Warrior of the Mystic Arts Monk: D&D 2024 (5.5e) Optimisation Guide

Get magical with this spellcasting monk subclass.

At a glance

What’s changed from the playtest?

Not a lot. The blueprint used for the warrior of the mystic arts was already quite strong, being based on the eldritch knight. There are a few changes though, including:

• Mystic focus: Now recovers spell slots from unexpended focus points on a short rest or when using uncanny metabolism. Previously could use a bonus action to recover spell slots from focus points.
• Mystic fighting style: Now replaces one unarmed strike with a cantrip rather than one of your attacks. The wording makes it seem like you can replace one of the bonus action attacks from your martial arts or flurry of blows as you only need to use the attack action, but could replace any unarmed strike that turn.
• Focused strike: Previously, certain uses of focus points would aid concentration. Now causes disadvantage on saving throws against your spells for those targeted by stunning strike.

Warrior of the mystic arts features

Spellcasting (Lv3) – 5/5

This is essentially what eldritch knights and arcane tricksters get for spellcasting except rather than getting spells from the wizard’s spell list, you get spells from the sorcerer’s spell list. Sorcerers don’t get many spells that wizards don’t get, but wizards get many spells that sorcerers don’t so technically, this is inferior, but it’s still an excellent feature.

You’ll want to make sure you have damage dealing cantrips as from level 6, you’ll be able to replace an attack with a cantrip. Offensive cantrips like true strike will outperform your standard attacks (and scale with levels). You might also consider thunderclap for some AoE damage. Mind sliver is great for reducing savings throws which could be useful in conjunction with stunning strike later on and gives you a ranged option.

Blade ward usually isn’t a great spell, but might be a reasonable option on a mystic arts monk for more defence, without sacrificing all your attacks (from level 6). You might also consider some out of combat spells, especially those that will help stealth like minor illusion or mage hand.

Mystic fighting style (Lv6) – 5/5

Replacing an attack from the attack action with a cantrip is almost always a better option as cantrips scale in damage more than your attacks, this means as an individual attack, they deal more damage and sometimes have other effects. True strike is best for single target damage, thunderclap is best when next to multiple targets and mind sliver is best if you want to reduce enemy saving throws.

Mystic focus (Lv 6) – 4/5

Recovering focus points from spell slots is a nice way to get some flexibility between the 2 expendables. Need more flurry of blows or stunning strike, then expend some spell slots.

It works the other way too, but any spare focus points you have when you make a short rest or use uncanny metabolism become spell slots so you’ve got this interaction of extra replenishment. This means you can use these features more liberally and can be more effective as a result.

Focused strike (Lv11) – 2/5

Quite situational as you won’t always use stunning strike, and when you do, you may not be able to cast a spell on them that turn. You also already have advantage on attack rolls against the creature if they failed their saving throw and they already fail dexterity and strength saving throws so how much this adds to your benefits is debatable.

Because the spell would have to be cast that turn, if you’ve used stunning strike with your attack action, you could only use a cantrip to use a spell against the target so you may want to lead with your bonus action attacks (through flurry of blows or martial arts). This then gives you the flexibility to cast a spell with your action if you want to.

This is all very situational though and a bit contrived but maybe more useful when a creature passes their saving throw from stunning blow.

Improved mystic fighting style (Lv17) – 5/5

Replacing a couple of your flurry of blows attacks to cast a level 1 or 2 spell is definitely handy and allows you to mix levelled spells into your attacks. Now you can easily cast shatter or web while continuing your attacks on enemies.

How good is the warrior of the mystic arts?

If you want a monk that can cast spells and weave them into their attacks, then this subclass accomplishes this very well. You could take the spellcasting primarily for out of combat uses and the odd alternative option like AoE damage or ranged spell attacks, but the warrior of the mystic arts also manages to mingle spellcasting between attacks. Like the eldritch knight, you end up with really fluid spellcasting and attacks on your martial warrior.

All of this makes for a top tier monk subclass.

5/5

---

Building a warrior of the mystic arts

As with other monks, the warrior of the mystic arts is built for combat. Unlike other monks though, it’s also built for spellcasting. In practice, this changes little about how you build your monk. Below, I’ve detailed out how you can build an effective mystic arts monk.

Ability scores

Recommended options

• Dexterity: Your most important ability score. You need this for your AC, attacks, stealth and other things too.
• Wisdom: Also a crucial ability for all monks. This will also enhance your AC as well as being used for your DC on monk’s focus features like stunning strike and, crucially, your spellcasting, will be reliant on your wisdom.
• Constitution: You might be dodging in and out of danger, but you’ll still likely find yourself regularly getting a bruising. Monks are not naturally durable for a melee martial so a decent constitution is important.

Options to avoid

• Strength: You don’t need this as dexterity is used for your unarmed strikes and monk weapon attacks.
• Intelligence: Also of no use to a monk.
• Charisma: There’s not much room for charisma on monks.

Ability score	Point Buy	Standard Array
Strength	8	10
Dexterity	15	15
Constitution	15	13
Intelligence	8	8
Wisdom	15	14
Charisma	8	12

Skills

Recommended options

• Acrobatics: Good for any physical activities and works with your dexterity, unlike athletics.
• Insight: Great face skill. Not crucial for a monk, but you might pick up on things that others don’t.
• Stealth: Monks make great stealth options, especially with some stealth spells to back them up.

Species/race

There are a few things to consider when choosing a species for a warrior of the mystic arts:

• Safety first: Monks are not very durable, but do need to get into melee range. Anything that helps increase your durability is of great use to a mystic arts monk.
• Innate spellcasting: You can repeat cast spells and may want extra spells available. Any species traits that increase this will be helpful. Just be aware that mystic fighting style only works alongside your sorcerer spells, not all spells.
• Damage output: Monks want to be dealing as much damage as possible while disabling their enemies. Species that enhance this are useful for monks.

Recommended options

• Dhampir (2024): Some enhanced unarmed strikes can help you self heal and necrotic resistance makes you tougher.
• Dragonborn (2024): The breath weapon is handy as unlike something similar, like burning hands, you can mingle it with your attacks (though you can do this with burning hands from level 17). Flight is good for hit and run tactics and you get a resistance for extra durability.
• Dwarves (2024): Extra hit points will help you stay in combat for longer. Resistance to poison and advantage against the poisoned condition all add up to make you one of the most durable monks around.
• Elves (2024): A bunch of spells you can recast is great. Wood Elf is great for stealth while High Elf is great too.
• Goliath (2024): I’d, go for fire’s burn to land extra damage. Don’t be tempted by stone’s endurance for the extra durability, you’ve got deflect attacks for this. You can already topple enemies easily so hill’s tumble is a poor option too. Increased move speed is great for a constantly dashing monk and if you want to play a grappler, use large form to grapple even bigger creatures.
• Human (2024): Tavern brawler is practically a must for a monk meaning if you want a different origin feat too, you’ll need something like a Human to grab it. An extra skill will help you get sleight of hand so you can fill in for a rogue. Free uses of heroic inspiration are always going to be useful too.
• Lupin (2024): Shove on an unarmed strike each turn can make hit and run tactics easier by moving enemies so they’re out of reach. Howl is a great debuff and there’s a nice skill to use too.
• Warforged (2024): Increased AC and poison resilience is great for durability. An extra skill and tool proficiency will help you fill in for a rogue.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds are much more important now with D&D 2024 as the ability score increases previously tied to your race/species are now linked to your background.

You also get an origin feat linked to your background too.

Primarily, you want to focus on increasing key ability scores (dexterity and wisdom or possibly constitution for a monk) with the associated origin feat being your next priority. As such, I’d suggest the below are your best backgrounds for a warrior of the mystic arts:

Name	Ability scores	Origin feat	Skill proficiencies	Tool proficiency
Criminal	Dexterity, constitution, intelligence	Alert	Sleight of hand, stealth	Thieves tools
Charlatan	Dexterity, constitution, charisma	Skilled	Deception, sleight of hand	Forgery kit
Farmer	Strength, constitution, wisdom	Tough	Animal handling, nature	Carpenter’s tools
Guide	Dexterity, constitution, wisdom	Magic initiate (druid)	stealth, survival	Cartographer’s tools
Sailor	Strength, dexterity, wisdom	Tavern brawler	Acrobatics, perception	Navigator’s tools
Soldier	Strength, dexterity, constitution	Savage attacker	Athletics, intimidation	One kind of gaming set
Wayfarer	Dexterity, wisdom, charisma	Lucky	Insight, stealth	Thieves’ tools

Sailor is your best option here. With both dexterity and wisdom increases as well as tavern brawler (to be able to hit and push), this is the best background for a monk. Wayfarer is a top option too, but tavern brawler is so useful for a monk, it’s hard to recommend anything other than sailor unless you have another way of getting tavern brawler.

Feats

At 1st level, you can grab an origin feat through your background and from level 4, you can pick up a general feat (or another origin feat if you want) instead of an ability score increase.

Below are some feats I’d recommend for a warrior of the mystic arts monk:

Origin feats

• Lucky – More ways to be reliable at important rolls is universally beneficial.
• Magic initiate – Pick up a few more spells known and an extra casting too. It’s also decent for expanding beyond the sorcerer’s spell list.
• Musician – A universally great feat for dishing out heroic inspiration. Great for altruistic monks. Plus you can ensure you have some heroic inspiration available too.
• Skilled – If you need to fill in for a rogue as a stealth specialist or scout, you might want something like sleight of hand and perception which you don’t get as standard but monks can be really good at.
• Tavern brawler – You don’t need the damage die increase for unarmed strikes, but pushing as part of an unarmed strike is basically a weapon mastery, plus you get to reroll ones for damage.
• Tough – More hit points is very useful for a relatively vulnerable martial class.

General feats

• Bloodlust – Some decent mid-combat healing that doesn’t eat into your action economy plus better healing through your hit point dice.
• Charger – It’s really easy for open hand monks to get enough distance to make this work every turn. You’ll be dashing a lot so this works really well and the extra damage or push distance can be handy.
• Fey-touched – A couple more spells known and a couple of free castings. This monk can repeat cast these spells too.
• Grappler – Punch and grapple at the same time. Hit grappled creatures harder and move faster while grappling. These are all massively effective for the best, unarmed class in the game.
• Inspiring leader – Grab the wisdom increase and dish out loads of temporary hit points to allies each rest.
• Mage slayer – Best against mages, but having what is practically legendary resistance is also great.
• Ritual caster – Grab it for some out of combat utility spells.
• Shadow touched – Invisibility is great on a scout class and another spell can be handy too. You’ll only get one casting per long rest of each, but at least you have a decent spellcasting ability.
• Skill expert – Get really good at a skill. Stealth is really good here.
• Speedy – Faster movement is useful for a class that values maneuverability. Disadvantage from opportunity attacks will make it easier for you move across the battlefield a little more safely while still using flurry of blows.
• Zhentarim tactics – Easy opportunity attacks is great to increase your monk’s damage output. Expertise in a changeable skill is good too, especially to help you with stealth and scouting skills. Perception and stealth both make good options here.

Weapons

At low levels, a weapon will give you a bit of extra damage, but 1d8 is the best you can do here with a rapier. There are monk features that only work with unarmed strikes too and I’d be inclined to stick with that and specialise in things like grapples and shoves through feats.

You can read my full guide to unarmed combat to know more about how it works.

You may want to have something for ranged damage, but you can also use cantrips for this.

Armor

You shouldn’t wear armor, you have unarmored defense and armor will hamper many of your abilities.

More from Arcana Unleashed