So I’m playtesting the monk right now to see what can be done to bring this class into more favor with players. I’ve found a few things I’d like to share and like to hear your thoughts:
1) Do not try to revise the monk base class and subclasses only. This will result in overpowered or over resourced or imbalanced play. Rather consider several ways as shown below which together will make the monk balanced with other classes which have evolved over time. 2) Discipline points are awesome. Please lean into this a little more. Discipline Points (DP) should be treated more like Sorcery Points or Battlemaster maneuvers in that they are not actions. We just need 10 more things we can do with DP. Each subclass can do very few things with their DP. 3) Allow the use of the DP to be the cost of gaining the ability. For example a shadow monk 3rd level Shadow Arts currently can use one DP to cast darkness spell. But then that is it. That is their whole turn. Since it is not an attack, he could not do anything else. Make the DP a free action as part of their movement or thought, costing 1or 2 DP, but not an action. Make it so the shadow monk can use DP, when moving from any shadow (dim light, behind a curtain, out of a tree, anywhere where there is a shadow) and his shadow nature allows him to pull the shadow with him and envelope the immediate area in 5 ft or 10 ft or 15 ft diameter of darkness. Rather than cast the darkness spell, just allow the darkness to follow him. Then he can attack at advantage with his blindsight if he ends his normal movement to within range of an opponent. 4) Revise Flurry of blows to read, “Immediately after you take the Attack action or Magic action… 4) Make a few backgrounds that lean in to monks or monk history. Their school/study/Way/training/warrior monastery taught them specific tools. For example, make a “Monastic” background. This could be useful for a paladin, a cleric, or a monk. Give a monk with a monastic background a certain weapon proficiency, Another tradition may have training in certain languages, another may have special skills training and gain a proficiency in a skill, another may have a relation to high courts or government and receive extra gold, one background could be movement while wearing certain types of armor … easy to give a small help that is normal in dnd, but things that are helpful for monks
5) Make a couple Monastic Feats. A feat which has a prerequisite of being a monk or having a monastic background. One feat should provide shield proficiency and allow a DP to be used to use the shield as a thrown improvised weapon (20 ft / 60 ft). It can be 4th level (or higher) feat which allows the monk to use his Monk dice as the damage. Additionally they can call on their monastic forefathers spiritual help to grant them a blessing so that when they throw their shield, they retain the plus 2 AC until the end of their next turn (with the idea that next turn they could use movement to retrieve the shield, but if they don’t, the AC goes down). Make one Feat called Monk Initiate where the taker of the feat gets 2-4 DP, gains a +1 to Wis, or Con, or Dex) and can use the DP for unarmed strikes with 1d6 damage (scaling up in die according to player level) , add a choice to switch out a Weapon Mastery property for the monk weapon. Make a feat called Monastic Meditation which gives the monk +1 to Wis or Dex; and give the monk the ability to meditate in a trance of Zen and gain the benefit of a Short rest in only 1 min or 10 min. (Or maybe just give them ability to cast Catnap once per day or long rest); and provide also provides them after coming out of the meditation to use one hit die and gain hit points per one hit die + monk level. 6) If feats are added, then Monk’s should have one additional ASI at 10th level. Even if feats are not added, another ASI would go a long way to help the monk. 7) Add a few more magic items catering to monks. If feats and backgrounds are too specific for monks, a few common, uncommon, rare, and very rare magic items would be good to put in the players handbook and dungeon master guide. Similar to Fizbans treasury of dragons Dragonhide Belt attunement by monk providing Ki (DP) something that highlights or buffs the monks DP or gives the monk a free usage of a DP once per short / long rest is a must.
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So I’m playtesting the monk right now to see what can be done to bring this class into more favor with players. I’ve found a few things I’d like to share and like to hear your thoughts:
1) Do not try to revise the monk base class and subclasses only. This will result in overpowered or over resourced or imbalanced play. Rather consider several ways as shown below which together will make the monk balanced with other classes which have evolved over time.
2) Discipline points are awesome. Please lean into this a little more. Discipline Points (DP) should be treated more like Sorcery Points or Battlemaster maneuvers in that they are not actions. We just need 10 more things we can do with DP. Each subclass can do very few things with their DP.
3) Allow the use of the DP to be the cost of gaining the ability. For example a shadow monk 3rd level Shadow Arts currently can use one DP to cast darkness spell. But then that is it. That is their whole turn. Since it is not an attack, he could not do anything else. Make the DP a free action as part of their movement or thought, costing 1or 2 DP, but not an action. Make it so the shadow monk can use DP, when moving from any shadow (dim light, behind a curtain, out of a tree, anywhere where there is a shadow) and his shadow nature allows him to pull the shadow with him and envelope the immediate area in 5 ft or 10 ft or 15 ft diameter of darkness. Rather than cast the darkness spell, just allow the darkness to follow him. Then he can attack at advantage with his blindsight if he ends his normal movement to within range of an opponent.
4) Revise Flurry of blows to read, “Immediately after you take the Attack action or Magic action…
4) Make a few backgrounds that lean in to monks or monk history. Their school/study/Way/training/warrior monastery taught them specific tools. For example, make a “Monastic” background. This could be useful for a paladin, a cleric, or a monk. Give a monk with a monastic background a certain weapon proficiency, Another tradition may have training in certain languages, another may have special skills training and gain a proficiency in a skill, another may have a relation to high courts or government and receive extra gold, one background could be movement while wearing certain types of armor … easy to give a small help that is normal in dnd, but things that are helpful for monks
5) Make a couple Monastic Feats. A feat which has a prerequisite of being a monk or having a monastic background. One feat should provide shield proficiency and allow a DP to be used to use the shield as a thrown improvised weapon (20 ft / 60 ft). It can be 4th level (or higher) feat which allows the monk to use his Monk dice as the damage. Additionally they can call on their monastic forefathers spiritual help to grant them a blessing so that when they throw their shield, they retain the plus 2 AC until the end of their next turn (with the idea that next turn they could use movement to retrieve the shield, but if they don’t, the AC goes down). Make one Feat called Monk Initiate where the taker of the feat gets 2-4 DP, gains a +1 to Wis, or Con, or Dex) and can use the DP for unarmed strikes with 1d6 damage (scaling up in die according to player level) , add a choice to switch out a Weapon Mastery property for the monk weapon. Make a feat called Monastic Meditation which gives the monk +1 to Wis or Dex; and give the monk the ability to meditate in a trance of Zen and gain the benefit of a Short rest in only 1 min or 10 min. (Or maybe just give them ability to cast Catnap once per day or long rest); and provide also provides them after coming out of the meditation to use one hit die and gain hit points per one hit die + monk level.
6) If feats are added, then Monk’s should have one additional ASI at 10th level. Even if feats are not added, another ASI would go a long way to help the monk.
7) Add a few more magic items catering to monks. If feats and backgrounds are too specific for monks, a few common, uncommon, rare, and very rare magic items would be good to put in the players handbook and dungeon master guide. Similar to Fizbans treasury of dragons Dragonhide Belt attunement by monk providing Ki (DP) something that highlights or buffs the monks DP or gives the monk a free usage of a DP once per short / long rest is a must.