Punch your enemies into submission with this martial arts class for D&D 5e
Monks are martial artists who follow a path towards spiritual and physical mastery. This makes them unique melee specialists, capable of weaving their way through combat to cause damage where they’re needed most. They’re unarmed specialists, capable of packing a nasty punch that’s made nastier by channelling their ki abilities. These limited use abilities can be used to punch more enemies, perform stunning attacks, move more quickly or for many other uses.
While not the most common class in literature, people like Daredevil embody a monk (he’s even pretty religious). You could also look to someone like Neo as a kind of monk with guns or Obi Wan kenobi as a monk with lightsabers. Aang is a more traditional form of monk and if you want to play a teenage mutant ninja turtle, simply play as a Tortle.
Be aware though, monks are characters with very pronounced strengths and weaknesses that can be difficult to pull off in the game. They aren’t a bad class, just a difficult one to use effectively. As such, I wouldn’t recommend them for new players.
At a glance
Choose a monk if you want…
- To fight like a martial artist
- A melee warrior
- Someone extremely quick
- A stealthy character
- Want to catch arrows in mid-air and throw them back at your enemy
A monk might not be for you if…
- You want to play a durable character
- Want to play a spellcaster
- Want a straightforward class
- Want a class that can attack at range
For a more detailed look at a monk’s capabilities, I’ve put together the scoring matrix below. This rates monks on different features and abilities to give you a clear idea of where their strengths and weaknesses lie. I’ve also explained more precisely what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they might affect your play in the sections below. For a full comparison of all classes and their capabilities, check out our class guide:
Combat
Armor class: 3
Weapon damage: 3
Durability: 3
Mobility: 5
Combat abilities: 4
Spellcasting
N/A: Monks don’t have access to spells
Out of combat
Face abilities: 2
Skills: 2
Out of combat abilities: 2
How have we worked out these scores?
We’ve reviewed and played all the officially released D&D 5e classes and looked at a typical build for these class types. Because subclasses offer a lot of variety, we’ve had to exclude these from our considerations.
There is an exception here as the artificer is shaped hugely by their subclass. When it comes to something like weapon damage, we’ve had to take into consideration the fact that most artificers are decent with weapons, but an alchemist would probably only score a 2, even if the other artificer subclasses would score a 3.
We’ve scored each attribute out of 5 with a score of 5 reserved for classes that are the very best at that attribute. There’s some judgement required here. For example, a druid is typically a 3 in mobility (average mobility), but with wildshape, they can fly and swim quicker (and just travel faster). This elevates their score in our minds, even if they don’t consistently have these levels of mobility.
It’s important to understand though, that these scores are not hard and fast. Obtaining feats and pumping more into certain ability scores can turn any class into a decent face, for example. Different subclasses will also make a class better at different things (like an eldritch knight gaining spellcasting) but we feel that these scores represent most typical versions of their class.
Strengths
Monks are melee specialists, but unlike most melee specialists (like fighters, barbarians and paladins) they aren’t especially durable. They do make up for this with some very handy flourishes and abilities which make them great at some of the following things:
- Lots of attacks: Get those extra dice ready, you’ll need them. Monks get an extra attack, can attack with their bonus action (without the need for two-weapon fighting) and can land an extra blow using a ki point with flurry of blows. Sadly, monk attacks don’t pack the same punch as that of a fighter who can also easily achieve 4 attacks. This can still lead to a solid damage output and means you’re less reliant on missing with a single attack like a rogue.
- High mobility: As you gain levels, you’ll get faster (up to +30ft faster which is huge and the best of any class). This means you can get where you want, popping in and out of combat to strike the enemies you need to. On top of this, you can use your ki to use the disengage action as a bonus action allowing you to avoid retaliation from opportunity attacks.
- Stun your enemies: At 5th level, you’ll get stunning strike allowing you to stun enemies. This is a hugely powerful option to spend your ki points on as it will prevent your opponent from acting for a turn while giving you and your allies advantage on any further attacks against them.
- Versatile abilities: Monks get a bunch of other abilities to aid them including defensive options like evasion, dodge as a bonus action and the ability to end conditions imposed on you. More on these abilities later in the guide.
Weaknesses
Sometimes a monk’s weaknesses conflict heavily with their strengths. Considering their martial prowess, they severely lack durability. This doesn’t make them a bad class, but being aware of their weaknesses and playing heavily to their strengths is the way to make sure you don’t end up knocked out early in combat.
- Fragile, especially at early levels: Unlike most melee classes, like fighters, barbarians and paladins, monks are not that durable. For starters, they only get a d8 for their hit dice. On top of this, they can’t wear armor so are reliant on their unarmored defense. This can eventually be quite good, getting you to 20AC once you have 20 dexterity and wisdom, but you’ll have to wait on multiple ability score increases to reach this and would mean some sacrifices made to constitution to achieve this. You do get some durability abilities like deflect missiles, evasion and diamond soul, but again, all of these take time to achieve leaving you vulnerable, especially at early levels.
- Limited ki points: Ki points enhance everything you do but are limited in the number of uses. Fortunately, this increases with each level and they can be replenished every short/long rest. This means you can consistently use ki points most turns at high levels, but at low levels, you’re likely to run out quite quickly, again, making you less effective at low levels.
- Poor face skills: Despite feeling like a utility class in some ways (especially as a backup rogue if you don’t have one of those), they’re actually very poor at face skills. To start with, you don’t have an option for proficiency in any face skills (unless you take a relevant background or race for that). But with having to already pump ability score improvements into dexterity, wisdom and constitution, there’s very little space to put much into charisma.
- Spellcasting: Despite being spiritualists similar to clerics, druids and paladins, monks don’t actually have any spellcasting ability. Their natural wisdom does make them an option for multiclassing into clerics and druids, but their lack of spells does limit some of their versatility, despite having ki points which replace this to some effect.
- Bad teamplayers: Monks are very reliant on allies to keep them safe, but do very little to support their allies. Their abilities are very focused on themselves so no granting buffs or healing; and because you’ll be trying to jump in and out of combat, you’re not great for giving advantage through flanking to your allies (though you’re happy to take it). Stunning strike is useful for incapacitating enemies and giving allies advantage for a turn, but that’s about it. Basically, monks are selfish combatants!
The above tackles a typical monk build, but with subclasses and multi-classing, there are some interesting and unique monk builds that can combine other elements into your character build. It is worth noting though, that most monks work best in roughly the same way, making them one of the less adaptable classes.
Getting the most out of a monk’s features
| Party Role | Damage Dealer, Control |
| Main Ability | Wisdom and Dexterity |
| Saving Throws | Strength, Dexterity |
| Hit Dice | 1d8 + Consitution modifier per level |
| HP at 1st Level | 8 + Constitution Modifier |
| Ki Points Ability | Wisdom |
| Armour Proficiency | None |
| Weapon Proficiency | Simple weapons, shortswords |
Below I’ve outlined a monk’s class features. The main things to note is their reliance on a lot of ability scores! Wisdom, dexterity and constitution are all essential for building an effective monk. This is especially important as you’re reliant on unarmored defense due to your lack of armor proficiency which relies on both a high dexterity and high wisdom to give you any kind of durability.
Strength isn’t a great saving throw, but dexterity is excellent, especially for surviving nasty AOE spells.
It’s also important to remember that for a melee class, monks are not very durable. Only d8 hit dice and it’s difficult to achieve a high AC early on making you especially vulnerable. This makes constitution even more important to a monk than most classes.
Unarmored defense – Level 1
If you want a decent armor class, investing heavily in dexterity and wisdom is essential. Without that, your armor class will be pathetic. Unlike paladins and fighters who can access high armor classes early on with heavy armor and a shield (or a similar setup), monks must rely on ability score increases which are harder to come by. By higher levels, you could have an AC of 20, but this will mean sacrificing other ability scores.
Martial arts – Level 1
Martial arts enables you to do decent damage with unarmed strikes. The wording is a bit fiddly here and allows you to do certain things with monk weapons and some things with your unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes must use the martial arts die for damage (which starts at d4, but scales to a d10), but weapon attacks can either use your martial arts die or their natural damage.
Until level 17, a spear or quarterstaff using the versatile property can do d8 damage (so equal or more than your martial die). I’d take a spear (as you can throw it if needs be) use this for your main attack (and later, your extra attack) and then use your bonus action for an unarmed strike (when your bonus action isn’t occupied with other things). From 2nd level, you can perform 2 unarmed strikes using flurry of blows and a ki point, but again, will be limited to your martial arts die damage.
Ki – Level 2
The big challenge with ki is making it last long enough to remain effective in the moments at matter. This is particularly challenging at low levels when you have a limited number of ki points.
Dashing is probably one of the least useful uses of your ki points (especially as you should be faster than most enemies without it anyway). Disengage, is useful, but if you can manage to coordinate attacks with your allies and steer clear of being surrounded, you may not need this too often. Dodge is an option if you have little support and can’t just disengage out the way of your enemies. This leaves flurry of blows, which is likely where you want to spend most of your ki points pulling off greater damage against your enemies.
Unarmored movement – Level 2
The tactics are obvious here. Don’t wear armor! You’re not proficient in it anyway. Now you’re fast and can forego the need for using ki points on dash in most instances.
Consider how you can work your way around the environment in ways that make it challenging for your enemies. For example, you could use hit and run tactics near a river, allowing you to strike, then run back across the river leaving your enemies wading or swimming after you.
Deflect Missiles – Level 3
This uses your reaction which is rarely needed for anything else anyway so if you’re being shot at, you might as well use it. The only challenge here is if you’re being shot at multiple times, which attack do you choose to deflect? It could be tempting to wait for a really powerful shot, but doing so runs the risk of wasting the opportunity to use this. Also, powerful shots are less likely to give you the opportunity to launch the missile back so it’s generally worth just using this ability when you can.
Slow fall – Level 4
The main thing here is just don’t forget about it, and make sure you’re the one testing that rickety chasm bridge rather than you friends.
Extra attack – Level 5
You attack more now, which is obviously great. The same principles explained under martial arts, apply to your extra attacks too.
Stunning strike – Level 5
This is a hugely powerful ability and one of the best uses of your ki points. Essentially, you can completely disable an opponent from combat (unless they get a great save). A great option against enemy spellcasters who tend to have poorer constitution and can badly need disabling. Attacks will have advantage against the target for the duration of the stun, so take them down quickly while you can or focus your blows on taking out active enemies while you pop a stun each turn to this dangerous enemy.
Ki-empowered strikes – Level 6
Great for taking down enemies with resistances to non-magical attacks. Just keep in mind it’s only your unarmed strikes that benefit from this. At d6 damage, it remains less than what you can attain with a spear, but better than a spear attack with halved damage.
Evasion – Level 7
Great for avoiding the devastating effects of AoE spells (many of which require dexterity saving throws). There’s nothing too tactical here, just enjoy the benefits of a bit more resilience.
Stillness of mind – Level 7
Another resilience ability meaning you only need to put up with being charmed or frightened for one turn.
Purity of body – Level 10
Similarly here, immunity to poison and disease is great. The language isn’t particularly clear here as the rules tend to refer to poison damage and the poisoned condition as separate things. However, to clarify, Jeremy Crawford has stated that this ability makes monks immune to both poison damage and the poisoned condition. Both of these are very common so this is a huge boost.
Tongue of the sun and moon – Level 13
A slightly niche ability, especially for the rather anti-social monk, but the speaker of the party doesn’t always need high charisma. And now, there are no barriers to talking to anyone capable of language (maybe other than your hubris or your dreadful manners)!
Diamond soul – Level 14
Another resilience feature that makes you way better at saving throws (and really, monks are the masters of saving throws, at least once they reach mid to high levels).
Timeless body – Level 15
This is more flavour than a practical ability, but I guess you’re immune to a very limited number of spells and less likely to get exhausted.
Empty body – Level 18
Invisibility is excellent, as is resistance to all damage, and with 18 ki points at this stage, should be plenty to get you through a full encounter. Use your invisibility to strike with advantage while granting disadvantage to enemies that try to attack you. Just be aware of features that can reveal you anyway like truesight or similar abilities.
Perfect self – Level 20
A bit pathetic for a 20th level ability, but you always have ki points in combat. With decent resource management, this should rarely be an issue at this level though, especially as you only need a short rest to renew your ki points.
How to play as a monk
Unlike most classes, monks are a little pigeon-holed in how they can be played. With melee combat practical a necessity and durability low, you’re very much forced into being a hit and run specialist. To optimise how you do this though, you can use the following tactics:
Hit and run: This means tackling a single enemy at a time, flitting in and out of combat and avoiding becoming surrounded. Your high movement speed and ability to disengage as a bonus action will really help here. You’ll do even better when you work this approach in and around allies that are also martial combatants as it’ll be easier to distract foes with your allies (as callous as that sounds) and can use flanking for advantage and without provoking opportunity attacks.
Use your ki points: Your ki points are going to be hugely important for all of this. They either allow you to do more damage or survive longer. You’re going to have to manage this a lot at early levels though as you don’t get a lot of these to start with but they do stack up quickly.
Knowing when to use aggressive ki abilities like flurry of blows and stunning strike, or preserving yourself with things like patient defense and step of the wind is going to be the key. Generally, I’d suggest going for damage more often and preservation if you start to get overwhelmed. In many combats, you can use your allies to engage your target allowing you to move away without using disengage or provoking opportunity attacks.
Stunning strike: Stunning strike is a very powerful option. While it does require a constitution saving throw which can often be high for monsters, if successful, it incapacitates an enemy for a whole turn. It also gives you and allies advantage against it.
On top of this, it doesn’t take up a bonus action like other ki abilities so your bonus action remains available and you can choose to use it only once you’ve hit so you’re less likely to waste a ki point attempting this. All round, it’s an excellent option and can even allow you to move away from an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity and without having to use step of the wind to disengage. In fact, stunning strike is probably a monk’s most powerful ability.
Out of combat: You’re usually going to be pretty good at stealth so can moonlight a little as a rogue. Your lack of thieves tools proficiency is an issue here but a background like criminal will help.
Which subclass should I choose?
Known as monastic traditions, monks have some interesting subclass options that will primarily open up a lot of unique options for combat. Ultimately, most subclasses will leave you playing in a similar way (unlike something like an artificer where every subclass operates very differently). Some subclasses do mix things up a bit. For instance, the way of the sun soul will let you do more with ranged combat, the way of shadow will let you do more with stealth and the way of the ascendant dragon will help you deal more with crowds.
I’ve outlined them all below so you have a flavour for how they work and can choose which one works best for your character:
Way of the open hand
Source Book: Player’s Handbook
Description: Uses their fists and open hand to defeat their enemies.
Good for: Monks that want to double-down on combat with their fists.
Way of shadow
Source Book: Player’s Handbook
Description: Ninjas that strike from the shadows.
Good for: Monks that want to sneak around like ninjas and surprise their enemies. Great for monks that need to moonlight as a rogue.
Way of the four elements
Source Book: Player’s Handbook
Description: Monks that use the elements to supplement their powers.
Good for: Monks that want to channel the elements and have access to things like spells and flight.
Way of the sun soul
Source Book: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Description: Monks with such powerful will, they can ignite with fire.
Good for: Monks that want to do ranged damage with magical bolts of radiance.
Way of the drunken master
Source Book: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Description: Monks that have mastered unpredictable fighting patterns causing them to confuse enemies.
Good for: Monks that want to act drunk… Drunken masters generally do the things that monks already do, but a bit better. In particular, they become even better at hit and run tactics.
Way of the kensai
Source Book: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Description: Monks that transform their attacks into a devastating form of art.
Good for: Monks that want to fight with better weapons and with greater mastery.
Way of mercy
Source Book: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Description: You use your abilities to bring peace more than harm.
Good for: Monks that want some basic healing capabilities and to add some damage to their attacks.
Way of the astral self
Source Book: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Description: You are able to use your spirit as an extension of yourself to aid in combat.
Good for: For monks that want to embody their inner Doctor Strange and channel astral arms to (mostly) deal more damage.
Way of the ascendent dragon
Source Book: Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
Description: Monks that channel the spirit of dragons.
Good for: Monks that want to embody a dragon in combat, instil fear in their enemies and actually be able to manage multiple foes at once.
How to optimise a monk
Optimising a character properly can be tricky. Below I’ve picked out some key attributes for you to use with a monk to turn them into a formidable opponent:
Ability score
Recommended options: Dexterity and wisdom, then anything spare into constitution.
Options to avoid: Strength, intelligence and charisma
Monks are MAD (Multiple Ability Dependant), and more MAD than any other class. This means you need to have high scores in multiple abilities to be properly effective (unlike a rogue which can get away with a high dexterity and not a lot else if it needs to). This means you don’t have the space to pump points into anything you’re not ability dependant on.
As your AC, attacks and best skills depend on dexterity, this is hugely important for you. Your Ki uses wisdom which is also linked to your unarmored defense so this is also crucial. Beyond that, as a martial, you desperately need the hit points, especially as you’re not that tough, so high constitution is also important.
Ultimately, this means monks rarely have the space to invest in non-essential abilities like intelligence or charisma (even if you do want to play a face). You’ll just have to dump these abilities.
Races
Recommended options: Aarakocra, Aasimar, Autognome, Bugbear, Deep Gnome, Gem Dragonborn, Duergar, Goblin, Goliath, Ghostwise Halfling, Kenku, Orc, Owlin, Simic Hybrid, Tabaxi, Warforged, Yuan-Ti
Options to avoid: Centaur, Changeling, Drow, Half-Orc, Leonin, Minotaur, Tiefling, Verdan
Considerations: Because monks are MAD, they’re extremely dependant on ability score increases from their race. You’ll want to choose a race that can give you an increase in wisdom, dexterity and/or constitution. Thankfully, races published since Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything allow you to put ability scores into whatever ability you like (even spreading them across all 3 abilities if you want).
Flight can be useful, especially for hit and run tactics and when you need to fight flying enemies (especially as monks have few ranged options), plus your speed increases work with flight. This makes flying races like the Aarakocra, Owlin or Fairies excellent options. Additional skills can be useful, especially if you’re lacking a natural rogue or scout in the party as monks can excel in these areas with their high dexterity and wisdom.
While it may seem helpful to utilise wisdom for some innate spellcasting, without spell slots, you will be limited to one use per long rest and need to avoid intelligence and charisma based casting. In addition, while not useless, monks regularly use their bonus action so races with bonus action abilities will likely get less mileage.
Backgrounds
Recommended options: Criminal, Urban Bounty Hunter, Urchin
Options to avoid: Pretty much anything that doesn’t offer dexterity or wisdom based skills.
Considerations: There’s not much here for a monk really. Many give some face skills but these aren’t great for a monk. You’ll instead want to focus on dexterity based skills and perhaps the best thing you can do with your background, is turn them into a backup rogue (especially if you don’t already have one in the party). Grab thieves tools proficiency and sleight of hand or stealth proficiency for this.
Skills
Recommended options: Stealth, insight and perception. You might want to consider acrobatics for any physical checks you need to make.
Options to avoid: Religion, history and athletics
Considerations: Religion and history are rarely useful and for physical checks, lean on your dexterity with acrobatics rather than athletics unless you intend to become a grappler (which can be challenging for a monk). Stealth is your best option and insight and perception are both always useful and often needed from multiple players at once.
Feats
Recommended options: Tough, skill expert, lucky, gunner, durable, crusher
Options to avoid: Pretty much anything else
Considerations: It’s not that feats are bad for a monk, but you’re so reliant on those ability score increases that this is absolutely the most important thing for you to do. If you do happen to maximise on ability scores, you might consider feats that increase your durability like tough or something universally useful like lucky. Gunner could be good to give you ranged weapon options (and turns you into Neo or John Wick, which is an added bonus). But generally, I’d suggest avoiding feats.
Weapons
Recommended options: Spears are best, handaxes and quarterstaffs are also good options.
Options to avoid: Darts, shortswords
Considerations: You can use your martial arts damage or your weapon damage for your attacks. The best weapons do d8 damage with the versatile property (spears and quarterstaffs) which you won’t beat with martial arts until lv17. This makes a spear your best option as they can also be thrown. Quarterstaffs are great if you need bludgeoning damage and handaxes for slashing (they can also be thrown).
Javelins are just inferior spears but alright, darts are even worse and shortswords can’t be thrown like a handaxe so should be skipped too.
Armor
Recommended options: None, Monks aren’t proficient with any kind of armor and unarmored defense will compensate here.
Options to avoid: Avoid all armor, you’re not proficient.
Considerations: Monks aren’t proficient with any armor so no need to give them any. The main thing you can do for your AC is pump points into your dexterity and wisdom to beef out your unarmored defense.
Multiclassing
Recommended options: Rogue
Options to avoid: Sorceror, Bard, Warlock, Wizard, Artificer, Paladin
Considerations: Monks are already MAD so there’s no chance you’re investing in multiclassing into a class that isn’t dexterity or wisdom based, completely ruling out things like sorcerers, wizards and artificers.
This still leaves classes like clerics, druids, rangers, fighters and barbarians. Unfortunately, none of these give you anything compelling enough at early levels other than maybe rage, but so many abilities from these classes would likely go wasted in a monk build.
This does however, leave you with a rogue which is an excellent class to multiclass into. Sneak attack can stack with your usual weapon attacks (and you get lots of chances to land it). You should already have a high dexterity and you’ll get access to important skill and tool proficiencies, particularly thieves tools, allowing you to easily take over as the party rogue without much multiclassing. You can also avoid wasting ki points to disengage and dash by using cunning action instead.
Roleplaying a monk
Despite their fairly limited approach to combat, monks can be quite varied in personality and approach. If you’re looking for inspiration, I’ve listed a few ideas below:
- The ninja: You lurk in the shadows, unheard and unseen, killing your targets with cold efficiency. Your mind and body are trained with an incredible discipline. But who are you really behind that mysterious façade?
- The Wise fool: You are disarmingly carefree, putting on a relaxed and even foolish persona to fool your enemies. But once they underestimate you, that’s when you strike. You also have a habit of infuriating others with cryptic advice that ends up being exactly what they needed to hear all along. Yoda is a great example of the wise fool.
- The master: You are strict, disciplined and a master of your art. You’ve trained many students, but few are worthy of your incredibly high standards. You are often disappointed, but when you finally are impressed, that commendation will be of incredible value.
- The pilgrim: You seek spiritual enlightenment. You have dedicated your life to searching for meaning and mastery over your body and mind. You travel, learn and train to achieve this through strict self-discipline.
- The vengeful warrior: You or a loved one have been seriously wronged. You fight to take vengeance, perhaps even on the ideologies that wronged you, or perhaps on an individual or an organisation. Whatever it is, you are driven by anger and grief, striking out at those that would cause yourself and others pain. This is the type of monk embodied by Daredevil.
