The 12 Days of Critmas: The Monk

A shorter post today, where casting spells wins again!

Monks are a complicated class, with a lot of decision points for both build and action and bonus action on their turn. I won’t go into full detail because I’m exhausted today, but there are a few interesting options. In terms of subclass, the way of the four elements will have a different strategy to the others, but most subclasses will make two attacks with their action, then quicken inflict wounds for their bonus action. Astral self changes the type of damage but not the amount, and sun soul adds the option to cast burning hands at 3rd level for 30 damage (5d6), leaving room for feats, but this is no better than quickening inflict wounds. The ascendent dragon’s breath weapon option allows one attack to deal slightly more (2d6) damage than a martial arts attack (1d6 +3). This doesn’t do as much as either the kensei or mercy monks. Kensei monks can use longswords, increasing their attack damage to 13 (1d10 +3), and mercy monks can use hands of harm to deal 17 damage (1d6 +3 +1d6 +2) on one of their attacks. This means a variant human Kensei monk, with martial adept, metamagic adept and shadow touched can make two longsword attacks as their action, then quicken inflict wounds as their bonus action, totalling 62 points (1d10 +3 +1d10 +3 +1d6 +3d10). A way of mercy monk with the same feats can also do 62 damage (1d6 +3 +1d6 +3 +1d6 +2 +1d6 +3d10).

The way of the four elements monk has some other options. If they learn the water whip elemental discipline, and burn all their ki points on it for their action, they deal 9d10 damage with a save. They can then quicken inflict wounds, totalling 120 damage for their turn, which increases to 150 if inflict wounds crits. As far as I can tell, this is the maximum amount of damage a level 8 monk can do in a single turn. Tomorrow, the insane damage monsters that are paladins.