Welcome to the ultimate guide on DND Monk subclasses. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a curious Dungeon Master, this article will cover everything you need to know about Monk subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons.
We’ll start with a comprehensive chart ranking each subclass.
Monk Subclasses Ranked
Here’s a handy chart listing Monk subclasses, along with my personal ranking:
| Rank | Subclass | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way of the Open Hand | The quintessential Monk – master of martial arts and self-healing. |
| 2 | Way of Shadow | Stealthy and mysterious – perfect for ninja enthusiasts. |
| 3 | Way of the Drunken Master | Unpredictable and evasive – brings humor and chaos to the battlefield. |
| 4 | Way of the Kensei | Weapon-focused Monk – versatile and deadly with various weapons. |
| 5 | Way of the Four Elements | Elemental power – harness the forces of nature for devastating attacks. |
| 6 | Way of the Sun Soul | Radiant energy – wield the power of the sun for both melee and ranged combat. |
| 7 | Way of the Long Death | Death-themed abilities – harness the power of life and death. |
| 8 | Way of the Astral Self | Astral projections – extend your reach and enhance your abilities with spectral arms. |
| 9 | Way of Mercy | Healing and harm – a balance of life and death, with a focus on aiding allies and harming foes. |
| 10 | Way of the Ascendant Dragon | Dragon-themed abilities – gain draconic powers and unleash elemental fury. |
Way of the Open Hand
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Open Hand is the quintessential Monk subclass. It focuses on pure martial arts mastery. This subclass excels in both offense and defense, making it a solid choice for any campaign.
Key Features
- Open Hand Technique: At 3rd level, you can mess with your opponent’s energy when you use your own. When you hit someone with one of your Flurry of Blows attacks, you can choose one of these effects: they must pass a Dexterity saving throw or fall down; they must pass a Strength saving throw, or get pushed 15 feet away, or they forfeit their reactions until your next turn concludes.
- Wholeness of Body: At 6th level, you can heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your Monk level. This is crucial for staying in battles longer.
- Tranquility: At 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that gives you an aura of peace. You can cast the sanctuary spell on yourself without needing a spell slot.
- Quivering Palm: At 17th level, you can generate lethal vibrations in a target’s body. When you hit a creature with your bare hands, you can spend 3 ki points to initiate these vibrations. The creature must pass a Constitution saving throw or drop to 0 hit points.
Tips for Players
Focus on maximizing your Dexterity and Wisdom for the best results. Use your Open Hand Technique to control the battlefield and protect your allies.
Tips for DMs
The Way of the Open Hand Monk can be a versatile addition to any party. Consider encounters where their control abilities can shine, such as against large groups of weaker enemies.
Way of Shadow
What Makes It Great
The Way of Shadow is ideal for players who want a sneaky, ninja-like Monk.
It’s great for hiding, tricking opponents, and launching rapid attacks before slipping away.
Key Features
- Shadow Arts: At 3rd level, you can use your ki to mimic certain spells. Spend 2 ki points and use an action to cast darkness, darkvision, pass without trace, or silence without any materials. Additionally, you learn the minor illusion cantrip if you don’t know it already.
- Shadow Step: At 6th level, you can travel between shadows. While you are in dim light or darkness, you can use your bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to a visible location that is also in dimmer light or even total darkness.
- Cloak of Shadows: At 11th level, you can use your action to become invisible. You stay invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, do damage, or require someone to roll a saving throw.
- Opportunist: At 17th level, you can take advantage of a foe’s distraction. When a creature within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack from someone other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.
Tips for Players
Maximize your Dexterity and prioritize skills like Stealth and Acrobatics. Use your Shadow Step to reposition and avoid danger.
Tips for DMs
Use the Way of Shadow Monk’s abilities to create dynamic encounters. Their teleportation and invisibility can make them excellent scouts and assassins.
Way of the Drunken Master
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Drunken Master is wild and unpredictable.
If a lighthearted, original, and entertaining combat approach appeals to you, this is your style.
Key Features
- Bonus Proficiencies: At 3rd level, you become skilled in the Performance skill, if you don’t already have it, and you also learn how to use brewer’s supplies.
- Drunken Technique: At 3rd level, you become skilled in a wild fighting style through your Flurry of Blows. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can Disengage, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn.
- Tipsy Sway: Tipsy Sway: When you make it to 6th level, you get these advantages: If you fall, you can stand up using only 5 feet of movement instead of half your speed. If a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can spend 1 ki point to make the attack hit another creature within 5 feet of you.
- Drunkard’s Luck: At 11th level, you can spend 2 ki points to cancel the disadvantage on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
- Intoxicated Frenzy: At 17th level, you can make up to three extra attacks with your Flurry of Blows, as long as each attack targets a different creature.
Tips for Players
Embrace the chaos! Use your Drunken Technique to weave in and out of combat, and take advantage of Tipsy Sway to control the battlefield.
Tips for DMs
Create encounters that play to the strengths of a Drunken Master Monk. Their unpredictability can be both a boon and a challenge in combat scenarios.
Way of the Kensei
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Kensei focuses on weapon mastery. This subclass is perfect for players who want to blend martial arts with weapon combat.
Key Features
Path of the Kensei: At 3rd level, you select two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons.
These can be any simple or martial weapons without the heavy and special properties, and they count as monk weapons for you.
With a kensei weapon, you can do these things:
- Agile Parry: When you carry out an unarmed strike in your Attack action while gripping a kensei melee weapon, you gain a “+2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn,” as long as you’re holding the weapon and not incapacitated.
- Kensei’s Shot: As a bonus action, you can empower your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon. Any target hit by a ranged attack with a kensei weapon takes an additional 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. This effect lasts until the end of your turn.
- Way of the Brush: You become proficient with either calligrapher’s supplies or painter’s supplies.
One with the Blade: At 6th level, you gain these benefits:
- Magic Kensei Weapons: Your attacks with kensei weapons are considered magical, allowing you to bypass resistance and invulnerability to damage and attacks that aren’t magical.
- Deft Strike: When you hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to deal additional damage equal to your Martial Arts die.
Sharpen the Blade: At 11th level, you can use your ki to enhance your weapons. As a bonus action, You can allocate up to 3 ki points to amplify a kensei weapon you touch, boosting its attack and damage rolls.
The bonus is equal to the number of ki points spent and lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again.
Unerring Accuracy: At 17th level, your weapon mastery grants you incredible accuracy. If you miss an attack roll with a monk weapon, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once per turn.
Tips for Players
Choose versatile weapons to maximize your Kensei abilities. Focus on Dexterity and Wisdom, and use your Kensei’s Shot and Agile Parry to stay effective at both range and melee.
Tips for DMs
The Kensei Monk shines in combat-focused scenarios. Create encounters that allow them to use their varied weapon skills and challenge their mastery.
Way of the Four Elements
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Four Elements allows Monks to harness elemental powers.
This subclass is great for players who want to blend martial arts with spell-like abilities.
Key Features
Disciple of the Elements: At 3rd level, you learn to use your ki to control the elements. You learn magical disciplines that let you cast elemental spells, using ki points to do so.
Elemental Attunement: You have the ability to use your action to direct elemental forces within 30 feet, leading to one of these outcomes:
- Produce a quick, non-dangerous effect linked to air, earth, fire, or water.
- Ignite or blow out a candle, torch, or small campfire instantly.
- Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
- Shape earth, fire, water, or mist into a simple form for 1 minute.
Elemental Disciplines: Examples include:
- Fangs of the Fire Snake: Spend 1 ki point to extend flame tendrils from your fists and feet, increasing your reach by 10 feet for that action and dealing fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage.
- Fist of Four Thunders: Spend 2 ki points to cast thunderwave.
- Rush of the Gale Spirits: Spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind.
- Shape the Flowing River: Spend 1 ki point to reshape ice or water within a 30-foot area within 120 feet, changing its form as you choose.
Tips for Players
Maximize your Wisdom to make the most of your elemental abilities. Choose disciplines that complement your playstyle and the needs of your party.
Tips for DMs
The Four Elements Monk can add a lot of versatility to a party. Create encounters that allow them to use their elemental powers creatively, such as puzzles or environmental challenges.
Way of the Sun Soul
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Sun Soul blends radiant energy with martial arts. This subclass is perfect for players who want to combine melee and ranged combat with a touch of divine power.
Key Features
- Radiant Sun Bolt: At 3rd level, you gain a ranged spell attack that deals radiant damage. You use Dexterity for both attacking and dealing damage, and it’s considered a monk weapon. When you take the Attack action, you can make this special attack twice as a bonus action.
- Searing Arc Strike: At 6th level, you can convert your ki into intense waves of energy. Right after taking the Attack action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast burning hands as a bonus action.
- Searing Sunburst: At 11th level, you can create an orb of light that explodes. You hurl the orb to a location up to 150 feet away, making it burst into a 20-foot-radius sphere of radiant light. Creatures within the area must make a Constitution saving throw or take radiant damage.
- Sun Shield: At 17th level, you are encircled by a luminous, magical glow. A bright light shines up to 30 feet surrounding you, shifting to dim light for the next 30 feet. You can use your reaction to deal radiant damage to a creature that hits you with a melee attack while within 30 feet.
Tips for Players
Focus on maximizing your Dexterity and Wisdom. Use your Radiant Sun Bolt to attack from a distance and keep enemies at bay. Leverage Searing Arc Strike for powerful close-quarters combat.
Tips for DMs
The Sun Soul Monk can be a powerful ranged combatant. Design encounters that take advantage of their radiant abilities and give them opportunities to shine, literally and figuratively.
Way of the Long Death
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Long Death taps into the powers of life and death, making it perfect for players who enjoy a dark, macabre theme.
Key Features
- Touch of Death: Reaching 3rd level, your touch has the power to sap life energy from others. When you bring a creature within 5 feet to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your Monk level.
- Hour of Reaping: At 6th level, you can frighten your foes. As an action, you make all creatures within 30 feet take a Wisdom saving throw. Those who fail are scared until your next turn ends.
- Mastery of Death: At 11th level, you can cheat death. When your hit points drop to 0, you can spend 1 ki point (no action needed) to have 1 hit point instead.
- Touch of the Long Death: At 17th level, you can use your action to touch a creature and spend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must pass a Constitution saving throw or take 2d10 necrotic damage for each ki point spent. If they succeed, they take half damage.
Tips for Players
Maximize your Wisdom and use your Touch of Death to gain temporary hit points frequently. Use your Hour of Reaping to control the battlefield and keep enemies at bay.
Tips for DMs
The Long Death Monk can be a dark and intriguing character in your campaign.
Create scenarios where their fear-inducing abilities can be used effectively, and consider their theme when designing encounters.
Way of the Astral Self
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Astral Self allows Monks to project spectral arms and other astral features.
This subclass is great for players who want to enhance their physical abilities with a mystical touch.
Key Features
- Arms of the Astral Self: At 3rd level, you can use your action to call forth the arms of your astral self. These ghostly arms appear from your shoulders or arms and last for 10 minutes. You can use your Wisdom modifier instead of Strength for unarmed strikes, and your reach increases by 5 feet.
- Visage of the Astral Self: At 6th level, you can summon the face of your astral self. This gives you advantages on Insight and Intimidation checks, and you can see in both magical and nonmagical darkness up to 120 feet.
- Body of the Astral Self: At 11th level, you can summon the body of your astral self, giving you resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
- Awakened Astral Self: At 17th level, you perfect your bond with your astral self. You can summon the arms, face, and body of your astral self all at once, getting all their benefits at the same time. You also gain +2 to AC and can deal extra radiant damage with your unarmed strikes.
Tips for Players
Focus on Wisdom and Constitution. Use your Astral Self abilities to extend your reach and enhance your combat effectiveness.
Tips for DMs
The Astral Self Monk can be visually spectacular in combat. Create encounters that allow them to use their spectral abilities creatively, and consider their unique capabilities when designing challenges.
Way of Mercy
What Makes It Great
The Way of Mercy is great because it combines healing and damage. This subclass is ideal for players who want to help their friends while also hurting their enemies.
Key Features
- Implements of Mercy: At 3rd level, you become skilled in Insight and Medicine, and you also become proficient with the herbalism kit.
- Hand of Healing: When your character advances to the 3rd level, you can finally heal with your ki. By spending 1 ki point as an action and touching a creature, you heal them for a roll of your Martial Arts die added to your Wisdom modifier.
- Hand of Harm: Upon reaching 3rd level, you can harness your ki to deal harm. When you strike a creature with an unarmed attack, spending 1 ki point allows you to deal extra necrotic damage that matches the sum total of this calculation: Wisdom modifier + Martial Arts roll.
- Physician’s Touch: At 6th level, you can cure and cause debilitating conditions. When you use Hand of Healing, you can also end one disease or condition affecting the creature, such as “blindness, deafness, paralysis, poisoning, or being stunned.” By using Hand of Harm, you can poison the target until your next turn is over.
- Flurry of Healing and Harm: At 11th level, you can combine healing and hurting in quick succession. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can replace each unarmed strike with Hand of Healing, without spending extra ki points for the healing.
- Hand of Ultimate Mercy: At 17th level, you can bring the dead back to life. As an action, you can touch the body of a creature that died within the last 24 hours and spend 5 ki points. The creature comes back to life with hit points equal to 4d10 plus your Wisdom modifier. If the creature had any of these conditions—blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned—they are cured.
Tips for Players
Maximize your Wisdom and Dexterity. Use your healing abilities to keep allies in the fight and your harm abilities to deal significant damage to enemies.
Tips for DMs
The Way of Mercy Monk can be a versatile support character.
Design encounters where their healing and condition-inflicting abilities can shine, and create situations where their ability to balance harm and healing is crucial.
Way of the Ascendant Dragon
What Makes It Great
The Way of the Ascendant Dragon is ideal for players who want to harness the power of dragons.
This subclass provides a mix of elemental damage, mobility, and thematic abilities.
Key Features
- Draconic Disciple: At 3rd level, you can channel draconic power to boost your strikes and gain other benefits. You pick a damage type: “acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.” You deal an extra 1d4 damage with your unarmed strikes. You also learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
- Breath of the Dragon: At 3rd level, you can unleash destructive waves of energy. You can swap one of your attacks during the Attack action for a breath of draconic energy that covers a 20-foot cone or 30-foot line. All creatures within the area need to perform a Dexterity saving throw, receiving the full chosen type of damage on a failed save, or half damage if they pass.
- Wings Unfurled: At 6th level, you gain the ability to sprout spectral dragon wings. When you use Step of the Wind, you can unfurl these wings, granting you a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn.
- Aspect of the Wyrm: At 11th level, you can create a draconic aura that extends 10 feet from you for 1 minute as a bonus action. You can choose one of the following effects: Frightful Presence, which compels each designated creature within the aura to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute; Resistance: Grants you and your allies within the aura resistance to a damage type you choose: “acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.”
- Ascendant Aspect: At 17th level, you gain the following benefits. Augment Breath allows you to spend 1 ki point to increase the area and damage of your Breath of the Dragon. Explosive Fury lets you make your aura burst with energy. Using Aspect of the Wyrm makes every chosen creature within 10 feet roll a Dexterity saving throw. They take damage of your chosen type on a failed save or half damage on a successful one.
Tips for Players
Focus on maximizing your Dexterity and Wisdom. Use your draconic abilities to control the battlefield and deal elemental damage effectively.
Tips for DMs
The Ascendant Dragon Monk brings a unique elemental theme to the table.
Design encounters that allow them to use their breath weapon and flying abilities creatively. Consider integrating dragon-themed elements into your campaign for added flavor.
What Is the Best Monk Subclass in DND?
When it comes to choosing the best Monk subclass in DND, the Way of the Open Hand stands out for several reasons. It’s my personal favorite due to its balance of offense, defense, and versatility.
Personal Experience and Gameplay
In my campaigns, the Open Hand Monk has consistently outperformed other subclasses.
Its ability to control the battlefield is (again, in my opinion, unmatched).
For instance, the Open Hand Technique allows you to knock enemies prone, push them away, or prevent them from taking reactions.
This level of control can turn the tide of battle, giving your party a significant strategic advantage.
Versatility in Combat
What I love most about the Open Hand Monk is its versatility.
You can adapt to various combat situations with ease.
Whether you need to disrupt an enemy’s plans, protect your allies, or deal significant damage, the Open Hand Monk can do it all. The Wholeness of Body feature has saved my character more times than I can count, providing a reliable self-healing option that keeps you in the fight longer.
Epic Moments
One of the most epic moments in my DND experience was when an Open Hand Monk used Quivering Palm to take down a powerful boss.
The satisfaction of setting up those lethal vibrations and watching the boss crumble was unforgettable.
This ability to deliver a decisive blow makes the Open Hand Monk a formidable presence in any campaign.
Why It Stands Out
The combination of crowd control, self-healing, and the potential for devastating attacks makes the Way of the Open Hand my top pick for the best Monk subclass.
It’s not just about raw power.
It’s about having the tools to handle any situation the dungeon throws at you.
If you want a Monk that excels in both solo and group play, the Way of the Open Hand is the way to go.
Here’s a video with another ranking of the DND Monk subclasses:
Final Thoughts: DND Monk Subclasses
I hope this guide helps you choose the right DND monk subclass for you (or for your players).
Your next step might be choosing a name, weapon, or character background.
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- How to Roll for Stats in DND [Ultimate Beginner’s Guide]