D&D (2024) Is a heavy armored monk feasible?

[mellored]

Heavy Armor starts at 18 and goes to 20 with a shield

Starting Equipment Chose A, B or C: (A) Chain Mail,
Chain is 16, 18 with a shield.
Scales to Splint (17) in the first few levels.
And plate (18) in tier 2.
Then hope for magic items I guess.

If you are playing a heavy armor monk, I think you really want to go with a shield. Going without a shield is generally going to put you behind the naked monk at high level.

Yea, things don't keep up quite so well at high level. Especially with less and less speed.

Probably need a subclass for it so the AC can keep up, and speed.

 

[Clint_L]

Not sure why you need to be a monk to dodge, anyone can do that.

Not as a bonus action.

And you don't get temporary hit points till level 10. Doubt you're fighting goblins at that point.

My bad, was thinking of the heal from uncanny metabolism - you are correct about the bonus hit points coming at level 10.

A Paladin can also stand in a doorway, dodge, cast Shield of Faith, react with Defensive Duelist, and +Cha to all their saves.

Can they still hit hard while doing that, or did they just give up their action? Are they half as mobile?

 

[ECMO3]

Starting Equipment Chose A, B or C: (A) Chain Mail,
Chain is 16, 18 with a shield.
Scales to Splint (17) in the first few levels.
And plate (18) in tier 2.

Yes so it starts at chain and a shield (18) and goes to plate and shield (20)

 

[mellored]

Chainmail and shield is standard starting equipment suggested by the rules

Which is 18 AC.
also, Fighters don't start with a shield. Paladins do.
Of course you can just buy it.

You don;t need plate to start at AC 20.

And how do you pull that off?
Paladin using Shield of Faith? Kind of limited but sure.
Sheild spell?

Not as a bonus action.

You lose half your damage that way, but sure.

Can they still hit hard while doing that, or did they just give up their action? Are they half as mobile?

Well Cleric can run Spirit Guardians + Heavy + Shield + Dodge + Defensive Duelist

Don't think I can fit Shield of Faith in there too.

 

[mellored]

Yes so it starts at chain and a shield (18) and goes to plate and shield (20)

I miss read your post.
You are correct.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Sorry, I know people are doing some good work here ... but I love playing monks. Whether it was the 5e14 untermonk, or the 5e24 ubermonk. They are just a fun class (IMO).

So ... why on earth would you want to try this build? I get counterintuitive builds. But a Monk in Heavy Armor is like a Spell-less Wizard, or any kind of Bard....

WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?

You can look at the ribbons and abilities and what-not, but the main defining feature of the monk are:
1. Unarmored Defense.
2. Unarmed Strikes.
3. Mobility.

Heavy Armor gets rid of all three signature abilities!

I am hoping the release of a Kensai subclass soon to see how a weapon'ed monk looks, but I honestly can't understand why a person would put heavy armor on a monk?

 

[ECMO3]

Sorry, I know people are doing some good work here ... but I love playing monks. Whether it was the 5e14 untermonk, or the 5e24 ubermonk. They are just a fun class (IMO).

So ... why on earth would you want to try this build? I get counterintuitive builds. But a Monk in Heavy Armor is like a Spell-less Wizard, or any kind of Bard....

WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?

You can look at the ribbons and abilities and what-not, but the main defining feature of the monk are:
1. Unarmored Defense.
2. Unarmed Strikes.
3. Mobility.

Heavy Armor gets rid of all three signature abilities!

I am hoping the release of a Kensai subclass soon to see how a weapon'ed monk looks, but I honestly can't understand why a person would put heavy armor on a monk?

It doesn't get rid of mobility because you can still bonus action dash or even dash and disengage. It reduces your speed, but you are still the most mobile class in the game even without the speed boost.

 

[Stalker0]

You must have a pretty lenient DM to give you 1510 gold (+ food and supplies) at level 1.

We did a poll a long while back and found a lot of DMS do give out plate by about 4th level, but yeah if your doing it at 1st you its basically the equivalent of giving 1 player a powerful magic item without giving the rest of the party anything, its going to have a significant impact.

 

[Stalker0]

So ... why on earth would you want to try this build? I get counterintuitive builds. But a Monk in Heavy Armor is like a Spell-less Wizard, or any kind of Bard....

Its like if you played a bard that was so anti-bard that they were no longer a bard, and went from "oh god its a bard" to "oh yeah its not a bard".

That's probably why

 

[mellored]

So ... why on earth would you want to try this build?