(5e) Scaling Kensai's Shot to Martial Arts Die

[wayfare]

Kensai's Shot is a very flavorful ability, though it's a touch underwhelming compared to similar effects. I was considering having it scale to Martial Arts as a way of making the Zen Archer playstyle more effective. Would that be broken? Eventually, that could lead to 2d10+5 attacks for the Kensai at the cost of a Bonus action (Martial Arts damage, plus Kensai's Shot damage). Compared to flurry of blows, it seems underpowered still, but a better option than the flat +1d4

[Edea]

Kensai's Shot is a very flavorful ability, though it's a touch underwhelming compared to similar effects. I was considering having it scale to Martial Arts as a way of making the Zen Archer playstyle more effective. Would that be broken? Eventually, that could lead to 2d10+5 attacks for the Kensai at the cost of a Bonus action (Martial Arts damage, plus Kensai's Shot damage). Compared to flurry of blows, it seems underpowered still, but a better option than the flat +1d4

Looks like a pretty elegant solution, to me. It rewards sticking with kensei monk levels, as opposed to dipping and then heading off into whatever route produces as many ranged attacks as possible.

If for some reason that's not enough, an even higher-powered alternative is just using 1/2 the character's monk class level; someone dipping's still only going to get +2 (an average of 1d4), but a full-on kensei monk's going to get a dangerously consistent damage modifier to their shots.

[wayfare]

Looks like a pretty elegant solution, to me. It rewards sticking with kensei monk levels, as opposed to dipping and then heading off into whatever route produces as many ranged attacks as possible.

If for some reason that's not enough, an even higher-powered alternative is just using 1/2 the character's monk class level; someone dipping's still only going to get +2 (an average of 1d4), but a full-on kensei monk's going to get a dangerously consistent damage modifier to their shots.

Thanks for reviewing! I'd considered a flat damage increase, and I'll have to see how both options play out. I've also considered a boost to critical range to simulate the accuracy bonus granted by "aiming" the shot.

[Yakk]

The best you can do for taps/round is 8 with a Gloomstalker 3/Fighter 11 (or 6 with a Fighter 2/Gloomstalker 3).

Fighter 2/Gloom 3/Monk 11 is pulling off 12d8+static*6, which isn't amazing but isn't bad either.

My issue is that this still stacks better with non-monk features than monk features, as it is a per-tap ability.

If you want to scale it up, I'd make it less per-tap.

Say, spend a bonus action. Now before the end of your turn, you can roll 1 monk damage die to add to a ranged weapon attack damage with a kensai weapon, and 1 monk damage die to add to the to-hit of a ranged attack with a kensai weapon.

This no longer scales infinitely well with many-tap, but it is strong and flavorful. You gain both accuracy and damage.

(The super-scaling with attack taps matters less when the bonus was smaller; if you want to make the bonus larger, you have to consider the strange things someone can do).

So at level 20 you can deal 3d10+static * 2 and also get a +1d10 to one of your rolls if it misses. This is stronger than 2d10+2d4+static*2 and scales with monk levels nicely.