Fighter/Monk viable?

[sluggo]

I'm trying to make a character using Prince Nuada as inspiration

The only way I can think of doing is combining Fighter and Monk, but I'm not sure there is much actual synergy between the two classes.

Has anyone tried this class combo before? Is it viable?

Thanks

[Specter]

Haven't tried it, but let's see:

- HP: A bit better than Monk's.
- Fighting Style: You want to get Mariner if you can, otherwise take Dueling for an extra +2 to your first attacks. Should be fine.
- Second Wind: A bit more healing per rest, can't hurt.
- Action Surge: Good for everyone, and Monk is no exception. At level 7, you can pull 6 attacks in one turn with this.
- Archetype: They're all good: BM gives you even more tactical options, Champ makes your unarmed strikes a bit more menacing, and Eldritch Knight helps you with defense and reactions.

No more than 4 levels on Fighter, though, because Extra Attack won't stack.

[Lombra]

Pure revised kensai monk maybe (if allowed)? The problem is that wisdom isn't really that character's stat.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Fighter makes an excellent dip for a monk - picking up either the duelist or mariner fighting style, in particular, is very helpful.

[Easy_Lee]

The most useful benefits are the first four levels. You want that ASI, you want action surge, you want the fighting style (almost certainly mariner as it's more useful than +4 damage), and the level 3 archetype boons for fighter are nice. BM is the overall most useful dip for a monk.

The hard part is when to dip. Monks want as much ki as they can get, and in general suffer from lost progression. I'm going to recommend something a bit unorthodox: start as a fighter for six levels.

Fighter 1-6 is solid for the first tier and a half of play. It's only later on that fighters start to struggle. Monks struggle in the early levels due to ~16 AC, low HP, limited stats, and limited ki. Fighter 6 gives you additional HP and gets you an extra ASI to get your stats in order before you shed your armor, take up a quarterstaff, and start playing like a monk.

You get stunning strike in the third tier of play which is exactly the point that fighters start falling behind in their capabilities. From there on, every level makes your character stronger. You can take any monk archetype you like (probably shadow or open hand), and you get proficiency in all saving throws as a capstone.

[Grod_The_Giant]

There's also always the armored Monk build. You really don't lose much by strapping on armor and picking up a conventional weapon-- Flurry becomes less attractive, perhaps, but Patient Defense is still an excellent use of Ki, Stunning Strike works with anything, and all the defensive boosts (other than Unarmored Defense) still function just fine. And if you take Tavern Brawler, even Flurry becomes useful again. Works either with a dip in Fighter, or as a dip for Fighter-- something like Battlemaster Fighter 5/Open Hand Monk 5, say, would be a pretty solid short-rest melee type with a ton of control. Or better yet, Kensai. Kensai benefits also work in armor.

[Citan]

I'm trying to make a character using Prince Nuada as inspiration

The only way I can think of doing is combining Fighter and Monk, but I'm not sure there is much actual synergy between the two classes.

Has anyone tried this class combo before? Is it viable?

Thanks
It's perfectly viable, although as others already said I'd suggest keeping Fighter levels in the low for an easier build if you want to primarily play a Monk.

Battlemaster in particular can be extremely good, especially if you don't take Mobile feat or want to draw reaction attacks to you: Evasive Footsteps paired with high mobility makes much easier for you to go strike a protected foe and come back safely. Trip Attack and Goading Attack also can be useful anytime.

So Battlemaster 3 / Monk 17 would work very well.

You may also prefer keeping Fighter as the main chassis, in which case Eldricht Knight could be a nice way to go: ditch Martial Arts but use Ki solely on Patient Defense for extra tankiness, or Step of the Wind to go strike the enemy. Because you would probably keep Monk levels to 4 or so, the best way may be Shadow: spells not otherwise available to the Eldricht Knight (or not until very high level) give you some other great ways to use Ki to sneak, prepare a fight or do a feat such as silencing a caster.