D&D 5E Wood Elf Monk

[Haldrik]

The Wood Elf Monk works well mechanically. But the flavor of an Elf in a traditional Kung Fu fighting stance, rubs some players the wrong way.

And yet, Wuxia in the sense of an inherently magical Elf gliding thru trees, does feel wood-elven.

What do we need to do, to make the Monk class feel more elven?



When I think Wood Elf, I think forest, Druid, magic-tech nomads, hunting spears, archery, and muscular athleticism. Note, the spear is a Monk weapon. I also think of British folklore about "elfshot", which is something like a cantrip that shoots invisible spirit arrows from a bow, which deal psychic damage (from pain and disorientation) and at zero hit points, cause paralysis (from a brain stroke) instead of death.



Suggest ways to reflavor Monk mechanics to make the mechanics feel more elven. Even suggest a new Monk subclass archetype that is more clearly more Elven.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The "martial arts" of the monk doesn't need to be Kung Fu, there are so many other styles of martial arts you could base it on.

 

[keynup]

Wolf Strike
Squirrel leap
Fall like a Leaf
Stand like an Oak

 

[Ancalagon]

The Kensai Monk, with their emphasis on weapon mastery, may work well. Perhaps the outlander background? Stunning fist could be invoking the power of Elbereth and stunning the foe.

Slow fall, arrow blocking, evasion, that's all traditional elven crazy dexterity. Stillness of mind reflects the elven mental discipline and will.

In fact, the more I think about this, the more the monk class, with a touch of re-flavoring, is perfect for your default "elf class"....

 

[jgsugden]

You don't need to flavor the elf to the monk. You can flavor the monk to the elf.

My monk comes from a supernatural lineage. He has the Warlock adept feat, and explains all of his monk abilities as extensions of his mage hand. It slows his falls, trips his enemies, chokes them to stun them, etc.... You can reskin the monk a thousand different ways.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

The Wood Elf Monk works well mechanically. But the flavor of an Elf in a traditional Kung Fu fighting stance, rubs some players the wrong way.

And yet, Wuxia in the sense of an inherently magical Elf gliding thru trees, does feel wood-elven.

What do we need to do, to make the Monk class feel more elven?



When I think Wood Elf, I think forest, Druid, magic-tech nomads, hunting spears, archery, and muscular athleticism. Note, the spear is a Monk weapon. I also think of British folklore about "elfshot", which is something like a cantrip that shoots invisible spirit arrows from a bow, which deal psychic damage (from pain and disorientation) and at zero hit points, cause paralysis (from a brain stroke) instead of death.



Suggest ways to reflavor Monk mechanics to make the mechanics feel more elven. Even suggest a new Monk subclass archetype that is more clearly more Elven.

I'm not sure any changes are required. I've played an elf monk (kensai) in a game based on the Tolkien movies. You have a fast, agile combatant, capable of bursts of extreme combat prowess. They can stand toe-to-toe unarmoured with a foe without getting hit, shred orcs with just a pair of hunting knives, and even run up trees. All in all, it was a very good fit for the depictions of Legolas and other wood elves in the Hobbit and LotR films.

 

[Bitbrain]

Played a wood elf monk once, only it was more a case of them being a feral child who scratched and bit their enemies, as opposed to martial arts training.

 

[Ancalagon]

my initial proposal was going to be "an elven orphan educated in a monastery" but as @Cap'n Kobold pointed out - elves are monks.

 

[Volund]

If you start with the premise of playing a wood elf scout or skirmisher, someone who travels light and fast and strikes with spear or bow, and then melts away into hiding again, then monk is a great fit as is because it can do all those things. Ki is not very specific - on my wood elf Open Hand monk I describe it as drawing on the magical energy of my fey ancestry. It helps to wipe your mind free of any connection between the monk class and "east Asian-style martial artist". I've never really liked a Kung fu class in my admittedly restricted, grouchy D&D universe. Re-read the PHB section in the monk class "Training and Asceticism" substituting "wood elves" for "monks" and "enclaves" for "cloisters" and it sounds wood elfish enough to me.

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

Elves are capable of martial arts, and there a many forms of martial arts. It's not all kung-fu, karate chop.