One D&D Playtest 8*: Monk

Here follow my notes on the Playtest 8* Monk class. (Why the asterisk? See my rant on the Playtest 8* Barbarian.)

For more context and my Standard Disclaimer, check out the introduction to this series.

I know I’m late to this party. The internet consensus seems to be that the UA6 Monk was garbage and that the UA8 Monk is great. So what’s happened to shift opinion so much since the last iteration? (As with my most recent posts, I’m going to only highlight the changes since UA6.)

Base Class

  • Martial Arts (level 1) now applies to both Unarmed Strikes and Monk Weapons – defined as Simple Melee Weapons and Martial Weapons with the Light property. THANK YOU. This is already so much better, just right here.
  • The Bonus Unarmed Strike component is simplified, requiring just a Bonus Action, without requiring the Action to be spent on an attack. This would, for example, let you Dash up a target and smack them (or the reverse!), or combine a Dodge action with an Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action. This seems very on-brand for Monks, and I like it a lot.
  • The Dextrous Attacks component now extends to all Monk Weapons (not just Simple Weapons that aren’t two-handed), and it lets you base Grapples and Shoves on your Dexterity too. My enthusiastic nodding continues – this is simpler and more fun, and it lets the Monk concentrate their investments in ability score improvements.
  • Weapon Mastery has been removed. I can probably live with that, though it does mean a departure from the idea that all the martial classes get access to it.
  • Monk’s Discipline (level 2) is a rewrite of Martial Discipline. Within it, Flurry of Blows simply lets you make two Unarmed Strikes for 1 Discipline Point, without having to have first taken an Attack action. Patient Defense lets you Disengage as a Bonus Action with no cost in Discipline Points, or spend a Discipline Point to take both Disengage and Dodge. Similarly, Step of the Wind lets you Dash as a Bonus Action with no cost in Discipline Points, or spend a point to take both Disengage and Dash as a Bonus Action and double your jump distance.
  • Uncanny Metabolism (level 2, formerly “Heightened Metabolism” at level 7 in UA6) lets you regain all spent Discipline Points when rolling initiative, and restores hit points based on your Martial Arts die and your Monk level. This is only allowed once per Long Rest, but it’s still so much better than the “recharge one but only if you have zero” mechanics that other classes got saddled with. This is going to feel great when kicking off boss fights, and it’s cool that it scales on two dimensions.
  • Deflect Attacks (level 3, formerly “Deflect Missiles” in UA6) now works against melee attacks as well as ranged attacks. Heck! Yes! I begged for this in the previous survey, and it seems my pleas were heard! Additionally, Melee attacks that get completely deflected can be redirected to nearby foes, just like ranged attacks could previously be redirected to foes at some range.
  • Stunning Strike (level 5) now works with Monk Weapons, and no longer has a chance of wasting the spent Discipline Point – if the target succeeds on the save, they’ll now take Force damage based on your Martial Arts die plus Wisdom modifier. Nice! No more getting nothing for something here, and it scales as you progress.
  • UA6’s level 7 feature, Heightened Metabolism, has been removed. Fine with me.
  • Heightened Discipline (level 10, new) improves on your Monk’s Discipline abilities. Flurry of Blows can now do three Unarmed Strikes instead of two when spending a Discipline Point. Patient Defense, when using a Discipline Point, gives you an additional die of temporary hit points. Step of the Wind now lets you bring a willing creature with you for your turn, and your “dance partner” doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks. This seems like a great way to get a buddy out of – or into! – the fray.
  • Self-Restoration (level 10) now removes one of its supported conditions at the end of your turn, rather than using a Bonus Action. It now just happens, with no action economy cost!
  • Deflect Energy (level 13) builds on Deflect Attacks, so it works with melee attakcs as well as ranged attacks. Cool!
  • Perfect Discipline (level 15) recharges you back to 4 Discipline Points when rolling initiative. No more “recharge some but only if you have zero” here!
  • Superior Defense (level 18) can now be activated at the start of your turn; previously this required a Bonus Action – but as a UA8 Monk, you have far better things to do with those now! I like it.
  • Body and Mind (level 20, new) replaces Defy Death from UA6, raising the cap for your Dexterity and Wisdom to 26, and bumping both of them by 4 points. This is basically what Barbarians get, but with the stats that the Monk cares about the most.

Warrior of the Hand

  • In Open Hand Technique (level 3), the Addle option now prevents your target from making Opportunity Attacks until its next turn, with no saving throw, so it’s far more reliable in a pinch.
  • Wholeness of Body (level 6) has been updated to remove the Discipline Point cost, since it already has limits per Long Rest. That feels better.
  • Fleet Step (level 11) now lets you use Step of the Wind in addition to any other Bonus Action. Put this on a Tabaxi and you’ve got a kitty with some serious zoomies!
  • Quivering Palm (level 17) lets you replace one attack with the action that triggers the feature’s damage. The increased flexibility means that the damage has been toned down; it no longer scales with your Monk level. The wording is a little unclear, but it seems like this now lets you hit with an Unarmed Strike to initiate Quivering Palm, then trade an additional attack for delivering the burst of Force energy. They obviously can’t call this the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique, but that’s totally what this is.

Hot Takes

Okay, I’m on board. This Monk is bad ass, mixing in highlights of wuxia, kung-fu, anime, and Jedi fantasies. I love that Monk Weapons are back. I love Deflect Attack working against melee attacks. I’d like to maaaaybe see it get a d10 for hit dice, but the options for creating temporary hit points, doing self-healing, deflecting attacks, and adding Dodges and Disengages may mean that it doesn’t matter quite as much. This looks like it’s going to be a blast to play!