metalith
2022-06-01, 01:32 PM
My group of D&D friends have been playing together for a while. A recent topic came up about how Monk is one of the worst classes for optimization. I decided to dig into the issue and found the main gripes being how the Ki point feature is extremely small and limited, especially during the main level range of most game play being level 1-13, yet all features require use, the martial arts features while thematically appropriate, limits the class to melee, while ranged attacks are very much in theme for monks has no support for it, and being very MAD due to multiple features requiring high dexterity, wisdom and con to survive.
So I took a look at the chassis that Monks provides and read and looked over multiple content creators discussions and decided to take my hands at making alterations. I am looking to reduce ki expenditures, increase playstyle flexibility, reduce MAD and bring the class on par with other martial base classes. I did not consider any of the subclasses when working base class. Would appreciate any opinions of this homebrew. I have only listed the sections and abilities I made changes to. Would appreciate critiques, since I'm trying to avoid the pendulum swing to far in the other way. My current main concern is by opening up Flurry of Blows with Weapons, it becomes to strong.
Class Features
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords, longbows, glaives, and whips
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a longbow or (b) any simple ranged weapon
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
(a) 10 darts or (b) 20 arrows
Martial Arts Die Progression
1-4th d4
5-9th d6
10-14th d8
15-19th d10
20th d12
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords, longbows, glaives, whips and any simple weapons.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons.
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one additional strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an additional attack as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku), a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama) or glaive (called a naginata). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start with the feature Flurry of Blows. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional Martial Arts strikes as a bonus action.
Ki Abilities
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to perform certain actions and abilities as long as you have 1 ki point.
Patient Defense. You can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.
Step of the Wind. You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Quick Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are wearing light or no armor. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
At 13th level, you gain the ability to move along any surface even in defiance of gravity. You can end your movement on a vertical surface or even the ceiling without falling, as if under the effect of the Spider Climb spell.
Deflect Missiles
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. If you spend 1 ki point, you can continue to deflect ranged weapon attacks until the beginning of your next turn.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. At 7th level, you can direct your fall, for every 10 ft of descent you can glide moving 5 ft horizontally.
Quickened Healing (Optional)
Also at 4th level, for 1 ki point and an action, you can roll your Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the numbers rolled plus your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability proficiency bonus times per long rest.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
At 8th level, once per turn, when you hit another creature with a ranged weapon attack you can spend 2 ki points to attempt a ranged stunning strike.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end all effects on yourself that are causing you to be charmed and frightened. You can use 1 ki point to use this ability as a bonus action.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible as if under the Greater Invisibility spell without concentration for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 6 ki points.
So I took a look at the chassis that Monks provides and read and looked over multiple content creators discussions and decided to take my hands at making alterations. I am looking to reduce ki expenditures, increase playstyle flexibility, reduce MAD and bring the class on par with other martial base classes. I did not consider any of the subclasses when working base class. Would appreciate any opinions of this homebrew. I have only listed the sections and abilities I made changes to. Would appreciate critiques, since I'm trying to avoid the pendulum swing to far in the other way. My current main concern is by opening up Flurry of Blows with Weapons, it becomes to strong.
Class Features
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords, longbows, glaives, and whips
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a longbow or (b) any simple ranged weapon
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
(a) 10 darts or (b) 20 arrows
Martial Arts Die Progression
1-4th d4
5-9th d6
10-14th d8
15-19th d10
20th d12
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords, longbows, glaives, whips and any simple weapons.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons.
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one additional strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an additional attack as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku), a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama) or glaive (called a naginata). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start with the feature Flurry of Blows. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional Martial Arts strikes as a bonus action.
Ki Abilities
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to perform certain actions and abilities as long as you have 1 ki point.
Patient Defense. You can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.
Step of the Wind. You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Quick Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are wearing light or no armor. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
At 13th level, you gain the ability to move along any surface even in defiance of gravity. You can end your movement on a vertical surface or even the ceiling without falling, as if under the effect of the Spider Climb spell.
Deflect Missiles
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. If you spend 1 ki point, you can continue to deflect ranged weapon attacks until the beginning of your next turn.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. At 7th level, you can direct your fall, for every 10 ft of descent you can glide moving 5 ft horizontally.
Quickened Healing (Optional)
Also at 4th level, for 1 ki point and an action, you can roll your Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the numbers rolled plus your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability proficiency bonus times per long rest.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
At 8th level, once per turn, when you hit another creature with a ranged weapon attack you can spend 2 ki points to attempt a ranged stunning strike.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end all effects on yourself that are causing you to be charmed and frightened. You can use 1 ki point to use this ability as a bonus action.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible as if under the Greater Invisibility spell without concentration for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 6 ki points.