D&D 5e New (and improved?) Monk for 2024
by Prince Phantom
The Monk has had the dishonor of being considered the weakest class in 5e for the last ten years. That fact alone made this class one of the first things I researched as soon as information began surfacing, as I love the fantasy of the class and want to see it succeed. First we’ll go over the base class features, then the four subclasses contained in the new PHB, and I’ll give my thoughts along the way.
Special Note: Changes to Unarmed Strikes!
The core rules for unarmed strikes have changed slightly. Now, when you make an unarmed strike, you may either deal damage (just like normal), or attempt to Grapple or Shove. With the Monk’s ability to make unarmed strikes as a bonus action, this is a big deal. Add on the fact that Monks can set the DC for grapples and shoves with their Dexterity instead of Strength, and Monks are set up to be great grapplers in this revision.
Monk Class Features:
Level 1:
Proficiencies: Change to proficiency in all simple weapons and martial weapons with the light property.
Martial Arts: Your die now starts at a d6, scaling at the same rate and eventually ending as a d12. Additionally, your bonus action unarmed strike is no longer tied to attacking with your action. This frees up the Monks turn order and options significantly. Finally, when attempting to Grapple or Shove, the DC for the save can be based on your Dexterity instead of your Strength.
Level 2:
Monk’s Focus: Ki points are now called Focus points.
Flurry of Blows: Unchanged, but works with the new BA unarmed strike rules, making it easier to use.
Patient Defense: Now costs no Focus points to Disengage. You may spend one Focus point to Dodge as well as Disengage.
Step of the Wind: Now costs no Focus points to Dash. You may spend one Focus point to Disengage as well as Dash, and double your jump distance.
Uncanny Metabolism: Once per day when you roll initiative, you can regain all Focus points and restore HP equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Monk level.
Level 3:
Deflect Attacks: Replaces and improves Deflect Missiles, now allowing you to deflect any attack that hits you that deals Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage. You may still spend one Focus point to redirect that attack, though a melee attack must be redirected to someone within 5ft of you (which can be the original attacker). Ranged attacks can be deflected to a target within 60ft of you. The target of this redirected attack now makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die plus your Dexterity bonus.
Subclasses: More on these later.
Level 4:
Feat: No changes, but many feats work much better with Monks now than previously.
Level 5:
Extra Attack: Unchanged
Stunning Strike: This can now only be used once per turn, and the target is only Stunned until the beginning of our next turn, rather than the end. If they succeed their Constitution save however, we have advantage on our next attack against them, and their speed is halved until the beginning of our next turn.
Level 6:
Empowered Strikes: Your unarmed strikes now deal Force damage. This is in line with a seemingly universal move away from magical damage.
Level 7:
Unchanged
Level 8:
Unchanged
Level 9:
Unchanged
Level 10:
Heightened Focus: This feature buffs some of our earlier features.
Flurry of Blows: Now allows three unarmed strikes rather than two.
Patient Defense: Now grants two rolls of your Martial Arts die in temporary HP when used.
Step of the Wind: Allows you to drag alone a willing creature as you move, neither of you provoking opportunity attacks.
Self Restoration: At the end of your turn, you may end the Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned conditions on yourself. Additionally, you do not gain exhaustion levels by going without food or water.
Level 11:
Unchanged
Level 12:
Unchanged
Level 13:
Deflect Energy: You may now deflect attacks of any damage type with your Deflect Attacks feature.
Tongue of Sun and Moon: Removed
Level 14:
Unchanged
Level 15:
Timeless Body: Removed
Perfect Focus: When you roll initiative, you regain up to four Focus points if you have less than four.
Level 16:
Unchanged
Level 17:
Unchanged
Level 18:
Superior Defenses: Spend 3 Focus points to gain resistance to all damage except for Force damage for one minute, no action required.
Level 19:
Epic Boon
Level 20:
Body and Mind: Increase your Dexterity and Wisdom by 4, to a maximum of 24.
My Thoughts:
Overall, this is a lot of much needed buffs that go a long way towards helping the Monk catch up to the other martials. This new Monk can both regain Focus points more easily and spends them less often. Heightened Focus at level 10 is a big jump in power, really rewarding the player for staying with the class that long. I do wish that the Monk got a piece of the new Weapon Mastery system, but a single level dip in Fighter can fix that up, and I predict it will be a very common and tempting multiclass for many players. The nerf to Stunning Strike may be a turn off for some, but the additional effects when the creature saves makes the feature come out pretty even in my book.
Subclasses
Warrior of Mercy
The Mercy Monk only has one real change, that being to its Flurry of Healing and Harm feature at 11th level. It can now only be used a number or times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier.
My Thoughts:
Honestly, this decision is baffling to me. Mercy Monk was always the strongest option, but that wasn’t because it was overpowered, it was because almost every other option was trash. This feature wasn’t even what made the subclass great to begin with, and it’s not a huge nerf either. Additionally, it’s another thing to track at the table, which is something the designers explicitly stated that they were trying to cut down on. This is still a good subclass, but this decision makes zero sense to me.
Warrior of Shadow
Shadow Arts: Now only grants the Minor Illusion and Darkness spells, however you may cast Darkness with only one Focus point, and no components. Additionally, you can see through this Darkness, and can move it up to 60ft at the start of your turns. Finally, you gain Darkvision if you didn’t have it, and if you did have it, you extend the range of your Darkvision by 60ft.
Shadow Step: Unchanged, though being able to see in your own Darkness will make this much easier to use.
Improved Shadow Step: You may now spend one Focus point when you Shadow Step. If you do, your starting point and destination don’t need to be in darkness or dim light, and you can make an unarmed strike after you teleport.
Cloak of Shadows: When in dim light or darkness, you may spend three Focus points to become invisible for one minute, or until we are in bright light. You may also pass through occupied spaces while invisible at half speed, and can Flurry of Blows without spending Focus points. Note that attacking does not break this invisibility.
My Thoughts:
The Shadow Monk is sweet, and it was already probably the 2nd or 3rd best option to begin with. Losing Pass Without Trace stings much less with the knowledge that Surprise is much less rewarding now, and the ability to see through our Darkness is a big deal. That potentially represents advantage on all your attacks and disadvantage on attacks against you. Just make sure to coordinate with your party, as blocking their line of sight may cause problems.
Warrior of Elements
Elemental Attunement: At the start of your turn, you may spend a Focus point to imbue yourself with energy. For the next 10 minutes, your unarmed strikes have an extra 10ft of range (15ft total most likely), and you may deal acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage rather than your normal damage type. Additionally, on a hit, your target makes a Strength save, moving 10ft toward or away from you on a fail. Note that this works with every unarmed strike hit, with no size restriction.
Elementalism: Additionally at level 3, you learn the new Elementalism cantrip. To summarize, it’s a cosmetic cantrip in the same vein as Prestidigitation and Druidcraft.
Elemental Burst: As an Action, you may spend 2 Focus points to emit a burst of energy in a 20ft radius sphere, forcing a Dexterity save to deal 3 rolls of your Martial Arts die, half damage on a save. The damage can be Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning.
Stride of the Elements: When your Elemental Attunement is active, you gain a fly and swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Elemental Epitome: While Elemental Attunement is active, you gain resistance to one of your choice of Acid, Cold, Fire or Lightning, and you may swap your resistance out with another at the start of each of your turns. Additionally, when you use Step of the Wind, you gain an additional 20ft to your movement speed, and deal a roll of your Martial Arts die in Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning damage to any creature you pass within 5ft of, only damaging each creature up to one time per turn. Finally, once per turn, when you hit with an unarmed strike, you may deal an additional Martial Arts die in damage.
My Thoughts:
This may as well be a brand new subclass, and thanks goodness it is, because the old Four Elements Monk was abysmal. The 3rd level features are amazing, especially the ability to push and pull your enemies. You’ll notice a theme of more forced movement options in each class as we go through them, but this is one of the best. The 6th level feature’s damage is obviously too low, but a fly speed and a bevy of boosts at high levels more than makes up for that Walmart-brand Fireball. In a party that can make use of forced movement, this Monk will be an all star.
Warrior of the Open Hand
Open Hand Technique: The text is mostly unchanged, but we do get a boost from the base class here. Since you can Flurry of Blows before attacking with your action, you may topple a foe, then have advantage on your attacks for the rest of your turn.
Wholeness of Body: Wisdom modifier times per day, you may heal yourself with a Bonus Action equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier.
Fleet Step: When you take a bonus action that isn’t Step of the Wind, you may additionally perform Step of the Wind as part of that bonus action. You must still spend the Focus point if you want to Disengage as well as Dash with this use of Step of the Wind.
Quivering Palm: You may spend 4 Focus points when you hit to begin vibrations within your target. When you end them, either with your action or by replacing one attack of your attack action, they make a Constitution save, taking 12d12 force damage on a failed save, half on a success.
My Thoughts:
The Open Hand Monk will feel mostly like a fine-tuned version of its previous self, and I honestly was hoping for more. It isn’t weak or anything, but the 6th and 11th level features definitely feel like they could have been given more juice. Extra healing and mobility are nice, but aren’t really giving you anything new to do. Controversially, I actually think the “nerf” to Quivering Palm is secretly a buff, especially when trying to burst down high HP targets. N
o, you don’t instantly kill on a failed save anymore, but no monster worth their CR by 17th level is ever failing that Constitution save. Whereas the old version took two turns, and a whole action to set up and activate, this can all be done in a single turn. Just bonus action attack to set up the vibrations, then replace one attack to activate them and cause the damage. 6d12 is still a hearty chunk, and dealing it out every turn will help your party bring down that 600hp boss monster in a jiffy. Still, I would have liked to see more done with this subclass, but it isn’t bad by any means.
Overall Thoughts:
While the numbers will still need to be run, initial impressions (both mine and that of the community) of the new Monk are wildly positive. The two primary faults of the previous Monk were damage and resource management, and both of those issues have been addressed in multiple ways. Will these tune ups be enough? Only time, calculators, and spreadsheets will tell, but I personally have never been more excited to play a Monk.
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