Dragon Monk Damage Change

[elyktsorb]

So I was looking at the dragon monk and I saw their damage changing thing

"When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison."

And I got to pondering 'well what if my unarmed strike is dealing multiple sorts of damage?'

For example let's say you used Absorb Elements and got Cold Damage added to your next melee attack, and your next melee attack is an Unarmed Strike.

Your unarmed strike is now dealing it's normal damage type +1d6 Cold damage. Would using the above ability let you change both damage types to something else?

If it does then are you forced to have them both change if you only wanted the normal unarmed strike damage to change?

I am curious of peoples thoughts.

[Dualight]

I think (although I am not knowledgable enough to be certain) that the monk ability only applies to the bludgeoning damage, with all bonus damage being from whatever features/effects grant them. So the +1d6 cold in your example would be from absorb elements, not from the unarmed strike. That said, the wording of the feature does seem a little ambiguous.

[JackPhoenix]

Your unarmed strike still only does bludgeoning damage. The cold damage is from Absorb Elements, not unarmed strike, even though it's applied with the same attack.

[elyktsorb]

Your unarmed strike still only does bludgeoning damage. The cold damage is from Absorb Elements, not unarmed strike, even though it's applied with the same attack.

Absorb Elements gives the attack the damage though, your not attacking them with Absorb Elements, it adds damage onto your unarmed strike. The attack comes from the unarmed strike, the additional damage comes from Absorb Elements. As long as I make an unarmed strike that deals damage, I can change its damage type.

If my unarmed strike deals bludgeoning + other, there is nothing in the ability restricting me from changing every damage type to the same something else.

The ability does not specifically mark the unarmed damage's type, I presume because there are several races/things that can make it so your unarmed damage is a type other than bludgeoning, usually slashing. There are also very few ways to add damage to unarmed strikes as a lot of things will require you to use a weapon/apply the effect to a weapon.

This lack of clarity could be a way to interpret it as any damage done with an unarmed strike can be changed, as long as it's the unarmed strike dealing the damage.

[Thunderous Mojo]

I would, personally allow it.
It seems cool, and is a perfectly sound interpretation.

The Warlock subclass from Ravenloft had the ability to convert damage from a single attack roll into Necrotic damage, so such heroics are not unprecedented.

[Amnestic]

Absorb Elements gives the attack the damage though, your not attacking them with Absorb Elements, it adds damage onto your unarmed strike.

I disagree. While the attack is the delivery system, the damage comes from the spell, just like - for example - booming blade or a smite spell (or even divine smite itself, though that's a feature instead of a spell). As written, I do not believe you would be able to change its damage type with dragon monk.

That said if a player wanted to...sure. I don't see a problem with it and it's thematically/narratively 'neat' enough to me that I'm okay with stretching to say okay.