Summary
Monks inDungeons & Dragonsremain the staple martial artists - their very bodies are weapons, and their complicated maneuvers can transform their punches, kicks, throws, and lunges into devastating attacks. Well-trained Monks aren’t averse to weapons training, though, as some Monks do specialize in using armaments as extensions of their bodies.
With the right weapon, a Monk inD&D 5ecan obliterate swaths of enemy forces. Obtaining the right Magic Item can help Monks wield tremendous magical powers or live the life of heroes in martial arts fiction. A Monk with the right weapon and the right backstory to match can easily become the stuff of legends.
Updated on June 5th, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam:With Dungeons & Dragons celebrating its 50-year Anniversary in 2024, fans of the acclaimed TTRPG might be curious as to how upcoming releases such as the updated Player’s Handbook can make an impact on their adventures and campaigns. However, fans looking forward to the updated PHB may want to continue creating their dream builds, especially fast-attacking and mobile Monks who can adapt to encounters courtesy of their quick feet and combat options. Part and parcel of this theorycraft involves finding the best armaments to provide their Monk, especially if they want to pull off more complex stunts and maximize features such as Flurry of Blows and other attacks. Among must-try weapons include wraps that transform one’s fists into magical armaments, claws resembling those of a mole, and even gauntlets designed specifically to defeat beasts, all of which are now included on this list following its latest update.
-
Effects
Saving Throws +1, Ability Checks +1
Monks enjoy theirDungeons & Dragonsgameplaynot just for their arsenal of multi-attack options, but also for how they open up encounters to dynamic gameplay options. It’s thematically plausible for a Monk to leap past walls to make an aerial downward attack against an enemy, and the possible Athletics (STR) Check required to do so is more plausible with theStone of Good Luck.
When acquired, the Stone bestows upon the Monk +1 to both Ability Checks and Saving Throws. At first glance, this incentivizes the Monk’s ability to explore the environment, as the aforementioned boost can increase their chances of surviving traps and fatal encounters. However, the Stone can also work in combat as a nifty buff when defending against Spells or for facilitating Class gimmicks.
How To Get Stone Of Good Luck
The Stone of Good Luck is described as a simple polished agate, and its Uncommon nature means it shouldn’t be too difficult to find for Monks. This could come in the form of an heirloom passed down by their master or their family, or an item that “called” their attention in the ruins of a temple or a village.
Stone Of Good Luck: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
While not necessarily a “weapon” that boosts the Monk’s overall DPS, the Stone of Good Luck bolsters their potential for utility. Players need to remember that stunts they see in action flicks or even wuxia series where Monks attempt to leap across buildings or scale structures to attack opponents aren’t necessarily impossible inDnDcombat. Should they ask their Dungeon Masters about the plausibility of such stunts, it’s possible that they will require them to do an Ability Check - allowing the Stone of Good Luck to shine. On the off-chance that this stunt won’t consume an Action, and instead only cost Movement, such a maneuver could even lead to an awesome display of fighting prowess.
1d6 Piercing, Thrown, Range (20/60), Versatile (1d8)
As a Simple Melee Weapon, anyone inD&Dcan hold and use aSpear, which makes it surprising for Monks to almost always want a Spear on the get-go. Spears deal 1d6 Piercing Damage, which makes them just a bit less threatening than the staple Longsword. Thankfully, Spears have a 20/60 Range, giving Monks more legroom in terms of distance.
While the Spearseems simplistic enough, it does shine with its other properties. As a Versatile weapon, wielding the Spear two-handed will land 1d8 damage. Its Thrown property also gives Monks an emergency throwing weapon. At a lack of Magic Items, a Spear’s properties can replace a Monk’s Unarmed Strikes until they get 1d10 damage at 17th-level. Spears can be found almost anywhere.
How To Get Spear
Because the Spear is a simple and common fantasy weapon, characters may begin with the Spear as part of their initial arsenal. Those looking for a Spear in their sessions may find them with the most armed foes or even the local blacksmith for a relatively low price.
Spear: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
Easily the best starting weapon and emergency weapon of choice for Monks, the Spear’s Versatile Property should give the Class the flexibility of 1d6/1d8 at 1H and 2H options. The 1d8 Damage alone gives Monks the best damage output prior to 17th-Level, which is the only time their Unarmed Strikes deal 1d10 Damage.
+1, +2, +3 to Attack, Damage Rolls
When holding the weapon:
While the lore dictates that theMoon Sicklebe only Attuned to a Druid or Ranger, a Dungeon Master can homebrew a Moon Sickle for a Monk under special circumstances. For instance, Monks particularlyattached to orders or monasterieswith links to nature may be given exceptions to wield a Moon Sickle, with its properties converted for Monks instead.
In that regard, a homebrew Moon Sickle could give a Monk bonus to both Attack and Damage Rolls, as well as a bonus to Spell Attack Rolls and Saving Throw DCs for their Spells. Not only that, but the Moon Sickle may be able to act as a Spellcasting Focus for their Spells. As an added bonus, holding the Sickle while casting a healing spell can add 1d4 worth of healing to the remedy provided, which is a nifty bonus.
How To Get Moon Sickle
Sickles aren’t often associated with Monks, making the Moon Sickle a unique companion to the martial artist. In that regard, a Monk wanting such a weapon must be able to acquire it through unconventional means to support the armament’s uncommon nature. A Monk could be awarded a Moon Sickle after helping the Druid of a neighboring forest or could acquire one during a visit to an elven city.
Moon Sickle: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
Despite not being a Druid or a Ranger, the Moon Sickle makes for an attractive Monk Weapon given its nature as a Simple Weapon. Its base 1d4 Slashing augmented with attack/damage bonuses based on the Moon Sickle’s rarity could boost its base damage potential. Taking the Very Rare variant with a +3 bonus could make the Moon Sickle a viable replacement for Unarmed Strikes until 5th-Level when its damage dice goes to 1d6, or until 10th-Level when it fully transitions into a more optimal 1d8. Multiclassing into a Druid gives the Monk more spellcasting options while dipping into the Ranger can give the Monk some terrain and opponent-based advantages.
Staff of Flowers
Regardless of the type (Adornment, Birdcalls, Flowers), this Staff works exactly like a usual Quarterstaff. It deals 1d6 Bludgeoning damage that becomes 1d8 when wielded two-handed via Versatile. Many of its extra magical effects work more like fluff, which can improve the theme of the Monk. Andas a Magic Weapon, it does work past resistance to non-magical attacks.
Monks who want a weapon with better extra effects could work with other longswords. However, wielding theStaff of Adornmenttwo-handed does give much-needed 1d8 base damage.
How To Get Staff Of Adornment, Birdcalls, Flowers
Players and DMs can have the resident Monk acquire any of these staves in similar ways. As staves associated with nature, a Monk could be granted any of these staves as a prize for solving a problem in the Feywild or for helping the local Druids resolve a conflict with the city intruding in their lands.
Staff Of Adornment, Birdcalls, Flowers: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
The appeal of these staves in a combative sense lies not in their effects, but their base properties. Without their effects, any of these staves become Quarterstaff +1, dealing 1d6+1 Bludgeoning damage on hit. When used creatively, these staves’ effects could potentially distract opponents, leaving them wide open for surprise attacks.
Curse:
Monks are trained by their respective monasteries not to onlyuse their bodies and minds as weapons, but to be the truest models of discipline and patience. Usually, a Monk wouldn’t want to exert their emotions in combat. However, a Monk wielding aSword of Vengeancecan be a unique combo.
Inherently cursed, a Monk with the Sword will be unwilling to part with it and will have a Disadvantage on Attacks with weapons other than the Sword. Moreover, whenever the Monk is damaged, they need to succeed in a DC 15 Wisdom Save, or else they go into a frenzy and attack the monster that dealt this damage to them. Being a Magic Item, the Sword of Vengeance confers a +1 Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls.
How To Get Sword Of Vengeance
Being one of the more standalone Magic Items, the Sword of Vengeance can find itself in a multitude of situations. However, it’s probably more interesting to attach the weapon to a setting that fits its theme. For instance, the Sword of Vengeance may be a cursed weapon that hops from one vengeful user to the next, which can be a fitting armament for the personal story of a Monk out for revenge.
Sword of Vengeance: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
If the Monk uses this as a Longsword, the Sword of Vengeance becomes the equivalent of a Longsword +1. While Cursed, its DC 15 WIS Save lest players constantly target its recent aggressor can lead to decent flavor moments, and getting it cleared of the Curse reverts it to its base Longsword +1 default setting. While others argue players should just get a Weapon + to avoid the hassle, having a Sword of Vengeance and ridding it of its curse could be a character growth moment for players.
With enough training, a Monk should be able to identify attacks before they even hit them. However, with aWeapon of Warning, they can have their weapon identify these attacks for them. While the Weapon is on their person, the Monk has an advantage in Initiative Rolls, and the Monk and companions with 30 feet cannot be surprised. It even magically awakens everyone asleep when combat begins.
Despite the lack of inherent bonuses of the weapon, the Weapon of Warning can greatly benefit the high-dexterity nature of Monks, which gives them a naturally high probability of going first in Initiative. For a Monk thatneeds to get close to enemies fast, the Advantage in Initiative Rolls can make them better equipped against enemies.
How To Get Weapon Of Warning
The text of the Weapon of Warning implies that the “Warning” is more of a magical enchantment. An ordinary route is to have the local spellcaster enhance a weapon with this property or even have a Wizard have this among their wares. A more creative consideration would be attaching the Weapon of Warning to a weapon of the get-go, with a backstory of said weapon being possessed by the seemingly benevolent spirit who guides its user to safety but may end up having nefarious goals.
Weapon of Warning: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
With Monks being one of the game’s DPS-oriented Classes, a Weapon of Warning giving Advantage on Initiative rolls on top of immunity to being non-magically Surprised makes it quite the attractive weapon of choice. Being able to attach this Magic Item to any Weapon means Monks can hyper-optimize the Weapon of Warning with a Quarterstaff or a Spear, accommodating their attack flow.
Command Word:
Acting both as flavor and as a practical weapon, the Monk with aDancing Swordis a delightful sight to imagine. As the name implies, the Dancing Sword has a Command Word that, when spoken, will have the Sword hover up to 30 feet and can attack creatures within 5 feet of it. It uses the Monk’s Attack and Ability Score Modifiers whenever it deals damage.
What’s interesting is that the Sword can use the player’s Bonus Action to fly up to 30 feet to another spotwithin 30 feet of the playerand attack any creature within that area. This allows players to attack multiple foes at once, which can be pretty beneficial to the Monk considering its wide array of attack options.
How To Get Dancing Sword
Like the Weapon of Warning, it’s easy to attach the idea of a sentient weapon to a self-moving Dancing Sword. An interesting take here would be attaching a spirit to the Dancing Weapon that relates to its ability to help its users. For instance, perhaps the Dancing Sword contains the spirit of a disgraced hero who wants to make amends by helping its wielder fight injustice.
Dancing Sword: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
Attaching the Dancing Sword to a Longsword means the Monk has a hovering weapon that can dole out at least 1d8 Damage on top of the character’s base Attack Roll and Ability Score Modifiers. While attacking with the Dancing Sword does cost a Bonus Action and therefore lessens Unarmed Strikes and Flurry of Blows, it does compensate for being a ranged weapon attack.
Rolling an Attack Roll 20 will add 7 Damage of the weapon’s type to the opponent
Players who build their Monks properly will likely encounter a lot of Critical Hits where they deal quitea ton of damage to bosses. With theVicious Weapon, they can take full advantage of the opportunities to score more damage when dealing with criticals. At its core, the target takes 7 more damage of the weapon’s type whenever the player lands a Critical.
While this isn’t exactly the most ideal upgrade to a weapon, that damage addition can be quite crucial when facing multiple foes. Another useful way to circumvent this “disadvantage” is to add the Vicious Weapon upgrade on top of another Magi Item category, further enhancing the weapon.
How To Get Vicious Weapon
With an emphasis on violence, the Vicious Weapon may work with a more wrathful backstory. For instance, the Vicious Weapon may be a cursed armament that grants its wielder with an insatiable bloodlust. Likewise, it may serve as an unholy weapon of an Evil God like Asmodeus that lures its users into worshiping the demon lord completely through increasing acts of rage.
Vicious Weapon: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
Players can argue to the DM that the Vicious Weapon’s effect should also consider the 20s that are acquired through bonuses, especially with the item’s Rare value. However, even if DMs don’t consider this option, the +7 Damage on crit makes for a decent cherry on top especially since criticals deal double damage. When used with a Quarterstaff or Spear, alternating a Vicious Weapon with options such as Flurry of Blows can make a Monk much deadlier when creating combos.
The unsheathed blade creates 15-foot of bright light and 15-foot dim light
Any sword can become aMoon-Touched Swordwhengiven to the right blacksmith- or perhaps an Elven enchanter. As a Moon-Touched Sword, the unsheathed blade will shed moonlight in dark dungeons, illuminating the space with light (15ft bright, 15ft dim).
Albeit without any significant damage boosts, a Moon-Touched Sword is a handy replacement for a torch and is a gateway to stronger Magic Weapons. While a Monk with high enough Dexterity can do wonders with a Moon-Touched Sword at early levels, this is best reserved until they get a more decent melee weapon with range.
How To Get Moon-Touched Sword
As a weapon that glows with the brightness of the moonlight, it’s normal to associate the Moon-Touched Sword with elves. Since it’s a Common weapon, it could be a simple weapon wielded by an elven ranger regiment. It may also be an enchantment to the Monk’s sword that was granted by a nature-leaning spellcaster such as a Druid.
Moon-Touched Sword: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
Being a simple sword, the Moon-Touched Sword could simply take the form of a Longsword, granting it a base 1d8 Damage. Despite its “simple” take on a Monk weapon, it does imply that it’s better off as a sidearm or a starting armament before transitioning into Martial Arts. Having a sword that can become a torch substitute without many complications can make the Moon-Touched Sword worth using until players transition to more ideal weapons.
+1, +2, +3
Unarmed Strikes are now Magical
Thanks to theBook of Many Things, theMonk inDungeons & Dragonscan finally use their unarmed melee attacks but classify them as magical strikes, courtesy of theWraps of Unarmed Prowess. These are Wondrous Items that take the form of cloth wraps. When worn, the Monk’s unarmed attacks are now considered magical for the purposes of bypassing resistances to non-magical damage.
Not only that, the Wraps of Unarmed Prowess come with bonuses depending on their rarity, allowing players to enjoy as much as +3 to both Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls against foes. At higher levels, where Monks can access better damage dice for Flurry of Blows and other attacks, the bonuses from the Wraps can give them a much-needed advantage.
How To Get Wraps Of Unarmed Prowess
Given their original appearance as cloth wraps and the implication that they are specifically made for martial artists, it’s reasonable for Dungeon Masters to keep the Wraps of Unarmed Prowess inside monastic temples. A Monk’s mentor could be safeguarding these Wraps to give to the character as they make progress in their story arcs. Likewise, a Monk could find these Wraps as ordinary cloth from the ruins of a holy temple, where wrapping the cloth around their hands has provided them with an extraordinary sense of courage.
Wraps Of Unarmed Prowess: How Does It Fit The Monastic Warrior?
When used in early levels, even an ordinary Weapon +1 can outclass the Wraps of Unarmed Prowess. However, at higher levels, the Wraps of Unarmed Prowess can easily help the Monk push the limits of their Flurry of Blows throughout any combat encounter. The +2 and +3 to Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls can replace the +1d4 of traditional buffs, paving the way for much stronger bonuses from allies with offerings such as Improved Bardic Inspiration.
