Every change Wizards of the Coast made to fix the DnD 2024 Monk

Out of all the classes in Dungeons and Dragons, the Monk has improved the most. Wizards of the Coast knew it needed help, so the DnD 2024 Monk was picked up, shaken out, and given a bunch of new toys that make it a lot more appealing to play. From more powerful unarmed strikes that let you grapple or shove an enemy, to a capstone ability that gives an immense stat boost, every part of this class has had a glow-up.

We’ve had early access to the 2024 Player’s Handbook, so we’re well up to speed with the new rules. I’ve even enjoyed the chance to test drive the new Monk in a campaign, playing an incredibly elderly (rather crotchety) DnD Dragonborn with fists of fury. Here, we’ll take you through all the new features for this martial artist DnD class, explaining exactly what’s changed between the Monk 5e and the 2024 version.

DnD 2024 Monk Starting Traits

The basic stats and skills of the 2024 Monk are very similar, though you’ll notice they now get proficiency with all weapons that have the Light trait, not just simple weapons and shortswords. The extra martial weapons this gives you are the scimitar and hand crossbow. These also count as Monk weapons for your Martial Arts feature.

You also get slightly different starting equipment, choosing between 50 GP to spend as you like or a Spear, five daggers, the tool or musical instrument you’ve got proficiency in, an Explorer’s Pack, and 11 GP.

So far, not much to write home about, but stay tuned: things are about to get interesting.

DnD 2024 Monk Features

Martial Arts

Level: 1 (improves at 5, 11, 17)

This is the main feature through which butt-kickings are dispensed, at least at Level 1. Whereas normally, Unarmed Strikes do very little damage, this gives you the ability to roll a special ‘Martial Arts’ die for your Unarmed Strike attacks, as well as attacks made with Monk weapons.

Already there are huge changes here. The class of die you use has been shifted up by one, for starters. That means you now start at a d6 instead of a d4, and end up on a d12 instead of a d10.

As before, Martial Arts lets you use your Dexterity instead of Strength to modify your attack and damage rolls. New in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, when someone makes an Unarmed Strike they have the option to Grapple or Shove instead. The Monk’s Martial Arts ability lets you use your Dex modifier (rather than Dex or Strength) to determine the Save for these actions.

Martial Arts also lets you make an additional Unarmed Strike as a bonus action. Previously, you could only do this while you made an Attack action, but it’s no longer restricted in this way.

This means you could use a regular Attack on one foe, then move and wallop another with your bonus action. It also means you get to make at least one Unarmed Strike, even if you use your main action for something else.

Unarmored Defense

Level: 1

Just like in the 2014 rules, if you’re not wearing armor or carrying a shield your AC is 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Monk’s Focus

Level: 2

Ki has been replaced in name by Monk’s Focus, but it works very similarly. You have a steadliy growing number of Focus Points, which help to power your other class and subclass features. You can gain these back after taking a Short or Long rest.

The restrictive nature of Ki Points was a big weakness of the 5e Monk. While the numbers haven’t changed much here, the class as a whole is less dependent on Focus, and there are more ways to gain it back.

Alongside this feature, you gain three abilities. Flurry of Blows works similarly to before: you can spend one Focus Point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. However, you don’t have to do it immediately after an Attack action, once again giving you more freedom in what you target and what you do with your action.

Patient Defense lets you disengage as a bonus action, without spending Focus. But if you expend a Focus point you can both disengage and dodge as a bonus action.

Meanwhile, Step of the Wind lets you dash as a bonus action, without Focus. But if you do spend a Focus point, you get to both disengage and dash in your bonus action, and your jump distance is doubled for a turn.

Uncanny Metabolism

Level: 2

This new feature for the Monk lets you be a lot less sparing with your other abilities. Once per long rest, when you roll initiative, you can gain all your Focus Points back again. You also get HP back equal to a roll of your martial arts die plus your Monk Level.

This feature means you require fewer short rests over the course of a day, and will almost never be caught in a combat where you can’t properly participate.

Unarmored Movement

Level: 2 (improves at 6, 10, 14, 18)
Unchanged from the previous rules, the Monk gains extra speed when not wearing armor or shields.

Deflect Attacks

Level: 3

Deflect Missiles has been upgraded – now letting you block both ranged and melee attacks as a reaction. These don’t need to be weapon attacks either, it applies to any that deal bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage. As before, the damage reduction is Monk Level + Dex modifier + 1d10, and if you reduce it to zero, you can spend a Focus Point to deflect damage back.

However, while the damage type depends on the weapon used, the damage dealt does not. Instead, you get to roll two rolls of your martial arts die and add your Dex modifier. Rather than making an attack roll, your target gets to make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the damage.

Monk Subclass

Level: 3 (new abilities gained at 6, 11, 17)

As with all the other classes, there are four Monk subclasses in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

Warrior of Mercy

The Warrior of Mercy is almost identical to the Way of Mercy subclass from the 2014 rules (see our Monk 5e guide for more details). The one exception is that Flurry of Healing and Harm has been nerfed – you’re now limited to using it a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, regaining uses after a Long Rest.

Warrior of Shadow

At Level 3 You no longer gain the spells Pass Without Trace, Silence, and Darkvision, but gain 60 feet Darkvision as an inherent feature, rather than needing to drain two Focus Points on it.

Furthermore you not only keep the Minor Illusion cantrip and Darkness spell, the latter becomes an order of magnitude more useful. It costs just one Focus Point instead of two and, crucially, you can see through the magical darkness which you create, instead of stumbling around like your enemies. You can also move the area of Darkness to a space within 60 feet of you at the start of each of your turns.

At Level 11 you gain Improved Shadow Step instead of Cloak of Shadows (which is now your capstone feature). This lets you spend a Focus Point to use this teleporting ability even if you’re not in dim light or darkness. When you use this, you also get to make an unarmed strike directly after you Shadow Step.

At Level 17 you gain Cloak of Shadows instead of Opportunist. But rather than just letting you turn invisible, this is now a powerful ultimate form. It costs a substantial three Focus Points to activate, but it’s well worth it.

For starters you’re invisible – but this effect doesn’t end when you attack, making you way more likely to hit and way less likely to get hit for the remainder of the encounter. Secondly, you can walk through people, traveling through occupied spaces as though they were difficult terrain. And last but not least, you can use flurry of blows without spending any Focus Points, making you a punching machine!

The effect lasts one minute and works as long as you’re not incapacitated and don’t end your turn in bright light (the cloud of darkness that follows you should help with that).

Warrior of the Open Hand

Wholeness of Body is now a bonus action instead of an action. It restores less than before (martial arts die + wisdom modifier as opposed to 3 x Monk Level) but you get more uses. You can use it a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier before taking a long rest.

At Level 11, Fleet Step replaces Tranquility. This lets you use the Step of the Wind feature (see Monk’s Focus up top) immediately after a different use of your bonus action (such as your Flurry of Blows)

The Level 17 ability Quivering Palm has been nerfed. It now costs four Focus Points instead of three, and more importantly, it’s no longer an instant kill if they fail their Con save. Instead, your target now takes 10d12 Force damage on a failed save or half as much if they succeed.

Warrior of the Elements

A complete redesign of the Way of the Four Elements Monk, the Warrior of the Elements subclass is no longer tied to overcosted spells. Instead, elemental damage infuses your regular unarmed strikes, giving them greater reach and the ability to push foes.

You gain the new Elementalism cantrip, which lets you shape the elements outside of combat. Later on, you can unleash damaging AOE elemental bursts for just a couple of focus points, fly, and gain access to an ultimate form that boosts your attacks and lets you deal damage just by moving close to enemies.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: 4, 8, 12, 16

When you gain this feature you have the choice of gaining +1 to two DnD stats, +2 to one stat, or a feat that you qualify for (see our DnD 2024 feats guide).

Slow Fall

Level: 4
Unchanged from the 2014 rules, you can use a reaction when falling to reduce damage taken by five times your Monk level.

Extra Attack

Level: 5

You get to make an additional attack when you make the Attack action. (Unchanged from 5e)

Stunning Strike

Level: 5

The Monk’s Stunning Strike has had several tweaks. For starters it can be triggered off unarmed strikes now instead of just melee weapon attacks, so you can use it with your bonus action attacks and flurry of blows. Balancing this out, you can now only use this feature once per turn.

On a failed Con save, your opponent is still stunned, as before. However, even if they succeed they still suffer a minor affliction. Their speed is halved until the start of your next turn, and the next attack made against them has advantage.

Empowered Strikes

Level: 6

Previously this ability made your unarmed strikes into magical attacks, helping you get past resistances to mundane weapons. Now, instead, your unarmed attacks can deal Force damage (one of the least resisted DnD damage types).

Evasion

Level: 7

When you’re told to make a Dex save to take half damage from an effect, you instead take no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save. This is unchanged from the 2014 rules.

Acrobatic Movement

Level: 9

When not wearing armor or a shield, you can now run across vertical surfaces like you’re in Mirror’s Edge or across liquids like you’re Jesus. This is just as it was previously, the 2024 Player’s Handbook just splits it into a separate feature from Unarmored Movement.

Heightened Focus

Level: 10

The Heightened Focus feature is a big upgrade to the abilities provided by your Martial Arts. Flurry of Blows now makes three unarmed strikes instead of two, Patient Defense gains you temporary hitpoints (2 x martial arts die), and Step of the Wind lets you move a creature with you.

Self Restoration

Level: 10

An upgraded version of the old Level 7 ability Stillness of the Mind. Instead of spending an action to shake off Charmed or Frightened, you can automatically remove (one of) Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned at the end of each turn.

You also don’t gain Exhaustion from not eating and drinking.

Deflect Energy

Level: 13

A simple but badass upgrade, at Level 13 your Deflect Attacks feature can now reduce (and shoot back) attacks of any damage type. This supplants Tongue of the Sun and Moon, which let you understand all languages. But who wants to learn German when you could be kicking fireballs (don’t actually try this – it works on attacks, not DnD spells)

Disciplined Survivor

Level: 14

Previously called ‘Diamond Soul’ this gives you proficiency in all saving throws, and lets you spend a Focus Point for one attempt at a reroll. (There’s no burning multiple to keep trying).

Perfect Focus

Level: 15

Taking the space of a flavorful but mostly useless ability that stopped you aging, Perfect Focus ensures you always have at least a few Focus Points at the start of every battle. When you roll initiative, if you have fewer than three FP, you go back up to four.

Superior Defence

Level: 18

Replaces Empty Body. It doesn’t turn you invisible or give you the Astral Projection spell, but also doesn’t use up any kind of action. At the start of your turn, you have the option to spend 3 FP to gain resistance to every damage type except Force for one minute.

Epic Boon

Level: 19

At level 19, like the other classes, you get to pick an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice. (See our DnD 2024 feats guide to see the options available).

Body and Mind

Level: 20

Your Dexterity and Wisdom stats both go up by four (to a maximum of 25). It’s not flashy, but it is dramatically powerful – boosting everything from your attack rolls and damage to your AC.

For even more rules changes from the Player’s Handbook, check out our guides to the DnD 2024 Sorcerer and DnD 2024 Druid. Or, for a last, poignant look back at the classic fifth edition rules, here are the DnD classes and DnD races you already know.

Source: Wargamer