Best Magic Items for Monk in D&D 5e

The brutal irony of the Monk class shines through once more. The class that desperately needs the help of magic items is also the class that qualifies and can use the least amount of them. The Monk’s reliance on unarmored defense and unarmed strikes means that it inherently doesn’t play well (or at all) with the vast majority of armor and weapons.

This, plus the fact that, until Fizban’s, Monks had no magic items specifically for the class, makes the already poor Monk class even poorer in actual play. To DMs out there, this list is less of a recommendation and more of a mandate if you want your Monk player to feel like this game is even remotely fair to them.

Dragonhide Belt (Attunement, Rarity Varies): To date, this is the only magic item that is exclusively for Monks. It helps the class in a few ways. For one, it increases our likely low Ki save DC, making things like Stunning Strike more reliable. Additionally, we can use an action to roll a martial arts die and regain Ki points equal to the roll, once per day. This effect is best used after combat ends, as spending a whole action in combat will rarely be worth it. Still, Monks are begging for more Ki, and this is the only magic item that grants that wish.
Wraps of Unarmed Prowess (Rarity Varies): Would anyone like to explain to me why it took nearly 10 years into the lifespan of 5e for us to get a basic +1-3 (depending on rarity) buff for unarmed strikes as a magic item?! +1-3 weapons have been a staple of this game since day one, and only now the Monk gets access to this basic upgrade to their primary form of attack. Honestly, anyone who commits to playing more than 5 levels in Monk should just get the +3 version of this item at character creation. Might actually make this class worth playing occasionally.

Special Note: As the Monk cannot take advantage of the best melee weapons (heavy weapons), having a Monk player is a great opportunity to take the reins off and give them some really cool magic weapons that just don’t work with most optimized melee builds. There are too many to count here, but the Monk’s Dedicated Weapon feature means they can make effective use out of any of them through just a single level dip to get full martial weapon proficiency. Don’t be afraid to load your Monk player up with these, having a big variety of them can help your Monk carve their own unique niche in the party as a “master of all weapons”, swapping out to a different weapon each combat as the situation calls for it.

Uncommon:

Barrier Tattoo (Attunement): This item lets the Monk circumvent their prohibition against armor. The uncommon version of this item will likely be the best, as it is equivalent to studded leather. This allows the Monk subclasses who don’t rely on Wisdom as much (Drunken Master, Kensei, Shadow) to more greatly prioritize Dexterity without having to sacrifice their AC. Notably, the rare or even very rare versions of this item may be the best option for an Astral Self Monk, as through Shillelagh and it’s subclass features, that Monk can largely forsake Dexterity in favor of focusing on their Wisdom.
Eldritch Claw Tattoo (Attunement): This item grants a +1 to unarmed strikes (which can stack with Wraps of Unarmed Prowess), along with the ability to increase our reach to 15ft for one fight per day. This reach really allows the Monk to effectively play the hit and run style of combat that it advertises by keeping us out of melee range of enemies and making striking multiple enemies much easier.
Gauntlets of Ogre Power (Attunement): If you want to play a Strength based Monk, this (or a Belt of Giant’s Strength) is basically necessary. Reason being, you need to care about your Dexterity and Wisdom for AC and Ki save DC, and Constitution for HP, which doesn’t leave much room for Strength. If you want to play this style of pugilist Monk, ask your DM for these. You’ll still probably be the weakest member of the party, but at least you’ll be unique!
Insignia of Claws: This is another way to add to the hit and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, and better yet, this one doesn’t require attunement! Of course, it can also be stacked with all of the previously mentioned ways to buff up your unarmed strikes.
Winged Boots (Attunement): I don’t really care how high you can jump, nothing beats real flight. Monks really struggle to engage flying targets, so some form of flight is almost a necessity for them to contribute in many encounters.

Rare Items:

Bracers of Defense (Attunement): If we’re committed to fighting naked, we might as well benefit from it with this very niche item. It’s +2 AC, but only if we wear no armor. Sounds perfect, now our AC will be 17 instead of 15! Yeah the Monk is secretly the squishiest class in the game, and this item is like putting a bandage over an amputation.
Sun Blade (Attunement): I had to give a shout out to the literal lightsaber. Put on some brown robes, tie your hair in a ponytail, abstain from all forms of romance. May the Force be with you.

Very Rare Items:

Animated Shield (Attunement): So this technically isn’t us holding a shield, meaning it doesn’t conflict with any of our Monk abilities. Hooray for loopholes!
Ghost Step Tattoo (Attunement): This is a fantastic option for increasing a Monk’s durability. We can make our attacks, then sink into the floor to avoid all damage for the low cost of 1d10 force damage. This really promotes the debuffing and pestering style of play that many Monks strive for but ultimately fail to achieve.
Wyrmreaver Gauntlets (Attunement): These items provide a constant extra d6 to damage from our unarmed strikes, while also giving us a once per day fight where our fists have a 30ft range and threaten to knock opponents prone with each hit. The downside is that the save vs the prone is based on our Strength, so the DC may be low. That’s not really a terrible thing however, as knocking a foe prone would make our subsequent ranged attacks have disadvantage. The potential to knock 4 enemies prone each turn is really appealing though, so the slight downside is definitely worth it.

Legendary Items:

Blood Fury Tattoo (Attunement): Yet another way to add damage to our unarmed strikes, giving us essentially 10 smites per day that heal us a not insignificant amount. More damage and durability in one item? Yes please!
Gloves of Soul Catching (Attunement): An extra 2d10 force damage for each unarmed strike, which can either be used to heal us or to constantly give ourselves advantage on our subsequent attacks is exactly the kind of capstone that should probably just be part of the base Monk class.

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