Monk Build

I'm looking at Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk with perhaps Fizban's Treasury of Dragons Metallic Silver Dragonborn for more breaths. or perhaps fizban's white dragon for temporary immunity to cold. I mostly picked cold because resistance to a type makes you not have to make cold weather checks and it wasn't fire (a commonly resisted type).
I don't think taking a flying race will be allowed. Or other commonly considered broken races (yuan-ti, satyr, ect).

I'm curious how you would build the character when it comes to feats, multiclass (or not), other race options. Most of our games we start at low levels 3 or below and play to like 11-15 range.

I want a mix of fun flavor and options and power, but I don't mind hearing a "top damage" build or a "lots of cool flavor and utility" build instead of a mix

I'm not too interested in playing a strength monk or grappling ect.

IMO, the BEST way to run a Monk is single classed no feats just alternate between +2 Dex and +2 Wis until both are 20.

Once 20s are reached, I usually look for Mobile, or something to bring in some utility like Ritual Caster since Monks have zero utility.

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

I'm looking at Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk with perhaps Fizban's Treasury of Dragons Metallic Silver Dragonborn for more breaths. or perhaps fizban's white dragon for temporary immunity to cold. I mostly picked cold because resistance to a type makes you not have to make cold weather checks and it wasn't fire (a commonly resisted type).

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Have to say that while fire is one of the most commonly resisted damage type (after poison IIRC), but that doesn't mean it's commonly resisted relatively to how many beings there is in the game.

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

I don't think taking a flying race will be allowed.

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Way of the Ascendant Dragon will remedy to that, anyway.

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Originally Posted by CTurbo

IMO, the BEST way to run a Monk is single classed no feats just alternate between +2 Dex and +2 Wis until both are 20.

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I agree with this, if there isn't something specific the player want to use, DEX and WIS are always welcome for a Monk. And multiclassing costs more to Monks than most other classes, so if you're doing it it has to be worth the trade-off.

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Originally Posted by CTurbo

Once 20s are reached, I usually look for Mobile, or something to bring in some utility like Ritual Caster since Monks have zero utility.

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Hard disagree on this, though. Monks have utility, even if some subclasses have more than others.

Personally I don't think Mobile is that great for Monks, either.


Regardless, Ascendant Dragon Monk is one of the most straightforward builds unless you're going for a gimmick.

Just use a staff with two hands for your Attack action until your Martial Art die catch up with the staff's two-handed damage, use the breaths as appropriate, and keep both DEX and WIS as high as possible, and it'll do great.

This is going to be a short thread, because all the good advice has been given.

I personally think Mobile is good even on a monk because it means you can use the Martial Arts BA even when you don't want to stay near enemies thanks to the free disengage against targets you've attacked, and +10' move speed means you are even better at zooming around the battlefield to kill wizards, hit and run ogres, etc.

Crusher is a viable feat choice if you end up with an odd stat, as it gives you a 5' push each round and an occasional source of advantage for the whole party when you crit (with 3 attacks per round, odds are good you'll crit every 4-6 rounds). I'm not sure it outweighs maxing Wis & Dex, though.

What about investing higher wis and taking magic initiate druid with Shillelagh for example?

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

What about investing higher wis and taking magic initiate druid with Shillelagh for example?

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It's pretty great if you're playing an Astral Self Monk, which is basically the WIS SAD Monk and benefits greatly from other Druid spells too, but for any other subclass it'll be less efficient than the straighforward alternative.

Not that it'd be bad, mind, just less efficient. Gimmick/thematic reasons can be more enjoyable than pure efficiency, too.

But if you go Variant Human Astral Self Monk with Magic Initiate: Druid and maxxed out WIS, it works great. And it's a build that naturally lends itself to the Elderly Martial Art Master archetype.

And since you don't need as much DEX as other Monks, you can invest in other stats like INT, CHA or even CON.

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Originally Posted by J-H

Crusher is a viable feat choice if you end up with an odd stat, as it gives you a 5' push each round and an occasional source of advantage for the whole party when you crit (with 3 attacks per round, odds are good you'll crit every 4-6 rounds). I'm not sure it outweighs maxing Wis & Dex, though.

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Telepathic is also pretty good.

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

What about investing higher wis and taking magic initiate druid with Shillelagh for example?

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Well, you want to invest into DEX anyways for your AC. Even at 16 DEX/20 WIS split, Shillelagh is only getting you 2 extra damage per hit, and it doesn't work in conjunction with Draconic Strike (probably not relevant all the time, but it can come in handy).

Let's assume you start with 16 in both DEX and WIS. Your first ASI is spent on Magic Initiate - you're only going to max out WIS at level 12. Is this bad? No. But if you just used your first two ASIs to increment DEX, you would have your +5 to Hit and Damage at level 8. And if your concern is about your Ki saving throw, doing DEX/WIS/DEX for ASIs still nets you more damage sooner.

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Originally Posted by Unoriginal

But if you go Variant Human Astral Self Monk with Magic Initiate: Druid and maxxed out WIS, it works great. And it's a build that naturally lends itself to the Elderly Martial Art Master archetype.

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I do plan on playing an elderly monk... but I can't ever make myself pick human. yuck. if I could reskin it into a fun fantasy race sure, but my group doesn't let you reskin things into things that already exist. And this would likely be viewed as reskinning for the purpose of min maxing, rather then me just despising playing humans cause I find them boring to look at

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

I do plan on playing an elderly monk... but I can't ever make myself pick human. yuck. if I could reskin it into a fun fantasy race sure, but my group doesn't let you reskin things into things that already exist. And this would likely be viewed as reskinning for the purpose of min maxing, rather then me just despising playing humans cause I find them boring to look at

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Then go for any species you like, and pick Magic Initiate at lvl 4.

If you start at lvl 3 you just have to handle one level of your attacks doing a couple damages less and being a bit less accurate than a typical Monk. And even them that's only when you don't use the Astral Self's subclass abilities.

All in all nothing that's a big problem.

Or you can also just go for an Astral Self Monk without Magic Initiate and increase your WIS at lvl 4, meaning you do a bit less damage and have a bit less accuracy when you're not using the ability, but more of both when you are. Which works fine.

Or you can take Astral Self Monk and go for one of the species that gives you a WIS-based damaging option, that way you don't need to worry about your non-boosted-by-class-ability attacks at all.

Or you can take any build and use it for the "elderly Monk" idea.

Does your group use the Tasha's or Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse options?

Do you know how your GM's going to run cover rules when it comes to your aoes?

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Originally Posted by stoutstien

Do you know how your GM's going to run cover rules when it comes to your aoes?

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Cover exists, but isn't super common. usually prompted by objects clearly visible on the map such as trees. often after a character specifically hides behind an object or asks if the object protects them any. sometimes characters will deliberately prone behind a rock for example to avoid an archer.

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Originally Posted by Unoriginal

Does your group use the Tasha's or Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse options?

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Anything that's an officially published book is usually fair game. UA must be approved first, and other things that have been specifically frowned on before (fly at will races, magical resistance races)

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

Cover exists, but isn't super common. usually prompted by objects clearly visible on the map such as trees. often after a character specifically hides behind an object or asks if the object protects them any

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I was more referring to the fact that creatures provide half cover which can be annoying for dex based saves with line of effects.

It's one of those things that it's regularly ignored which makes your positioning a little less important but if it is in play then movements that allow you to get height on your targets goes a long way. At level 6 you get limited flight that allows you to drop a cone more like a circle but having some back up options helps.

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Originally Posted by stoutstien

I was more referring to the fact that creatures provide half cover which can be annoying for dex based saves with line of effects.

It's one of those things that it's regularly ignored which makes your positioning a little less important but if it is in play then movements that allow you to get height on your targets goes a long way. At level 6 you get limited flight that allows you to drop a cone more like a circle but having some back up options helps.

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I think we only really run into that if you're behind a creature larger then you. sounds tedious and annoying to have to worry about that all the time

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

Anything that's an officially published book is usually fair game. UA must be approved first, and other things that have been specifically frowned on before (fly at will races, magical resistance races)

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Are you interested in any of the four Genasi species (either version)?

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Originally Posted by Unoriginal

Are you interested in any of the four Genasi species (either version)?

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maybe if they can look like not human. which I /think/ I could make the case to my DM they could be any race that was touched by elemental plane / born of a genie.

I'd honestly just lean into the bit. Straight Monk, Dex into Wis, Fizbans Dragonborn with color of choice. Use Tasha's rules to make racial ability scores cooperate, and honestly take what fits the campaign once you're at 20 in Hard to go wrong with that.

Oh! And if you can get approval for the UA 8/2024 Monk, go for it! Even with limiting Stunning Strike to once per turn, it's so much better than the PHB, especially if you can keep some of the Tasha's optional features.


--edited because my brain turned on after I posted the first time.

Well I think you really have two options.

The first is going straight Monk and playing like a monk and utilizing your subclass abilities to cover weaknesses such as mooks and such.

The second is doing a substantial dip into tempest cleric for the ability to shove anyone you deal thunder or lightning damage to. The CD doesn't hurt with maximized AOE either. Not something I would recommend just to do but if you have a party that likes to use meat grinder tactics it's solid. You missed some of the higher level amongst stuff but you also get third level spell slots so you aren't hurting.

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Originally Posted by stoutstien

The second is doing a substantial dip into tempest cleric for the ability to shove anyone you deal thunder or lightning damage to. The CD doesn't hurt with maximized AOE either. Not something I would recommend just to do but if you have a party that likes to use meat grinder tactics it's solid. You missed some of the higher level amongst stuff but you also get third level spell slots so you aren't hurting.

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I didn't think about that, but it does combo decently. a 2 level dip even is interesting. but I could see going to 6 or 8.

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Originally Posted by MagneticKitty

I didn't think about that, but it does combo decently. a 2 level dip even is interesting. but I could see going to 6 or 8.

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Depending what the campaign caps at really but if 20 is on the table diamond soul is a solid capstone.

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Originally Posted by stoutstien

Depending what the campaign caps at really but if 20 is on the table diamond soul is a solid capstone.

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I doubt it'd go to 20. although proficiency in all martial weapons (tempest 2) + Dedicated Weapon (monk 2) means I could get a d10 weapon. although that means heavily delaying second attack

I think if I did that I'd go Cleric lv 2 into monk lv 6 into cleric lv 6 (total, so +4), the rest monk until end game.
could make an interesting leaving like an order of knights for peace. cause a cleric could make sense for military type, and retiring from war

Is Custom Lineage off the table for race? Works like human, but can look like anything you want...

Beyond that though, if you're considering the Tempest Cleric dip, I'd recommend (Half)High-Elf for Booming Blade. Synergizes great with Tempest and extends your damage potential since you're delaying extra attack. (I would also push for Crusher feat, to really optimize the 'push back 5' and give your foe a decision point'... move forward and eat more thunder damage or sit out a round. But you're pretty feat starved if you're using point buy.)