party and potions are hard to come by you could take level in celestial warlock so you can cast shiled of faith once per short rest and be able to use your healing light abilty to pick up the healer if they go down, both these are unaffected by a lack of charisma. The mult-class rules however mean you can only do this if your charisma is at least 13.
I'm a pretty big fan of straight Monk, but here are my thoughts on the options. You will likely have the multiclass requirements for the ones in bold.
Artificer - no. You get next to nothing and requires too much INT.
Barbarian - not unless you made a strength based monk. Strength based monks can get a lot out of this. If you're dex based, which you probably should be, then this is a waste.
Bard - Not a ton for you here and you would need a lot of charisma which is typically a dump stat for monks.
Cleric - You'll get some spells but I'm not convinced it's worth it.
Druid - Moon druids can work. The other subclasses won't give you all that much though.
Fighter - all martial classes can benefit from a few fighter levels. Any subclass can be great.
Monk - Monk gets a lot every level and honestly it can be worth it taking it to 20 just for the Ki points. With the added optional features in Tasha's (which you should absolutely use), ki becomes even more important. At 14 you get proficiency in ALL saving throws. At 17, the open hand monk has a crazy good ability that can kill a target if it fails it's save. There are plenty of other good defensive abilities on the way. I'm a big fan of monks mobility and defensive options.
Paladin - You almost certainly don't have the stats for this and you don't get a ton out of it.
Ranger - You share the required stats with the ranger so that's good. What's bad is it's early abilities are really not very good. Not a huge fan of this but it wouldn't be terrible.
Rogue - This is a very popular multiclass but requires you to use a finesse weapon. It can up the damage and give you some nice skills. You also have the required stats for this. I'm actually a fan of Assassin because that first round, if you have surprise, gives you 4 attacks at advantage AND they all critical. That's pretty cool. Scout can be cool. Further increases your mobility. Arcane trickster gives you some spells which can be fun. Doesn't require you to have a great INT.
Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard - You 'll likely not have enough CHA or INT for this but getting access to these spell lists can be good. INT and CHA are largely considered dump stats for Monks though so you probably won't. You don't get enough out of these classes to make the investment.
Hello, I would like to multiclass my Monk in the future. I am in a story where having radiant damage would be very helpful, and I was wondering how to accomplish this, if at all possible. I was thinking Paladin or Cleric maybe?
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Hello, I would like to multiclass my Monk in the future. I am in a story where having radiant damage would be very helpful, and I was wondering how to accomplish this, if at all possible. I was thinking Paladin or Cleric maybe?
I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
Hello, I would like to multiclass my Monk in the future. I am in a story where having radiant damage would be very helpful, and I was wondering how to accomplish this, if at all possible. I was thinking Paladin or Cleric maybe?
If you haven't already picked a subclass or if your DM would let you switch, way of the sun soul does a fair amount of radiant damage.
I can't find that option in the character creator, where would I find info on Way of the sun soul?
edit: wait i found it on the wiki
So yeah i'll definitely consider way of the sun soul, but I created my monk's stats as a more melee fighter instead of a spellcaster, do you know any multiclasses that would give me a melee radiant attack? I'm kinda new to DnD, so I dont even know if that exists :|
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Not sure about any specific recommendations, but the easiest class to multi-class with Monk is Cleric; they're both Wisdom oriented so there's no new ability dependency, and you choose a Cleric domain at first level so a single level dip can get you a bunch of features all at once, and there are loads of sub-classes to choose from.
Straight away every sub-class gets you three Cleric cantrips and two 1st level spell slots; they're a prepared caster so you can change out spells on any long rest so you can constantly tweak the spells as required.
Beyond that, there are several martial sub-classes that give you bonus proficiencies, which are especially good with the Tasha's Cauldron optional feature that lets you designate a monk weapon from any with which you are proficient (except heavy or two-handed). All sub-classes give you further bonus spells that you don't have to prepare. A 2nd level dip gets you Channel Divinity; with Tasha's you can now use this as a free extra spell slot once per long rest.
I'm currently playing a Way of the Kensei Monk multi-classed with War domain Cleric and it's a lot of fun; the magic adds a lot of neat options to boost damage (Divine Favor, which works with unarmed strikes), or AC (Shield of Faith) or most of the party (Bless) plus it gives me access to healing for when we need more of that. War Priest also lets me make extra weapon attacks; not as important now with Ki-fuelled Strikes though it gives me another way to do it without spending Ki which is still good.
War domain might not be the right fit for Open Palm, but the benefit of the Cleric is the sheer number of domains you have to choose from which is why it's my recommended pick for multi-classing.
Ranger is also potentially cool, but you really need at least a three level dip to get the most out of it, which may be too much.
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Ok! I'll look into cleric, and some more sub-classes for monk! thanks for the help :)
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Ok! I'll look into cleric, and some more sub-classes for monk! thanks for the help :)
Fighter is also a big help IMO.
You can pick up a fighting style including Superior Technique which can do several things for you:
Brace: You can use a reaction to attack something. This is great as you can Stun something before it even has a chance to act.
Ambush: d6 to initiative. Going first is pretty good...if you can ensure you go before something and stun it then you have a big advantage.
You also gain proficiency in all martial weapons meaning you can use the new Monk feature Dedicated Weapon to make a whip a monk weapon for you so you can use Brace whenever something comes within 10ft of you! Stun at 10 ft all the time!
You also get a BA way of healing yourself which is just a bit of icing.
I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
I agree with all of this except divine might is actually called divine favor. Clerics have access to a number of ways of dealing radiant damage but most are ranged (e.g. sacred flame or guiding bolt) so don't mesh well with your use of ki. a couple of AoE's that deserve a mention are the light cleric's Radiance of the dawn which is great if you have to deal with a mobs though you do need 2 levels to get it and spirit guardians which is one of the best Cleric spells but requires 5 levels which will really nerf your monk skills.
If "radiant damage would be very helpfui" in your campaign because you you are fighting undead a couple of levels in any cleric subclass will give you turn undead, your party can then concentrate on the creatures that succeeded on the save and then pick of the others one at a time (if they are still close enough to be a threat).
I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
I agree with all of this except divine might is actually called divine favor. Clerics have access to a number of ways of dealing radiant damage but most are ranged (e.g. sacred flame or guiding bolt) so don't mesh well with your use of ki. a couple of AoE's that deserve a mention are the light cleric's Radiance of the dawn which is great if you have to deal with a mobs though you do need 2 levels to get it and spirit guardians which is one of the best Cleric spells but requires 5 levels which will really nerf your monk skills.
If "radiant damage would be very helpfui" in your campaign because you you are fighting undead a couple of levels in any cleric subclass will give you turn undead, your party can then concentrate on the creatures that succeeded on the save and then pick of the others one at a time (if they are still close enough to be a threat).
Really its kind of a moot point by monk 6 as magical bludgeoning is almost never resisted. Damage type really only matters if its one of the commonly resisted ones like Fire or Poison.
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Just remember that you don't have to use the Sun Soul ranged attack all the time. If that radiant damage is that critical at times but not all the time, that's a pretty good option. That said, most people like to use their subclass abilities a lot. I'll understand if you want to use them as much as possible.
The classes that I would recommend the most are rogue and cleric. Both have been covered pretty well, particularly cleric. However, I'll make a couple of notes here.
Cleric has access to Word of Radiance a cantrip that deals 1d6 radiant damage to each creature that you can see within 5 ft of you. It is a constitution save, which is a minus, but is a good option for a monk to run into a pack of enemies, unload on them with the cantrip, hopefully get 3 or 4 to stick, and then bonus action disengage so that you can get out. You have to be mindful of your ki and movement with the tactic or have a clear escape route if you'll get stuck within range for a round of attacks so that you don't just get surrounded (the bonus action patient defense would be better if you can't clear).
Rogue. Yes you need a finesse weapon to trigger sneak attack. You can start with a shortsword which will do the trick (unsure if you started that way). If you've got proficiency with it somehow, a rapier will also work if you are using the dedicated weapon optional feature (or a kensei). That will match your damage to a two-handed quarterstaff or spear strike, which is max damage for a weapon strike for non-kensei monks without bonus proficiencies. Even if you have something like a wood elf monk with longsword proficiency to get that d10 versatile attack, a d10 to a d6 is only 2 points of average damage and sneak attack is a d6 (3.5 average damage) at a 1 or 2 level dip. As long as you can land it, you'll be up on your damage on average. That'll change at monk 5 with extra attack when you'll be at about even with a -.5 average damage, you would need a 3 level dip to pull ahead again. You also get expertise, an extra skill proficiency, cunning action at 2nd level for free step of the wind options (unless that extra jumping from step of the wind would help) plus it comes with a bonus action hide option. If you do go 3 levels, then you'll get the subclass features which often give additional methods of landing sneak attack or additional movement options, plus that beefier sneak attack.
Just remember that you don't have to use the Sun Soul ranged attack all the time. If that radiant damage is that critical at times but not all the time, that's a pretty good option. That said, most people like to use their subclass abilities a lot. I'll understand if you want to use them as much as possible.
The classes that I would recommend the most are rogue and cleric. Both have been covered pretty well, particularly cleric. However, I'll make a couple of notes here.
Cleric has access to Word of Radiance a cantrip that deals 1d6 radiant damage to each creature that you can see within 5 ft of you. It is a constitution save, which is a minus, but is a good option for a monk to run into a pack of enemies, unload on them with the cantrip, hopefully get 3 or 4 to stick, and then bonus action disengage so that you can get out. You have to be mindful of your ki and movement with the tactic or have a clear escape route if you'll get stuck within range for a round of attacks so that you don't just get surrounded (the bonus action patient defense would be better if you can't clear).
Rogue. Yes you need a finesse weapon to trigger sneak attack. You can start with a shortsword which will do the trick (unsure if you started that way). If you've got proficiency with it somehow, a rapier will also work if you are using the dedicated weapon optional feature (or a kensei). That will match your damage to a two-handed quarterstaff or spear strike, which is max damage for a weapon strike for non-kensei monks without bonus proficiencies. Even if you have something like a wood elf monk with longsword proficiency to get that d10 versatile attack, a d10 to a d6 is only 2 points of average damage and sneak attack is a d6 (3.5 average damage) at a 1 or 2 level dip. As long as you can land it, you'll be up on your damage on average. That'll change at monk 5 with extra attack when you'll be at about even with a -.5 average damage, you would need a 3 level dip to pull ahead again. You also get expertise, an extra skill proficiency, cunning action at 2nd level for free step of the wind options (unless that extra jumping from step of the wind would help) plus it comes with a bonus action hide option. If you do go 3 levels, then you'll get the subclass features which often give additional methods of landing sneak attack or additional movement options, plus that beefier sneak attack.
Also to consider:
If you do the fighter dip and do the Dueling fighter style you get +2 to one handed attacks. So with extra attack and the aforementioned rapier you are doing +4 more damage per turn. obviously you could also stack this with rogue dip and really get some decent numbers.
Alright, thank you everyone for your help, I'll take note of these and ask my DM which one he thinks is best for the story :D
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Just remember that you don't have to use the Sun Soul ranged attack all the time. If that radiant damage is that critical at times but not all the time, that's a pretty good option. That said, most people like to use their subclass abilities a lot. I'll understand if you want to use them as much as possible.
The classes that I would recommend the most are rogue and cleric. Both have been covered pretty well, particularly cleric. However, I'll make a couple of notes here.
Cleric has access to Word of Radiance a cantrip that deals 1d6 radiant damage to each creature that you can see within 5 ft of you. It is a constitution save, which is a minus, but is a good option for a monk to run into a pack of enemies, unload on them with the cantrip, hopefully get 3 or 4 to stick, and then bonus action disengage so that you can get out. You have to be mindful of your ki and movement with the tactic or have a clear escape route if you'll get stuck within range for a round of attacks so that you don't just get surrounded (the bonus action patient defense would be better if you can't clear).
Rogue. Yes you need a finesse weapon to trigger sneak attack. You can start with a shortsword which will do the trick (unsure if you started that way). If you've got proficiency with it somehow, a rapier will also work if you are using the dedicated weapon optional feature (or a kensei). That will match your damage to a two-handed quarterstaff or spear strike, which is max damage for a weapon strike for non-kensei monks without bonus proficiencies. Even if you have something like a wood elf monk with longsword proficiency to get that d10 versatile attack, a d10 to a d6 is only 2 points of average damage and sneak attack is a d6 (3.5 average damage) at a 1 or 2 level dip. As long as you can land it, you'll be up on your damage on average. That'll change at monk 5 with extra attack when you'll be at about even with a -.5 average damage, you would need a 3 level dip to pull ahead again. You also get expertise, an extra skill proficiency, cunning action at 2nd level for free step of the wind options (unless that extra jumping from step of the wind would help) plus it comes with a bonus action hide option. If you do go 3 levels, then you'll get the subclass features which often give additional methods of landing sneak attack or additional movement options, plus that beefier sneak attack.
Also to consider:
If you do the fighter dip and do the Dueling fighter style you get +2 to one handed attacks. So with extra attack and the aforementioned rapier you are doing +4 more damage per turn. obviously you could also stack this with rogue dip and really get some decent numbers.
Or go unarmed fighting style to get that d8 early on unarmed strikes. Of course, that would become redundant at monk 11 and require 4 total fighter levels to change it after unless the 1d4 damage to a grappled creature at the start of your turn would be worth it. That's also getting pretty far into a campaign and might not be relevant. D8 on unarmed strikes would be 2d8 with 1 attack and a bonus attack, up to 3d8 with either a flurry of Blows instead of just the bonus attack or at monk 5 with extra attack, up to 5d8 with an extra attack plus flurry of blows, and with fighter 2 once per short rest 4d8 to 7d8 with action Surge and depending on whether the bonus action brought 0, 1, or 2 extra attacks. 4.5 average damage per plus attack stat modifier per isn't bad for a 1-2 level dip. Cleric's Divine favor (1d4 per attack, bonus action to activate) or Ranger's Hunters Mark (1d6 per attack on one creature, can change after an enemy is killed bonus action to activate) or Favored Foe (1d4 on first successful attack per turn against one opponent, no changing, but no extra action to trigger) might be better or at least close, but the only conditions to meet are easier to acquire and keep the monk flavoring.
Two levels of Ranger isn't bad for Hunters Mark and Favored Foe, plus a fighting style and other spells, but definitely fits better with certain types of builds.
Forgot the Rogue's steady aim at 3rd. If you aren't going to move during a turn and are willing to forgo your bonus action to activate it, you can get advantage on the next attack you make after activating it. It's not generally great for a monk since they typically make multiple attacks and usually have something better to do with their bonus action and movement, but it is another option for when you need to hit an attack (perhaps against a creature that needs to be stunned and has been Baned and Mind Slivered).
I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
I agree with all of this except divine might is actually called divine favor.
Haha looks like my 3.5 days are creeping back up on me. Yes, the spell in question is called divine favor. Good catch.
Haravikk did a very nice job of summarizing the cleric's strengths as a dip for monks. If you are going to dip, I think cleric is the way to go. It gives you so much in that 1 level. I also agree there is a lot of cool stuff going on with Monk-Ranger, I just can't stand how much you have to divert away from taking monk levels to get it.
I personally would not recommend the sun soul because of how mechanically weak it is, but if the flavor fits what you want then it will be fun.
I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
I agree with all of this except divine might is actually called divine favor.
Haha looks like my 3.5 days are creeping back up on me. Yes, the spell in question is called divine favor. Good catch.
Haravikk did a very nice job of summarizing the cleric's strengths as a dip for monks. If you are going to dip, I think cleric is the way to go. It gives you so much in that 1 level. I also agree there is a lot of cool stuff going on with Monk-Ranger, I just can't stand how much you have to divert away from taking monk levels to get it.
I personally would not recommend the sun soul because of how mechanically weak it is, but if the flavor fits what you want then it will be fun.
Yeah cleric is superior for versatility as the cantrips can be hugely helpful outside of combat (Guidance, thaumaturgy, mending)
Fighter is superior for combat strength due to the weapon selection and damage increases.
Rogue would be fairly comparable to cleric in out of combat versatility but could get close to fighter for damage. Having free use of BA Dash/Disengage is a pretty good deal when you are low on ki.
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I am a monk lvl 3 and thinking to multiclass in the far future.
Well, Monks have a lot going on with abilities every level and Ki points based on level so multiclassing can keep you from important features. But if you feel like doing that then I would suggest MC with a class that also uses DEX or WIS because it can get MAD (Multiple Attribute Dependent) very quickly.
I had considered MCing with Hunter Ranger at one point for the colossus slayer ability or with a Cleric though it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
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I would not bulild your chararcter around an effective multiclass.
For example if you haver a particular character concept such as a monk from some holy order that starts to receive divine magic from their God then you can build a monk / cleric that will be reasonably effective but in most cases less effective than if you had gone single monk.
How far is your campaign going, Quivering soul at 17 and Empty body at 18 are both awesome. Multiclassing will mean you either miss out on them or get them late?
The only exception I would make to this the capstone for monk is underwhelming so a single levle dip late in the game is probably optimal. I have a level 18 open hand monk and see his biggest weakness as his armour class. I am probably going to take a level in cleric, (probably twilight their first level features are freat) in order to be able to cast shield of faith (it will probably take up both my slots). Shield of faith can also be got from magic initiate but then you only get one use per day.
While in theory for a single level dip you can choose a class that would normally be MAD in practice you will only be able to multiclass with Dex or Wis based characters as you will not meet the criteria for others
For example if there was only one healer in the party and potions are hard to come by you could take level in celestial warlock so you can cast shiled of faith once per short rest and be able to use your healing light abilty to pick up the healer if they go down, both these are unaffected by a lack of charisma. The mult-class rules however mean you can only do this if your charisma is at least 13.
I'm a pretty big fan of straight Monk, but here are my thoughts on the options. You will likely have the multiclass requirements for the ones in bold.
Those are my thoughts anyway.
Hello, I would like to multiclass my Monk in the future. I am in a story where having radiant damage would be very helpful, and I was wondering how to accomplish this, if at all possible. I was thinking Paladin or Cleric maybe?
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I would go for a dip into cleric for the war domain. Paladin + Monk has got to be one the worst multiclasses in the game. Basically impossible to pull off those stats unless you get to roll for them and have golden fingers.
War Domain will give you access to divine might. It's a great 1st level buff spell with good synergy on a class that can make so many attacks. d4 radiant damage on all of your attacks will really add up.
I have to agree with others in this thread though. Monks are generally best left single-classed. Their mechanics (looking at you Ki) are very parasitic and heavily rely on leveling.
If you haven't already picked a subclass or if your DM would let you switch, way of the sun soul does a fair amount of radiant damage.
I can't find that option in the character creator, where would I find info on Way of the sun soul?
edit: wait i found it on the wiki
So yeah i'll definitely consider way of the sun soul, but I created my monk's stats as a more melee fighter instead of a spellcaster, do you know any multiclasses that would give me a melee radiant attack? I'm kinda new to DnD, so I dont even know if that exists :|
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Not sure about any specific recommendations, but the easiest class to multi-class with Monk is Cleric; they're both Wisdom oriented so there's no new ability dependency, and you choose a Cleric domain at first level so a single level dip can get you a bunch of features all at once, and there are loads of sub-classes to choose from.
Straight away every sub-class gets you three Cleric cantrips and two 1st level spell slots; they're a prepared caster so you can change out spells on any long rest so you can constantly tweak the spells as required.
Beyond that, there are several martial sub-classes that give you bonus proficiencies, which are especially good with the Tasha's Cauldron optional feature that lets you designate a monk weapon from any with which you are proficient (except heavy or two-handed). All sub-classes give you further bonus spells that you don't have to prepare. A 2nd level dip gets you Channel Divinity; with Tasha's you can now use this as a free extra spell slot once per long rest.
I'm currently playing a Way of the Kensei Monk multi-classed with War domain Cleric and it's a lot of fun; the magic adds a lot of neat options to boost damage (Divine Favor, which works with unarmed strikes), or AC (Shield of Faith) or most of the party (Bless) plus it gives me access to healing for when we need more of that. War Priest also lets me make extra weapon attacks; not as important now with Ki-fuelled Strikes though it gives me another way to do it without spending Ki which is still good.
War domain might not be the right fit for Open Palm, but the benefit of the Cleric is the sheer number of domains you have to choose from which is why it's my recommended pick for multi-classing.
Ranger is also potentially cool, but you really need at least a three level dip to get the most out of it, which may be too much.
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Ok! I'll look into cleric, and some more sub-classes for monk! thanks for the help :)
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Fighter is also a big help IMO.
You can pick up a fighting style including Superior Technique which can do several things for you:
Brace: You can use a reaction to attack something. This is great as you can Stun something before it even has a chance to act.
Ambush: d6 to initiative. Going first is pretty good...if you can ensure you go before something and stun it then you have a big advantage.
You also gain proficiency in all martial weapons meaning you can use the new Monk feature Dedicated Weapon to make a whip a monk weapon for you so you can use Brace whenever something comes within 10ft of you! Stun at 10 ft all the time!
You also get a BA way of healing yourself which is just a bit of icing.
I agree with all of this except divine might is actually called divine favor. Clerics have access to a number of ways of dealing radiant damage but most are ranged (e.g. sacred flame or guiding bolt) so don't mesh well with your use of ki. a couple of AoE's that deserve a mention are the light cleric's Radiance of the dawn which is great if you have to deal with a mobs though you do need 2 levels to get it and spirit guardians which is one of the best Cleric spells but requires 5 levels which will really nerf your monk skills.
If "radiant damage would be very helpfui" in your campaign because you you are fighting undead a couple of levels in any cleric subclass will give you turn undead, your party can then concentrate on the creatures that succeeded on the save and then pick of the others one at a time (if they are still close enough to be a threat).
Really its kind of a moot point by monk 6 as magical bludgeoning is almost never resisted. Damage type really only matters if its one of the commonly resisted ones like Fire or Poison.
Ok! thanks everyone for your help! :D
Life is very busy unfortunately, gone from most Pbp's indefinitely.
If you'd like to contact me, I am on Discord at GreatAxeblade#7595, always happy to chat :)
Homebrew races: ~Otterfolk! Play as a otter!~ Playable Dryad! (Literally just the monster sheet ported to player race)
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Just remember that you don't have to use the Sun Soul ranged attack all the time. If that radiant damage is that critical at times but not all the time, that's a pretty good option. That said, most people like to use their subclass abilities a lot. I'll understand if you want to use them as much as possible.
The classes that I would recommend the most are rogue and cleric. Both have been covered pretty well, particularly cleric. However, I'll make a couple of notes here.
Cleric has access to Word of Radiance a cantrip that deals 1d6 radiant damage to each creature that you can see within 5 ft of you. It is a constitution save, which is a minus, but is a good option for a monk to run into a pack of enemies, unload on them with the cantrip, hopefully get 3 or 4 to stick, and then bonus action disengage so that you can get out. You have to be mindful of your ki and movement with the tactic or have a clear escape route if you'll get stuck within range for a round of attacks so that you don't just get surrounded (the bonus action patient defense would be better if you can't clear).
Rogue. Yes you need a finesse weapon to trigger sneak attack. You can start with a shortsword which will do the trick (unsure if you started that way). If you've got proficiency with it somehow, a rapier will also work if you are using the dedicated weapon optional feature (or a kensei). That will match your damage to a two-handed quarterstaff or spear strike, which is max damage for a weapon strike for non-kensei monks without bonus proficiencies. Even if you have something like a wood elf monk with longsword proficiency to get that d10 versatile attack, a d10 to a d6 is only 2 points of average damage and sneak attack is a d6 (3.5 average damage) at a 1 or 2 level dip. As long as you can land it, you'll be up on your damage on average. That'll change at monk 5 with extra attack when you'll be at about even with a -.5 average damage, you would need a 3 level dip to pull ahead again. You also get expertise, an extra skill proficiency, cunning action at 2nd level for free step of the wind options (unless that extra jumping from step of the wind would help) plus it comes with a bonus action hide option. If you do go 3 levels, then you'll get the subclass features which often give additional methods of landing sneak attack or additional movement options, plus that beefier sneak attack.
Also to consider:
If you do the fighter dip and do the Dueling fighter style you get +2 to one handed attacks. So with extra attack and the aforementioned rapier you are doing +4 more damage per turn. obviously you could also stack this with rogue dip and really get some decent numbers.
Alright, thank you everyone for your help, I'll take note of these and ask my DM which one he thinks is best for the story :D
Life is very busy unfortunately, gone from most Pbp's indefinitely.
If you'd like to contact me, I am on Discord at GreatAxeblade#7595, always happy to chat :)
Homebrew races: ~Otterfolk! Play as a otter!~ Playable Dryad! (Literally just the monster sheet ported to player race)
Sauce Archpriest!- Join the Supreme Court of Sauces! Join the Cult of Cults! EXTENDED SIGNATURE Tooltips
Or go unarmed fighting style to get that d8 early on unarmed strikes. Of course, that would become redundant at monk 11 and require 4 total fighter levels to change it after unless the 1d4 damage to a grappled creature at the start of your turn would be worth it. That's also getting pretty far into a campaign and might not be relevant. D8 on unarmed strikes would be 2d8 with 1 attack and a bonus attack, up to 3d8 with either a flurry of Blows instead of just the bonus attack or at monk 5 with extra attack, up to 5d8 with an extra attack plus flurry of blows, and with fighter 2 once per short rest 4d8 to 7d8 with action Surge and depending on whether the bonus action brought 0, 1, or 2 extra attacks. 4.5 average damage per plus attack stat modifier per isn't bad for a 1-2 level dip. Cleric's Divine favor (1d4 per attack, bonus action to activate) or Ranger's Hunters Mark (1d6 per attack on one creature, can change after an enemy is killed bonus action to activate) or Favored Foe (1d4 on first successful attack per turn against one opponent, no changing, but no extra action to trigger) might be better or at least close, but the only conditions to meet are easier to acquire and keep the monk flavoring.
Two levels of Ranger isn't bad for Hunters Mark and Favored Foe, plus a fighting style and other spells, but definitely fits better with certain types of builds.
Forgot the Rogue's steady aim at 3rd. If you aren't going to move during a turn and are willing to forgo your bonus action to activate it, you can get advantage on the next attack you make after activating it. It's not generally great for a monk since they typically make multiple attacks and usually have something better to do with their bonus action and movement, but it is another option for when you need to hit an attack (perhaps against a creature that needs to be stunned and has been Baned and Mind Slivered).
Haha looks like my 3.5 days are creeping back up on me. Yes, the spell in question is called divine favor. Good catch.
Haravikk did a very nice job of summarizing the cleric's strengths as a dip for monks. If you are going to dip, I think cleric is the way to go. It gives you so much in that 1 level. I also agree there is a lot of cool stuff going on with Monk-Ranger, I just can't stand how much you have to divert away from taking monk levels to get it.
I personally would not recommend the sun soul because of how mechanically weak it is, but if the flavor fits what you want then it will be fun.
Yeah cleric is superior for versatility as the cantrips can be hugely helpful outside of combat (Guidance, thaumaturgy, mending)
Fighter is superior for combat strength due to the weapon selection and damage increases.
Rogue would be fairly comparable to cleric in out of combat versatility but could get close to fighter for damage. Having free use of BA Dash/Disengage is a pretty good deal when you are low on ki.