DnD Monk 5e guide

The DnD Monk 5e is defined by its mobility and discipline. These martial arts masters power their superhuman agility with Focus Points, a resource that turns them into dexterous fighting machines. Few classes can match the speed and strike frequency of a Dungeons and Dragons Monk, but they're not quite so complicated to play, either. This guide explains how the 5e Monk class works, with plenty of tips on building one.

We'll cover the core DnD classes rules for the Monk, with reference to the most recent rules found in the 2024 Player's Handbook. We'll also recommend the best DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds to optimize your build.

DnD Monk 5e explained:

Monk class features

Along with these base DnD stats, Monks are also proficient in two of the following skills:

Martial Arts 5e

Level: One

Martial Arts 5e 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.

Our advice: This is excellent for your Monk's action economy at low levels, where few classes can attack twice in a single turn.

Don't underestimate the power of being able to grapple or shove with an unarmed strike, either. That second one in particular can set up advantage for attacks made in melee - very useful if you and your fellow frontliners are ganging up on a target.

Unarmored Defense 5e

Level: One

Unarmored Defense 5e means that, if you're not wearing armor or carrying a shield, your AC is 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Our advice: With this armor class, you're never going to tank hits like the party Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin. Don't be afraid to engage in melee scraps, but be sure to use your Monk's agility to duck out of danger again where possible. In a pinch, you can always Disengage with your main action and make an unarmed strike with your bonus action.

Monk's Focus 5e

Level: Two

Monk's Focus 5e 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 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.

Our advice: Flurry of Blows is the option you should use most option - the best offense in D&D is typically offense. Step of the Wind is a little situational, but being able to Dash as a bonus action is great for mobility, and the Focus Point version is exceptionally useful if you need to put distance between yourself and the enemy.

Patient Defense is very handy if you need to avoid being hit at all cost, though you can still Disengage as an action without spending Focus Points and save your bonus action for attacks. It's surprisingly easy to run out of Focus Points at lower levels, so use them wisely.

Uncanny Metabolism 5e

Level: Two

Once per long rest, when you roll initiative, Uncanny Metabolism 5e 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.

Our advice: This feature means you require fewer short rests over the course of a day, and will rarely be caught in a combat where you can't properly participate.

Unarmored Movement 5e

Level: Two

Unarmored Movement 5e 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

Our advice: Improved speed is a broad benefit rather than one with specific strategic advantages. You're a better grappler, you're less impeded by difficult terrain, and enemies will struggle to avoid getting into melee with you.

Deflect Attacks 5e

Level: Three

If you're hit by an attack roll that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, Deflect Attacks 5e 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.

Our advice: This is worth saving your reaction for - your Monk makes enough attacks on their turn that they won't miss the odd opportunity attack. It scales wonderfully, and it makes your survival much more likely. Plus, it's another chance to deal damage if you have the Focus Points to spare.

Monk Subclasses 5e

Level: Three

As with all the other classes, there are four Monk subclass options in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

Our advice: Check out our dedicated section on Monk subclasses later in this guide when choosing one to focus on.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, eight, 12, 16

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

Our advice: Ideally, Monks need a high Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution score. Being MAD (multiple ability score dependent), they'll mostly want to focus on improving their stats rather than taking optional feats. The only exception, in our opinion, is the Grappler feat, which hugely improves the Monk's core combat features.

Slow Fall 5e

Level: Four

Slow Fall 5e means you can use a reaction when falling to reduce damage taken by five times your Monk level.

Our advice: Incredibly situational, and you may never use it. However, if you wanted to drop from a high ledge and do a superhero landing without hurting yourself, it could make for a pretty epic entrance.

Extra Attack

Level: Five

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

Our advice: Remember that this only applies to your attack action, not any of your bonus action unarmed strikes. Still, if all you need to do on a turn is attack, you can now do so up to four times.

Stunning Strike 5e

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 5e. 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.

Our advice: The Stunned condition means your target can't act on its next turn, it fails Strength and Dexterity saves automatically, and all attack rolls against it have advantage. A large proportion of monsters can shake off a Constitution save with ease, but this is almost always worth doing - just in case they roll badly.

Remember to use Stunning Strike with your first attack/unarmed strike of the turn. That way, you can adjust your tactics depending on whether the monster passed or failed its save.

Also remember that Focus Points, while replenished fairly often, are a finite resource. Since you can't use this move on every enemy in sight, save it for ones dealing large amounts of damage or casting particularly dangerous spells.

Empowered Strikes 5e

Level: Six

Empowered Strike 5e means that, when you deal damage with an unarmed strike, you can deal its normal DnD damage type or force damage.

Our advice: Always choose force damage. It's the damage type that fewest monsters are resistant or immune to. Essentially, you'll be able to bypass the resistances of most monsters and deal full damage more consistently.

Evasion 5e

Level: Seven

When you're told to make a Dexterity save to take half damage from an effect, Evasion 5e means you instead take no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save.

Our advice: This is a passive ability, so we don't have much strategy advice to offer - just don't forget you have it!

Acrobatic Movement 5e

Level: Nine

When not wearing armor or using a shield, you can use Acrobatic Movement 5e to run across vertical surfaces like you're in Mirror's Edge or across liquids like you're Jesus.

Our advice: You can only do this without falling while you're moving. That means that, if you end your movement and you're still on that vertical or liquid surface, you're going to fall. Luckily, Monks have plenty of movement speed to work with.

Heightened Focus 5e

Level: 10

Heightened Focus 5e 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.

Our advice: Flurry of Blows is still the top dog. The number of attacks you can make at this level make you as formidable as many Fighters.

However, Patient Defense is an excellent, long-lasting buff if you have the Focus Points to spare. We'd only really use this version of Step of the Wind on a rescue mission - or if we have a particularly beefy ally we want to bring on a chase.

Self-Restoration 5e

Level: 10

Self-Restration 5e 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.

Our advice: You won't truly appreciate this one until you're in an ultra-crunchy survival campaign where the DM asks you to track your rations and how much water you drink every day.

Deflect Energy 5e

Level: 13

A simple but badass upgrade, Deflect Energy 5e means that your Deflect Attacks feature can now reduce (and shoot back) attacks of any damage type.

Our advice: This now lets you use Deflect Energy against spell damage as well as standard melee attacks. That's especially handy if you're mainly fighting mages.

Disciplined Survivor 5e

Level: 14

Disciplined Survivor 5e 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).

Our advice: The most common saving throws in D&D are Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution, the first of which you were already proficient in - now you're prepared for pretty much anything. You're now far more likely to shrug off control and area-of-effect spells, particularly with a free reroll on the cards.

Perfect Focus 5e

Level: 15

Perfect Focus 5e 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.

Our advice: At this point, it's worth spending your Focus Points as often as you can, as Perfect Focus means you'll get a chunk back once a fight begins. If you can't think of any good way to spend them, the temporary HP you get from Patient Defense is a solid option. Otherwise, attack, attack, maneuver, attack.

Superior Defense 5e

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 5e last for one minute or until you become incapacitated.

Our advice: Three Focus Points may seem expensive, but by this level you'll have 18 to spend and plenty of ways to replenish your pool. This is worth it - particularly as it doesn't eat up any of your action economy.

Epic Boon

Level: 19

Like the other classes, you get to pick an epic boon feat or another feat of your choice.

Our advice: Our personal favorite for the Monk is the Boon of Irresistible Offense, allowing your multiple attacks to consistently deal full damage, even if you don't spend Focus Points to change this into force damage. Plus, you're making so many attack rolls that you're bound to land an enhanced critical hit at some point.

Alternatively, go with the Boon of Fortitude, as squishiness is the Monk's greatest weakness.

Body and Mind 5e

Level: 20

Your Dexterity and Wisdom stats both go up by four (to a maximum of 25).

Our advice: Body and Mind 5e is not flashy, but it is dramatically powerful - boosting everything from your attack rolls and damage to your AC.

Monk subclasses

Here's a full explainer of each of the Monk subclasses, which can be found across a variety of DnD books.

Warrior of Mercy

Found in: 2024 Player's Handbook

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

Found in: 2024 Player's Handbook

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

Found in: 2024 Player's Handbook

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

Found in: 2024 Player's Handbook

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.

Way of the Astral Self

Found in: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Monks following the Way of the Astral Self 5e believe that their true self exists on the astral plane. Their meditation and discipline allow them to summon elements of that being onto the physical plane to aid them in their adventuring.

The different aspects of the Astral Self provide different benefits, and the Monk can summon more and more of them as they level up. The first, Arms of the Astral Self, provides the Monk with a ten-foot reach when making Unarmed Strikes (no grappling with your long spirit arms, unfortunately.)

The Astral Arms allow the Monk to deal force damage with their Unarmed Strikes, but more significantly, allow them to use their Wisdom modifier in place of their Strength or Dexterity when making Unarmed Strikes or Strength-based ability checks and saves. This opens the path for you to create a Monk that's all mind and no matter, with a pumped Wisdom stat and a (relatively) low Dexterity.

The Visage of the Astral Self provides several utility bonuses, such as the ability to see in normal and magical Darkness to 120 feet, or direct speech to only a single creature that they can see within 60 feet. The Body of the Astral Self joins the Visage and Arms, enhancing the damage that the Arms deal and allowing the Monk to reduce incoming elemental damage as a reaction. The Awakened Astral Self remains manifested for longer than any of the components, provides +2 AC, and grants an extra attack in a barrage of spiritual fists.

Follow the Way of the Astral Self if you want to play a wise master who wears their own soul like a mech suit.

Way of the Drunken Master

Found in: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The Way of the Drunken Master 5e is modeled on real Chinese martial schools that teach a form of unpredictable, arhythmic fighting which mimics the movements of a drunk to disorientate their foe. The Drunken Master is a more fluid combatant than even other Monks.

Drunken Technique grants them +10 feet of movement and the ability to disengage whenever they use their Flurry of Blows ability, combining offence and defense. Tipsy Sway allows the Monk to leap to their feet for only five feet of movement rather than half of their move, ensuring that they're quickly righted whenever they're knocked down.

The Drunken Master wants to be in the middle of a brawl. The other ability provided by Tipsy Sway is Redirect Attack, letting them use a reaction whenever an enemy misses them to swing the incoming blow into another creature within five feet of them. Their final ability, Intoxicated Frenzy, grants them up to five additional attacks whenever they use Flurry of Blows, provided they target separate enemies.

The Drunken Master is also a proficient performer; their drunkenness (real or feigned) a lure to misdirect their enemies. They're a great choice if you love the slapstick comedy of some of the best Jackie Chan movies (including Drunken Master, of course), or if you want to play a happy-go-lucky fool with a secret core of iron.

Way of the Kensei

Found in: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Sword saints and students of the noble blade, Monks following the Way of the Kensei 5e are masters of certain armaments. They train with dedication until they master a pair of weapons, which can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the Heavy or Special properties, or a Longbow. They treat them as Monk weapons, gaining proficiency and the ability to channel their ki into the blades. As they follow this Monastic Tradition, they will master additional weapons.

Initially, Path of the Kensei allows the Monk to make an Agile Parry, turning their Kensei weapon into a shield on any turn in which they use their Attack action for an Unarmed Strike. Or they can unleash a Kensei's Shot, using a bonus action to add 1d4 damage to a ranged weapon attack.

From level six, their ki begins to empower their blades. Kensei weapons are treated as magical for the purpose of enemy resistances, and they can spend ki to use a Deft Strike once per turn, adding an extra Martial Arts die in damage to the attack.

At level 11, they can channel one to three ki points of ki into a non-magical Kensei weapon, adding an attack and damage bonus for one minute, as if they were wielding a +1 to +3 weapon. From level 17, they can reroll one missed attack made with a Monk weapon per turn.

Unarmored but heavily armed, the Way of the Kensei Monk is one of the few ways to build a Monk that fights at range, or a melee fighter that can efficiently and predictably spend ki to add more damage. If your DM has a bad habit of running combat encounters in open areas with no cover, try an Aarakocra Way of the Kensei Monk specializing in the longbow to teach them the importance of terrain in encounter design.

Way of the Long Death

Found in: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Sinister, quasi-necromantic Monks, those following the Way of the Long Death 5e are fascinated by the point at which the soul and body separate. Rather than making them into killing machines, most of their abilities allow them to evade death's cold grasp.

Touch of Death allows them to gain temporary hit points equal to their Wisdom modifier + Monk level whenever they reduce an enemy within five feet to zero HP, slurping up its life essence (remember, temporary hit points from multiple sources don't stack, so pace yourself when it comes to drinking souls).

Hour of Reaping allows the Monk to spend an action to attempt to terrify every enemy within 30 feet, forcing them to make a Wisdom save or suffer the Frightened effect for a turn. If they use this they will be sacrificing all their attacks for the turn, but they acquire it at just level six, when they may still be facing powerful foes with poor Wisdom saves (natural beasts, Hill Giants and Slaad are great targets).

Mastery of Death will have the DnD Barbarian gnashing their teeth in envy and the Cleric 5e kissing you: for a single ki point and no action, if the Monk would be knocked to zero HP, they instead remain standing on one HP.

Although most of this Monk's abilities are about avoiding death, not ushering it in, Touch of the Long Death is the exception. Spend one to ten ki points, touch an adjacent creature, and force them to make a Constitution save. If they fail they take 2d10 necrotic damage for every ki point spent; on a pass they suffer half as much.

This is the perfect way to assassinate that high-level rival who has every magical ward going: Antimagic Sphere won't protect them from being flash-aged into dust by the Touch of the Long Death.

Way of the Sun Soul

Found in: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The Way of the Sun Soul 5e teaches Monks to unleash the power of their soul in bursts of radiant energy. Martial arts and energy beams? This is one for fans of Dragon Ball Z.

The Radiant Sun Bolt allows the Monk to make ranged spell attacks. Even better, you'll be able to use your Dexterity modifier as a bonus to its attack and damage rolls for greater punch. Using the Monk's Martial Arts dice for damage, its power increases as you level up, and the radiant damage it inflicts should be useful for knocking down particularly undivine foes. When a Monk unleashes a sun bolt, they opt to spend 1 ki to unleash two more as a bonus action.

Searing Arc Strike allows the Monk to channel ki into casting Burning Hands as a bonus action after attacking. You can also channel additional ki to cast it at a higher level, though you can only spend an amount of ki equal to half your Monk level.

Searing Sunburst is a Hadouken or Kamehameha attack (or perhaps even a Spirit Bomb). A 120-foot range spell that creates a blast of light with a 20-foot radius, creatures caught in the blast must pass a Constitution save or suffer 2d6 radiant damage, an amount that can be boosted by spending up to three ki points for 2d6 damage each. Though less potent than Fireball, resistance to radiant damage is extremely rare, and if you catch the party Fighter in the blast they have a good chance of passing their save to avoid damage.

When the Monk reaches level 17 they go Super Saiyan. Wreathed in an aura of light, whenever an enemy hits them with a melee attack the Monk can use their reaction to inflict five plus their Wisdom modifier radiant damage to the foe.

Best Monk 5e races

• Goliath - You start with above-average speed, and when you hit level five you can grow large to give yourself advantage on Strength checks and even more speed. Choose the Fire's Burn or Frost's Chill option from your Giant Ancestry to deal even more damage with your unarmed strikes.
• Human - An extra origin feat isn't too shabby, as Monks will struggle to squeeze feats in alongside their ability score improvements. See our section on backgrounds below for suggestions.
• Orc - Adrenaline Rush allows you to close rapidly with an enemy without spending any Focus Points, and comes with a couple of temporary hitpoints (which you definitely need). Relentless Endurance will put you back on your feet the first time you're downed by an unlucky blow.

Best Monk 5e backgrounds

• Farmer - The Farmer can buff your Constitution and Wisdom, and the Tough feat, all of which boost the Monk's survivability. This won't turn the monk into a tank, but will provide better survivability against being taken out in a single turn.
• Guide - The Guide can buff all of the Monk's core ability scores. The Magic Initiate (Druid) feat gives you limited spell access, and there's a lot of neat stuff in here. The Thorn Whip cantrip lets you pull enemies out of position and into range of your melee attacks, while Resistance is a helpful bit of ablative armor when facing elemental enemies, and the level one spells include options ranging from Cure Wounds to Entangle.
• Sailor - The Sailor can increase your Dexterity and Wisdom scores, and it comes with a great damage boost for the monk - the Tavern Brawler feat. This lets you reroll Unarmed Strike damage rolls of one, and adds a once-per-turn five foot push effect to your Unarmed Strike.
• Wayfarer - The Wayfarer buffs Dexterity and Wisdom, and comes with the Lucky feat. While it doesn't lend any particular benefit to the Monk, it's just good, no questions asked.

Best Monk 5e weapons

Monks are proficient with Simple Melee weapons, and Martial weapons with the Light property. Monks lack Weapon Mastery, so can't unlock the Mastery Properties of the weapons they have access to, and their Martial Arts die means their unarmed strikes deal D6 damage, which is as good as almost all of their weapon options.

At low levels, you can eek out a little extra damage on your turn by taking advantage of the Versatile property of a Spear or Quarterstaff, using a two-handed grip to make your main attack with D8 damage, then release it into a one-handed grip to make Unarmed Attack bonus actions.

While a Monk's fists become increasingly dangerous (getting a larger and larger damage die), this die can also be applied to attacks from any of the Monk Weapons. So if you find a +2 Shortsword, you can make use of the tasty damage and accuracy bonus.

For more character advice, here's all you need to know about DnD level ups. Or, if you want to learn about the latest 5e books, head to our DnD release schedule guide.