DnD 2024 Monk class explained

The DnD 2024 Monk is particularly proficient in unarmed combat, and they can use their impeccable discipline to land blow after devastating blow on an enemy. While the Monk 5e class was unbalanced and unpopular in the 2014 rules, the 2024 version is a much more appealing martial option. This guide offers a complete explanation of the Dungeons and Dragons Monk rules found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

If, for comparison’s sake, you’d like to see what the Monk 5e used to look like, head to our guide on the 2014 class. We can also help you compare with the other DnD classes, too.

DnD 2024 Monk rules:

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Monks are proficient in Strength and Dexterity saving throws. They have no armor proficiencies, but they can use any simple weapon or martial weapon with the Light property. Plus, they’re proficient with one type of artisan’s DnD tools or musical instrument – and two skills of your choice from the following:

Martial Arts

Level: One

Martial Arts is the main feature through which butt-kickings are dispensed, at least at level one. Your unarmed strikes and attacks made with Monk weapons (any that you’re proficient in, basically) deal 1d6 damage instead of their regular damage. This becomes 1d8 at level five, 1d10 at level 11, and 1d12 at level 17.

You can also use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength when making attack and damage rolls or setting save DCs for attacks. This also applies if you’re attempting to grapple or shove with your unarmed strike.

Lastly, Martial Arts lets you make an unarmed strike as a bonus action whenever you see fit. 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: One

Unarmored Defense means that, if you’re not wearing armor or carrying a shield, your AC is 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Monk’s Focus

Level: Two

Monk’s Focus gives you a steadily 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. You start out with two Focus Points to spend, and you gain one more with each DnD level up.

Alongside this feature, you gain three abilities:

• Flurry of Blows – You can spend one Focus Point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
• Patient Defense – You can disengage as a bonus action, without spending Focus Point. But if you expend a Focus Point, you can both disengage and dodge as a bonus action.
• Step of the Wind – You can dash as a bonus action without spending a Focus Point. 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: Two

Once per long rest, when you roll initiative, Uncanny Metabolism lets you 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: Two

Unarmored Movement increases your speed by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing armor or carrying a shield. This speed buff increases as you level up:

• Level two to five – 10ft
• Level six to nine – 15ft
• Level 10 to 13 – 20ft
• Level 14 to 17 – 25ft
• Level 18+ – 30ft

Deflect Attacks

Level: Three

If you’re hit by an attack roll that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, Deflect Attacks lets you spend a reaction to reduce the damage. You roll 1d10, add your Dexterity modifier and Monk level, and you subtract this sum from the incoming damage.

If you completely negate the damage, you can spend a Focus Point to send that damage back to your attackers. If the attack was melee, choose a target you can see within five feet; otherwise, choose a target you can see within 60 feet that isn’t behind total cover. They must succeed on a Dexterity save or take damage equaling two rolls of your Martial Arts die, plus your Dexterity modifier. The damage is the same as the original attack.

Monk Subclass

Level: Three

As with all the other classes, there are four Monk subclass options in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. If you’re interested in the 2014 DnD Monk subclasses, we can tell you more in our other guide. Otherwise, read on:

Warrior of Mercy

A Warrior of Mercy keeps their abilities to harm and heal in perfect equilibrium. You’ll see this balance in their two level-three abilities, Hand of Harm and Hand of Healing.

The first means that, once per turn, when you deal damage to a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend one Focus Point to deal extra necrotic damage. This damage equals one roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier.

The second ability is an action that lets you spend a Focus Point and restore Hit Points to a creature you touch. The regained HP equals a roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier. Additionally, when you use Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the strikes with Hand of Healing – and you can use it without spending a Focus Point.

Level-three Mercy Monks also gain Implements of Mercy, which means they’re proficient in Insight, Medicine, and the Herbalism Kit. At level six, Physician’s Touch improves Hand of Harm, allowing it to give an affected creature the poisoned condition until the end of your next turn. Additionally, it means Hand of Healing can end one of the following conditions when you heal a creature: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned.

From level 11, Flurry of Healing and Harm improves the Monk’s Flurry of Blows ability. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can replace any number of unarmed strikes with Hand of Healing or Hand of Harm. Doing so doesn’t require you to spend Focus Points on the healing or the extra damage. Importantly, Hand of Harm can still only be used once per turn. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier before you need a long rest.

Lastly, Hand of Ultimate Mercy is a magic action you gain at level 17. You can touch a creature that died in the past 24 hours and spend five Focus Points to resurrect it. The creature comes back with HP equaling 4d10 plus your Wisdom modifier. If it was blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned when it died, the creature has those conditions removed. You can use Hand of Ultimate Mercy once before you need a long rest.

Warrior of Shadow

As the name implies, a Warrior of Shadow loves skulking around in the dark. From level three, they can spend a Focus Point on their Shadow Arts to cast Darkness without material components. This also means you can see in the magical darkness, and you can move it to a space within 60 feet of you at the start of each of your turns.

Shadow Arts also gives you 60 feet of Darkvision (or 60 more if you already have it). Finally, you can cast Minor Illusion with Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.

Next, at level six, Shadow Step allows you to spend a bonus action to teleport 60 feet while you’re in dim light or darkness. This space must also be in dim light or darkness. After you’ve teleported, you get advantage on the next melee attack you make – but you must make it before your current turn ends.

Level 11 gives you an Improved Shadow Step. With this version, you can spend a Focus Point and remove the need to land in dim light or darkness. This same bonus action also lets you make an unarmed strike right after you teleport.

The level-17 capstone, Cloak of Shadows is a magic action you can spend while in dim light or darkness. It costs three Focus Points, but it gives you the invisible condition. While using this feature (which lasts for one minute or until you’re incapacitated), you can move through occupied spaces as if they were difficult terrain. You can also use Flurry of Blows without spending Focus Points.

Warrior of the Elements

A Warrior of the Four Elements is able to harness elemental powers that enhance their combat skills. This is first evident at level three with Elemental Attunement. At the beginning of your turn, you can spend one Focus Point to gain the following effects for 10 minutes (or until you’re incapacitated):

• When you make unarmed strikes, your reach is increased by 10 feet.
• When you hit with an unarmed strike, you can choose to deal acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage instead of its regular type. You can also force the target to make a Strength save, pushing them 10 feet toward or away from you on a failure.

Also at level three, Manipulate Elements grants you the Elementalism spell. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability when casting it.

The level-six Elemental Burst ability means you can spend a magic action and two Focus Points to create a 20-foot radius sphere of elemental energy, centered on a point within 120 of you. Creatures in the sphere make a Dexterity save, taking damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failure. You choose whether that damage is acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. Plus, they still take half damage on a successful save.

From level 11, Stride of the Elements gives you a fly and swim speed equal to your regular speed while Elemental Attunement is active. Similarly, the level-17 ability Elemental Epitome makes you resistant to a damage type (acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder) while Elemental attunement is active. You can change the damage types at the start of each turn.

Additionally, when you use Step of the Wind in this same period, Elemental Epitome increases your speed by 20 feet until the end of your turn. Creatures of your choice take damage equal to one Martial Arts die when you come within five feet of them (but only once per turn). Choose whether that damage type is acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.

Warrior of the Open Hand

A Warrior of the Open Hand’s first ability, Open Hand Technique gives your Flurry of Blows a host of new benefits. If you hit a creature with a Flurry of Blows attack, you can give them one of the following extra effects:

• They can’t make opportunity attacks until the start of their next turn.
• They must pass a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from you.
• They must pass a Dexterity saving throw or become prone.

At level six, Wholeness of Body means that you can spend a bonus action and roll a Martial Arts die to regain HP. The regained health equals that roll plus your Wisdom modifier, and you can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. Long resting restores those uses.

The level-11 Fleet Step ability means that, when you use a bonus action that isn’t Step of the Wind, you can use Step of the Wind immediately after that bonus action.

Finally, there’s Quivering Palm at level 17. If you hit a creature with your unarmed strike, you can spend four Focus Points to make them vibrate for several days. The days equal your Monk level, and the vibrations are harmless until you spend an action to end them (if you make an attack action, you can also give up one of the attacks to end this condition).

When the vibrations end, the target must pass a Constitution saving throw or take 10d12 force damage. They take half damage on a success, and they ignore the save entirely if they’re on another plane.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, eight, 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: Four

Slow Fall means you can use a reaction when falling to reduce damage taken by five times your Monk level.

Extra Attack

Level: Five

You get to make an additional attack when you make the attack action.

Stunning Strike

Level: Five

Once per turn, when you hit with a Monk weapon or unarmed strike, you can spend a Focus Point to use Stunning Strike. Your target makes a Constitution save, becoming Stunned until the start of your next turn on a failure. On a success, their speed is halved until the start of your next turn, and the next attack roll made against them has advantage.

Empowered Strikes

Level: Six

Empowered Strike means that, when you deal damage with an unarmed strike, you can deal its normal DnD damage type or force damage.

Evasion

Level: Seven

When you’re told to make a Dexterity save to take half damage from an effect, Evasion means you instead take no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save.

Acrobatic Movement

Level: Nine

When not wearing armor or using a shield, you can use Acrobatic Movement to run across vertical surfaces like you’re in Mirror’s Edge or across liquids like you’re Jesus.

Heightened Focus

Level: 10

Heightened Focus improves your Monk’s Focus features in the following ways:

• Flurry of Blows – You can spend one Focus Point to make three Unarmed Strikes with Flurry of Blows instead of two.
• Patient Defense – If you spend a Focus Point on Patient Defense, you gain temporary HP equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.
• Step of the Wind – When you spend a Focus Point on Step of the Wind, you can move a willing creature within five feet that’s Large or smaller. You move together until the end of your turn, and the creature doesn’t trigger DnD opportunity attacks.

Self-Restoration

Level: 10

Self-Restration means that you can automatically remove (one of) the charmed, frightened, or poisoned conditions at the end of each of your turns. You also don’t gain exhaustion from not eating and drinking.

Deflect Energy

Level: 13

A simple but badass upgrade, Deflect Energy means that your Deflect Attacks feature can now reduce (and shoot back) attacks of any damage type.

Disciplined Survivor

Level: 14

Disciplined Survivor 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

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 Focus Points, you go back up to four.

Superior Defense

Level: 18

When your turn starts, you can spend three Focus Points to give yourself resistance to all damage (except force damage). The effects of Superior Defense last for one minute or until you become incapacitated.

Epic Boon

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). Body and Mind is not flashy, but it is dramatically powerful – boosting everything from your attack rolls and damage to your AC.

What’s different about the 2024 Monk?

Since this version of the Monk looks significantly different from its 2014 version, here’s a summary of what these changes actually mean for Monk players:

• The Martial Arts feature starts at 1d6 rather than 1d4 – meaning Monks are generally more combat-ready from the get-go.
• You no longer have to make an attack as your main action if you want to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, meaning Monks have a lot more flexibility with their action economy.
• Similarly, you no longer have to make an attack to use Flurry of Blows.
  You also no longer have to spend a Focus Point to use the basic versions of Patient Defense and Step of the Wind. The 2014 Monk was hungry for resources and rarely got the chance to restore their Focus Points, so this version is much more generous. Uncanny Metabolism is a brand-new feature that also aims to solve this past problem.
• The Warrior of the Elements class was completely redesigned, and the other subclasses received several tweaks. These generally reduce the Focus Point cost of abilities, though each has its own unique buffs and nerfs.
• Stunning Strike can now be triggered by unarmed strikes rather than just melee weapon attacks, but you can only use it once per turn.
• Heightened Focus, Deflect Energy, Perfect Focus, Superior Defense, and Body and Mind are all entirely new.

If you want to finish your Monk build, here are the DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds you can choose from. We can also show you how to add these details to your DnD character sheet.