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

mellored said:

Sure. Shadow works mechanically, but kind of clashes thematically. (Dark Steel? )

So go ahead and make a Way of the Iron Fist.

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I said that was the conversation I would have with the player ... I was not intending to volunteer, but ...

Level 3:

• Iron Fist Warrior: You gain proficiency with all weapons, shields and armor. You also gain proficiency with Smith's Tools. You may use Martial Arts, Unarmored Movement and Acrobatic Movement while wearing armor and/or using a shield. You do not suffer disadvantage to stealth from wearing armor.
• When you’re hit by a melee attack by an adjacent creature while you’re wearing Heavy armor you may use a Ki/Focus point. If you do so, any Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage dealt to you by that attack is reduced by an amount equal to one roll of your Focus Dice and the attacker takes that much damage instead.

Level 6:

• You gain advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks, as well as Dexterity and Strength and saving throws when the roll involves grappling or forced movement.
• As a reaction you may become the target of an attack targeting an adjacent creature.

Level 11:

• You've mastered ways to attach weapons to your armor in a way to extend your reach. Increase your reach by 5 feet with any weapon attack you make.
• Every melee attack against you deals your focus die damage back to the attacker when you're heavily armored.

Level 17:
* You've mastered the ancient arts of Master Armor Builders. You may take 40 hours to permanently increase the AC of any armor by 1. Additionally, you may spend 40 hours to modify any armor to become your Focus Armor. Only you can wear and benefit from your Focus Armor. While wearing it your AC increased by 2 and your size increases to Large. Additionally, once per turn, if you are attacked in melee and take no damage, you regain one spent Focus Point.

mellored said:

Random idea i wanted to try, but is there a way to make a decent heavy armored monk?

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Heavy Armor Monk works great with the 2024 rules. Overall with the right build you give up very little of your class abilities. Some subclasses don't work though.

What you lose is unarmored defense, martial arts, unarmored movement and Acrobatic Movement.

You keep everything else, including flurry of blows, step of the wind, patient defense, deflect attacks, stunning strike, empowered strikes, slow fall, evasion ......

Without Martial Arts your unarmed strike damage will be weak, so if you are going to use Flurry of Blows you probably want then Tavern Brawler feat. The way the text reads your Monk weapons still count as Monk weapons when you are in armor, but you don't get to use your martial arts die.

If you don't want to flurry you can use your Monk focus to dodge with your plate and shield 20 AC, reduce damage if an attack does get though with deflect attacks and also get stunning strikes when you hit with your monk weapons.

If you are starting from level 1 I think you can start Monk and take Cleric for heavy armor at level 2. Play max strength/max wisdom. I think 1 level of Cleric is probably the best for low level play.

Fighter is an option, but if you want heavy armor then you are stuck with a Constitution save instead of a dex save.

You can also go Ranger 2 and pick up heavy armor at Monk level 4 through a feat. Playing for high level I think Ranger 2 is probably the best course.

Paladin is doable, but kind of difficult because you need a 13 dex, 13 Wisdom and a 13 charisma.

Heavy Armor Master would be a great feat to combine with deflect attacks.

DEFCON 1 said:

Remove the rule from the Monk that says they cannot use armor to use their monk features, and remove the rule that gives a WIS-bonus to AC. That pretty much is it. Not hard at all.

The only reason they put the rule in to add WIS to AC is to make up for the fact they aren't gaining any AC points from armor. So give them armor instead of the WIS bonus. No big deal. Yeah, their AC might end up being higher than a normal Monk when all is said and done... but so what? If there's no other Monk in the party then what difference does it make how high their AC is? The Monk character's AC was going to go up using bracers of defense or rings of protection anyway at some point, so this just means they get a slightly higher AC at a lower level than "normal". But who cares? And besides... if your particular party doesn't have a tank warrior character, having a higher-AC Monk to take its place would probably be good swap anyway.

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The monk would be much, much better. They already are, in most situations, and that’s without heavy armour. Now you have a tank who can basically negate one hit per round and impose disadvantage at will with a high AC.

jgsugden said:

I said that was the conversation I would have with the player ... I was not intending to volunteer, but ...

Level 3:

• Iron Fist Warrior: You gain proficiency with all weapons, shields and armor. You also gain proficiency with Smith's Tools. You may use Martial Arts, Unarmored Movement and Acrobatic Movement while wearing armor and/or using a shield. You do not suffer disadvantage to stealth from wearing armor.
• When you’re hit by a melee attack by an adjacent creature while you’re wearing Heavy armor you may use a Ki/Focus point. If you do so, any Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage dealt to you by that attack is reduced by an amount equal to one roll of your Focus Dice and the attacker takes that much damage instead.

Level 6:

• You gain advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks, as well as Dexterity and Strength and saving throws when the roll involves grappling or forced movement.
• As a reaction you may become the target of an attack targeting an adjacent creature.

Level 11:

• You've mastered ways to attach weapons to your armor in a way to extend your reach. Increase your reach by 5 feet with any weapon attack you make.
• Every melee attack against you deals your focus die damage back to the attacker when you're heavily armored.

Level 17:
* You've mastered the ancient arts of Master Armor Builders. You may take 40 hours to permanently increase the AC of any armor by 1. Additionally, you may spend 40 hours to modify any armor to become your Focus Armor. Only you can wear and benefit from your Focus Armor. While wearing it your AC increased by 2 and your size increases to Large. Additionally, once per turn, if you are attacked in melee and take no damage, you regain one spent Focus Point.

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This is incredibly broken at all levels.