A very suboptimal monk build

[Dankus Memakus]

What if (hear me out) i put armor on a monk, sheerly for flavor? What abilities would I lose?

[Varlon]

You would lose Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts, and Unarmored Movement. You would also need some way to get armor proficiency or else you would suffer all of those usual drawbacks.

[Dankus Memakus]

You would lose Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts, and Unarmored Movement. You would also need some way to get armor proficiency or else you would suffer all of those usual drawbacks.

I plan to take one level in fighter. Is there anyway to regain or substitute something for marshal arts? I just want armor for flavor.

[NecroDancer]

You could ditch the monk class altogether and play a war cleric with the tavern brawler feat. You would get unarmored attacks, multiple attacks, and a mystical way to boast your melee damage.

[Dankus Memakus]

You could ditch the monk class altogether and play a war cleric with the tavern brawler feat. You would get unarmored attacks, multiple attacks, and a mystical way to boast your melee damage.

I really want to play the subclass of monk that shoots radiance from his fists tho...

[Mortis_Elrod]

I really want to play the subclass of monk that shoots radiance from his fists tho...

Then you're options would be to not wear armor, since that Radiant Sun Burst is using the martial arts die, which no longer functions without the martial arts feature.

Correct me if i'm wrong though, i think its how it works.

The only other option would be to be a Lizardfolk, and just say you have scale mail fluff wise.

I will correct myself. You can use Sun Soul Monk without any problems, other than your fists are weak and you are slower (no martial arts and no unarmored ovement) but o course having armor counters not having unarmored defense.

Your RSB will be a measly radiant dart of damage (d4) but it should still technically scale.

May I ask why the fighter dip and the need for armor? What kind if concept do you have in mind

[Dankus Memakus]

Then you're options would be to not wear armor, since that Radiant Sun Burst is using the martial arts die, which no longer functions without the martial arts feature.

Correct me if i'm wrong though, i think its how it works.

The only other option would be to be a Lizardfolk, and just say you have scale mail fluff wise.

I will correct myself. You can use Sun Soul Monk without any problems, other than your fists are weak and you are slower (no martial arts and no unarmored ovement) but o course having armor counters not having unarmored defense.

Your RSB will be a measly radiant dart of damage (d4) but it should still technically scale.

May I ask why the fighter dip and the need for armor? What kind if concept do you have in mind

Well I really like the sun soul monk since its like almost spells and I just like punching people to death and heavy armor, if it's a total waste ill give up the plan and do cleric but I don't really want spells.

I feel like divine punches of death are really fun whilst wearing platemail

[smcmike]

You could play a Paladin with Tavern Brawler. Radiant damage with your fists. Not a terrible build.

[Dankus Memakus]

You could play a Paladin with Tavern Brawler. Radiant damage with your fists.

That's was my backup plan

[Mortis_Elrod]

Well I really like the sun soul monk since its like almost spells and I just like punching people to death and heavy armor, if it's a total waste ill give up the plan and do cleric but I don't really want spells.

Hrmmm. Sadly there isn't alot of support for heavy armor unarmed fighting. Maybe go Mountain Dwarf with Battlerager Barbarian, then just have the spikes on your fists you you punch with the armor spikes. No spells, you are full on barbarian and you can punch and grapple to your hearts content. Spiked Armor isn't heavy but its pretty close.

Listen, you could go heavy armor and sun soul. Grab Tavern brawler as a feat. Your fists aren't doing much damage (daggers worth) but at least your sun bolt will increase.

[Dankus Memakus]

Hrmmm. Sadly there isn't alot of support for heavy armor unarmed fighting. Maybe go Mountain Dwarf with Battlerager Barbarian, then just have the spikes on your fists you you punch with the armor spikes. No spells, you are full on barbarian and you can punch and grapple to your hearts content. Spiked Armor isn't heavy but its pretty close.

Listen, you could go heavy armor and sun soul. Grab Tavern brawler as a feat. Your fists aren't doing much damage (daggers worth) but at least your sun bolt will increase.

I'll probably just go pally

[polymphus]

A monk wearing armor loses basically all the benefits of being a monk. Unarmored/Defence movement you could probably lose if you were looking for suboptimal/fun but losing Martial Arts is huge. Your fists/monk weapons don't scale any more, you lose your bonus attack and you go back to using Str like everybody else.

So how to make it workable? Well, you want Sun Soul and you want heavy armor how about:

War Cleric 17/Sun Soul Monk 3

You can mix up War Priest/Radiant Sun Bolt to get some of those bonus attacks back, you get heavy armor proficiency, you get your sun bolts. Run Wis>Dex, grab a rapier and a shield (+ plate armor for that 20AC). Between your armor/deflect missiles/resistance you're one tough nut to crack, and you can flip between your rapier, your hadeoukens and a ranged weapon.

[Dankus Memakus]

A monk wearing armor loses basically all the benefits of being a monk. Unarmored/Defence movement you could probably lose if you were looking for suboptimal/fun but losing Martial Arts is huge. Your fists/monk weapons don't scale any more, you lose your bonus attack and you go back to using Str like everybody else.

So how to make it workable? Well, you want Sun Soul and you want heavy armor how about:

War Cleric 17/Sun Soul Monk 3

You can mix up War Priest/Radiant Sun Bolt to get some of those bonus attacks back, you get heavy armor proficiency, you get your sun bolts. Run Wis>Dex, grab a rapier and a shield (+ plate armor for that 20AC). Between your armor/deflect missiles/resistance you're one tough nut to crack, and you can flip between your rapier, your hadeoukens and a ranged weapon.

This is also pheasible

[polymphus]

So, some important things to note:

1) if you start monk then multiclass as something else that uses HA like a fighter, you don't get Heavy Armor proficiency. There are two ways around this:

1a) start as a class with HA proficiency (Fighter, Paladin) then grab monk later.
1b) go monk first, then Cleric (Life, Tempest, Nature or War) -- they pick it up as a lvl1 feature instead of a class armor proficiency.

2) since you're not getting that sick AC/damage/to hit bonus from Dex, it's viable to just Str it out if you want to use a greatsword or whatever.

3) How you want to flip the Monk/Other is up to you, but you need at least 3 in monk. If you're gonna be mostly using your Ki for those extra hadoukens then you probably don't need a huge amount. Other cool ki stuff to maybe reach for: Stunning Strike, Searing Arc Strike. Stunning Strike is bananas, Searching Arc Strike is cool but maybe not worth the tradeoff for whatever class feature you're giving up.

[Naanomi]

Hill dwarf nature Cleric/monk... heavy armor, but no need for STR, and use shillelegh/quarter staff to attack with wisdom alone

You lose a lot (martial arts, unarmored defense, most of unarmored movement); but keep a lot of defensive abilities and stunning strike

[polymphus]

I am a terrible nerd and I have been running numbers for viability. Here goes.

Multiclass Codename: Lightbringer
Race: Firbolg
Background: Outlander
Starting Class: Monk
Monk Level: 5
Monk Archetype: Sun Soul
Multiclass: Cleric
MC Level: 15
Cleric Archetype: War
Standard Array start: Str15 Dex12 Con13 Int8 Wis14 Cha10
Asi/Feats: +2 Str, +4 Wis, Resilient (Con)
Finished Array: Str18 Dex12 Con14 Int8 Wis20 Cha10
Favoured Equipment: Greatsword, Plate Armor
Must-grab-spells: Guidance, Bless, Daylight, Flame Strike, Firestorm

You're a wanderer: you follow the sun east to west every day. If you stumble across trouble, it's because the sun wanted you to solve it. If you meet a group of adventurers going in whichever direction, it's because the sun wanted you to meet them. You bring light and flame to the dark corners of the earth.

You're an interesting midline powerhouse -- you hang back and blast away/provide healing like an oldschool laser cleric, then charge in and start swinging on the frontline if you need to.

[Saeviomage]

As an armor wearing monk, you lose martial arts - however instead of wielding a staff and getting a bonus action unarmed attack, you can use a two-hander, dual wield or use a shield (with the relevant fighting style). All up, you're not losing a huge amount here.

Note that you still get all your ki abilities. While it's true that using a bonus action for 2 extra attacks at 1+stat each isn't great, it's going to be enough to push the two-hander out in front of other styles.

Note also that all of the abilities of the subclasses work. None of them require a lack of armor.

Specifically, the radiant soul gets full martial arts die for radiant sun bolt. Martial arts allows you to use the die for your unarmed strikes and monk weapons. Radiant sun bolt doesn't refer to martial arts at all, merely to the class chart for the die value.

In short an armored monk is not all that sub optimal. Your bonus action attacks are either gone (martial arts) or weaker (flurry), but you've got higher damage alternatives in place of them that mostly make up for it. You've got less stats to worry about because str covers your attacks and defense needs (alternatively you could have dex cover everything and use a finesse weapon and medium/light armor...). Wis still powers ability DCs, but it's not essential to your survival any more. You can't run fast, but there are limits to the benefit of that anyway. You still get the plethora of defensive bonuses and random utility powers that a monk enjoys.

Note that an armored monk actually sucks at punching people. So an armored monk WHO PUNCHES is pretty bad. An armored monk who uses more normal weaponry (or radiant soul blasts) is pretty great.

[Dankus Memakus]

I am a terrible nerd and I have been running numbers for viability. Here goes.

Multiclass Codename: Lightbringer
Race: Firbolg
Background: Outlander
Starting Class: Monk
Monk Level: 5
Monk Archetype: Sun Soul
Multiclass: Cleric
MC Level: 15
Cleric Archetype: War
Standard Array start: Str15 Dex12 Con13 Int8 Wis14 Cha10
Asi/Feats: +2 Str, +4 Wis, Resilient (Con)
Finished Array: Str18 Dex12 Con14 Int8 Wis20 Cha10
Favoured Equipment: Greatsword, Plate Armor
Must-grab-spells: Guidance, Bless, Daylight, Flame Strike, Firestorm

You're a wanderer: you follow the sun east to west every day. If you stumble across trouble, it's because the sun wanted you to solve it. If you meet a group of adventurers going in whichever direction, it's because the sun wanted you to meet them. You bring light and flame to the dark corners of the earth.

You're an interesting midline powerhouse -- you hang back and blast away/provide healing like an oldschool laser cleric, then charge in and start swinging on the frontline if you need to.

This is pretty close to what I was thinking, i enjoy your nerdy-ness

[Dankus Memakus]

. An armored monk who uses more normal weaponry (or radiant soul blasts) is pretty great.

Can you do this at point blank?

[Naanomi]

That firbolg build doesn't have the DEX for the multiclass I think... Hilldwarf 8/14/16/12/16/8?

[ATHATH]

Why not just refluff your Unarmored Defense class feature to be armor?

[grumbaki]

"I really want to play the subclass of monk that shoots radiance from his fists tho..."

Play a dwarven barbarian.

Lvl 3: Battlerager (you wear armor with spikes all over it. You use the armor to tear people up)
Lvl 4: Tavern Brawler (Unarmed damage is now 1d4. If you hit them as a bonus action you can grapple. As a battlerager, your grapples cause damage)
Lvl 8: Magic Initiate (2 cantrips and a lvl1 spell from any class. Pick cleric. Shoot radiant damage out as per your initial desire)
- Cantrip: Sacred Flame (60ft range, dex save or take radiant damage)
- Cantrip: Hand of Radiance if allowed (5ft range, everyone in range takes con save or takes radiant damage)
- Lvl 1: Shield of Faith (For 10 min gain +2 AC)
Lvl 12: +1 Str (16) +1 Con (16)
Lvl 16: +2 Str (18)
Lvl 19: +2 Str (20)
Lvl 20: Str (24) Dex (14) Con (20) Int (8) Wis (14) Cha (10)


You'll have the battlerager armor, which is AC14+dex bonus up to max of +2. So that's AC16. Use a shield (fluff it to be part of the armor) for AC18. Use shield of faith to go up to AC20.

[Saeviomage]

Can you do this at point blank?

Hmm... you would have to take crossbow expert or you'd suffer disadvantage to the attack rolls for being next to a foe.