Are WOTC Fixing the Monk? - One D&D Unearthed Arcana 1 2022 - Character Origins - DungeonDr Reviews

Personally invested in this with my Level 5 Way of Mercy monk. He’s Ki-starved and wishes he could do more cool things on the battlefield! Hope to see a video on us Mercy monks soon (please😁)!

I think it's brilliant that WotC is using millions of players to playtest their material. Very clever use of manpower... However, I hope that you're not suggesting that all Monks should become Grapple-Bots. One of the problems with the core Monk class still remains; the Ki points. After you hit double-digit levels this pretty much stops being a problem but early on playing a Monk feels like playing a 1st Ed Wizard. Level 1 and you have 1 Ki point. Wee...one use of a special ability and I need a nap. In later levels, I get more Ki points but the new Ki abilities also cost more so the problem persists. Until they get the mid-tier abilities (most of which are 'pay X Ki cost and it works for a minute'), they're starved for the thing that powers the stuff that makes them cool.

I agree. The monk is a controller and disruptor

If you take tavern brawler, you can retreat out of melee as monk for free while still making a damaging attack with the knock back ability. No need to use step of the wind as long as you have enough movement to get out of range

I don’t think it fixes the monk, as much as changes what is considered optimal. By altering the basic rules and assumptions around grappling, unarmed strikes, etc. WOTC forces us to reconsider builds and play styles, and that is going to change what is considered a viable or optimised monk. I know all of this is UA, but I am encouraged that WOTC released it in this format: it shows that they are willing to tinker and streamline to get things better. That said, based on how these changes borrow so heavily from the way of the open hand monk level 3 feature, I think the monk is going to be reworked considerably by 2024.

Personally I think the Monk should be a half-spellcaster with the sub-class determining which spells they have access to. It makes 110% sense for a class revolving around spirituality and unlocking secrets of the mind and body to have magical abilities.

Coming from the future. XD In the original monk "Martial arts" worked the same as "two-weapon fighting". I have the WILD guess that they will make the unarmed strike from martial arts be part of the attack action just like the new light weapon property, or just say "Your unarmed attacks count as light weapons" so this will make the bonus action accessible for the other Ki stuff monks should be able to do but always spend it on just punching anyways. If that assumption is correct, a monk that uses a light weapon might have an excuse to use that property twice maybe? (Since we could use the property of the martial arts and then the light weapon if they are different enough) and then we don't need to have flurry of blows, and then making the other ki options more useful in comparison (Be real, in combat you never take the dodge action or the step of the wind, you always only punch more) And now that jump got super nerfed (since you have to spend your entire action to jump and then you can't do jack jazz in your turn) Step of the wind might be way more desirable since you can jump using your bonus action and double the distance. Monks also are now in the Warrior category, which means that they are qualified to take fighting styles instead of feats too. And also can take feats that are designed for warriors, probably we will have some good defensive and offensive options there that will make monks overall more durable and effective in damage dealing. On the theme of this video that was mostly about Grappling, the Grappler fighting style would be nice on a monk, not being affected by slowed and getting the damage of the attack while grappling is very synergetic.

The problem is that an Unarmed Fighter is better than any Monk until level 11, when they are equal. Not sure how WotC could fix this, will see what we get when Martial classes are updated.

ah I can't take it.

Hi there. I was liking what you had to say, but listen to your video and just count how often you say "Uhh". I couldn't keep listening. Something to be mindful of in the future. Best wishes for your channel. Keep it up!

WOTC doesnt fix anything