So Monk is the one class we didn’t get a prior UA for, which means all the changes are totally new. I’m still wrapping my head around it. Martial Arts die increase: good. Martial Arts die not affecting weapons: bad. Step of the Wind buff: good. Stunning Strike nerf: bad but reasonable?
I feel like they knew Monks needed help, but it doesn’t really seem like they made as much effort to fix that as I think they really needed to. Anything I might be missing that saves the Class here?
The Stunning Strike Nerf is a good thing. Damages appear to be reasonable:
These assume you’re using Discipline for Flurry of Blows, which isn’t always possible. They also assume a 100% hit rate, but what’s fantastic on all these also is that it’s multiple attack rolls. It is possible, but unlikely, you’ll miss all the attacks. You have a really good chance of getting at least one nat 20 in your rolls. I usually prefer multiple attack rolls.
Also, for the first 5 levels - you can snag a D8 Simple Weapon (most simples are D6 or lower, none are above a D8) to improve damage, and you can opt for the mastery attack and effect that goes with it - and you can change masteries at a long rest.
And note, these aren’t counting using various feats to get bonus damage, buffs, etc. I would argue that I think overall there are not enough Discipline points before around level 8-10 and there are too many after level 16 or so. But that’s just me (since it’s a short rest resource, and given the change to stunning strike, it seems less likely that you’d ever need 20 points)
And this keeps in mind you can still layer an Eldritch Claw Tatoo, for example, on top of these damages. This likely wants the same change as other current abilities (one bonus damage a round, versus one bonus damage a hit), but used as written right now - it would add a d6 to each hit and increase reach to 15’. But I mean, we’ll be seeing those items in games for years to come - and it seems unlikely all current magic items will be absorbed into the DMG.
Can you master a dagger to get Nick and get the extra attack and flurry of blows? Would be cool.
Each night, you can pick two simple weapons to master. A dagger is a simple weapon. It also uses your martial arts die for damage, just as it would today for Dedicated Weapon or Kensai.
Here is Nick:
At level 1, there is a bonus unarmed attack on Monk - since that is not the Light property on a Weapon, that bonus unarmed attack can still be used. Flurry of Blows is also not the Light property on a weapon, and so it’d also be open - assuming you took Two-Weapon Fighting, you would make that attack with your ability modifier and your martial arts die.
And so that would increase all the numbers by the martial arts die, and then by the attribute modifier as well if you had two-weapon fighting. This would put it very much comparable to the Warlock Baseline that was recently posted here.
A friend once told me, it was for Xcom and EverQuest back in the day, that there’s a secret in all games. I will share his wisdom. “When you don’t hit, things don’t die.” So, if you’re looking at anything that improves a hit rate - it will tend to improve your damage over time more than something that merely improves damage, unless the damage boost is ridiculously overpowered.
To me, this is the principal behind a lot of high damage builds - of any class - the principal of “my attack bonus is high, and I roll the die many times.” And that’s because consider Disintegrate, for example. It is a great spell - it does a lot of damage. But it is all or nothing - either the spell gets you or it doesn’t. Again - it’s a great spell, but either it works or it doesn’t - and if it doesn’t you deal none of that damage and may not have the spell slots to try again.
If you look at the Monk - there’s another thing to consider here, which is stunning strike.
When a creature is stunned, you get advantage on attacks and prevent it from doing anything, so you can attack.
Actually, new monk loses the ability to use their martial arts die in place of a weapon’s damage.
New Monk:
Old monk:
True.
So, you’re doing D6+D6 from dagger, martial arts from your other attack (unarmed), then flurry - and so it lowers the dice at higher levels - but it remains good. Also, you’re making up this damage from Empowered Strike - for example - as a subclass feature. It does make it so that, particularly at higher levels, unarmed is better - but unarmed is going to be better (generally) anyway because force damage isn’t resisted.
So, you’re trailing by one when the die changes to D8, trailing by two when it changes to D10, and by three when it changes to D12 - on average. However, you’re gaining your ability modifier an additional time - which will counter that average reduction. And it’s an extra hit roll, sending down your chance not to cause damage at all.
Yes, except dagger damage is d4, and to to get Two Weapon Fighting to add your ability modifier, you’ll have to multi-class to get the Fighting Style feature. The feat now has that as a prerequisite in this UA.
That is pretty good actually! Though I can see some Monks disliking that they have to optimally use a weapon and not stay unarmed. Cool for a ninja-themed Shadow Monk though.