Revised Kensei Monk

[Greywander]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hdVJ_JJiupl7kc4zan8zcCWWurBv4jcohCww3doa4Xs/edit?usp=sharing

Summary of changes:

Kensei weapons are no more. Now you just gain additional weapon proficiencies, and any weapon with which you are proficient is a monk weapon, so long as it doesn't have the special property and isn't a heavy melee weapon. Features that previously required kensei weapons now use monk weapons instead.

Since Kensei is the weapon subclass, I thought, "might as well make it the armor subclass, too." You get proficiency with light and medium armor, and can use your monk features (except Unarmored Defense) while wearing armor you are proficient with. In addition, you can substitute your WIS mod instead of your DEX mod for AC calculations. Honestly, even with this, armored monks are still generally going to be weaker, but this at least makes an armored or STR monk viable.

Agile Parry now only requires an unarmed attack on your turn. Kensei is supposed to be the weapon subclass, so it was strange you had to sacrifice your only weapon attack in order to get the substantial AC bonus. Now you can use it with the BA unarmed attack instead.

Removed Sharpen the Blade, and moved Unerring Accuracy to 11th level. The balance of Sharpen the Blade was all over the place, ranging from very useful if you didn't have a magic weapon (except for the conflict with Agile Parry) to basically useless if you already a weapon +2 or +3. Unerring Accuracy is a nice bonus, but seemed a bit anti-climactic for a capstone. So instead...

New capstone: Perfect Cherry Blossom. Almost definitely needs some tuning. Allows you to make as many weapon attacks as you like, but only once per target. With your high speed, you should be able to reach a lot of enemies. You can also unleash a flurry of arrows, making an attack roll, and then any enemy in range that you "hit" has to fail a DEX save or they're actually hit. This is what capstones should look like, though this is admittedly pretty strong. I set the cost to 4 ki, since that's what Perfect Self gives you. This way, you'd have just enough to use this feature once.

As always, I'm open to feedback. Especially on the new capstone, I really feel it's probably too strong, but I like the general concept and I think it fits with the theme. Maybe instead of a ki cost, it could just be once per long rest or something. I also wanted to give them something more utility or control oriented, perhaps instead of Unerring Accuracy, but I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, so I'm open to suggestions.

[Garfunion]

Just copying it here for easier reference.


Path of the Kensei
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits.

Kensei Weapons
Any weapon with which you are proficient counts as a monk weapon for you, provided it lacks the special property and isn’t a melee weapon with the heavy property.
In addition, you also gain proficiency with two weapons of your choice. When you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level in this class, you gain proficiency with one additional weapon of your choice.

Iron Dragon Scales
You gain proficiency with light and medium armor. Wearing armor you are proficient in no longer prevents you from using your monk features such as Martial Arts or Unarmored Movement, except for Unarmored Defense.
In addition, while wearing armor you may use your Wisdom modifier in the place of your Dexterity modifier when determining your AC.

Agile Parry
If you make an unarmed strike on your turn and are holding a monk weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren't incapacitated.

Kensei's Shot
You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a monk weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a monk weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon's type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

Way of the Brush
You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher's supplies or painter's supplies.

One with the Blade
At 6th level, you extend your ki into your monk weapons, granting you the following benefits.
Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your monk weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Deft Strike
When you hit a target with a monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Unerring Accuracy
At 11th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Perfect Cherry Blossom
When you reach 17th level, you learn how to perform a devastating series of attacks against large groups of enemies. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to begin a series of weapon attacks. Until the end of your turn, you may perform any number of melee weapon attacks, provided each attack is against a different target.
You are also able to unleash an unrelenting hail of attacks with a ranged weapon you are wielding. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to unleash a flurry of ranged weapon attacks. Make one attack roll; creatures of your choice within the weapon’s normal range must make a Dexterity saving throw if your attack roll beats their AC. Those creatures are hit by that weapon’s attack if they fail their saving throw.

[Greywander]

Do note that the link highlights both additions/modifications and subtractions, which aren't reflected in the copy you posted here. In particular, your copy retains the subtraction from Agile Parry where the unarmed attack needs to be part of the Attack action. I assume you did an unformated copy/paste, so it removed the formatting showing it was a subtraction (red text with strike-through), and forgot to either remove it from the text or add the subtraction formatting back in.

Other than Agile Parry, I think this is accurate, though. It can be helpful to see what's different vs. what's the same, otherwise you have to read through the whole thing and then cross reference it with the original in order to see what's actually changed.

[Garfunion]

Just copying it here for easier reference.

Iron Dragon Scales
You gain proficiency with light and medium armor. Wearing armor you are proficient in no longer prevents you from using your monk features such as Martial Arts or Unarmored Movement, except for Unarmored Defense.
In addition, while wearing armor you may use your Wisdom modifier in the place of your Dexterity modifier when determining your AC.

I’m not really a fan of this. They are not samurais they are “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” monks.



Agile Parry
If you make an unarmed strike on your turn and are holding a monk weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren't incapacitated.

I really wish this didn’t require an unarmed strike. Maybe just a melee monk weapon attack instead.



Perfect Cherry Blossom
When you reach 17th level, you learn how to perform a devastating series of attacks against large groups of enemies. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to begin a series of weapon attacks. Until the end of your turn, you may perform any number of melee weapon attacks, provided each attack is against a different target.
You are also able to unleash an unrelenting hail of attacks with a ranged weapon you are wielding. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to unleash a flurry of ranged weapon attacks. Make one attack roll; creatures of your choice within the weapon’s normal range must make a Dexterity saving throw if your attack roll beats their AC. Those creatures are hit by that weapon’s attack if they fail their saving throw.
You could always just allow the monk to cast
Conjure Volley and Steel Wind Strike spells.

[Garfunion]

Do note that the link highlights both additions/modifications and subtractions, which aren't reflected in the copy you posted here.
Yes but it easier to quote here on the forums when discussing thoughts and opinions on a particular feature.

[Greywander]

I’m not really a fan of this. They are not samurais they are “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” monks.
There currently isn't a viable way to play an armored monk. I wanted to offer one, and the Kensei made the most sense since it was already a subclass that leaned more heavily on equipment. Note that using armor is still suboptimal, and even if you somehow find studded leather +3 or half-plate +3, it still only puts you on par with what you'd get with 20 DEX and 20 WIS.

This is pretty much only here for those people who want to wear armor for aesthetic reasons. It's not an upgrade, and it's still better to forgo armor.


I really wish this didn’t require an unarmed strike. Maybe just a melee monk weapon attack instead.
I considered just making it require the Attack action. +2 AC is pretty significant, so I feel like there should be some cost to it. Then again, if the Kensei feels under powered to most people, perhaps a flat +2 to AC all the time would be fine. (It probably should require wielding a monk weapon, and possibly a melee monk weapon.)


You could always just allow the monk to cast
Conjure Volley and Steel Wind Strike spells.
Hmm, those spells do seem similar in concept. But the Kensei isn't a spellcaster. It's okay to have thematically similar abilities that mechanically work a bit differently.

I've reworked the feature slightly. I dropped the ki cost, but added the ability to spend extra ki for additional damage. The ranged version now has a set range of 60 feet, and expends either 10 pieces of ammo or 5 thrown weapons. I figured it should be balanced against Flurry of Blows. So instead of making four attacks, potentially against a single target, you have the option to attack each enemy once, meaning this is only better if there's five or more enemies. So while it's strong, I perhaps overestimated how powerful it really was. Now, though, it should be pretty potent, worthy of a capstone.

[Amechra]

Funnily enough, I actually was tinkering with a very similar Kensei rewrite... thank you for beating me to the punch on "you can use Wisdom instead of Dexterity while wearing armor".

For Perfect Cherry Blossom, I'm assuming that they're capped at spending a total of 5 ki to activate the ability and buff their attack (which would cause them to deal +3d10 damage)? Right now, it's kinda ambiguous. That said... I don't really like multi-attacking as part of the Kensei? I feel like the rest of the subclass both mechanically and thematically pushes you towards making one perfect attack.

Off the top of my head, I think it'd be cool if they got something like...

Finishing Stroke
When you reach 17th level, you have perfected the use of weapons. As an action, you may spend two ki and make a single attack with a Monk weapon. If that attack hits, it automatically scores a critical hit. If a creature is reduced to 0 hp by this attack, it dies. You may use Deft Strike any number of times on the turn where you use Finishing Stroke.

I also think that, following the example of the Mercy Monk, it might make sense to set up a situation where you can activate Deft Strike "for free". Maybe Unerring Accuracy lets you use Deft Strike for free if you hit? (Just once. As a treat.)

[Kane0]

Finishing Stroke
When you reach 17th level, you have perfected the use of weapons. As an action, you may spend two ki and make a single attack with a Monk weapon. If that attack hits, it automatically scores a critical hit. If a creature is reduced to 0 hp by this attack, it dies. You may use Deft Strike any number of times on the turn where you use Finishing Stroke.


The way thats written it doesnt allow you to use martial arts or flurry because you didnt take the attack action.

Also, when you reduce an unimportant NPC to 0 HP they do tend to just... die.

Edit: anyways, i like this Kensei. Adding in some free uses like Tashas subclasses tend to do I think would be a good move.
Personally I still think Kensei fits better as a fighter subclass but thats neither here nor there.

[Amechra]

The way thats written it doesnt allow you to use martial arts or flurry because you didnt take the attack action.

Also, when you reduce an unimportant NPC to 0 HP they do tend to just... die.

That's intentional, and the "this kills things" text is more of a flavor thing than anything. It might be a touch weak, but it's just an example.

[Yakk]

I'd use prof bonus here:


Kensei Weapons
Any weapon with which you are proficient counts as a monk weapon for you, provided it lacks the special property and isn’t a melee weapon with the heavy property.
In addition, you also gain proficiency with a number of weapons equal to your proficiency bonus, and when your proficiency bonus increases, you gain proficiency an additional weapon.




Iron Dragon Scales
You gain proficiency with light and medium armor. Wearing armor you are proficient in no longer prevents you from using your monk features such as Martial Arts or Unarmored Movement, except for Unarmored Defense.
In addition, while wearing armor you may use your Wisdom modifier in the place of your Dexterity modifier when determining your AC.

Wis instead of Dex permits a str-monk.


Agile Parry
If you make an unarmed strike on your turn and are holding a monk weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren't incapacitated.
I was thinking "monk weapon" isn't needed, but I guess a greatsword doesn't work.


Kensei's Shot
You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a monk weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a monk weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon's type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.
Why not make it your MA die? At low levels is equal.

At level 5, base is 2d8+1d6+3dex in melee (say 24). With a longbow, it is 2d8+2d4+2dex (22).

At level 20, base is 3d10+3dex in melee (31), and 2d10+2d4+2 dex with a longbow (26).

If it was MA die it would be 4d10+2 dex or 32. Which I guess outpaces melee, which isn't intended.

So I guess not.

Deft Strike
When you hit a target with a monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
This sort of overlaps with the above I guess. A reason to make it not MA die on ranged attacks.


Unerring Accuracy
At 11th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
Me, I'd tie in the MA die. Like
"If you miss with an attack roll with a monk weapon on your turn, you can add your MA die to the attack roll. Once you have successfully turned a miss into a hit this way, you cannot do this again until your next turn."

But really, what is wrong with Sharpen the Blade? It just means you don't want vanilla +X weapons.

Perfect Cherry Blossom
When you reach 17th level, you learn how to perform a devastating series of attacks against large groups of enemies. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to begin a series of weapon attacks. Until the end of your turn, you may perform any number of melee weapon attacks, provided each attack is against a different target.
You are also able to unleash an unrelenting hail of attacks with a ranged weapon you are wielding. As an action, you may expend 4 ki to unleash a flurry of ranged weapon attacks. Make one attack roll; creatures of your choice within the weapon’s normal range must make a Dexterity saving throw if your attack roll beats their AC. Those creatures are hit by that weapon’s attack if they fail their saving throw.

I do like the idea of "cause the effect of Steel Wind Strike or Conjure Volley".

But if you want this, break it into two abilities. Also, get rid of the vs AC and vs Dex double-check.