IF, if I decide to multiclass into monk

[ZorroGames]

Should I, considering multiclass limitations and bonuses, go -

Before Monk x, Cleric X 1 Tempest Domain for wrath of the Storm, Heavy Armor possibility, and potential Martial weapons, cantrips and spells?

Before Monk x, Fighter x 1 for fighting Style and second wind, Armor possibility, Martial Weapons possibility?

Before Monk x, Paladin x 1 for Divine Sense and Laying on Hands plus armor/Martial weapons possibilities?

Before Monk x, Go Ranger x 1 for favored enemy and natural explorer, armor/Martial weapons possibilities?

Whole hog Monk and let others do what they do best?

Break my features. Etc., climb and do a level of one of these after "some point" later to complement my Monk skills?

Thanks, trying to figure how a multiclass might make a Monk figure more versatile to an established party, if it does.

Edit, help me stop my brain - I just had a thought, Fighter X1, Cleric x 1, Monk x.

[rbstr]

If you're just planning on dipping I don't think you should be worried about armor or weapon proficiency at all.
Martial weapons and armor will break your Martial Arts feature. So no dex unarmed attack, no monk weapon die, no bonus-action unarmed attack.
Armor will also break your movement bonus.

You can still use furry of blows and other Ki stuff...but like, while armor+strength monk can work, martial weapons alone are nearly worthless if you're planing on several levels of Monk.

I'm personally a fan of Ranger 2 or more with Monk. Keep to a shortsword/monk weapon, get some fun spells and other benefits.

[nickl_2000]

I think the best Synergies you get between Monk and something else is

Shadow Monk 6/Rogue - Shadow Teleport really helps you move around and sneak attack. However, monk weapons are not finesse (unless the weapon specifically says finesse)
or
Moon Druid X/ Monk 1 - give Wisdom Bonus for all AC calculations when Wildshaping.

[RickAsWritten]

It's MAD as heck and an extra-glassy glass cannon, but I'm playing a GOO Warlock2/Long Death MonkX. It's been fun so far; hits very hard with Hex+Martial Arts and has back-up survivability with the Long Death temp HP. And if you're VHuman take Mobile, free disengage keeps you out of the fray and saves Ki. Open Hand works as well, but I liked the RP overlap of GOO and Long Death, plus I chose Repelling Blast to get the saveless pushback Eldritch Blast.

[Bloodcloud]

Monk is one of the hardest class to multiclass effectively. If it is your first time playing dnd 5, stick to single class, intvest heavily in dex and wis, then con. It's strong, it works, and it has plenty of complexity for now. This isn't 3.5, the cost of multiclassing easily outmatch the gains. Never, ever multiclass a monk before lvl 5.

[GorogIrongut]

I'll throw my hat in the ring for Shadow Monk 6/Arcane Trickster 14.


Shadow Monk 6 gives you:
Monk
-1 ASI
-Unarmored Defense (no armour please)
-Martial Arts (1d6 fists)
-6 ki points
-+15 feet added by Unarmored Movement
-Extra Attack (1) (awesome for any class but more than useful for a character trying to get off a sneak attack).
-Slow Fall may be situational... but who doesn't want to stop falling damage.
-Stunning Strike (game changer)
-Ki Strikes (your fists are now magical)
Shadow subclass
-Shadow Arts... cast darkness, darkvision, pass without trace, or silence (all excellent spells), without providing material components. Additionally, you gain the minor illusion cantrip (another excellent spell)
-Shadow Step... otherwise known as the limitless 60' shadow teleport as a bonus action. Even better your next melee attack counts as having advantage after you use it. Maybe I'm mistaken but I'm sure that somehow would help you getting your sneak attack off... Especially with two attacks to do so.


Arcane Trickster 14 gives you:
Rogue
-Expertise x2 for loads of skill monkey goodness.
-Sneak attack (7d6)
-Cunning Action goodness.
-Uncanny Dodge
-Evasion
-4 ASI's
-Blindsense
Arcane Trickster subclass
-4 cantrips (starts with 3) and 10 known spells. 9 spell slots up to level 3. Spells from level 3, 8 and 14 can be taken outside of enchantment and illusion... Enchantment and Illusion may sound like a rip off but it includes Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Invisibility, Blur, and Mirror Image. What monk wouldn't want those?
-Fun synergy between Mage Hand and Mage Hand Legerdemain.
-Magical Ambush (situationally useful)
-Versatile Trickster, what rogue doesn't want to be able to give him or herself advantage in getting off their sneak attack?


Essentially you're a bit of everything. Skill Monkey. Magic User. Fighter. Speed Demon. Sneak. You get to pick when and where and how you want to fight.

[RulesJD]

Should I, considering multiclass limitations and bonuses, go -

Before Monk x, Cleric X 1 Tempest Domain for wrath of the Storm, Heavy Armor possibility, and potential Martial weapons, cantrips and spells?

Before Monk x, Fighter x 1 for fighting Style and second wind, Armor possibility, Martial Weapons possibility?

*snip*

Easy answers:

If your goal is pure damage and literally nothing else, then go Fighter 1/Monk+ and pickup PAM + Dueling FS.


If your goal is literally anything else (utility, still almost maximum damage potential, skill monkey), then go War Cleric 1/Monk+.

Cleric gets you Guidance, Bless, Healing Word, and Divine Favor. DF = nearly the best damage increase for a Monk with little investment, and better than the above at the early levels.

More importantly, Cleric gets you Guidance, the Monk's best friend. Generally speaking, Monks will be making a LOT of checks out of Combat. Acrobatics, Thieves' Tools, Initiative, Survival, Stealth, etc. Having Guidance is like getting Expertise on steroids.

[Talionis]

It's MAD as heck and an extra-glassy glass cannon, but I'm playing a GOO Warlock2/Long Death MonkX. It's been fun so far; hits very hard with Hex+Martial Arts and has back-up survivability with the Long Death temp HP. And if you're VHuman take Mobile, free disengage keeps you out of the fray and saves Ki. Open Hand works as well, but I liked the RP overlap of GOO and Long Death, plus I chose Repelling Blast to get the saveless pushback Eldritch Blast.

I'll second this. Warlock 2 for Hex possibly Ebon Eyes (Devil Sight). Agonizing Blast and even Eldritch Blast may not be the way to go because you'll probably not be maxing Charisma.

Hex helps with single target damage and all around you can get a lot of utility from a Warlock dip. Warlock 3 isn't useless either for second level spells.

[Citan]

Should I, considering multiclass limitations and bonuses, go -

Before Monk x, Cleric X 1 Tempest Domain for wrath of the Storm, Heavy Armor possibility, and potential Martial weapons, cantrips and spells?

Before Monk x, Fighter x 1 for fighting Style and second wind, Armor possibility, Martial Weapons possibility?

Before Monk x, Paladin x 1 for Divine Sense and Laying on Hands plus armor/Martial weapons possibilities?

Before Monk x, Go Ranger x 1 for favored enemy and natural explorer, armor/Martial weapons possibilities?

Whole hog Monk and let others do what they do best?

Break my features. Etc., climb and do a level of one of these after "some point" later to complement my Monk skills?

Thanks, trying to figure how a multiclass might make a Monk figure more versatile to an established party, if it does.

Edit, help me stop my brain - I just had a thought, Fighter X1, Cleric x 1, Monk x.

Hi!
Honestly, You have several great options to go with, including no multiclass. After all, past level 4 Monk becomes reasonably sturdy (+DEX, Evasion). At level 8 it becomes good (+WIS). At level 12 it becomes great (+WIS). At level 14 it becomes excellent (proficient in all saves).
So it really depends on how you envision your character.
For example, if you would be fine wasting Martial Arts for a few levels and instead spend Ki solely on movement/defense while wielding (heavy) armor and shield, starting with a single level dip in any Cleric would be good: you get great armor for the few more dangerous levels, then once you got an ASI and a minimum ki pool you can drop the "Cleric wanabee" attire and start being a true Monk, although with magical powers (stacking Shield of Faith or Bless as needed).

However, if you feel being an unarmed brawler is in the essence of your character, then starting Monk should be the way to go.

Fighter is a wash usually:
- proficiencies are wasted (Constitution is good, but Wisdom at least as good, armor/weapon proficiencies are mostly useless except if you really want a longbow and aren't a Wood Elf),
- Fighting Style really doesn't bring much unless UA is allowed, in which case Mariner is great for the net +1 AC (Dueling becomes useless past lvl 8 or so, Archery is good but a Monk is supposed to spend most of his time in melee so investing a full level for just backup plan is costly)
- Second Wind would be a joke beyond 1st level because it's based on Fighter level.

Ranger (revised) can be nice if you like the attached fluff and take being first to play as a priority. Otherwise, it's easily passable.

Paladin is probably the worse choice ever for a single dip or even a 2-level dip. It can be good from 4+ levels only.

Another choice you could (should?) consider is Druid: non-concentration buffs always useful for Monk -especially at lower levels- (Jump, Longstrider), emergency AOE (Thunderwave), emergency healing (Healing Words), versatile ability for movement/hide (Wild Shape).

Or, if you can afford the CHA requirement, Warlock: short-rest slot with Hex really ups your damage.

Note that these evaluations are only relative to 1-level dip. Just 2 levels in the same class changes things greatly: Fighter (Action Surge), Rogue (Cunning Action), Warlock (2*short rest slots), Wizards (Schools features), Clerics (Channel Divinity), Rangers (spellcasting) all provide much more.

Really, just pick whatever you like depending on how "Monky", "martially inspired" or "magically inspired" your character is. And if your Monk has a chance of reaching 20, refrain from multiclassing if possible. Capstone is underrated but actually great (basically you get free, non-concentration 1mn invisibility + damage resistance for every damn fight, for the sole cost of your action).

One of my favorite builds is Monk X / Life Cleric 1 / Druid 1: Life Goodberries with remaining slots before a long rest, Thorns Whip when going into melee is really too risky or my priority is helping a friend escape, Produce Flame / Sacred Flame (or even Magic Stone) for good ranged attack targeting AC or DEX save, Shillelagh to bump WIS first, Guidance when I know I have a check to make, and all great spells of Cleric (Bless, Healing Words, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Guiding Bolt) and Druid (Goodberry, Absorb Elements, Fog Cloud, Thunderwave, Longstrider, Jump, possibly Ice Knife) combined. And I still get Empty Body in the end. ;)

When I know I have no chance of reaching as high a level, I take usually more levels in caster to get more slots to fuel the same spells and get others (Spiritual Weapon / Spirit Guardians on Cleric side, Heat Metal / Conjure Animals on Druid side). ;)


Easy answers:
If your goal is pure damage and literally nothing else, then go Fighter 1/Monk+ and pickup PAM + Dueling FS.

That is so wrong I wonder how you could say that since you usually provide good advice. XD
- Polearm Master: the "bonus action benefit" is a total loss compared to Martial Arts. So the only benefit is really allowing opportunity attacks on "reach enter". Which is very small value compared to other feats (Mobile = free disengage so frees bonus action attack, Sentinel ensures OA even if enemy tried to disengage, Mage Slayer makes you crazy good against casters). Especially considering the Monk usually needs 3-4 ASI solely on stat bumps.
- Dueling Fighting Style: measly +2 per attack, whereas Divine Favor (War Cleric) provides average +2,5, Hex or Hunter's Mark +4,5. There is also the question of to-hit (Bless/Faerie Fire).
Sure, Dueling is permanent while others would be 2/long rest. But at higher levels, small fry will die equally easily against normal Monk attacks. And +2 won't make any significant difference against powerful enemies with high HP stack.

Also, "dealing more damage" is about increasing your ability to focus on dealing damage, meaning you take into account to-hit, average damage, but also your resilience (more sturdy = more action/bonus action/reaction spent on making weapon attacks instead of defending/moving).
By that account, even a single dip in Barbarian would be far more worth than Fighter: even if it is only 2 fights per day, you get a great increase in defense which means more resilience which means less bonus actions spent on Disengage/Dash and instead in bonus action weapon attack.

Really, Fighter 1 is easily the worst dip ever for a Monk, because whatever it gives loses potency quickly. While most other dips provide benefits that stay relevant for a very good part of your whole character's life at the very least.

[Desteplo]

Fighter: Action surge on monk isn't as amazing as for other classes, though getting battmaster stuff feels good as an open hand monk

Cleric: gives you spell options and a few nice abilities. You don't have to change your stats to accommodate this dip.

Paladin: too much stat investment. That's 4 stats you need at least 13/14.

Barbarian: drunken master style, though uses strength and takes away from your other monk stuff.

Druid: dip monk in this case, very classic. Animal fighting styles.

Ranger: adds hunters mark recharge long rest
Warlock: hex on short rests

Anything else: not so great but very thematic options.

[Desteplo]

Fighter: Action surge on monk isn't as amazing as for other classes, though getting battmaster stuff feels good as an open hand monk

Cleric: gives you spell options and a few nice abilities. You don't have to change your stats to accommodate this dip.

Paladin: too much stat investment. That's 4 stats you need at least 13/14.

Barbarian: drunken master style, though uses strength and takes away from your other monk stuff.

Druid: dip monk in this case, very classic. Animal fighting styles.

Ranger: adds hunters mark recharge long rest
Warlock: hex on short rests

Anything else: not so great but very thematic options.


I like barbarian (2) multiclass for drunken master feel, open hand or drunken master for monk (18)

I like monk to at least 11 and at least 3 levels in land Druid.
-it's better than way of 4 element and you have good spell options, especially if you grab coast you get misty step

[Herobizkit]

Keep this in mind:

Everything gets fun by level 5.
Warrior types get their second attacks (including Monk, which also gets a 1d6 punch and stunning fist); magic-types get a boost on their damage cantrips.

I'm having boatloads of fun with Druid X/Monk 1, using shillelagh as my 'martial arts' weapon.
You can't go wrong with Monk X/Rogue 2. Shortswords and (thrown) daggers FTW.
Any Cleric/Monk is delicious.

[lunaticfringe]

I think the best Synergies you get between Monk and something else is

Shadow Monk 6/Rogue - Shadow Teleport really helps you move around and sneak attack. However, monk weapons are not finesse (unless the weapon specifically says finesse)
or
Moon Druid X/ Monk 1 - give Wisdom Bonus for all AC calculations when Wildshaping.

Shortsword.....