Secret Lesson 44

Monk and the Warrior of the Open Hand

The Fighter masters the battlefield through:

WEAPONS

ARMOR

ENDURANCE

and:

MARTIAL TRAINING

The Monk follows a radically different path.

A Monk turns:

BODY

SPEED

DISCIPLINE

and:

FOCUS

into weapons.

The Monk fights effectively without armor, can specialize in Unarmed Strikes, moves with extraordinary speed, manipulates an internal resource called:

FOCUS POINTS

and eventually develops remarkable control over both body and mind.

Its SRD subclass is:

WARRIOR OF THE OPEN HAND

a specialist in unarmed combat who can disrupt, move, knock down, and ultimately devastate enemies through precise martial techniques.

PART ONE — CORE MONK TRAITS

The Monk's Primary Abilities are:

DEXTERITY

and:

WISDOM

Its Hit Point Die is:

D8 PER MONK LEVEL

Its Saving Throw Proficiencies are:

STRENGTH

and:

DEXTERITY

The Monk chooses two Skill Proficiencies from:

  • Acrobatics

  • Athletics

  • History

  • Insight

  • Religion

  • Stealth

Its Weapon Proficiencies cover:

SIMPLE WEAPONS

and Martial weapons that possess:

THE LIGHT PROPERTY

The Monk also chooses proficiency with:

ONE TYPE OF ARTISAN'S TOOLS

or:

ONE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

The Monk has:

NO ARMOR TRAINING

Its starting equipment can include a Spear, five Daggers, the chosen tool or instrument, an Explorer's Pack, and 11 GP, or the character can instead begin with 50 GP.

PART TWO — THE MONK'S THREE PROGRESSING RESOURCES

Three important Monk statistics increase as the character advances:

MARTIAL ARTS DIE

FOCUS POINTS

UNARMORED MOVEMENT

At level 1, the Martial Arts Die begins at:

1D6

At level 5 it becomes:

1D8

At level 11:

1D10

and at level 17:

1D12

Focus Points essentially follow Monk level once gained at level 2, while Unarmored Movement gradually increases from +10 feet to +30 feet.

PART THREE — LEVEL 1: MARTIAL ARTS

Martial Arts is the foundation of the Monk.

For these rules, Monk weapons are:

SIMPLE MELEE WEAPONS

and:

MARTIAL MELEE WEAPONS WITH THE LIGHT PROPERTY

 

The Martial Arts benefits operate while you are:

UNARMED

or wielding only:

MONK WEAPONS

and aren't:

WEARING ARMOR

or:

WIELDING A SHIELD

 

BONUS UNARMED STRIKE

You can make:

AN UNARMED STRIKE

as a:

BONUS ACTION

 

This establishes the Monk's fundamental combat rhythm:

ATTACK ACTION

followed by:

BONUS ACTION UNARMED STRIKE

MARTIAL ARTS DIE

Instead of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike or Monk weapon, you can use your:

MARTIAL ARTS DIE

 

Its progression is:

Monk Level Martial Arts Die
1–4 1d6
5–10 1d8
11–16 1d10
17–20 1d12

 

So the Monk's fundamental martial damage improves naturally with level.

DEXTEROUS ATTACKS

For Unarmed Strikes and Monk weapons, you can use:

DEXTERITY

instead of:

STRENGTH

for both:

ATTACK ROLLS

and:

DAMAGE ROLLS

 

This explains why Dexterity is one of the Monk's Primary Abilities.

GRAPPLE AND SHOVE

Dexterous Attacks goes further.

When using the:

GRAPPLE

or:

SHOVE

option of an Unarmed Strike, you can use your:

DEXTERITY MODIFIER

instead of Strength when determining the Save DC.

The Monk therefore doesn't need great Strength to become effective at these forms of physical control.

PART FOUR — LEVEL 1: UNARMORED DEFENSE

While you aren't:

WEARING ARMOR

or:

WIELDING A SHIELD

your base Armor Class equals:

10 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER + WISDOM MODIFIER

 

EXAMPLE

Dexterity:

16

Modifier:

+3

Wisdom:

16

Modifier:

+3

Armor Class:

10 + 3 + 3 =

AC 16

without wearing armor.

WHY DEXTERITY AND WISDOM MATTER

Dexterity contributes to:

  • attacks

  • damage

  • AC

Wisdom contributes to:

  • AC

  • several Monk Save DCs

This makes both abilities central to the Class.

PART FIVE — LEVEL 2: MONK'S FOCUS

At level 2, the Monk gains access to:

FOCUS POINTS

These represent the extraordinary energy the Monk develops through discipline and martial training.

FOCUS POINTS

Your number of Focus Points is based on:

MONK LEVEL

At level 2:

2 FOCUS POINTS

Level 5:

5

Level 10:

10

Level 15:

15

Level 20:

20

 

RECOVERING FOCUS

Normally, expended Focus Points return when you finish:

A SHORT REST

or:

A LONG REST

 

MONK SAVE DC

When a Focus-powered feature requires a Saving Throw, the Save DC is:

8 + WISDOM MODIFIER + PROFICIENCY BONUS

 

THREE INITIAL FOCUS TECHNIQUES

At level 2, you know:

FLURRY OF BLOWS

PATIENT DEFENSE

STEP OF THE WIND

 

These three abilities form the heart of the Monk's tactical system.

PART SIX — FLURRY OF BLOWS

Spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to make:

TWO UNARMED STRIKES

as a:

BONUS ACTION

 

Compare that with normal Martial Arts.

Normal Bonus Action:

ONE UNARMED STRIKE

Flurry of Blows:

TWO UNARMED STRIKES

EXAMPLE — LEVEL 2

Take the Attack action:

ONE ATTACK

Then use Flurry of Blows:

TWO UNARMED STRIKES

Potential attacks:

THREE

during the turn.

PART SEVEN — PATIENT DEFENSE

The Monk can take:

DISENGAGE

as a:

BONUS ACTION

Alternatively, spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to take both:

DISENGAGE

and:

DODGE

as that Bonus Action.

This means the Monk can choose between simply escaping dangerous melee positions or spending Focus to combine mobility with stronger defense.

PART EIGHT — STEP OF THE WIND

You can take:

DASH

as a:

BONUS ACTION

Alternatively, spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to take:

DISENGAGE + DASH

together as a Bonus Action.

When you spend the Focus Point this way:

YOUR JUMP DISTANCE IS DOUBLED FOR THE TURN

 

THREE DIFFERENT BONUS-ACTION CHOICES

The Monk therefore has a major tactical decision every turn.

Want offense?

FLURRY OF BLOWS

Want defense?

PATIENT DEFENSE

Want mobility?

STEP OF THE WIND

This is one of the defining choices of Monk gameplay.

PART NINE — LEVEL 2: UNARMORED MOVEMENT

While you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield:

YOUR SPEED INCREASES

At level 2:

+10 FEET

and the bonus increases at later Monk levels.

UNARMORED MOVEMENT PROGRESSION

Monk Level Speed Bonus
2–5 +10 ft.
6–9 +15 ft.
10–13 +20 ft.
14–17 +25 ft.
18–20 +30 ft.

 

EXAMPLE

Base Speed:

30 FEET

Level 10 Monk bonus:

+20 FEET

Total:

50 FEET

Before using Dash or Step of the Wind.

The Monk becomes one of the game's premier mobility Classes.

PART TEN — LEVEL 2: UNCANNY METABOLISM

When you:

ROLL INITIATIVE

you can restore:

ALL EXPENDED FOCUS POINTS

and simultaneously recover Hit Points equal to:

MONK LEVEL + ONE ROLL OF YOUR MARTIAL ARTS DIE

 

EXAMPLE

Level 5 Monk.

Martial Arts Die:

1D8

Suppose you roll:

6

Healing:

5 + 6 =

11 HP

You also regain:

ALL EXPENDED FOCUS POINTS

LIMIT

After using Uncanny Metabolism:

YOU MUST FINISH A LONG REST

before using it again.

This gives the Monk a powerful emergency reset when combat begins.

PART ELEVEN — LEVEL 3: DEFLECT ATTACKS

When an Attack Roll hits you and includes:

BLUDGEONING

PIERCING

or:

SLASHING DAMAGE

you can use your:

REACTION

to reduce the total damage.

DAMAGE REDUCTION

Reduce the attack's total damage by:

1D10 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER + MONK LEVEL

 

EXAMPLE

Level 5 Monk.

Dexterity modifier:

+4

Roll:

7

Reduction:

7 + 4 + 5 =

16 DAMAGE

If the attack would deal 20 damage:

20 − 16 =

4 DAMAGE

REDIRECTING THE ATTACK

If Deflect Attacks reduces the damage to:

0

you can spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to redirect some of the attack's force.

If the original attack was melee, choose a creature you can see within:

5 FEET

If the original attack was ranged, choose a creature you can see within:

60 FEET

that isn't behind Total Cover.

The chosen creature makes:

A DEXTERITY SAVING THROW

On failure, it takes:

TWO MARTIAL ARTS DICE + DEXTERITY MODIFIER

of the same damage type as the original attack.

PART TWELVE — LEVEL 3: MONK SUBCLASS

At level 3:

CHOOSE A MONK SUBCLASS

The SRD provides:

WARRIOR OF THE OPEN HAND

 

We will examine the subclass completely later in this lesson.

PART THIRTEEN — LEVEL 4: ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

At level 4, you gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

or another Feat for which you qualify.

The Monk gains this feature again at levels:

8

12

16

 

PART FOURTEEN — LEVEL 4: SLOW FALL

When you fall, you can use:

YOUR REACTION

to reduce the falling damage by:

FIVE TIMES YOUR MONK LEVEL

 

EXAMPLE — LEVEL 6

Damage reduction:

5 × 6 =

30 DAMAGE

If the fall would deal 24 damage:

0 DAMAGE

after the reduction.

PART FIFTEEN — LEVEL 5: EXTRA ATTACK

Whenever you take:

THE ATTACK ACTION

on your turn, you can attack:

TWICE

instead of once.

EXTRA ATTACK + MARTIAL ARTS

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Bonus Action:

ONE UNARMED STRIKE

Potential:

THREE ATTACKS

EXTRA ATTACK + FLURRY OF BLOWS

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Flurry:

TWO MORE

Potential:

FOUR ATTACKS

at level 5.

PART SIXTEEN — LEVEL 5: STUNNING STRIKE

Once per turn, when you hit a creature with:

A MONK WEAPON

or:

AN UNARMED STRIKE

you can spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to attempt:

STUNNING STRIKE

 

TARGET SAVE

The target makes:

A CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW

FAILED SAVE

The creature gains:

THE STUNNED CONDITION

until:

THE START OF YOUR NEXT TURN

 

SUCCESSFUL SAVE

The target isn't completely unaffected.

Its:

SPEED IS HALVED

until the start of your next turn.

Additionally:

THE NEXT ATTACK ROLL AGAINST IT HAS ADVANTAGE

before then.

So Stunning Strike produces a useful effect:

EVEN WHEN THE TARGET SUCCEEDS

PART SEVENTEEN — LEVEL 6: EMPOWERED STRIKES

Whenever your Unarmed Strike deals damage, you can choose between:

ITS NORMAL DAMAGE TYPE

or:

FORCE DAMAGE

 

This makes the Monk's own body increasingly capable of dealing supernatural forms of damage.

PART EIGHTEEN — LEVEL 7: EVASION

Some effects allow a Dexterity Saving Throw for:

HALF DAMAGE

With Evasion:

Successful Save

NO DAMAGE

Failed Save

HALF DAMAGE

 

IMPORTANT LIMITATION

You don't benefit from Evasion while:

INCAPACITATED

 

EXAMPLE

A damaging effect would normally deal:

30 DAMAGE

on a failed Save and:

15

on a successful Save.

With Evasion:

Success:

0

Failure:

15

PART NINETEEN — LEVEL 9: ACROBATIC MOVEMENT

While you aren't:

WEARING ARMOR

or:

WIELDING A SHIELD

you can move on your turn:

ALONG VERTICAL SURFACES

and:

ACROSS LIQUIDS

without falling during that movement.

The Monk's extraordinary movement now goes beyond simply having high Speed.

EXAMPLE

The Monk can run:

UP A WALL

or:

ACROSS WATER

as part of movement.

The important limitation is:

DURING THE MOVEMENT

The feature prevents you from falling during that movement; it doesn't say you can simply stop indefinitely on a vertical wall or liquid surface.

PART TWENTY — LEVEL 10: HEIGHTENED FOCUS

At level 10, the Monk's three core Focus techniques improve:

FLURRY OF BLOWS

PATIENT DEFENSE

STEP OF THE WIND

 

IMPROVED FLURRY OF BLOWS

Spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

and Flurry now makes:

THREE UNARMED STRIKES

instead of two.

LEVEL 10 ATTACK SEQUENCE

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Heightened Flurry:

THREE UNARMED STRIKES

Potential:

FIVE ATTACKS

during the turn.

IMPROVED PATIENT DEFENSE

When you spend a Focus Point on Patient Defense, you also gain Temporary Hit Points equal to:

TWO ROLLS OF YOUR MARTIAL ARTS DIE

 

At level 10, your Martial Arts Die is:

1D8

So:

2D8 TEMPORARY HP

IMPROVED STEP OF THE WIND

When spending a Focus Point on Step of the Wind, choose a willing creature:

WITHIN 5 FEET

that is:

LARGE OR SMALLER

You can move that creature with you until the end of your turn.

That creature's movement:

DOESN'T PROVOKE OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS

 

This allows the Monk to use extraordinary mobility to help reposition an ally.

PART TWENTY-ONE — LEVEL 10: SELF-RESTORATION

At the end of each of your turns, you can remove one of these conditions from yourself:

CHARMED

FRIGHTENED

POISONED

 

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT

Going without:

FOOD

and:

DRINK

doesn't give you Exhaustion levels.

The Monk's disciplined body has become extraordinarily self-sufficient.

PART TWENTY-TWO — LEVEL 13: DEFLECT ENERGY

Deflect Attacks originally applies only when the attack's damage includes:

BLUDGEONING

PIERCING

or:

SLASHING

At level 13:

THAT RESTRICTION DISAPPEARS

You can use Deflect Attacks against attacks dealing:

ANY DAMAGE TYPE

 

This upgrades the feature into:

DEFLECT ENERGY

PART TWENTY-THREE — LEVEL 14: DISCIPLINED SURVIVOR

At level 14:

YOU GAIN PROFICIENCY IN ALL SAVING THROWS

 

That means proficiency in saves using:

STRENGTH

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

CHARISMA

FAILED SAVING THROW

When you fail a Saving Throw, you can spend:

1 FOCUS POINT

to:

REROLL IT

You must use:

THE NEW ROLL

 

This gives high-level Monks exceptional defensive reliability.

PART TWENTY-FOUR — LEVEL 15: PERFECT FOCUS

When you roll Initiative, if you:

DON'T USE UNCANNY METABOLISM

and have:

3 OR FEWER FOCUS POINTS

you regain enough expended Focus Points to bring your total to:

4

 

EXAMPLE

You roll Initiative with:

0 FOCUS

Perfect Focus brings you to:

4

You begin with:

2

You regain:

2

giving:

4

You begin with:

4

You don't gain additional points from Perfect Focus.

IMPORTANT

Perfect Focus and Uncanny Metabolism aren't used together for the same Initiative roll.

The feature specifically operates when you:

DON'T USE UNCANNY METABOLISM

 

PART TWENTY-FIVE — LEVEL 18: SUPERIOR DEFENSE

At the:

START OF YOUR TURN

you can spend:

3 FOCUS POINTS

to strengthen your defenses for:

1 MINUTE

or until you become:

INCAPACITATED

 

BENEFIT

You gain:

RESISTANCE TO ALL DAMAGE

except:

FORCE DAMAGE

 

This is an extraordinarily broad defensive ability.

PART TWENTY-SIX — LEVEL 19: EPIC BOON

At level 19, you gain:

AN EPIC BOON FEAT

or another Feat for which you qualify.

The SRD recommends:

BOON OF IRRESISTIBLE OFFENSE

 

Epic Boons will be covered completely later in:

LESSON 59

PART TWENTY-SEVEN — LEVEL 20: BODY AND MIND

The Monk's final Class feature represents mastery of:

BODY

and:

MIND

Your:

DEXTERITY

and:

WISDOM

scores each increase by:

+4

Their new maximum becomes:

25

 

EXAMPLE

Dexterity:

20

becomes:

24

Wisdom:

20

becomes:

24

If one score were already:

22

it could become:

25

rather than 26 because the feature's maximum is 25.

PART TWENTY-EIGHT — WARRIOR OF THE OPEN HAND

Now we reach the Monk subclass included in the SRD:

WARRIOR OF THE OPEN HAND

Its defining theme is:

MASTER UNARMED COMBAT TECHNIQUES

These Monks use unarmed combat not merely to inflict damage but to:

PUSH

TRIP

DISRUPT

and:

CONTROL

their opponents, while also learning to manipulate their own internal energy defensively.

OPEN HAND PROGRESSION

Monk Level Open Hand Feature
3 Open Hand Technique
6 Wholeness of Body
11 Fleet Step
17 Quivering Palm

 

PART TWENTY-NINE — LEVEL 3: OPEN HAND TECHNIQUE

Whenever you hit a creature with an attack granted by:

FLURRY OF BLOWS

you can impose one of three effects:

ADDLE

PUSH

TOPPLE

 

This turns Flurry of Blows from pure offense into:

BATTLEFIELD CONTROL

ADDLE

The target can't make:

OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS

until:

THE START OF ITS NEXT TURN

 

This can help you or your allies escape from the creature without triggering its Opportunity Attacks.

PUSH

The target makes:

A STRENGTH SAVING THROW

If it fails:

PUSH IT UP TO 15 FEET AWAY

 

This can be useful for:

  • creating distance

  • repositioning enemies

  • removing enemies from advantageous positions

  • controlling the battlefield

TOPPLE

The target makes:

A DEXTERITY SAVING THROW

If it fails:

IT GAINS THE PRONE CONDITION

 

This can create powerful opportunities for follow-up attacks.

MULTIPLE FLURRY HITS

The trigger is:

WHENEVER YOU HIT

with an attack granted by Flurry of Blows.

So Open Hand Technique can potentially be applied to multiple qualifying Flurry hits rather than merely once per turn.

This becomes especially interesting at level 10 when Flurry of Blows can make:

THREE UNARMED STRIKES

PART THIRTY — LEVEL 6: WHOLENESS OF BODY

The Open Hand Monk learns to heal itself.

As a:

BONUS ACTION

roll:

YOUR MARTIAL ARTS DIE

You regain Hit Points equal to:

MARTIAL ARTS DIE ROLL + WISDOM MODIFIER

with a minimum of:

1 HP REGAINED

 

EXAMPLE

Level 6 Monk.

Martial Arts Die:

1D8

Wisdom modifier:

+4

Roll:

6

Healing:

6 + 4 =

10 HP

NUMBER OF USES

You can use Wholeness of Body a number of times equal to:

YOUR WISDOM MODIFIER

minimum:

ONCE

All uses return after:

A LONG REST

 

PART THIRTY-ONE — LEVEL 11: FLEET STEP

Normally, Step of the Wind itself uses your:

BONUS ACTION

But Fleet Step changes the Monk's action economy.

When you take:

A BONUS ACTION OTHER THAN STEP OF THE WIND

you can immediately also use:

STEP OF THE WIND

after that Bonus Action.

EXAMPLE

Use your Bonus Action for:

FLURRY OF BLOWS

Then Fleet Step allows:

STEP OF THE WIND

immediately afterward.

This means you don't necessarily have to choose between:

OFFENSE

and:

MOBILITY

in the way a lower-level Monk does.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Use:

WHOLENESS OF BODY

as your Bonus Action.

Then:

STEP OF THE WIND

can follow immediately.

The Open Hand Monk can therefore combine self-healing with extraordinary movement.

PART THIRTY-TWO — LEVEL 17: QUIVERING PALM

At level 17, the Warrior of the Open Hand gains its most formidable technique:

QUIVERING PALM

When you hit a creature with:

AN UNARMED STRIKE

you can spend:

4 FOCUS POINTS

to establish imperceptible vibrations inside its body.

DURATION

Those vibrations remain for a number of days equal to:

YOUR MONK LEVEL

At level 17:

17 DAYS

At level 20:

20 DAYS

Until activated, the vibrations are:

HARMLESS

 

ACTIVATING QUIVERING PALM

You can end the vibrations by taking:

AN ACTION

Alternatively, when you take:

THE ATTACK ACTION

you can forgo:

ONE OF YOUR ATTACKS

to end them.

PLANAR REQUIREMENT

When you activate the vibrations:

YOU AND THE TARGET MUST BE ON THE SAME PLANE OF EXISTENCE

 

SAVING THROW

The target makes:

A CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW

Failed Save

10D12 FORCE DAMAGE

Successful Save

HALF DAMAGE

 

AVERAGE DAMAGE

10d12 has an average roll of:

65 FORCE DAMAGE

So on a failed Save, average damage is:

65

On a successful Save, the damage is:

HALF

according to the normal halving rules.

ONLY ONE TARGET AT A TIME

You can have only:

ONE CREATURE

under the effect of Quivering Palm at any given time.

So placing the vibrations into a new creature requires that you no longer have another creature under this feature's effect.

PART THIRTY-THREE — HOW THE MONK PLAYS

The Monk's gameplay revolves around balancing:

DAMAGE

MOBILITY

DEFENSE

CONTROL

and:

FOCUS POINTS

STANDARD OFFENSE

At level 5:

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Bonus Unarmed Strike:

ONE ATTACK

Total:

THREE

FOCUS OFFENSE

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Flurry:

TWO UNARMED STRIKES

Total:

FOUR

LEVEL 10+ FOCUS OFFENSE

Attack action:

TWO ATTACKS

Heightened Flurry:

THREE UNARMED STRIKES

Total:

FIVE ATTACKS

DEFENSIVE TURN

Use:

PATIENT DEFENSE

to combine:

DISENGAGE

and potentially:

DODGE

MOBILITY TURN

Use:

STEP OF THE WIND

with your already increased Speed.

At higher levels, this combines with:

ACROBATIC MOVEMENT

and, for Open Hand:

FLEET STEP

CONTROL TURN

Use:

STUNNING STRIKE

and, if you are an Open Hand Monk:

OPEN HAND TECHNIQUE

to manipulate enemy positioning and actions.

DEFENDING AGAINST ATTACKS

Use your Reaction for:

DEFLECT ATTACKS

and eventually:

DEFLECT ENERGY

DEFENDING AGAINST SAVES

At level 14:

PROFICIENCY IN EVERY SAVE

plus:

FOCUS-POWERED REROLLS

SURVIVING EXTREME DAMAGE

At level 18:

SUPERIOR DEFENSE

provides Resistance to virtually all damage except:

FORCE

PART THIRTY-FOUR — COMPLETE MONK PROGRESSION

LEVEL 1

Gain:

MARTIAL ARTS

UNARMORED DEFENSE

Martial Arts Die:

1D6

LEVEL 2

Gain:

MONK'S FOCUS

UNARMORED MOVEMENT

UNCANNY METABOLISM

Focus Points:

2

Speed:

+10 FT.

LEVEL 3

Gain:

DEFLECT ATTACKS

MONK SUBCLASS

Open Hand:

OPEN HAND TECHNIQUE

LEVEL 4

Gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

SLOW FALL

LEVEL 5

Martial Arts:

1D8

Focus:

5

Gain:

EXTRA ATTACK

STUNNING STRIKE

LEVEL 6

Unarmored Movement:

+15 FT.

Gain:

EMPOWERED STRIKES

Open Hand:

WHOLENESS OF BODY

LEVEL 7

Gain:

EVASION

LEVEL 8

Gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

LEVEL 9

Gain:

ACROBATIC MOVEMENT

LEVEL 10

Unarmored Movement:

+20 FT.

Gain:

HEIGHTENED FOCUS

SELF-RESTORATION

LEVEL 11

Martial Arts:

1D10

Open Hand:

FLEET STEP

LEVEL 12

Gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

LEVEL 13

Gain:

DEFLECT ENERGY

LEVEL 14

Unarmored Movement:

+25 FT.

Gain:

DISCIPLINED SURVIVOR

LEVEL 15

Gain:

PERFECT FOCUS

LEVEL 16

Gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

LEVEL 17

Martial Arts:

1D12

Open Hand:

QUIVERING PALM

LEVEL 18

Unarmored Movement:

+30 FT.

Gain:

SUPERIOR DEFENSE

LEVEL 19

Gain:

EPIC BOON

LEVEL 20

Focus Points:

20

Gain:

BODY AND MIND

Dexterity and Wisdom:

+4 EACH, MAXIMUM 25

 

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — THINKING MONKS NEED STRENGTH FOR THEIR ATTACKS

Martial Arts allows:

DEXTERITY

for attacks and damage with Unarmed Strikes and Monk weapons.

MISTAKE 2 — WEARING ARMOR AND EXPECTING ALL MARTIAL ARTS BENEFITS

The Martial Arts feature specifies that its benefits require you not to be wearing armor or wielding a Shield.

MISTAKE 3 — CALCULATING UNARMORED DEFENSE WITH CONSTITUTION

Monk AC is:

10 + DEXTERITY + WISDOM

not Constitution.

MISTAKE 4 — THINKING FLURRY OF BLOWS IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A BONUS UNARMED STRIKE

Martial Arts already provides:

ONE BONUS UNARMED STRIKE

Flurry spends Focus to increase that offensive Bonus Action.

MISTAKE 5 — FORGETTING FOCUS RETURNS ON SHORT RESTS

Focus Points return after:

SHORT OR LONG REST

 

MISTAKE 6 — FORGETTING STUNNING STRIKE IS ONCE PER TURN

Its trigger can be used:

ONCE PER TURN

 

MISTAKE 7 — THINKING A SUCCESSFUL SAVE COMPLETELY NEGATES STUNNING STRIKE

On success:

SPEED IS HALVED

and:

THE NEXT ATTACK AGAINST THE TARGET HAS ADVANTAGE

before the stated duration ends.

MISTAKE 8 — THINKING EVASION MEANS HALF DAMAGE ON SUCCESS

With Evasion:

SUCCESS = ZERO DAMAGE

FAILURE = HALF DAMAGE

for qualifying effects.

MISTAKE 9 — FORGETTING DEFLECT ATTACKS USES YOUR REACTION

It requires:

A REACTION

 

So using it affects what else you can do with your Reaction.

MISTAKE 10 — ASSUMING DEFLECT ATTACKS WORKS AGAINST EVERY DAMAGE TYPE FROM LEVEL 3

At level 3, it is limited to attacks whose damage includes:

BLUDGEONING

PIERCING

SLASHING

At level 13:

DEFLECT ENERGY

extends it to any damage type.

MISTAKE 11 — THINKING DISCIPLINED SURVIVOR ONLY IMPROVES THE MONK'S ORIGINAL SAVES

At level 14:

PROFICIENCY IN ALL SAVING THROWS

 

MISTAKE 12 — THINKING PERFECT FOCUS ALWAYS GIVES FOUR NEW POINTS

It restores Focus:

UNTIL YOU HAVE 4

if you had 3 or fewer.

It doesn't simply add four.

MISTAKE 13 — THINKING SUPERIOR DEFENSE RESISTS FORCE DAMAGE

It gives Resistance to:

ALL DAMAGE EXCEPT FORCE

 

MISTAKE 14 — THINKING OPEN HAND TECHNIQUE WORKS WITH EVERY UNARMED STRIKE

It triggers from attacks granted by:

FLURRY OF BLOWS

 

MISTAKE 15 — THINKING QUIVERING PALM IS INSTANT DAMAGE

First you:

ESTABLISH THE VIBRATIONS

Then you later:

END THEM

to cause the damage.

MISTAKE 16 — THINKING QUIVERING PALM AUTOMATICALLY KILLS THE TARGET

In SRD 5.2.1 it deals:

10D12 FORCE DAMAGE ON A FAILED SAVE

or:

HALF ON A SUCCESSFUL SAVE

 

It doesn't simply declare that the target dies.

LESSON 44 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Monk is built around:

DEXTERITY

WISDOM

UNARMORED COMBAT

SPEED

and:

FOCUS

Its central resource is:

FOCUS POINTS

which fuel extraordinary martial techniques.

Its core offensive engine combines:

EXTRA ATTACK

MARTIAL ARTS

FLURRY OF BLOWS

and:

STUNNING STRIKE

Its mobility develops through:

UNARMORED MOVEMENT

STEP OF THE WIND

ACROBATIC MOVEMENT

Its defense develops through:

UNARMORED DEFENSE

PATIENT DEFENSE

DEFLECT ATTACKS

EVASION

DISCIPLINED SURVIVOR

and:

SUPERIOR DEFENSE

The Warrior of the Open Hand adds:

OPEN HAND TECHNIQUE

WHOLENESS OF BODY

FLEET STEP

and:

QUIVERING PALM

creating a Monk specialized in:

UNARMED COMBAT

BATTLEFIELD CONTROL

MOBILITY

SELF-HEALING

and eventually:

DEVASTATING INTERNAL ENERGY ATTACKS

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 45 — PALADIN, THE PALADIN SPELL LIST, AND THE OATH OF DEVOTION

The Monk channels extraordinary power through:

BODY AND DISCIPLINE

The Paladin combines:

MARTIAL COMBAT

with:

DIVINE MAGIC

and:

SACRED OATHS

Lesson 45 will cover the complete SRD Paladin, including its level 1–20 progression, Lay on Hands, Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery, Fighting Style, Paladin's Smite, Channel Divinity, Faithful Steed, Auras, Radiant Strikes, Restoring Touch, the Paladin Spell List, and the complete:

OATH OF DEVOTION