Monks in Dungeons & Dragons pride themselves on their nimbleness and agility. Unlike the stealthy Rogue, D&D‘s Monk can rely on nothing but their fists and the clothes on their back to deal the most devastating blows to the mightiest of opponents. Interestingly, their access to Ki and their Monastic Traditions enable them to tap into various skillsets that maximize their dextrousness, physical power, and will.
However, new Monks might want to consider focusing on certain Class Features compared to others. In fact, some players might want to forego certain Monk Features altogether, but which features are these?
10 Great: Martial Arts
Players who roll Monks should skip trying to use other weapons and immediately maximize their Martial Arts, which gives Monks access to incredibly-powerful damage potential.
Essentially, Monks who use Monk Weapons can now use Dexterity instead of Strength for attacks and damage with Monk Weapons and Unarmed Strikes. As Monks naturally gravitate towards obtaining 20 Dexterity, their damage scales to the same level as their other melee DPS counterparts. Moreover, Monks who attack with Unarmed Strikes get scaling damage per level. Additionally, taking Unarmed Strikes or attacking with Monk Weapons lets Monks make another Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action. In turn, Monks can access at least two attacks at any given point in time.
9 Pass: Flurry Of Blows
Monks pride in their ability to make much quicker strikes compared to other warriors, making them feared for their damage potential. With Flurry of Blows, Monks can use one Ki Point to make two Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action. Essentially, Monks can tap into at least three attacks as early as 2nd-Level, provided they have enough Ki Points.
However, inasmuch as Flurry of Blows can get useful in higher levels, Martial Arts already give Monks access to an attack for their Bonus Action. In turn, using Flurry of Blows only gives them one extra attack. As such, Monks should tap into their Flurry of Blows against bosses, and if they have Ki Points in reserve.
8 Great: Patient Defense
Monks have access to Ki Points, a resource they can use to perform various abilities. Interestingly, Patient Defense might serve Monks the most when using their limited pool of Ki Points.
With Patient Defense, Monks can use one Ki Point to perform the Dodge action as a Bonus Action. In normal instances, Dodge takes up an Action as this imposes a disadvantage on any attack rolls against the character throughout the round. Moreover, they gain an advantage in Dexterity Saves. Essentially, Monks can trade in a minor attack as a Bonus Action in favor of potentially dodging all attacks against them throughout the round.
7 Pass: Deflect Missiles
With enough training, Monks can deftly catch or deflect ranged attacks towards them. Essentially, Monks can use their reaction to catch or deflect missiles by reducing damage they take by 1d10 + Dexterity Modifier + their Monk Level. Interestingly, Monks that successfully reduce damage to zero can use the same reaction to throw the projectile back. If they do so, they make a ranged attack with the same projectile with 20/60 range.
Unfortunately, Deflect Missiles can become very situational, as most ranged attacks come in the form of Spells. However, Monks who are sure they won’t be needing that reaction can count on Deflect Missiles as a solid option against physical ranged attackers.
6 Great: Unarmored Defense
Despite their lack of armor, Monks have honed their bodies and minds to withstand the toughest of attacks. In D&D, this translates to Unarmored Defense, which provides boosted natural AC for Monks who don’t wear armor and shield. In turn, they gain AC equal to 10 + Dexterity Modifier + Wisdom Modifier.
Interestingly, Unarmored Defense can easily help Monks reach upwards of AC 20 easily the closer they gravitate towards 20 Dexterity and 20 Wisdom. Should this happen, Monks could have AC closer or equal to those wearing full plate.
5 Pass: Unarmored Movement
Thanks to their lack of heavy armor, Monks move more freely around the battlefield. In D&D, this translates to Unarmored Movement that gives them 10ft for extra movement provided they’re not wearing shields or armor. Moreover, this extra speed increases further as they level up.
Granted, more movement allows Monks to get to crucial positions as soon as possible should the need arise. However, Monks having to rely on Unarmored Movement remains situational. For instance, Monks may only need the extra movement when chasing enemies, or when the party has to overcome traps in a special dungeon on the way to ancient artifacts.
4 Great: Lucky
Monks earn their reputation for hitting the enemy whenever it counts. Unlike the versatile Ranger or the stealthy Rogue and their one-hit wonders, Monks rely on quick strikes that whittle away the strength of targets. In turn, Monks get in a tough spot when they miss an attack – especially when enemies retaliate.
Thanks to Lucky, Monks can easily reverse this caveat. The Lucky Feat provides Monks with three Luck Points, which they can use whenever they make a Saving Throw, Ability Check, or Attack Roll. When using Luck Points, players have to roll an additional d20 and choose if they should use the original roll or the Luck roll. Interestingly, Monks with Lucky can also use a Luck Point to roll another d20 when an opponent makes an attack roll. In turn, they decide whether the opponent has to use their Luck roll or the original roll.
3 Pass: Magic Initiate
It can’t hurt for Monks to have a few useful Spells up their sleeve, right? In turn, the Magic Initiate Feat might be a reliable perk for these warriors. After all, the Feat allows Monks to choose two Cantrips and one 1st-level Spell across a wide range of Classes (Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) and use them at their lowest level once every long rest.
Unfortunately, Monks might not have any practical use for Magic Initiate and the Spells it provides. For instance, players would likely need Magic Initiate to get more attack options, as some Cantrips offer bonus ranged or touch attacks. However, Monks already need their core Attack action for Flurry of Blows or Martial Arts. Moreover, a dedicated Healer should be healing the party, instead of the Monk taking up a healing Spell.
2 Great: Spear
Unlike rare weapons for Clerics or other Classes, Monks may simply need a Spear to get the job done. Of all Monk weapons, this Simple Melee Weapon may serve as the most reliable go-to for all Monks to have.
Spears deal 1d6 Piercing damage, which falls short of the 1d8 Bludgeoning of the Greatclub. However, spears shine as Versatile allows players to use it two-handed, letting it deal 1d8 damage. Moreover, Monks can throw a spear, given it’s a Thrown (20/60) weapon. In turn, the spear serves as a great pairing for the Monk’s unarmed strikes.
1 Pass: Polearm Master
Given the Monk’s natural affinity with the spear, it makes sense for them to take up the Polearm Master Feat, right? After all, the Feat allows users to use their Bonus Action to make another melee attack (d4 Bludgeoning), provided they initially attacked with a spear, quarterstaff, halberd, or glaive. Moreover, creatures now provoke Opportunity Attacks when entering the range of the weapon. Most specialized Subclasses may benefit from the added range the Polearm Master provides.
Unfortunately, Monks won’t be able to benefit from Polearm Master’s extra attack considering they already should be using their Bonus Action with Martial Arts. Moreover, Martial Arts slowly improves their unarmed strikes. Given a Monk’s speed and extra attacks, they no longer need Polearm Master’s perk towards Opportunity Attacks.
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