Help with Bird-monk build. New to 5e

[Finleyville]

Anyway...

Our upcoming 4e campaign was just switched to 5e. That means my charge-cheese, pixie Berserker no longer exists in its current form. :(

So I have decided on an aarakocra monk. The racial bonus fits perfectly while the air mobility is great. I know my DM though. He will not allow me to willy-nilly fly out melee range and kite enemies with sun soul monk powers. I am sure there will be lots of caves, castles, dungeons, etc which we will be exploring. So I figure I will follow the Open Hand tradition (even though the shadow tradition would make me a great scout) which I will RP appropriately considering the race's natural avoidance of walking.

We will be using the point buy system for creation and can possibly hit level cap by the campaign's end.

After having read the monk guides these are my initial questions:

What should be my starting stats?
Should I take the feat Mobility at level 4 instead of the stat increases? (Since my lower lvl DPR output is good)
Since there is a good chance of hitting lvl 20 is it worth multiclassing and losing the upper tier monk abilities?
Initial weapon: quarterstaff?

Thanks for the informed answers and comments.

[bid]

What should be my starting stats?
Should I take the feat Mobility at level 4 instead of the stat increases? (Since my lower lvl DPR output is good)
Since there is a good chance of hitting lvl 20 is it worth multiclassing and losing the upper tier monk abilities?
Initial weapon: quarterstaff?
You really want 10 16 14 8 16 10 to maximize you AC and hp.

I've heard many monks use bow for the early level because they cannot survive the frontline. Mobility works if you can duck behind them.

You will want monk 14 and probably monk 17-18. If you dip 2 levels, you must gain something that at every level will compensate for monk features you miss.

- tempest cleric makes you untouchable.
- fighter has mariner style (+1AC), second wind and action surge.
- ranger/hunter has mariner style and colossus slayer
- rogue has cunning action and swashbuckler can replace mobile. Start rogue for the skills if you go that way.

[Finleyville]

I agree with the idea of staying with monk for at least 17 levels. I really would like quivering palm if just for flavor. So I could take up to 3 levels of something else. Rogue would really work with Shadow Monk, but I really want to stay with Open Hand. If I choose Fighter, Cleric, or Ranger should I also take that lvl first for the added hp bonuses?

[bardo]

I agree with the idea of staying with monk for at least 17 levels. I really would like quivering palm if just for flavor. So I could take up to 3 levels of something else. Rogue would really work with Shadow Monk, but I really want to stay with Open Hand. If I choose Fighter, Cleric, or Ranger should I also take that lvl first for the added hp bonuses?

Which class comes first should consider saving throw proficiencies, since you'd be "stuck" with the two saving throw proficiencies from the class you took first. Multi-classing will adds to your other proficiencies depending on class, but it won't give you new saving throw proficiencies.

Some players prefer save proficiencies for their higher stats, to have a big bonus to a few saves. Others prefer save proficiencies for their lower stats, to have an okay bonus to most saves. A matter of taste.

Bardo.

[Sigreid]

Which class comes first should consider saving throw proficiencies, since you'd be "stuck" with the two saving throw proficiencies from the class you took first. Multi-classing will adds to your other proficiencies depending on class, but it won't give you new saving throw proficiencies.

Some players prefer save proficiencies for their higher stats, to have a big bonus to a few saves. Others prefer save proficiencies for their lower stats, to have an okay bonus to most saves. A matter of taste.

Bardo.

I believe it's at 14th level that the monk becomes proficient in all saves. One of the things that makes them the mage killer.

[bardo]

I believe it's at 14th level that the monk becomes proficient in all saves. One of the things that makes them the mage killer.

Right... I forgot about Diamond Soul. So only stuck with those saving throw proficiencies for 13 levels.

Bardo.

[Finleyville]

Which class comes first should consider saving throw proficiencies, since you'd be "stuck" with the two saving throw proficiencies from the class you took first. Multi-classing will adds to your other proficiencies depending on class, but it won't give you new saving throw proficiencies.

Some players prefer save proficiencies for their higher stats, to have a big bonus to a few saves. Others prefer save proficiencies for their lower stats, to have an okay bonus to most saves. A matter of taste..

So having never played 5e before (only 2e and 4e) what seems to be the most common save modifier types?


EDIT So I think I will splash 2 levels of Fighter into my build and am thinking of actually starting with it for lvl 1. Good idea for the bonus starting hp, second wind, and saving throw profs? Or, when SHOULD I take the 2 levels of fighter?

Do I also get to choose new additional class skills if I multi-class?

[bardo]

So having never played 5e before (only 2e and 4e) what seems to be the most common save modifier types?

Dex, Con, and Wis are the common ones. Each class gets proficiency in one of these, and another proficiency in one of the uncommon ones.

Dex saves are often for half damage (you take full damage if you fail, half damage if you pass). But there are also Dex saves for negating an effect like Faerie Fire. Monks get Evasion at level 7 which improves their Dex saving throws to half damage if you fail, no damage if you pass.

Con saves are for poisons, cold, blindness, disease, petrification, necromancy spells. Casters who take damage while concentrating on a spell need to roll a Con saving throw (which might be relevant to you, if you pick Cleric). Monks get Purity of Body at level 10 which makes them immune to poison and disease.

Wis saves are usually to avoid some mental effect like charms, curses, fear, hold person, mostly stuff that would make you lose some or all control over your character. Monks get Stillness of Mind at level 7 which allows them to "erase" a charm or fear effect on themselves.

Str is mostly for resisting effects that push or restrain your character, Int is mostly for illusions, and I'm not really sure what the theme is for Cha, outsiders?

This is just my take on saving throws, I'm probably missing some points.

Bardo.

[bid]

Do I also get to choose new additional class skills if I multi-class?
If you look at p164 where they discuss MC proficiencies, you will see that you gain very little from the second class. None of them give extra saves and only bard, ranger, rogue offer an additional skill.

[bardo]

So I think I will splash 2 levels of Fighter into my build and am thinking of actually starting with it for lvl 1. Good idea for the bonus starting hp, second wind, and saving throw profs? Or, when SHOULD I take the 2 levels of fighter?

Do I also get to choose new additional class skills if I multi-class?

My take on Fighter/Monk is start Fighter up to level 2 to get starting HP and Action Surge (it's THAT good), then go Monk the rest of the way. Str & Con saving throws on Fighter, I think, are also better than Str & Dex on the Monk.

I'm not sure which Fighting Style to pick, not Defense for sure.

You get no new proficiencies when you multi-class into Monk. Well, simple weapons and short swords which you already know. There's a table in Chapter 6 with the list of what you get when multi-classing into each class.

You can play it as someone who started out with weapons and armour, then learns to enjoy killing people with bare hands and gets really good at it.

Bardo.

[bid]

I'm not sure which Fighting Style to pick, not Defense for sure.
Go for mariner style if you can (UA waterborne), otherwise duel style.

[Finleyville]

Go for mariner style if you can (UA waterborne), otherwise duel style.

Well, since I will be an Aarakocra I think any theme with water will be ruled out. I had planned on using a quarterstaff two handed (versatile) so I was going to choose Great Weapon Fighting for the damage reroll boost. Plus my unarmed strikes do slashing damage already.

If I do start 2 levels fighter I will probably need to take Mobility feat at level 10 instead of my first ASI.



Thanks for all of the advice. Please lay on your knowledge to help me out!

[bid]

I had planned on using a quarterstaff two handed (versatile) so I was going to choose Great Weapon Fighting for the damage reroll boost.
1d6+2 = 5.5
1d8+3/4 = 5.25

Dueling with a quarterstaff does (barely) more damage than gwf.