Shadow Monk

[Dracothius]

I almost asked this in the Q&A thread but decided I might want a little back and forth on it. It seems like the monk can cast darkness to use with his shadow step ability but, darkness says that darkvision (another ability SM gets) does not allow sight through the darkness spell. So can the monk really cast darkness but have no way of seeing through it (or out of it while in it), making you have to get really creative with it and really only use it defensively? Am I missing something?

[Shadow]

Defensive use is one thing, yes.
For example if you get surrounded and outnumbered, drop darkness. You lose sight and have disadvantage on attack rolls, but so do your enemies. But you're attacking when your target can't see you, so you get advantage. So does your enemy.
This creates a situation where no one will gain advantage or disadvantage on any attack roll, because you already have one instance of each. You just have to figure out where your target is and attack there.

Darkness is actually quite a powerful and easy way to level the playing field in situations where you are at a disadvantage. So in that way, while defensive, it is also a bit offensive as well.

[EternalHobbyist]

There is a Warlock Invocation called Devil's Sight which allows you to see normally in magical darkness. This would make a great synergy with the Shadow Monk, and you only need two Warlock levels to get Invocations, and Devil's Sight does not use any spell slots or actions, it just becomes something you are able to do.